From Chinese Sculpture to Screen Characters: Memorigin's Hong Kong Watchmaking Perspective

*The Hong Kong tourbillon brand explores how an appreciation of sculptural detail can connect Chinese artistic roots with international popular culture.*

HONG KONG, October 25, 2026, Chinese artistic imagery and international cinema share a place in Memorigin's approach to mechanical watch design. Founded in Hong Kong in 2011 by William Shum, JP, the brand treats the watch dial as a small setting in which a familiar subject can take on depth, structure and movement.

That perspective has roots in a family collection of Chinese woodcarvings. The collection of Shum's father Shum Mak-ling encouraged an interest in the expression and cultural meaning an object can carry. Within a wristwatch, those qualities find a different scale, while the rotating tourbillon introduces a continuing point of movement.

Memorigin's character watches extend this interest from traditional artistic references into international popular culture. The connection reflects Hong Kong's outward-looking cultural setting, where Chinese heritage, cinema and contemporary design can form part of the same creative conversation.

The *Star Wars Series*, designed by Hong Kong composer and designer Mark Lui, interprets Captain Phasma's helmet through the framework of a skeletal dial. Silver and black shapes leave the flying tourbillon visible at six o'clock. Recognition comes through the architecture of the watch itself, rather than a separate image placed over the mechanism.

The *Marvel Series Spider-Man Tourbillon* takes a more figurative approach. Spider-Man appears upside down above the rotating tourbillon, with red and dark blue carried into the dial and a web-patterned calf-leather strap. The composition brings the character's pose into the mechanical scene.

The two interpretations show how a familiar subject can become part of a watch's structure. A helmet is suggested through graphic forms; a character becomes a sculptural figure within the dial. In each case, the visible tourbillon supplies motion alongside the subject.

Memorigin's feature "Hong Kong, Seen Through a Tourbillon" explores the broader story behind this approach, from the family's woodcarving influences to cultural watches, signature designs and character-themed pieces. The feature introduces a design perspective shaped by Hong Kong and the meeting of artistic and mechanical traditions.

Read Hong Kong, Seen Through a Tourbillon: https://memorigin.store/blogs/articles/memorigin-hong-kong-tourbillon-east-meets-west?utm_source=freepressreleases_uk&utm_medium=press_release&utm_campaign=hong_kong_tourbillon_202610&utm_content=cinema_character

About Memorigin

Memorigin is a Hong Kong watch brand founded in 2011 by William Shum, JP. Its tourbillon watches combine mechanical watchmaking with Chinese cultural references, sculptural design and contemporary themes.

*Attached photo caption* Memorigin's *Star Wars Series* interprets Captain Phasma's helmet through the structure of a skeletal tourbillon dial. Designed by Mark Lui.