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Ulysse Nardin Watches Throws A Show & Tell Event In Boca Raton With Its First US Boutique Opening

There is risk and there is reward, but during December's Ulysse Nardin event in Boca Raton Florida there may be only reward. Opening up a dedicated boutique for the first time in a specific market can be a challenge and a risk. It is an expensive endeavor and failure can hurt your reputation as much as it can your bottom line. High-end watch brands tend to do only one thing well – and that is make watches. Being sales people isn't always their bag.

Lucky for Ulysse Nardin that they don't need to worry much about managing the store with their name on it. They opted for a cleverer means of opening their first US boutique store. Have a successful existing dealer in the area do it for you.

Sprightly and young for a man of his wealth, Bobby Yampolsky who owns and runs East Coast Jewelry can claim to operate one of the most successful watch selling businesses in the US. An existing Ulysse Nardin watch dealer, he was chosen to have the honor of starting and operating the Ulysse Nardin boutique. In the Boca Raton Town Center Mall located relatively close to his main store in South Florida, he put on quite a show for the boutique's opening event.

Tags: bocat raton, boutique, florida, mall, store, town center, ulysse nardin, US, watch

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Ferrari Launches the Pit Stop Store at Vulcano Buono

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Shopping

Does Art imitate Life, or does Life imitate Art? Replace Art with Architecture, and Life with Nature and you very well might have your answer in Vulcano Buono. The innovative commercial space sits in the heart of Nola – one of Italy's most important industrial centers – and the foothills of Mount Vesuvius. The building imitates the menacing volcano above in its form, and is insulated by acres of sloping vegetation fields in a unique green initiative.

The only thing such a structure might share with a company like Ferrari (aside from the carbon spewing into the atmosphere) might be the country they both call home, but this is also the site that Ferrari chose to open a new kind of retail space. Called the Pit Stop, it's similar to other Ferrari Stores around the world, but is targeted specifically at race fans (as opposed to sportscar owners on the flip-side of the Ferrari coin).

The 900-square meter store is the first of its kind, and is styled after the pit-lane garages used by Ferrari on the grand prix circuit. The decor and furniture are inspired by the industrial-strength travel cases used by the Scuderia, there's a reproduction pit wall where visitors can drive the Ferrari Virtual Academy driving simulator and of course there's plenty of memorabilia on offer. The Vulcano Buono store is the first of what Ferrari plans will be many situated around the world.

Gallery: Ferrari Pit Stop store at Vulcano Buono

Tags: ferrari pit stop, ferrari pit stop store, ferrari store, italy, nola, pit stop, retail, store, vulcano buono

First American Richard Mille Boutique Store Opens In Beverly Hills

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

The last year has seen a venerable onslaught of dedicated high-end watch boutique stores - opening all over the world. These stores are direct competition to the increasingly less popular independent jewelry or watch stores. Brands, in order to promote their high-class image, and fend-off inventory going to the gray market, are building boutiques dedicated to selling products from their brands alone. The next few years will see more and more interesting changes to the landscape as the old and new ways of the watch industry reconcile with one another.

One of the best performing luxury watch brands of the last few years, Richard Mille has opened up its very first US boutique in Beverly Hills. Interestingly enough more and more watch stores are populating Rodeo Drive, as well as the surrounding area. Open across the Westime - likely the most well-known high-end watch store in Los Angeles - the Richard Mille boutique will serve as a new destination for fans of the brands often over-the-top complicated sport watch offerings. The store will also be one of the best placed to go to get the brand's exclusive for US product offerings. There will be no competition with Westime that until now carried Richard Mille watches. That is because Westime's owner is also the US distributor of Richard Mille. Now open, the Richard Mille boutique is located at 222 Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, CA.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: beverly hills, boutique, california, Richard Mille, store, watch

The Classicist: Bergdorf Goodman Unveils High-Tech Holiday Windows [video]

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Luxury Travel & Hotels, The Classicist, Video, Architecture & Design, Luxury Shopping

Legendary luxe New York department store Bergdorf Goodman, founded in 1901, is famous for its amazing, elaborate holiday windows which dazzle shoppers and passersby alike. This year is no exception, with the added attraction of some high-tech features debuting for the very first time. The 2010 windows, entitled "Wish You Were Here," take their inspiration from fantasy travel to far-flung places involving some rather unusual ways of getting there. The displays feature an array of "wild mash-ups of unexpected arrivals and departures", each with visual influences as diverse as Roman mythology, 1940s Hollywood musicals, the city's original Penn Station, and the very first science fiction film.

