Tourneau and Bucherer announced the opening of the Bucherer 1888 TimeMachine American flagship store at 12 East 57th Street in New York City. The immersive space offers art, beverages, and of course, watches, in a luxe setting. With in-person shopping picking back up, the new Bucherer 1888 TimeMachine is a perfect return to the fun and glamour of watch-shopping.
Switzerland’s Bucherer acquired Tourneau in 2018, which set the planning in motion to re-envision the beloved space as a groundbreaking, immersive retail experience for 21st-century watch buyers. After one and a half years of construction, those ideas have come to fruition.
The expansive space occupies almost 19,000 square feet, spanning three floors with bars, lounge spaces, and a library. A façade of tall windows allows natural light to illuminate the interior with a warm neutral color palette, custom fixtures and furnishings, and a mix of materials that includes marble, stone, wood, and metal.
Rather than stand at a counter, clients can try on watches at a bar while sipping wine selected by Sotheby’s. Among nearly 40 brands on display, the house brand Carl F. Bucherer along with Rolex, Patek Phillippe, and Cartier are featured prominently on the ground floor. The store also marks the American debut of the Bucherer Blue collection featuring collaborative special editions produced with partner brands.
“We think the store is like no other,” Ira Melnitsky, CEO of Tourneau and President of Bucherer USA says, during a recent phone conversation, when we asked about the evolution of watch stores and more.
The store has three bars, where we can share a glass of wine or a cappuccino with our clients. It has a working fireplace and a library where we can share a story. There’s also a three-story wall with a mosaic video screen where we can share content.
Carl F. Bucherer made a New York limited edition watch of 30 pieces exclusively for the store opening, and some of our brand partners created Bucherer Blue pieces for the opening as well. In addition, we’ve created exclusive high jewelry for the opening – some U.S.- and New York-themed.
There is also artwork from many notable artists with a connection to New York City, including Julian Schnabel, Man Ray, Joel Sternfeld, and others. It’s a curated collection that is New York-based, which was appropriate for our reopening, but it will rotate.
Pre-owned is actually an incredible department – it’s featured prominently on the concourse level, surrounded by a lounge and adjacent to a beautiful marble bar. One of the reasons is that we also very strongly believe in the after-sales service function in watches.
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