How Much is that Rolex in the Window?

Photos by José Hevia

 The one with the Molybdenum eyes? If you have to ask....

My latest assignment took me to Puerto Adriano, a Philippe Starck designed marina on the island of Mallorca, to visit the latest jewelry boutique for the Relojería Alemana by the young Madrid-based architect couple Jaime Oliver and Paloma Hernaiz of OH-Lab.

Selling luxury goods to new-rich foreigners from Russia, China and the Middle East is one of the few areas in which the Spanish economy is actually booming.

Here the attractive young sales staffers, dressed in tall heels and the rest, are a Russian blond and a petite Bulgarian. If you look the part and linger too long over the window displays, they will slip a glass of French champagne into your hands and start to chat you up in a soft purring voice with a beguiling accent. The real high-rollers are ushered into the suede-lined VIP room, where a panel pops open to reveal a glittering back-lit bar with an exquisite selection of icy, transparent liquors. A dangerous mission indeed.

Your mission, if you chose to accept it, is to read my article before it self-destructs in 30 days, That's right, the magazine removes its web content after a month, except for subscribers.

Midas Touch
"On a tony new marina, a young duo crafts a glittering jewel box for a storied luxury retailer"
Architectural Record, Record Interiors, September 2013