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Rado is one of the world’s premier luxury Swiss watch brands, known for their high-tech, scratch-proof materials and unique designs. We are very proud to offer you specialist Rado locations in St Maarten (please include link to the location map) and St Thomas (please include link to the location).

We understand that choosing your perfect watch may be a challenge and a little guidance is always helpful. That’s why we’ve put together a short Rado guide for our customers who need a little inspiration before buying their next timepiece.
Our recommendations – The perfect watch for…

The sportsman (or woman):

Rado True Match Point Automatic

Our sportier clients who seek a durable, training-ready watch to keep in time with the fast-paced life will love Rado’s new tennis-inspired collection, ‘Time to Play’. Our favorite pick from this collection has to be the ‘True Match Point’. This beautiful white watch is the definition of slick and versatile. With its small, subtle face and strap, this is a watch that steps back to let you get on with the match at hand. The sleek white coating of the polished plasma ceramic strap and the tennis inspired dial makes this the perfect accompaniment to any sportswear, and is sure to blend in seamlessly with your tennis suit to be the envy of your every competitor.

The practical features of this watch show just how perfect this is for the sportsman or woman. The dial details and hands of the piece contain Super-Luminova to glow in the dark, so that the face will remain visible at a quick glance, even if your match goes on after the sun sets. The innovative monobloc case construction means that the watch feels particularly light and comfortable, so that you don’t even feel the curved sapphire crystal face until you have the pleasure of looking at the time. What’s more, the case is made from a single piece of high-tech ceramic with a sandblasted titanium back, so that you can keep your skills on point whilst you race towards that winning match point.

For the timeless woman…

Rado Esenza Touch Limited Edition

Our team have selected their favorite Michele watches. Feast your eyes on this selection!

Michele is one of the world’s finest crafters of women’s watches, with a distinct design philosophy that blends everlasting elegance with contemporary fashion. At Joe’s Jewelry, we love Michele’s feminine touch to watch design and we’re proud to stock a wide range of their collections. Here goes:

From the Serein Collection – The Serein 16 Two-Tone Diamond Dial watch:

This is a watch for a woman who wants to be noticed, for all of the right reasons. This two-toned gold and silver dial watch is one of the most sophisticated metal female watches on the market. The bracelet is composed of an elegant pattern of interconnected 18K gold-plated and stainless steel links, which catch the light of any room with such a glow as to give the wearer an instant impression of glamour. The strap is woven into an imposing face, which is adorned with 134 hand-set diamonds for that eye-catching appeal that only luxury watches of this type can offer. The dial itself is made from the finest mother of pearl for a distinct feminine feel, whilst the roman numerals of the face add the word ‘classic’ to this watch. The strap is interchangeable with any of the Michele 16mm straps, making this a truly versatile, day-to-night timepiece.

From the Deco Collection – The Gold Metalic Diamond Dial Watch:

This is a watch that’s simply dripping with decadence. Gold and more gold is the order of the day with this timepiece. The gold-plated strap and matching gold face and dial makes a strong statement of elegant affluence to anyone who sees this watch, as the different pieces blend seamlessly into one another, making this art deco piece the one to watch on our favorites list. The metallic gold and mother of pearl dial is adorned with twelve sparkling diamonds to mark the hours of the day, so that you can be reminded of the luxurious piece hanging on your wrist every time that you check the time. And if that wasn’t enough, this watch comes complete with Swiss chronograph movement and the ever-desirable Michele signature, making you the envy of all of your friends and colleagues.

From the Urban Collection – The Urban Coquette Diamond Dial Saddle Calf-Skin Double Wrap Watch:

This is the perfect watch for those women who like to keep things casual whilst remaining classy. This watch is a statement of a laid-back, fashionable lifestyle and ideal for a fun-loving urban woman. The imposing saddle calf-skin double-wrap strap is interchangeable with any other 12mm Michele wrap, meaning that your timepiece is versatile enough to transfer over from casual to elegant in just a few seconds, just like you. The sleek silver face of this watch acts as its well-deserving centerpiece, studded around with 92 hand-set diamonds that can be shown off with any flick of your glamorous wrist. These diamonds beautifully encase a mother-of pearl, diamond-encrusted dial, sprinkled with a signature Michele crown to complete the look. This makes this timepiece the embodiment of effortless urban chic, the modern accessory for any modern woman and the perfect piece to hang around your sophisticated wrist.

