Cartier's Luxury Watches intertwined in History.

Cartier was founded in 1847 by Louis-Franois ,an apprentice in the jewelry workshop of his master, Adolphe Pickard. Louis had an eye for style, elegance and pristine craftsmanship. In time he took over the business located in Paris at 29 Montorgueil. As troubles in Paris subside, people want equisite well-crafted jewelry. Louis' workshop increases in size and soon he draws his own clientèle. Cartier is booming and a new venue is required. Cartier moves to 9 boulevard des Italians in the midst of the Parisian hustle and bustle.
Cartier becomes the master jeweler to Europe's Crowned heads. Opening jewelry stores in Great Britain and New York (1917), Cartier prestige grew.

Cartier (New York) moved into 653 Fifth Avenue in 1917 purchased from Mr Plant for $100 and a pearl necklace valued at One Million Dollars. Today this mansion has been given the title of NYC Landmark and the corner renamed "Place de Cartier"


In 1904 Cartier introduced it first true wristwatch, designed by Louis and named for Alberto Santos Dumont, a Brazilian aviator. In 1906 Cartier began to place jewels on the wristwatch blurring the lines between a piece of jewelry and a watch.
True to his brilliant innovative mind, in 1910 Louis created and patented the deployment folding clasp, still used by many watchmakers today.

In 1917 Cartier introduced the Tank Watch, a popular collection till today. The Tank Watch derived its name in tribute to the Allied Tank Commanders who helped defend France in World War I.

In 1933, Pasha of Marrakech commisioned Cartier to make a watch he could wear while swimming, and so an early water resistance watch was created.

Cartier has reintroduced many of Louis Cartier's designs such as the Santos, the Panther, the Pasha, the Tonneau, the Diabolo and the Tank. (I will be discussing these watches in greater depth in the near blogging future.)

Louis Cartier's innovations and designs thought up over 100 years ago still shimmer beneath jewelers show cases,and are chosen year after year. The beauty of Cartier is in its close tie to its founder who not only founded the company, but imparted a wealth of design, style and elegance to keep its success for generations to come.

Go for the Gold in Luxury Mens Watches.

He who wears a bold gold luxury watch imparts a sense of style, stature, and self-confidence. Gold has been used in jewelry since man has recorded history, thus it is little wonder why a gold luxury watch is still the preferred choice. Since High Quality Gold Watches are abundant, and span almost every brand, the desire for the perfect gold watch becomes quite a challenge.

1. Know your spending limit. However keep in mind that the watch is an investment to your image. An obviously cheap watch will portray a cheap image. The best way to afford a luxury watch above your means and above your dreams, is to purchase the watch from a reputable Luxury Watch internet site. Your image and your pocket will remain intact.

2. Know yourself. Stand before a mirror fully clad in suit and tie. Envision the perfect watch to complete the look. I have no doubt a watch comes to mind. Now your search begins.

3. Color - Luxury Watches are crafted in its natural color - yellow gold, rose gold or white gold. Blue and green gold does exist; however I have yet to see that hue. Rose gold, gold molten with copper, has gained popularity in recent years. White gold is gold with at least one white metal added such as nickel. Yellow gold is traditional, bold and confident. Rose gold has a distinctive warmer look. White gold is hard core and serious , imparting a sense of power.

4. Brand - See what is the hot brand among your friends and social acquaintances. Individuality is great, but recognized individuality is even better.

5. Style and Display - Square, two-toned, sleek, bulky,boxy, with gems.

6. Mechanical versus Quartz. Mechanical is more expensive. The watch is powered by the mainspring which is either wound by turning the knob or automatically wound by the motion of your hand. Not as accurate as a quartz watch but certainly an investment.

7. Functions - Chronograph: Displaying intervals of time.

Automatic Winding: Mechanical watch which winds by the motion of the hand.

Minute Repeater: Striking Mechanism with hammers and gongs for signaling hours, quarter hours and minutes.

