Seiko Watches opened its first-ever exclusive boutique in the UAE recently. The new boutique will offer watch lovers in the region a wide selection of the brand's most exclusive watches, displayed at the ultra-modern outlet in Sharjah's Sahara Mall. Opening the swanky outlet which is being operated in collaboration with distributors Al-Futtaim Watches and Jewellery, Shunji Tanaka, senior vice president, sales & marketing for Seiko said: "This boutique is a showcase of Seiko's craftsmanship and technologies in watchmaking. This will not be just another store, but also serve as an exhibition of our highest quality products such as Grand Seiko and Astron. With time, we expect it to generate awareness about the versatility and innovation represented by a range of products that will appeal to a much wider range of consumers." The state-of-the-art Seiko boutique has an extremely contemporary feel representing the brand's pursuit of luxury and innovation. Unlike any other Seiko store, the exclusive boutique has a mix of glossy wood-grain panels and stainless-steel hair line joints that are lit from three directions, with indirect high-visibility LED lighting, specially imported from the Netherlands, to illuminate and accentuate the central Seiko logo. The boutique has multiple features to hint towards the exclusivity of the products on offer. For example, the black stone used to create the wall behind the Grand Seiko display was imported specially from Italy and the exterior wall of the store is made of limestone to add a feel of distinct individuality. The store uses increased color rendering properties by blending two color temperatures to highlight the refined high quality of the watches on display. The shopping experience inside the store is designed to match. With luxurious seating arrangements and refreshments while waiting, each shopper will be given dedicated attention while they acquaint themselves with the widest Seiko range available in the country. The visitor can explore the Seiko universe while also experiencing the richness of Seiko's history, its activities and its collections in a way that is uniquely enjoyable and informative. The Seiko boutiques are truly windows into the Seiko world. The Grand Seiko, first released as a mechanical model in 1960, is a leader among luxury watches worldwide and considered by many to be among the most disruptive brands in the segment. Grand Seiko is produced with 3 kinds of movements: Quartz, Mechanical and Spring Drive, which are all specially designed and exclusively produced by the in-house watch masters only for Grand Seiko. The exclusive Seiko boutique will be the latest edition to a global network of 68 existing boutiques and will house some specific models that will not be available at any other store in the country. — SG
