Trying to grab Avi is like trying to catch a cheetah. He’s always on the move: flying from the Big Apple to the Design District, in business meetings, appointments with customers, and spending time with his family.
How are you staying so calm during all of this? I wonder as I jokingly point out his tapping feet. With a million things happening at the same time, the emails that kept accruing during our interview, it’s no wonder Avi has a lot on his mind. “Both of my phones don’t stop ringing,” he laughs, just as his phone mockingly proceeds to ring.
May the Fourth Be With… Your Luxury Watch Collection
Avi & Co.’s Miami boutique opened on May 4th, 2023. Avi wanted to feel like a King at his Miami Grand Opening. He strolled the red carpet in Dior Alligator sneakers, adding a 10K diamond to each of the laces. Both diamonds are valued at $800,000. He wore an Arta suit, a company owned by a friend of his. To finish his outfit, he donned a pair of Chrome Hearts sunglasses.
Around his neck was the show-stopping Crown Chain. Assembled with an assortment of round, asher, cushion, princess, pear, and emerald cuts, the diamonds weigh 210 carats. To top it all off, Avi wore a Limited Edition watch from The Iced Collection as part of Watches by Avi & Co. “I haven’t taken the watch off since May 4th.”
It’s been about four months since the exquisite Grand Opening, and Avi still feels like royalty. “I can’t forget that night,” he told me. “I thought it was going to be a nice opening, but it was something else.”
About 1,000 people were in attendance, Papi Steak catered, and American rapper Rick Ross performed. Seeing Avi’s hard work pay off exceeded all his expectations. “The amount of love and respect I had from the people that came was insane.” While it was just an opening of a store, it looked like the equivalent of a wedding or the Grammys, which was exactly what he was hoping for.
An Upscale, Jaw-Dropping Showroom
It was remarkable how quickly and smoothly Avi was able to pull off the Grand Opening in just 30 days. The green inside the showroom was inspired by the lush plants the designer saw sprinkled throughout Miami. He wanted to bring that natural element into the store, which is why the front is set with stones and the VIP area is interspersed with foliage.
Perhaps it was that sense of urgency and that excitement of something new that put Avi into full gear. He doesn’t feel it could have been any nicer even if he had additional time.
“Anyone that comes in has never seen anything like this. I’ve never seen anything like this! I can’t believe that I own this store. It’s like a movie every time I’m in there.”
Avi’s pinch-me moment only continued even after the showroom was complete. The Grand Opening, in his mind, was perfect. “There were so many best parts of the night. Every person that came to show me love made me happy. Rick Ross came to do a performance, which was big for me. People were buying watches at my Grand Opening, which was big for me. The ribbon cutting was big for me.” Mission accomplished.
A Generational Ribbon Cutting
Avi cut the ribbon alongside his father and son to symbolize the three generations in the watch industry. He was above and beyond happy that his family and friends were there. It was a moment where he was able to step back from a day of being involved in all the operations involved in being a jeweler and just get to do something different and special.
Although Avi is a very charismatic person, he was apprehensive about giving his speech. Going through it 100 times with different versions didn’t make it any easier. However, when it was time to get up on stage, he brushed off his nerves and just spoke naturally.
“All I had was a dollar and a dream, and hey, it happened. God did! Everyone who was involved – thank you all.”
Celebrities on the Red Carpet
Many celebrities were among the hundreds of people who attended the star-studded event. Among them included J Balvin, Nicky Jam, Rick Ross, Anuel, Lunay, Bryant Myers, and Yo Gotti.
“J Balvin had a performance right before my Grand Opening,” Avi says. “He told me ‘I give you my word that I’ll do my best come over there.’ His event was at 6:00 PM in New York. He performed 4 songs. Then he ran to the airport, flew straight to Miami, and came straight to the store around 11:00 PM.”
“That’s such respect for a guy so busy and a guy so famous,” Avi continues. “At the end of the day, I’m somebody he just met a few years ago. I did something good in my life that I have a guy so big that he gave me his 10 minutes to support me and show me love.”
This is Who We Are
With each store opening comes new management. It’s an additional group of people that you need to listen to and support. Together, you must work together to do what’s best for the company. Not only does he have his kids at home, but our New York and Miami team. “I basically have a new family added to me,” he laughs.
With each growing team, he has learned time management. “I think it’s doable though. That’s what I tell myself all the time. If Gucci could have done this and Louis [Vuitton] could have done this, why can’t I?”
With all the change and Avi’s stark attitude, Miami continues to open even more doors. “I feel like we were on the map,” Avi recalls. “People knew who Avi & Co. was. But Miami set the record straight. This is who we are. This is what we are about. This is how we do things.”
Coming Soon to a Luxury Watch Retailer Near You…
“When people come to you with these events, they expect to have the best of the best. When I do things, I really do them all the way. This is my face. This is what I’ve been working on. It takes time to build that structure.”
Avi & Co. will go where the diamonds shine brighter: Aspen, Colorado. “My goal is to have the Grand Opening for Aspen in March. Stay tuned!”
Let one of our experienced sales executives help you find your next (or first) Richard Mille, Patek Philippe, or Rolex in our Miami boutique. In the meantime, see what’s next for Avi & Co. by signing up for our newsletter and following us on Instagram for more exclusive content!
