“I think there are great opportunities for our customers to meet the watchmakers or owners behind these brands as well. “Independents have a huge amount of potential and customers are looking for something different in addition to the well-known brands and they have a great story to tell-I mean, the Ressence watches look like no other,” says Hurley. Two new independent brands that have been brought on board by the boutique for the first time are Laurent Ferrier and Ressence. Just next door, Watches of Switzerland operates stand-alone boutiques for IWC and Panerai that can be accessed through a vestibule, where independent brands will be highlighted.

The new store was designed by the New York-based architecture firm MNA and is decked out with Spanish marble and zebra grass that lines the walls, which are trimmed in white oak. “When we came on site and saw the whole size and scale of what was being done here, and the redevelopment of the area, we wanted to be a part of it.” “When we were offered the opportunity, it was really a no brainer,” says Hurley. outside before it even opened.” The hotel and its surroundings reportedly cost around $3.5 billion and Watches of Switzerland is expecting it to be big business. “There were over 30,000 people that came through the doors of the hotel on opening day,” says David Hurley, executive vice president of Watches of Switzerland.

On the first day of the opening, the store had already sold a Panerai and when we visited the boutique the following day, clients were in the store buying some Omegas. The new 2,000 square-foot space greets visitors just before entering (or after exiting) the casino of the hotel and includes watches from IWC, Omega, Hublot, Bovet, Jacob & Co.

But for those that come to win big and spend big, Watches of Switzerland offers an enticing reason to commemorate time, hopefully, well-spent.

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