If you live in Texas, the de Boulle name is no stranger to you. Located in the heart of the Park Cities in Dallas and with a newly opened boutique in the River Oaks District in Houston with a fascinating Patek Philippe salon —as we featured it here—, de Boulle is one of those authorized dealers worth paying a visit and talking about.
Posts filed under Watch Shopping
Watch Shopping Guide: Zurich. All That You Dreamed of and More.
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland approximately 25 miles from the German border. Zurich is a very cosmopolitan, affluent city considered one of the top financial centers of the world —home to several global financial companies and banks including UBS and Credit Suisse— and a perfect destination for watch shopping.
Experience: The New Patek Philippe Salon at De Boulle River Oaks District in Houston. A Perfect Evening.
Last Tuesday November 17, 2015, we had the pleasure to attend the celebration of the opening of the new Patek Philippe salon at the new De Boulle location in the ultra upscale River Oaks District in Houston. The River Oaks District, is a luxury retail paradise comparable to the Miami Design District or to Oak Street in Chicago. The new modern development is located on the famous Westheimer Rd. next to the Afton Oaks neighborhood and a block away from Hotel Derek. The River Oaks District is set to become the top shopping destination in Houston with boutiques that include Brunello Cucinelli, Canali, Chopard, Dior, De Boulle, Etro, Giuseppe Zanotti, Intermix, Moncler, Roberto Cavalli, Stella McCartney, Tom Ford, our favorite Vilebrequin swimwear and also our favorite Vietnamese restaurant from New York and Chicago, Le Colonial. After more than a decade without the opening of a new Patek Philippe Salon in the United States, De Boulle presents a unique shopping experience at its new location.
News: Officine Panerai Opens Flagship at Miami Design District. Largest Panerai Point of Sale in the U.S. To Date.
Adding up to the large number of watch boutiques now opening in Miami's Design District, Officine Panerai presents its first ever flagship store in the Americas, created by the architect and designer Patricia Urquiola. The new flagship is situated in the heart of the Miami Design District, an area of the city which has recently been transformed into an exclusive luxury shopping destination. The boutique extends over an area of 2,200 square feet on two floors with two different entrances making this the largest Panerai point of sale in the United States to date. The flagship store is in the south-west corner of the Design District’s Palm Court and it has seven windows, five on the ground floor and two on the upper floor. The boutique windows face onto the piazza of the Palm Court, which is easily recognized by the large glass sculpture shaped like a geodesic dome in the center of the courtyard.
Experience: Grand Opening of the Jaeger-LeCoultre New York City Flagship. A Celestial Night Full of Stars and The Good Life.
This past Tuesday March 3, 2015, we were part of the exclusive celebration that took place in New York City for the official grand opening of the new Jaeger-LeCoultre New York City Flagship Boutique on 701 Madison Avenue. The new boutique is nested right next to Panerai and just a few steps from the Hermès flagship between 62nd and 63rd street. This new Jaeger-LeCoultre boutique clearly conveys what the brand stands for with a very intimate and welcoming layout that is accentuated by its circular showcase underneath a majestic chandelier right next to its main entrance. The grand opening was attended by VIP collectors, friends of the brand, a few select press representatives and also executives of Jaeger-LeCoultre from throughout the world. Friends of the brand Canadian actress Sarah Gadon and British actor Clive Owen also joined the event to celebrate this new home for Jaeger-LeCoultre, officially inaugurated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside Jaeger-LeCoultre's CEO Daniel Riedo and North America President Philippe Bonay.
Experience: Audemars Piguet Boutique Milano. An Intimate Small Boutique but with Very Impressive Inventory.
A quick stop at this amazing boutique is all it takes to be in the presence of some of the most amazing timepieces recently unveiled at the SIHH 2015 by Audemars Piguet. The Audemars Piguet Boutique Milano is nested in one of the most upscale retail areas of the city right on Via Montenapoleone 6, next to Santoni and Camper —two of our favorite shoe brands.
