Rolex unveils its new flagship watch store in Miami’s Design District

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As the international contemporary art fair Art Basel Miami opened its doors from December 5 to 7, Rolex inaugurated its new flagship store in the epicenter of fashion, luxury, and art galleries in Miami’s Design District.

The news was announced on the eve of the famous Miami Art Basel contemporary art fair, which took place from December 5 to 7…

Rolex, which previously had three points of sale (one boutique and two retailers) in the Florida capital, has just opened a new flagship store managed by Luxury Swiss, an official Rolex retailer and the second point of sale in the Miami Design District.

With a surface area of 457 m² spread over two floors, the address, which has just been inaugurated by the brand with the crown logo, is one of the largest Rolex boutiques in the United States.

A few days earlier, the Swiss Haute Horlogerie company announced that the iconic London department store Harrods was its new official “Rolex Certified Pre-Owned” retailer, joining the very select circle of stores authorized to sell and service its second-hand watches.

A temple dedicated to the cult of Rolex

The new Miami flagship store, located at 182 NE 39th Street, a few steps from the Hermès and Cartier boutiques, is entirely devoted to the iconic Rolex watch brand, from the displays to the interior design and customer services (after-sales service, authentication, etc.).

The boutique is distinctive and instantly recognizable from the outside, with its wavy metallic fluted pattern reminiscent of Rolex’s iconic fluted bezel. Six oceanic shades range from turquoise to deep indigo, reflecting the city’s light.

In addition to the lattice effect, another feature recalls the opening a few days earlier on the west coast, in Beverly Hills, of a new flagship store for the Roman jeweler Bvlgari: the travertine floors.

Elsewhere, the panels are made of American walnut, creating a cozy, almost underwater atmosphere, a nod to Miami, a city that faces the ocean, and not just because of its famous Ocean Boulevard.

Rolex Miami Design District Staircase — © Rolex

A hand-painted stucco fresco, very “Miami”, inspired by abstract palm leaves, rises on a “Verde Alpi” (alpine green, ed.) marble wall. The architectural curves of the building are in the purest Miami Deco style. This local reinterpretation of the Art Deco style, which infuses much of the city’s architecture, was born out of the reconstruction of the seaside town following a hurricane in September 1926. The iconic Miami Beach Architectural Historic District alone has between 800 and 900 Miami Deco buildings, making it “the largest concentration of Art Deco architecture in the world.”

On the ground floor (first level) are displayed the brand’s current watches, including all of its collections, from ‘classic’ to “professional” models. The true architectural centerpiece of this Rolex flagship store, its slender, sculptural staircase is crowned by a two-story chandelier whose crystal elements also echo the fluted motif of the Rolex bezel, creating a grandiose effect.

The upper floor (second level) offers a more intimate setting, notably featuring a bar area clad in bronze and beige leather. This is also where several semi-private or VIP lounges are located, where visitors can try on the brand’s timepieces, admire them, and even consider purchasing them in complete discretion.

More unusually, there is also an “after-sales service/workshop” area where visitors can watch Rolex teams repairing or servicing precious watch models behind a glass wall. This gives a better understanding of the infinite meticulousness of fine watchmaking craftsmen.

The brand with the crown has 270 official points of sale and 312 official retailers in the United States. Internationally, the brand with the crown has 1,816 points of sale (including single-brand boutiques and retailers) in around 100 countries.