Below Deck and Break Time: How Stray Cats Connected US Reality Show and Split Nautical Jewelry
March 8, 2021 - So, how was Split's famous nautical jewelry shop connected with one of the most famous reality shows in the US? Stray cats. A look at the Below Deck and Break Time bracelet story.
The Croatian National Tourist Board reports that the new season of the highly popular American reality series Below Deck Sailing Yacht, filmed in Croatia last summer, began airing on American cable television Bravo TV, the head of the Croatian Tourist Board in Los Angeles, Iva Bahunek, revealed on Monday.
"The show will last at least 16 weeks, which is the perfect time to additionally promote Croatia because it is the period when Americans most often book their trips. An additional benefit is that this series is shown in other countries. We are especially pleased with the production team's assessment that, of all previous seasons, the most attractive and interesting season was filmed in Croatia," said Bahunek, adding that the recent Golden Globe Awards broadcast an advertisement for the new Below Deck season, which gave the series, but also Croatia, additional visibility on the American market.
This famous American reality show has been airing since 2013, and the concept of the show includes following the professional and private lives of the crew and their guests on mega yachts. The new season of Below Deck Sailing Yacht 2 - CROATIA was filmed in the Split waters during July, August, and September 2020. During the filming, the 54-meter-long Parsifal III sailboat was used, anchored in front of the Le Méridien Lav Hotel in Podstrana near Split. It is also interesting that this was the first Hollywood production that was filmed entirely and without interruption outside the United States during the coronavirus pandemic, in which a significant contribution was made by the Split Institute of Public Health.
Just how much they liked Croatia and their kind hosts was confirmed by the $40,000 donation from the production company 51 minds and Bravo TV through the Global Giving Charity to help earthquake victims in Sisak-Moslavina County. Furthermore, all fans and viewers will also be able to donate to the same cause.
Namely, during the premiere of the first episode of the series, the show's biggest stars invited viewers to donate, which will be shown during the broadcast throughout the spring and early summer of 2021. Fans of the show will be able to donate through the Ministry of Finance portal, and the entire action was initiated by Iva Bahunek, head of the CNTB in Los Angeles.
But that's not all.
During their time in Split, Below Deck's main charter guests were connected with one local nautical jewelry shop TCN fans know well - and it was all thanks to stray cats.
"On August 11th, 2020, a group of cool American tourists entered our shop. If you watched episode 1 and 2 of the Below Deck Sailing Season 2, then you know them: the main charter guests Nikki and Rusty, along with their friends, came to our Trogirska 8 Split Atelier & Outlet Store in Split to leave a very generous donation of 1200 USD on behalf of their ARNI Foundation in Daytona Beach, Florida to help with the stray cat situation in the Split area, a donation which was put to very good use by the ladies who run the Macke & Co. Group.
They read Daniela Rogulj's article in Total Croatia News about the work that the ladies from the Macke group are doing and about the bake sale we organised in our shop to support the stray cats of Split. They came to us straight after getting off Parsifal III," said the Break Time owners Mirela and Leonard on their blog about the news, which they were only now able to reveal to the public!
And it gets better.
"Nikki and Rusty had no idea what our shop was actually about, but they immediately fell in love with our nautical bracelets and, besides getting some for themselves and friends back home, they ordered 12 of our Yacht Club anchor bracelets for the crew of Parsifal III, all custom engraved with the message "Live long, sail hard" to honour Nikki's father (you probably say also the Tshirts they were wearing in episode 1 of Below Deck Sailing).
We also made a special Captain by Break Time all-black nautical bracelet for Captain Glenn, engraved with PARSIFAL III (and from what we could gather from the teaser images, he is wearing it)," they added. Being big fans of the show, they decided to deliver the bracelets to the Le Meridien Lav marina themselves.
While Mirela and Leonard could not meet the crew due to COVID-19 restrictions, the story uncovers an even happier ending.
"A couple of weeks later, Nikki wrote to us and asked us to make 80 more custom engraved "Live Long, Sail Hard" anchor bracelets from our YACHT CLUB by Break Time original collection for the entire production team of the Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 2 Croatia. It was our biggest private order in 2020, and we were happy to oblige. My partner, Leonard, worked non-stop for a whole day to make them and engrave them while I helped packing them nicely."
