Chain Store Age | March 17, 2022 by Al Urbanski
Watch aficionados in New York City who’ve long been without Gotham’s largest timepiece temple—the two-level Tourneau store on 57th and Madison—can get set to make their returns to what is now the most luxed-out chronometer gallery in town.
The name on the door is Bucherer now. Bucherer AG acquired the 30-store Tourneau chain in 2018 and has since been elevating its major-market locations with the help of MBH Architects. It has spent nearly three years remaking what is now called Bucherer TimeMachine on 57th Street.
One of the first things MBH did was to redevelop the recessed façade—once lined with clocks set to global time zones—to capture more square feet of selling space. Atlantic black granite stone panels now surround the double-height windows, illuminated pillars hide the steel frame, and a Bucherer timepiece is projected onto the double-height glass panels from the inside.
The interior design conjures what Bucherer calls a “luxurious residential aesthetic.” Watch showcases line walls in rooms furnished with sofas and armchairs. Fully stocked bars with leather stools let shoppers mingle and mull whether to take home a Patek Philippe, a Vacheron Constantin—or maybe a Carl J. Bucherer dress watch. The retailer has its own line of timepieces.
In the center of the store is a redesigned staircase and video wall that invites guests to explore more watches on the bottom concourse floor and the second floor. MBH integrated more than 100 entirely custom-designed fixtures into the space, including three bars for each floor, large full height libraries, and a dual-level library.
MBH Architects have offices in New York, San Francisco, and Denver.
Published: Chain Store Age