Two of the Biggest Names in Watches Just Opened Their Largest U.S. Stores Yet. Here’s a Look Inside.

For many high-end watch brands and retailers, the pandemic provided at least one lasting lesson: Never underestimate the power of brick-and-mortar.

Three years after the world shifted to virtual gatherings, the importance of a physical location is more important than ever, at least in the luxury sphere. How else to explain the two mega watch retail openings this week?

This month, the Swiss retail chain Bucherer will open its Bucherer 1888 TimeDome Las Vegas Flagship at the Forum Shops At Caesars. And on June 1, the Swiss watchmaker Panerai unveiled Casa Panerai, its largest boutique ever, in New York City.

Technically, the 18,848-square-foot Bucherer flagship marks the store’s reopening under the Bucherer banner following more than 18 months of renovation. (In 2018, the Swiss retailer acquired the American brand Tourneau, the store’s former owner.)

The new-and-improved space is bigger, by 1,000 square feet than the original TimeDome, which Guinness Book of Records named as the largest retail watch store in the world in 2005. It’s even bigger than the brand’s New York City flagship TimeMachine store by nearly 500 square feet. Bucherer USA now owns and operates the two largest watch and jewelry retail boutiques in America.

“It is a huge honor to be reopening the TimeDome, which has such a rich history and has been our flagship West Coast store for decades,” Ira Melnitsky, CEO of Tourneau LLC and President of Bucherer USA, said in a statement. “Seeing it completely redesigned under the Bucherer brand is a moment I have been waiting for and a highlight in my career.”

Beneath the dome that lends the store its name, the Las Vegas flagship features art installations from Bucherer’s most expensive curation of art to date, including works by Andy Warhol, David La Chapelle, Damien Hirst, and KAWS.

The contemporary vibe begins outside, with a curved façade comprised of 21 individual 22-foot-tall glass panels that graduate from clear at the bottom to opaque golden hues at the top.

A purposefully designed Rolex area, decked out in the brand’s signature green on one wall, welcomes clients to check out Bucherer’s grand selection of Rolex watches, both new and certified pre-owned. The other brands on offer include Breitling, Cartier, Chanel, Carl F. Bucherer, TAG Heuer, Omega and Tudor.

The TimeDome will also feature a curated collection of timepiece “Masterworks,” including limited edition and one-of-a-kind models by Girard Perregaux, H. Moser, Hautlence, Jacob & Co. and Ulysse Nardin.

“With Bucherer being a Swiss family company in the third generation, the new flagship store brings to live our heritage and values,” Guido Zumbühl, CEO of the Bucherer Group, said in a statement. “We celebrate inspiration, passion and hospitality in a very welcoming and luxurious yet relaxed atmosphere.”

Panerai could say the same thing about its new Madison Avenue boutique in Manhattan. Designed with approachability and accessibility as cornerstone themes, the 2,174-square-foot two-story space, located at Madison and 63rd Street, was conceived and designed entirely by the Panerai Studio, the brand’s in-house creative agency based in Milan.

“The new Casa Panerai is the ultimate expression of our DNA,” Alvaro Maggini, the brand’s creative director, said in a statement. “Our boutiques are places to live, created to welcome customers who feel immediately at ease and surrounded by Italian style.”

On display are timepieces both past and present, with a special focus on the brand’s feminine collection, Luminor Due, which appears in a dedicated zone distinguished by soft, rounded furnishings as well as the nautical décor that pervades the entire boutique.

An LED screen visible from the sidewalk shows images of marine life, while an immersive timeline, spanning nearly 30 feet along an exposed brick wall, highlights Panerai’s historic milestones through a multidimensional exhibition that includes reproductions of original mechanisms, copies of patents and certifications, and interactive models.

“It is a vision in line with our brand’s commitment to our clients and values, with the store designed to provide excellence both in our products and service to complete the Panerai experience” Jean-Marc Pontroué, the brand’s CEO, said in a statement.