The Below Deck series is shown on the Bravo TV network, one of the most-watched American cable channels, which in 2020 recorded a large increase in "on-demand reviews," 427 million to be precise, as well as 222 million "live broadcasts." So far, a total of 15 seasons of this TV franchise have been filmed, consisting of Below Deck, which is filmed in tropical destinations, Below Deck Mediterranean, which is filmed in the Mediterranean, and the latest Below Deck Sailing Yacht, which is filmed on large sailboats unlike other variants of the series that are filmed on motor yachts.
To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
Break Time Fans, Rejoice! Both Split Locations Have Officially Re-Opened
March 2, 20202 - March has begun with a bang for Break Time nautical jewelry in Split as both locations in the Dalmatian capital are now back in business for the busy season ahead.
The month couldn’t begin with better news for Break Time fans with the announcement that the flagship Zadarska 1 location and the Trogirska 8 atelier and outlet store have reopened for a new season!
In bona fide Break Time fashion, the first customers at both shops received surprise gifts, while all customers enjoyed a 10% discount. Break Time's first lucky customer of 2020 at the Trogirska location received all of his items for free!
But that’s not all the good news...
“The absolute novelty is that the Trogirska 8 will now be the Break Time outlet store (where you can buy the last pieces remaining from our 2015-2018 collections, as well as the new collections), and on the upper floor we will have the Break Time atelier - so you will be able to order any custom bracelet or custom engraving ON THE SPOT (in either Zadarska 1 or Trogirska 8 locations) and our designer, Leonard Copoiu, will make it for you in his new atelier (and you can even watch him do his magic).”
The Zadarska 1 location will work in March from Monday to Sunday, from 10 am to 6 pm, and from April 1, daily summer hours will be in effect, from 10 am to 10 pm.
The Trogirska 8 location, right next door to the original Break Time shop you all know and love, is open this month from Monday to Friday,10 am to 6 pm.
Don’t forget that Break Time also started the year by officially launching a franchise for all of their fans.
“It took us five years to perfect our handcrafted nautical jewelry, to deliver great customer experiences, to gather enough retail-running knowledge, to make enough mistakes and learn from them.
We are now ready to share our brand to the world, so say hello to the Break Time Franchise!” said owners Mirela Rus and Leonard Copoiu upon announcing the big news.
So, if you’re looking for a new business opportunity that:
- Is easy to run, even if you have little experience in retail
- Has proven business results and brings waves of success - fast
- Belongs to an attractive, niche market
- Sells unique products that have taken the market by the storm
...then choose one of the available dates/times, fill in the questionnaire as accurately and in detail as you can, and get a FREE DISCOVERY CALL with the Break Time brand owners, Mirela Rus and Leonard Copoiu, to help you decide if this business is right for you.
To make sure you never miss a Break Time beat, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, and check out the new Break Time website here.
To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
Hello, 2020: Break Time Kicks Off New Year with Jewelry Franchise
January 21, 2020 - Beginning 2020 in a big way - introducing the Break Time franchise!
A new year calls for new beginnings, and one famous nautical jewelry brand in Croatia is wasting no time with their New Year’s resolution.
After celebrating the fourth anniversary of their first shop, with a collection of shops from Dubrovnik to Istria (Porec and Rovinj), and Zagreb since then, Break Time is turning a new leaf.
“During these four years, we have also constantly received requests for distribution not just from Croatian shops, but also from literally everywhere in the world, from Dubai to Costa Rica. Since all Break Time products were handmade by my partner - our brand artisan, Leonard Copoiu, we very rarely agreed to have a presence in third-party stores.
During this time, we have constantly improved on our products, innovated and added new collections, while - at the same time - learning more and more about managing a growing retail business, what works and what doesn't, how to improve and how to meet and exceed customers' expectations.
We have realized that there is a trending and niche market for original handmade products, such as our quality nautical jewelry and also for monobrand brick-and-mortar stores offering great shopping experiences, just the two of us (me and my partner, Leonard) opening more stores is not going to be sustainable,” Break Time wrote at the beginning of the month.
Thus, this week, Break Time nautical jewelry announced that it is ready to share their brand with the world and officially launched a franchise for all fans of sea-inspired artisan jewelry!
“It took us five years to perfect our handcrafted nautical jewelry, to deliver great customer experiences, to gather enough retail-running knowledge, to make enough mistakes and learn from them.
We are now ready to share our brand to the world, so say hello to the Break Time Franchise!” said owners Mirela Rus and Leonard Copoiu upon announcing the big news.
