This Jeweler Just Built Out a Massive Rolex Watch Wonderland Inside Its San Diego Boutique
Fourtané Jewelers of San Diego and Carmel-by-the-Sea has expanded its Rolex boutique at Fashion Valley, an upscale, open-air shopping mall in San Diego’s Mission Valley, to 3,000 square feet. Fourtané is an independent, family-owned jeweler that carries Rolex, Cartier, Roberto Coin, Messika, and other top brands. Its new Rolex boutique neighbors several other big luxury names in the mall, including Bloomingdales, Bottega Veneta, Chanel, and Prada.
The store carries the full range of Rolex watches in an environment that exemplifies the brand’s identity, not just in terms of the colors and patterns of the fixtures and furniture (including Rolex green accents, plus chandeliers referencing the Oyster bracelet and pendant lights recalling the famous cyclops date window) but also in experiential settings, such as a room based on director James Cameron’s 35,800-foot dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Cameron made the descent in 2012 aboard the Deepsea Challenger, a submersible vehicle, with a specially made Rolex Oyster Perpetual Deepsea Challenge attached to the outside. The watch, with a helium escape valve, was able to resist water pressure of more than 16,000 pounds per square inch. It had a patented ringlock system designed to reduce stress on the case by moving pressure away from the watch crystal. The boutique’s experiential James Cameron room, with walls covered in mirrors and screens, reveals the Deepsea model that accompanied the expedition.
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“Our goal was to create something truly immersive that brings clients into the Rolex world,” says Josh Bonifas, owner of Fourtané. “A highlight of the new space is certainly our experience room where clients can learn about James Cameron’s incredible dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench and see first-hand the Deepsea model that went along with him.”
Additional spaces in the boutique include private viewing rooms and comfortable seating areas with nautical theme, including yacht-inspired accents and colors. “Every detail was carefully considered,” says Bonifas. “We wanted to carry through certain design elements that reference San Diego’s nautical history, while also using finely crafted materials and motifs to celebrate distinctive Rolex features.” He says the entire process took about two years from the initial design phase through construction and finishing.
“We have had an incredible partnership with Rolex since 2002,” adds Bonifas. “San Diego welcomed my team and I in 2018 when the boutique was first established, enabling us to establish a devoted clientele. With this in mind, I wanted to build something truly memorable and unique to San Diego. By pushing the design boundaries, we created a distinct attraction for shoppers.”
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