Where to Find a Watch Fit for a King
They do things differently in Beverly Hills so it’s no surprise that the city’s pawn shops would bear no resemblance to the dark, rather depressing lenders found in less luxurious areas. When the rich and famous need a quick infusion of cash or are in the mood for picking up a few new baubles, they head for The Dina Collection.
As one might expect from the upscale address on South Beverly Drive, The Dina Collection is filled with diamonds from names like Bulgari, Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels as well as a huge collection of antique and classic watches from Patek Philippe, Audemars Piquet and of course, Rolex.
One frequent shopper at The Dina Collection is boxing champ Floyd Mayweather who recently paid a trip to the store to peruse the current selection of antique luxury watches. After all, the fighter just collected a big fat purse from his last fight so why not celebrate by adding a few more pieces to his already impressive collection?
A visitor cannot walk more than a few feet through the 4,000 square foot boutique without coming across a fabulous piece of movie memorabilia like the dress that made Montgomery Clift fall madly in love with Elizabeth Taylor in the classic film “A Place in the Sun.” The price? A mere $45,000.
One of the more interesting items to fanciers of collectable timepieces is a bejeweled watch that belonged to Elvis Presley. The 18K gold watch by Mathey-Tissot has a round face of white gold embellished with 16 round brilliant cut diamonds. Back in the 70s the King of Rock n’ Roll presented the watch to one of his numerous pharmacists, this one from the nearby Bedford Pharmacy in Beverly Hills.
If you’re going to be visiting SoCal this summer, The Dina Collection is a must even if all you can do is drool over the gorgeous items that you probably can’t afford.