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The recently opened Rolex Boutique by Cortina Watch promises immersion in the world of the famous Swiss horology brand. TRACY LEE dives in.

What if your next watch shopping experience felt like a visit to a luxe boutique hotel, with mood lighting, twinkling chandeliers, plush armchairs, an exhibition space, and an intimate bar proffering pastries, coffee and tea in the afternoons, a glass of vino and nger sandwiches in the evenings, and ice cream throughout the day?

The recently-opened 5,522 sq ft Rolex Boutique by Cortina Watch at Marina Square delivers just that.

Featuring interior design concepts created by Rolex in Geneva, the boutique uses materials and colours – brass and brushed steel, chocolateand-caramel-toned woods, and that distinctive emerald hue watch fanciers call “Rolex green” – to evoke design elements of the famed timepieces and their presentation boxes.

The retail section, which carries the most extensive range of Rolexes in the Cortina network, features cosy lounge areas and elegant display areas themed according to Rolex collections such as Cellini, Datejust, Day-date, Explorer, Professional, Semi-precious, Stainless Steel and Gold. Tucked away in the farthest recesses of the store is an intimate “gentleman’s library” furnished with sofas, shelves of design books, and a selection of precious Rolexes set with diamonds, sapphires and rubies. Sliding wooden panels provide extra privacy. A passageway leads you to the rst “The Rolex Exhibition” space in South-east Asia. Visitors are greeted by a lofty double-volume lobby with sheer, gold-toned panels hanging overhead in a circular arrangement that somehow makes you feel you’ve shrunk, Alice in Wonderland-like, and ended up inside a watch. “After a 20-minute guided tour with our trained staff, you’ll have learnt more about watchmaking than perhaps you might from reading,” says Jeremy Lim, chief operating officer of Cortina Watch. What else to look out for: special events like cocktail parties, and intimate live screenings of sporting events Rolex is associated with, such as Formula One and golf. Sign us up.