London Jewelers marks a century in style at its 16th annual Watch Fair

It’s been 100 years since London Jewelers founder Charles London opened the doors to his Glen Cove, NY, store.Cementing a family legacy, the company is still in the hands of the founding family four generations later and has expanded from a single shop to a total of five locations: Manhasset, East Hampton, Southampton, Glen Cove and Short Hills, New Jersey.

“One hundred is a special milestone for our family, and we don’t take that as a small thing,” says Zach Udell, London Jewelers’ vice president. In honor of the anniversary, London Jewelers published a special commemorative book with a look back at the retailer’s history, including never-before-seen historical photos and anecdotes from clients and former employees. The celebrations have been a yearlong affair, which will continue at London Jewelers’ 16th annual Watch Fair, taking place from October 23-25 at the retailer’s 2118 Northern Blvd.location in Manhasset. According to Udell, the Watch Fair is a marquee annual event for the jeweler.

“There’s a lot of excitement,” he says.“We always set a new bar, and it’s something that our clientele looks forward to every year.” And people come to the fair from all over, Udell says, including those who have never visited the store before.

“We love to make people happy, and we are often able to.It’s our biggest, well-attended event, and it’s informative and experiential.” Udell works nearly two weeks straight in the lead-up to the fair — not that he’s complaining.

“It’s just like fun and adrenaline,” he says.“And I think that’s true for our entire staff.” In addition, the event serves as the unofficial kickoff to the holiday season.

“These days, a lot of people start their holiday shopping early,” says Udell, “especially in the watch world.” At last year’s fair, Udell had a special moment with a client from Westchester who had never visited the store before and ended up purchasing a vintage Cartier watc...