Time to feel good
Contrary to popular belief, it wasn’t Oprah Winfrey but Madonna who first experienced the calming and relaxing effects of the “feel-good” watch known the world over as Philip Stein.
In a one-on-one interview with Will Stein, president of Philip Stein Corporation, he said that the Material Girl was actually the first Hollywoodite who sported the luxury watch.
“Madonna was seen wearing the Philip Stein watch we gave her. Days later, we got a feedback from her assistant that she loved it so much. But Madonna was under the radar at that time,” relates Stein.
A self-confessed “Oprahn,” Madonna gladly shared her newfound treasure with Winfrey who, like her, fell in love with the timepiece.
Well, Stein couldn’t contain his excitement when his secretary informed him that Winfrey wanted to speak with him over the phone.
“I thought my secretary was just joking so I let her wait. Well, it was, indeed, Oprah! She raved about the watch and told me she would feature it on her show as part of her most ‘favorite things’ list. That was in 2003. After that episode, our cash register rang non-stop,” enthuses Stein.
In 2005, Winfrey once again featured Philip Stein on her show. It’s said to be the only brand that she has endorsed on Oprah twice.
The exposure had a big impact on their sales. From August 2003 to December 2003, Philip Stein had a whopping US$5 million revenue.
What makes each Philip Stein luxury watch different is that it is equipped with integrated natural frequencies — similar to the earth’s own natural frequency — that work with the body to promote well-being. The watch helps to balance the body’s flow of energy popularly known as the “chi.”
This is made possible by the two chips found at the back of the watch which interact with the timepiece and body movements.
“You need a magnetic field (which comes from the movement), and an electric field (which comes from the battery). These components together with the chips create a signal between seven to nine hertz, the same signal our brain cells emit when we are in a state of calm and relaxation. It is known as the Alpha state. That’s what the watch creates. The wearers report that they sleep better, relax better and focus better during the day,” explains Stein.
Will Stein recently flew in to the country to grace the opening of Philip Stein’s first global boutique at the ground level of The Podium in
“This is actually my second time here. The first was in 2007. I’m as excited as you guys are with the opening of this shop. I always get emotional when I see the name Philip Stein at the façade of the store,” he says.
Stein was welcomed by Emerson Yao, managing director of
“Philip Stein is growing phenomenally in
Philip Stein endorser TV personality Kris Aquino, who swears by the watch’s health benefits, contributed to making Philip Stein a brand of choice.
Aquino and
She bought two watches for herself and a friend. Soon, televiewers started seeing her wear it on The Buzz where she shared how it helped her sleep and relax better.
“As expected, our stores were swarmed with people looking for the timepiece,”
Philip Stein also launched its “Feel It – Project Red Cross” campaign, which aims to benefit the blood services program of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC).
The project,
“When Will visited the country last year, his car was approached by poor children at the airport. He told me that he wanted to do responsible luxury. Will wanted to come up with a project that would benefit the marginalized. I’ve discussed the plan with Kris Aquino and she recommended the PNRC as beneficiary,” explains
Under the project, Philip Stein will produce and sell limited-edition Philip-Stein Red watches.
Produced in collaboration with Kris and Philip Stein, only 440 Philip Stein-Project Red watches were created: 200 in small cases and 200 in larges cases that retail for P30,000 each; and 40 large cases fitted with diamond dial indexes on mother of pearl, and the letter “K” on the dial, which cost P70,000 each. All watches come in red.
Part of the proceeds from the sale will be given to the PNRC to benefit its blood services program.
Stein also turned over a check in the amount of P1 million to the PNRC as an advance donation.
“We fully support the PNRC in providing quality, life-saving services that protect the life and dignity of everyone, particularly indigent Filipinos who are in vulnerable situations,” Stein enthuses.
Founded in 2002, Philip Stein has since brought an innovative outlook to the world of luxury products.
Its owners, Will and Rina Stein, started their watch company, Timezon, in 1999 producing for a private label. The business did great until the dot.com crash came.
“The business suffered and so we decided to once again create our own brand Philip Stein,” notes Will.
In 2001, the couple was approached by well-meaning individuals who introduced them to the frequency technology (Teslar) which, when put into a watch, reportedly helps improve the wearer’s overall wellbeing.
“After the presentation, I told my wife that if this is really true, then we can revolutionize the watch industry,” Stein says.
By integrating frequency-based technology in their extensive collection of watches, the company has succeeded in combining the principles of overall wellbeing: the mind, body and soul.
The rest, as they say, is history. The company was soon overwhelmed with the amount of testimonials it received.
As the company’s success allowed for progression, Stein launched the timepieces in
“By the way, who is Philip?” I ask.
“My real name is Wilhelm Stein. Now, if I tried to make Wilhelm into an international brand, it would be impossible. I shortened it to ‘Will’ but my wife didn’t like it either,” says Stein. “At that time, Rina was pregnant and we were also thinking of a name for our son. We wanted to call him Ben Philip. Finally, we decided to call our son Ben, and the watch Philip.”
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Philip Stein boutique is located at the groud floor, The Podium,