Walking down from Via Manzoni where the Montenapoleone metro station is located —right next to the Armani Hotel—, makes for a nice walk surrounded by the splendor of high end clothing and watch boutiques. As soon as you arrive at the boutique, there are two AP brass plaques flanking the entrance. Even though the boutique is very small, there's no way you can miss the black awning with gold 'Audemars Piguet' on it. If you are coming from Giacomo Mattiotti you are just a block away. With a very inviting decor and a window display full of novelties from the SIHH 2015, including a white gold limited edition Royal Oak Offshore nicknamed 'Goliath', the boutique is awaiting you.
News: Audemars Piguet Opens Boutique at the Shops at Crystals in Las Vegas. A Partnership with Westime.
Audemars Piguet announces the arrival of its third boutique in the United States with the opening of an elegant new location at The Shops at Crystals in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 1,270-square-foot boutique, situated on the first floor between Tom Ford and Louis Vuitton stores showcases an original concept design that captures the 140-year old brand’s core values: origins, artistry and extraordinary relationships.
The new boutique in Las Vegas is the newest project developed between Westime and Audemars Piguet, a partnership that dates back to 1994. “We are proud to further reinforce our relationship with Westime through the opening of the Audemars Piguet boutique at The Shops at Crystals. Las Vegas has always been an exciting market for Audemars Piguet and with the new boutique we are better able to present the brand’s complete collection offering while reaching one of the most diverse international audiences," explained Xavier Nolot, CEO of Audemars Piguet North America.
Insider: F.P. Journe Chronomètre Souverain Boutique Edition. The Watch that Made Us Break a Promise.
They say that one of the principles of good journalism is to be objective and neutral about what or who you write about. Considering the circumstances between the brand F.P. Journe and our publication, we will do our best to keep this post as objective and neutral as possible. Sometimes, no matter how nice you are to people and how hard you work, you still run into arrogant executives in the watch industry that disrespect you or that think that because they work for a very special brand, you as a watch publication are obliged to take their attitude and still write about their watches.
Back in 2013 during the SIAR, we promised the F.P. Journe brand that we would never write about them as long as we owned this website. Today, we are breaking this promise just to pamper a very close and dear friend of ours that recently acquired the only F.P. Journe Chronomètre Souverain Boutique Edition ref. CS that has made it to the American continent. Not only our friend wanted for us to do a special review of this special timepiece that he now owns, but we also felt that this watch is well worth talking about.
News: Presenting the New A. Lange & Söhne Richard Lange Tourbillon 'Pour le Mérite' Boutique Edition. Unveiled at the NYC Boutique Opening.
Last night September 25th, 2014 at the opening of the new A. Lange & Söhne boutique in New York City, the brand presented the boutique edition Richard Lange Tourbillon 'Pour le Mérite' in 18K white gold with blued hands and blue hour markers. With its regulator style that expresses the ultimate in precision, the Richard Lange Tourbillon 'Pour le Mérite' is a complication that unites A. Lange & Söhne’s unique fusée-and-chain transmission and a one-minute tourbillon with a patented stop-seconds mechanism. This timepiece whose name pays tribute to what is probably the most inventive mind in the Lange watchmaking dynasty will only be available only at A. Lange & Söhne boutiques.
Watch Shopping Guide: London. One of the Watch Shopping Capitals of the World.
Without a doubt, London is one of the watch shopping capitals of the world. Our watch shopping journey started right next door to our hotel at the Andaz on Liverpool street. Carr Watches is located next to the exclusive boutique hotel Andaz on 53 Liverpool Street and is open from Monday thru Friday from 9am to 6pm. Carr Watches carries a nice assortment of new and pre-owned timepieces ranging from Audemars Piguet to Rolex, Panerai and everything in between. Interestingly enough, as we walked in, we ran into one of our Instagram followers and someone you probably follow on Instagram under the username Lucky Luciano. At Carr, we were welcomed by several interesting timepieces including a full set Audemars Piguet Royal Oak End of Days in mint condition, a Rolex GMT Master 16750 No Date Spider Dial with purple fading Pepsi bezel and a Panerai Radiomir 1936 California Dial PAM 249 amongst other fascinating watches.