Perpetual Calender: Making allowances for different month lengths and and leap years.

Tachymeter: Provides the speed of a moving object.

Tourbillon - presumably compensates the interference of gravity on a watch.

Water Resistance - Most jewelry watches are resistant to 30 meters. Thus resistant to light splashes of water and rain.

... and many more.

5. Comfort - Unlike your cellphone, your watch hugs your wrist 18 hours a day. Comfort is of utmost important.

6. Do your research. A Luxury Watch is for life.

7. Once you have purchased your watch, constant care is of utmost importance to retain the appearance and the precise functioning of your watch.

Breitling is the Official Timekeeper of Red Bull Air Race World Championships.

In July 2007 Breitling became the Red Bull Air Race's official timekeeper. Breitling is renowned for its watches geared to the World of Flight. Red Bull Air Race World Championships features the best pilots in a competition based on incredible speed, precision maneuvers and skill. The pilots fly in lightweight, agile planes with speeds until 370 kilometers per hour, navigating a low-level aerial track comprised of air-filled pylons. In 2008, Red Bull is amazing thousands of spectators in 9 different cities across the globe. Each Red Bull race is unique with a spectacular back drop whether over a rolling landscape, water,natural wonders, land or in the heart of a city , this new innovative sports will quicken your pulse and raise your head. From, Abu Dhabi to San Diego to Rotterdam, London, Budapest and then onto Porto, Spain TBC and Perth.

All the while flying high with gut wrenching speed and mind blowing precision, pilots are individually timed, having to complete giddy ascents, tight turns and sharp dives through the pylon course , known as air gates. Breitling is timing the competition with definite precision. Breitling not only times the event but exhibits its colors with Nigel Lamb, a British pilot maneuvering his MX2.

The Red Bull Air Competition signifies Breitling's constant commitment to flight.

The Key to Corum

The Key. Corum's symbol. A key opens a locked door. Corum has flung the door open onto a vast world of vividly imaginative watches catering to many different tastes. Corum unlocked the hearts of many collectors and watch wearers alike. Search through Corum's collections and you will find a watch you will love.

Founded in 1955 in La Chaux - de - Fonds, Switzerland, by Gaston Ries and his nephew, Rene Bannart, Corum quickly became recognized as a trend setting watch brand. Uncle and Nephew started small, as a private label watch factory, and within a year turning into its own brand Corum. IN 1956 the first Corum Watch made its debut. For 40 years the pair created one-of-a kind imaginative watches, still sought after by vintage watch collectors.
Corum decided to maintain the success of Corum into the 21st century, Corum needed a boost, some fresh ideas, and thus to start the millenium off on the right foot, Severin Wunderman became the new owner. In 2004 his son, Micheal, became president. In addition, in 2007 Corum added to their team, Antoine Calre as Appointed Chief Executive Officer, bringing with him a rich knowledge and experience in Watchmaking. He oversees the entire process from the first seeds of design to customer service. Severin Wunderman died, at his home in France, on June 26th, 2008. He will be sorely missed. On August 18th, 2008 Corum announced Serge Weinberg, will replace Severin Wunderman as New Chairman of the Board.

Corum's name stems from the Latin word Quorum meaning
"The minimum number of members whose presence is necessary to make the proceedings and decisions of an assembly or society valid. It is then said a Quorum is reached."
The number of a Quorum is very definite depending on the society,

The key is the key to perfect time, and the last person to arrive at a meeting whereby a decision has to be made is the key that unlocks the process. Without that one final person the door is closed and no decision can be made.



Corum's Selection of Watches that have found the key to my heart is the Corum Bubble - named for the 11mm thick domed sapphire crystal. A Collection of watches stemming, in 2000, from the ideas of its . then, new owner, Severn Wunderman. With Corum's huge variety of styles, it is impossible to portray "Corum's Style" in terms of color, shape and size. I can portray Corum's style in the perfect craftsmanship, cutting-edge designs, and the success in creating the perfect image for the wearer.

