DECEMBER 11, 2013

The 167-year-old Swiss watch manufacturer Ulysse Nardin opened its first stand-alone boutique in New York City at the Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park.

This marks the brand’s third boutique in the United States, following openings in Boca Raton and just outside Miami. “New York is a showcase, a window to the world,” said CEO Patrik Hoffmann at the store opening in late November.

With just 18 boutiques worldwide—Geneva, Paris, and Singapore opened earlier this year—Hoffmann says Ulysse Nardin will remain a niche brand opening locations slowly in select markets.

The New York store features the brand’s best-selling models displayed in portholes and anchors embedded into the walls, as a nod to the brand’s nautical heritage. In the central display case is the brand’s newest timepiece, the Schooner chronograph ($15,500). Available exclusively at Ulysse Nardin’s U.S boutiques and limited to 50 editions, the piece features a navy scratch-resistant rubber coating over the entire surface—including the 45.8 mm stainless-steel case—for increased durability. The boutique holds more than 100 timepieces total and will also serve as a resource for collectors seeking many of the brand’s most exclusive models.