Ulysse Nardin - First US Boutique Opens with Fanfare
Worldtempus - 21 December 2010
Rolf Schnyder, founder and owner of Ulysse Nardin, flew in from Switzerland to Boca Raton, Florida, for the opening of the United States's first Ulysse Nardin Boutique at the very upscale Town Center Mall. Both the boutique and the opening are representative of the Ulysse Nardin style: the festivities surrounding the event ran the gamut from a champagne reception, to mimes, top-shelf vodka and caviar, a charity auction, a celebrity presence, and a display of some of the brand's best watches.
The boutique - operated by retailer Bobby Yampolsky of East Coast Jewelry - is a stunning example of the brand's flagship colors (dark burl wood, gold, rich nautical blue), porthole nautical look, and upscale appeal. The ceiling even boasts a stunning blue crystal compass-inspired light.
"The idea is about brand identity and giving customers a good selection to really see the Ulysse Nardin breadth," says Schnyder. "We are partners with our retailers and are not operating separately from them."
The store offers a complete selection of more than 80 of the brand's best timepieces, and on display at the opening were some of the most iconic Ulysse Nardin watches, including the Jaquemarts, the Moonstruck astronomical watch, and a grand selection of various Freaks - including the Diavolo - which celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2011. A gold Freak Anniversary watch ($140,000) was on hand, as were three models from the Limited Edition Boutique line and a host of the newest Ladies' Caprice models.
A highlight of the store is a corner watchmaking and servicing center, visible though a glass window.
"One of the reasons we selected Boca Raton for our first Boutique opening is the proximity to our headquarters here in Florida, and to reintroduce the watchmaking craft to South Florida," says Patrik Hoffmann, vice president of sales and marketing worldwide for Ulysse Nardin and head of Ulysse Nardin North America.
The opening of the boutique was a grand occasion, with the ribbon-cutting ceremony attended not only by Schnyder and Hoffman, but also by baseball legend Randy Johnson, a "friend" of the Ulysse Nardin brand. Johnson mingled throughout the crowd for the entire evening, discussing his watch collection and extolling the virtues of Ulysse Nardin. The brand also auctioned off a special timepiece made for the occasion that night, with all proceeds going locally to the Boca Raton Regional Hospital Foundation.
The opening of the US boutique marks the fourteenth Ulysse Nardin monobrand store worldwide. The most recent opening prior to this took place a few weeks ago in Russia, where Ulysse Nardin made a grand splash with its choice of celebrity appearances: the notorious Anna Chapman. In a fairly tale-like setting, with white horses and a carriage, Chapman arrived at the Nikolskaya Street boutique in front of international press. The charity focus for that event was "children in need in Russia."
"It was a great moment for me to have her there, get international attention, and serve a great cause," says Schnyder.
Plans are underway for more boutiques next year, but first, the brand has announced its intentions of soon opening a new US office in Boca Raton with 7,000 square feet and ten in-house watchmakers.
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