Lisa in Asia: Arrived in Hong Kong

After leaving my house in Seattle at 4:45am Monday morning, I finally arrived in Hong Kong at about 7pm Tuesday night.  I am here with Laurie, Laura (our Senior Buyers), and Peter (our VP Merchandising) for a trade show.  They were traveling in Bangkok before now.  When we say that we search the world for our merchandise, it is really true!!

Having never been to this part of the world before I didn’t know exactly what to expect.  The drive in from the airport was fascinating.  Although there were the hills and water that were somewhat familiar from one of my grandmother’s paintings, they were sharply contrasted by ultra-modern bridges and skyscrapers.  The buildings themselves were different then anything I have ever seen.  Their footprints were not standard rectangles, but rather very tall and skinny and have sides that jut in and out to maximize the frontage and the view.  Since I came in at night it was difficult to gain perspective of the area, but the city was lit up with glittering lights within the buildings, projected on to the buildings, and across the bridges that connect the city.

Tomorrow I will meet up with Laurie, Laura, and Peter to go in to mainland China for the day.  We are going to see the factory of one of our vendors.  I am curious to see how different it is than the facilities we saw in Italy.

More to come tomorrow after a good night’s sleep!

~Lisa

Tag Heuer Silverstone Limited Edition: Available to Order Now from Ben Bridge

Tag Heuer Silverstone Limited Edition Chronograph

We just met with our friends from Tag Heuer who were excited to share their brand-new limited edition Silverstone chronograph with us. Because of our enthusiasm for the product and strong relationship with Tag Heuer, Ben Bridge is pleased to be one of the first retailers anywhere in the world to offer it for sale!

See the watches on benbridge.com

There is a fascinating story behind this piece. To celebrate the company’s 150th anniversary, Tag Heuer re-created a watch originally released in 1974. The cushion-shaped watch was named Silverstone after the famed British racetrack located outside of London. The unique shape evokes the layout of the Silverstone racetrack which was built as a RAF bomber base during World War II.

The case is 42mm in diameter and available with either a blue dial and blue perforated alligator strap or a brown dial and brown perforated alligator strap. The movement is a Tag Heuer Calibre 11 with a Dubois-Depraz module. The watch recognizes the company’s heritage by incorporating the vintage Heuer logo on the dial, crown and decorated rotor. Both colors are limited to 1500 pieces worldwide and are $6500 each.

We are supposed to receive the first watches at the end of this week. Order one now or call your personal jeweler to grab one for you so you can be the first kid on any block with this very stylish piece!

I can’t decide which color I like better, what do you think of it? Which color would you order? -Marc

Article from Luxist

Silverstone Dial in Brown

Valentine’s Stories: Stephanie Woods

Stephanie Woods of our Accounting Department shares her favorite Valentine’s Day memories and most loved traditions. Happy Valentine’s Day Stephanie and Barrett! -Marc

My first Valentine’s Day with my husband Barrett, then boyfriend, was a very special day.  Not only did he pamper me that day with a pedicure and manicure, beautiful flowers and an elegant dinner, but he also proposed to me that evening!

Since that memorable first, Barrett has made a tradition each year of getting me a beautiful bouquet of flowers that he’s had specially arranged for me, followed by an amazing dinner at Anthony’s HomePort in Edmonds.  But, this year our Valentine’s Day is bound to be different, we have our little bubba boo to spend it with!  My perfect Valentine’s Day this Sunday will include having the entire day to spend with Barrett and Carter (aka little bubba boo); a bouquet of flowers; a delicious dinner ala Stephanie, maybe steak and lobster (Barrett’s fave); and a movie at home, preferably a romantic comedy (my fave).

I have to admit, I do love getting the gifts and flowers for Valentine’s Day, but what makes it even more special for me is that it’s a day that everything that we’re going through in life gets put on hold, so that we can spend time together, just loving each other!

Stephanie, Barrett and Carter (a.k.a. Little Bubba Boo)

Valentine’s Stories: Leighton Ebert

Leighton met his bride to be, Meghan Bartholomew, at Ben Bridge. He takes care of our stores with a particular focus on helping them get the right watches for their clients. Happy Valentines Day Leighton and Meghan! -Marc

What does Valentine’s day represent for me?  That’s a good question, and one that’s changed quite a bit over the years.

