Review Gem by Carati to win!

[Justing]

Thanks to everyone who has submitted an entry so far, I really really appreciate all the kind words!!

Just a reminder for anyone who has posted a review in the past, you're welcome to just copy and paste into this thread!
Please also remember to email [email protected] with your name, number and link to this thread to complete your entry.

Thanks everyone!

[JRSC00LUDE]

I started paying attention to some of Justin's threads just because I am on Beyond all the time and one day he posted up the Tissot PR516 which I thought was awesome. Long story short, now I wear it every day! Being from out of Province, I could have found it locally I am sure but I wanted to buy from Justin since it was he who showed it to me via the Beyond thread. Even just by email/phone he was awesome to deal with, I'll continue shopping with him regardless of never having set foot in his store. Why would I go anywhere else?

[statick]

I've had the same experience as pretty well everyone else on Beyond... Justin has been great!

While I can't say I've purchased anything for my own use from Justin, I have done so (or at least facilitated) for many watches for family and friends. My brother and sister-in-law also dealt with Justin for their wedding rings.

Justin is always timely, helpful and will offer a good price. He never puts pressure to purchase - he knows I don't wear anything besides dive watches, but he shows me some interesting dress and casual watches when I'm around anyway, just for the sake of doing so.

To boot, Justin is a genuine and cool guy; what's more, he's actually a horophile himself and that is exactly the person from whom you want to buy a watch!

Here's a recent wristshot of a few friends and I, the Jazzmaster and Heritage Conquest are courtesy of Gem by Carati...





On another note, on my most recent visit, I saw a case with some Montegrappa pens. Now I know there may not currently be too much discussion on pens here on Beyond at the moment, but that might easily change; we clearly love to burn our cash on such novelties.

Justin... If I were to say I'm looking for a mid-level writing instrument with a 1.1 or 1.3 italic nib, what might you recommend? Do the Classic Fortuna, Ducale or Espressione possibly come with such a nib? I was thinking a gold or iridium nib is the way to go, but, if it's wet enough, steel will also work. I do want something that is a solid writer.

A Montegrappa thread might be a suitable place to start this conversation

[JVR1]

I visited gem last week looking for an anniversary gift for my wife. To be honest, gem has sort of become my unspoken first (and generally only) stop when shopping for jewelry. Once at the store I was pleasantly greeted by both justin and Charlotte. After a couple minutes of chatting, I let them know what I was after. They both promptly went thru the display cases and walked me thru everything that would possibly match my requirements.

One thing i like about their inventory is despite not having the same size/footprint of a larger store, is they have quality pieces that would appeal to a variety of people.

Anyway, there was a couple items that caught my eye but wasn't 100% sold. (One of which had just arrived and wasn't even entered into their system or display which was retrieved from the back)

Without any pressure, I said I was going to continue looking and may return. They were both happy to have helped despite not making a sale.

Ffwd after looking around elsewhere that day..I did end up buying one of necklaces from gem for my wife. she was very excited as it was a style neither of us had not seen before.

Thanks Justin (and Charlotte). Gem has yet to fail me and my last minute shopping and i have never hesitated recommending them.

[D'z Nutz]

I haven't purchased anything from Justin yet, but I did visit his store shortly after he opened it up and became a sponsor here. My immediate reaction upon arriving was I probably wouldn't be treated too seriously just because it looked like a place that catered the ballers, but to my surprise the lady at the counter was very welcoming when I asked for Justin. And again to my surprise, Justin was very professional when I met him (whenever I meet up with most Beyonders for the first time I go in thinking they'll be some teenage punk ).

I had decided to drop in to both welcome a new sponsor and to see if he had a watch I was looking for at the time on the way home from work. He didn't because it was somewhat of a specialty watch but he did take a few minutes to pull up some information to see how he could bring it in, how long it would take and cost. While I was waitinghe pointed out a number of watches that he thought I might be interested in at the time too. The next day he also PMed me here with a follow up. I was really impressed with his no pressure, no commitment required approach and the attention he gave me, especially since it was clear he was extremely busy dealing with the opening of his store (there was still some construction going on at the time).

After thinking about it I decided that watch wasn't for me but I'm hoping one of these days I can give Justin my business. I have a handful of watches on my mind I'd like to get some day but other financial priorities come up before I can treat myself. Every time I see something that catches my eye, I'm tempted to drop Justin a line. It doesn't help that he keeps posting new additions to the Tissot and Hamilton threads here haha

Also whenever I see "GEM by Carati", I think

[Justing]

Thanks to everyone who has submitted a review so far.
Just one more week to go before we draw for a winner!

[msommers]

My experience with Justin has been consistent: professional, excellent communication and very fair pricing.

I had seen a Victorinox online and enquired about stock. Fortunately he had one and supplied a price which led me eventually down there. I also think he may have his Blackberry attached to his hand given the quick responses to email. During the purchasing process, I wasn't upsold on anything and he knew exactly which piece I wanted after introducing myself.