For the fifth post in my series on far-flung France we are off to the Caribbean again, to the island of St Martin. My guest writer today is Susan Hays, a globe-trotting Brit now settled in South-West France having lived all over the world.  Here she tells us about living on the French side of the unusual island of St Martin, a DOM-TOM until 2007, now collectivité d’outre-mer.

Guest post by Susan Hays at Our French Oasis

Writing this on my terrace in the Charente Maritime, the Caribbean seems very far away and a long time ago, but my affection for sun, sea and palm trees has never really diminished, and with good reason. For once – sixteen years ago, we spent a great deal of time in a part of France that had not only all of that, but also a very multi-cutural population, an afro-caribbean vibe that shimmied throughout a mountainous but small island, and which had a shared border without guards that enabled the curious to stand with one foot in France, and one foot in Holland….

St Martin, one of the northernmost of the Antilles, is a medium-size 34sq mile volcanic remnant that sits a mere 20 minutes by normally choppy boat-ride from Anguilla, and a 40 minute ride from St Barts to the south-east, the well known playground of the rich and famous. Back then, I spent two years of my life running between St Martin and Anguilla, keeping an eye on the shoreside interests of our sport-fishing charter business. We had our first-born in tow, a frizzle-haired 2 year-old girl, who caused much amusement with her out-of-sync but natural blonde dread-locks. Her piping English tones were standard fare for the Anguillans, but on St Martin her blondness stereotyped her as a Dutch child, out for a jaunt to the foreign side of the island.

St Martin is that rare find in the Caribbean, if not the world. It is a piece of steeply undulating island, evenly divided by a non-apparent border at which no border-controls exist, and where without a passport one can spend a day divided between a counter of ripe French Brie and a coffee-shop serving fine Dutch pastries. A weekend of shopping can be divided between the capital of the French side, Marigot, and a stroll along the dock in St Philipsburg admiring the towering cruise-liners on a quick stop. A hire car could have both a Hermès bag on one seat, and a Dutch wicker-bag on another; one containing fine scarves and earrings, the other a collection of cheap Chinese cooking-ware. Marigot spends her days basking in the sun, keeping to traditional French hours incorporating le dejeuner and la sieste. Philisburg, by contrast, is a 24/7 frenzy of shopping and eating, its streets and docks ablaze with energy by day and night as dutch-minded burghers of all creeds and race make as much of their days as they can. If you want a lazy day with class and a whiff of decaying elegance, you dine in Marigot. If you want the most value from your holiday, you breakfast on the Dutch side.

Marigot faces north, like France, towards the little piece of the UK that is Anguilla. By day a succession of ferries, nearly all Anguillan, plow back and forth carrying passengers and goods between the two islands. Here there are definitive borders, and people with truncheons on the north side, and guns on the south. Customs and police keep a wary eye on business, and if you are carrying shopping on the return to Anguilla, you have to declare what you have bought and pay duty where appropriate. It somewhat stifles the enjoyment of the breeze and the thud of flying fish into the hullsides. By contrast, a journey in a southerly direction entails no more than a jump ashore, a step or two through a tin-hatted terminal and then out into the plaza for a taxi, mini-bus or a short walk into the luxuries of a tiny transplanted Paris. Fine meats, brandies, diamonds, silks and those smelly cheeses all await.

