Wimaladharma Brothers keeping time for the nation for over 83 years

Wimaladharma Brothers, ‘The Time Keepers to the Nation,’ has been the benchmark for wrist watches, alarm clocks and wall clocks in the industry for over 83 years.

“We founded Wimaladharma Brothers in 1936, which has operated under the tagline ‘The Time Keepers to the Nation’ since its inception. For more than eight long decades, our company has been popular amongst customers who have valued quality products that are also sold at a reasonable price, all under one roof. Originally, our company was established at 1st Cross Street, Colombo – our first showroom on display even before Sri Lanka’s independence,” says Wimaladharma Brothers Ltd. CEO Shantha Wimaladharma. 

“With the progress of our growing business, we moved to Front Street, where our showroom was opened and commemorated in 1958 by Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake. Initially, we were primarily involved in importing our products and also began manufacturing clocks. Adapting with the passing of time, under the government of Sirimavo Bandaranaike in 1964 and under the patronage of Maithripala Senanayake, Minister of Industries, the first-ever clock manufacturing plant was established to support and nurture the local industry. This is a fact that we are proud to remember. 

“Going forward, our family business was reshaped, as government policies evolved, and adapted to the changing business environment. With the introduction of the more open economic policies of 1977, we began importing most of our products. At this time, the manufacturing operations took a back seat. However, wrist watches were always imported from when we began our business. In addition to this, we engage in both wholesale and retail business. At present, we are in the midst of a drive for expansion. 

“Our showrooms are located in Malwatte Road (Front Street, Pettah), Liberty Plaza and Majestic City. We carry genuine globally-reputed brands such as Seiko (Japanese), Roamer (Swiss), Orient (Japanese) watches (Japanese), Oris (Swiss), and Rhythm clocks (Japanese) and Hermle Grandfather Clocks (German) which are affordable options for our customers.

“Swiss made quality watches have been the distinctive trade mark of Roamer since it was founded in 1888. Roamer watches made in Switzerland at a reasonable price is a commitment which has forged the brand’s identity and reputation. We have introduced Mechanical Lady Sweetheart, Saturn II, Searock, Swiss Matic, Swiss Matic Swinging Heart, C-Line Ladies, Rockshell Mark III Chrono, Classic Line, Vanguard, etc. from the Roamer collections.

“From 1992, we initially imported Seiko watches, the esteemed Japanese brand, and later expanded into wall clocks and alarm clocks. We are the Authorised Distributor for Seiko watches and clocks in Sri Lanka. We market the Seiko brands Astron GPS, Prospex, Premier, Sportura and solar power watches.

“Our original flagship showroom in Pettah displays the German Hermle Grandfather Clocks, which is an added attraction to our founding premises. We also carry Wembly clocks with battery operated models. There is a considerable demand from the corporate sector for the quality of these products. Apart from manufacturing such wall clocks, we also engage in importing them to Sri Lanka. 

“We offer a one to two-year warranty period for the watches, varying according to the brand. For watch and clock repairs, we have a reputed in-store service centre to cater for this. Further, we are pleased to state that our aftersales services and repairs go beyond the warranty period. We house a group of very talented staff with the necessary state-of-the-art Swiss and Japanese equipment to carry out quality servicing and repairing work.

“Our speciality is that we have journeyed a long way amidst a challenging and changing environment. Throughout this, we have never failed to win the confidence and trust of our valued customers. They are always foremost in our minds and we have sold over one million watches and clocks over the period of time. This is why we have survived this long. Our company is based on home-grown values that have stood the test of time for almost a century. We proudly hold strong to these values in the present day and have set the benchmark in the industry and proudly continue to maintain our tagline, ‘The Time Keepers to the Nation’.

“Our business strategy has enabled us to remain competitive in the market. Though there have been many players who have entered this market thereafter, we have been able to maintain our position at the forefront for over 83 years due to our attentive service, our quality products and our consciousness towards affordability.“In commemoration of our 83rd Anniversary, we have reopened our showroom in Pettah with a new look to offer customers a bigger and better experience. Customers can enjoy special discounts from 1 February to 20 February from Wimaladharma Brothers. We invite all of you to visit our showroom, and don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity!”