Opening of Chopard 100th Boutique on 12 Nov 2007

Chopard, the world renowned Swiss brand for fine timepieces and legendary jewelry collections, takes great pleasure in announcing the opening of its new international flagship boutique on 709 Madison. Every detail of the new flagship, which is the 100th store and the largest to date, was the vision of Chopard Co-President and creative heartbeat, Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele. It was she who sought out the location for its unique history and luxurious appointments: “It’s a spectacular space that resides on one of the most important retail corners of New York City. We want to encourage our customers to discover the many facets of the world of Chopard.”


All Chopard boutiques worldwide present the same corporate identity: a very warm, traditional, and cozy feeling with accents of wood and an inviting fireplace. The ‘709 Madison’ boutique will be the first store created with the new concept and fresh approach that is true to the brand’s DNA and history but remains innovative and current with the times. Built upon 147 years of fine craftsmanship, a perennial fascination with modern technology, and a singular devotion to the world of art, Chopard’s new international flagship boutique is a ‘must see’ destination.




Despont had always been struck by how lifeless jewelry store windows looked at night. As a solution, he developed the idea of creating custom LCD display cases for the 709 Madison windows that run 24/7. They are unique rotating screens that display jewelry in a traditional setting on one side and a flat screen television on the other. The flat screen side will display work by video artists sponsored by Chopard. Even outside normal business hours, the boutique is a part of the Big Apple landscape--color, light and adornment shines through every pane of glass as though it were fine art hanging in the neighboring Whitney.

Chopard’s collections are universally recognized not only for their beauty but also for their popularity with the cognoscenti. The Cannes Film Festival gleams brightly when the red carpet dazzles with Chopard jewels worn by international celebrities like Elizabeth Hurley, Helen Mirren, Angelina Jolie, Aishwarya Rai, Julianne Moore, and Bar Rafaeli.

Signature collections such as Happy Diamonds, Ice Cube, Copacabana, as well as its creative High Jewelry have been featured in every important fashion magazine around the globe. Now these renowned collections will take up residence in a new international flagship boutique at 63rd Street in New York City.





Architect Thierry W. Despont

Born in France and trained in Paris, with an additional degree from Harvard University, Thierry Despont is a master architect and designer who has designed homes for the likes of Bill Gates and Calvin Klein. Mr. Despont was Associate Architect for the Centennial Restoration of the Statue of Liberty, and designed the Decorative Arts galleries of the new J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, as well as the renovation of Claridge’s hotel in London.

Based on his idea that Chopard represents a blend of century old family tradition and high-tech creations, he modeled Chopard’s new International Flagship Boutique on Madison Avenue as if he was creating another luxurious residence. He gives his design statement for Chopard’s new flagship:

“It was an honour and pleasure to work with Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele and her family.  My experience in residential design played a great role, as I very often thought of working with a great patron to design not a store, but a beautiful house…”



Some 709 Madison Fast Facts

•    709 Madison Avenue is the 100th Chopard Boutique internationally
•    The Madison Flagship Boutique represents the evolution of the brand image combining tradition with innovation
•    The Boutique has a 60 foot frontage on Madison Avenue
•    3000 square feet comprise main floor and mezzanine
•    7000 square feet of veneer panels and 2100 linear feet of moldings complete boutique details
•    8000 hrs of cabinet making time and 3000 hours of finish carpenter work were necessary to complete the project
•    Wall panels and store fixtures were made from White Oak
•    Fine leather was used for wall panels and furniture fronts
•    Velvet was used for curtains and upholstery of chairs
•    Nickel was used for the fireplace
•    Oak and glass were used for the staircase
•    Environmentally conscious LED lighting is used for all the vitrines
•    Store windows are adorned with 17 foot high silk velvet curtains with custom polished silver chandeliers as accents
•    Special glass was used to filter UV light from the street
•    Custom display cases and LCD screens : 6 Window monitor vitrines will display exquisite Chopard jewelry pieces by day and video art and still imagery by night
•    Moon gold glass panels inscribed with the Chopard logo run the length of the mezzanine space








This message has been edited by Kong on 2007-11-14 23:03:39