Cartier to open first New Zealand store in Auckland’s heart

“This project has been many years in the making. Congratulations to the Cartier team and the Tattersfield family on such a stunning addition to the CBD,” he said.

Property records show 66 Queen St is jointly owned by Tattersfield Securities Ltd and Stephanie Anne Tattersfield.

The Tattersfield family also own upmarket jewellery brand Walker & Hall. Walker & Hall has traded from the property for many years.

The building where Cartier will trade from is at the intersection of Fort St and Queen St in downtown Auckland. It is shown here on the left. Image / LandLAB

Walker & Hall managing director Joe Tattersfield acknowledged ownership of the building where Cartier is establishing.

Male told the Herald the leasing deal had been completed some time ago, but he was only able to speak about it now.

“Every so often in your career, there is a defining moment. This is one I am extremely proud of,” Male wrote on LinkedIn.

Cartier is owned by the Swiss-based conglomerate, Richemont.

The centre of Auckland already has Partridge’s, Tiffany & Co, Prada, Dior, Louis Vuitton, BVLGARI, Gucci and Swarovski. Most of those are on Queen St in the same block as the new Cartier.

Last November, the Australian Financial Review called New Zealand “an unlikely luxury market” and cited plans by Cartier, along with Tiffany, Van Cleef & Arpels and Graff.

Swiss company Richemont owns the Cartier and Montblanc brands. Photo / AP

“… the 180-year-old luxury house opens its first New Zealand boutique on Auckland’s Queen Street,” the publication noted.

A rendering of the exterior of the new Cartier store showed a vast, two-storey cream building running along a full block of the luxury shopping street.

Plans for the new Cartier store in downtown Auckland on the corner of Queen St and Fort St. Image / Metro Commercial

That article quoted Cartier Australia and New Zealand managing director Thomas Crye, saying several factors showed New Zealand was ready for a dedicated presence.

Cartier had been here with an existing network of authorised watch partners, he noted.

Kiwis travelling overseas were also buying Cartier, particularly in Australia.

Cartier’s High Jewellery Exhibition in Sydney is the biggest showcase of fine jewellery for the brand in Australia.

“These are strong indicators that give us the confidence to invest in a flagship store,” Crye told the AFR.

Violence and homelessness has blighted Queen St in the past few years but the Government’s ‘move on’ orders are attempting to deal with that.

The Cartier refurbishment is now underway with the building behind construction barriers.

The image Male posted of how the refurbished building in Auckland could look certainly had a French touch.

That showed a significantly refurbished building with a golden street entranceway.

The distinctive Cartier symbol is to be on the corner of the building.

Retail leasing specialist Nathan Male. Photo / Metro Commercial

Elegant red awnings or canopies are shown over the upstairs windows on levels one and two.

Pouhere Taonga Heritage New Zealand lists 66 Queen St and 4 Fort St and Fort Lane as the former Imperial Hotel as a heritage building.

The cream structure is a notable example of a Victorian corner public house in the heart of colonial Auckland, its listing said.

Cartier will join other luxury brands in the heart of Queen Street. Photo / Michael Craig

The building was erected in 1883 and also incorporates two earlier structures dating from 1862 and 1873. It has a historic place category two listing.

The building reflects varied aspects of Auckland’s commercial and administrative development and has been used as a hotel, insurance rooms and offices for institutions such as the Auckland Harbour Board and the Auckland Gas Board.

The place has architectural value for incorporating an 1880s corner hotel designed by the prominent Auckland architectural practice of Edward Mahoney and Sons, and an earlier structure that is one of few known commercial buildings designed by James Wrigley, the heritage listing says.

BNZ at 80 Queen St opposite the new Cartier shop. Photo / Colliers International

The place has historical significance for reflecting the development of the Queen St area as the city’s main commercial centre, and for its connections with several important organisations.

These include the Auckland Harbour Board, Auckland Gas Board, Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society and liquor interests Hancock, New Zealand Breweries and Lion Breweries, Heritage NZ said.

Opposite 66 Queen St stands the new BNZ building at 80 Queen St.

That incorporated the heritage Jean Batten State Building. To develop 80 Queen St, the BNZ agreed not to demolish the Jean Batten Building and the council agreed not to override a demolition consent by imposing a heritage order.

Fort St is a shared pedestrian/vehicle street, resulting in far less traffic and parking, more emphasis on connectivity and slower traffic.

Auckland’s 131 Queen Street is set to become the city’s new department store, as luxury brand Faradays prepares for its next evolution. Photo / Krukziener Properties

Tom Raynel of the Herald has reported how 2026 is the year of luxury brands.

New stores are planned for Queen St and Newmarket this year, bringing more style and shine to the country’s offerings, he says.

New department store challenger on Queen St, Faradays, aims to be open by mid-year.

Anne Gibson has been the Herald’s property editor for 26 years, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.

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