Celebrating 50 Years Of Singapore’s Beloved Icon: The Merlion 50 Watch
In conjunction with 50 years of Singapore’s Merlion statue, BOLDR is releasing a brand new timepiece inspired by its symbolism of heritage, resilience, and prosperity. Marrying the brand’s identity of manufacturing tough watches & gear, the Merlion 50 was made in collaboration with Singapore Tourism Board (STB), available now on BOLDR’s website.
SINGAPORE: The Merlion is a well-recognized icon that speaks of Singapore’s humble beginnings and journey as a nation. After 2 arduous years in the global pandemic, Singapore is welcoming the world back to its shores with the Merlion logo spearheading their extensive tourism initiatives. As a Singapore-based company, BOLDR takes immense pride in celebrating the milestone of their nation’s cultural icon.
The Merlion is a mythical part-lion and part-fish creature that signifies Singapore’s origin story. The lion head refers to the beast encountered by a young Srivijayan prince, Sang Nila Utama, upon first arriving on the island long ago. It transpired that the prince stood his ground until the beast retreated, compelling him to rename Temasek island to Singapura, or ‘lion city’. The statue’s fish body alludes to Singapore's humble beginnings as a fishing village.
Originally created in 1964 as the corporate logo for the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board (STPB), the Merlion was constructed in 1972 by local sculptor Mr. Lim Nang Seng and officiated on 15th September 1972 by then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
BOLDR founder Leon Leong says, “It is such an honor to work with the Singapore Tourism Board to commemorate this milestone. We are proud that over these past 50 years, the Merlion is recognized globally as an icon of our strength and progress.”.
The Merlion 50 x BOLDR Safari is a 40mm dive watch encased in full stainless steel and rated for 20 ATM. The dial face is sunburst blue designed with unique indexes inspired by the official logo of the 50th Anniversary, featured at 10 o’clock position. The logo is a stylized take on the iconic statue which spouts water from its mouth; ‘5’ representing the waterspout and ‘0’ being the Merlion itself, coated in gold to mark its Golden Jubilee. Catching the eye are geometric twists and wave-like structure of the indexes - a nod to Singapore’s cityscape and riverside surroundings.
The case has a 60-minute unidirectional dive bezel lumed at 15 minute markers. Topped off with a flat sapphire crystal with AR, it shines boldly in the dark with C3 & BGW9 Japan Superlume on its hands and indexes.
Orders are now open on www.boldrsupply.co shipping from 8th December 2022.
