NickO
1726
Cellini's new flagship store is really nice
Feb 15, 2019,10:19 AM
Really good selection of Independents - MB&F, Urwerk, De Bethune, Greubel Forsey, Richard Mille etc. My experience with their sales staff is that, yes, they are most definitely in the business of selling watches and making money, but I think the vast majority of the pieces they sell go to new owners with limited appreciation of what it is they are buying. So if the traffic is slow when you visit, the folks are more than happy to engage in intelligent watch conversation and show you whatever you want to see.
Best,
NickO
Comments:
view entire thread
Boutique Experiences in NYC
By: andyhud : February 13th, 2019-15:12
WIS Community - I am new to the site and relatively new to watches over the last few years. I have a pretty basic question for the long-time watch gurus here. As a general rule, how willing are watch boutiques to show you their collections and let you try...
I don't know about NYC
By: logan2z : February 13th, 2019-15:19
But when I was in LA last year I spent several hours visiting the boutiques on Rodeo Drive and found them all to be friendly and very accommodating. I visited the AP, Vacheron Constantin, IWC, Panerai, and Blancpain boutiques and they were all more than h...
Thanks for your perspective
By: andyhud : February 13th, 2019-15:29
I have had at least a handful of overly pushy experiences in both PP and VC sections of a few major watch retailers here. But it seems like it is worth trying directly at the brand boutiques and hopefully will get a better result.
Andy, I sent you a PM.
By: Jay (Eire) : February 13th, 2019-17:30
One thing I didn't say in that PM is that you need to start going to the auction previews. You'll see stuff in the metal there that you'll never see at an AD or Boutique and you can have all the time in the world with the pieces. The drawback is sometimes...
Thanks Jay
By: andyhud : February 14th, 2019-06:27
I will definitely try a few spots over the next handful of weeks. I must say this is quite the encouraging community - thanks for all the friendly advice.
I had seen that advertised for
By: andyhud : February 15th, 2019-09:56
And I am planning to go see it in person if I can. I’m hoping it will be a real chance to check out the latest and greatest from SIHH and get inspired for a 2019 purchase
depends where
By: aston.db4 : February 13th, 2019-17:33
Usually in the states, boutiques are friendly without the arrogance/snob factor. In Europe and Asia, customer service experience is mainly based on appearances, unless the sales staff already know you. It's usually hit or miss, but NYC boutiques usually h...
Hi, there are a few NYC folks here.
By: Spangles - Dr. Tabby : February 13th, 2019-17:56
I would suggest visiting boutiques for sure. At brand boutiques, you can go to learn, try things on, chat a bit. There's no pressure that I've found. AP, FPJ, VC, Breguet, etc. It's been good and I think you'll enjoy it. I like Jay's advice to check out p...
Multi-AD places can be hit or miss.
By: Spangles - Dr. Tabby : February 13th, 2019-18:20
In Miami, a guy at such a place told me about how PP was connected to the illuminati. 🕴🕴🕴 Not sure if I'd call that a hit or a miss because it's weird but makes for an anecdote...
Guess it depends on how you feel about the Illuminati
By: jmpTT : February 13th, 2019-20:01
I’m personally supportive of the Illuminati, so it’s a hit in my mind. They deserve first crack at the application pieces and you wouldn’t be surprised to find out that they’re behind the grey market 5711 prices too.
I'm just sayin'
By: Spangles - Dr. Tabby : February 14th, 2019-04:12
No judgement about the topic of the pitch, only the dealer.
If you go in when it’s slow, you’re helping pass the day.
By: jmpTT : February 13th, 2019-20:16
Monday afternoon, probably a perfect time. If the champagne’s already opened up from Saturday, it will go bad and go to waste. If it’s unopened, the boutique staff should enjoy the remnants of an opened bottle at the end of a hard day. It helps if you hav...
Visited a number of NYC boutiques
By: jayeyedoubleemmwhy : February 14th, 2019-12:31
Oddly, the worst experience I had was at the boutique I wanted to visit most. Cellini has some lovely independent watches, but they were in a temporary location and I found the salespeople to be not helpful/ the judging type. I hope to visit them the next...
Cellini's new flagship store is really nice
By: NickO : February 15th, 2019-10:19
Really good selection of Independents - MB&F, Urwerk, De Bethune, Greubel Forsey, Richard Mille etc. My experience with their sales staff is that, yes, they are most definitely in the business of selling watches and making money, but I think the vast majo...
Be polite and everything will turn out alright!
By: LS : February 15th, 2019-08:22
I think the boutiques know that watch buying is a process-- it's about the thrill of the hunt -- and that a potential buyer may need to visit a shop several times over a few months or perhaps a year before committing to buying a very expensive watch.