Watches

Whether you’ve already arrived at your dream job, or are still climbing your way there, here are some timepiece recommendations that are all in perfect sync with your work style.   Chief Revenue Officer- For the CRO, high pressure reaps higher benefits. On their wrists, a watch with a touch of style, heritage, and flash […]

When Florentine Ariosto Jones arrived in Switzerland in the late 1860s to set up a watch company using the modern industrial techniques of his native Boston, he received little welcome in Geneva. So he continued east, to Schaffhausen, where he found a small outpost of watchmakers educated in the German tradition and a power plant […]

“A naval aviator remembers two things,” says Capt. Jim “Guido” DiMatteo, “his first carrier landing and his first Breitling.” Breitling has indeed made it’s mark as the distinctive pilot’s watch.  Making bold moves, Breitling is soaring to new heights with new CEO Georges Kern. Kern’s goal for the company is twofold: to streamline the company’s […]

The Salon de International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) and the Baselworld watch shows in Switzerland over the winter set the tone for the watch world each year and offer up thousands of appealing new timepieces. But some just stand out from the crowd. Ben Bridge watch buyers Melissa Lemley and Joe Perez select their […]

One of the many innovative visionaries who would change the world, Santos-Dumont (a pioneering aviator who designed 22 flying machines around the turn of the century) was friends with Louis Cartier, another forward thinker of the times. When Santos-Dumont complained to Cartier that it was cumbersome to have to take out his pocket watch to […]

Timeless magazine is your timely source for what’s trending in watches this season.   FIRST OFF: BLUE! Blue Dials have long been treasured and sought after, and the new styles perfectly evoke the on trend color du jur.     The Boyfriend watch; ladies are rocking the more rugged and bold styles and swiping boyfriends […]

Because of Who… In the era of technology and devices, people ask if watches are relevant anymore. At Ben Bridge, we believe fine timepieces have less to do with the necessity of timekeeping and more to do with art, craftsmanship and style. A fine timepiece evokes emotion and memory in a way a smartphone cannot. […]

Watch terms often sound intimidating. We’d like to help make you the expert starting with the mysteries of chronographs. Our expert watch maker, Tim Louis, breaks it down. The word “chronograph” refers to the specific stopwatch mechanism on a watch. The basic function is to show elapsed time, often via a central seconds hand and […]

When it comes to designing wristwatches, Cartier has a long history, perhaps even the longest. It was in 1904, when watches resided in pockets, that Cartier created one for the wrist at the request of Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont. That original design can still be seen in the Santos watch Cartier sells today. Others, like […]

The 1960s were the golden age of the so-called tool watch, those timepieces built with features for specific purposes. But it was the dive watch, which rose to prominence with the growing sport of scuba diving, that captured the public’s imagination more than the others. In 1967, an innovative dive watch was introduced that was […]

While the things we acquire certainly grow in personal value over time, even a fine piece of workmanship with relatively humble beginnings can capture the imagination, becoming a truly iconic object. Below, five examples, from timepieces to malt whiskies to guitars, that have grown into milestone collectibles. Rolex Cosmograph “Paul Newman” Daytona In the beginning […]

Both the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in Geneva and the Baselworld exhibition in Basel deliver an opportunity to view what is coming down the road for watch fans. With hundreds of new timepieces vying for attention, Melissa Swesey cuts through the horological overload to highlight the shows’ most covetable new watches — […]

Certified watchmaker Tim Louis is a lifelong devotee of fine timepieces and their upkeep. And it all started with a box of Ritz Crackers and a stint in the U.S. Navy. As a certified watchmaker (CW21) at Ben Bridge Jeweler for more than 25 years, Tim Louis has had the opportunity to work on some […]

My Cartier Panthère is the timepiece that has won over my heart and has also probably experienced the most special moments with me. I bought it for myself about a year after I opened our Ben Bridge Topanga store in Southern California. I have to admit it was a huge splurge for me at 23-years-old, but […]

Other than many a wedding band, a fine watch is a man’s signature jewelry piece. Watches inspire feelings in me the way I often see diamonds inspire feelings in women. My most cherished material possession is a vintage heirloom tuning fork-regulated Bulova Accutron that had once been my great-grandfather Ben Bridge’s daily wristwatch. However, it […]

I love watches and have quite a few. I guess you could say I inherited my love for watches. My grandfather, Sam Silverman, was a watchmaker who came to Seattle in 1912 and opened a small shop servicing pocket watches. I was born in Seattle in 1931, the third generation of a jewelry family. My […]