Inside Harrods’ New-look Fine Watch Department
Hublot, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Rolex and Vacheron Constantin are among brands on offer
After perusing the horologic offering of Harrods’ new fine watch rooms, Knightsbridge shoppers can now retire to the Italian Riviera-inspired Chucs, a mahogany-clad, mid-century-retro restaurant with its own dedicated, late-night street entrance on Hans Road. The diner is part of an ambitious redevelopment by architects Rundell Associates, which sees Harrods rearrange its watch department across two floors.
Nine brands get large, standalone boutiques – A. Lange & Söhne, Audemars Piguet, Hublot, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai, Roger Dubuis, Rolex and Vacheron Constantin – while a multi-brand area with specially-designed counters has been created for H. Moser & Cie, L. Kendall, Montblanc, Tag Heuer, Tudor, Ulysse Nardin, Zenith and Harrods Vintage by Foundwell. Elsewhere, German safe specialist Buben & Zorweg gets its own dedicated space, too.
“We are pleased to offer the world’s leading brands under one roof,” says Annalise Fard, Harrods’ Director of Fine Watches and Jewellery. “We wanted to take our clients on a journey, so purposefully designed the space across two floors with a sweeping marble staircase creating a sense of movement. The room features elegant touchpoints and materials that mirror those found in watches. From the mahogany leather bannister – created with leather expert Bill Amberg – and brushed hardware handles, to the oval ceiling recess that resembles a watch.”
An onsite aftercare team can help with everything from adjustments and care queries to researching a customer’s next watch purchase.