Tom Brady Limited Edition 800 Series Chronograph by Movado

Tom Brady recently became a Movado Ambassador , joining Movado's already impressive list of talents in the Movado art of the performance campaign new Movado Series 800.

Who is Tom Brady? Tom Brady is a household name in the world of Football. Although he has an impressive list of accomplishments, he is best known as a quarterback for the New England Patriots which he joined in 2000, and has established himself as one of the leading quarterbacks in the NFL today. Tom Brady has led the New England Patriots to the Championships an impressive three times: Super Bowl XXXVI at age 24; Super Bowl XXXXVIII at age 26; and SuperBowl XXXIX at age 27. In addition, he has earned multiple MVP awards.

Now that you know his track record, it is no surprise that Tom Brady is one of the Movado Ambassadors, and has a Sports watch in his name. He knows how to play time and is recognized for his impeccable timing on the field.

The Tom Brady Watch from Movado sports textured dial and an XtremeResin strap, reinforced with Kevlar. This watch is built to withstand the high impact sport of Football. A steel case with a rotating bezel, and Sapphire Crystal case back to ensure the ultimate protection against scratches and blemishes. It is available in black or silver dial with luminescent markings.
The rotor is Custom designed with Tom's #12. Finely crafted Swiss automatic movement with precise chronograph function. The production is limited to 500 pieces world-wide and it costs somewhere in the range of $2,500.00.

In addition Movado has a non-celeb Collection of Series 800 with are available in a wide range of colors.

The Mechanical Digital Luxury Watch.

At first glance, the De Grisogono Meccanico DG, looks like your good-quality digital watch. Look again!

This hand wound watch is actually entirely mechanical, with absolutely no digital components.

How does it work? The upper half of the watch is your conventional analog display, and the bottom portion is a numerical display controlled by 651 mechanical components. 23 cams connected to a set of gears collaborate in unison to trigger the change of hours and minutes The digital display utilizes 23 horizontally and vertically positioned micro segments. The Vertical segments are 9 mm high and weigh 25 milligrams. The Horizontal segments are 2.90 mm lengthwise and weigh a mere 10 milligrams. The segments have four sides: two opposing visible faces with colored strips and two opposing unmarked faces. As the time changed, the segments rotate by 90°, thereby displaying the correct change. The change, which can include 1 to 12 segments, occur in a blink of an eye. The watches digital numbers provide an illusion of the quartz watch, as the strips create a vivid contrast to the interior blackness of the watch.

For the skeptics in our midst De Griscono has crafted a transparent dial plate, so that the intricate mechanical workings of the timepiece can be carefully scrutinized.

This watch is an interesting piece as it is a true testament to the survival of the mechanical watches. In a previous blog of mine, I wrote about the quartz scare of the late 1960's early 1970's. A difficult time for mechanical watch manufacturers. A time when they thought they would lose all they had accomplished to a "Quartz Generation. This Watch testifies to the survival and the recent revival of Mechanical Watches.

This watch boasts a 35 hour power reserve, quite remarkable if you think about the two completely different displays.

The De Grisogono Meccanico timepeices are limited edition of just 177 exceptional timepieces. Available in titanium, titanium and red gold, titanium and rubber and titanium and platinum.

Omega Ambassader swimmer Michael Phelps Wins 8 Gold Medals.

Micheal Phelps, an Ambassador for Omega Luxury Watches has torpedoed into the History Books by winning a remarkable 8 gold medals. Micheal Phelps an Omega Ambassodor. Michael Phelps has made history, winning an amazing 8 medals. He won the "100 meter Butterfly" by a mere 100th of a second, beating Milorad Cavic. A second in time seems so minuscule, but to be able to measure time in 100th of a second, and to name a winner that is accuracy. That is Omega. Micheal Phelps set seven world records, and beat one Olympic record. Micheal Phelps swims laps in seconds, and it is quite fitting that he has a line of Omega Watches in his name.

