Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann has just opened a huge new space exclusively dedicated to the Rolex brand, which has been present in the Parisian department store since 2009. At 250m2, this Rolex space in the heart of the famous Parisian department store is generally larger than most boutiques. But when it comes to both local customers and quality tourists from (re)world, there’s no question of doing things by halves. Even less so when Paris hosts the Olympics in 2024…
“The health crisis was a real shock and prompted us to accelerate the strategy we already had, Marianne Romstein, Managing Director of the Galeries Lafayette Group’s watch and jewelery division, explains on the occasion of the opening of this space. Our strategy is to really focus on local and international VIP customers. As a result, we have done quite important work. We have renovated the 4th floor to become Europe’s, if not the world’s, leading shoe area in terms of range. In the process, we updated the customer journey for women on floors 2 and 3 with innovations such as the secondary corner. We have the same ambitions in the field of Watchmaking & Jewelry”.
“We are starting from a legendary house if ever there was one, and we are delighted to open this space, the largest ever given to a watchmaker at Galeries Lafayette, the largest space in a European store. We have the ambition to be the most beautiful area in the square of Paris, even in Europe.”
The two watchmakers working in the workshop in this new space are specially trained by the brand. There, they will carry out various types of operations in accordance with Rolex standards, thus guaranteeing the performance of the watches over time.
They can also detect the brand’s timepieces around the Watch Bar, which is topped with Cyclops lugs, a nod to one of Rolex’s signatures (the Cyclops magnifying glass, patented in 1953 to magnify the date on the dial). Spectacular Alpi Verde marble, the signature element of the space, adorns one wall and, like the walnut slatted ceiling, spans the different levels. This marble is worked into grooves reminiscent of the iconic rotating bezel of classic Rolex models, its watery appearance reminiscent of the marine world dear to Rolex, to whom we owe the first waterproof wristwatch in 1926.
For the occasion, Rolex Interior Design Architects envisioned a two-level space that can be accessed from either the ground floor or the 1st floor. On the ground floor, the entrance is flanked by a wide front, faced with travertine and brushed bronze brass. Visitors are also greeted by a travertine counter, behind which a unique piece of “stucco” created by Geneva architects represents the motif of the dome of Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann.
Source: Le Figaro
