A new space dedicated to watchmaking and jewelery opens in Paris
After two years of pharaonic work, the businesswoman Carla Chalouhi, head of the company Arije, inaugurates in Paris a space of 1,600 m2 where forty watch and jewelery claws are presented alongside works of art handpicked.
The presidents of the big names in world watchmaking have crossed this spring the door of 50 rue Pierre-Charron, in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. It is not Carla Chalouhi who would boast – his discretion, visceral, in fact also a bad “customer” for the press – if not the main interested drafts of the breathtaking setting it would have built them … ” It’s out of the ordinary! ” “The materials are unheard of, we can see that it was designed by a woman”. And so on, and so on. What about the veracity of this praise concert braided by geniuses of storytelling that could make a rib of beef to a vegan activist? Not false.
Externally, this new Arije presents a serene sobriety. Minimal effect, the facade nevertheless surprises with its expanse that runs on three floors and two buildings Haussmann … At night, eight LED screens 3 meters high scroll through the empty windows that giant Rolex, Oversized portholes …
“As we broke all the load-bearing walls and moved the cellars, it was necessary to drill the ground at 25 meters deep and install 130 micropieds, it was a hell,” says his brother, Johnny Chalouhi.
The history of this family business, which has become a heavyweight in the distribution of watches and jewelery, dates back to the late 1970s. “I was 9 years old when the war forced us to leave Lebanon for France. says his sister. Our father had opened a duty-free shop rue Pierre-Charron, in Paris, where he offered some jewelry brands and perfumes. In Arabic arije means fragrance. When he died in 1995, instinctively, I knew that you should not sell. I felt that I could do a lot better, that there was real potential for development. I, who had always dreamed of being a free business woman, without wearing or binding, I became the prisoner of this affair … “
For five years, Chalouhi took his pilgrim’s staff to convince the leaders of the major labels of watchmaking and jewelery to be their distributor. Among the partners of the first hour, Rolex, Cartier, Audemars Piguet give him their trust. Nevertheless, in a very closed market, Carla is double jeopardy: she belongs to the second sex and is not of the seraglio. “I was the black sheep of the profession and had to fight, but the word of mouth of the clients quickly worked.”
In 2000, this leading woman, who studied marketing and business in London, offered a facelift to her store. Blonde front, opening windows, fitting a watch bar, neutrality of materials and selected furniture … While traditional watchmakers-jewelers rely rather on a felted decoration with lounges out of sight, Arije plays the transparency . And school. “People were no longer afraid to go home,” she says. In 2008, the brand opened its first outlets in the provinces, in Cannes, and abroad, in London. Customers from the Middle East ensure success. Not only does Chalouhi speak three languages including Arabic but she knows the fingertips of the habits and customs of these wealthy demanding customers, eager to hang on their wrists a timepiece unique in its kind. “Carla can move mountains,” says one of his relatives. It does not support amateurism or people who do not honor their word. In her field, she is respected as well as feared. 24 hours a day, she remains at the service of her clients. How many times have I seen her refuse a glass of champagne on the terrace so as not to offend the convictions of a princess or a prince who would have had the good fortune to pass by?
Over the years, the company continues to grow, less shaken than others by the crisis of 2009-2010. “Five years ago, I realized that if we did not take another step forward, we would become the little ones of tomorrow, by putting the key under the door or by being bought by a group,” he said. she. Paris remains the luxury capital of the world and we are and will remain a Parisian house. So, we embarked on these titanic works … “
These brand new 1,600 square meters leave no voice. As if luxury, in its least ostentatious expression, came to nestle in the most infinitesimal details. On the walls in white onyx, echo textured frescoes chain mail and mother of pearl powder created by the artist Pierre Bonnefille. On the ground, an oak floor laid in perfect charivari seems to come out of a dice horn that would have been launched at the court of Louis XVI. In the middle, a huge staircase, punctuated by a ramp of thousands of bars in degraded gold, serves as a silent organ. In a lounge reserved for VIPs, an alabaster bar and a hard stone coffee table by Philippe Hiquily host colorful works by Gaston Chaissac. We can discover at will, double whirlwinds of Breguet, the latest limited series of Audemars Piguet, Day-Date fully set Rolex or astronomical timepieces and atypical Jacob & Co to nearly 600,000 euros. Or have your watch revised by one of the three permanently installed watchmakers.
In addition to thirty or so watch brands (from TAG Heuer to Vacheron Constantin, Harry Winston or Hermès), Arije offers dozens of jewelry labels signed Boucheron, Grisogono, Pomellato or Chaumet. In 1995, the store had four employees and was on the verge of bankruptcy. Twenty-three years later, the company has a turnover of more than 100 million euros, employs eighty employees in its fourteen multi-brand or single-brand stores. With Carla, it’s serious!