After our brief stop by Carr, we took the tube towards Piccadilly Circus in order to check all the amazing boutiques and authorized dealers located on Old Bond Street and New Bond Street. Getting off the tube on Piccadilly Circus is the easiest way to make it to Old and New Bond Street where the real watch shopping experience takes place. Just a few blocks west of Piccadilly Circus, you'll stumble upon your first stop at the Burlington Arcade where Mappin & Webb and the Jaeger-LeCoultre boutique are located, right on the corner of Old Bond Street and Piccadilly. Mappin & Webb carries a nice selection of brands including Bell & Ross, Breitling, Omega, Rolex and even Patek Philippe amongst others.
As you start heading north on Old Bond Street towards New Bond Street, you will run into an wide array of watch boutiques including two Cartier boutiques, Vacheron Constantin, Omega and Rolex. Not far from the Rolex boutique and the second Cartier boutique, right on the opposite side of the street, located at 170 New Bond Street you will find MARCUS, perhaps the the most exclusive watch store in London and what we like to describe as a sanctuary for Audemars Piguet and haute horlogerie lovers as featured here last month. Next door to MARCUS, you will find the Piaget boutique.
Across the street from MARCUS, you will find the Breguet boutique that is currently being remodeled and temporarily located inside the exclusive Asprey store at the iconic corner of Grafton and New Bond Street. Right around that same block, you will stumble upon Chopard, De Grisogono, Georg Jensen and the Patek Philippe boutique. You can't miss the Patek Philippe boutique because it is flanked by the most beautiful brass sculpture of what we like to think as two watchlifestylers having a good watch talk right outside the boutique sitting on a park bench. The Patek Philippe boutique in London, is one of the only three exclusive boutiques —the other two salons are in Geneva and Paris— operated by Patek and is located right in between Georg Jensen and the prestigious Watches of Switzerland store. Watches of Switzerland is a very large authorized dealer that carries Baume & Mercier, Blancpain, Glycine, Jaeger-LeCoultre, NOMOS Glashütte, Omega, Rolex, SLYDE, Zenith, Rado, Oris, Panerai and Patek Philippe amongst other brands.
Still walking northbound on New Bond Street and not far from Watches of Switzerland, you will find the Hublot and Breitling boutiques, as well as two of our favorite authorized dealers in the world, Wempe and Kronometry 1999. At Kronometry 1999 —located on New Bond Street between Brook and Oxford— you will find a very large selection of haute horlogerie brands including Audemars Piguet, Hautlence, Richard Mille, Romain Jerome, Bovet, Ulysse Nardin, De Bethune, Vacheron Constantin, HYT and Zenith amongst others. Right next door to Kronometry 1999 you will come across Frost of London, the authorized dealer for Franc Vila, Arnold & Son, Maîtres du Temps, Giuliano Mazzuoli, SLYDE, Badollet, Devon, Cvstos and Corum amongst others.
Your last stop on New Bond Street and a must see, should be at the Watch Centre —located at 74 New Bond Street next to Leonidas chocolates. This fascinating store is a pre-owned and vintage watch paradise for those seeking Double Red Sea-Dwellers, Red Submariners, Steve McQueen Explorers, Paul Newman Daytonas, rare dial GMT Masters and even discontinued Audemars Piguet or Panerai watches. During our visit at their small but intimate store, we saw one of the most beautiful Red Subs we have seen in a very long time —complete with box and papers and with the thickest case one can find— along with a gorgeous 1655 Albino and even a rare GMT Master 1675 with United Arab Emirates royal crest insignia dial.
Lastly, if you still have time and energy for more watch shopping —which you probably will— head over to the south Kensington/Knightsbridge area to check the amazing watch department at Harrods of London. At Harrods of London you will not only have one of the best shopping experiences of your life, but you will also be amazed by the inventory and number of watch brands they carry. Some of the brands in their watch department include A. Lange & Söhne, Audemars Piguet, IWC, Panerai, De Witt, Frederique Constant, Richard Mille, Romain Jerome, MB&F, Breitling, Vacheron Constantin, Rolex and Girard-Perregaux just to name a few. While you are at Harrods, make sure you stop by the art gallery inside the store and get a mandatory wrist shot —like the ones at the bottom of this post— next to one of Salvador Dali's sculptures, especially next to the ones of melting pocket watches like those in his famous painting 'The Persistence of Memory'.
