About Us
The Story of TWEMCO: Hong Kong's Timekeeping Heritage
Since 2014, Time Will Flip has been dedicated to preserving and sharing one of Hong Kong's most remarkable design legacies: TWEMCO flip clocks—timepieces that have measured moments in Hong Kong homes, banks, and government buildings for over six decades.
A Hong Kong Engineering Legacy Born in 1960
The TWEMCO story begins in 1960, when Lau Cho Hung founded Tai Wah Electrical Manufacturing Company in Hong Kong, initially producing electric fans. But the company's destiny changed when Lau's two sons—Lau Chun-Leung and Lau Chi-Leung—studied electrical and mechanical engineering at Hong Kong Technical College (now Hong Kong Polytechnic University) and brought their technical expertise back to the family workshop.
In 1969, the Lau brothers achieved a breakthrough: they patented the fully automatic flip calendar mechanism that would become TWEMCO's signature innovation. This wasn't just a clock—it was precision Hong Kong engineering that could keep time with accuracy of under 0.5 seconds per month.
Design Recognition and Cultural Impact
In 1970, TWEMCO released the Auto-12 and Auto-20 models. The Auto-12 won the Federation of Hong Kong Industries Award for Good Design, cementing TWEMCO's reputation for marrying form and function. Over the following decades, TWEMCO sold over 1 million clocks, becoming fixtures in Hong Kong's banks, government offices, and homes—silent witnesses to the city's transformation.
The clocks' cultural significance extends beyond timekeeping. Wong Kar-wai, Hong Kong's most celebrated filmmaker, featured TWEMCO clocks prominently in his films—works renowned for exploring themes of time, distance, memory, and Hong Kong identity. The steady flip of TWEMCO's cards became a visual metaphor for moments passing in a rapidly changing city.
From Workshop to Museum
Today, TWEMCO ephemera is preserved in the permanent collection of M+, Hong Kong's premier design and visual culture museum. TWEMCO is recognized as one of Hong Kong's "sunset survivor" traditional crafts—a testament to local manufacturing excellence in an era of mass production.
Each TWEMCO clock is still handcrafted in Hong Kong, carrying forward more than 60 years of engineering precision and design heritage.
Our Mission: Horopalettologists Unite
At Time Will Flip, we're more than a retailer—we're horopalettologists (collectors and enthusiasts of timekeeping devices) dedicated to preserving this remarkable heritage. Our mission is to:
- Promote the art of flip clocks and share their unique mechanical beauty with the world
- Provide accessible information about flip clock history, mechanics, and cultural significance
- Offer authentic TWEMCO timepieces through a secure, convenient platform that connects collectors globally with Hong Kong's clockmaking tradition
When you choose a TWEMCO clock, you're not just buying a timepiece—you're acquiring a piece of Hong Kong design history, a functional work of art that has appeared in iconic films, earned museum recognition, and measured time with unparalleled precision for over 60 years.
Welcome to the world of TWEMCO. Welcome to Time Will Flip.
