Thursday, November 5, 2009

Perrelet Introduces New Semi Skeletonized Split-Seconds Chronograph Watches




Following the success of their Split-Seconds Chronograph, Perrelet is announcing the expansion of the collection with three new variations. This amazing split-seconds chronograph represents the innovative nature of the Perrelet brand. Watchmaking enthusiasts will appreciate the elegance of the finish on the glass discs which has taken the place of traditional hands, resulting in perfect harmony between tradition and modernity.

Three new models are being introduced. A stainless w/ceramic bezel and back, a DLC coated stainless, and a stunning pink gold w/ceramic bezel and case back - all with different dial combonantions featuring painted Arabic numerals, luminescent indicies, and special open-work to allow the wearer to admire the semi-skeletonized Calibre P-241 automatic movement.
  
The movement features a fly-back feature, central hours, minutes, seconds with date on discs and sweep seconds with hours, minutes displays on discs. Either sapphire crystal front and back or sapphire/ceramic sandwich the elegant movement between into the 43.5mm case. The execution of this all is amazing to look at and is sure to stir up conversation whenever the wearer goes.

A natural black rubber bracelet embossed with the "Perrelet" logo and embellished with a deployment buckle complete the model's accessories. 

Pricing is from $12,950 - $25,500.





Tuesday, November 3, 2009

TX Watches by Timex - Style, Design, and Technology Beyond Expectation



Developed for over five years by  Timex Group company, Callanen International (Nautica, Marc Ecko timepieces), TX Watches are a fusion of American innovation, German engineering and Italian design creating unique timepieces. A synthesis of technology and design creating timepieces unique to the industry and as individual as the collection itself. From the first ever quartz analog Perpetual Weekly Calendar, to the revolutionary vertical movement of the Linear Chronograph, TX offers patented proprietary movements unavailable anywhere else in the world.

Each timepiece, which I think rate a 9.5-10 on the "Man Scale", contains four motors, operating independently of each other. One motor drives the hour, minute and second hands, while three bi-directional motors are dedicated to the additional functions. Combined with visionary design, the result is precise, innovative and reliable technology that is easy to use.


 

 TX watches feature superior quality materials including premium sapphire crystals, sculpted dials, finely crafted hands, supreme leathers, precisely etched case backs and intricately molded crowns.

For over a century, Timex has been a brand that people did not usually put in the bold design, extreme durability, and great performance categories. I think with all of the R&D that they put into manufacturing the TX line, matched with pricing that is on average sub-$500., they have truly, taken a lickin' and just keep on tickin'.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Remember to set your watches back tonight! Ernst Benz reminded me!



I have so many different email addresses that I sometimes forget to check all of them. I must have completely spaced one of them because when I opened it, I had messages from back several months ago. (sorry for not getting back to you, guys) One of the messages I got just the other day, was this great Daylight Savings Time reminder from Ernst Benz with their amazing Chronolunar Automatic on it.

With Halloween falling on a Saturday and DST happening so late this year, I am glad that I opened it or I would have forgotten all about it. (actually, I saw this on A Blog to Read, as well, so I really would not have forgotten).

This is a great note sent out by the Swiss watch maker that, not only reminds you to set back your timepieces and enjoy that extra hour of sleep, but suggests that if you have any issues setting your Ernst Benz for the event, just drop by your nearest EB retailer and they will be glad to help you out. Maybe get you to look at another watch or accessory while you are there. Maybe their Special Chrysalis Editions featuring my personal favorite, the 47mm Eric Dane Chronoscope.

Bravo Ernst Benz on a unique little marketing piece that strengthens your brand in my eyes. Thanks for the extra hour of sleep, too!

Friday, October 30, 2009

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore "Queens Road" Limited Edition


One of the world's oldest and most respected watchmakers, Audemars Piguet, has created another Limited Edition of the Royal Oak Offshore. The AP ROO Queens Road is dedicated to the first road in Hong Kong built by the British administration between years 1841 and 1843.

Created to commemorate the AP Flagship store, the Carlson Boutique, that happens to reside on Queen's Road Central - one of the 4 sections of the famous road that slices through Hong Kong. Its other parts are Queensway, Queen's Road West, and Queen's Road East.

