A sample has turn out to be very clear since this column was launched some weeks in the past: Retailers across the nation quietly do way over merely transfer watches from producer to shopper. Maybe it is all the time been apparent that they are greater than a conduit to get the watches within the arms of shoppers, nevertheless it’s these little tales of true ardour that hold popping up on this column that amaze me.
At Tivol, the watchmaker on workers has fulfilled a lifelong dream of beginning a excessive horology label, and Tivol supported the hassle by providing him an avenue for gross sales. At Oster, an ideal podcast is coming to life, spotlighting improbable characters within the business. There’s a lot extra to the equation than promoting watches, and that is what makes this business’s retailers nice. They’re the spine of the native watch group. To see why, simply try what these retailers in Missouri and Colorado are doing.
TIVOL in Kansas Metropolis, Missouri
Everybody has a creation story. What’s yours?
In 1910, current immigrant Charles Tivol opened a jewellery store in downtown Kansas Metropolis. His store was modest, with a window overlooking the road. Perched on a bench, he fastidiously crafted each bit of knickknack and set a regular for enduring workmanship and elegance.
Charles additionally handed down his unrelenting ardour for high quality, and his son Harold started working within the retailer as a boy. Harold’s ardour for high quality could have been surpassed solely by his ardour for effective gem stones. After a 3 yr stint with the U.S. Military Air Corps throughout World Warfare II, Harold studied on the Gemological Institute of America. He joined his father’s enterprise in 1946, bringing not solely extraordinary technical data, but additionally a enterprise savvy that might assist make TIVOL iconic.
Below Harold’s management, a second retailer was opened in 1951 on the Nation Membership Plaza. Quickly, it was outselling the downtown retailer, and the 2 later merged. The handle has stayed the identical since 1951, as TIVOL stays one of many oldest tenants on the Nation Membership Plaza.
Along with incomes the belief of numerous shoppers, Harold has additionally earned many awards. In 1986, he was the primary single retailer proprietor to be named to the Nationwide Jeweler Corridor of Fame. In 1988, he was offered with the celebrated Lifetime Achievement Award by Trendy Jeweler. And in 2003, TIVOL was acknowledged by the American Gem Society as prime retail jeweler of the yr.
Below the management of Harold’s daughter Cathy, TIVOL has continued to flourish. A second location was opened in 1994 in Hawthorne Plaza in Johnson County, KS. Over the course of Cathy’s three many years within the household enterprise, she’s seen great change. However the core values of TIVOL are unwavering. “In our enterprise, it’s all the time been of paramount significance to take care of the best degree of integrity with our shoppers and distributors. We signify one of the best of one of the best, and wish our tradition to replicate that,” she says.
In 2010, TIVOL marked its 100th yr of operation. Stronger than ever, sustaining our custom of providing the world’s most stunning jewellery and timepieces in quite a lot of worth ranges continues to be on the core of our mission. In 2011, Cathy’s son, Hunter Tivol McGrath, joined the corporate as a salesman on the Hawthorne Plaza location, making him the fourth technology of the Tivol household to work for the corporate. Hunter now serves because the Vice President of TIVOL.
4 generations: Charles and Harold Tivol (proper and left in left photograph); Cathy Tivol and Hunter Tivol McGrath (with Harold in proper photograph).
How has TIVOL been supporting the watch group?
Annually, we attempt to maintain a Baselworld preview with Rolex, Tudor, and Patek Philippe. For a lot of of our shoppers, it might be the one time they’ll see a few of these items in individual. Being a fourth-generation jeweler, we now have watch collectors that span these generations and are all the time wanting to see what’s new.
A couple of years in the past, we hosted the Rolex Deep Sea Exhibition at our two places, presenting info and product in a museum model. With a few of our shoppers, we attended the Patek Philippe Grand Exhibition just a few years in the past in New York. We now have hosted our native RedBar chapter for meetups in our retailer, in addition to had watch gala’s, simply to call just a few occasions.
