In the Heart of Munich: Germany’s First Zenith Boutique
Zenith fans can now admire the timepieces of the traditional Swiss manufacture at the brand’s first German boutique in Munich. Only a stone’s throw away from the Bavarian State Opera, the Zenith boutique opened its doors in the heart of the Bavarian capital on Theatinerstrasse 7 on October 5th.
Zenith operates the boutique in cooperation with Juwelier Rüschenbeck, one of Europe’s leading jewellers, who already manages mono-brand boutiques for Oris, Patek Philippe, and Tudor. Therefore, not only Zenith CEO Julien Tornare and Brand Director Marc-Hendrik Moers attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, but also the jeweller’s Managing Director Wilhelm Rüschenbeck. Furthermore, the launch of a new Chronomaster Sport edition offered yet another reason to celebrate.
Small yet exquisite: the boutique
When strolling through Theatinerstrasse, the boutique invites visitors to enter with thanks to its purist and modern-looking exterior. The large black Zenith logo, with its distinctive star, is backed by a light grey stone façade. Together with the boutique’s window and its silvery frame, this subtle yet contemporary design creates a harmonious appearance.
In keeping with the brand’s motto, ‘Time to reach your star’, visitors step onto a blue carpet with the ‘sky’ appearing above them – albeit via an innovative screen on the ceiling – upon entering the boutique. Both the showroom and salesroom are located at the front of the premises. White walls and light wooden flooring, through which the blue carpet creates a path, draws Zenith fans’ attention to the essentials: the watches.
On the left side of the room, the watches are presented on dark wooden sales counters made of dark wood, while a screen in a dark wooden niche displays detailed imagery. On the right side of the entrance, four variously coloured wall installations with pictures and additional display cases are placed alongside the wall. In this room, visitors can explore and test out the entire watch collection as well as limited special editions at close quarters. For example, it is possible to take a closer a look at the new Chronomaster Sport in blue (11,300 euros), which Zenith launched at the same time as the boutique’s official opening.
Blue Chronomaster Sport
The new Chronomaster Sport distinguishes itself through its shiny blue dial with a blue, grey, and silver El Primero counter. In addition, this sporty model is equipped with a new stainless-steel bezel that bears an engraved 1/10-second scale. A stainless-steel bracelet and case with an open caseback complete the watch. The case houses the high-frequency automatic movement El Primero 3600 with an increased power reserve of 60 hours. If you want to order a model or inspect one before its arrival, you can book appointments via the boutique’s website in advance.
The Story Bar
However, the shop on Theatinerstrasse is not only a point of sale, but also embodies the brand’s history as the only representative Zenith boutique in Germany. Guests interested in the brand’s development and its horological icons can learn more about it at the ‘Story Bar’. Four special objects represent a part of Zenith’s history at the ‘Story Bar’, – and when guests interact with them, videos come to life, showing inspiring stories about Zenith’s past and contemporary milestones.
The Lounge
For a moment of tranquility, visitors to the boutique can head to the back of the boutique, where a lounge is located. The dark wood-panelled walls in this space are bathed in warm light, and create a cosy atmosphere along with the blue carpet. The bar and leather armchairs likewise invite guests to relax in style.
The boutique’s refined combination of natural and contemporary materials offers a small but exquisite exploratory oasis for Zenith customers, while inspiring those who those who want to become one.
Even for those who think they have already discovered everything in the fascinating world of watches, here’s a truly astonishing piece. The Midnight Planétarium by Van Cleef & Arpels from 2014 is not only an extraordinary men's watch, but also a true work of art on the wrist that marries the art of watchmaking and…
Following the cancelling of Baselworld and SIHH, retailers and the media alike will be pleased to learn that Geneva Watch Days is hosting the only Swiss watch fair of 2020 to be attended in person. A number of luxury brands will be attending the event, which will take place in downtown Geneva between August 26…
The organisers of the Watches and Wonders fair present their concept for this year's event. Watches and Wonders 2022 will take place physically, but will also allow for remote participation. For this purpose, a large part of the programme will be available on the W&W platform together with exclusive content for the internet. This year,…
Independent watchmaker Oris is introducing a new calibre, entirely created in-house – the Oris Calibre 400. Watchmakers at the Swiss horology house based near Basel have created a movement that is highly efficient and highly anti-magnetic. The other big news is that the watches using the movement will only requires 10-year servicing intervals. New Movement,…
The trading of pre-owned watches has exploded in recent years – and this upward trend is still ongoing. In a recent industry report, Deloitte predicts that the annual turnover with pre-owned watches will increase from the current 20 billion Swiss francs to 35 billion Swiss francs by 2030. This means that the market for pre-owned…
Following the AP House in Munich and the AP Boutique in Frankfurt, the new AP House in Hamburg is now open to customers just in time for the festive season. The Swiss haute horlogerie manufacture now operates 18 AP Houses worldwide, including cities such as Los Angeles, Bangkok, Barcelona, London, Tokyo and even St Barths.…
After much anticipation, discussion, and predictions, the results are in: Audemars Piguet has named Ilaria Resta as its new CEO. While François-Henry Bennahmias' successor will join the company as soon as August 2023, bringing almost a three-decade reign to an end, the former CEO will nevertheless remain fully engaged at the horology house until the…
If you are looking for exquisite watches in Hamburg, there is no way around Neuer Wall, the most exclusive shopping street in the Hanseatic city centre. Next to luxury watch brands like Patek Philippe, Omega, Wempe, the recently opened AP House, and many others, the Swiss watchmaker Hublot is now also represented there with its…
The La Chaux-de-Fonds-based watch brand Corum is celebrating its 70th birthday this year with a very special surprise. Following a management buy-out, the company is once again 100 per cent under Swiss management. Golden Bridge Serpent from 2024 Corum stands for unusual designs as well as innovative technologies. Examples include the Golden Bridge with a…
Despite the socially distanced set-up, this year's Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève 2020 winners amazed us with just as many stunning watchmaking creations as usual. Take a break, pour yourself a drink, and get the lowdown on this year's showstoppers. The Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève 2020 Winners Firstly, the Grand Prix de l'Aiguille d'Or went…
The Swiss watch brand Tudor is celebrating a milestone in Berlin: in partnership with retailer Wempe, the brand unveiled its first monobrand boutique in the German capital on 25 November 2024. Situated at the exclusive address Kurfürstendamm 26a, the boutique becomes the fourth of its kind in Germany and marks the latest addition to Tudor’s…
This year's Watches & Wonders, featuring 60 top brands, took place from 1 to 7 April and once again set a new visitor record with over 55,000 visitors (2024: 49,000). The organisers are not changing the concept: four days for trade visitors from 14 April 2026 will be followed by three days for the general…