Joshua Bonifas; PHOTO COURTESY OF FOURTANÉ
Tell us about your family’s legacy in the jewelry industry.
My parents were running small jewelry businesses out of state when, in 1986, they received a postcard from a family friend with an image of the Fourtané jewelry store in Carmel-by-the-Sea with a ‘for sale’ sign. Somewhat impulsively, they purchased Fourtané, and they moved my brother and me to Carmel, where they decided to specialize in antique and vintage jewelry. In the late 1990s, I became fascinated with vintage Rolex watches. While living in London in college, I devoted my time to learning about and buying and selling vintage Rolex models. I focused on becoming an industry expert on the product, and through my passion for vintage Rolex watches, our watch business was born in Carmel.
Tell us about your personal Rolex collection.
My love of Rolex started in 1996 when my parents gave me a Rolex 1996 GMT-Master. This watch started my love affair with the brand and led me to where I am today. I also have a Rolex Day-Date 40 in platinum with a special date wheel inscribed in Latin that translates to ‘every Rolex tells a story’ with the date we opened as an Official Rolex Jeweler on it in Latin as well.
What sets the Fourtané Rolex Boutique San Diego apart?
One is through an immersive experience into James Cameron’s dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, featuring the Deepsea Rolex he wore on his expedition. We also have a speakeasy that you enter through a hidden wall, and it’s an incredible showroom with memorabilia. We’re a big store representing Rolex on a grand scale, but we still approach everything like it’s our family business through the personal relationships that our staff creates with all their clients.
Photography by: COURTESY OF FOURTANÉ