We now have 5 watchmakers positioned at our in-house restore middle, in addition to a devoted polisher. We’re a Rolex plaque-level jeweler and repair middle, the best achievement that may be awarded. We are able to service and restore practically any watch, however typically have to show some down as a result of excessive quantity of repairs we absorb.
Sham Agayev on the bench within the Tivol studio.
What watches do you carry that people ought to be listening to proper now?
As famous, TIVOL gives a curated assortment of Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Tudor watches. We aren’t enthusiastic about serving to shoppers purchase solely what’s in demand. We feature different fantastic effective manufacturers equivalent to Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai, TAG Heuer, Baume & Mercier, and Shinola. It is very important the Tivol household to supply our group a variety of effective items that they’d be proud to personal themselves.
Our Watch Service Supervisor, Sham Agayev, has been with TIVOL since he emigrated from Azerbaijan when he was a youngster. He has been educated by the best manufacturers to work on their items. Not too long ago, he created his personal microbrand, Agayev & Sons. With the assistance of his spouse and two sons, his dream of making his personal watch line has come true. We promote these completely at TIVOL and on our web site.
What do you specialise in?
The candid and ethical method Charles and Harold carried out enterprise in our early years has turn out to be tantamount with the title Tivol. The relationships we now have with our shoppers flip them into our pals and even household. It has all the time been paramount to the Tivol household to proceed these enduring values. We conduct our enterprise this manner as a result of it’s the proper factor to do and has been very important to our success.
We see trustworthy and moral dealings with the general public as the most effective companies we are able to present to the group. We now have a educated, tenured gross sales workers who shield our shoppers by providing an unbiased opinion on timepieces. We companion with the best watch manufacturers on the planet and have a accountability to signify them to the best diploma.
How can prospects and people enthusiastic about buying a watch join with you?
We’re presently beneath an area stay-at-home order and subsequently are unable to welcome our pals and shoppers into our retailer. We’re nonetheless open on our web site. As soon as we’re capable of return to a brand new regular, we are going to welcome everybody to come back and go to us in individual at both our Nation Membership Plaza or Hawthorne Plaza location.
Whereas we’re contractually obligated with sure manufacturers to solely promote inside our market, we all the time get pleasure from assembly new pals over the telephone or through e mail as nicely. We’re nonetheless answering our telephones as finest we are able to, and might be reached at 816-531-5800 for our Nation Membership Plaza location, or 913-345-0200 for our Hawthorne Plaza location.
We’re additionally all the time accessible to reply questions through e mail. These might be directed to information@tivol.com.
TIVOL
220 Nichols Highway
Kansas Metropolis, MO 64112
(816) 531-5800
and
4721 W. 119th Road
Overland Park, KS 66209
(913) 345-0200
Oster Jewelers in Denver, Colorado
Everybody has a creation story. What’s yours?
Jewellery is certainly in my blood. My grandfather was a producer of cufflinks and different jewellery gadgets, and my mom owned a wholesale jewellery enterprise in London, England, the place I grew up. I’d regularly assist out in my mom’s enterprise as a younger boy. A couple of years later, I moved to America and ultimately to Aspen, Colorado. In Aspen, it didn’t take lengthy to determine that high-end retail could possibly be a great alternative for a younger and assured salesperson.
I finally persuaded the proprietor of a retailer that bought Rolex, Cartier, Breitling, Patek Philippe, and others to take an opportunity on me. My persuasive pitch was a proposal to work for no pay for 2 months simply to have the chance to show myself. The proprietor couldn’t say no. I used to be in! I proved to be helpful and earned a full-time place and a profession. I needed to be taught as a lot as I might in regards to the product, the business, and what would resonate with our shoppers. I shortly fell in love with mechanical watches; maybe obsession is a greater phrase. This was the early 1990s, and the mechanical watch renaissance was simply starting. Bear in mind, there was no web but: Data was arduous to come back by, which made my discovery of the historical past of watchmaking all of the extra thrilling. It was like I had discovered the important thing to the key world of horology.