The Titanium case houses a jet black "Mega Tapisserie” dial with large Marxist red Arabic numerals and matching inner-bezel and hands. AP's calibre 3126/3840 movement offers hour and minute, small second @12 functions, a chronograph with a central seconds hand, 30-minute and 12-hour sub-dials The chronograph dials are set in a 12, 6, 9 pattern and the familiar ROO rubber crown and chrono-pushers grace the side of the 42mm case. A special "Queen's Road" engraving finishes off the caseback.



The strap is a beautiful black Hornback crocodile leather with high-contrast red stitching and titanium AP-branded folding clasp. This very limited edition $26,000. piece will be available to only 100 lucky (and well-off) collectors.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Panerai is downsizing - The popular Italian watch brand will introduce a 42mm Radiomir in January 2010.



Officine Panerai, is still holding their position as one of the most popular watch brands in a stressed market. When the watch brand introduced their 44mm Luminor series in 1997, the watch market had not yet embraced oversized watches. But Panerai changed all that.

44, 45 and 47mm seem to be the standard size of a Panerai, however the Florentine watch company will introduce a stunning 42mm Radiomir (PAM336) in pink gold with a tobacco brown dial (a'la their limited Edition 232). The layout of the dial is the classic seconds at 9 style. The exceptional legibility in the dark is in fact achieved through a ‘sandwich’ dial with the luminescent material placed between two metal layers, the top one perforated in correspondence with the numerals and indexes. Pink gold plated luminescent hands complement the case as they tick away the seconds, minutes and hours.



The watch, with wire lugs that are easy to remove when substituting the strap and water-proof up to a depth of 100 meters, features the classic screw-down, truncated "onion" style crown ensuring maximum water-tightness.

Panerai is using the new 42mm 336 Radiomir model, to house their latest in-house movement, P.999. With a diameter of 12 lignes and a thickness of only 3.4 mm, the new hand-wound P.999 movement features 19 jewels, a 60-hour power reserve and a balance wheel oscillating at 21,600 alternations/hour.

This new Radiomir, PAM336, is movement-wise, a historic salute to the early days of the Florentine watch company. And a modern salute to the manufacturer position that Panerai proudly holds today.



Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Jaeger-LeCoultre iPhone application



Jaeger LeCoultre (JLC) has designed and created an App that aims to share the fascinating world of fine watchmaking with the public at large. You can choose the brand’s most iconic models, from the Reverso Squadra to the Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2, along with the Master Compressor Diving Pro Geographic.

The application offers a chance to explore a collection of over 60 models. The user can test the most innovative of these watches, and thus for example activate the depth gauge of the Master Compressor Diving Pro Geographic; change the time zone on a Master Geographic; start a vertical-trigger chronograph by simply pressing the sapphire crystal of an AMVOX2 Chronograph; or swivel the case of a Reverso Grande GMT.

Thanks to this application, iPhone owners explore the various stages in creating a watch. They have access to a particularly comprehensive dictionary of horology and to six watch initiation classes. The classes enable users to practice watchmaking techniques directly on their iPhone screen: assembling a chronograph mechanism, decorating and jewelling a movement, polishing, engraving and gem-setting a case. For the latter class, the aim is to gem-set a Reverso Neva, making no mistakes and in record time, by skilfully sliding the diamonds onto the watch case. The watch classes are displayed at a rate of one new class every two weeks.


A prize drawing will reward one of the learners having correctly answered all three competition questions and who will then be offered a guided tour of the Manufacture located in the Vallée de Joux.

Finally, the application provides a function that identifies the Jaeger-LeCoultre points of sale in the country and/or city of your choice and enables you to locate them instantly.

Jaeger-LeCoultre CEO Jérôme Lambert stated: “Since 176 years, the Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre has developed a culture of innovation and a resolutely avant-garde spirit. As web pioneers, we are happy to show that our passion for fine watchmaking is matched by a desire to share knowledge that would honour Antoine LeCoultre, the self-taught company founder. Our application should appeal to devotees of watches and of technical masterpieces.”


Photo from Fratellowatches

Monday, October 12, 2009

Lum-Tec Bull 45 A4 PVD Chronograph


Every now and then, my wife tells me I'm "bull-headed". I used to think that was some kind of an insult until I saw this new limited edition piece from Lum-Tec on Professionalwatches blog. The Bull 45 A4 Chronograph features a 45mm 316L stainless steel case coated in silky black PVD. I like to think that it has a bit of a Bell & Ross feel to it. It is a bullhead design, which means the crown and chronograph pushers are on the top of the case. It is a slightly harder to operate than a traditional side mounted configuration, however this design prevents the crown of pushers from poking into your wrist.

