News To mark its 150th anniversary, the Parisian jeweller opens premises on the rue du Rhône. Jean-Christophe Bédos and online sales.
Continuing the international development of its network of stores, Boucheron opened a new and exclusive point of sale at the end of May at number 13 in the very select rue du Rhône in Geneva. "Switzerland and Geneva in particular are not only among the most dynamic markets for luxury goods, they are also among those expanding most quickly in the beyond luxury sector. It’s pleasing to know therefore that Swiss people now have access to our creations, joining the circle of our privileged clients around the globe," said a delighted Jean-Christophe Bédos, the firm’s CEO (photo opposite).
The new store, which has a floor space of 150 m² and two entrances (one on the rue du Rhône, the other on the embankment), houses exceptional items of luxury jewellery ornamented with diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and rubies set in black, white or yellow gold. Boucheron also proposes its jewellery collections (Exquises Confidences, Le Bestiaire, Trouble, Quatre, Déchaînée, etc), in the form of rings, bracelets, necklaces, broaches and earrings. Naturally the firm’s watch collections are also available, such as the emblematic Reflet, which has existed since 1947, and the very latest models powered by Girard-Perregaux movements: la Carrée, la Ronde, the MEC and the limited edition Reflet XL. All of these designs attest to the bold creativity, expertise and workmanship that have nurtured Boucheron’s success since its foundation in 1858.
Developed in 2005, the concept of the store on the Place Vendôme in Paris has been tastefully transferred to the rue du Rhône. The interior décor consisting of wood, precious materials and Boucheron colours creates a sense of warmth and intimacy and an ambience of hushed refinement. Indeed the atmosphere inside the store is reminiscent of a private hotel.
While this 150th anniversary year sees Boucheron strengthening its traditional distribution channels, the firm is by no means ignoring the march of time. Quite the contrary! For example, it is one of the only luxury firms – indeed perhaps the only one – to have an online store featuring not just a sample but its entire collection of jewellery, watches and perfumes at prices ranging from several thousand to several tens of thousands of euros. Why venture into a domain in which the competition, to date at least, is by and large absent?
For Jean-Christophe Bédos it is "simply a question of common sense. A brand like ours has a duty to be as accessible as possible to its clients. The latter may be getting richer, but they are working more and have less and less time. And all or virtually all have high-speed Internet connections." Results meanwhile have been simply "colossal" according to the CEO, who notes in passing that the Internet also has "a beneficial effect on shop sales and that there is a real synergy" between the two distribution channels, underpinned by rising sales.
Referring to the importance accorded to watches by Boucheron, Jean-Christophe Bédos points out that timepieces "have always been part of the brand’s history, with an early chatelaine-watch dating back to 1866." Since then, the firm has continued to "decorate" movements produced by the greatest Swiss manufactories and, "while Boucheron is first and foremost a jeweller, the importance of watches cannot be underestimated. And over the coming years this will be increasingly the case."
Richard Mille for Boucheron
To celebrate its 150th anniversary, Boucheron has decided to create unique objects in collaboration with international brand names: the manufacturer of luxury mobile phones Vertu, jewellery designer Harumi Klossowska, la Maison du chocolat and Richard Mille. With the latter, the Parisian jeweller has designed the "Hommage à Boucheron" RM 018 timepiece, the creation of which was an exceptional challenge in itself. The result is nonetheless breathtaking: an incredible piece in which the gear-train of the movement is manufactured from precious and semi-precious stones.
Both firms have a hand in the production of this tourbillon watch brimming with elegance and refinement: the case and movement are produced by Richard Mille, the precious and semi-precious stones are selected and elaborated by Boucheron. Limited to 30 pieces, the edition will in fact consist solely of unique pieces due to the different combinations of stones.
June 11, 2008