News: Officine Panerai Opens its 10th North American Boutique. This Time in Aspen, Colorado.
Last month, Italian watchmaker Officine Panerai announced its U.S. retail expansion by unveiling its largest boutique in North America to date in Aspen, Colorado. The Aspen location is Panerai’s 10th U.S. boutique, and its 63rd worldwide, and displays the high-end sports watch brand’s recent global architectural design concept that showcases the finest elements of Italian style and engineering, as well as highlights the company’s nautical history. Located in the heart of Aspen’s renowned high-end shopping district, Panerai’s new 1,255 square foot boutique is located in a two-storied landmark building with sweeping views of Aspen Mountain and features an expansive sales area, library and VIP lounge for customers to experience the Panerai brand.
To celebrate the official opening, Panerai will participate as a Presenting Sponsor of the Light It Up Blue Aspen Gala in support of Autism Speaks and Extreme Sports Camp on Sunday, February 16th which will be held at The Hotel Jerome in the ski resort town. For the gala’s live auction, Panerai will donate an Aspen Special Edition Luminor Marina 44mm PAM 00467, #1 of the limited edition series, in brushed steel. This highly-coveted Special Edition timepiece bears a unique engraving on the case back depicting the Rocky Mountains and Aspen Mountain, and will be presented to the highest bidder by Panerai North American President Rafael Alvarez at a private event at the Panerai Boutique the following evening.
In addition to welcoming dignitaries from Autism Speaks and key influencers from the local community, the event will continue with a private cocktail reception on February 17th dedicated to local-area watch enthusiasts who will come together to view Panerai’s latest collection and get to know each other in an Italian-inspired congenial atmosphere. To further support Autism Speaks and its local Aspen-affiliate Extreme Sports Camp, Panerai will donate a percentage of proceeds for sales made throughout the week to the two non-profit organizations. Mr. Alvarez commented, “We’re delighted to participate in Light It Up Blue Aspen, in support of Autism Awareness and we’re grateful to the Aspen community for giving Panerai such a warm welcome this winter season. We look forward to lots more community involvement in the years ahead.”
Jill Pidcock, Director of Development for Extreme Sports Camp which is collaborating with Autism Speaks on the Light It Up Blue Aspen events, added “Light It Up Blue Aspen is honored to have Officine Panerai as a Presenting Sponsor for our 3rd annual Gala. Raising awareness and funding for autism is critical in so many lives; we appreciate that Officine Panerai also recognizes the importance of this effort. It is very gratifying to have such wonderful support in our own Aspen area community.”
For more info on Panerai click here.
Experience: MARCUS Watches in London. A Watch Shopping Paradise for Audemars Piguet and Haute Horlogerie Lovers.
As we prepare to report directly from Geneva during our week at the SIHH 2014, we decided to spend a few days in London. As many of you know, London is considered a must when it comes to watch shopping. When it comes to Audemars Piguet and highly complicated watches, there is no better place to stop by other than MARCUS watches located on 170 New Bond Street. MARCUS is advertised as containing “The most important collection of watches in the World” and we can say that they deliver on that promises. The range of brands they carry is truly formidable, ranging from long-established, high end brands such as Audemars Piguet, Piaget, Girard-Perregaux and Zenith to more recent haute horlogerie brands like Richard Mille, Urwerk, MCT, Hautlence and Greubel Forsey amongst others.
The store was established in its current form by Marcus Margulies whose family company, Time Products, dates back to the early 1960’s when his Father Alexander moved to England from Poland and established a business distributing inexpensive watches imported from the Soviet Union. This company was named Sekonda and is now the UK’s best-selling watch brand. Time Products has worked closely with the Swiss Luxury Watch Industry and is currently the UK distributor for Hublot and Franck Muller. Other brands that have been distributed by Time Products in the UK include Blancpain, Breguet, Girard-Perregaux, Vacheron Constantin and Audemars Piguet which was distributed in the UK, Switzerland and the U.S. for over 15 years.
