And Then Panerai Called Out To Me

Okay, as previously noted, I am not a huge fan of mono-brand boutiques. Having said that, every now and then I get a pleasant surprise!

Newbury Street has become a hotbed for watch boutiques. IWC, Rolex, Patek, Richard Mille, and now Panerai.

Unlike a lot of boutiques - particularly the ones I remember from Beverly Hills, the Panerai boutique has a LOT of space. The displays are well spaced out, and unlike so many boutiques, there is actual product!

And of course, boutique exclusives.

And although everyone thinks Luminor when they think of Panerai, I favor the Radiomir -

And in the words of Chet Baker - I fall in love too easily...

I have been admiring this little wrist rocket from afar and finally had an opportunity to try it on.

The Radiomir Tre Giorni!

I think I admire so much because in many ways it is so different from what you think of when you think of Panerai. It is subtle, but yet still clearly a Panerai - just not so obvious! So now I have to have a serious conversation with my current collection and my piggy bank as the Radiomir Tre Giorni is haunting my dreams.

Above all else, however, a boutique is the people who work there. As a former Tourneau guy, I always make a point of identifying myself as press - NOT a potential customer. I don't want anyone feeling like I was wasting their time. In most situations, the sales staff will nod and say "feel free to look around". But clearly Panerai believes in customer service! Victoria who was working that day welcomed me, asked me whether I would like water (even sparkling) or coffee while looking around, and gave a lot of great information and feedback on the boutique, what was popular here in Boston, and is now complicit in my scheme to buy a Radiomir Tre Giorni ; )

So if you should find yourself in or around Back Bay, I highly recommend you pop in.

Field Trip

My day job brought me to Boston and I found myself with a hour on my hands before catching my train back north, so I wandered down to Newbury and Boylston streets -

Although we haven't hit Thanksgiving here in the lower 48, everyone is already pushing that Christmas vibe.

I used to work in the main branch of the Boston Public Library, but in truth it has been a minute since then. I would walk from North Station to work, and this would take me down Newbury street. Needless to say, the IWC and Panerai boutiques are new, and Long's has a new Patek Philippe boutique across the street - complete with two very imposing security guards and a locked door ; )

Ordinarily, I am not a fan of mono-brand boutiques. Small selection, small space, disengaged staff. But yesterday I went against my bias, and popped into the Panerai boutique. And suffice it to say, I was very, very impressed!

I will sum it up later this evening, as work is calling and it's a long drive to the Merrimack Valley ; )

Stay tuned!
 

The Ayn Rand School of Watch Retail

Shamelessly borrowed from the world-wide info-web

In fairness, I am still a relatively new transplant to the Metro-Boston area, but I like to think that I am a pretty quick study. There is one thing that I am fairly confident about, it is probably not the ideal city to set-up mono brand watch boutiques, with perhaps the exception of the Rolex boutique that is being opened in partnership with a large, regional jeweler.

Boston welcomed the opening of the Richard Mille boutique on Newbury street with all of the pomp and circumstance of a damp fart. A friendly note to the folks financially backing this venture, you might want to actually, I don't know, engage with the people you are hoping to attract into your store. On a side note, I passed by again yesterday and noted a somewhat anxious looking sales person, gaze transfixed on the Boxing Day traffic passing by. Now it is, of course, entirely possible that this is not the loneliest retail outlet on the street, but I passed it twice daily when I worked in the city, and let's just say it was not exactly "jumping".

And on my way to Pho Pasteur for a particularly tasty bowl of yumminess (travel tip for you out of towners from your old pal Henki - skip the food courts, and head to China Town for a bowl of the real deal), I came across this curious decision -

And while this could be viewed as another bit of folly, it is at least a potentially more reasonable bite of the real estate pie. AP made the decision a year or so back that they would separate from their former retail partners and move solely to direct distribution.

Which inevitably means that you have to have stores. And for AP this is either going to be a genius move, or a minor bleed. While Cartier, the aforementioned Rolex partner boutique and the Richard Mille monument to Howard Roark are nestled at the head of Newbury street, tucked in with Giorgio Armani, Van Cleef & Arpels and Burbury holding the "anchor" spot, the new AP boutique is somewhat off the beaten path. It is a block over, and another half block down on Boylston street, a stone's throw from Hermès. It is decidedly heading away from the prime shopping area. If I am not mistaken it is either in the retail section of a hotel, or snugged up right next to one, facing the Public Garden (not to be confused with Boston Common which is right across the street). As gently as I can put this, it would be somewhat easy to miss it.

But on the other hand, my suspicion is that the rent is much more affordable than on Newbury, which is reputed to be the most sought-after, and most expensive retail space in the city. And AP might be an unusual enough choice that its clientele will seek them out. Which again begs the question - why have a boutique?

More than anything else, this renewed push towards mono-brand boutiques begs the question - how often has this REALLY worked in the watch business in the US? (Spoiler alert - it has!)

And where has it worked? Places like New York (sort of), Beverly Hills, Las Vegas and Miami. And where it hasn't worked is a list that would make you scratch your head when considering whether or not these boutiques make sense here in Boston - or in other cities such as San Francisco.

But, in all fairness to AP, this decision although seemingly rather contrary in most cities, might just be the ideal location for a Boston outpost.  The Leica boutique is around the corner, Hermes is nearby, and in fairness, the typical AP customer is more likely to walk the extra distance to lay eyes on the latest Royal Oak.  AP is not SWATCH, is not Richemont, it is independent.  And although not jammed in with the others, this location might just be the ideal spot.  

We shall wait, and we shall see.