As with all of Lum-Tec's styles, emphasis is on visibility and when the lights go out, the Bull 45 does not disappoint. Their patented 8-layer MDV® LUM-TEC GX luminous treatment makes the dial visible even in the most extreme low-light conditions. Although the dial seems slightly busy with its three sub-dials, date window, and over-sized numerals and hour markers, it is very legible and in the dark it is even better. A double-sided Anti-reflective sapphire crystal protects it all.


Powering the Bull 45 A4, is a Japanese quartz OS10 chronograph movement (Lum-Tec also uses Swiss "ETA" mechanical movements in some of their models). The case, which is adorned with multiple screw heads is treated with a brushed hard black PVD finish, that provides a very stealth look to this over sized timepiece. There is no denying that this is a tool watch and ready to go to work!  It all makes it way on to your wrist via a top grade rubber strap with a signature black PVD buckle. Water-resistance is 100 meters and is listed at an unbelievable $599. (they are a limited edition so hurry!)

So the next time your significant other calls you "bull-headed" just smile and say, "Thank you for the compliment."

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Grande Complication on JamesList


Typical Sunday morning for me. I woke up to the sound of my 2 kids trying to work the AppleTV and knew it was time to start my final day of the weekend. I switched on the laptop and pointed my browser to it's first stop of the day, JamesList.com. I usually save the watch listings for last but today, I went right to them and much to my surprise, I found this beauty up for sale.


The AP RO Grande Complication is as luxurious a sport watch as you will ever see. As is the case with all Audemars Piguet Royal Oak timepieces, the Royal Oak Grande Complication watch shows off the unique octagonal bezel with 8 hexagonal screws whose slots are all aligned to form a circle. Crafted in 18K white gold with a sapphire exhibition case back, the APROGC is made up of over 648 individual pieces. It  is a modern watch with a perpetual calendar showing day, date, week, lunar phase, month and even leap year that is said to be accurate for over a century.

So how much does one have to pay to have the honor to call one of these masterpieces their own? This particular one is ready to go at $584,000.USD and is located in Switzerland. I wonder if I can get him to throw in shipping for free? The JamesList-ing is here in case you are interested.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean "Liquidmetal"


Let the record state that I am a big Omega fan. That being said, they really have not put anything out in the past few years, since I purchased my PO, that has got my motor running, so to speak...until now! Omega has gone above and beyond in updating the Seamaster Planet Ocean by utilizing 2 materials that they have never used before on any watch, ceramic and a unique titanium compound that they have named "Liquidmetal" (more on that later)

Thankfully they did not depart from what made the PO a best selling dive watch and one of the most popular timepieces in the replica world. This Limited Edition (1948 pieces) is powered by Omega's Chronomter certified Calibre 2500 Co-Axial automatic movement. The dial is familiar with numerals at 12, 6, and 9 and tapered baton lume markers at all twelve positions. The "Seamaster" text really stands out in red on the, what looks like, ceramic dial. Helium release valve at the 10 spot and the heavily knurled crown. What really sets this model apart is the stunning black ceramic rotating bezel combined with solid "liquidmetal" numerals and markers.


It is still yet to be seen if this new combination will fly with buyers, but from all I can see, it looks to be a real winner. I hope Omega uses more ceramic (a'la Rolex, Hublot, Blancpain, etc...) to come. Time, and sales, will tell if they will translate it throughout the brand.

LIQUIDMETAL
(From Ariel Adams' Blog to Read) Turns out liquid metal is something else, not the ceramic part of the watch. Liquidmetal seems to be a special titanium allow that has the manufacturing process of plastic. Thus it is very malleable. Omega uses Liquid metal at least in parts of the bezel to combine with the ceramic for the amazing seamless look. The makers of liquid metal say that it is a "metallic glass." Something I've certainly never heard of. In addition to titanium, it has zirconium, nickel, copper, and beryllium. Lots of companies uses the stuff when metal needs to be formed in the right way, but simply don't want to endure the very difficult process of using tradition methods to get the beautifully seamless look that you can see here on the bezel of the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Liquidmetal.