So, if you’re looking for a new business opportunity that:
- Is easy to run, even if you have little experience in retail
- Has proven business results and brings waves of success - fast
- Belongs to an attractive, niche market
- Sells unique products that have taken the market by the storm
...then choose one of the available dates/times, fill in the questionnaire as accurately and in detail as you can, and get a FREE DISCOVERY CALL with the Break Time brand owners, Mirela Rus and Leonard Copoiu, to help you decide if this business is right for you.
With the big franchise news, Break Time has also announced that it will be scaling back on their shops and only maintaining the two Split stores (Trogirska 8 and Zadarska 1), where Mirela and Leonard are based.
“This change will allow us to keep our focus on producing exquisite quality handmade nautical jewelry (of course, Leonard will continue to make part of the products himself and he will also have a team around him to help with the production, while he will still be the one supervising each and every one of the Break Time items being made) and grow our brand through like-minded entrepreneurs such as ourselves, who are looking to invest in a proven business idea and open their own franchise Break Time stores in tourist-oriented coastal towns across the world,” the owners added.
We’d say that 2020 is off to a running start for Break Time!
To make sure you never miss a Break Time beat, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, and check out the new Break Time website here.
To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
Hello, Istria! Break Time Rovinj Reopens June 1
You know that we’re creeping up to the start of summer when Break Time makes their mark. And on Saturday, June 1, the highly anticipated reopening of Croatia’s favorite nautical jewelry shop will officially mark the summer season in Rovinj.
After a long winter slumber, Break Time’s Rovinj shop is back and better than ever - and after a little rest and relaxation, they are more than ready to tackle another busy season with their faithful customers. From Saturday, June 1, Break Time is back in business with working hours from Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm.
But in proper Break Time fashion, you know that’s not the only big news they have in store (literally).
Namely, in addition to Break Time’s fab selection of their best-selling nautical bracelets from the current collections (including the stainless steel anchors, boat and shackles), shoppers at the Rovinj location will be able to browse and buy a varied selection of their initial (2015/2016) collection of alloy anchor bracelets! Hello, Break Time’s first outlet shop!
Furthermore, you know Break Time couldn’t announce the start to the summer without a touch of something new. After introducing the all black Split by Break Time anchor bracelet in large (4cm) and medium (3cm) sizes, fans can now rock the mini (2cm) version, too!
They’ve even added a vibrant collection of new paracord colors as part of their Split collection, because who doesn’t love a pop of color? You can find Break Time's new arrivals here.
With so many exciting new things brewing at Break Time, shoppers in Rovinj are truly offered the best bracelets Croatia can offer.
If you’re visiting Istria this summer, be sure to add Break Time to your Rovinj itinerary. You can find Break Time at Via Arsenale 10 (on the corner with Zdenac 12) - and if those Rovinj alleyways are a bit too much, give Break Time Rovinj a call at +385-75-22-145, and they will guide you to nautical jewelry heaven.
Not in Rovinj and still want a piece of Break Time? Lucky for you, these nautical bracelets can be found in four other locations, including Zagreb, Split (Zadarska 1 and Trogirska 8 ) and Dubrovnik.
Break Time jewelry boasts over 300 models and color combinations, and they even offer custom engraving. Best yet, if you choose to engrave a marine animal (dolphin, sea turtle, shark, devil ray or whale) on your Break Time bracelet, the engraving price will be donated to the Blue World Institute, as part of Break Time's #SaveMarineLife campaign!
Break Time’s varied collections, from big anchor bracelets to rope necklaces and key rings, fit the mold of every human - regardless of gender, fashion sense (or lack of one), and status. And if you can’t make it into one of Break Time’s Croatian locations, don’t fret - their online shop is just one click away.
Break Time is a Croatian brand established in 2015 by Mirela Rus and Leonard Copoiu, two Romanian entrepreneurs that have chosen the sunny coastal city of Split as their home. Inspired by the Adriatic Sea, all the Break Time jewelry pieces are handmade by Leonard, and the use of high-quality materials, attention to detail and constant development of new collections are the ingredients that have made the brand so successful in less than four years.
To make sure you never miss a Break Time beat, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
To read more about Split, follow TCN's dedicated page.
Hello, Spring! Break Time Welcomes New Season by Reopening Dubrovnik and Split Shops
April 1, 2019 - Welcome back, Break Time Dubrovnik and Split (Trogirska 8)!
