For such a comparatively small market, luxury brands focus a lot of attention on the Land Down Under.
Part of that is simple economics – Australia is a wealthy nation – but it’s also (arguably) because Australians are real tastemakers. The Australian luxury market is competitive, innovative and demanding, with a strong demand on performance: Australians want goods that can keep up with their adventurous lifestyles.
It’s no surprise then that Rolex has always been a popular brand here. The 115-year-old watch brand has always been known for marrying prestige and luxury with sporty functionality; creating tool watches par excellence.
Yet it’s still a welcome surprise to hear that Rolex, in partnership with The Hour Glass, has established their largest boutique in the Southern Hemisphere – and one of the largest standalone Rolex boutiques in the world – right in the middle of the Sydney CBD.
Rolex Sydney is located at 192 Pitt Street on the corner of Market Street, the new boutique occupies three floors of a heritage-listed building, overlooking the heart of Sydney’s luxury shopping precinct. The new boutique is a 400 square meter temple to all things Rolex, a veritable place of worship for Australian watch aficionados.
A striking backlit emerald aqua wall spans the ground and first floor, highlighting this Sydney Rolex’s rich heritage – its wave motif referencing the iconic Oyster, the world’s first waterproof wristwatch. This intense green is referred around the boutique, creating accents that harmonize a refreshed colour palette. The walls mix textures from walnut brown wood to beige-coloured stone.
The boutique also introduces distinct features that capture the essence of this unique location, including a hand-crafted stucco panel that illustrates the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge. A bespoke five-meter tall, hand-blown crystal glass chandelier traverses two levels of the building. Further unique features include a dedicated exhibition space that occupies the entire basement and a two-story decorative feature screen that provides a spectacular contrast with the grand staircase.
The ground floor also includes a special exhibition entitled ‘A Watch Born to Explore‘, which explores (pardon the pun) the Explorer and Explorer II: two of Rolex’s most action-focused timepieces.
The Explorer made its debut in 1953, in honour of the first successful ascent of Mount Everest: Edmund Hilary, Tenzing Norgay and the rest of the British expedition were all wearing Rolex Oyster Perpetual watches.
Later, the Explorer II, created in 1971, became the watch of choice of speleologists, volcanologists and explorers of every corner of the globe, yet another evolution of the Rolex Oyster Perpetual line.
DMARGE understands stock levels at the new Sydney Rolex boutique are very healthy – welcome news for Aussie Rolex fans. With so much on display and such a sumptuous experience on offer right in the heart of Sydney, other luxury brands – especially other luxury watch brands – should be on high alert: Rolex and Australia’s love story has just started another exciting chapter.
Find the new boutique on Google Maps here.