I stored striving to develop my data – studying about Breguet and the opposite nice watchmakers who laid the foundations of contemporary watchmaking. As my data grew, so did my need to deliver myself ever nearer to the inventive souls on the very coronary heart of the business. I started working with rising watchmakers equivalent to F.P. Journe, Daniel Roth, and Vianney Halter, moreover taking probabilities as one of many first retailers within the nation to promote new manufacturers equivalent to Parmigiani Fleurier, Franck Muller, Roger Dubuis, and Bell & Ross, amongst others. It was clear to me that I loved the method of teaching shoppers and offering that all-important bridge between gifted craftsmen and shoppers wanting to discover the world past the large names of the mass luxurious world.
Michel Parmigiani (left) with Jeremy Oster
I had a robust need to regulate my very own future and tackle one other problem: opening my very own retailer. In 2002, my spouse agreed to companion with me in beginning a enterprise of our personal: Oster Jewelers in Denver, Colorado. We had little or no cash. So, our first problem was to persuade watch and jewellery manufacturers to consider in us and companion with us. Remarkably, we have been capable of open our retailer with the assist of Audemars Piguet, Roger Dubuis, and Ulysse Nardin amongst others. We had nice assist from the jewellery aspect as nicely. Regardless of the troubling instances of the publish 9/11 world, we have been capable of carve out our personal place within the business and begin a journey searching for out the very most interesting craftsmen within the business.
Practically 20 years later our ardour is stronger than ever. We reside at a time when horology is having fun with unparalleled inventive freedom, technical development, and social desirability. Moreover, there’s untold data resting on the fingertips of curious collectors via high quality web sites equivalent to HODINKEE which can additional educate and attract a always rising base of horological fanatics.
Jeremy and Melissa Oster
Oster Jewelers embraces all the advertising channels, from Instagram and Fb to the creation of our personal podcast, Retaining Time. The true differentiator, although, is the human connection that I get pleasure from a lot – sharing data and guiding our prospects, new and outdated, via a maze of knowledge and chopping via to suggest these we really feel worthy of consideration. Our retailer very a lot represents how we method life: minimal pretense, no fits and ties behind the counter, only a real need to make our prospects blissful and to offer probably the most real and trustworthy service to those that admire the qualities that outline independence.
Mounted police in entrance of Oster Jewelers.
Oster Jewelers now participates within the design and creation of watches. We presently companion with choose distinctive watchmakers to create our personal unique sequence of watches. The latest is a particular version Gravity Equal Power by Armin Strom with a surprising guilloché mainplate created by Kari Voutilainen. The watch is obtainable in a sequence of 10 items. Equally, we work with unbiased dial-maker Josh Shapiro of Los Angeles to create unique items. Not too long ago, we commissioned the creation of a Blue Panda chronograph with Czapek & Cie, a sequence of 18 items which is sort of bought out. We created our retailer… Now we’re having fun with our function within the inventive technique of designing watches.
How has Oster Jewelers been supporting the watch group?
We spend quite a lot of time educating and dealing personally with our prospects. When a shopper purchases from Oster Jewelers, they achieve an understanding and appreciation for the extent of care and particular person craftsmanship that goes into each bit that we promote. Training is vital. We take our function very severely, as a trusted advisor to observe collectors everywhere in the world in addition to a helpful useful resource to budding fanatics beginning their journey.
Jeremy and Julian Tornare, CEO of Zenith.
Oster Jewelers hosts a Meetup group offering training and insights to an ever-growing group. We host intensive shows of the brand new watches launched every year on the Swiss reveals. We even have a number of enjoyable internet hosting occasions with our watch companions. We now have been very eager to advertise the watch group and all the time look to play an energetic function, from aiding with the creation of RedBar Denver to taking part regularly with different teams equivalent to Mile Excessive Watches.
As we speak, a robust focus is on my private contribution to the watch group – our podcast, Retaining Time. We now have now recorded over 50 episodes with superb visitors starting from CEOs of an important manufacturers to unbiased watchmakers to journalists to these I uncover on Instagram who pique my curiosity. The format is a pure, unscripted dialog with fascinating visitors, pushed by my curiosity to unearth real perception into the world of horology. I’m extremely happy with the work that we now have accomplished on Retaining Time, and it’s fairly satisfying to listen to suggestions and type feedback from everywhere in the world, from Amsterdam to Australia and Japan to the UK and past.