The store has one of the rarest collections of vintage and antique timepieces in the world. The collection was started in 1989. During the past twenty years it has bought some extremely rare, sometimes unique, pocket and wristwatches, the majority having been produced by the watch companies Time Products represents. The purpose of the collection has always been to support retail customers by promoting the brands when they hold exhibitions. Below you will see a picture of Marcus, the man behind this watch shopping paradise.
As you head into this fascinating boutique you'll experience a very interesting combination of modern and antique decor. The boutique is nestled inside an old building that according to UK laws, its interior can only be modified to certain extent and features like its crown molding or its staircase had to be kept intact. Therefore, you will find a nice combination of the old meeting the new, the same fascinating combo that we find in the rare and exclusive timepieces than can be found here. MARCUS sells some of the most interesting unique piece limited editions including sets and watches like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore MARCUS limited edition, the Richard Mille RM028 Divers Set of 3 unique pieces, the Greubel Forsey set of 3 pieces as well as some amazing Urwerks, MCTs, Hublots and Franck Mullers amongst others.
The boutique spreads over four levels of elegant decor, free standing showcases and perfectly designed salons with excellent natural light. The boutique is quite large but very intimate and inviting despite the fact that as soon as you walk in the first timepieces that greet you include a very rare 18K rose gold Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Grande Complication with skeletonized dial of which only 3 pieces were ever made and priced well above $700,000 USD. As you head upstairs you know you are in for a big treat as the Audemars Piguet room awaits you. A salon that includes some of the most fascinating Audemars Piguet timepieces we've ever seen and the largest inventory on display. Now, let's move on to the images and let these do the talking. Below you will see several very hard to find pieces including one of the MARCUS limited editions as well as a exclusive Royal Oak with diamond baguettes and emeralds.
Now meet one of the three limited edition Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshores exclusively created for MARCUS. This one is the Royal Oak Offshore Black DLC Steel Marcus Limited Edition of 50 pieces in blackened DLC steel case with black "Mega Tapisserie" dial, white Arabic numerals, crown and pushers in white, case back engraved with the Marcus M logo and a white rubber strap. You need to see one in person to really fully appreciate it. Just amazing.
As you continue to move upstairs, you are greeted by a beautiful display full of antique watchmaking tools and some fascinating timepieces that left us in awe. Elegance and refinement are the name of the game at this boutique where even a beautiful Asprey leather backgammon set is awaiting there for one to play a quick round with Marcus while watch shopping. On this level you will find a 3-piece set of Greubel Forsey Tourbillons all numbered with the number 7, a Richard Mille RM022 Tourbillon Diamonds Marcus unique piece, a unique Piaget watch with 'cloissoné' enamel case and dial and a unique piece of the fascinating ultra complicated Urwerk UR-1001 Zeit Device pocket watch in blackened platinum instead of the traditional AlTiN treated steel. This Urwerk weighs almost a kilo —2 pounds— of platinum and measures an era in its entirety, from a second to a millennium with a revolving satellite complication with wandering hours, retrograde minutes, revolving satellite calendar with months and dates, day/night indicator, power-reserve indicator, running seconds, “Oil change” indicator for every 5 years, running-time indicator for a century and linear running-time indicator for a millennium.
After you're done some serious shopping upstairs and just in case you have time for some wine and more APs, you might be escorted downstairs to the lower level where an amazing built-in watch display with winders, wine cellar and humidor awaits you. Just in case you didn't find anything you liked upstairs at the Audemars Piguet salon, down here you will find another huge selection of APs including the Royal Oak Offshore Sachin Tendulkar Limited Edition.
