After 81 years of conducting business at 606 Hamilton Street, Salomon Jewelers has moved out of downtown Allentown. We were provided with a great opportunity to sell our building, to the developers of the proposed Hockey Arena and Allentown Revitalization Corporation. Salomon Jewelers is still serving our customers, but in a new and exciting way that offers more convenience to our customers.
As always our goal continues to provide excellent jewelry service and knowledgeable repair to our
customers who trust us.
The idea for Salomon Jewelers began in Schwanebeck, Germany, in 1921. Ernest Salomon earned the title of Master Clockmaker and Watchman. Shortly afterward he opened a shop that offered clock repair and
fine jewelry. As business prospered, Ernest and his wife Emma, along with their two sons, Erich (eight) and Gerhard (three), ventured to America in 1928.
They arrived in the bustling city of Allentown, Pennsylvania, and rented the third-floor apartment of Ebbecke Hardware at 606 Hamilton Street. During the rough times of the Depression in 1931, John Ebbecke and Ernest shook hands on a gentlemen's agreement. They began running a suitable clock and jewelry repair store on Ebbecke's second floor, and Salomon's Jewelers was born!
At his bench—which is in its 81st year of use by his grandson and current owner, Rick Salomon—Ernest practiced his beloved art of mechanical clock and watch repair. The precise regulation of harnessing and releasing energy captured his keen attention. The future seemed promising. At their father's knee and workbench, Erich and Gerhard became familiar with their predecessor's incredible horological skills.
In 1939, Ernest died suddenly, leaving his wife with two sons and a toddler daughter, Margaret. Erich and Gerhard valiantly put their hands and hearts to work, and dutifully continued their father's horological heritage with a desire to complete his repair work as if it were their own. As customers continued to call, the Salomon boys became most proficient and respected throughout their personal lives.
Even their wives Lucy (wife of Erich) and Dolores (deceased wife of Gerhard) contributed their many fine talents and business skills. It has been 81 years since Ernest opened his little second-floor shop, but Rick and Linda are still hard at work.
Through the years, they have seen many changes in the American clock and watch industry. From the transition of mechanical timepieces, to the innovation of quartz and solar-powered mechanisms, the life of these watchmakers has rapidly evolved.