After looking at it more in person, the metal strap was just not something I was interested in and we looked quite thoroughly through the leather straps in store. Fortunately we found something when I purchased the watch but I wanted to buy another strap of a different colour that would fit properly. This process took some time for Justin to receive but that's just how it goes. He was nice enough to keep me in the loop, which is great considering it was just a measly strap. But to me, that is real customer service and building rapport.

About a year later, the battery in the watch crapped out and Justin was eager to get it fixed. Given that I haven't been able to wear it very often, and it's an automatic, the thing still has kept the time almost perfectly without use. That battery lasts hella long! Clearly an upgrade to what the factory supplied.

I wish I had more disposable income to buy more watches! I have a list, and Justin has the watches. He's got my business when the time comes.

My piece with the latter strap choice:

Victorinox Chrono Classic by msommers00, on Flickr

[natty54]

I doubt I will ever shop anywhere else. Justin is very professional and overall amazing. I talked to him for a very long time with hundreds of questions. Each time Justin responded timely and with all the information I needed.

Thanks again for a great experience!

[v8killa]

I haven't had many interactions with Justin but whenever I have he has been incredibly helpful. I ended up purchasing a watch that I had no intention of buying due to his customer service and pricing.

[Disoblige]

I went to see Justin in 2014 about an engagement ring, hearing of all the great reviews on Beyond. I'm here to say that Justin is the real deal, and the customer service you will receive is nothing but excellent. I've shopped at many places and one of the most enjoyable experiences about shopping is if the customer has a no-pressure, yet informative and friendly sales rep. Justin checks all of these boxes and I wouldn't hesitate to go to him for any thing he sells in the future. If I had not had such a close contact in the business for a ring elsewhere, I would have purchased at Gem in a heartbeat. Even with my contact, I was somewhat indecisive in both places, which says a lot about Justin and how competitive he is. Checked out a couple Hami's while I was there and boy was I tempted.

[seer_claw]

After seeing a couple of reviews for Justin on here, I decided to get my girlfriend a set of earrings. I had gotten her a couple of pairs from other places....she doesn't wear any of them. So I went in and got immediate help from Justin. Very friendly and very helpful, gave me a few options in different prices. He found some that were in the range and shape that I was looking for.

The earrings were a hit, she hasn't taken them off since I bought them. Justin also said to bring them back anytime to get them cleaned for free. Great service and great help.

[seer_claw]

Since I had received such great service from Justin, I decided to go back and get an engagement ring for my then gf from him as well. I went in and Justin was not available but Charlotte was there and was happy to help out. She went through a few rings in stock but nothing stuck out at me. She said that I could design a ring myself and showed me the options available.

She said that she would get Justin to bring in other gemstones that fit what I wanted and would call me when they arrived. I week later, I had everything picked out and was told the ring would be available for the trip that I would be taking.

I had wonderful service from everyone at the store and would highly recommend Gem by Carati to anyone looking for jewelry and wants top customer service.

[micheal.m]

Since I heard all the great reviews from everyone on beyond, I decided to see Justin a few months ago to look at rings. He remembered me or so he thought, but it was actually my brother who bought a watch from him before. That showed me how much he cares about what he does and speaks true to the great customer service he provides.

Justin spent a long time educating me on diamonds, showing my girlfriend and I different styles of bands and during the time I was there, I did not feel any pressure at all to buy or make a decision right away. Justin even told me to take my time, visit his other shop since they have different styles and if we can't anything we like, then we start looking into designing a custom band. I always recommend seeing Justin to my friends and family based on my positive experience there.

[bjstare]

The first time I went to see Justin a few years back, I was shopping for an anniversary band for my ex. When I came in, I knew pretty much exactly what I wanted and after showing me multiple options, he helped select one that was within the budget.

Before I took delivery of said anniversary band, I found out that my ex had been unfaithful for a while, needless to say I didn't need the band any more. When I came in to visit Justin and tell him I didn't need it, he took it in stride and was very understanding and offered a store credit for the amount of my deposit, no questions asked. I was prepared to sacrifice my deposit (after all, that's kind of what a deposit is about), so it was great to see that he wasn't going to go down that road. Little did I know, that was my first visit of many (get ready for more reviews...).

(Note: Just so ya'll have a chance, I'm only going to post reviews from when I actually purchased things from him, not every single time I dealt with him haha)

[bjstare]

Fast forward a couple months, I was tired of looking at the wrist shot Friday thread and having nothing to contribute. I figured I'd make use of the store credit I had there. I had my sights set on the Hamilton Khaki Pilot Auto that I saw in the Hamilton thread here on beyond.