This year, for the first time, QR codes on several of the windows enable people to view an online Bergdorf Holiday Gift Finder and a video depicting the making of the holiday displays (above) simply by scanning the codes with their smartphone or handheld digital device. Produced entirely in-house by Bergdorf, the video features the song "Follow Me" by 17-year old emerging Sony artist Audrianna Cole. "We are in the surprise business," notes David Hoey, Bergdorf Goodman's Senior Director of Visual Presentation and Window Design. "This job is part architect and part cake decorator." Each of the landmark store's five main Fifth Avenue windows represents a different destination and a special method of conveyance:

Gallery: Bergdorf Goodman 2010 Holiday Windows

Tags: Bergdorf Goodman, Christmas shopping, department store, Fifth Avenue, holiday, Holiday 2010, holidays, Naeem Khan, New York, Oscar de la Renta, Polyvore.com, store, travel

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Harrod's to Open Luxury Hotel on Its Rooftop?

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Luxury Shopping

Back in July we reported that following its $2.2 billion acquisition by Qatar's royal family in May, luxe department store Harrods has some heady expansion plans in the works. In addition to a new Shanghai branch the famed retail mecca is considering opening a luxury hotel on the rooftop of its landmarked London flagship (above) in Knightsbridge. Harrods managing director Michael Ward says the hotel scheme is one of a number of options being considered to maximize the brand's potential. "Are we looking at it? Yes. Have we considered it? Yes. Is it something we would do? No plans have been put forward but it is one of them," he tells Vogue UK. "There are a number of ideas of equal magnitude." If plans do go ahead, the hotel could mean Harrods' top floor, which currently houses childrenswear and its young fashion department, would be converted into a restaurant.

Tags: Harrods, hotel, London, luxury hotels, luxury shopping, Qatar, store, UAE, UK

Ralph Lauren Women's Flagship Opens on Madison Avenue

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Luxury Shopping

Ralph Lauren has just opened his luxurious new women's flagship store (above) in New York at 888 Madison Avenue, which now stands as the feminine counterpart to the company's redesigned men's flagship in the historic Rhinelander Mansion across the street, which The Classicist covered in detail a few weeks back. The 22,000-sq-.ft. store, reminiscent of the grand Beaux-Arts architecture of the early 20th Century, is dedicated to Lauren's Women's and Home collections and also features the designer's first domestic Watch & Jewelry Salon. The stately four-story building offers Ralph Lauren Collection, Women's Black Label, Blue Label, Double RL, RLX Ralph Lauren and Home merchandise, along with a range of exclusive products including fine jewelry, made-to-measure women's suiting and Collection sleepwear. While nothing equals the magnificence of the Rhinelander Mansion, the new women's store is a graceful companion to be sure, not to mention larger than its sibling by some 6,000-sq.-ft. At the boutique's official opening the other night Lauren was given the Key to the City by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg in recognition of his contributions as a designer, business leader and philanthropist.

Tags: architecture, boutique, fashion, fashion designer, luxury shopping, Madison Avenue, Michael Bloomberg, New York, Ralph Lauren, Rhinelander Mansion, store

Piaget Finds A Spot On Bond Street With New Boutique Store

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Timepieces / Watches, Luxury Shopping

Piaget luxury watches and jewelry finds a new home for one of its uncommon boutique stores on Bond Street in London. "Go to luxury shopping streets" around the world are filling up with not just watch stores, but brand boutique watch stores (as opposed to multi-brand stores). Richemont Group, who is the parent company of Piaget, is responsible for the majority of these locations in what can be seen as part of a new marketing and sales strategy. For consumers, it helps showcase the brands as a destination versus just one product out of many in a store.

The Piaget boutique on Bond street for example is able to tell the whole story of the brand's current collection - which ranges from sophisticated to sporty men's pieces, as well as extremely artistic high-end jewelry watches for women. From a distribution perspective, such boutiques serve another potential purpose. As Richemont gears up more brands for online sales, boutique stores double as fulfillment centers for shipping product. This way, Piaget has a local distribution center for online sales made in the UK. This would not be possible or as simple with the traditional model that includes selling product to independent third-party retailers. As far as I know, Piaget is not yet a brand that is available for sale online, but given the direction sister Richemont brands are taking - it could very well be a reality sooner than later.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: bond street, boutique, jewelry, london, piaget, store, watch, watches

The Classicist: Ralph Lauren Re-Launches Famed Rhinelander Mansion in NYC

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Timepieces / Watches, Men's Style, The Classicist, Architecture & Design, Luxury Shopping

Ralph Lauren has relaunched his famed flagship in the historic Rhinelander Mansion on Madison Avenue in New York, transforming it into the world's foremost mecca of men's style. Spanning nearly 16,000 square feet, the Mansion, originally converted into an opulent retail palace by Lauren in 1986, now exclusively houses the designer's various men's collections with the company's first Women's and Home flagships due to open across the avenue later this fall. Originally designed in the 1890s by Kimball & Thompson, the the large French Renaissance Revival Mansion is an architectural treasure as well with a classic Beaux Arts façade exemplary of the the Upper East Side's grand architecture.

