Tourneau & Bucherer Celebrate The Grand Opening of the Bucherer 1888 TIMEMACHINE

WORDS BY,

BRANDON SCOTT ROYE

Photo: Darian DiCianno/BFA.com — ***Photo:*** ***Darian DiCianno/BFA.com***

The architecture and interior design of Bucherer’s new space is a treasure in its own right.

A mashup of Apple and Rolex retail spaces with a double-height bar.

2 MINS READ TIME

On the evening of September 29, 2021, Bucherer and Torneau collided at the intersection of 57th Street and Madison Avenue in New York for the grand, joyous opening of The TimeMachine. Creators and collectors from every corner of the world were in attendance along with luminaries, Kevin O’Leary and Trevor Noah.

The architecture and interior design of Bucherer’s new space is a treasure in its own right. A mashup of Apple and Rolex retail spaces with a double-height bar, reminiscent of the grandiose Boom Boom Room at The Standard New York. This was the largest collection of watches I have ever encountered, especially with the Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) collection, displayed in an equally understated and bombastic way.

“Glad to be back. Glad to be back. Glad to be back.” There was a strong sense of gratitude, coupled with a clear passion for sustainable luxury, floating through the air.

Waltzing in, guests were greeted by the Bucherer Fluer Des Alpes ring, modeled after the Edelweiss-Switzerland flower. There was a brilliant yellow diamond the size of a raspberry in the center with a sunburst of white-to-pink diamonds spanning the width of three fingers. As guests explored the three-level space, it felt like a treasure hunt when I happened upon the remaining limited edition rings speckled throughout.

The color of the evening was Bucherer Blue, adjacent to an ultramarine blue pigment of crushed lapis stones. Sotheby’s pairings of Hermès bags with Nike sneakers aligned precisely with the signature tone, along with Bucherer’s custom designed and curated CPO watch collections.

The perfect compliment to Bucherer Blue, you ask? Vivid primaries, pattern on pattern, rose gold, matte black and white, and a surplus of diamonds.

The Bucherer x Harley-Davidson motorcycle was the crown jewel of the evening, placed at the center of the statuous staircase. The bike was lacquered in Bucherer Blue with complements of rose gold, diamond studded hardware.

An oversized watch rotates below the recessed glass of the fuel tank, strikingly similar to Tony Stark’s Arc Reactor locked into the chest of his Iron Man suit. With this artistic collaboration as one of numerous Time(less)Machines on display, Bucherer invited guests to rethink the playful conversation between form and function.

Now, let’s talk about the gravity-defying Cartier watch. Like a snow globe, there were tiny gold beads resting at the bottom of the liquid-filled watch face. With a flick of the wrist, they gracefully floated into an outline of Cartier’s signature panther face. I’m embarrassed to admit that I screamed when I saw this unfold.

When asked how it works, the Cartier specialist quickly replied “magic” with conviction in her eyes. I’ve always believed it’s particularly handsome to believe in magic, so we left it at that.

It’s magic, not magnets. Trust me.