Reported by Elite Traveler, the Private Jet Lifestyle Magazine
In the year Corum is celebrating a half century of its flagship Admiral’s Cup collection and the 30th birthday of its iconic Corum Bridges collection, the watchmaker has inaugurated its first boutique in Switzerland. After the December 2009 opening of its first ever name store in Hong Kong, CORUM has chosen to set up its second such boutique in Geneva.
CORUM is now also establishing itself on the shores of Lake Léman with the opening of its first own-name boutique in the cradle of Swiss watchmaking, Geneva. With the watch brand currently asserting itself as a major player on the waters of Lake Léman through various sailing sponsorship activities*, it has welcomed customers since July 6th to a boutique exclusively dedicated to the brand universe in Geneva’s prestigious Right-Bank district Les Bergues.
Mr. Antonio Calce, CEO of CORUM, Mr. Alain Guttly, managing director of the boutique, and Mr. Loïck Peyron, highly accomplished sailor and ambassador for the Corum brand, officially cut the inaugural ribbon of the new CORUM Boutique in a ceremony attended by the press and by the Geneva town authorities on September 2nd, 2010.
The CORUM boutique is located on the Place Kléberg, in an historical building inspired by classic Geneva-style architecture. The four large bay windows and the watches on display awaken curiosity and encourage customers to take a step towards purchasing their dream timepiece. As if they were protecting a treasure locked inside, the door handles of the boutique are engraved with the brand emblem, the CORUM key. Step in and discover the world of Corum through a guided tour of its timepieces and its watchmaking expertise.
The entire place exudes an atmosphere of voluptuous serenity. The ebony wood furniture and flooring echo the foundations of the House of CORUM. The walls feature technical drawings of the brand’s movements and timepieces, thus evoking its watchmaking talent and its horological culture. This simple and refined interior design is enhanced by plasma screens showing films of the brand’s history that also hint at its future. Bathed in natural daylight, the 70 square-meter area is an invitation to stroll around and explore, as you discover the story of time.
CORUM has entrusted the management of its Geneva Boutique to a reliable partner in the form of Mr. Alain Guttly, co-owner of the Maison de l’Horlogerie in Geneva. The passion for watchmaking has been handed down from father to son in the Guttly family that is at the head of the Maison de l’Horlogerie, a prestigious retailer established in Geneva for over 40 years.
Alain Guttly, General Manager of the boutique, said: “I am confident regarding the boutique’s future. In recent years, CORUM has successfully revived its fundamentals and recaptured its true business core. It now presents new releases featuring strong watchmaking content, in-house made movements and refined designs that are entirely in tune with its identity. These models naturally meet the expectations of an expert clientele. Since its opening in July, the boutique has already welcomed numerous customers and made some excellent sales, a good start that naturally strengths our confidence.”
Leila Bagnoud, who is in charge of running the boutique, along with a team of qualified personnel, offers customers a multilingual welcome based on solid technical expertise and sound advice.
Antonio Calce, CEO of CORUM, said: “Opening our first boutique in Switzerland bears witness to the level of maturity that the CORUM brand has achieved. On the one hand, it reflects our global distribution policy aimed at consolidating our selective distribution network while moving it up-market; and on the other, it testifies to the brand’s determination to invest in the long term. CORUM is represented in over 500 points of sale worldwide and we are now inaugurating our second proprietary boutique. Our third will open in Shanghai in October, and I intend to continue this development. Boutiques offer our customers a unique retail experience by enabling them to discover our identity and to immerse themselves in the CORUM philosophy within a dedicated setting. They also provide an opportunity to present new boutique-exclusive collections, such as the three vintage models CORUM is currently introducing. This strategy will help us to reinforce our brand image and to continue our repositioning efforts.”
Corum is unveiling a collection entirely dedicated to the boutique concept. Three Vintage models, inspired by the brand’s historical creations, were presented in a preview showing at the boutiques inauguration. Right from the time of its founding in 1955, CORUM was considered by its peers as one of the most avant-garde brands on the market. The company heritage comprises a number of extremely creative models, and each year will see the launch of re-editions of these historical watches available only through the CORUM boutiques and from selected points of sale.
Related Story
The CORUM boutique is rapidly becoming the place to meet and share for watchmaking connoisseurs and devotees. CORUM is also launching a website dedicated to the brand boutiques, www.corumboutique.com, where visitors will receive daily updates on the latest news and activities at their boutique.
