F.P. Journe NYC Boutique Opening

patrick_y · 2023-05-02T22:10:05Z

Explore the new F.P. Journe NYC boutique on Mercer Street. Discover its unique design, client experience, and how it redefines luxury watch retail in Soho.

patrick_y

WPS member · F.P. Journe forum

13 replies2986 views9 photos

Patrick_y, a long-standing member of the WatchProSite community, revisits his 2009 coverage of the F.P. Journe NYC boutique opening. He shares an exclusive look at the brand's new, expansive Mercer Street location, highlighting its unique design philosophy. This article explores how F.P. Journe's retail strategy reflects a broader trend in luxury watch retail, moving beyond traditional sales counters to create immersive, lounge-like experiences for collectors.

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Back in 2009, I covered the grand opening of the NYC F.P. Journe Boutique on Madison Ave. I can't seem to find that post anymore, but it was a wonderful event. I remember many PuristSPro/WatchProSite members from that event. And I was happy to have flown from the West Coast to the East Coast for that event.

Sadly, F.P. Journe has decided to close its swanky Madison Ave location and has instead opened a new location on Mercer Street. Yes, that Mercer Street, in the hip area of Soho NYC!

I haven't been able to visit the boutique in person. Nor have I been able to continue my tradition of visiting the boutique for its grand opening. But I'm happy to share the news and share some stock photographs of the boutique.

The space is large. Featuring an upstairs and a downstairs, the showroom is downstairs. The entertainment and watch lover's lounge is upstairs. Journe's boutiques are always designed in a way to promote lounging and have a living room feel. Not the traditional jewelry store feel where there's a sales counter and a salesperson behind the counter. This way, clients and Journe's Consultants feel like guests and hosts and more importantly feel that they're equals - not the traditionally stoic client/salesperson relationship.

Just massive amounts of space. In very expensive NYC, on super hot Mercer Street, this shows that F.P. Journe is not just looking for the Upper East Side clientele anymore, they're following trends - and are in the super trendy - but also equally luxurious SOHO neighborhood. I especially like the stores in SOHO, as they often have more personality than the 5th Ave stores. The PRADA store on 5th Ave is a generic Prada store, the Prada in SOHO is an architectural masterpiece, designed to look like a beautiful wooden skateboard park and a gym like amphitheater. Think Omotesando-cool over Ginza-traditional. Come to think of it, F.P. Journe's boutique in Tokyo is actually in the Omotesando/Aoyama and not in Ginza - thus SOHO, being analogous to Omotesando (Ginza being the equivalent to 5th Ave and Madison Ave) is very appropriate!

Did I mention the new boutique was massive? Manhattan is definitely a small space, and space is definitely expensive - but there's over 5000 square feet (500 square meters) of F.P. Journe Boutique here in the heart of NYC! Amazing! 5000 Square Feet! That's huge!

Brick walls and checkered parquet floors line the sides and floors of the boutique. Comfortable furniture surrounds. Time to light up a cigar, but it's probably not legal to smoke indoors in here. That's okay, the boutique is all about healthy endeavors and good air - look at the green wall of plants on the wall.

The bottom floor is the watch showroom, it features a polished herringbone parquet floor. The Alzaga-designed chandelier follows the theme from the Los Angeles and Miami boutiques and is made by the famous Brazilian designer Carolina Alzaga. Her workshops are in Los Angeles and her friends call her "Caro." Her chandeliers have a great impact to any space and give the space a 1920s Art Deco look that's appropriate for a Great Gatsby book reenactment and is also amazingly approrpriate for a modern space as well.

So much lounge space. Not one sales counter. Journe believes that relationships are to be created and cultivated through interactions, not to be bought in a transaction.

The bar has a rifling finish that's similar to perlage! Kind of cool! Now, if only they'd bevel the edge at a 45* angle and polish that beveled edge - anglage on the bar!

I see Macallan (as everyone here knows, I like Macallan), Glennmorangie Signet, and other nice beverages here. This is probably the only "unhealthy" part of the otherwise very health oriented boutique.

Did you also know that Journe boutiques often have their own chocolate too? I can't wait to get another bite of the chocolate.

Big congrats to Journe for opening this lovely boutique. The boutique really echoes Journe's values and is a great reinterpretation of the concept. I don't live in NYC, but I can't wait to come and visit soon!

Key Points from the Discussion

The new F.P. Journe boutique features a two-floor chandelier crafted from bicycle chains, a dedicated cigar room with advanced ventilation, and an F.P. Journe-branded pinball machine, enhancing the unique client experience.
The move to Mercer Street in Soho aligns with a global trend seen in F.P. Journe's Omotesando, Tokyo boutique, favoring a 'living room' feel over traditional retail environments, complete with sofas and signature F.P. Journe chocolates.
The Tokyo F.P. Journe boutique, opened approximately 20 years ago, was the brand's first worldwide, underscoring Japan's significance as a discerning market for luxury horology.
F.P. Journe's global boutiques consistently deliver an elevated visiting and purchasing experience, setting a benchmark for client engagement that is distinct from other luxury watch brands.

The Discussion

May 3, 2023

When they were five figures

BigAppleBill

May 3, 2023

The two-floor chandelier is made of bicycle chains (very cool). The cigar room has a glass divider and ventilation so there’s no hint of it in the rest of the boutique. And they have the FPJ pinball machine. Lastly, and most importantly, the staff are lovely people.

Moka-Tiger (Ron)

May 3, 2023

I am not familiar with Mercer and SOHO, but it sounds like a cool move. I love your analogy of "Omotesando-cool vs Ginza traditional". ha ha! Exactly, no watch store in Ginza (or in all of Japan AFAIK) has a "living room" feel. JP Journe Omotesando is also ocreated of the same DNA as this Mercer Street boutique (2 floors, wood, funky, sofa, and chocolate!). At the Omotesando boutique, I was lucky enough to make an appointment, see the boutique, discuss options, place an order while seated in the

patrick_y

May 3, 2023

Upon your next visit to NYC, which is only a short flight from NRT (actually it was the longest flight I had taken for many years), you ought to visit the American version of the Journe boutique. The Tokyo boutique is actually the first Journe boutique opened in the world about 20 years ago! Many people wonder why this was the case. But perhaps it's because the clientele in Tokyo was so discerning and Japan being such a large market of luxury goods for so long that it was THE PLACE to open a bou

patrick_y

May 3, 2023

How do they not have kids coming in and just abusing their pinball machine?

patrick_y

May 3, 2023

And a family member - my mother - who is the biggest Journe fan in the household, will never forgive me for it. She expected me to gift her a Chronometre Bleu (she specifically liked the blue one) many years ago and she's still a little cross at me when we walk pass a Journe boutique anywhere in the world. I know where all of them are, so I specifically try to avoid them.

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