In the spirit of time

KRIST CHATIKARATANA, executive director of Cortina Watch (Thailand), recently feted the company’s tenth anniversary in the Kingdom |by unveiling its new luxury watch boutique, Cortina Watch Espace, at Erawan Bangkok.
The lavishly designed boutique, which caters to Thai watch enthusiasts and aficionados through such prestigious brands as Rolex, Patek Philippe, Breguet, Cartier, Chopard, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Bulgari, Bell & Ross, Ebel, Concord, and Chronoswiss, has just undergone a Bt70-million renovation and is now one of Thailand’s largest and most luxurious watch outlets.
Jeremy Lim, chief operating officer of Cortina Watch Singapore flew into town for the party, which was attended by a host of celebrities, VIP customers, watch collectors and watch gurus such as Pattriya Na Nakorn, Napassanan Pasawongse, Amornpimol Viravan, Chanadda Chirathivat, Tanat Thanakitamnuay, Orawan Ingkhasit, Saarunthorn Techaphaiboon and Akarat Vanarat.
Special guest actress Sririta Jensen talked briefly about her passion and admiration for the art of fine watchmaking before the champagne corks popped to mark the official opening of the new boutique.
Spread over nearly 600 square metres, Cortina Watch Espace brings modern luxury to a new level. The Patek Philippe section features Birdseye maple wood and Indian rosewood combined with modern brass in vintage burnished finishes and is decorated with an exclusive Patek Philippe chandelier and table lamps made in collaboration with Baccarat.
Breguet presents its collections in a decor created in tribute to the distinctive attributes of the venerable watchmaking house. The colour of the glass walls is inspired by the silvered gold dials, while the engraving on the glass reflects Breguet’s traditional “Clous de Paris” guilloche pattern.
Cartier’s design concept reflects the brand’s unique retailing expertise and watchmaking savoir-faire through such aesthetic details as the guilloche pattern on the oak wood, the roman numeral engraved in the counters, the classic rail rack and the spectacular iconography.
Chopard’s shop-in-shop is designed by the respected French architect Thierry Despont and every detail was imagined by Caroline Scheufele, the brand’s co-president, who wanted it to feel like a jewel box and encourage customers to discover the many facets of the world of Chopard. The new concept combines modern, sleek lines and retains the feel of Chopard boutiques through such key features as luscious velvet and wooden panels.
IWC Schaffhausen’s space, designed by IWC’s in-house team of architects, provides an exceptional and sophisticated setting for its watch families. Using dark wood, chrome steel and leather, IWC’s architects have created an elegant ambience embodying the brand’s core values of innovation and engineering excellence. This unique architecture provides the ideal backdrop for the collection, where every attention is given to fine detailing and craftsmanship, emphasising the technical pioneering spirit for which IWC is globally renowned.
Jaeger Le-Coultre dedicates its space to watch connoisseurs and Jaeger-LeCoultre fans with a concept that truly reflects the brand’s current image.
The new Cortina Watch Espace allows Thai watch lovers to experience the true embodiment of state-of-the-art fine watchmaking and boasts 19 internationally renowned brands in its product range of high |quality timepieces