IWC, Panerai and A. Lange & Söhne announced today the opening of their new boutiques in Chicago. Situated in Chicago’s coveted Gold Coast Historic District, all three storefronts will be centrally located in the heart of the city at the famed Waldorf Astoria, just a few steps away from Oak Street Beach. This key city is a first for all three brands who have chosen to set down roots in America’s third most populous city because of the passionate collector community and rich culture. At nearly 10 million inhabitants, ‘The Windy City’ attracts an average of 35 million visitors every year. The three boutiques are located at 11 East Walton Street, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, and will be operated by Burdeen’s Jewelry. Burdeen’s has served the Chicago area since 1980.
For IWC, this is their 9th boutique in the U.S. and its first in Chicago. The new IWC boutique features the typical elegant IWC design, with soft beige tones and dark wood accents offering both a masculine and welcoming atmosphere, the perfect setting to showcase IWC's six watch families. The iconic Pilot’s Watches, which bring the dream of flight to ones wrist; the timelessly elegant Portugieser, which stands for sophistication and Haute Horlogerie; the refined and elegant Portofino, which epitomizes the laidback Italian lifestyle; the functional and sporty Aquatimer diver’s watches, which are reliable companions for adventures both underwater and on land; the sporty and elegant Ingenieur, which draws inspiration from classic car races and vintage automobiles; or the beautiful Da Vinci, which combines the inventive spirit of IWC’s engineers with an extraordinary aesthetic.
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With an area of 55 square meters, the new Panerai boutique follows the theme of all other Panerai boutiques where every Panerai boutique tells the story of the brand’s history and DNA as the premier luxury Italian sports watch. This boutique in particular is the first concept by Panerai’s new Creative Director, Alvaro Magini, the first to hold this position at the brand. The materials used in the boutique include polished Calacatta marble from Tuscany, burnished brass, bronze, durmast oak and the special reeded glass, undulating and transparent. These are all clear references to the world of the sea and the glorious past of the brand whose roots are embedded in the history of the Italian Navy. Many of the decorative elements within the boutique evoke the survival instruments made by Panerai for the heroic Italian frogmen who operated from the 1930s to the 1950s.
A central point in the new boutique is also Panerai’s iconic luminous life-size clock; an image which has become synonymous with the brand’s elaborate history of pioneering innovations in underwater exploration. Panerai currently has fourteen boutiques in the U.S., therefore, the new store in Chicago is the fifteenth boutique in the United States, and the 85th worldwide.
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For A. Lange & Söhne, this is their fifth boutique in the United States. Located at the Waldorf Astoria in Chicago’s coveted Gold Coast Historic District, just a few steps away from Oak Street Beach, it is the first store in North America featuring the brand’s new interior design concept. The architectural approach of the A. Lange & Söhne boutique unites skills, materials and technology to form a coherent whole. At the same time, it reflects the clear structured functionality, spatial effect and ultimate craftsmanship that are to be discovered in every A. Lange & Söhne timepiece.
Authentic materials, clear lines and handcrafted details recall the values of the manufacture. On the well-designed sales floor, angular interlocking volumes open up new perspectives. Following the openings in New York, Miami, Palm Beach and Costa Mesa, the new store in Chicago is the fifth A. Lange & Söhne boutique in the United States, and the 27th worldwide.
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