Leo Hamel
"Our customers are not just buying watches, they are collecting them."
- Leo Hamel
For the past twenty-five years, Leo Hamel Fine Jewelers has been providing the people of San Diego, California with illustrious timepieces, beautiful jewels, and the highest standards of customer care. The story of this renowned jeweler began in 1979, when a charismatic, persistent and hard-working young man, Leo Hamel, opened a small 300-square-foot jewelry store with a handful of gemstones and a pre-owned Rolex. Hamel quickly learned that individualized customer service and a keen understanding of the watch and jewelry industry were the keys to growing a strong customer base, which in turn has enabled him great success. Today, Hamel works alongside his sister Lisa Hamel McCarthy, and his 35 highly dedicated staff members, each of whom contributes to his two flourishing locations in the heart of sunny San Diego.
Leo Hamel’s magnificent 11,000-square-foot main location is in San Diego’s Old Town, while a second 1,500-square-foot salon resides in Solana Beach. “Our San Diego store has an open beam ceiling, reminiscent of the old Spanish-Mission style, complemented by rich wood cases and a traditional décor,” explains Hamel.
The San Diego-based retailer offers an impressive collection of fine Swiss timepieces, truly representing a who’s who of the luxury industry. Customers can choose from a number of exclusive and often hard-to-find brands, among them Hublot, IWC, Glashütte Original, Omega, Anonimo, Ulysse Nardin, Dubey & Schaldenbrand, and Pierre Kunz. Hamel points to IWC and Ulysse Nardin as the stores’ most highly sought after brands, as both enjoy worldwide recognition, many accolades in the realm of horology, and countless satisfied customers.
In addition to the current collections that grace the retailer’s showcases, Leo Hamel Fine Jewelers experiences great success in the vintage and pre-owned market. The company allows trade-ins, and consequently, there is a continuous flow of pre-owned timepieces and fine estate jewelry within both locations. In particular, they do a great deal of business with pre-owned Rolex timepieces, a sector that has remained popular at Leo Hamel’s since the store’s opening in the late 1970s. Hamel shares, “With pre-owned watches, many people can afford that watch that they have always wanted, but could not afford at the full retail price. Such offerings enable us to serve a greater consumer population, and we proudly cater to varied watch and jewelry desires.”
“With a customer base of 24,000, the main thing typical about our customers is their love of watches,” explains Hamel. “Whether it’s a first-time buyer or a seasoned collector, customers know they can come in and see a wide variety of watches and get the information they need to make an informed decision.” Customers can be assured that their varied horological inquiries will be addressed with the greatest of care and expertise, as each Leo Hamel employee is abreast of industry happenings, innovations, and developments. Through daily training sessions, regular brand-sponsored trainings, the many Internet sites dedicated to horology and the plethora of trade and enthusiast publications, the employees of Leo Hamel Fine Jewelers are indeed experts.
Personalized customer service has always been one of the guiding principles at Leo Hamel, and unparalleled customer satisfaction has led to exceptional repeat and referral business. With a full-service in-house jewelry design and repair department, as well as a full watch repair department with two certified on-site watchmakers, the store is able to meet all the needs of its discerning clientele. “We pride ourselves on our personalized one-on-one service and on providing visitors with a comfortable, friendly atmosphere where they can take the time to learn about the different brands from people with a passion for watches and knowledge from years in the business. My staff includes some of the most knowledgeable in the field,” says Hamel proudly.
Beyond Leo Hamel Fine Jewelers’ obvious commitment to the watch industry, San Diego’s celebrated retailer is active in a host of charitable organizations in its local community, as well as on the national level. Among those supported are the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, the YMCA, the Scripps Foundation, St. Jude, the American Heart Association and more. Leo Hamel says, “We donate something to almost every philanthropic group who contacts us, as we are dedicated to supporting those in need.”
With two successful locations in the heart of San Diego and an unyielding commitment to personalized service and superior selection, Leo Hamel Fine Jewelers stands in a class all its own. “The bottom line is that people return to us because they love our sales staff and they love our store!” says Hamel.
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