To anyone who lives or spends a good deal of time on the French side, it is a world apart from the Dutch version of events. Marigot is a subtle time-waster of a day, with opportunities at every turn to either open your wallet. Squeaky French contemporary design exists inside buildings and at junctions of note, while the old colonial buildings still elicit an atmosphere of decaying power and provincial triumph, despite the peeling paint and potholes in the pavements. Menus, shop signs, road markings and le tabac are all very French, and a swift lunch can easily turn into a 2-hour gourmet dawdle, spent idly watching other people eat moules frites under nodding palms and a lazy Caribbean sun. It is not a place to ‘get things done’, as the order of affairs is very much a mix of Gallic indifference and typical island laissez-faire. Things go slightly more to order and with some gusto on the Dutch side and it seems an inevitable way of life that more money seems to be earnt, and more done, on the south side of the lagoon. Commerce is the way of life in Philipsburg, while life in Marigot has an air of indulgence and casual style.

Marigot lies in a bowl of steep hills, with two or three roads leading out between the fingers of rough steep terrain. To the west lies the fleshpots of the Dutch side and its very American-influenced commerce, while to the east along the north shore lie a series of small villages and developments, squatting by the water’s edge. Here, out of the main confluence of Marigot’s multi-ethnic population, lies the real Caribbean – every way one looks there are not only the remnants of the old French plantations and all the remnants of construction which that sad industry once entailed, but there are also both poorly and well constructed new buildings, interspersed with typical shanty construction. There is a lot of countryside too, sparsely green and with much geological variation and interest. The east side of the island is slightly low-lying and there are other substantial settlements here – with lots of tourism. Small mini-vans dust past on rutted roads, crammed to the roofs with colorful bundles of shopping and islanders, and goats drift haphazardly across the hillsides, subsisting on a diet of earth and fired leaves. Amidst a church or two there are roadside bars, people cooking on grills made from gas bottles, tourists clicking cameras in open topped Citroen Safaris, and a pervading smell of vegetation that spends its time dry and then wet – the underlying smell of any Caribbean island.

Running a business divided between the two islands was always a challenge, but for beaches and sun, rum bars and music, Anguilla was a must. For classic shopping and a whiff of Parisian style, Marigot was the go-to place. For anything we needed for the business and our boats, we would stealthily set sail for Philipsburg and pretend we had never been. It was a very interesting state of affairs for two years, our lives during hurricane season ruled by the emergency haul-out rhythms of a Dutch boatyard, and our hearts and souls captivated by the little piece of France that was Marigot.

Planning a trip to the beautiful St Maarten anytime soon? Or just arrived and looking for the best things to see and do on the island? Here’s our insiders low-down on the place that we at Joe’s Jewelry call home.

Joe’s Jewelry’s favourite beaches:

There are so many beaches to choose from in St Maarten, both on the old French and the Dutch sides, all with their own local flavor and character. As long as you keep in mind that many of these aren’t for the feint hearted, as nudist beaches abound on the island as a whole, you’ll have your pick of some of the best bays that the Caribbean has to offer.

If you’re looking for something slightly off the beaten track and away from the hoardes of cruise-ship tourists that descend on the island daily, steer clear of Great Bay and head around the bend from here to Little Bay, Great Bay’s quieter yet equally beautiful sister-beach.

This picture-perfect beach with its fine, white, powdery sand is far enough away from the day-trippers of Phillipsburg to offer you some wonderful peace and quiet, and easily accessible to the Capital with optional rental activities such as jet-skiing and paddle-boarding . The waters here are calm and clear, so it’ the perfect spot for snorkeling. Possibly our favourite part of this beautiful beach is our secret alternative to the famous Fort Louis, Fort Amsterdam, which lies just a short hike uphill from Little Bay and makes for a wonderful lookout and picnic point.

If you want something even more private, hop on a ferry or kayak to Pinel Island, the most secluded part of St Maarten, and discover this small island’s many hidden away, people-free beaches, for what could be the most romantic day-trip of your life.

oe’s Jewelry’s favourite bars and restaurants:

