Swiss watch manufacturer and chronograph specialist Breitling has opened its first Canadian boutique at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. The 500 square foot space carries Breitling’s full assortment of watches, including Breitling for Bentley.

The boutique’s interior features pop art paintings by renowned American artist Kevin T. Kelly, and it is decorated with American walnut floors and quadrille wood paneling. Also included is a VIP seating area. Yorkdale’s Breitling is operated in partnership with local watch and jewellery retailer European Boutique, located in the western part of the mall with an entrance facing towards another luxury brand, Jaeger LeCoultre, which opened across the hall last year.

Breitling Boutiques are quite rare and in the United States, there are currently six freestanding Breitling locations. Its first American boutique opened in Manhattan in 2010, where it currently operates units on Madison Avenue as well as at Westfield World Trade Center. Other locations include Las Vegas (Forum Shops at Caesars Palace), Orlando (Mall at Millenia), Miami (Aventura Mall) as well as at Denver’s Cherry Creek Shopping Center. Breitling watches can also be found at various prestigious retailers globally.

*(click for interactive yorkdale floor plan)*

*(Looking from the front entrance into the new space)*

The company is known as being a specialist of technical watches, and has played a crucial role in the development of the wrist chronograph. Founded in 1884 in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, Breitling is also one of the rare companies to produce its own mechanical chronograph movements, entirely developed and manufactured in its own workshops. The company produces some of the world’s most recognizable watches, and is considered to be one of the world's top watch brands. In April of this year, Breitling was acquired by venture capital firm CVC.

*Photos supplied by Breitling via Jane Gill PR. See below for photos of the craftsmanship of the Breitling Chronomat 44.

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web: August 31, 2017