The selection includes: Seamaster Planet Ocean Chronometer.
Water resistance: 600-2000 meters.
Movement: Caliber - Omega 2500
Self Winding Chronometer
Co-Axiel escapement movement
48 Hour power reserve.

Domed scratch-resistant Sapphire Crystal, Stainless Steel Case and black dial.



Seamaster Planet Orange Chrono- No doubt about it, this is a swimmers watch.
A calibre Omega 3313. This watch sports a Chronograph feature. A feature that is an essential for serious swimmers. It allows you to precisely time yourself in the pool. The Chronograph is a self-winding movement with column wheel mechanism as well as Co-Axial Escapement for precision stability and durability of the movement. The Watch is crafted with a free sprung balance, including date, hour, minute and continuous small seconds hands, central chronograph hand.

Water resistance of 600-2000 meters. Domed Scratch Resistant Sapphire Crystal. Power Reserve: 52 Hours.



The Seamaster Apnea with Caliber: Omega 3601. This watch is a self-winding chronograph with Free diving timing display for a 14 minutes dive. Water Resistance 300-1000 meters.








The Seamaster Apnea is protected with an anti-reflective Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. Self winding Chronograph with free timing diving display for 14 minute dive.

A perfect selection of swim watches that do not have to be left poolside, and which carry the name of the greatest swimmer whose stunning victories are still roaring in the ears of all.

My Luxury Watch is COSC Certified Chronometer. What does that mean?

What does the abbreviation COSC represent? The Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres - The Official Swiss Control Office for Chronometers.

Who is the COSC? C.O.S.C. was founded ,as it is currently known, in 1973. It is a Swiss non-profit organization that tests Swiss-made chronometers.
Who founded COSC? COSC was founded by five watchmaking regions of Switzerland: Bern, Geneva, Neuchatel, Solothurn and Vaud, in conjunction with the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FHS). It includes the laboratories/ observatories that were created independantly of each other from the late 1800's.

What is the role of COSC? COSC tests the movements of timepieces submitted by individual watch manufacturers to be granted the status of chronometer.

Where is COSC located? COSC have testing laboratories in three different locations: Biel/Bienne, Geneva and Le Locle. The Laboratories in Geneva and Biel are almost completely dedicated to testing Rolex movements.

Which movements calibres obtain most of the COSC certificates? The Rolex 3135 (since 1988) variations of which are 3155,3175,3185,4130; Rolex 2235; the ETA 2892A2, and its variants; Valjoux 7750. Each of these movements operate at 28,800 beats per hour.

Bretling claims that all its watches that have been manufactured since 2000 are COSC certified, Rolex and Omega watches have a large selection of their watches which are COSC certified.

How can you tell if a watch is COSC certified ? A Certified Chronometer has a serial number engraved on its movement and a certification number provided by the COSC.

What are the testing criteria for a chronometer? Testing criteria are based on ISO 3159 which defines a wrist chronometer with spring-balance oscillator. Only movements that meet the precision criteria are provided with an official chronometer certificate.

How is the watch tested? Actually only the uncased movements are tested, not the entire watch. The movements are individually tested for 15 days, in 5 different positions at 3 different temperatures. The movements are fitted with a seconds hand. The automatic winding movement is disengaged for the test. Daily measurements are made with the assistance of a camera. Once these measurements have been obtained, 7 criteria are calculated, each of which must meet the syandards of the COSC.

I know that these criteria are solely for mechanical watches. What about quartz watches? Currently there are no ISO standards for quartz timepieces, but COSC has developed its own standard for testing quartz chronometer with eight eliminatory criteria.

How difficult is it for a watch to become an Official COSC Certified Chronometer? Well judging from the fact that only 3% of the entire swiss watch production is COSC Certified, exceptionally difficult. This percentage only accentuates the fact of the outstanding nature of the chronometer. Inorder to receive the chronometer certificate, a movement must be crafted from the highest quality components, and be crafted with special care, by the finest watchmakers and timers during assembly.