I think in today’s fast paced, tumultuous world, just being with someone you care about is really all that matters.

For me, and fortunately my fiancée, dinner and a movie (of her choice of course) seem to work out great – this year it’s sushi and “Valentine’s Day”.  If you ask anyone who truly knows me, they’ll certainly say I do my best to be as anti-clichéd as possible, but as hard as I may try, I don’t think I’ve ever gone wrong with flowers, a card and some chocolates, either.

As I’ve learned throughout the years, if she’s happy then I’m happy.

Leighton Ebert and Meghan Bartholomew met at Ben Bridge!

Ben Bridge Donates Carpet to Habitat for Humanity

Today – February 9th, Ben Bridge Jeweler was happy to be supporting our community again with a donation to the Seattle Chapter of Habitat for Humanity.

Ben Bridge Associates Scott Johnson and Nick Vermeer help loan a pallet of carpet in a truck for Habitat for Humanity

We were able to put to good use an entire pallet of extra carpet from past store construction/remodeling projects along with three cases of surplus lighting fixtures no longer used in our stores. The total amount of carpet donated was 1,450 sq. ft. – that’s more than enough to cover (10) 12’x 12’ rooms.

Thanks to Scott Johnson, Lander Chin, and Nick Vermeer for arranging this donation and to Nick for putting together this post!

Buying in Switzerland: Lisa’s Blog Part VI

Bonjour,

We just finished our first full day in Geneva. It’s amazing how different this fair is from Vicenza. This show, Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie Geneva, is all about high end watch brands. The Vicenza show had hall after hall full of jewelry. This show, on the other hand, has exponentially fewer manufacturers, but exponentially larger booths. This fair is specifically focused on displaying new merchandise. Each brand is excited to show off their new innovations in design and technology.

IWC Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph

The booths are unbelievable! IWC’s booth was themed to go along with the latest additions to their Portuguese collection. Apparently, all of the watchimages for this year were taken on a particular yacht so the whole booth was nautical themed. There were wood floors with cleats, a ceiling that looked like it was a collection of sails, and a front desk shaped like the bow of a boat (they were just missing an anchor). There was no doubt which watch was being highlighted. Their watches are beautiful and clean. One of their watches, the “Da Vinci”, is made of both ceramic and titanium to make it light weight and durable. What a great combo!

I found interesting to see that Ralph Lauren has created a watch brand. They just began selling their pieces a few months ago. The established fashion brand has paired with Richemont (owners of Cartier and Piaget) to create a real luxury watch brand. The merchandise was beautiful, I’m curious to hear more about the line.

Baume and Mercier continue to make a clean, elegant watch. They are narrowing the number of watches produced to create a more streamlined collection. The new selection of watches needed to be chosen today, so Peter had to make the decisions. We are going to label them “Peter’s Picks” and he is responsible for their eventual success. Sorry Katie!

Panerai 339

Panerai had a cool new innovation in watch cases. One of their new watches, PAM00339, has an aluminum oxide case. To make this durable case, it is first stamped out of aluminum and then is dipped in a special mixture that includes oxygen molecules. The oxygen atoms join the compound and create a case that is harder than ceramic. Innovation never ceases to amaze me.

Tomorrow is my last full day in Europe and we only have a few more appointments to attend. I know that tomorrow will bring something else interesting, so I can’t wait to see what else is creative and different out there.

Bon soir!

Lisa

Buying in Italy: Lisa’s Blog Part II

Buon Giorno!

We finished our first night with a walk through the town of Vicenza. It looks just like what you’d expect an old European city to look like. It is a walled city with cobblestone streets magically lit up by strings of white lights. The old and the new collided as we strolled beneath columns to the sound of Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the USA” blasting from a store.

Today, we walked the show looking for creative and new merchandise. We selected colorful suites of gemstones and enamel from a company that hasn’t ever done business in the US. We also found a possible new chain manufacturer in Barcelona.

Later in the afternoon we had a few appointments with current vendors.

