If you have ever stumbled your way up to the top floor of Sydney’s iconic Queen Victoria Building, chances are you’ve found yourself immersed in a wide world of vintage wares. For years, the setting has played host to a number of Sydney’s best antique stores, each loaded with valuables invariably cloaked in history and shrouded in heritage, however, for the past few weeks, something new has been brewing. Multi-generational family business Kalmar Antiques has just unveiled a newly refurbished boutique, complete with some of Australia’s rarest pieces and a state-of-the-art watchmaking workshop.
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Kalmar Antiques QVB boutique | Image: Kalmar Antiques
Perched fittingly just in front of the historic Great Australian Clock, the outpost builds upon the family business’ already-established retail space, in more ways than one. The expanded showroom provides more open access to the public, while the addition of Rolex-trained master watchmaker, Lorenzo Del Rosso, to the in-house team pops an enviable feather in the Kalmars’ cap. Not only does it mark the first time the vintage watch specialists have laid claim to an in-house master watchmaker, it also opens the door for further expansion. As Kalmar Antiques director Damien Kalmar explains, the move comes in direct response to the burgeoning domestic watch market.
“The addition of master watchmaker, Lorenzo Del Rosso, to our watchmaking workshop marks an important step for the future of vintage and antique timepieces,” Kalmar said. “We have seen the popularity of watch collecting flourish so much over the last decade and we are proud to offer a place for repairs and servicing with a trusted team of experienced craftspeople.”
1975 Patek Philippe 3578/1 in 18k gold | Image: Kalmar Antiques
For Sydneysiders, the expanded boutique offers an assortment of rare and vintage watches, with further timepieces to be repaired and serviced under Del Rosso’s watchful eye, however, there’s more than just watches on offer. The expansive 13-metre front window display provides a rare peek into the beauty of the past, delicately filled with antique jewellery, objects and pocket watches from as early as the Georgian era. Kalmar also confirmed that there is a specialised showcase that features historical items that have never been available for public display before.
“This expansion is the next chapter for our business and I am incredibly proud to continue on my family’s legacy,” Kalmar said. “We hope to ignite a new and exciting era of antique dealing in Sydney, whilst maintaining good old-fashioned service to our existing and new customers.”
Located in the historic QVB, Kalmar Antiques’ refurbished boutique opened to the public on Saturday 22 October. You can find out more about the antique dealers and vintage watch specialists below.
Kalmar Antiques QVB boutique | Image: Kalmar Antiques
Kalmar Antiques QVB boutique | Image: Kalmar Antiques
