IWC Schaffhausen and Audemars Piguet watch brands debut new Rodeo Drive digs
From left, Audemars Piguet North America CEO Xavier Nolot, actress Freida Pinto, Westime President Greg Simonian, tennis star Serena Williams and Audemars Piguet global CEO Francois-Henry Bennahmias cut the ribbon at the new Rodeo Drive boutique on Dec. 9, 2015.
Two Swiss luxury watch brands held star-studded ceremonial ribbon-cuttings in Beverly Hills this month -- IWC Schaffhausen, which debuted a new Rodeo Drive boutique on Dec. 1, and Audemars Piguet which celebrated its fourth U.S. standalone boutique just down the street eight days later.
The Richemont-owned IWC Schaffhausen brand celebrated its two-story, Art Deco-inspired flagship boutique at 329 N. Rodeo Drive with a guest list that included Elisabeth Moss, Patrick Stewart, Blake Griffin and musician Aloe Blacc, who performed a surprise acoustic set at a private Spago dinner that followed. Another of the evening’s biggest stars? That would be the IWC Big Pilot’s Edition Rodeo Drive Boutique watch on display, a $14,900 piece of wrist candy designed to evoke the 1920s-meets-Hollywood aesthetic of the space. Only 250 of the watches are available for sale and they’re being sold exclusively at the Rodeo Drive store.
From left, recording artist Aloe Blacc, IWC Schaffhausen CEO Georges Kern, actor James Marsden, Clippers star Blake Griffin and brand president Edouard D’Arbaumont cut the ribbon at the IWC Schaffhausen Rodeo Drive flagship on Dec. 1, 2015.
On Dec. 9, less than a full block south at 245 N. Rodeo Drive, family-owned, 140-year-old watch brand Audemars Piguet held the grand-opening bash for its fourth U.S. store (others are in New York City, Bal Harbour, Fla., and Las Vegas), 1,342 square feet of inviting earth-tone stone and wood with metal accents and video screens looping short films of the watch-making process back in Le Brassus, the Swiss village where the timepieces are made.
The boutique is being operated in partnership with watch retailer Westime (also a partner in the Las Vegas location) and will eventually offer some exclusive-to-Westime timepieces alongside its full range of luxury watches (though none were on hand when we toured the space). The new boutique includes a welcome bar to greet customers with an espresso or a drink, a service and parts department, and an intimate VIP area in an elevated space in the back of the store.
The second-largest Audemars Piguet store in the U.S. actually opened its doors back in early October, but waited for slightly more seasonal weather to stage a wintry homage to its Swiss origins on the cobblestone streets of the Two Rodeo shopping complex. It was a full alpine-flavored affair, complete with fire pits, snow confetti and servers dressed in “chalet chic.” Among the notable attendees at the event were Sylvester Stallone, Don Cheadle, Freida Pinto and Serena Williams, with the latter two joining top brass from Audemars Piguet and Westime in the ceremonial ribbon-cutting in front of the store.
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