Watches of Switzerland will host an official opening party tonight for its second boutique to open in New York City within the past six months.
The 6,500 square foot boutique is located in the shopping mall of the new Hudson Yards development, which has been described as the largest private real estate project in the history of the United States. The site was originally earmarked for the 2012 Olympic Games that ended up taking place in London.
The store has a central multibrand showroom book-ended with Patek Philippe and Rolex boutiques that are also managed by Watches of Switzerland.
Unlike the store that opened in New York’s historic SoHo neighborhood, which utilized much of the old features of a historic building, the Hudson Yards store blends with its sleek, modern environment with the use of white alabaster panels and a black granite.
In common with the SoHo store, the new boutique has a hospitality bar where visitors can drop in for a rest and refreshments while they shop.
The multibrand showroom stocks Breitling, Bremont, Grand Seiko, Hublot, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Longines, Omega, TAG Heuer, Tudor and Vacheron Constantin.
“Hudson Yards is the most exciting retail development in New York City in decades and we are thrilled to be a part of it,” says Brian Duffy, CEO of The Watches of Switzerland Group.
“We opened our first New York store in Soho last November and love being a part of that vibrant community. Building on that momentum, we are proud to offer yet another incredible experience for customers in the market for a fine timepiece,” he adds.
The opening is another step in the group’s US expansion that last year saw new multi-brand store openings in Manhattan’s Soho and Las Vegas’s Wynn Hotel, as well as standalone Breitling and Omega boutiques at Wynn Plaza.
It plans to open two more Watches of Switzerland stores this year, first at at the new Encore Casino in Boston this June and then within the American Dream shopping complex in the New Jersey Meadowlands.