Snapshots of Zagreb as a New Business Opens in a Pretty Courtyard
March 4, 2019 - One of the great charms of the old towns of Croatia is are the secrets behind every corner, as I discovered with the opening of Break Time Zagreb.
Croatia has some incredible history, and the number of ancient buildings is breathtaking. So too, are the number of surprises which await you around every corner, alley and courtyard.
Take last week for example. A trip down to Split for the opening of the Bagatin Clinic had a colleague and I sharing a room in the old town close around Diocletian's Palace. My colleague suggested the room as he had something he wanted to show me. At 20 euro for the night, I was not going to argue, and we went to an unassuming address and entered an equally unassuming room. Nothing too spectacular so far.
"And you also have use of the terrace," said the landlady before leaving.
And what a terrace it was! For there in the middle of a very spacious courtyard with no public access whatsoever was the remains of a half-constructed historical building, one I had never heard of. I consulted the man, who knows everything about Split, the excellent guide Ivica Profaca, who was surprised at my lack of knowledge.
"It was supposed to be a Serb Orthodox church, but it was never finished. Some chap called Ivica Profaca wrote an article about it for a site called Total Croatia News a few years back."
Ah.
Fast forward a week and I found myself in Zagreb on business, but wanting also to pop in to say hello to Romanian friends who were opening their fifth store in four years in Croatia. The guys from Break Time nautical bracelets are a real inspiration to many, proving that you CAN come to Croatia and succeed as a foreign entrepreneur. Here is an earlier TCN interview with Mirela on that very subject.
Ilica 14 was the address, just two minutes from the main Ban Jelacic Square, and yet not somewhere I would normally find myself wandering. Looking for the shop, I came across a rather impressive entrance, home to Hotel Jagerhorn, which I was told was the oldest hotel in the capital.
Entering the courtyard under through the impressive arch on Ilica was a delightful little courtyard called Lovacki Rog, The Hunter's Horn, a very pleasant spot with a couple of cafes and several boutique shops.
And then, when I walked through, I remembered that I had been here before, the imposing steps to Upper Zagreb await those who want to continue through the courtyard.
But what a pretty little courtyard, and one where the local businesses were made to keep to certain rules. In order to preserve the authenticity, signage is restricted to black and white, and the effect works very well. A nice collection of stores and the cafes also looked very pleasant.
As for the Break Time Zagreb opening, it was a busy day, as Mirela told me when we popped in:
"We have been looking for the perfect location for a Break Time shop in Zagreb for almost two years, and we are now happy that we did. We love the vibe of the Jagerhorn passage, we love that we are just opposite Cvjetni Trg and just 30 seconds away from Trg Bana Jelacica. And in regard to our opening day, we were overwhelmed by the love and support we got from the media and also from our Zagreb fans. We got to meet quite a few in person today and it was nice to put a face to a name we only saw on Facebook or Instagram while they were liking our posts. We also got so many messages on social media from people that were happy we are finally in Zagreb and they can actually see our jewellery and not have to order just online. And last, but not least, we were very honoured by the presence of H.E. Constantin Grigorie, the Romanian Ambassador in Croatia, who came to wish us luck."
They are - to their knowledge - the only 100% Romanian-owned company in Croatia.
And business was brisk on the first day, with Ruzica, above, the star customer, taking home no less than 8 bracelets.
A nice little entrepreneurial success story tucked away in a picturesque Zagreb courtyard.
So next time you are wandering around an old town in Croatia, follow your curiosity - you never know what you might find.
To learn more about Break Time nautical jewellery, visit the official website.
Hello, Zagreb! Break Time Opens Fifth Shop in Croatian Capital
February 28, 2019 - Another year, another incredible achievement by the Break Time team as they open their fifth shop in Croatia.
Break Time is Back in Business: Zadarska 1 Location Reopens Tomorrow!
February 11, 109 - It’s been a long winter, but we promise it will only get better from here thanks to the Break Time team.
Holiday Shopping Made Easy Thanks to Break Time Handcrafted Jewelry
December 19, 2018 - Break Time. Because it's all you need this holiday season.
Break Time Opens Second Location in Split!
October 6, 2018 - Total Croatia News is delighted to announce that Break Time, Croatia’s favorite handcrafted jewelry for sea lovers, has opened their second location in Split.
