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FEATURES
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GENEVA
BOUTIQUES
Nowhere in Geneva is the mix of new and old as apparent
as on the Rue du Rhône. This snazzy shopping street is well
described as the storefront of the Swiss watch industry.
With window-shopping practically a national pastime in
Switzerland, this world-class location is inhabited by various
multi-brand watch retailers such as Bucherer and a great
number of boutiques from impressive brands – including
Audemars Piguet.
Just off the street, sidling up the water, you’ll find
Vacheron Constantin (
vacheron-constantin.com
). More
than a mere sales outlet, the building houses the company’s
museum as well as bespoke workshops and some of the
brand’s specialised artisans – such as the engravers – who
can be viewed as they work. Nearby, Patek Philippe’s “salon”
is housed in a 19th-century building with a spectacular view
over Lake Geneva and its emblematic Jet d’Eau fountain,
which locals say can actually predict the day’s weather.
Crossing the Pont du Mont-Blanc, the other side of the
lake shows another face of the city’s horological love affair.
Antiquorum is the world’s leading auction house specialising
solely in watches, and a few minutes spent looking through
the cases here is never a waste of time.
While you’re there, we’d recommend strolling a little
further down the quay to the Grand Hotel Kempinski
(kempinski.com). One of the city’s best hotels, it houses
the Richard Mille boutique (
richardmille.com
) – another
prime spot. With its modern design and minimalist decor
(think stainless steel and dark ebony), this is just the kind
of environment for a serious buyer: friendly, knowledgeable
staff are ready to talk all things watch (there’s even an
in-house watchmaker), and you’ll find almost the entire
Richard Mille line here, including a great many limited-
edition specimens that aren’t available anywhere else.
Left
, inside Geneva’s Richard
Mille boutique;
below
, one of
the stunning timepieces on
display there