BeCool

After 2 hours of trying to find a restaurant that's actually open on a deserted August night in Milan, we finally found a place that seemed appropriate for the occasion. BeCool. Perfect for three girls, dressed to the nines and ready to mingle. While sitting, asking each other questions of which characters of which sitcoms we would recognize ourselves in and wondering for at least a good 20 minutes which was the fourth character in Sex and the City… there is obviously Mr. Big, Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha… and who was the cool weirdo red head?! We start asking those around us… one, two. Nine…ten…everyone, even people we don’t know start texting their friends to find out. Finally a girl shouts out “Miranda!”…of course…how could we forget? In the midst of this Italian loud-mouthed-hand-moving-chat-aholic vibe, we meet a Lisa & Marco, two amazingly, outrageously hilarious Italians from Milan and, luck of the draw, she works in her own watch store! True Italians they are, or true macho he is, they automatically sit at our table and the chatting begins.

We obviously jump at the opportunity to be speaking to a beautiful, charming woman that works in the business! Turns out she has her own studio, passed down by her father. They produce artisan jewelry and sell watches on the side. Her store and home are about a half hour away from Milan but this doesn’t stop her from having her second, third, fourth glass of wine knowing she has to drive back later… or so she says, or so I prefer thinking Italian women are just so tough! We chat and she tells us she knows Hamilton well but that not many people really buy the brand. Why? It’s just not well known. Up to 8 years ago, when she started taking over the business, people would walk in, not really knowing what product they wanted but knowing what the latter should express about their personality, about what they wanted it to say to the world about themselves. She would sit with them, talk to them, get to know them better so as to make sure she could best advise them as to which watch or jewel would describe them best and tell the world something true to them. Now, people watch too much TV and advertising has such an influence… people come in, know what they want and get what they want. Sometimes she gets to chat to them, sometimes they want to chat to her and make sure their choice is the correct one. But when she advises them otherwise, they don’t want to listen, they don’t want to know. They know best what they want. They saw the image on TV they want to aspire to. So here she goes again, selling another Rolex.


Her favorite brands, if she had to pick one for her boyfriend, would not be a Rolex. Everyone has a Rolex. She would rather suggest a Bulgari Monaco or a Santos Cento of Cartier (which although is a man’s watch, she wears proudly on her left wrist). Why a Bulgari or a Cartier? A Cartier is a classic and a chic classic at that. They still maintain that kind of old school classic. Why a Bulgari? Because it’s not mainstream yet and it’s just cool. Plus, you get to buy it only at their stores. Bulgari offers you everything of their collection in their stores. She tells us she is worried about these specialized, oneshopall brands. They are making more and more business around their personalized stores. “I will come to Milan once, twice a month and go to the store to buy anything from toe to ear because I recognize myself in that brand and I get to live the whole experience. I get to see the entire collection from shoes, scarves, watches, glasses… and it makes it all that more special.” This doesn’t make it easy on her business though.


Brands like Breil, which has been so successful in the last two years, are hard to work with for a small shop like hers. They ask for a big commitment and then send them whatever they want. “I learnt through my father that new brands such as Breil are not worth the hassle. I’m a small shop and I work on word-of-mouth. If my client really wants a particular watch that I don’t have, I’ll make sure I get it for them or know someone who can provide it to her. This makes me work closely with my customers and make sure I provide them with what they need”.

Lisa is an only child, and proud to be one because she gets to handle all the family business without fighting over it! She’s worked there for almost 9 years, the last year of which she has completely taken over the business. She loves what she does, it’s written across all her face. She speaks so passionately about watches, jewelry. She admits that although a watch will always take priority over a jewel (she has beautiful ones already!) if a man were to ask her to chose between a ring and a watch… no doubts, it would have to be the ring! Having said that, she is obviously confident with who she is and what she does. Her dream is to one day open a “street window” a store right in the centre. But don’t get her wrong, in her town not in a place like Milan, way too much competition! We ask her more about Hamilton. She knows nothing of the brand’s history but when we ask her what man she thinks would best represents him she tells us it would be a top-gun kinda guy, an aviator. Why? Because it would just fit, with all its functions and all. A friend of hers who also owns his jewelry/watch store wears a Hamilton. He’s not an aviator, he’s not particularly adventurous but he’s young, cool and likes to be particular.


Marco meanwhile tells Coco and Emma about his Russian experience and that the moral of the story is “never trust Russian women”. We have a laugh, receive beautiful red roses, take more “paparazzi” pictures, and continue drinking of course. Ultimately they invite us to their private pool the next day. My moral of the story? How can you not love Italians?! ;o)



Careful with the Russians! (click play to watch)