The ritzy Meatpacking District — roughly defined as the area from West 14th Street to Gansevoort Street and from the Hudson River to Hudson Street — is about to become even ritzier with two high-end watchmakers opening shop in the Manhattan neighborhood once known for its slaughterhouses.
Two luxury horological brands, Audemars Piguet and Rolex, have signed leases for boutiques within just a few blocks of each other.
Audemars Piguet will wind up on the upper level of a petite, two-story building at 56-58 Gansevoort St. The spot comes with a 200-square-foot lobby and elevator next to Keith McNally and Stephen Starr’s celebrity-magnet restaurant Pastis.
From there, the Swiss timepiece seller will have 5,171 square feet on the second floor, plus a huge, 2,543-square-foot terrace where it can check its sundial.
Dan Harroch, senior vice president of Thor Retail Advisors, represented the tenant while Joel Isaacs, founder and president of Isaacs and Company, represented the building.
Owners Aurora Capital Advisors and William E. Gottlieb Real Estate are currently redeveloping nearly the entire block and have already signed other luxury brands, including chichi accessories emporium Hermès.
The blended asking rent was around $150 per square foot, sources said.
The exclusive, Swiss-based company, founded in 1875, also has a boutique on Billionaires’ Row at 65 E. 57th St.
Nearby, watch king Rolex will envelop the entire 3,950-square-foot corner at the base of Soho House at 29 Ninth Ave. and West 13th Street.
Sources say that Rolex partner company Bucherer, which in 2018 bought Tourneau — an outfit that bills itself as the largest US luxury-watch seller — will operate it as just a Rolex store.
The trail-blazing history of Rolex dates back to 1905, when timepieces lived in pockets of folks’ clothing and were attached by chains.
It was then that the distributor, 24-year-old Hans Wilsdorf, decided to invent something that could be worn on the wrist.
A deep thinker and early brander, Wilsdorf used a gold crown as its logo.
By 1908, after testing numerous words that could work in all languages, he claimed a “genie” whispered “Rolex” in his ear.
And by 1924, he had partnered with the watchmaking Bucherer family, a relationship that continues today.
Rolex has a stand-alone flagship at 665 Fifth Ave., but also boasts numerous official retailers.
Until 2016, the space hosted Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s popular Spice Market restaurant. Dean & Deluca tried a short-lived Stage café there, but it closed after just a few months as the company faced other financial issues and Midtown Equities piled on with a lawsuit for $20 million in back rent and other charges.
Court documents show that legal action is still underway.
The adjacent space was rented to furniture store Vitra and had been considered for a MedMen pot dispensary but is still vacant.
