Watches of Switzerland — Collectors' Perspective

Dec 19

Dec 19 Watches of Switzerland

This winter we’ve teamed up with Watches of Switzerland as a media partner to help bring their unique brand of retail shops to the US. WoS is a leading European watch retailer, an authorized dealer of everyone from Oris and Tudor to Rolex and Patek. Now, for the first time, they’re opening multiple stores here in the US, with a new boutique on Greene St. in SoHo as the first of its kind in the neighborhood. Early next year, WoS plans to open in Hudson Yards as part of a large revitalization effort that started with the Highline Park refurbishment. Beyond NYC, Watches of Switzerland has also just opened a new store in the Wynn in Las Vegas, along with a stand alone Omega and Breitling boutique there as well.

The new WoS NYC boutique at 60 Greene st. in SoHo

Let’s talk for a moment about why RedBar is collaborating with a retailer as a media partner. We believe the promotion of any aspect of watches and watchmaking is good for the industry. To partner with brands who are moving into new markets is always exciting, as it creates more choice for us, the collectors. So it makes sense to us to work with such organizations to promote new places where collectors can acquire all types of watches. RedBar is uniquely positioned in the watch community with (at the time of this writing) fifty-five chapters worldwide, and members from all walks of life.

The opening party at the WoS SoHo boutique. The Bar is run by Death&Co.

We attended the opening week party at the SoHo boutique on Thursday November 29th, where the marketing campaign for New York - we have to admit- involved something that panders to us a bit: dogs. We love dogs! So when we arrived and found out not only were some incredible watches on display for the opening but that influencer dogs were there to say hi to everyone in their own happy furry way... we were sold! Have the latest Rolex and Patek on hand and you impress watch lovers. But include the latest dogs with Instagram pages on hand, and you’ve immediately won New York’s heart.

On to Las Vegas! We flew the next day to attend a weekend full of events at the new Vegas boutique opening in the prestigious Wynn Hotel and Casino in their Esplanade Shops, an intimate collection of brands in a unique space with waterfall views. Then there were the diamonds. Vegas is known for its glitz, of course. For the opening of the boutique, several very high end pieces were brought in from prestigious brands. Bovet, Breguet, Roger Dubuis, Jacob & Co, Urwerk, Panerai, Franck Muller, Hublot, and Blancpain all had major special pieces on hand for the store opening. I don’t personally like diamond encrusted watches normally, but seeing them with the backdrop of Las Vegas made it all somehow not so gauche.

The opulently appointed WoS boutique at the Wynn in Las Vegas

Besides the Esplanade store, WoS has opened two new stand alone boutiques for Omega and Breitling in the Wynn’s Plaza Shops, both representing the latest store concepts for each brand. I am not a retail expert by any means, but both stores had a fresh vibe making it inviting to shop there. Let’s be honest, it can be a little daunting when you are coming from a day at the pool and then saunter by the Breitling boutique still in your swimming attire. Do you go in? Is your adult beverage welcome? The answer is always “yes,” at least here.

WoS CEO Brian Duffy, Breitling Retail Director Sophie Morice, and Commander Scott Kelly cutting the ribbon at the Esplanade Shops new Breitling Boutique in the Wynn.

One of the big highlights of the new Breitling store for us was American astronaut Commander Scott Kelly on hand for the ribbon cutting (he and his brother Mark are Breitling ambassadors). Look for an article from Kathleen with an interview from Commander Kelly soon. His wife lovingly remarked she had tried to get him to grow a beard on his recent year-long trip on the space station. If so, she would have called it the “Yeard,” but unfortunately it was not to be. I mention this because another highlight of this meeting (at least for me) was when Kelly told me my own beard was the best Earthly beard he had encountered in recent memory!