Executive Jewelers in Montrose

Executive Jewelers in Montrose has been in the community for quite a long time. I am sure you have heard of it. Owner Garo Anserlian, who came to Montrose from Beirut, Lebanon, has been with the store since 1984. Garo is also the owner of Executive Clock Gallery. Over the years he has been honored with many awards. He has won CV Finest awards for both Executive Jewelers and Executive Clock Gallery as well as similar awards from the Glendale News Press. He was also honored by the Montrose Shopping Park Association with a business achievement award in 2014. Pretty impressive!

I think though his greatest claim to fame and his personal pride and joy is the “Mars” watch that he created in conjunction with JPL. Here is what JPL had to say:

“They said it couldn’t be done. But in the sleepy little town of Montrose, California, nestled in the hills surrounding JPL, master watchmaker Garo Anserlian of Executive Jewelers is perfecting a timepiece for hundreds of Earthlings bound to Mars’ irregular day. Past the glass cases of what looks like an ordinary jewelry store is a workshop where watches are losing 39 minutes a day. Rover controllers have to monitor Spirit (and soon, Opportunity) all the time; this doesn’t just mean 24 hours a day, it means 24 hours, 39 minutes a day. The Martian day is longer than Earth’s, but this minimal variance can amount to physical and mental fatigue. Every day, team members are reporting to work 39 minutes later than the previous day.”

“Everything on this mission is based on local solar time on Mars,” said Julie Townsend, Mars Exploration Rover avionics systems engineer. “From home, during the mission practice tests, it was very difficult to constantly translate Earth time to Mars time.”

Townsend and her co-worker Scott Doudrick, a systems engineer on the project, set out to find a solution for this otherworldly problem. They asked several watchmakers but were turned away every time until they met Garo. He accepted the challenge.

Garo acknowledged that the Mars watch request is the strangest he has ever received. It took him about two months to design, fine-tune and streamline the process that would keep the watch on Mars time. Garo finished Doudrick’s watch first and, after initial testing, discovered that it was off by no more than 10 seconds in 24 hours Earth time – “an amazingly accurate feat for an entirely mechanical watch.”

It’s amazing the things that are produced in our little town! At both Executive Jewelers and Executive Clock Gallery, you can get custom jewelry and watches made. Garo and his staff, who are all family members, truly represent what a “mom and pop” home grown small business is and represent our quaint little town of Montrose that prides itself on these types of unique stores with the personal touch. Please remember to always shop local and shop Montrose first for all of your needs. This shopping district needs your support and patronage to continue to offer you the best in small business and all the benefits that go with that. We don’t ever want to lose that part of this community that makes us so great!

Don’t forget!! The Foothills Community Business Expo is Wednesday, Sept. 9 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital. Business to discover, food to eat and shredding to be done!

Montrose-Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce: Your source for all things local! Our mission is to actively support and enrich the community, vitality and pride of Montrose, to help preserve the historic district and small town atmosphere, to promote economic stability and positive, productive relationships within Montrose and the surrounding communities.

Upcoming Events

Foothills Community Business Expo on Wednesday, Sept. 9 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at  USC Verdugo Hills Hospital Council Rooms 4th Floor, 1812 Verdugo Blvd., Glendale 91208.

Oktoberfest kick-off mixer on Wednesday, Sept. 30 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Citibank Montrose, 2350 Honolulu Ave.

Oktoberfest on Saturday, Oct. 3 from noon to 11 p.m. in the 2200, 2300 and 2400 blocks of Honolulu Avenue in Montrose.

  melinda clarke