Patek Philippe lands in Jardinets de Gràcia with Unión Suiza

The first exclusive boutique of the luxury watch firm Patek Philippe in Barcelona will open at Jardinets de Gracia. The establishment, which will have 460 square meters on two floors, will be operational by the end of this year. It will do so hand in hand with Unión Suiza, which has been selling watches of the emblematic Genevan brand since 1929.

The new store will open on the ground floor of the luxury residential complex Mandarin Oriental Residences Barcelona, in the former Deutsche Bank building that crowns Paseo de Gracia. The opening of the establishment will represent a turning point for Patek Philippe and for Unión Suiza, both founded more than 180 years ago.

Unión Suiza aims to turn this space into a benchmark for watches and jewelry of the Geneva brand. As reported by La Vanguardia, an architectural team is working with this objective on the design of the premises, located at number 111 Paseo de Gràcia, at the intersection with Avenida Diagonal, where Unión Suiza has a nearby establishment next to Via Augusta where Patek Philippe watches are also sold.

The connection between both brands goes back a long way, as the grandfather of the current generation of the Barcelona jewelry store already worked with the also grandfather of the current president of Patek Philippe, Thierry Stern. The Swiss firm is the last independent manufacture in Geneva in the hands of a single family, as part of its commitment to the continuity of traditional jewelry art, which it has practiced since 1839.

Coincidentally, it was a year later when Jaume Vendrell and Francisca Castellà opened their first jewelry store and workshop in Barcelona, near the Carme del Raval parish. The Vendrell family has maintained and expanded the company to the present day, and already has the seventh generation incorporated into the business.

The history and trajectory of both brands now converge again with the milestone of opening this boutique exclusive at the top of the emblematic Barcelona promenade. It will occupy the ground floor of the luxury residential complex of Mandarin, a building that went through many vicissitudes.

The building was acquired in 2014 by the real estate group KKH Property Investors, with the initial forecast of converting the property into a luxury hotel of the Four Seasons chain. The change of color in the City Council and a restrictive urban plan for the opening of hotels frustrated these intentions, and finally the developer opted to enable the most exclusive homes in the city.