Independent Jewellers was founded by John H. Epp in 1937. Being an emigre from Russia in the late '20's, John had settled in southern Manitoba with his parents when the Great Depression hit Canada. To ease the financial burden on his family, he moved to Winnipeg and, fortunately, found a job in the warehouse of Piggly Wiggly (eventually Safeway).
In 1936, he married Helen Regehr who was also an emigre from Russia but now lived in Steinbach. With this new marital responsibility, John began to look for other financial opportunities. Being a rather outgoing young man, he felt that selling could help augment their meager income. And so, with a small loan from a relative, he went to a local wholesaler and purchased some watches and shavers.
In 1936, he married Helen Regehr who was also an emigre from Russia but now lived in Steinbach. With this new marital responsibility, John began to look for other financial opportunities. Being a rather outgoing young man, he felt that selling could help augment their meager income. And so, with a small loan from a relative, he went to a local wholesaler and purchased some watches and shavers.
Services
Independent Jewellers Ltd. (IJL) of Winnipeg, Manitoba is proud to be part of the worldwide network of Official Rolex Retailers, allowed to sell and maintain Rolex watches. With the necessary skills, technical know-how and special equipment, we guarantee the authenticity of each and every part of your Rolex.
Rolex watches are designed and built to last. From the conception of a Rolex watch to the time it leaves the workshops, every step of its development and manufacture follows a single critical requirement: quality. As a result, there is no limit on how long a Rolex watch can keep working, being handed down from one generation to the next, and living several lives.
A visit to our Rolex showroom offers professional expertise in an elegant setting that promotes a sense of harmony, discretion, and intimacy with the brand, which has been setting standards in watchmaking for more than a century. Every element of the interior design of our Rolex space features the elegant Rolex aesthetic and radiates the values of the Rolex crown.
The Forevermark Engagement & Commitment collection celebrates love, in all its forms, and the honest vows a couple makes on their unique journey to forever. Real, enduring love is found in the tender, everyday moments between a couple. True vows are the beautiful expression of that commitment to one another - through tough times and good, in grand gestures and quiet acts of kindness - reflecting the reality of their love.
Your love story is unique. When you select a One Love engagement ring from our collection, you are selecting a ring that symbolizes that love and shows your everlasting commitment. One Love engagement rings are beautifully crafted in Canada using responsibly sourced diamonds and are available in a wide range of designs.
Reviews (17)
Peter
Dec 28, 2021
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I would like to thank Rebecca for the kind and wonderful service that she provided me. I recently researched a Tissot watch and I wanted to purchase two identical ones. One was for my son and the other for myself. IJL had one of them in stock which Rebecca quickly located it. This went to my son and he was ‘over the moon’ and so pleased with it. Rebecca ordered the second one for me and it arrived in very short order. She thoughtfully explained what Tissot had provided as well as the warranty from Tissot and IJL. I am so pleased with everything that transpired and I am so happy. Thank you!
Dipangshu Chatterjee
Oct 10, 2021
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Jordan Lee
Sep 12, 2021
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Just wanted take a moment to write a review about my experience at IJL. I wanted to upgrade my wife's wedding ring and had asked around for referrals... IJL was the most consistent name being mentioned so I decided to reach out and pay a visit. The customer experience was exceptional and because of this I decided to upgrade my wife's wedding ring, upgrade her necklace, got my wedding band fixed and also purchased my dream watch! Thank you Jeremy and Sunny for providing exceptional service! You have a customer for life!
Andrei Popovici
Aug 22, 2021
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Amazing service, Jeff was fantastic, professional, courteous and a complete pleasure to deal with in purchasing my Tudor Black Bay 58 blue. The wait was shorter than expected and well worth it. Thank you for the very fast overnight shipping! I would wholeheartedly recommend Jeff and IJL if you are in the market for a new watch.
Bryan Morgan
Aug 12, 2021
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Nathan Rempel
Jul 21, 2021
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I bought both my engagement ring and wedding rings here.
Professional and easy to work with!
First, I would like to thank Jonathan, as he made buying the engagement so easy. He was great to work with, I would highly recommend working with him. He is very passionate and knowledgeable about his work and he was able to help me find the perfect ring for my now fiance. The ring is everything she wanted and the service I got was amazing!
Second, my fiance and I were there this weekend to buy our wedding bands and we got to work with Rachel. She was also amazing! She helped us find exactly what we
Professional and easy to work with!
First, I would like to thank Jonathan, as he made buying the engagement so easy. He was great to work with, I would highly recommend working with him. He is very passionate and knowledgeable about his work and he was able to help me find the perfect ring for my now fiance. The ring is everything she wanted and the service I got was amazing!
Second, my fiance and I were there this weekend to buy our wedding bands and we got to work with Rachel. She was also amazing! She helped us find exactly what we
Ben Galagan
May 29, 2021
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Let me start off by saying my experience with Jeff has been amazing. When I first got in contact with him, he was friendly and eager to get to know me. He took the time to get to know the reasons behind why I wanted a watch and what the watch represented to me. He was very patient with showing me different models, telling me about the history behind different watches, and vocalizing what looks good on my wrist. In the beginning I thought a smaller watch would look better on my wrist, but after Jeff showed me dozens of 41mm watches, I set my mind on a bigger watch. The best part about my experience
Rebecca Dawson
Jan 29, 2021
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Michal B.
Aug 19, 2020
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Karin Kj
Jun 16, 2020
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Alex James
Jun 11, 2020
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A great experience at IJL this past week. Sophia was wonderful. She was very patient and kind in helping me find my next great timepiece. Over my several visits, she made sure to answer any questions I had. I’m so glad she was the one to help me out, I look forward to working with her again in the future.
Rita K.
May 05, 2020
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My husband called the store two weeks ago to get service on a Breitling mechanical watch...last Repair and cleaning was done at this store was five years ago (500 dollars) He was told that they weren't open due to COVID and they would call. On April 30 Sunny called and said he could come on Monday May 4 to drop off the watch. So Monday May 4 he drives 40 mins to drop off the watch at the store. He was told no we are not accepting watches for repair? He said I was called last week you were? The sales lady said no, we had a staff meeting this morning and we now aren't? It sure
Dale Jordan
Feb 14, 2020
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Horrible experience ( and very rude ) I had been thinking of purchasing a VERY expensive USED Omega Seamaster Planet ocean watch. I knew exactly what the watch needed ( new bezel and crystal ) , so I called IJL to get a price for the replacement pieces. They WOULD NOT give me prices for what I needed and said they would need to see the watch. I… explained that I was THINKING of buying the watched based on the costs of these items, but that did not matter. I also said that if I wanted to buy tires for my car, the service department wouldn't ask me to bring in my car to see the tires ?!?!
Dhel Aguilar
Oct 24, 2019
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Allister Penner
Sep 12, 2019
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Alvin Bataller
Jul 30, 2019
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Ken H.
May 27, 2016
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