WATCHES TRUMP PHONES: Breitling To Take Over Nokia's 57th Street Boutique

You can usually tell when a store, no matter how lavish or cleverly designed, is just not capturing the imagination of the shopping public, so it's not much of a surprise to hear that, after four uneventful years which produced exactly zero hot telecommunications products from the brand, Nokia will soon be clearing out of its boutique at 5 East 57^th Street. Taking over the lease will be the popular Swiss watchmaker Breitling, according to the New York Post. As much as The Shophound can appreciate gadgety phones, we can really get excited about a great big new watch store, and Breitling will join Audemars Piguet, Franck Muller and the mother ship of watch stores, Tourneau's Time Machine along the East 57^th street corridor. So far we have no opening date, but considering the likely amount of renovation (We doubt they will keep that blue glass storefront), we don't expect to be browsing new timepieces there for about a year at least.

With Nokia out of the way, there will now be an almost uninterrupted block of luxury brands spanning the block of 57^th street between Fifth and Madison Avenues. We all know Niketown ain't going anywhere anytime soon.

Timing is impeccable on 57^th (NYPost)
Previously:
Nokia Powers Up on East 57th Street