The new space showcases the Purple Label, Black Label, Polo, RRL and RLX Ralph Lauren collections of men's apparel and accessories, with an emphasis on the most luxurious elements. Service has been stepped up as well, with butlers to serve snacks and drinks on silver trays and a fleet of Mercedes-Benzes to chauffer important clients on shopping trips. The store features a full range of impeccably crafted made-to-measure suits, dress shirts, trousers, topcoats, sport coats and formalwear customized to exacting measurements, and made-to-order accessories and leather goods. Every room in the Mansion has been updated with cinematic decor in keeping with the neoclassical style of the original grand residence, from antiques and fixtures to furniture and art, including 18th- and 19th-century oil portraits and noteworthy photographs from Ralph Lauren's personal collection.

Gallery: The New Rhinelander Mansion

Tags: antiques, architecture, Beaux Arts, boutique, decor, designer, furniture, Gilded Age, Harvard, interior design, Ivy League, leather goods, luggage, luxury shopping, Madison Avenue, mansion, New York, photographs, Polo, Princeton, Purple Label, Ralph Lauren, retail, Rhinelander Mansion, store, suits, Upper East Side

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Bell & Ross Watches Now Available For Purchase Online In America

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Front-runner in e-commerce innovation for the luxury watch industry, Bell & Ross has opened its e-Boutique doors to US customers. Almost a year ago Bell & Ross opened up their e-commerce platform to European customers looking to buy the high-end watch brand's timepiece online. Now, as of late September 2010, customers in the US receive the ability to buy Bell & Ross watches and accessories online - direct from Bell & Ross.

At this time, most luxury watch brands do not allow online sales. Bell & Ross' approach to this was to sell online themselves, and use their retailer network for order fulfillment purposes. A few years ago it would have been heresy to suggest to major European brands to sell watches online. Now you can enjoy e-commerce solutions for brand such as Cartier, Longines, Bell & Ross, and more. Payment options at this time are only credit card (so you better be able to put $5,000 or more on your card in a single day). According to Bell & Ross, the US e-commerce model is the same that is being used in Europe - so it goes to show that the model Bell & Ross was experimenting with in Europe worked out well.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: bell ross, e-boutique, online, sales, store, watch, watches

Chanel Agrees To Record Amount For Retail Space On Bond Street

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Jewelry, Timepieces / Watches

The Financial Times recently reported that Chanel broke records in securing a 25 year lease for retail space and a building on London's famous Bond Street. A popular location for luxury retail, the record price seems to defy angst that the luxury industry is quite painfully hurting. While that is true, the negative effect hasn't been the same for all brands. Chanel's popularity has been high, as well as the sales of its signature J12 watches, and other luxury goods.

Located in London's West End, the new retail space is due to be a flagship store for the luxury brand. While I am not clear on all the facts, it appears as though Chanel paid 4 million British Pounds in cast to rent the store, along with possible other costs as well. Not only is the amount incredible, but the price given the size of the property is also outstanding. The space was previously occupied by Nicole Fahri - which was apparently paid millions by the landlord to surrender their lease so that Chanel could take over.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: bond, bond street, chanel, london, store, street

Louis Vuitton Takes London With Massive New Flagship

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Events

In a bold recession-defying move, Louis Vuitton just opened a massive new flagship store in London, it most luxurious yet rivaling its famed Paris property on the Champs Elysées. Designed by New York-based architect Peter Marino, who also worked on the Paris store, its most eye-catching feature is a two-story wall of trunks from various decades showcasing the Vuitton tradition of working in leather, alongside a glass and LED staircase. The 15,000-sq.-ft. store is designed to reflect the 21st century mood of London and bring together innovation, heritage and fashion - "all values that are important to Louis Vuitton," Yves Carcelle, Vuitton's chairman and CEO, told the London Telegraph.

Marino conceived the store as the home of a world-class Vuitton collector and connoisseur. The ground floor is devoted to Vuitton accessories and features original artworks from artists like Richard Prince and Takashi Murakami who have collaborated with the famed French luxury goods house in the past. The first floor is devoted to womenswear and shoes, and also houses a library of coffee table books. The store's second floor is a private client suite accessible only by invitation, for celebrities and VIPs, while menswear is located on the lower ground floor. Celebs attending the star-studded opening of the new store included Gwyneth Paltrow, Kirsten Dunst, Elle Macpherson, Gemma Arterton and Thandie Newton.

