News On 22 April, Omega took up residence in New York. Located at 711 5th Avenue, this new retail outlet, the brand’s 51st in the world, offers the full range of collections produced by the Bienne based firm.
When visitors enter the Omega Boutique, they will be warmly greeted by a staff whose members are specialists in the 161-year-old watchmaker’s product line. Display and sales areas are on each side of the ground floor towards the front of the store. There is also an enclosed area where VIP guests can view the products undisturbed and at an unhurried pace. Beyond the sales areas are special displays with showcases featuring Omega's brand ambassadors on one side of the hall and selections from the fine jewellery and fine leather collections on the other. Many of these products are available exclusively at Omega Boutiques. There are also presentations dedicated to special launches and to seasonal products. At the back of the shop, a staircase leads to the second floor where the after-sales service department is located. Here it is possible to receive expert consultation and warranty servicing on all Omega products. The concept for the Omega Boutique was created by Kazuo Adachi of Design Fresco and designed by Adachi and his colleague Hiroshi Yamashita. The façade has been conceived around the themes of the sun, water, the earth and, of course, time.
On 22 April Michael Phelps joined Stephen Urquhart, the president of Omega, at the official store opening which gave rise to the traditional cutting of the red ribbon. To mark this exceptional occasion the swimmer from Baltimore, fourteen times Olympic champion, signed his Planet Ocean watch and agreed that it should go on display in the store, which also boasts the Omega Ultra-Thin worn by John F. Kennedy during his investiture speech in January 1961. The latter timepiece today belongs to the Omega museum. "In view of its history and its provenance, it is the perfect watch to share with visitors to our New York store. President Kennedy wore it when he reached out to Americans with the words: Do not ask what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. We are therefore very pleased to have the opportunity to share it with them."
Own-name stores are an essential part of Omega’s distribution strategy. In December 2000, Nicolas Hayek, president of the Swatch Group, declared at the inauguration of the first Omega store in Zurich that the firm’s ambitious aim was to expand its network by increasing the number of its outlets to 50 in ten years. A target already attained in 2008!
May 08, 2009
