Watches of Switzerland Group is refurbishing and extending its Rolex showroom in Las Vegas, turning it into the largest monobrand boutique in America for the world’s most powerful luxury watchmaker.
The company is re-configuring the space used by its current Watches of Switzerland showroom and existing Rolex boutique within the shopping palacade of the Wynn Resort and Casino, creating room for the biggest monobrand Rolex store in the United States.
With unprecedented demand for Rolex causing a worldwide shortage, Watches of Switzerland has turned to an innovative window display to prevent metres of empty C-clips.
The store is installing window displays using LED panels from Dynamix Pro, which combine physical product displays with digital presentations.
In a video demonstrating the technology, a robotic arm is seen picking Rolex watches from packed virtual shelves and bringing them to the front of the window.
Rolex and Watches of Switzerland have also introduced exhibition watches at stores on both sides of the Atlantic as a way to avoid empty windows.
WATCHPRO visited Mappin & Webb and the WoS-run Rolex boutique on Bond Street at the weekend to see windows stocked with desirable men’s professional watches, but advertised as “FOR EXHIBITION ONLY”.
Watches of Switzerland has been trying to reduce its dependence on Rolex by taking on and promoting other brands.
In Las Vegas, the multibrand Watches of Switzerland showroom is giving prominence to independent watchmakers that might previously have been squeezed out by the big hitters. MB&F, Bovet and Chopard, for example, have all been given corners in the new Wynn showroom.
“At Watches of Switzerland we have no preference between multibrand showrooms, monobrand boutiques or e-commerce,” says David Hurley, executive vice president of Watches of Switzerland USA.
“The client ultimately decides and we are investing behind all three areas,” he adds.
This article leaves me scratching my head. Big investment to showcase empty cases, exhibition only pieces, and now imaginary digital pieces that don’t exist. Meanwhile potential clients still leave pissed off when they find out that they wasted their time on an in-person visit to chit chat over empty cases, imaginary watches, lack of availability, waitlist times, and to be told that they’ll never be able to buy a Daytona. I’ve never been to Vegas, but I’m betting there are better things to do with my time than see this. Digital pieces?! The insanity continues.