Gallery: Louis Vuitton's New London Flagship

Tags: architecture, boutiqe, coffee table books, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kirsten Dunst, London, Louis Vuitton, luggage, luxury goods, LVMH, Peter Marino, Richard Prince, store, Takashi Murakami, trunk

Greubel Forsey Private Room In Hong Kong Is Elegant Dungeon In Which To Buy Watches

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

"You will not be leaving here until you purchase a watch." Possible words of warning as you attempt to leave the new luxury Greubel Forsey "Private Room" located in the Elegant Watch & Jewelry boutique, in Hong Kong. The brand which makes some of the word's most expensive watches opens their first private location in Hong Kong. The private room is quite literally that, a Greubel Forsey decorated and operated room with a table, chairs, some display cases... and only one way out. "My exit for a watch!"

Stepping into the room pretty much means you are going to leave with an extra $300, 000 - $500,000 worth of watch in a large size box under your arm. Or perhaps you get the pleasure of waiting a few months while Greubel Forsey's talented watch markers toil over your brand new family heirloom that the kids can't ever touch. Meetings are likely by appointment only, but I image the private room will be occupied quite often given the fine brands popularity in the watch savvy region.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: boutique, Greubel Forsey, hong kong, private room, private shopping, store, watch

This Is How You Buy Ralph Lauren Watches - New Paris Brand Boutique

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Sweet little set up. This is the welcoming "watch salon" space of the new section of the flagship Ralph Lauren store in Paris. Stop by the famous fashion line's mega store located at 173 Boulevard Saint Germain in Paris, and you'll be eager to step away from clothes and into the luxury watch buying portal. Ralph Lauren watches that I have discussed a few time debuted last year with a modest, but appealing collection of watches. Each contain high-end movements from sister brands at Richemont Group such as IWC, Piaget, and Jaeger-LeCoultre. Good looking watches meant to be sober classics as opposed to wild contemporaries.

This space is all about luxury and service. Feeling anything but a cold and uninviting retail space, the customer sits on a leather stool at a display case viewing the watches. Beautiful wooden tile floors are flanked by a homey environment complete with a mini library and friendly Ralph Lauren "family" pictures. High-end watches below your eyes and a chandelier above your head complete the luxury experience.

Given the nature of the brand, Ralph Lauren watches has found most of its sales occurring in-store at overall Ralph Lauren stores. The new tactic here is to be included in the overall store and Ralph Lauren atmosphere, but to have a slightly separated space given the more complex and intimate nature of selling expensive watches.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: boutique, paris, Ralph Lauren, store, watch boutique, watches

Tourneau Watch Sample Sale In Los Angeles

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

For the first time ever in Los Angeles, the Tourneau watch store is having a special sample sale from March 10th - 14th, 2010. This has been going on for a few years at the New York City store (which apparently has people lining up around the corner for the potential deals). Many of the famous brands that Tourneau carries will have models on sale from 50-70% off (this excludes at least Rolex & Patek Philippe). Available watches are "sample" pieces or pre-owned watches - meaning that they consist of the ones in the displays I believe. Most of the time they are in more or less perfect condition (just handled by people, and given a cleaning). As well as pre-owed watches that Tourneau is known for offering.

The sale can get pretty crowded, so it is best to be there on one of the first days. The Tourneau watch sample sale will, again, be held from 10:00am to 7:00pm on Wednesday March 10th through Sunday March 14th at the Los Angeles Tourneau store located in the Hotel Sofitel (8555 Beverly Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90048). Contact the store for additional details.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: 2010, Los Angeles, LosAngeles, March, sale, sample, Sofitel, store, tourneau

The World's Best Men's Store - in a Cleveland Suburb

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style

Over at GQ.com the sartorially astute Michael Williams has cast his vote for the world's best men's store - Cuffs Clothing (above) in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. "It's a real men's shop in the traditional sense," he writes, "a holdover from the days before mass market chains dominated the landscape, days back when a man only needed to go to one place to rig himself out for the year." In addition to the classic wardrobe staples and everything from pajamas to dinner jackets and a wide range of custom tailoring options, their stately brick premises house a wine shop, bar, gallery and extensive range of goods from Hermès. Click here to see more pix.

Tags: A Continuous Lean, AContinuousLean, Cleveland, Cuffs Clothing, CuffsClothing, GQ, Hermes, Michael Williams, MichaelWilliams, Ohio, store