| 1947
|
- Born in
Irvington, New Jersey, raised in New York, then . . . |
|
1956
|
-
Moved
to Miami Beach. |
|
- Science
Nerd (Science Fair Projects) |
|
1962
- 1963 |
-
Interested in sports cars, engines, and airplanes.
- First
car; ’58 MG-A Roadster. |
| 1965
|
-
Flying
lessons – High School graduation present from Dad.
- Flight
time between Miami and Gainesville.
-
University of Florida; degree in Physics.
- Civil
Rights Movement – Antiwar activist (“Gainesville is the Berkeley of the
South” according to Gloria Steinem)
- Sailing
Club at UF – Motorcycles, rebuilding projects
-
Skydiving, spelunking, Mensa membership.
- 1st
motorcycle—Ducati “Bronco.” |
|
1967
|
- San
Francisco, Haight-Ashbury for The Summer of Love. Bernard’s “Hippie”
roots. Camping around California.
- Acquire
1962 XK-E Jaguar—repaired and maintained. |
|
1968–1969
|
-
Europe/Israel – hitchhiking and backpacking. Several trips.
-
Graduate UF; Physics.
-
Leather/Sandal Shop; East Village, New York. |
|
1970
|
-
Graduate School in Physics, then worked for University building
experimental apparatus, later formed Technical Pictorial Service, a
subcontractor to the Physics and Astronomy Departments producing
technical drawings. |
|
1972
|
- *Travel
to Caribbean, Grand Cayman
– became salvage diver/ship’s engineer.
Several expeditions in later years. Met Mel and Deo Fisher and other
treasure hunters along the way. |
|
1973
|
- Bought
10 acres and built cabin near Gainesville, the future “Studio in the
Woods.” |
|
1974
|
-
Establish a casting company, Casting P.B.S in Coconut Grove (Miami) to
serve Reller, Inc., the family business. Quickly picked up the
“designer” trade, expanding into production of other designers’ jewelry
lines.
- Took up
hot air ballooning with Miami Balloon Club. |
|
1975
|
-
Jewelry: *Produced
“Jaws”
pendant
and shark’s tooth items – then decided
to concentrate on nautical designs and sea life. |
|
1978
|
-
Gainesville cabin. Set up “Studio in the Woods.” |
|
1979
|
- Part
interest in small grass airstrip near the cabin and soon acquired a
1947 Cessna 140 taildragger, an on-going restoration project.
- Start
of the infamous “BOO” parties with coworkers and friends—mini
“Woodstock” Festival in Gainesville at Halloween – rock music and an
annual commemorative pendant symbolizing the theme of the party. Still
going after 25 years now has a life of its own spurred on by original
participants who return from all over the country for an
annual reunion.
-
Maintains interest in flying, ballooning, skydiving and sailing.
-
Navigate 40 foot Catamaran, “Anuanua” based in St. Augustine, FL. Sail
Florida and Bahamas waters. |
|
1980
|
- Gold
price goes to $850, halts gold business dead. ($800 would
equate to
something like $3000
of today’s dollars.)
- Travel
to London to work in Sterling Silver with The Great Frog,
Limited. The Great Frog had several stores around London and
in Wimbledon on the High Street. This family of Kiwis and Americans
specialized in jewelry for “Heavy Metal” musicians and French tourists,
and maintain a small music-recording studio just off London’s famous
Carnaby Street.
- Return
to US when gold prices retreat to acceptable levels.
- The
“Caribbean” Nautical Collection goes back into production and expands.
|
|
1982 |
- *Reller,
Inc. relocates to Gainesville and merges with
Collections by Bernard.
*Marcus
Reller “retires,”
returns to Miami and
creates a line of Diamond
Tennis Bracelets—the coming fad. |
|
1983
– 1984 |
-
Nautical collection expands. Bernard travels the Caribbean lands top
accounts. Keep territory for himself because he enjoys the people and
lifestyle. |
|
1983
- 1985 |
- Reller
Gainesville markets the Diamond Tennis Bracelet and does very
well—devotes much of its production to these bracelets. |
|
1985
|
- Atocha
“Mother Lode” is found is found off Key West by Mel Fisher’s Treasure
Salvors group. |
|
1986 |
- Sharper
Image Catalog “challenges” Reller to improve on stainless steel
production—start of Reller’s Nautical Cable Line. |
|
1987 |
- Atocha
treasure is distributed to investors. Bernard asked to mount coins and
emeralds for Fisher—divers, investors. Interest in Atocha
Treasure Coin jewelry explodes, as well as interest in other
shipwrecks. Pirate Jolly Roger (Skull and Bones) is a popular motif
along with the Treasure Coins.
- Bernard
is approached by Chair of UF History Department to make replicas from
an 80 pound Atocha Silver Bar donated by Dr. Eugene
Lyon, whose research in Spain led Mel Fisher to the treasure. Reller
now owns this and two other large Atocha bars and
continues to produce replicas from the silver. Form friendship with Dr.
Lyon. |
|
1988 |
-
Develops the Aero-Gold Collection of Fine Aircraft
Jewelry and custom pilot’s wings. Produces logo jewelry for top
aircraft companies and pilots’ organizations and National Pilots’ Gift
Catalogs.
-
Kathleen Schreiner Morris gives birth to Benjamin David Reller.
|
|
c. 1990 |
-
Acquires “Anuanua,” like most boats an on-going restoration project.
Works on the boat as “recreation.”
- Creates
University of Florida Gator Jewelry Collection, later named
“SwampGold.”
|
|
1990s |
- Expand
Caribbean Collection Nauticals and engages in “Private Label”
manufacturing for Wholesalers and Retailers: Service Merchandise, H.
Stern, Little Switzerland. |
|
1996
|
-
Charriol’s “predatory” trademark lawsuit claims exclusive right to
stainless steel cable. Claims stainless steel is the trademark. Reller
named one of some forty odd defendants
|
|
1999 |
- Bernard
accepts a challenge from then Jewelers of America, President, Stan
Pollack, to construct a life-size Maine Lobster in 14K Gold to
celebrate new G.M. Pollack store (G.M. Pollack and Sons) at Rockland,
ME, Lobster Festival. Rocky, over a foot long makes his debut at the
J.A. Summer Show at the Javits Center. |
|
c. 2003 |
- The
patented ForeverFit™ Self Sizing Shank for rings
revolutionizes the “arthritic” ring marketplace with superior ease of
use, ease of installation, and continuous
adjustability to a
woman’s (and man’s) changing ring size, after ten years in
development. |
|
2003
|
- “Future
Flyer,” 14K Sculpture of a Futuristic Wright Flyer wins the
“Daedelus Award for Excellence in Craftsmanship"at the 2003 aviation
art competition at Kitty Hawk's Wright Brothers’ Centennial
Celebration.
|
|
2004
- 2007 |
- *Pirate
and Treasure Jewelry
increasingly popular with “Pirates of the
Caribbean” movies.
-
Nautical Rigging Cable with Black Titanium introduced to compete with
Black Rubber and Leather Men’s Jewelry.
-
ForeverFit™ picked-up Stuller and other major findings houses. Sales
increase dramatically.
- CAD-CAM
(computer-aided design and manufacturing) Projects—Tiny Wright Flyer,
New ForeverFit™ Ring models created using CAD technologies. |
