foversta provides a detailed tour of the new Piaget flagship boutique at 7 rue de la Paix in Paris, highlighting its impressive scale and thoughtful design. The author shares insights into how the French architect Christine Querioz transformed the historic space, blending luxury with a comfortable atmosphere. foversta's post offers a comprehensive look at the boutique's layout, from jewelry displays to high horology sections.
I waited for long months the opening of the new Piaget boutique located 7 rue de la Paix. Actually, every Saturday, while doing my usual walk in the rue de la Paix (which is becoming more and more Richemont street), I was seeing the big signs on the building dedicated to this boutique. It was a very well known address because Montblanc was the former brand using these premises and I knew their potentials, the surface, the lay-out: without any doubt, the future Piaget boutique would be beautiful. And now, the wait is over! The boutique opened its doors a few days ago at the end of the month of April! So I couldn't miss the opportunity to visit it without any delay!
I was not disappointed. The boutique is at the same time beautiful and impressive. Taking advantage of an overall surface of 510m2, French architect Christine Querioz redesigned these Salons which were first dedicated to the Haute Couture when they were opened in 1858. And when we know the connection between Piaget and the Haute Couture, this address becomes logic for the location of the new flagship store.
Because obviously, we are not talking here about a "mere" boutique. This is an actual flagship store which aim is to offer the full range of the watchmaking and jewelry collections.
The clients who enter the boutique discover step by step all the sides of the Piaget world. The first room just after the entrance is dedicated to Jewelry with the ability to organize some specific and temporary displays. And very quickly, believe me, you wish to explore more spaces of the boutique because it embodies a charm in which you feel comfortable.
It is not easy to combine a luxury style with a more relaxed atmosphere. It is most of the time required because a too formal boutique may disturb the clients. I will not tell you that this boutique is not formal. It is and you feel it with several details like the stunning finishes of several elements using gold foils without forgetting the impressive chandelier!
But this luxury demonstration is balanced with parts which purpose is to bring some influence of a more casual environment. Like the superb parquet or the very comfortable armchairs at the back of the boutique or on the first floor. I would not forget to mention that the boutique has also a patio which will be used for events for example.
Here is the view of the boutique a few meters after the entrance door. You really have a feeling of depth and very quickly your eyes are attracted by the chandelier!
The first part of the ground floor is dedicated to the Jewelry, the second one to watches:
Then you enter the section dedicated to high horology with a kind of "bar" which makes you appreciate the beauty of the timepieces with the right lights (at least to observe them because for the pictures, it is a different story!). I like this concept!
The jewels are back in the last part of the ground floor which also proposes a salon with everything to make the visit at the boutique an unforgettable moment:
Of course, I had the wish to see the chandelier closer. Its contemporary shape contributes to the sucessful design of the boutique which never appears to be "classic".
The first floor gathers the bridal jewelry collection with an other salon to relax a few minutes and to escape from the crazy rhythm of Paris!
Such boutique had to propose a wide range of watches, complicated or not, set or not. And it was for me like fireworks!
Finally, I could handle the case set version of the Emperador Ultra Thin Minute Repeater!
To be honest with you, I much prefer the "classic" version and I'm not sure that gems setting is positive for the sound quality since it impacts the way the case vibrates when the hammers strike the gongs. Anyway, I was very surprised by the high quality of the setting since the watch has managed to keep its slender style:
And obviously, the movement remains the same with the two hammers on the left side of the picture:
Another surprise was to see one of the 2 Tourbillon Relatif New York watches. I saw the Paris one several years ago at the Piaget boutique Place Vendôme (please note that the opening of the boutique rue de la Paix doesn't change the situation of the Place Vendôme one which remains open) and I was impressed by the Tourbillon behaviour and the decoration of the case sides.
Well... it is a similar story here! Both sides are gorgeous even if I tend to prefer the crown side with the Statue of Liberty.
Some pieces of the Mythical Journey collection are also available like this Emperador Flying Tourbillon:
This Protocole XXL, depicting an Indian landscape
features a micro-mosaic:
And this Altiplano Double-Jeu Plique-à-jour enamel which creates a transparency effect:
One of the key novelties for Piaget in 2015 is not a watch. It is the ability to put a bracelet on the Altiplano. Step by step, the Altiplano collection is becoming broader (with the addition of complications like the date or the chronograph, with a new style like the 900P or with this bracelet) and its role within Piaget catalogue is even more significant.
Piaget managed to create a flexible and comfortable bracelet which preserves the simplicity of the Altiplano design:
And I think it looks very gorgeous on a lady's wrist!
The report is now over and I would like to thank a lot the team of the boutique for the warm welcome. If you come to Paris, please don't miss the visit of this boutique because you will not regret it. It offers a fantastic immersion in Piaget world in a very refined context. So please write again the address on your agenda: 7 rue de la Paix in Paris!
Fr.Xavier
This message has been edited by foversta on 2015-05-03 10:12:57 