As you head back upstairs to the ground level, pay close attention to the antique table where the stairs end, here you will see the amazing Reuge by MB&F Music Machine in its full glory and behind no glass. After an unforgettable experience perusing some of the most exclusive and exceptional timepieces you can find in London and the world, we thank Alex at MARCUS for such a wonderful afternoon and great hospitality. Thanks for making us feel at home.
For more info on MARCUS watches click here.
News: Corum Opens New Boutique in Paris. Located in the Heart of the Golden Triangle.
Corum opens new boutique in Paris' 8th arrondissement on Rue Pierre Charron. The new flagship store is located in the heart of the Golden Triangle, a high luxury area on the right bank of Paris and offering the finest showcase to celebrate the end of the year.
Corum continues to strengthen its direct distribution by launching an exclusive new boutique in the heart of the French capital. It is in collaboration with Kronometry 1999 that the brand with a key “unlocked” this prestigious space entirely dedicated to the universe of the La Chaux-de-Fonds Maison.
Nestled in a historical building, embellished by the charm of ashlar stones, the store is dressed in accordance with the codes of the brand: the purity of the white intersecting with the character of the ebony softwood. Adorned with premium materials, the boutique will receive the iconic collections of the brand, Admiral's Cup and Corum Bridges, plus a few timepieces of its legendary Heritage collection.
This Haute Horlogerie store will offer not only a collection of exclusive timepieces, but also serve as a showcase for the history, know-how and brand philosophy.
For more info on Corum click here.
Watch Shopping: 10 Watches You Can Gift This Season Priced Under $11K USD. A Little Bit of Everything for Almost Everyone.
Whether you want to pamper yourself with a new timepiece or you are just looking to find the perfect watch for that special someone —a true watchlifestyler or not—, these are ten formidable watches you can gift this season. We have included in this list a little bit of everything for almost everyone including a couple of chronographs, a GMT complication, a complete calendar, a watch fitted with a power reserve indicator, a very unconventional looking watch that takes its inspiration from a manometer, a robust diver's watch, the winner of the Revival Prize at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève, an upgraded Italian classic and even one of the best examples of watchmaking from Saxony.
The best part is that we have already reviewed them here and all are priced under $11K USD. If you want to check the full reviews by watch, just click on the name of the respective watch and you will be redirected to our review with live pictures.
Tudor Heritage Black Bay ref. 79220R, 41mm stainless steel case, automatic movement, depth rating to 200m, unidirectional rotating bezel, stainless steel bracelet and additional black nylon strap, gilt matte finished dial, Winner of the Revival Prize at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève. Sticker Price $3,425 USD. For more info on Tudor click here.
Bell & Ross Sport Heritage BR 126 Chronograph, 41 mm stainless steel case, display case back, automatic movement, 30-minute chronograph, date indicator, rubber strap with pin buckle, vintage looking luminova on dial. Sticker Price $4,500 USD. For more info on Bell & Ross click here.
Baume & Mercier Clifton ref. 10055 Complete Calendar, 43 mm stainless steel case, display case back, automatic movement, includes day, date, month and moon phase indicators, black alligator strap with deployant buckle. Sticker Price $4,950 USD. For more info on Baume & Mercier click here.
Giuliano Mazzuoli Manometro, 45.2 mm stainless steel case, automatic movement, raw natural color leather strap and design inspired by a tire pressure gauge. $3,500 USD. For more info on Giuliano Mazzuoli click here.
Glashütte Original Sixties Panorama Date ref. 23947030204, 42 mm stainless steel case, display case back, automatic movement, big panorama date indicator at 6 o'clock, black dial and dark brown alligator strap with pin buckle. Sticker Price $9,200 USD. For more info on Glashütte Original click here.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Réserve de Marche ref. 1378420, 39 mm stainless steel case, display case back, automatic movement, power reserve and date indicators, matte black alligator strap with deployant buckle and only 9.9 mm thick. Sticker Price $9,300 USD. For more info on Jaeger-LeCoultre click here.
JEANRICHARD Aquascope ref. 60400-11B401-11A, 44 mm stainless steel case, automatic movement, unidirectional rotating bezel, vertical satin-brushed finished blue dial with date indicator, depth rating to 300m and stainless steel bracelet. Sticker Price $3,500 USD. For more info on JEANRICHARD click here.
