By Kristen Shirley
Wempe, one of New York’s leading timepiece boutiques recently unveiled an eight-million-dollar and two-year renovation. Located in the Peninsula building, the new boutique is more than twice as large, with a new, open floor plan to give the customer more access to timepieces, as well as integrated salons for Patek Philippe and Rolex. Former clients will welcome the open feeling thanks to raised ceilings and directly-accessible display cases and presentation areas for the timepieces.
Upon entering the boutique, the first thing you see is a unique replica of Sinclair Harding’s H1 Sea Clock. The clock is eye-catching and constantly in motion, which might delay some people from pursuing the displays while they try to capture the perfect video. Spread over 5,500 sq ft, clients can find over 2,500 watches from brands including Chopard, Glashütte, Hublot, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Montblanc, Panerai, Roger Dubuis and Vacheron Constantin. In order to serve both the person buying their first watch and the knowledgeable collector, Wempe carries most of each brand’s styles, as well as the very exceptional unique pieces, and has highly-trained and well-educated sales people. Many of the managers are themselves former watchmakers.
In addition to retail, Wempe has its sights on customer service and watch repair. There is an on-premise dust-free zone and five on-staff watchmakers, each certified by the brands. They are able to fix many timepieces on premise without sending back to the manufacturer, which means that your watch spends less time crossing the ocean and more time on your wrist, where it belongs.
Wempe is located at 700 Fifth Avenue at 55th Street in New York City. For more information, call +1 212 397 9000, e-mail sales@wempe.com, or visit their website.