Perrelet Watches at Lussori Event



Perrelet the centuries old company that first brought us the automatic watch movement, recently partnered with Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA luxury retailer, Lussori to introduce release of the new Perrelet Turbine Watch Collection as well as other luxury watches from the brand. On hand was Virginie Perrelet, a direct descendant to the company's founder.

While Perrelet is a more familiar brand in Europe, this event and others like it are a great way to connect with the watch community and build brand identity here in the States. This was also a great opportunity for the company to educate consumers about the value and quality of the Perrelet brand of timepieces.  

"The people who attended were definitely interested in the brand. I heard positive comments about the design and exquisite craftsmanship each watch had. I feel proud to say we left the event with new Perrelet fans", said Perrelet's North American Managing director, Michael Goldstein.
 
Look for the company's next big step, their own in-house movements, due soon. This step will cement their place in the luxury watch marketplace.



Saturday, September 26, 2009

Gorilla Leather Straps - A true hidden gem in strap making.

You purchased your grail timepiece, congrats. You have worn it for over a year now and although you may still stare longingly at it, several times per day - truth is, it is getting a little bumped around. So you break out your Cape Cod cloth or titanium refinishing pen and go to work. A few minutes later, you have a watch case that looks like it just left the showroom case. You go to put your leather strap back on it and it looks like it just does not belong. The original strap has taken a full year of daily wearing (and removing) and is looking a bit tired. You could go back to the AD (authorized dealer) and drop over $150. + on a new OEM strap. Maybe a brown one, or a gator/croc selection,(for a lot more $$) or you could go a different route...a custom strap, made exclusively for you with hand stitching and an endless selection of hides and thread colors all for a lot less than most other "custom" strap makers. Don't get me wrong, there are a number of aftermarket strap manufacturers out there putting together some real nice looking product. My favorite choice happens to be Bo at Gorilla Leather.

Bo hasn't been making straps for all that long but is a true student of design. He started drawing at the age of 3 and he is the currently a self taught Graphic Designer for a MLB team . Most recently he redesigned the teams logos and uniforms, so you know the guy has talent. He took to strapmaking rather quickly mainly because the options that were out there were far to expensive and he saw an opportunity.

While all handmade straps are truly custom, Bo takes "custom" to a whole different level. Lets say you decided to purchase a Gorilla Strap. While he does, from time to time, have pre-made straps available, the real joy is customizing your own. Once you email Bo at Gorilla Leather he can send you a form that has nine (9) different selections that you have to choose to make your strap. They range from choosing your size (6 different measurement points), 4 different cut options, numerous stitch patterns and thread options, and of course, so many leather options that you may lose your mind trying to decide. Bo's Flickr page has plenty of pics to help guide you through the process.



"There is a base cost for each strap." Says Bo. "From there you can customize your design by choosing your own options. If there is a price next to an option, that additional charge is tacked on to the base charge of the strap. If there is no cost listed, it's a free option. Genius!" An average strap custom made to your liking will cost you less than $100. bucks - an unbelievable bargain. You can also get WWII ammo pouch straps or genuine Ostrich leg for an extra $30. Each strap is branded on the back with Gorilla Leather "G" stamp.

If you have ever had a custom suit or pair of shoes made for you, you know that these things take time. Well the same goes for strap making. Bo takes his time with his craft. "Time required to make each strap is based on my current work load. And if it wasn't obvious, I take my time to turn out an excellent product and do everything I can to make your vision a reality. So yeah, it takes a while. Don't email me every week asking status of your strap. I will hate you.." He says jokingly. "Let me work and be patient." Shipping is USPS flat rate $5. but for a little bit more, you can get it any way you choose.



Gorilla Leather also creates some unique non-watch leather goods. Your pooch can show off his own custom dog collar, or you can travel in style with Bo's luggage tags. If you dream it, I'm sure Bo can make it. If you have any questions, just email Bo@artofbo.com or Twitter.com/@gorilla_straps and he will gladly answer any questions you may have. His website, www.gorillaleather.com will be going live on 10/23-09.

I guess now you can add strap making to the list of things "Bo Knows..."

Friday, September 25, 2009

Tag Heuer Monaco V4


Somebody had better send the medics over to LVMH headquarters...STAT! There is something going on with them over there. There MUST be! Why else would they stray so far from the norm that is the Tag Heuer brand and create this masterpiece? The Tag Heuer Monaco V4.

