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If you've been wandering forlornly past the old TimeMachine building, wondering when the door might open and you'd be able to browse for watches in person once again, listen up. Today, it’s official: Tourneau and Bucherer announced the opening of the Bucherer 1888 TimeMachine American flagship store in the former digs of the Tourneau TimeMachine at 12 East 57th Street in New York City. Located a hop, skip, and a jump from the new Vacheron Constantin flagship, the immersive space offers art, beverages, and of course, watches, in a luxe setting. With in-person shopping picking back up, the new Buchere 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. And they were well worth the wait.
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.
Gone are the typical glass cases with salespeople on one side and customers on the other, replaced by more interactive spaces where clients can view watches in a more leisurely atmosphere with an emphasis on hospitality. 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.
HODINKEE: What sets this store apart from others?
Melnitsky: Everything in the store was produced custom, one of a kind, with the emphasis on our client, our hospitality, and our passion for timepieces. We didn't just set out to build a beautiful store, we set out to change the way we do business.
We intentionally created something different in the space, where people can join us in this shared passion. For example, 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.
How has in-person watch-shopping evolved?
Historically, I think watch retailing was transactional: We have the timepieces, come see us, and we'll sell you one. For us, it has evolved into an experience. People come to show off their watches, they come to see what's new, they come because they share the same passion for watches that we have, and the space reflects that.
We are here to sell watches, ultimately, but we don't want to make it only about the transactions, we want to make it about the relationships we all have with each other and the timepieces.
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What surprises are in store for customers?
When you walk in, there is a common area that we call the everchanging platform – today, it has a custom $1.88 million Bucherer Blue Harley Davidson.
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.
How important are pre-owned watches in the mix?
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. You'll find what we call the open-kitchen concept, where we have watchmakers working behind glass, similar to what you would see in a fine restaurant.
It's a category we've believed in for a very long time. One of the reasons is that we also very strongly believe in the after-sales service function in watches. I think they go hand in hand – one part of pre-owned watches is acquiring the watches and another part is making sure they are serviced and well cared for, and, in our case, warrantied for two years.
How do you introduce Americans to the Bucherer brand?
Bucherer was founded in 1888, so there are more than 130 years of history. What is truly unique is it has been continuously family-operated for its entire history, and it's Swiss-based in an industry that is heavily Swiss-based.
I have described Tourneau's relationship with Bucherer as a perfect marriage, or one plus one equals more than two. We have a real shared set of values in terms of passion, integrity, and both groups think for the long term. We will continue to bring incredible timepieces, and now jewelry, to our clients for many years to come. And being a privately-held family business, we have the ability to do that the right way – putting our clients first, always.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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