Tag: jewellery

Valentine’s Day spend shows strong growth in key luxuries

Despite a modest overall dip in Valentine’s Day spending (-14%) last Saturday, several categories spiked as romantic consumers shifted their focus to luxury treats and quality time together.

Bank of Ireland’s debit and credit card spending data for the full day of February 14th versus Valentine’s Day last year shows strong increases across pubs, jewellery, hotels and restaurants. The data highlights that while shoppers spent less on traditional gifts such as flowers and cards, they were more willing to invest in a special night out.

Jewellery spending also surged by 51% on the day itself, suggesting that more people left things last-minute for gifts this year. Hospitality also benefitted this year. Pubs saw the most dramatic rise, up 51%, although this was likely a mixture of ‘romance and rugby’ with the Ireland versus Italy rugby game landing last Saturday too.  Restaurant spending was up 22% compared to Valentine’s Day last year and hotel stays rose 11%, with a strong appetite for romantic dining and overnight stays.

While some traditional categories such as flowers, experiences and perfumes recorded declines, the data highlights a clear shift in consumer preference with less emphasis on single‑use gifts and more investment in shared enjoyment.

Gerardo Larios Rizo, Head of Hospitality Sector, Bank of Ireland said: “Our Valentine’s Day data shows that while overall spending was slightly softer, people were still determined to make the day special. Instead of splashing out on single‑use gifts, consumers shifted to special moments such as a romantic dinner, a hotel stay or even celebrating ‘romance and rugby’ in their local pub. While some romantics shopped ahead, the spike in jewellery sales on the day itself suggests a rush of last-minute panic-buying this year.”

Bank of Ireland card spending – Feb 14th 2026 versus Feb 14th 2025

  • Pubs (+51%)
  • Jewellery (+51%)
  • Restaurants (+22%)
  • Hotels (+11%)
  • Gift Websites (+4%)
  • Chocolates flat year on year
  • Flowers (-33%)
  • Cards (-28%)
  • Perfume (-6%)

Maxcom FW66 Iron R – BijouWatch Men’s Jewellery Smartwatch Review

The Maxcom FW66 Iron R – BijouWatch Men’s Jewellery Smartwatch is one the latest watches out on my wrists for the past few weeks and for the money it looks good and does the job for those who want more than basics.

The advanced health features offer constant heart rate, blood oxygen and blood pressure monitoring, sleep analysis and sports tracking that has over 70 modes for recording workouts and monitoring progress over time, thanks to an intuitive app. Fast charging and a generous battery yields 14 days of life from one charge.

See the app features below and there is much more for the sporting enthusiast here for plenty of sports and check out the video review below and the unboxing is here

The watch is well built and has one pusher and one dial it is not like a digital crown though which is no big deal the watch stands out nicely and comes with two straps so this is a good thing not only that there is a link removing tool in the box which I have never seen with a smartwatch and I have reviewed countless smartwatches now so with that very nice and weighty metal strap in the box you do not need to rush out to a jewelers to get that fixed to your size you can do it there and then at home.

This is a basic smartwatch equipped with a 1.43-inch Amoled screen and is plenty bright, however it offers more than most basic offerings out there with the ability to take calls on the watch you can see a demo of the speaker below in the full video review.

You can control music gather data on your health goals, set goals send business cards and control push notifications, however you are limited here on what apps you can use and hopefully more is added one good thing however is when my doorbell rings I can get the calls on the watch an answer given the app is not in the list so for me that was an added bonus.

There is plenty of faces to pick from built into the app which is nice and you can add your own there is something for everyone here when it comes to customizing the watch albeit it basic there is plenty there and take your time to look a the gallery we show you all this in the video review.

Notifications are quick but basic with a line of text and you cant respond you can dial numbers from the watch which is handy and again most importantly take calls and they are clear the speaker is loud.

Overall this is a simple to use smartwatch with all the basics and less convoluted when it comes to menus setting it up and is great for those into their fitness regimes and not only that it looks good too.

The App

 

Features 

  • BUSINESS AND COMFORT: An elegant and innovative Jewellery Smartwatch, from BijouWatch series designed for demanding Men. Its timeless design and two different premium straps included make it perfect for both business meetings and intense workouts
  • AMOLED SCREEN: Equipped with a 1.43-inch Amoled screen Iron R offers vivid colors and image depth. The polished 2.5D glass set in a slim robust zinc alloy frame gives the watch an elegant, timeless look. With the Always-on Display option, you know the time without activating the screen
  • PREMIUM QUALITY: The brushed steel highlights the watch’s unique character. The set includes a stainless steel bracelet and a premium quality silicone magnetic strap. A tool is included to make shortening the bracelet easier
  • MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS: Iron R combines elegance with functionality. It offers over 70 sport modes to monitor steps, calories, distance, and heart rate. All data is saved in a dedicated app FitCloudPro, helping to achieve your fitness goals without sacrificing style
  • ALL IN ONE: With Iron R, you can receive calls and read messages and social media notifications without reaching for your phone. Customize your watch face to match your style. Choose from many available designs or upload your own image

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Other smartwatch reviews 

Video Review

Bolt upcycles retired scooters to create first jewellery collection

Bolt has partnered with award-winning Estonian designer Tanel Veenre to upcycle its old scooter models into earrings, bracelets and pendants.

The collection, called Hardwear, includes over 100 hand-crafted pieces that have been made from the same ultra-lightweight, ultra-durable aircraft-grade aluminium used in Bolt’s fleet of over 230,000 scooters.

The collection includes pieces that have been finished with reflective coating for extra visibility at night, keeping wearers safe as they move around their city at night during the darker hours.

Bolt’s creative lead on the project, Kerttu Keermaa, said: “The Hardwear collection is built on the same guiding principles as Bolt scooters: sustainability and safety. The upcycling process follows a zero-waste approach, with any leftover material undergoing our regular recycling process. We believe that road safety is a shared responsibility and wearing reflective items can make pedestrians and cyclists more visible at night.”

Bolt currently operates in 500 cities across 45 countries in Europe and Africa, including Dublin. The European mobility champion operates ride hailing services in Dublin and Cork, as well as electric bike schemes in Sligo and Kilkenny.

The jewellery has been created in collaboration with award-winning Estonian designer Tanel Veenre. Tanel’s signature whimsical style has been exhibited in over 300 solo and group exhibitions around the world. He has been awarded at London Fashion Week and is the recipient of the several international and local design contests including the Estonian Cultural Awards.

To create each piece, Tanel began by removing the distinctive green paint from Bolt scooters before cutting and shaping the metal and anodizing and painting the jewellery by hand.

Following this first collection, Tanel will continue to create jewellery from Bolt’s old scooter models. These will be available for sale on his website from Thursday 27th October.

Designer Tanel Veenre said: “Scooters are becoming increasingly popular across Europe and as newer generations are created older models become outdated. These old models are always recycled but it was great to use the quality materials that make up a Bolt scooter for this unique project. It was something completely out of the ordinary for me and I learned so much about working with aluminum – something I’d never done – and worked with geometric forms which is unusual for me.” 

Bolt operates scooters and e-bikes in more than 230 cities across 25 countries in Europe. It is the largest scooter provider on the continent with over 230,000 scooters in operation