Former Paralympic gold medalist So Wa Wai and his mother So Hon Siu Ching were invited by Memorigin’s founder William Shum to co-design the So Wa Wai Series tourbillon watches. As Mother’s Day was approaching, the mother-son pair posed for a photo shoot arranged by Memorigin. William and his mother Shum Hui Lai King visited them at the studio and the two pairs took some gorgeous photos together. Often seen in his sporty casual clothes, Wai showed another side of him this time by wearing SUITino suits. His mother was also dressed elegantly for the occasion.
When asked about the reasons to start this collaboration, William revealed that he got to know Wai under the referral of the snooker player Marco Fu. “The brand sponsored the premiere of the local film Zero To Hero last year. I was deeply touched by the strong bond between the mother and son and Wai’s perseverance. Hoping to inspire more people with his spirit, I asked him if he was willing to design a tourbillon watch with the brand.”
Wai shared that he wore sports watches more often and did not know much about mechanical watches. He felt honored for being invited to design one. “I told the design team that I wanted to place some track and field elements and my signature gesture on the dial. They integrated my ideas and created the So Wa Wai Series – The Champion tourbillon watch,” he said.
During the discussion, Wai mentioned the importance of his mother’s love and support. William immediately came up with an idea of launching another watch, i.e. So Wa Wai Series – Heroic Mom, that would spread this message. The dial depicts a silhouette of a mother holding her baby up in the air, which implies that behind every child is an attentive and devoted mother.
As a Mother's Day gift, William and Wai presented their mothers with the tourbillon watches to express their gratitude. “The watch was full of warmth when I received it. I like it very much. More importantly, a part of the proceeds will be donated to the Hong Kong Paralympic Committee for fostering the development of sports for persons with disabilities, making the collaboration more meaningful,” said Wai’s mother.