Member Spotlight: Dr Jin Wu

It’s a beautiful day and an interview with entrepreneur, author and philanthropist Jin Wu in the private dining hall of Latitude Restaurant & Terrace is the perfect complement. The conversation goes from preloved luxury watches and bags to philanthropy
and a quirky distinctive morning routine—all within one family and within Far East Plaza. Well, almost all… the quirk is entirely Jin’s.

Jin grew up around luxury watches but she is as much an entrepreneur as she is a watch lover. She founded Richman Luxury that specialises in watch winders for automatic watches—and complements her father’s business Goldman Luxury—her family owns three stores, including hers, in the mall.

FILLING THE VOID

The idea for Richman Luxury was sparked both by her passion for automatic watches and the realisation that there was a lack of affordable, high-quality watch winders in the market. Jin’s business is one among just two in Singapore specialising in this sector.

“It’s a very niche market, in fact, very, very niche,” explains Jin, adding that Richman’s customer base extends through the Asia-Pacific region.

There was definitely a void that needed filling, as Jin noticed among Goldman customers that a lot of watch enthusiasts and collectors were at a loss when it came to maintaining their watch. “They often find their watches showing the wrong time or date and they have to wind it each time before wearing it”, which is more of a problem than a solution, says Jin. “The correct way of taking care of the watches, especially luxury timepieces, is to put them in the watch winder because there’s an optimal rotation where you can wind, and then after that, they will give you the current day and time.”

Richman Luxury’s watch winders are custom built into boxes with storage as per the needs of the customer and the number of watches owned. Richman’s watch winders prioritise ecofriendly materials and environmentally friendly manufacturing processes. Beyond that, Jin is also able to advise customers on the right settings—in watch-winder speak, the number of turns and their direction—depending on the watch or watches they own. “Majority of the models, including Rolex, are dual direction with 650 to 850 turns per day being optimal. On the other hand, Patek Philippe watches need 1,000 and above turns per day,” says Jin with a smile. “Each day, there is a new watch launch; I am still learning.”

A BETTER WORLD

The thirst for knowledge and to keep upskilling herself kept Jin going through the pandemic when her family business, as did other businesses, found itself unable to accept customers. The business adapted and forged their digital presence while Jin set along a different path.

“The challenges and uncertainties of COVID-19 made me reflect on my priorities and the impact I could make on the world,” says Jin. During that time, she co-wrote the book Love Can Bring Peace and Happiness During Setback! and acquired a doctorate in Philanthropy from St. Mother Theresa University, India.

“Mother Teresa is my biggest inspiration. I deeply admire her relentless pursuit of love and kindness, her humility, deep faith and dedication to serving the poorest of the poor,” says Jin.

Jin has since also founded the Richman Foundation. “When I launched Richman Luxury, we were discussing the names and this was the most meaningful—not about a man rich in wealth, but rich in love and humility,” explains Jin. The foresight that went into the name now fits right in with the foundation’s core values of “humanity, peace, love, justice, and trust”. Aligning with the 2030 agenda of United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, Richman Foundation focuses on initiatives such as providing free meals for orphans and under-privileged children as well as their emotional development. “The goal is to create a healthier and a more compassionate world,” says Jin.

The list of innovative initiatives includes the Santa Claus Mission to Millions where kids around the world receive unexpected gifts in the form of free meals, quality education, as well as educational scholarships. Richman Foundation has a presence in Singapore, Malaysia, India, and some African countries.

Jin is currently in the midst of filming a documentary “to spread the message out to the world that this group of children need our attention” she says. She hopes that it will one day be aired on international streaming channels.

Entrepreneurship runs deep in Jin’s veins as does the drive to leave the world a better place than she found it. Her desire for a more responsive world aligns with her verve for a future where sustainability and luxury horology can co-exist.

The original article was published on the May/ June 25 issue of Longitude, ONE°15 Marina’s Club magazine. Read it here.