While the average Tag Heuer is priced around $2000., the V4 packs a much loftier price, $80,000. to be exact. See, now you know why I want the medics over there? What exactly do you get with the extra $78K over the standard Monaco? This is where the fun begins...

First, according to Tag Heuer, the Monaco V4 watch took them 14,200 days of R&D to make. That is somewhere around 38 years for those who are keeping score. (I'm sure that is including all man hours combined) The case is 950 Platinum and is in the familiar Monaco square shape. There is a semi-domed sapphire crystal shows off the engine-like (V4, get it?) movement in an almost three-dimensional look. The hands are a cool blue that stands out on the brushed metal movement, very well. A second hand is non-existent.

Moving to the rear of the watch, you will see a specially designed curved case back that displays two turbine looking banks of cylinders, (again, keeping with the high performance automotive theme) with four wheels in the corners driven by belts. Those four wheels are the mainspring barrels and the belts help provide 52 hrs. of power reserve for the watch. The belts actually need to be replaced, just like a cars belts do. What no oil change? Separating these two banks of "cylinders" is a linear weight that moves up and down as you wear it and serves to wind the movement. No oscillating rotor here!

S0 lets see, we have a belt driven transmission, an $80K price tag, what am I missing from describing this unique vehic, err...timepice? Of course ball bearings!! Tag Heuer uses micro ball bearings in place of rubies between the gears and movement plate. They say the ball bearings cause less friction. All these unique, yet functional elements keep the Tag Heuer well in Chronometer range by being accurate to within 4 seconds per day.



Tag Heuer is making the first 150 pieces of this watch available through auction at the Only Watch 2009 charity watch auction. The other 149 of them are waiting at the Tag Heuer showroom - I would guess next to the Rolls' and the Bugatti's!

Specs courtesy of Tag Heuer:

TRANSMISSION
5 NOTCHED BELTS INCLUDING 2 WITH INTERNAL STEEL REINFORCEMENT WIRE
3 DIFFERENT TRANSMISSION BELTS, OF 0.25 X 0.07 mm, WITH A LOAD TO 130g
2 IDENTICAL BARREL BELTS, OF 0.5 X 0.15 mm, WITH A LOAD TO 1’300g
11 MICRO BALL-BEARINGS OF 2.2 TO 4 mm DIAMETER AND 0.6 TO 1 mm THICK
6 NOTCHED PULLEYS INCLUDING THE ESCAPEMENT PINION REPLACING THE TRADITIONAL PINIONS AND WHEELS
48 JEWELS

ENERGY
2 PAIRS OF BARRELS IN SERIES, SET IN PARALLEL AND INCLINED AT 13°, STORING 450g OF ENERGY EACH: 900g TOTAL STRENGTH

AUTOMATIC WINDING SYSTEM
LINEAR MASS WITH DOUBLE RACK RAIL: 12g TUNGSTEN INGOT

MOVEMENT FEATURES
28’800 VIBRATIONS PER HOUR
STRENGTH COLLECTING SYSTEM SET ON A MICRO BEARING AT 12 O’CLOCK
2 DISCHARGE RATCHETS WITH GEAR CUT AT 13°
ANNULAR BALANCE WITH 3 ARMS MADE OF GLUCYDUR
« TOP » QUALITY SWISS BALANCE-SPRING WITH MICRO BLAZED FINISHING
« RAQUETTERIE » WITH FINE ADJUSTMENT BY ECCENTRIC SCREW
52-HOUR POWER RESERVE
AVERAGE ACCURACY PER 24H: +/- 4 SEC
RANGE max 310°, min 210°
SMALL SECOND AT 4

WATCH FEATURES
PLATINUM 950 CASE
BEVELED EDGE AND CURVED SAPPHIRE GLASS
HAND-SEWN BLUE ALLIGATOR STRAP
FOLDING BUCKLE WITH DOUBLE SAFETY PUSH-BUTTONS IN PLATINUM 950

Sunday, June 14, 2009

One of a Kind Lum-Tec California Dial Chrono Up for Auction


The guys over at Lum-Tec has a pretty cool prototype watch up for auction. Here is a great opportunity to own a one-off example from one of the hottest, new watch manufacturers out there. The watch has a unique blue California (Roman and Arabic hour markers) dial with chrono function and enough of Lum-Tec's MDV (Maximum Darkness Visibility) lume so our friends in the International Space Station can tell the time all the way from up there. Owner Chris Wiegand gives the watches specs on his companies forum:

"This is a handmade prototype watch, hand made dial with hand applied lume, handmade leather strap, sapphire crystal with double side AR, 44mm 316L SS case, Miyota OS20 chronograph movement. Only one like it in the world. This model will not ever be produced so it's a cool piece to have for a watch collector. "

Auction ends soon so visit WatchandClockForum.com now and place your bid. Good luck!