We grabbed a cappuccino with one of our vendors who participated in our Italia ’09 event. They are so incredibly passionate about their product. It is all hand made about four hours south of here, and is beautiful. They don’t speak much English and we speak even less Italian, so needless to say we used our hands a lot!

Our last appointment of the evening was with the World Gold Council. We discussed the enduring value of gold. While so many people are abandoning gold due to its high price, it has been prized for thousands of years and it will continue to be sought by people who see its intrinsic value.

My favorite piece today was a pink and black enameled circular disk pendant from the sisters who haven’t worked in the US before.  Laura’s was a similar piece, but in black and white enamel set in 18kt gold. The fact that we both chose it independently must mean it’s going to be a winner!

We are looking forward to starting tomorrow morning looking at gold in the Turkish pavilion.

Ciao for now!
Lisa

Ben Bridge Profiles: Lorena Barajas

Lorena Barajas, Assistant Manager of Ben Bridge in Dos Lagos, Corona, CA

Lorena won the 2009 Ben Bridge Design Contest for her beautiful amethyst and smoky quartz pendant. Congratulations Lorena! -Marc

Lorena Barajas – The Promenade Shops at Dos Lagos in Corona, CA

I have worked for Ben Bridge in Dos Lagos for two and a half years and I am the store’s assistant manager. Our crew here is fantastic; in fact, I would bet that we are the best team of jewelers in the country! We are all creative and talented in our own ways.

I recently received my AJP (Accredited Jewelry Professional) from the Gemological Institute of America and I have a Bachelor’s Degree in sociology that I received in 2008 from California State University in Fullerton. I have also volunteered in several organizations in the community that help women find jobs and provide services to help them get back into the work force. In addition, I have done some tutoring for students who need help with math.

As you can see, I love to work with all different types of people from diverse backgrounds. I am married and we have a beautiful three year old daughter. I have a busy life and I love it! When I am not at work, you may find me trying to find new places to take my daughter. Whether it is the park or the zoo, I love to keep her entertained.

Lorena's Award Winning Design

I have always loved the combination of rose gold with smoky quartz and that beautiful combination of colors together inspired me to create this design and enter the competition. I wanted something that was substantial in size and I knew that it had to be done in rose gold. In order to make it even more distinctive, I dressed it up by adding diamonds around the two gemstones. I think it has an expensive look at an affordable price.

I am very proud to say that I work for Ben Bridge. This company has given me the opportunity to try new things, from designing a piece of jewelry to taking courses that have provided me with the proper knowledge to become a professional jeweler. That’s something you won’t find anywhere else. I hope you love my design and I can’t wait to hear what you think when you see it in person.

Ben Bridge Profiles: Karen Lee

Karen Lee, Manager of University Village Ben Bridge, Seattle

Karen was recently honored with the 2009 Benny Award for New Manager of the Year. Congratulations on a very well deserved award Karen!-Marc 

Name: Karen Lee

Role: Store Manager, University Village Ben Bridge, Seattle

How long have you been with the company? Since the year 2000

Where are you originally from or grow up? I was born in Hong Kong, moved to Hawaii in 1990, graduated from Washington Elementary School, then moved to Seattle in 1990. I have lived here ever since. I went to Ingraham High School, then graduated from the University Washington with Bachelor of Science in Speech Pathology and Audiology in 1999.

How did you find Ben Bridge? After I graduated from UW, I worked at Swedish Hospital for a few months. Then I went and lived in Indonesia for about 9 months. After I came back to Seattle, I started applying for a position which related to my major, but life doesn’t always go as planned.

While I was typing resumes on my computer, I shopped online at Ben Bridge for a gift for my mother. I thought to myself, “it doesn’t hurt to send in my resume to Ben Bridge since I am looking for a job anyway and I always love shopping for jewelry.” So I did.

On the very next day, Bill Wilcox (Manager of the Ben Bridge Flagship Store in Downtown Seattle) called me for an interview and he hired me a month later. That’s how I joined Ben Bridge 9 years ago.

What do you do at Ben Bridge? What is the best part about your job? I started out as an Office Manager in the backoffice of the “Flagship” Downtown Seattle Store. Over the years, Ben Bridge had given me many opportunities to learn and grow. I received my Registered Jeweler (RJ) credentials from the American Gem Society in year 2003, I became a full time Sales Associate in year 2006, and most recently I was promoted to Store Manager and opened the University Village location in year 2008.

