Vacheron Constantin's New Paris Boutique

Vacheron Constantin has brought its luxury Swiss timepieces to a storefront in Paris. It is the company’s 35th boutique around the world and its first in the “City of Light.”

The interior of the 915-square-foot space at 2 Rue de La Paix uses neutral light colors contrasted with dark materials—such as woods, bronze, wrought iron and leather—to create a discreet, luxurious atmosphere. The brand brought in French master artisans to create statement details.

Mathieu Lustrerie, a specialist in light restoration for historical monuments, created a “Saturn” chandelier made of rock crystal, while mosaic artist Pierre Mesguich bejeweled it by hand with 35,000 tiny marble cubes (pictured above). The boutique’s artistic wrought iron decorative elements were tailor-made by Les Métalliers Champenois, whose other works include the restoration of the Statue of Liberty.

The boutique will contain a full line of Vacheron Constantin timepieces as well as a vintage collection named Vacheron Constantin les Collectioneurs,” which are accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.

The collection includes a boutique-exclusive of its 1972 Prestige timepiece, known for its ultra-thin, asymmetrical shape, its 1003 movement and the Prestige de la France coat of arms engraving on its back. The dial of the 18k gold watch shines like silver. It is available at the boutique in a limited-edition of 40 units.

To mark the opening of the Parisian boutique, the Geneva manufacturer commissioned photographer Thierry des Ouches to illustrate his vision of Vacheron Constantin in Paris through his lens. Five owners of Vacheron Constantin timepieces tell the tale of their watches, their Paris, their love of the exceptional and the values they share with Vacheron Constantin on www.2ruedelapaix.fr.

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Tiffany & Co. to Open Flagship Paris Store on Champs Elysées

Rendering of Tiffany's planned store in Paris.

Tiffany & Co. said Tuesday that it plans to open a new European flagship store in Paris. The 10,000-square-foot, multi-level store will be located at 62, Avenue des Champs Elysées and is expected to open in 2014.

"This is a significant development and sales opportunity for Tiffany & Co. While we have been successful in operating three smaller stores in Paris, establishing this store on the Champs Elysées will be the ultimate symbol of Tiffany as a truly global luxury brand," said Frederic Cumenal, executive vice president, Tiffany & Co. "This is a preeminent location that firmly places Tiffany & Co. on an international stage, in the heart of a city where people from all over the world come to visit and shop."

The opening on the Champs Elysées will mark a new milestone in Tiffany's connection to Paris, which began in 1850 when the company established its first store. In 1999, Tiffany returned to Paris with a store on rue de la Paix.

In March, the owner of the rue de la Paix building that housed Tiffany’s Paris store, placed the property for sale. 

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Damiani Opens Flagship in Osaka

Italian luxury jewelry brand, Damiani, opened a flagship boutique in Osaka, its second in the Japanese city. 

The 1,076-square-foot store in the city’s Umeda section is the first Damiani flagship boutique in the Kansai district and the second Damiani flagship store in Japan, after the Tokyo boutique in Ginza. It’s the tenth Damiani boutique in the country.

Warm and intense shades of natural tones—bronze, gold and copper—that reflect the sunset from Italian islands in the Mediterranean represented the inspiration for the boutique on the first floor of the Hilton Plaza West. 

The project was devised and developed in-house by an all-Italian creative team, included furnishings that were designed and made in Italy. It’s based on the new boutique concept first unveiled by the brand at its recently reopened Montenapoleone boutique in Milan.

Guido Damiani, group president and CEO, was present at the opening on March 5. Japanese actress Yoshino Kimura was the guest of honor.

Ulysse Nardin Opens Boutique in South Florida

Luxury Swiss watch brand Ulysse Nardin opened its second boutique in the United States at the Aventura Mall in South Florida. The 775 square-foot store has a collection of more than 100 of company’s timepieces, including three models from the Limited Edition Boutique Exclusive line, presented in a nautical inspired setting.

The line includes the Blue Toro, the Freak Diavolo Platinum, and the Blue Executive Dual Time.

Blue Toro

The Blue Toro is a limited edition certified chronometer with a self-winding perpetual calendar that is conscious of leap years, so it doesn’t have to be reset.

The Freak Diavolo Platinum pays tribute to the original Freak’s pioneering spirit by expanding its use of silicium and its tourbillon. Named after its devilish-in-appearance power-reserve backing it showcases advancements in technology, materials and design and is limited to 10 pieces.

Blue Executive
Dual Time

The Blue Executive Dual Time is comprised of a patented Dual Time system with pushers that instantly adjust the hour hand to a different time zone while the home time indicator continues its’ 24 hour cycle.

Ulysse Nardin offers custom personalization of its timepieces, allowing customers the option of engraving a personal inscription on the timepiece’s serial number plate.

The Aventura based boutique is an addition to the U.S. headquarters and flagship boutique both located in Boca Raton. The headquarter houses the company’s only service center in the U.S. with six Swiss-trained watchmakers. In addition to the brand’s two boutiques, Ulysse Nardin timepieces can are available at 65 authorized retailers nationwide.

Ulysse Nardin’s timepieces are produced with 250 craftsmen in the company’s production facility in Le Locle, Switzerland, where 20,000 units are created annually.

Ivanka Trump Moves Jewelry Boutique Downtown

The Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry boutique.

Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry has been expanding in a number of ways during the past year. The brand has released fine jewelry collections aimed at different markets. In addition, Trump herself has been traveling the world promoting the company’s collections to new audiences. To coincide with this expansion the brand recently moved from its “jewel box”-sized space on Madison Avenue to a 2,400 square-foot, bi-level boutique in SoHo giving its uptown chic a downtown vibe.

One of the standalone jewelry display cases.

The New York flagship store at 109 Mercer St. that opened in late November has many of the same luxurious and feminine qualities of the prior store along with dedicated spaces for a lounge, bridal jewelry and special events. Designed by NY3Design, the space uses art deco and classical elements in black and white (the colors of the brand) along with large touches of Ivanka Trump’s signature coral, and light brown and cream tones. And, of course, there are plenty of mirrors.

The VIP room and lounge.

The store houses nearly all of the Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry collections along with accessories from some of her other product lines. Entering the long narrow space, the first items shown are designed to be accessible to younger jewelry lovers, such as those who live in the neighborhood. Strolling along a custom-designed white carpet with black patterns (created by ABC Carpet & Home), the space narrows a bit where there’s a full-length mirror on the left and a mirrored wall on the right with shelving and spaces that contains more upscale jewelry designs along with Ivanka Trump handbags and other accessories. In between is an updated version of standalone antique display case, using a curved solid white frame topped with a separate glass case. These standalone displays are located throughout the store.

The stairway that leads to the bridal salon.

As you continue the space opens again to a small lounge area. The area is a place where men can wait while their significant other is shopping. The folks at Ivanka Trump swear that men are welcome but this is a store designed for women (even the lounge area). Beside the lounge there’s a separate “VIP” room for private consultations. This area contains Trump’s new Downtown jewelry collection, created specifically for the new store. 

The view of the bridal salon from above.

Past the open space a large Schonbek chandelier hangs overhead. Beneath it is the lower level, which serves as the store’s dedicated bridal salon. You descend into the space on a stairwell. The bridal area contains individual display cases showing Trump’s wedding bands along with ethically sourced engagement rings and bridal jewelry. Comfortable sofas, chairs and tables, and even a makeup table, giving a touch of home, are located throughout the area. This space is large enough for bridal parties and other special events, including the “Champaign Saturdays” that were popular at the Madison Avenue store.

The furnishings inside the bridal salon.

What’s next for the jewelry brand? A move to China? Stay tuned.