Zenith El Primero Limited Edition Chronograph ref. 03.2092.410/91.C496, limited edition of 500 pieces, 42 mm stainless steel case, display case back, automatic movement, 12-hour chronograph, day, date, month and moon phase indicators, black alligator strap with triple folding clasp. Sticker Price $10,600 USD. For more info on Zenith click here.
Panerai Radiomir Black Seal 3-Day Automatic ref. PAM 00388, 45 mm stainless steel case, display case back, 3-day power reserve automatic movement, black matte sandwich dial with super luminova, date indicator and black alligator strap with pin buckle. Sticker Price $7,700 USD. For more info on Panerai click here.
Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M GMT GoodPlanet ref. 232.30.44.22.03.001 43.5 mm stainless steel case, display case back, automatic movement, GMT function with orange independent hand, rotating ceramic bezel, date indicator and stainless steel bracelet. Sticker Price $8,100 USD. For more info on Omega click here.
News: U-BOAT Opens Boutique at the Ponte Vecchio in Florence. Another Italian Landmark.
Press Release
U-BOAT opens another Italian landmark in the Ponte Vecchio historical bridge in Florence.
Being present in Florence, capital of the Renaissance, means a lot for all the prestigious brands but even more for Italo Fontana, creative soul behind U-BOAT, and since the beginning standard bearer of the “Made in Tuscany” values.
Italo, born in the near medieval city of Lucca, announces the opening of the U-BOAT third italian flagship store. The boutique, opens its doors in the short and popular pedestrian Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge in Florence spanning the River Arno. It is one of the few remaining bridges with houses built upon.
The opening follows the opening of the Italian boutiques in Milan, Corso Como and also overseas with the recent launch of its 18th boutique in the fashionista Nathan Rd. in Hong Kong.
For more info on U-BOAT click here.
News: Richard Mille Boutique Las Vegas Now Open. Aria Resort & Casino at City Center.
Press Release
On September 23rd, 2013 Richard Mille expanded its presence in America by opening the country’s second Richard Mille boutique: The Richard Mille Boutique Las Vegas.
The new boutique is located within Las Vegas’ most exclusive luxury shopping venue —the Shops at Crystals— adjacent to the ARIA Resort & Casino at City Center on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip.
Upon entering the boutique, guests encounter a 7 ft. tall sculpture modeled after a Richard Mille mechanical movement. The decor of the entire space adheres to Richard Mille’s warm and functional design identity, featuring such contemporary materials as Makassar wood, steel, stone and glass. A massive carved glass sculpture in the shape of Richard Mille’s most iconic watch draws the eye to the center of the store, while high-tech anti-reflective glass showcases provide ideal settings throughout the space for each timepiece on display.
The complete collection of Richard Mille watches for men and women is presented at the new boutique, including such limited editions as the RM 27-01 Tourbillon Rafael Nadal, RM 038 Tourbillon Bubba Watson, RM 59-01 Tourbillon Yohan Blake, and RM 036 Tourbillon Jean Todt G-Sensor. Additionally, Richard Mille has created a series of one-of-a-kind RM 52-01 Tourbillon Skull Nano-Ceramic timepieces, for sale exclusively at the Las Vegas location.
The Richard Mille Boutique Las Vegas, within The Shops at Crystals, is located at 3720 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, Nevada, and is open Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Friday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to midnight.
For more on Richard Mille click here.
News: The Hour Glass Singapore Unveils its First Pop-Up Store. The Theme 'Super Machines and Horological Heroes'.
Press Release
The Hour Glass will unveil another groundbreaking project in the form of a pop-up store situated at the heart of Orchard Road at leading shopping center Paragon from September 18th thru the 30th. Themed “Super Machines and Horological Heroes”, this pop-up will stage some of the most iconic and avant-garde timepieces, paying homage to a collective of individuals who revolutionized watchmaking and watch design at the turn of the millennium.
