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Create Your Own Horological Kodak Moment At The Newly Re-opened The Hour Glass Melbourne

The Newly Re-opened The Hour Glass Melbourne boutique is split into three immersive floors, offering an unparalleled space for your horological awakening. The Education State now houses a one-stop premiere destination to continue your education on horology.

Create Your Own Horological Kodak Moment At The Newly Re-opened The Hour Glass Melbourne 

Editor’s note: The newly re-opened The Hour Glass Melbourne welcomes patrons once again, with their team of passionate watch specialists standing by to assist in your horological needs. And while we may not be travelling to it from Sydney any time soon, it doesn’t stop us from appreciating a welcome addition to the Australian watch scene.

Newly Re-opened The Hour Glass Melbourne

An Ode to Melbourne 

The Melbourne weather is moody as ever, changing so recklessly that it’s hard to tell whether to dress for summer or winter; the Yarra river flows ever so gently, and the University team practises their rowing; the high rise hotels peer from behind the old structures; Federation Square gets its life back post-pandemic; and the city is awake from the months-long slumber of closures and lockdowns.

In the midst of the busy city is Collins Street, home to some of the best works from the worlds of hospitality, fashion and horology. 

On this street, Melbourne’s premier shopping street, nestled away in the midst of the Longines, Tiffany & Co and TAG Heuer boutiques, stands a behemoth monument dedicated to the art of horology, the newly re-opened The Hour Glass Melbourne. 

Nearby the tram rolls on, a very modern Burberry boutique shimmers with its glass facade, and the Novotel welcomes back guests again. The Hour Glass Melbourne stands proud on the laurels of the brand’s 34-year history. 

Newly Re-opened The Hour Glass Melbourne

The New Era

After an extensive 3 year refurbishment, The Hour Glass returns home to 252 Collins Street, Melbourne. The proverbial phoenix rises, still paying respect to its heritage-listed outer casing but featuring a brand new interior. A fresh start, a beacon of hope in a city where the virus had gripped, its shackles tightening the noose around local businesses. The Hour Glass Melbourne ushers in a new era of luxury watches for this beautiful city of Melbourne. 

Says Mr Michael Tay, Group Managing Director of The Hour Glass: “Our Melbourne flagship stamps a significant milestone in our 34 year journey of serving the Australian watch community. 252 Collins Street is fundamental to our broader commitment to cultivate a sophisticated watch collecting public”.  

Newly Re-opened The Hour Glass Melbourne

It is housed inside what was formerly known as the ‘Kodak House’, an iconic Melbourne Art Déco building. The Kodak House and its neighbour the Lyric House have been architectural icons of the city, each notable in its own way but both marked by the tall thin proportions akin to the context of various interwar buildings on Collins Street they are surrounded by. Just like the Kodak House was Melbourne’s leader in architectural innovativeness by being the city’s first commercial building to use polished stainless steel in its facade, the newly refurbished The Hour Glass is set to lead the city’s horological scene. 

Newly Re-opened The Hour Glass Melbourne

Sui generis

The newly renovated The Hour Glass Melbourne offers an unparalleled speciality watch buying experience with showrooms spread over three levels.

The Hourglass Melbourne Boutique 5
Newly Re-opened The Hour Glass Melbourne
  • Above the Salon, the Mezzanine floor is dedicated to the remand that wears the crown, Rolex
The Hourglass Melbourne Boutique 1
  • Level 1 features a double-height volume showcasing two out of the three revered ‘Holy Trinity’ watch brands, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet
The Hourglass Melbourne Boutique 3

Adding the cherry to the cake is the 4-metre permanent installation by multi-award-winning Japanese art collective teamLAB. Commenting on the installation titled ‘Continuous Life and Death at the Now of Eternity’, teamLAB said: “The artwork is not a pre-recorded image that is played back; it is created by a computer program that continuously renders the artwork in real time. It is continuously evolving, and previous visual states are never replicated. The picture at this moment can never be seen again”.

Newly Re-opened The Hour Glass Melbourne

Parting Musings 

As an architect and watch lover, Melbourne has always fascinated me. The aromatic scents of coffee, the charming laneways with captivating street art, the Victorian architecture, and the presence of the luxury world on Collins Street has always drawn me to it like bees to honey. It is then with a certain sense of optimistic enthusiasm that I approach the news of this newly re-opened The Hour Glass Melbourne. 

The new boutique is split into three immersive floors, offering an unparalleled space for your horological awakening. The Education State now houses a one-stop premier destination to continue your education on horology. 

Newly Re-opened The Hour Glass Melbourne

For more information, please head to The Hour Glass website here. The new boutique is located at 252 Collins Street, Melbourne (03) 9650 6988. Its opening hours are Monday to Saturday from 10.00 am to 5.30 pm, Sunday from 11.00 am to 5.00 pm. All images used are courtesy The Hour Glass unless stated otherwise.

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