The best part about my job is to get to know different people everyday. It’s very interesting that even in different cultures, we all still have something in common. A lot of the time, I become close friends with my customers.

What is it about the jewelry business that intrigues you? It is wonderful to help a customer find a piece of jewelry to mark a memorable moment in their life knowing that piece of jewelry will be passed onto the next generations with a story. That makes my job rewarding.

What is the most interesting thing that’s happened in your store? U. Village is well known as a dog friendly place. I have to say when a customer walks in with his/her dog we tend to recognize the dog before we recognize the customer! Of course, the customer gets all excited when we remember his/her pets! That makes us the most human and pet friendly jewelry store in the Village.

Do you have a favorite gemstone or a specific piece of jewelry you own? Why is it your favorite? I have to say it is my stainless steel Rolex Submariner. It’s my favorite because my husband-to-be gave me the watch which marked a special moment in our lives. When I look at the watch each time I remember him and how he gave it to me. It also goes well with my outfit everyday, even with an evening grown for special occasion.

Are you a fan of electronic gadgets? What is your choice of mobile device? Not really. My choice of mobile device is iPhone. I think it’s fun to have all the applications ready to be used in different situations.

Do you have pets? If so, tell us about them. I have adopted 3 cats from the Humane Society. They are Jess, Misty, and Madeline. Jess is a male, 10 years old and he thinks he is a dog and acts like a dog all the time. Misty is a female, 8 years old and she is a moody one whom loves to eat and sleep (like Garfield). Madeline is a female, 1-1/2 years old and she is the most cute/silly cat, very playful and active.

Do you have a favorite charitable cause or organization? Why are you passionate about it? U. District Rotary. Rotary is a fantastic organization. It helps people all around the world. I always had a passion to help children in third world countries, like Indonesia. However, I never had an opportunity or a way of helping until I joined Rotary which gives me a chance to help and gives back to the community. Hopefully one day, I will have my own project and funding to help children in the third world countries.

What is your one guilty pleasure? I love eating at McDonald’s.

What’s the one fact about you that people might find surprising? I was a ballet dancer. I started dancing ballet at the age of 3 and continued until I was 16. I injured my lower back while I was practicing and had very tough time walking for about 2 years due to the amount of pain I experienced. I still remember, I couldn’t get out of the car, get up by myself or even laugh. That was painful. Fortunately, my family found a good athletic doctor who cured me. I have been able to walk ever since. I even started dancing again 3 years ago in Ballroom dance.

If you could have dinner and chat with anyone (alive or deceased), who would it be? Why? Warren Buffett. I think he is one of the greatest businessmen in the last century and it would be interesting to learn how he became who he is today.

What’s the best way for people to contact you or learn more about you? Call me at my store (206-729-2413) or see me on Facebook.

Amazing New Tag Heuer: Monaco V4

When we were at the Basel Watch Fair in Switzerland in 2004, Tag Heuer CEO Jean-Christophe Babin was excited to show us the latest “concept watch” from their laboratories. The watch he showed us, the Monaco V4, was revolutionary in its design.

Inspired by automotive engineering, the movement featured transmission belts in place of traditional wheels and pinions and micro ball bearings in place of rubies. The oscillating circular winding mechanism found in most automatic watches is replaced in the Monaco V4 with a linear winding system that moves up and down like a piston. Four barrels, visible from the back of the watch, provide the watch’s 52 hour power reserve.

Technically it was astonishing and visually it was arresting. Unlike any watch I had ever seen, it was a true reinvention of the mechanical timepiece. It was a fitting piece for Tag Heuer, a company deeply associated with motor racing and whose very name connotes the cutting edge. (TAG was originally an acronym that stood for Techniques d’Avant Garde).

It took five years of painstaking development, but the production watch has finally been released. I say it is now a “production” piece to differentiate it from the “concept” watch we saw five years before.

It will remain extraordinarily limited as only 150 examples of the watch will be made.

The revolutionary movement is housed in a platinum Monaco case and it will sell for 80,000 US dollars.