DIALED IN Horological News
WATCHES OF SWITZERLAND
OPENS IN NYC AND LAS VEGAS
Watches of Switzerland, a large U.K.-based luxury
timepiece retailer, has opened flagship retail spaces
in Las Vegas and New York. In New York, the boutique
is located at 60 Greene Street in Manhattan’s SoHo
neighborhood. The new 8,000-square-foot boutique
adds to the New York retail watch landscape by offering
watch consumers brands that include longstanding
Watches of Switzerland brand partners—Patek Philippe,
Rolex, Omega, Cartier, Breitling, IWC, Jaeger LeCoultre,
Hublot, Ulysse Nardin, Girard-Perregaux, TAG Heuer,
Tudor Bremont and Longines—along with an offering
of important vintage timepieces from Analog/Shift, an
in-house cocktail bar, a curated library of collectible
watch books and an evolving collection of photographic
artwork available for purchase.
Watches of Switzerland’s second new store is in the
Esplanade at Wynn in Las Vegas and includes standalone
boutiques the company will operate on behalf of Breitling
and Omega, both located within Wynn Plaza Shops. The
new boutique features a series of salons, a dedicated
room for Patek Philippe and a private VIP consultation
area, all accented by a floor-to-ceiling window framing
one of Wynn’s outdoor waterfalls. On display is a
collection of the watch brands that includes Blancpain, Breitling, Breguet, Franck Muller, Girard-Perregaux, Hublot, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Omega,
Panerai, Roger Dubuis, Tudor, Ulysse Nardin, Urwerk and Vacheron Constantin. The country’s largest standalone Rolex boutique, also operated by
Watches of Switzerland, is located just next door.
ROGER SMITH HONORED WITH OBE
Watchmaker Roger Smith was awarded the Order of the British Empire
at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace in late November, an event Smith
called a career highlight.
“To have an OBE is a huge honor for me and my family, but what
makes it special is to know it has been bestowed for Services to British
Watchmaking. That recognition is significant, and not just for me,”
says Smith. “Until George Daniels, there wasn’t even a current British
watchmaker, let alone ‘watchmaking’, so, above all, I would like to think
that all the work I have done in the thirty years has resulted in Britain
being able to redefine itself once again as a watchmaking nation.
I therefore hope that it is a recognition which all my fellow British
watchmakers can be proud of.”
WATCHBOX BUYS CHRONOFY
Pre-owned watch seller WatchBox has acquired Chronofy, a valuation
subscription service for the secondary watch market. Comprised of
a mobile application, user-friendly desktop platform, and the printed
Chronofy Watch Guide, the company enables subscribers to identify,
value, authenticate and sell pre-owned timepieces. Launched in 2013,
Chronofy now serves as the foundation for WatchBox’s newly launched
business unit. Interested retailers and watch dealers can enjoy a free
trial of Chronofy membership by visiting www.chronofy.com or by
contacting Mike Manjos –[email protected] or 203.550.2709.
20 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | WINTER 2019
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