For the next two years, Cartier’s signature spotted panther will loom over the jeweler’s Fifth Avenue flagship store, gazing intently from the top of a mesh drape over the building as it undergoes extensive renovation.
The French jeweler closed its doors at Fifth Avenue and 52nd Street on Saturday, and is relocating this week just a little farther north on Fifth Avenue to the General Motors Building, which is also home to F.A.O. Schwarz and Apple.
Exactly when Cartier’s diamond, gold, precious gem and watch inventory is being moved has remained a secret, cloaked to avoid any possible high-stakes heists. The temporary store is expected to open on Friday, and some suggest that the G.M. site may become a permanent, second Fifth Avenue store in future years.
Cartier’s new site in the G.M. building had previously housed the studio for “The Early Show” on CBS, and it features 8,000 square feet of selling space, making it the company’s largest United States store, followed by its store in Beverly Hills, Calif., (with 6,300 square feet of selling space). The new store will have 22-foot ceilings and display décor by Bruno Moinard, who designs Cartier stores worldwide.