The Dream Pool Bar in Maho is the ultimate for laid-back, classic cool. The views are spectacular, the pool setting offers a tranquil backdrop to some of the best drinks on the island, and the staff are incredibly friendly. This bar doesn’t take itself too seriously, and as a result many a well-watered St Maarten regular holds it dear to their heart (the Joe’s Jewelry team included). Marty the barman is famous across the island for being the most warm and welcoming staff member around.
Kokomo, an exclusive beachside bar offers something a little more formal, with amazing cocktails, including their luscious spiced piña colada.
We love Le Ti Provencal , a lovely, high-end bar and restaurant in Grand Case, known as the “Gourmet Capital” of the Caribbean.Le Ti Provencalserves ice-cold Claro bear throughout the day on its striking outdoor balcony, but the real highlight is it’s dinner time seafood selection. The staff bring the catch-of-the-day selection to your table, tempting you with everything from parrot fish to trunk fish, and although the choice is somewhat overwhelming, there certainly isn’t any ‘wrong’ choice here – it’s all simply delicious.

Joes Jewelry’s favourite attraction:

Not ignoring all of the manifold tourist sites and activities available on the island, we prefer something a little more off-beat and cultural, and we think that you will too. The fabulous Roland Richardson Marigot Gallery is, in our books, an unmissable attraction and a true treasure trove of island magic. Situated in Marigot, the island’s French capital and definitely an attraction in and of itself, lies the beautiful two-level 19th Century home that holds a permanent exhibition of Roland Richardson’s luminescent Impressionist paintings and detailed drawings of the Caribbean. Often called the “Father of Caribbean Impressionism”, Richardson is renowned for his Plein Air Impressionism, which has made him renowned and indeed recognised around the world. His collection of bright and luminous paintings and etchings are perfectly framed by this classic house and its tranquil courtyard, which are both well worth a visit for anyone interested in Caribbean culture and art.

Every Thursday from 10:30 – 14:00 Sir Roland Richardson himself paints at his Marigot gallery and you’re invited to watch this living legend work.

Finally, if you’re thinking about doing some duty-free shopping whilst you’re over here, we know just the place where you can find the jewelry of your dreams… click here to shop with us or pop in store and see us personally!

One of our favourite brands that we stock at Joe’s Jewelry, the illustrious Tissot with their perpetually on-point watches, has got some very exciting news that we’re happy to share.

They are the official sponsor for the NBA. The NBA is one of the world’s most-watched sports, so it’s not surprising that Tissot are overjoyed by the news. François Thiébaud, President of Tissot, feels confident that “The emotions and the spirit behind the sport will further translate into our products”, hoping to improve the Tissot range year on year through this partnership. At $200 million, the deal is bigger than Tissot’s sponsorship of MotoGP, the Superbike World Championship, and fencing’s FIE – and Thiebaud reportedly told ESPN’s Darren Rovell that it is ‘the most expensive deal the brand had done in its 162-year history.’

But the real significance of this sponsorship lies in the trust demonstrated by the NBA in Tissot as watch-makers – a trust that we ourselves at Joe’s Jewelry have shared for years. The NBA has never had an ‘official timekeeper’ before, but they are making an exception for Tissot. Emilio Collins, the NBA’s executive vice president of global marketing partnerships, said the league needed updated technology to develop a more efficient system. Because of the constant starting and stopping, Thiebaud hopes to build the most intricate timing system in sports history.

Tissot will develop and create a new timing system for the NBA, so that Tissot’s expert technology will be found in all of the shot clocks in the league’s 29 arenas, which will go live in 2016. The new timing system will replace the current system in which game referees start and stop the clock using a button on their hip. The plan is to even work with NBA broadcasters to synchronize the clocks in the arena with the clock shown on TV screens.

Tissot continues to assert its dominance as the best timekeeper on the market, by launching themselves into a sport where every millisecond counts, and it only serves to confirm the faith that we already had in the brand and its accuracy.

So, when will we actually be seeing the Tissot name and clocks popping up in NBA games? Well, although the clocks won’t be fully implemented until 2016, the partnership actually began last week, in time for the NBA’s Global Games. These matches feature six NBA teams playing seven regular-season games and pre-season games in six countries – and we’ll be there at the sidelines cheering on the teams, looking forward to just how much more precise and on-point the timings of these matches will be once the Tissot clocks make their mark on this legendary sport.