Thursday, June 4, 2009

The Patek Philippe Gondolo for Tiffany & Co.

To celebrate the opening of the Patek Philippe salon inside the Tiffany & Co. flagship store on New York’s 5th Avenue, Patek Philippe have created an exclusive Gondolo. The Patek Philippe Gondolo for Tiffany & Co. revives Patek Philippe’s tradition of featuring the retailer on the dial of the watch which was once popular but was phased out in the early 1990’s. The Tiffany & Co. Gondolo retains the Gondolo’s unique shape and is made of white gold and encrusted with one hundred and sixty seven brilliant cut diamonds. The dial is available in either black or white lacquer with a classic guilloche pattern. Only fifty of each model will be made and will be available exclusively from the Tiffany & Co. flagship store on 5th Avenue.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Vacheron Constantin Overseas Gray

The color gray has always been used to describe something to the negative. Think about it..."skies are gray!" Everyone is afraid to get "old and gray", etc... Vacheron Constantin would like to change your perception of the color with a new slate gray look to the brand's sports watch, the Overseas Gray watch line. The Overseas collection has been a bit of a departure from the classic, more conservative watch company. From its textured dial to its overall divers heritage. This new Gray lineup continues that lineage and is a real beauty to look at.The monochromatic tonalities of this collection are based on a design from the thirty's, which has been re-interpreted by VC several times in the past.

There are 2 versions available, an automatic and an automatic chronograph, both 42mm, housing an automatic Vacheron Constantin caliber 1226 and 1137 respectively. Titanium bezels and mouse gray straps finish off the look for these pieces. Pricing on both of these will be released shortly.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Glashutte PanoTourbillon XL on JamesList.com

So I was perusing this great new website, JamesList.com. It is sort of like a rich man's version of Craigslist. It really has some of the most unique (expensive!) toys I have ever seen in one place. The best part, all of them are for sale.

Take for instance this stunning Glashutte Pano Tourbillon XL This is a new version of the most complicated watch movement equipped with minute tourbillon by Glashutte Original. The dial of the watch is divided into two parts: the upper one is silver and shows the tourbillon indications; the lower one is galvanized and contains the dial with minute and hour hands and two arc scales of date indicator and mainspring winding indicator. The tourbillon, the most demanding of all complications, was perfected by Glashutte master watchmaker Alfred Helwig. In a so-called “Flying Tourbillon”, the balance, pallets, and escapement wheel are located in a cantilevered carriage.

The case is a 42mm round design in 18k white gold. The case back is a sapphire exhibition crystal that exposes the spokes of the balance wheel and other components. An alligator leather strap with 18k buckle pulls it all together.

The list price for this piece is usually close to the $115,000. USD mark but you can have the one on JamesList for the bargain price of $99,000. USD. Check out the listing here and feel free to make an offer.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Watchmaker Bedat & Co seems to be closing up shop!

The down economy and soft luxury market has seemed to affect, yet another watch company. Bedat & Co. which started in 1996 will close its doors and cease operations soon, according to multiple industry sources. The luxury watch maker had a number of interesting watches for both men and women, such as favorites like the No.3, No. 7, and No. 8.

Bedat & Co. was founded by Simone Bedat who branched off after being a business partner of Raymond Weil. Bedat & Co could be found in large retailers as well as luxury boutiques. Bedat & Co. was purchased by Gucci in 2000, which means
that its closure might be a preemptive financial security measure taken by Gucci in anticipation of harder times ahead for the luxury group of brands.

At this time there is no specific date for Bedat & Co. to close up shop, or indication of whether it has filed for bankruptcy. Though, several sources indicate that we will be seeing the end of Bedat & Co. soon. It is a shame, and the worst part is that we never know what brand will kick the bucket next.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Chronoshark.com - Woot! for watches!!


