A Look Inside L’Oro, Toronto’s Newest Luxury Watch Destination
Toronto’s Yorkville corridor has become a global destination for luxury shopping and is home to some of the most prestigious and exclusive brands in the world. This spring, L’Oro jewellers added a few more choice names to that list with the opening of its new boutique at the corner of Bloor St. and Avenue Rd. With over 4,200 square feet of retail space and external boutiques devoted to IWC, Roger Dubuis, and Panerai watches, L’Oro has created a new destination for luxury timepieces in the heart of downtown Toronto.
“Bloor Street represents the definition of luxury retail within Canada,” says Haigo Derian, L’Oro’s president, who opened the new location with a VIP reception and ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by the president of Roger Dubuis Americas, Laurent Toinet, along with representatives from Park Hyatt, Oxford Properties, and the Bloor-Yorkville BIA. “Having a location within the Bloor-Yorkville corridor cements our position as a participant within this space. We are excited to be in the neighbourhood and are extremely happy with our decision to locate within this incredible luxury corridor.”
L’Oro’s new IWC boutique offers watch enthusiasts an up-close look at some of the brand’s most iconic designs, including new releases from the Portugieser and Big Pilot families, in a space that reflect’s the brand’s refined classic-modern aesthetic. As the first boutique devoted to Roger Dubuis in Canada, L’Oro’s new Bloor Street location also offers collectors a rare opportunity to experience these unique pieces in the metal. Founded in the 1990s by veteran Swiss watchmaker Roger Dubuis, and now owned by the Richemont Group, Roger Dubuis is one of the world’s most creative and exclusive watch brands with an output of just a few thousand pieces each year.
“Being a partner at the boutique level is the highest designation an operating partner can achieve within the luxury watch and jewellery industry,” Derian shares. “It gives us the opportunity to present the most desirable and specialty product offerings available. Being awarded three boutiques by Richemont is especially significant as this is the first multi-store partnership of its kind in Canada. We are honoured to be a select partner of what is easily considered the world’s most esteemed luxury timepiece group.”
Founded by Vahram Derian more than 40 years ago, L’Oro has earned a reputation as one of the GTA’s most trusted sources for high-end watches and jewellery. This tradition of quality and integrity has been carried on by President Haigo Derian and Vice-President Jeff Karadjian who have continued to expand L’Oro’s offerings, which now include watches from Norqain, Ressence, Grand Seiko, and Glashütte Original, as well as French jewellery Maison Messika.
“Canada has typically been behind on keeping up with the growth of the luxury segment,” says Derian. “But today, compared to, say, 20 years ago, you are seeing the brands, products, and now the locations within the marketplace. Our newest Bloor Street stores are an example of the industry’s interest in better satisfying luxury consumers.”