Moreover, we just lately partnered with Zenith to donate 10% of every Zenith watch bought from Oster Jewelers to Meals on Wheels. It’s vastly vital at the moment to search out methods to assist these in want. We got here up with the initiative throughout a Dwell Instagram Q & A with Julien Tornare, Zenith CEO.
What watches do you carry that people ought to be listening to proper now?
Armin Strom creates extraordinary watches of distinctive technical high quality. The brand new Gravity Equal Power achieves a uncommon mixture of placing visible attraction with traditional styling and a sure further one thing. Founding companion and technical director Claude Greisler is the inventive expertise driving this unbiased manufacture from power to power. For my part, this can be a really related watch that gives superior worth for at this time’s collector.
Parmigiani Fleurier’s significance to the business is unquestioned and worthy of additional consideration. The group of firms created by Michel Parmigiani gives a degree of know-how and manufacturing potential that’s maybe unmatched. There’s a sturdy inventive power emanating from the administration workforce. Initiatives launched throughout this COVID-19 disaster by Parmigiani assist their retailers and the salespeople. Along with the unimaginable “Serving to Heroes” program, the true soul and compassion inside the firm based by Michel Parmigiani are clear to see. Led by a really gifted and humble gentleman, Parmigiani Fleurier gives one thing very particular, each inside and outside. The model is poised for fulfillment. Preserve an eye fixed out for a brand new, metal sports activities watch that’s on the best way!
Zenith, for my part, will emerge very strongly from the present scenario. I’d take note of Zenith in addition to the above-mentioned Armin Strom and Parmigiani Fleurier. They’re all maybe barely undervalued for his or her spectacular manufacturing base and produce smaller portions of watches, but every possesses a remarkably sturdy sense of identification, worth, and integrity.
Discerning higher-end collectors could look in the direction of watchmakers who mix high quality of the best degree with unique design and very low numbers of manufacturing. This factors to unbiased watchmakers that we stock equivalent to Grönefeld, Akrivia, Kari Voutilainen, and Czapek & Cie. Czapek & Cie gives an intriguing attraction as a result of historic reference to Patek (earlier than Philippe) and the superbly executed instances, dials, and actions. Czapek & Cie creates watches in partnership with the world’s main craftsmen.
On the extra inexpensive aspect, NOMOS Glashütte has sturdy attraction with a transparent design ethos and spectacular in-house manufacturing along with distinctive high quality and extremely aggressive pricing. I’m additionally a fan of Bremont watches. An thrilling British model, Bremont appeals to those that favor sturdy timepieces with traditional attraction.
We love internet hosting occasions with our many manufacturers, presenting our shoppers with distinctive alternatives to fulfill and chat with the founders and artistic forces behind the watches represented at Oster Jewelers.
What do you specialise in?
We specialise in procuring uncommon and fascinating watches for our shoppers. Using data and connections honed over practically 30 years, we provide a powerful number of distinctive high quality timepieces, in each class and worth vary, to a clientele who admire the non-public service, repute, and experience discovered at Oster Jewelers. As an unbiased, multi-brand retailer, each side of our method is designed to information our prospects in making their finest choice.
Jeremy with the Brothers Grönefeld of Grönefeld Watches.
Whether or not our shoppers are in search of their first mechanical wristwatch or their first minute repeater, we specialise in making the method gratifying, instructional, and finally rewarding. Our shoppers uncover unique items at Oster Jewelers that aren’t accessible elsewhere. Moreover, distinctive relationships with our model companions guarantee wonderful shopper entry to sought-after restricted editions. We deal with our shoppers.
How can prospects and people enthusiastic about buying a watch join with you?
Direct e mail: jeremy@osterjewelers.com (be at liberty to ask for my direct cell quantity).
Instagram: @osterwatches (for jewellery go to: @osterjewelers)
Podcast: Retaining Time – Additionally on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and different podcast gamers.
Oster Jewelers
251 Steele Road
Denver, CO 80206
303-572-1111