I came in one afternoon after work to try it on, and he recognized me right away (he's got a great memory for names and faces). Unfortunately, to my dismay the watch was too big for my dainty wrists. Fortunately, Justin has a huge selection of Hamilton watches, and he quickly pointed out that the Pilot Day-Date would be better suited to my size of wrist. Needless to say he was right about that. Although I probably tried on 6 or 7 other watches, I wound up going with the Pilot. He gave me a great deal on it, and sent me on my way at which point I told him I'd be back when I decided I wanted another watch.
» Click image for larger version

[bjstare]

Another few months down the road, my girlfriend (now fiancee, more on that later) had a bracelet from Tiffany's that had a faulty clasp on it. I mentioned to Justin I'd be bringing it down there, and he said he'd have it repaired and back within the week. Not only was he able to do this, but he got it back ahead of schedule and the repair was top quality and quite inexpensive. At this point I knew that I'd be bringing him all the business that I could.

[bjstare]

When it came time to buy another watch, I let Justin know that I'd like to come down and try some on. It turns out that in order to accomodate my schedule he actually let me and my gf in when the store was still closed for reno's (private shopping experience ). Despite letting us in on a weekend morning when he wasn't even supposed to be open, I cannot emphasize enough how patient he was with me. I didn't really know what I wanted (aside from a black or steel strap) and he probably pulled out 15 watches over the course of an hour. At the end of it all, I narrowed it down to a couple. Even though he was able to offer an unreal price on a discontinued Tissot, I wound up getting a Hamilton Jazzmaster Viewmatic (still a fantastic price).


» Click image for larger version

I won't make another post on it, but it was around this time that my gf and I started looking for engagement rings as well. He brought out a bunch of rings for her, and also multiple diamonds for us to browse (even though we weren't ready to buy anything).

[bjstare]

When the time finally came to get engaged, I knew I'd be visiting Justin. When I'd been previously looking at rings, my fiancee had told me a couple different ideas of what she wanted - and they were both different from one another (greeeeat ). I went to talk with Justin about the options he had, and also about diamonds. I was up front with him, and basically let him know I was still considering a diamond from Bluenile as well as from him, and I asked him to help educate me a little more on them. He was very informative about advantages of either route, and was, as always, low pressure.

I gave him my budget, and told him what I had in mind for qualities of the diamond. He brought out a bunch of examples (some just for purpose of comparison), and we tentatively picked one.

Now, regarding the setting. Given that my fiancee was (is) indecisive, I decided I was going to do this on my own. I gave Justin a bunch of parameters for sizing the engagement ring (height, width of band, etc etc) and we got to work on a custom design. Over the course of a few days he sent me a couple different renders, and after some more comments (and renders), we landed on a design. I sent him a deposit and all was well.

I, however, decided over the next few days that what we finished with wasn't perfect. I was aware that I was being a difficult customer, but sent Justin an email with a couple more ideas (hoping it wasn't too late to change). As always, he was incredibly understanding and patient - he wanted above all, to make sure I was happy (well.... she was happy). After another couple sample pictures and ideas, and corresponding renders, we landed on the final design.

A couple weeks later, my fiancee and I decided to take a last minute trip to SF. I figured this would be a great opportunity to propose... but it was going to be a tight timeline to get the ring done. I let Justin know when we were planning on leaving, and he said he'd do everything he could to hopefully have it done in time. Long story short, he got it done the night before we left. He offered to go way above and beyond in order to meet to get me the ring on time to take it with, but I was fortunately able to make it down before he was closed for the evening. I got the ring down there, through security, and she said yes - and most importantly (and to Justins credit) was thrilled with the ring. She gets constant compliments on it, and it sparkles like crazy - it's perfect.
(Excuse the shitty cell phone pic. I swear even though it looks like it, she doesn't have sausage fingers )

» Click image for larger version

[bjstare]

When it came time to purchase a wedding band, my fiancee and I came to see Justin again. He remembered her name (after only meeting her like...three or four times over a couple years), and warmly congratulated us. As usual, it was a painless process in choosing the wedding band for her. We gave him some parameters of what we were looking for, a budget, and we were in and out in under an hour (that includes him helping me try on a few watches, as per usual).

[bjstare]

LAST ONE GUYS

My fiancee and I went in today to pick up her wedding band, and also drop off a repair that my mom needs done. I had previously told him that I was going to get a cheap band and buy a nice wedding watch instead, so I just had him size me up with the intention to go buy something on amazon. I decided to just see what he had (out of curiosity mostly), and within a couple minutes I'd found the perfect wedding band for myself and he'd given me a killer deal on it. I'm still going to buy a wedding watch, but now I have a nice band as well. Win win!


I've visited Justin many times without purchasing anything, but each and every time I go in, he's always fantastic to deal with. If my fiancee is with me, he makes sure to clean her ring, and he always helps me out with watches that I want to try on. He's been unreal with giving advice as well - even advising me on what to do with products I can't buy from him (i.e. Omega... Justin , it's probably for the best you don't carry them right now, otherwise I'd be giving you even more of my money). I already am referring my friends and family to Justin at Gem, and I know I'll be a long time customer. It's been unreal dealing with him, and I'm sure it will be in the future as well. Can't give enough for you guys.