So you are all familiar with WOOT!.com, right. You know that great website that offers one tech-like item per day at a crazy low prices for a limited amount of time. (or until SOLD OUT!) Well it seems that it was only a matter of time before someone came out with a similar version for timepieces.

The guys at Chronoshark.com (launched in 2008) created a place to go for a super daily watch deal. It was started by the people who do DiamondShark.com (same premise, blinged out diamond watches only!)

The concept is pretty similar to WOOT! and all of its competitors. It's real simple to use. First you visit ChronoShark.com everyday to see the deal of the day. If you want, you can get e-mails from them, or get their deals via RSS. If you like what you see, you can view some technical information, a clear image of the watch, some relevant details about the watch, and most importantly you get some some comparison prices as to what the same watch model would cost on major retails elsewhere. There is a countdown clock telling you how much time is left on the current deal.

Pricing seems real good on their current selections. They are limited to limited to mainstream brands with high distribution. Chronoshark says the main brands offered right now are: Accutron, Bulova, Citizen, ESQ, Invicta, Movado, Seiko and Technomarine. Both women and men's watches are available. Nice heritage brands for sure, but don't hold your breath for any Rolex or Richard Mille pieces to go through anytime soon. (LuxuryShark??)

I suggest you pop by every now and then to see what they have available. The deals are great but you had better hurry!!

Monday, January 19, 2009

SIHH 2009 WC Ingenieur Automatic Mission Earth


Ingenieur Automatic Mission Earth (IW323604)
in stainless steel with stainless steel bracelet


Ingenieur Automatic Mission Earth (IW323601)
in stainless steel with black rubber strap

Classic Ingenieur in a 46-mm case with magnetic field protection to 80,000 A/m, IWC manufactured movement with Pellaton winding mechanism and integrated shock absorber system, central hacking seconds hand, date with rapid advance via the crown, calibre 80110, power reserve of 44 hours, automatic winding, sapphire glass (antireflective), screw-in back cover, screw-in crown, water-resistant to 12 bar, case height 15 mm, diameter 46 mm.


We are now listed on ALLTOP!!

So if the first day of SIHH wasn't enough, I just got word that my little blog here, just got listed on ALLTOP. I couldn't be more excited.

If you have not checked out ALLTOP, as of yet...what the hell are you waiting for? Guy Kawasaki and his team give you all the information you will ever need on just about everything. Think if it as a "digital magazine rack" of the internet. (their words, not mine) =)

Head over there and check 'em out. You may never leave.

SIHH 2009 Vacheron Constantin Malte Tourbillon Regulator with Invisibly Set Diamonds


Vacheron Constantin Malte Tourbillon Regulator
with Invisibly set Diamonds


Technical Data

Reference:
Malte Tourbillon Regulator with Invisible Setting
30682/000G-9477

Movement: 1795 R
Tonneau shaped tourbillon regulator movement,
designed and manufactured by Vacheron Constantin
manual wind

Power-reserve: Approx. 40 hours


Case:
18K white gold, 39,60mm x 50 mm
Fully paved with 270 baguette-cut diamonds, total weight of approx. 12.25 ct.
Crown set with 4 baguette-cut diamonds, total weight of approx. 0.1 ct.

Dial:
18K white gold set with 261 baguette-cut diamonds, total weight of approx. 5.63 ct.


Strap:
Black hand-stitched, saddle-finish, large square-scaled alligator leather

Clasp:
18K white gold folding-clasp, half Maltese cross set with 30 baguette-cut diamonds, total weight of approx. 0.9 ct.


Total of the weight of approx 18.98 ct.

SIHH 2009 Ralph Lauren - The Stirrup Collection by Jaeger LeCoultre



Ralph Lauren - The Stirrup Collection
powered by Jaeger LeCoultre


Technical Information


Jaeger-LeCoultre movement for Ralph Lauren, caliber RL750, power reserve: 48 hours.

Case 18k rose gold, domed anti-reflective coated sapphire crystal, water-resistance: 30m.

SIHH 2009 Ralph Lauren - The Classic Slim Collection by Piaget



Ralph Lauren - The Classic Slim Collection
powered by Piaget


Technical Information


Piaget movement for Ralph Lauren, caliber: RL430, power reserve: 40 hours.

Case Diameter: 42mm, thickness: 5.35mm, 18k rose gold, guillochée bezel, water-resistance: 30m.