Coinciding with the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix Race weekend, “Super Machines and Horological Heroes” will offer a unique cultural experience to both locals and out-of-town guests during the 13-day showcase at the Main Atrium of Paragon shopping center. Stemming from The Hour Glass’ reputation as a pioneering stalwart in promotion and development of contemporary horological culture around the world, “Super Machines and Horological Heroes” is another manifestation of this mission.
Hailed by pundits as ‘Superheroes’ in the world of horology, these trailblazing brands and individuals harnessed the dexterity and technological advancement in artistic watchmaking; giving rise to these spectacular ‘super machines’.
A platform of many-firsts that include: Launch of 21 Novelties of which 7 are exclusives for The Hour Glass, 4 Live Technical Artistry Showcases, a Magnificent Showcase of the GPHG Masterpieces from 2006, a Plenary Session of Legendary Independent Watchmakers.
Featured brands include: Ulysse Nardin, Parmigiani Fleurier, De Bethune, Hublot, MB&F, Urwerk, Romain Jerome and H. Moser & Cie.
For more info on the Hour Glass click here.
Breaking News: The Zenith Boutique in Geneva was Burglarized.
The Zenith boutique on the Rue du Rhône was broken into last night between 5 and 6 am. Initial observations indicate that the burglars smashed through the front door using a ram-raid vehicle, before making off with the contents of the Boutique’s inside displays. The information gathered on site by police does not as yet enable them to provide any further details on the event as such, nor on the estimated value of the goods stolen. An investigation is in progress and every effort is being made to render the Zenith Boutique operational again as soon as possible. The Boutique will therefore as planned be hosting its guests on August 29th for the traditional Geneva grape harvest celebrations.
For more info on Zenith click here.
Watch Shopping: Tudor Releases Information on Authorized Dealers in the U.S. Three Dealers in Chicago.
Tudor has finally released the information regarding the authorized dealers that will be carrying the brand on their comeback to the U.S. While not all states in the country will have authorized dealers, we are happy to announce that Illinois will have three authorized dealers in the Chicago metropolitan area.
Below you will find the information for Swiss Fine Timing, Persin & Robbin Jewelers and Razny Jewelers.
Kudos to Tudor and the three lucky dealers in Illinois!
For the full list of Tudor authorized dealers in the U.S. click here.
News: Richard Mille RM030 Americas Limited Edition. Only 30 Pieces Available at Richard Mille Boutiques in North and South America.
Press Release
Following the success of the RM011, RM016 and RM028 limited editions created exclusively for sale in the Americas, Richard Mille unveils the RM030 Americas limited edition.
The RM 030 Americas stands apart from all other models thanks to its bright orange upper flange, crown protector, and hands, complemented by white numerals and date aperture. The timepiece is encased in black carbon nanotube and presented on a black rubber strap.
Inside the case of the RM030 beats the novel calibre RMAR1, which features a rotor that declutches automatically. With this system, the winding barrel is automatically disconnected from the rotor’s winding mechanism at the moment when the spring is fully wound. Additionally, this new mechanism is linked to the power reserve indicator to provide optimal control. This allows both the movement and the oscillator to work with the best ratio of constant torque/power to provide the best chronometric performance.
The RM030 Americas is a limited edition of 30 pieces, available exclusively at Richard Mille boutiques and authorized Richard Mille retailers throughout North and South America.
Technical Specifications of the RM030 Americas Limited Edition Automatic with Declutchable Rotor:
Dimensions: 50 mm x 42.70 mm x 13.95 mm
Power-reserve circa 55 hours
Declutchable and adjustable rotor geometry
Winding indicator
Date display
Free sprung balance with variable inertia
Double barrel
Baseplate, bridges and balance cock made of titanium
Torque limiting crown in titanium
Balance: Glucydur, 4 arms
Inertia moment 4.8 mg.cm², angle of lift 53°
Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Baseplate and bridges in grade 5 titanium, wet sandblasted, Titalyt® treated
Barrel bridges PVD coated
Sapphire blasted and hand-drawn surfaces
Sticker Price $135,000 USD. For more info on Richard Mille click here.
