Ben Bridge Jeweler — Attraction in Bellevue

Since I can't leave more than 1 review for a local business I'll segment them below :)

MARCH 2024: Conor Pollom did it again! Of course he was a pleasure to work with (see my original review from October 2023 below) of course he was hyper responsive and super approachable even though I had a ton of question (they'll become evident shortly) but that goes without saying because that's who Conor is at his core! What's more important is how he was invested in helping me ensure I achieved my goal of creating a magical, wonderful and above all unforgettable moment to celebrate my wife's birthday with her first luxury timepiece from Ben Bridge - and that's exactly what he did! I texted and called him a number of times to find, purchase and store (in secret mind you because again, it's a surprise gift for her birthday) the perfect watch - and not only that, he played along and made the moment extra special when my wife and I finally did show up at the Bellevue Ben Bridge location for her big (and unexpected) surprise!

Conor, you're a class act, you're kind and caring and it's evident that this isn't just a job for you - it's much more. You're keen on making special moments all the more special and you take the aspect of "serving the customer" and go above and beyond what is normally expected making everyone feel like a million bucks regardless of whether they're buying a small silver pendant or a $50,000 Rolex - my wife and I appreciate you!

OCTOBER 2023: The Bellevue Ben Bridge is fantastic - before reading any further, just know that if you ever visit you should immediately ask for Conor. I've purchased 2 watches (3 as of March 2024, see my updated review above) with him and every interaction with him was exactly what you'd expect from someone that actually cares and is interested in helping you find the perfect timepiece. Truly a first class experience. In fact I've sent 3 of my friends over to Conor and without fail they've all texted me back right after their appointment absolutely raving about the awesome experience they had in-store thanks to Conor. Ricardo the manager is aces as well, very welcoming and easy to engage with.

As for the Ben Bridge location itself - it's inside the Bellevue Square Mall. The size is good so the selection is wide for both jewelry and watches, with the added benefit that food and boba are close-by which is the perfect way to wrap up an appointment if you ask me!

I highly recommend Conor + Ben Bridge Bellevue - he's an expert in watches and jewelry and he always delivers the best experiences no matter the budget...

In the middle of December 2022 I went to this Ben Bridge location to send a broken bracelet on a Cartier watch I had owned for many years (not purchased at Ben Bridge) into Cartier for repair and service. I was helped by Anthony who was very professional and wonderful to interact with. We got to talking about watches and I told him that I was looking for a Rolex, preferably a stainless steel model, to celebrate completing my PhD. I told him three models I wanted, he wrote them down, and he told me he would be in touch if any of them were available or if any other models he thought I might be interested in became available. I also told him the model I wanted the most was the 36mm stainless steel Rolex Explorer. He told me not to be afraid to say "no" if he offered me a Rolex model that is generally highly desireable, but not one that I wanted, personally. In other words, he took me seriously as a customer. From mid December on (until I made a purchase) I texted Anthony every 5 or 6 weeks, just reminding him that I was still interested, and he always got back to me to say that he was still keeping an eye out for me. At the end of January he offered me a generally very sought after Rolex stainless steel Datejust, however with a dial and and bracelet I didn't prefer, so I said no to that watch. A day later, he contacted me when a two-tone (yellow gold and steel) Rolex Explorer became available, and I said no again, I just personally preferred the all-steel model. Then at the end of March, Anthony informed me that a 36mm stainless steel Rolex Explorer had arrived. I was overjoyed and went to meet him as quickly as possible, and he had everything ready for me when I arrived. Throughout this process Anthony was very communicative, professional, and overall very straightforward to interact with. Considering I had no purchase history at any Ben Bridge location, and the demand for certain Rolex models, I really am thankful that he was honest with me, he took me seriously as a first time customer, and I got exactly the watch I wanted in a much shorter amount of time than I expected. He has certainly made me into a loyal customer for life, and I'm looking forward to working with him for any of my future jewelry purchases. I also want to mention that Kit, the watchmaker at this Ben Bridge location, was extremely communicative in terms of my Cartier service and keeping me up to date with how the service was progressing. I got the Cartier watch back quickly, and in...

I have been in this store a total of 3 times, and each time, they ignored me to help other customers that came in after me , without them having to ask for help. It did matter how I was dresses. Each time, I noticed they flocked to Asian and white customers and ignored the black customers. Especially the ones that walked in by themselves. Not so much as a , someonebwill be right with you, like some other customers get. This could be coincidence on all three times. But Ironic how they would talk to my non-black friends but not me. They also seemed very short with me and looked everywhere but at me when talking. Something they were not doing with others. In this area you don't know who has and doesn't have money to spend, so they should really treat people the same whether they think they have money or not. At the end of the day, it's their loss of commission because I'm just going to wait and buy direct from the luxury house when I travel out of state instead of buying local. Ben Bridge, you should really do better about how you treat your customers and be more socially aware. The Vietnamese lady specifically is extremely rude. She tried to pay me attention after I engaged with Mark and put my Birkin in the counter to look at more watches. I was so over her though. She even made a comment about her "rich customers who can afford to buy right now, couldn't even get a Rolex if they wanted so I would have to wait". Like excuse me how do you know what I have in my account? Or what makes her think I'm unfamiliar with how the Rolex game works. She didn't even want to put me on the wait list, help me with other jewlery, or give me her card. I had to disengage and wait for another person to be willing to speak to me. Thankfully I ended up getting my husband's Rolex from another authorized dealer a month later.

Also, the young white long haired salesman is extremely rude and tried to patronize me when I politely called him out for immediately greeting and helping a white lady not much older than me (I look young). Disgusting.

Edited to add: of the 3 times. Mark was the only one to engage with me and treat me nicely. So Mark...