Welcome back to an aBlogtoWatch original series, where we discuss important stores that sell watches all over the world. Each store we profile has an interesting story to tell about where they operate and who they sell to. Whether you buy watches from brick and mortar retailers or prefer to buy watches online, these are the stores that help shape our watch culture around the globe. There is a long list of stores to cover, but if there is a retail location in your favorite city that we simply can’t miss, let us know in the comments below. Here is a map of stores we have covered so far.

Where to buy watches in Las Vegas, Nevada?

Even if you don’t care about gambling, Las Vegas still remains a top entertainment and shopping destination that attracts visitors from around the world. As a side note, if you ask someone from Hawaii where they are going on vacation, more often than not the answer you will hear is VEGAS!!! And yes, the kama’aina definitely go there to gamble.

Rather than our usual profile of a single watch retail business, this time we are going to cover a “Shopping Destination” that caters to watch lovers. And that would be The Shops at Crystals which is located at the Aria resort and casino complex in the heart of Las Vegas. In a city of landmark buildings, you need to flex your architectural muscles to be noticed. The exterior architecture of Crystals was conceived by Studio Daniel Libeskind and is a multi-faceted, brilliant glass canopy depicting the shape of a quartz crystal (or so they say). Within, David Rockwell and Rockwell Group created an abstract 21^st century park featuring “changeable artwork” such as hanging gardens, a flower, etc.

It’s said that beauty is only skin deep – it’s what’s inside that counts. And for watch lovers, that means the variety of luxury watch stores inside Crystals. For example, one of Richard Mille’s two U.S. boutiques is located at Crystals. Crystals is the only Las Vegas location for TAG Heuer, and besides having TAG’s entire product line, they have boutique-exclusive pieces. Then there is the largest Tourbillon store in the world (a 3800 square feet boutique). The Bvlgari store at Crystals is the only Las Vegas boutique that carries their timepieces. Cartier has its largest Las Vegas store here, and Crystals has the only Christian Dior location with a dedicated watch salon. Van Cleef & Arpels has an “Only-At-Crystals” collection, and finally, Louis Vuitton’s biggest high-end watch and jewelry salon in the world and the brand’s largest store in North America is at Crystals. Whew! And that only highlights a few of the watch stores. We won’t even get into fashion, jewelry and other luxury stores there. And if all of that shopping makes you hungry, there are places to eat there as well.

Our interview questions today are answered by Mr. Farid Matraki, Senior V.P. and General Manager of Crystals. He has a huge interest and knowledge of luxury watches and is no stranger to the world of luxury. He is a veteran of the fashion business (over two decades), including 12 years with LVMH and he personally selects which watch stores you will find at Crystals.

aBlogtoWatch: What types of watches are popular in your market? What makes Las Vegas a unique place to buy watches?

The Shops at Crystals: The most popular watches to buy in Las Vegas right now are the complicated pieces created with exotic combinations of metals such as carbon fiber and sand blasted ceramic. These high-end watches are so readily available here because Las Vegas has a high concentration of brands with multiple outlets catering to our millions of visitors. A watch is such an easy gift to buy for yourself or someone else. Most pieces of jewelry must be tried on to ensure they fit perfectly, but a watch can fit right out of the box.

ABTW: What would you tell watch lovers in other cities that watch lovers in Las Vegas like?

The Shops at Crystals: Watch lovers in Las Vegas are much like they are everywhere except they have more diverse choices. Las Vegas is an international destination, and the selection here reflects that. When stores select the watches they are going to sell in Las Vegas they have to have knowledge of markets in so many other parts of the world. Stores here aren’t just choosing watches to be sold to locals, they are selecting watches to be sold to everyone.

ABTW: Do you serve mostly locals or tourists, or is it a good mix? Also, what percentage of your customers would you call “knowledgeable watch collectors?”

The Shops at Crystals: The Shops at Crystals sees about 85 percent of its guests coming in from out of town, and the remaining 15 percent are locals, but almost anyone who comes to purchase a watch knows what they want and has knowledge about time pieces. Since the invention of the Internet, the customer has become much more knowledgeable and they’re doing their research. A lot of the customers come in knowing as much as the sales people they are working with.

ABTW: What is Las Vegas best known for? What do visitors have to do, see, or eat while there?

The Shops at Crystals: Las Vegas is known for offering the best of everything in retail, dining, and entertainment. The size of the retail stores here are often the largest in either the country or even the world, so they offer a tremendous selection of items guests can only purchase here. When visitors come to Las Vegas, I always suggest they shop at The Shops at Crystals, make sure they take in the amazing art collection throughout ARIA and dine at the new BARDOT Brasserie, it’s my favorite restaurant right now.

ABTW: As a business, do you sponsor or participate in any local events, watch-related or otherwise?

The Shops at Crystals: The Shops at Crystals host many events such as boutique grand openings, book signings, and pop-up shops, but we are especially proud to host those with a philanthropic tilt. Our watch and jewelry boutiques are a part of those events.

ABTW: What are some of the watch brands you are known for carrying? If you could pick a watch brand or model that epitomizes the culture or style of Las Vegas what would it be?

The Shops at Crystals: We’re known for carrying items you can’t find anywhere else in Las Vegas, and we have unique to market stores specializing in watches such as Audemars Piguet and Tourbillon, but right now, my favorite brand would have to be the one I’m currently wearing, and that would be Richard Mille. The Shops at Crystals is the only place you can find these complicated and unique time pieces in Las Vegas and one of only a few boutiques in the country. TheShopsAtCrystals.com