Patek Philippe and the Melchers Group opened a new Boutique and Service Center in Shanghai to better meet the increasing demand for the Geneva watchmakers' timepieces in China.
The Melchers Group were able to secure a prime retail site in Shanghai located on the "Bund", an area with many classic colonial buildings situated on the banks of the Huangpu River which offers spectacular views of the Pudong Financial District modern skyscrapers.
Bund 18 is an elegant building constructed in 1923 for the Chartered Bank of India, Australia & China and today classified as a historical landmark by the Shanghai City Government. Close to the Nanjing Road shopping area, this magnificent building was entirely restored. It re-opened last October and its seven floors host a number of established companies, luxury boutiques and finest dining restaurants.
The new Patek Philippe Boutique in Shanghai opened in June. Covering a total area of 105 sqm, it provides a dedicated showroom and sales outlet for the Patek Philippe Watch Collection. It also hosts a fully equipped state-of-the-art After Sales Service Center manned by a full-time trained watchmaker.
"The showroom provides a fantastic opportunity to display our timepieces locally to Chinese amateurs of prestige watches, and to further improve awareness of Patek Philippe products in this important market, while allowing us to gain valuable commercial experience in China", said Philippe Stern, President of Patek Philippe.
The management of the Patek Philippe Boutique and Service Center is under the direct responsibility of the Melchers Group, one of Patek Philippe’s long-standing partners. The Melchers Group has maintained commercial activities with China for almost 140 years and is well established in this country, especially in Shanghai. The Melchers Group already handles the distribution of Patek Philippe timepieces in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines through its affiliated company, Geneva Master Time Pte Ltd (GMT), established in 1987 in Singapore as sole distributor for Patek Philippe timepieces.
The Boutique and Service Center will also benefit the current distribution network in the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau, where Patek Philippe have a well established distribution network managed by their local partner Libertas Ltd since 1996.
Patek Philippe timepieces are distributed throughout the world via an exclusive network of more than 600 selected retail outlets in over 70 countries, each offering the ideal environment for purchasing the world’s finest timepieces. The company has its own retail showrooms in Geneva and Paris, and is the direct agent for markets such as Switzerland, Austria, Scandinavia, Italy or South America. In other countries, Patek Philippe watches are imported by distributors such as Libertas in Hong Kong, or the Melchers Group.
July 01, 2005