Welcome back to an aBlogtoWatch original series, where we discuss important stores that sell watches all over the world. Each store we profile has an interesting story to tell about where they operate and who they sell to. Whether you buy watches from brick and mortar retailers or prefer to buy watches online, these are the stores that help shape our watch culture around the globe. There is a long list of stores to cover, but if there is a retail location in your favorite city that we simply can’t miss, let us know in the comments below.
Where to buy watches in Denver, Colorado?
We again look in on a Colorado retailer, this time, in the capitol city of Denver which is home to Oster Jewelers. While they started selling watches back in 1991 in Aspen, they have been in business as Oster Jewelers in Denver since 2002. Run by Jeremy (a passionate watch collector) and his wife Melissa, Oster provides an intimate watch buying experience in the Cherry Creek shopping area of Denver.
Jeremy and Melissa Oster
Oster Jewelers: Denver is a city of extremes. We have a lot of sports and outdoors enthusiasts. It’s no surprise that this crowd has really embraced Bremont, a watch “Tested beyond Endurance.” Our clientele tends to favor functional, well-made timepieces which exude quality yet retain a more understated presence. We also have a fantastic core business community. Many top level executives live in Denver and travel for business. Our location in the center of America makes for an ideal base. The business client really appreciates the level of knowledge and education that we provide. Audemars Piguet is always a top choice for those with affluence and taste. It is especially appealing due to the excellence in technical quality combined with a luxury status that appeals to those who know, but it can still fly under the radar in other situations. The more conservative Denver client also appreciates the proven, timeless appeal of established leaders in Haute Horlogorie such as Audemars Piguet, Parmigiani Fleurier and Ulysse Nardin. On the other hand, Hublot holds tremendous appeal and is firmly established as one of our sports watch favorites.
ABTW: What would you tell watch lovers in other cities that watch lovers in Denver like?
Oster Jewelers: Watch lovers in Denver are like Art collectors. There is a tremendous appetite for knowledge and education and a desire to own the very best in every category.
ABTW: Do you serve mostly locals or tourists, or is it a good mix? Also, what percentage of your customers would you call “knowledgeable watch collectors?”
Oster Jewelers: Our core clientele is locally based. However, thanks to my past in Aspen and general reputation of the store, we do have many clients located all over the country and the world. We have a good mix. Ironically, our best high-end collectors of ultra-complicated timepieces are mostly from out-of-state. That said, it has been great fun helping develop some fabulous local watch collections with customers who have purchased exceptional pieces like the Parmigiani Bugatti or the stunning Grönefeld One Hertz and many other interesting collectibles. We have an educational “Meetup” group with over 65 members and this has served as a great base from which to educate a local client base. I would say that our approach generally leans towards a more knowledgeable watch collector, or someone with a desire to gain knowledge. Whether a total novice or a seasoned collector, you will always leave our store with a little more knowledge than when you walked in.
Author wearing a Gronefeld Parallax Tourbillon
ABTW: What is Denver best known for? What do visitors have to do, see, or eat while there?
Oster Jewelers: Great question. Denver has so much to offer. We have all of the major sports franchises as well as great concert venues like the legendary Red Rocks which is very close. Recently, Union Station and the entire downtown area has been fully re-imagined with amazing impact. There are many new, fantastic and creative restaurants, incredible micro-breweries and, of course, pot tourism! The weather is actually quite a draw. Most of the winter is quite mild and the summers are gorgeous. Denver also offers world class museum exhibits and an impressive performing arts complex.
Jeremy Oster at a watch get together event
ABTW: As a business, do you sponsor or participate in any local events, watch-related or otherwise?
Oster Jewelers: Our biggest watch event is our Meetup series. This has been hugely successful and is really growing exponentially. The insight offered is fantastic and we have guest speakers from the industry come in frequently. I have some great plans for the rest of this year! We also underwrite many arts and cultural initiatives including underwriting on PBS and public radio. We feel balanced news and education is vital for any community. Additionally, we are involved in numerous important causes from leukemia and epilepsy to adoption and pet rescue which tug at our heart-strings and give us so much more satisfaction in return for our participation than we could ever have imagined. We have donated/helped raise more than $1 million in the Denver community since our founding in 2002. That’s not too bad for a little independent store and something which makes us extremely proud. Denver is an amazing, generous and giving community.
Oster Jewelers on Steele Street in the Cherry Creek shopping area
ABTW: What are some of the watch brands you are known for carrying? If you could pick a watch brand or model that epitomizes the culture or style of Denver what would it be?
Oster Jewelers: Since our opening in 2002, we have had a few mainstay brands including Audemars Piguet, Hublot, Ulysse Nardin, Parmigiani, and Bell & Ross. All of these brands have been extremely succesful for us and have a loyal following. Many of our clients enjoy multiple pieces, even though they may have started by choosing one brand. When you buy luxury, though, a strange thing happens… You enjoy it!!! And then NEED another. We offer a wonderful and diverse collection from a first automatic watch to a first Minute Repeater or Tourbillon. Our guiding principle is to offer the very best quality in every category. Our decisions are not guided by marketing budgets, they are guided by quality and service offered. We are pleased to have just added Nomos to our brand line-up which we are sure is going to be a massive success and may appeal to a whole new Denver demographic as well as our existing clientele. We attend Basel each year and stay up with all the news so that we are always ahead of the trends. Our customers appreciate our commitment to the industry and love our ability to unearth lesser known treasures before they become popular and known to all.
Jeremy Oster with Michael Pearson of Bremont
Picking one brand to represent Denver is a tough one. But I might have to suggest Bremont purely because this brand has such a rugged appeal yet never loses sight of the desired timeless elegance of a beautiful wristwatch. There are not too many watches other than Bremont that can be worn for a hut trip up a 14,000-foot mountain and still look impressive at a business dinner in the same day! The real appeal of a fine watch is the emotion that it evokes for the individual. No two people see the same watch in the same light at the same angle at the same time. This is part of what makes beautiful watches so interesting and desirable. Our approach is always to help each individual select the perfect watch for their own personal taste and lifestyle. osterjewelers.com