Royal Ties
Veteran watch salesman Peter Chong talks about longevity in the business and his best customers
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In the same way that Singaporeans head to Johor every week to buy groceries, the Johor Sultan and his family come to Singapore just as often to shop. One of their pit-stops would be The Hour Glass in Orchard Road, where Peter Chong was always on hand to personally serve - and they asked only for him - three generations of the family until his retirement three months ago at the age of 81.
Possibly the oldest salesman of The Hour Glass - maybe even in the whole local industry - Mr Chong has been in the trade his whole life, since he dropped out of Primary Five to work as a watch-repair apprentice.
His is a story typical of the pioneer generation - money was scarce, education a luxury and street smarts were essential for survival.
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