Archive for September, 2010

For all the wonderful things there are in the world, it is of course not the tangible things that matter most. It is the time spent with those we love – the hours enjoyed embracing a warm, relaxing Saturday in the sun – the little moments that have barely begun before we realize we’ll remember them forever. These are the building blocks of a life well-lived. And with this in mind, many people are turning to gifting ‘event’ presents, such as a day at the spa, or ‘destination’ presents, such as a weekend away, in lieu of large, physical presents. If you are among this growing group of gift-givers, but still want to give something special they can enjoy long after the day at the spa is over or bags unpacked, consider a Môntrèk Diver Watch.

A gift as grand as a vacation is usually given by someone very close to the recipient, such as a parent, lifelong friend or spouse. And while most of us would gladly take a vacation gift from anyone, it is these people that know us best! If the giftee is a fan of diving or swimming, a selection from our Diver Watch collection makes an especially on-point gift. A theme gift is always fun to give and receive, and even more weight can be added to the equation if the vacation will include time in the water, whether it be wading in the hotel pool, or taking to the sea for some scuba diving.

In our last blog post, we talked about a fun way to incorporate quotes into the event of gift-giving. Taking inspiration from that idea, an exciting way to make the destination present even more exciting is to flip the ‘open the card first’ rule on its head. Ask that they open the present first, and the card after. Thinking they have already received the star of the birthday show, they’ll be doubly-surprised to open a card with plane tickets inside.

For the sentiment inside, have fun with it! Some ideas for what you might write are:

• I didn’t want a watch that can be worn up to 1000 meters deep to never see water beyond the bathroom. So I kind of had to book us a trip to Costa Rica. I hope you don’t mind!

• If you think the time on the watch is wrong – you’re wrong! I just set it to Aruba time.

• I was going to leave your new Diver Watch at the bottom of the hotel pool in California, but I was afraid someone would find it before you get there. In a week. Don’t forget the sunscreen!

Let’s face the facts … most of us do not wear a watch just to tell time.  If that were the case, there are clocks in various shapes and forms around us all day.  We like watches for different reasons … some people like watches as a fashion statement while others like their watch for the different functionalities in addition to basic clock features.  We at Môntrèk Watches understand and THAT is what led to our Diver Collection.  But that is not what we are here to talk about today.  We feel the more YOU know about watches, the better chance there is you will buy a Môntrèk.  So today we are talking about Chronographs.  The Greek words “chronos” and “graph” stand for “time” and “writing”.  A Chronograph is a watch which contains a mechanism that allows you to stop at least one hand to facilitate reading of the elapsed time … that is to say simply a stop-watch function.  Originally, Chronographs were worn by the military as a portable way to time necessary functions.  Later sportsmen became enamored with them for obvious reasons.  As time marched on (yea … I did mean to say that  ), and fanatical precision became more important, quartz Chronographs were developed for their greater accuracy over mechanicals.  Take a look at the watches in the photo … high in style yet classic in functionality.  Do you like these ?  Feel free to let us know.   Let us know what you are thinking, MAYBE we will make one just for you so !!!!!

Is the man in your life a fan of the finer things? Do you want to give him a gift of luxury for his birthday that is also priceless? How do you feel about famous quotes? We promise – that last question is relevant! Suzette, a close friend of ours, wanted to gift her husband Dan with a black Môntrèk Round Diver Watch for his birthday. But as a creative person who is well-known to her family and friends for her unique ideas, simply handing him a watch box with a bow was not an option! So she created a treasure hunt for her husband, with a famous quote serving as a clue each step of the way. She shared her fun idea with us so that we might share it with you. And we will…

Quote #1 In The Car: Suzette didn’t want her husband’s treasure hunt to begin until he left for work, so she didn’t leave any clues in their home. When he got into the car, he found this quote, printed out and taped to his steering wheel: “Don’t count every hour in the day, make every hour in the day count.” Some people may have been confused by a quote taped to their steering wheel, but in their many years together, this was exactly the sort of surprise Dan was used to!

Quote #2 On The Office Door: Suzette had made a stop at Dan’s office the day before to tape the second quote to his office door after he left for the day. When Dan arrived at the office, the quote he found was: “Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.” And go in Dan did. If you suspect that he found another quote taped to his computer monitor, your suspicions are correct!

Quote #3 On The Computer Monitor: Suzette was forever reminding Dan to take more control of his day, and to stop being overly nice and letting people expect immediate answers to any question they might have. She loves about Dan that he’s so caring and considerate, but is bothered that he can sometimes let people take advantage of this. As a gentle reminder before his workday began, she used this quote about time: “Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.”

Quote #4 In Dan’s Lunch: Feeling that after Quote #3, some levity was in order, Suzette dropped a slip of paper with the following quote into Dan’s lunch bag: “Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.”

Quote #5 On His Gum: Knowing that Dan keeps a pack of gum in his desk drawer, and that he always chews a piece after lunch, Suzette taped the following quote to Dan’s gum: “There is only one you for all time. Fearlessly be yourself.”

Quote #6 On The Front Door At Home: The last words of wisdom at the end of Dan’s quote-filled day were found on the front door when he arrived home. Saving the best for last, Suzette wrapped it all up with: “Life is all about timing…the unreachable becomes reachable, the unavailable become available, the unattainable…attainable. Have the patience, wait it out. It’s all about timing.” And when Dan opened the door, it was time for the box and the bow after all. Cupped in Suzette’s hands was the Môntrèk Round
Diver Watch Dan didn’t even know was awaiting him all this ‘time’!

OK, I’m ranting today … I just can’t help it so try to bear with me.  Today I want to rant about “knock-off” watches, cheap imitations, copies, fakes, or whatever you want to call them.  I just don’t get it.  Now let’s not get off on the wrong foot here.  Please do NOT confuse inexpensive with cheap.  By cheap I mean that you are buying a poorly made copy of a Rolex that retails for $5,000.00 for $250.00 from a guy on a street corner in a major metropolitan area or some smarmy website on the internet.  By inexpensive I mean purchasing a watch that is built beyond what you are paying regardless of the price, like the … BEWARE, Self Promotion: Môntrèk Round Diver Watch on a Rubber Strap.  Beyond the obvious that most of the aforementioned “knock-offs” are built like crap, look cheap, and you are up the creek without a paddle for service … how about some Economics 101.  While unemployment is high at 9.6%, that means that 90.4% of us are working at something.  So look at your own job … where would you be if your product or service was “knocked-off” ?  That is what if someone came along and in a cheap and superficial way took away the business that you are in, no matter if you are an employee or an employer ?  You would be devastated … regardless of your postion in your company, most of us are hard working individuals trying to make a difference in our product or service by being innovative and supporting our customers.  Those are all costs of doing business … and those “knock-off” guys don’t care about any of that.  So the next time you are making a purchase of a wrist watch or for that matter ANY item … DON’T support those that could care less about supporting you !!!  Thanks, for letting me rant … I feel better now  !!!!!