TAG Heuer opens boutique in Westfield

The atmosphere is soft and gentle but the message is avant-garde. Luxury here can be savoured as a unique experience in the TAG Heuer way, where visitors immerse themselves in a world in which tradition is maintained but reinterpreted in the light of futuristic technology. The new concept will be used next in Singapore, and then in several other world cities where the brand has a presence. To date, there are 73 TAG Heuer boutiques in 23 countries.

Following its landmark design of the TAG Heuer 360 Museum in Switzerland, the Swiss watchmaking firm invited CARBONDALE to create a new boutique concept to bring watchmaking culture to the whole world. The first boutique was unveiled on 30 October last, in London, in Westfield, White City, the largest shopping centre in Europe.

A world of luxury in the TAG Heuer colours

For 150 years, the reputation of this Swiss brand of watches has been built on tradition, avant-garde and prestige. It has therefore created an environment that faithfully reflects these values in a unique contemporary design and visual identity all its own. Like a precious casket, this new 120 square-metre boutique shows off the latest watchmaking creations whilst absolutely respecting the particular universe of each product line - the result is a unique shopping experience. Visitors to the boutique will also have exclusive access to the new series of TAG Heuer-branded accessories, its collection of avant-garde spectacles and the very new Meridiist communication tool.

Entering the TAG Heuer universe

Located on one of Westfield's main thoroughfares, the London store can be spotted from afar. Its frontage of brushed, bronze-lacquered steel, 5 metres high and 8 metres long, hints at the interior without revealing it outright. The brand ambassadors are seen on vertically-striped glass displays with the brand logo animated by a lenticular optical system.

The front door - two sliding glass panels 4 metres high - allows a first view of the refined atmosphere into which the visitor will be plunged. It leads to an ebony walkway that sets off the floor of cream-coloured marble. This pattern finds its echo in a cleft that cuts across the ceiling, on each side of which are decorative displays relating TAG Heuer's prestigious history.

Combination of strata and design materials

TAG Heuer's aim was to set the stage for its products in an innovative way by using a linear design and a succession of strata to break up the walls. A wood and perforated leather counter offers a place to lean whilst viewing the collections on display in showcases set into the counter and in rosewood niches at eye height.

Each stratum is associated with a symbolic material : the space-enveloping perforated leather is a reference to the racing driver's gloves, the rosewood a nod to the heritage of the brand, the brushed aluminium gives a contemporary touch, the polished stainless steel detailing is a reminder of the preciousness of watchmaking and the wool and silk rugs make the atmosphere cosy.

In the centre of the store, this arrangement is complemented by wraparound showcases made of rosewood, polished stainless steel and glass, supplemented by magnifying glasses to enable the visitor to appreciate the meticulous finishing of the exhibits. Beyond is a leather and glass inlaid selling table with an integral digital clock, a mirror and a small recall display case for the spectacles.

Technology and personalization

To the left of the entrance, a touch screen tickles the curiosity and promotes an interactive relationship between the brand and its customers. A technological gem, it allows the customer to choose a model, see a slideshow of archive material recapping the emblematic moments in the brand's history and gain direct access to the virtual 3600 Tag Heuer Museum.

At the back of the shop, aligned with the deep ceiling groove, a stand-alone piece of furniture in perforated cream leather houses the very first set of TAG Heuer-branded communication tools. It is particularly conspicuous because it breaks the pattern of horizontal stratification.

Lighting

TAG Heuer has devised a theatrical, chiaroscuro form of lighting. Wall and central showcases illuminate the whole store through a subtle combination of LED lighting and small halogen and metal iodide spotlights. On either side of the cleft that runs across the ceiling, two grooves with spotlights illuminate the central cabinets. All in all, a warm, intimate atmosphere that reveals the full glory of the TAG Heuer collections.

In this casket where precision and preciousness fuse, TAG Heuer expresses the diversity of the brand whilst highlighting its uniqueness. The result : an original concept for a timeless space where the past, the present and the future combine.