Madison was never quite right for Chopard’s New York flagship, so when the opportunity to relocated to the Crown Building on the corner of 57th Street and 5th Avenue, the legendary jeweler and watchmaker jumped at the chance.
The Crown Building is in a super-prime position, a block from Central Park, opposite Trump Tower and neighboring the likes of Prada, Bergdorf Goodman, Tiffany, Bulgari and Louis Vuitton.
It gets its name from an ornately decorated spire at the top of its 26-story, 416 foot mixed-use skyscraper.
It was designed by architects Warren and Wetmore, who also conceived the iconic Grand Central Terminal railway station in New York.
Chopard and the Crown Building
The Crown Building was opened in 1921, a significant year for the Scheufele family that owns Chopard.
“The Crown Building was completed the same year that Karl Scheufele II, my grandfather, arrived in New York to find work as a goldsmith. A century later, I believe that Chopard’s historical bond with the United States comes full circle with this new emblematic flagship boutique,” says Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, Chopard co-president.
A building completed in the Roaring Twenties was always going to have a decadent air, and the interior’s Art Deco style has been embraced by Chopard.
The ground floor, presenting Chopard’s jewelry and watch collections, is filled with natural light bouncing between a dark gray and white Italian marble floor and a high ceiling adorned with magnolia Murano glass tree leaves.
Four openings on the walls frame a cascading installation of more Murano glass leaves in spring, summer, autumn and winter hues — a nod to Central Park’s magnolia trees in the changing seasons.
Brass details and velvet-covered custom-made walnut furniture bring the spirit of the 1920s to the space while walls, decorated with a regularly changing display of contemporary art, will bring in the 21st century.
On the lower ground floor is a Gentlemen’s Lounge for watches, which will act as a space for presenting Chopard’s newest collections.
First of these are a new 41-millimeter Alpine Eagle in ethical yellow gold with a ‘Golden Peak’ dial; two limited-edition Happy Sport watches featuring a mobile apple; and a L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 Fifth Avenue Edition jumping hour watch.