Which brands submit their movements to the COSC? Baume & Mercier, Breitling, Chopard, Ebel, Girard-Perregaux, Omega, Patek Phillipe, Rolex, Tag Heuer, Ulysse Nardin, Vacheron Constantin and Zenith.

Which brands do not submit their movement to the COSC? Audemars Piguet, Breguet, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, A. Lange & Sohne and Piaget.

My Watch has a Chronograph, does that mean it is a Chronometer? NO! Chronograph and Chronometer are two completely different terms used in association with a timepiece.

A "Chronograph" is a timepiece that is fitted with an additional mechanism that may be set in motion by knobs to enable the measurement of the duration of an event.

A "chronometer" is a high-precision watch capable of displaying the seconds and housing a movement that has been tested over several days, in different positions and at different temperatures, by an official neutral body (COSC).
Each movement is individually measured. Any watch with the denomination "chronometer" is provided with a certified movement.

The Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres or COSC (The Official Swiss Control Office for Chronometers) reported record figures for 2007. The number of certificates registered in 2007 was up 13.3 per cent from 2006 making that a total number of 1,538,676 registrations.

The top three companies applying for registration were Rolex with 728,255 certificates, Omega with 341,161 and Breitling with 222,650.

The perfect accuracy of a chronometer can be destroyed with rough handling and little maintenance.

There is an ongoing debate, by watch enthusiasts whether the COSC Certification is a significant test or simply a marketing gimmick? A watch maker proposing to submit a movement for COSC testing, add additional jeweling (i.e. to the barrel) and superior quality "assortment" parts such as greater quality hairspring, mainsprings, balance wheels, regulators and so on. The aim is to obtain the highly regarded COSC Chronometer Certification. On the other hand, some watch enthusiasts believe that with today's innovations used in watch making, most high-end, good quality movements are capable of being adjusted and timed in order that they will fall between the COSC criteria of -4/+6 average daily rate. Movements that are presented are more likely than not, presented with better quality parts, and as a result may be less likely to maintain better timekeeping rates over longer periods.

My Luxury Watch is COSC Certified. What does that mean?

The Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres or COSC (The Official Swiss Control Office for Chronometers) reported record figures for 2007. The number of certificates registered in 2007 was up 13.3 per cent from 2006 making that a total number of 1,538,676 registrations.


The top three companies applying for registration were Rolex with 728,255 certificates, Omega with 341,161 and Breitling with 222,650.


Who is the COSC? C.O.S.C. was founded as it is currently known in 1973. It is a Swiss non-profit organization that tests Swiss-made chronometers.


Who founded COSC? COSC was founded by five watchmaking regions of Switzerland: Bern, Geneva, Neuchatel, Solothurn and Vaud, in conjunction with the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FHS). It includes the laboratories/ observatories that were created independantly of each other from the late 1800's.


What is the role of COSC? COSC tests the movements of timepieces submitted by individual watch manufacturers to be granted the status of chronometer.




Where is COSC located? COSC have testing laboratories in three different locations: Biel/Bienne, Geneva and Le Locle. The Laboratories in Geneva and Biel are almost completely dedicated to testing Rolex movements.



Which movements calibres obtain most of the COSC certificates? The Rolex 3135 (since 1988) variations of which are 3155,3175,3185,4130; Rolex 2235; the ETA 2892A2, and its variants; Valjoux 7750. Each of these movements operate at 28,800 beats per hour.


Bretling claims that all its watches that have been manufactured since 2000 are COSC certified, Rolex and Omega watches have a large selection of their watches which are COSC certified.


How can you tell if a watch is COSC certified ? A Certified Chronometer has a serial number engraved on its movement and a certification number provided by the COSC.

What are the testing criteria for a chronometer? Testing criteria are based on ISO 3159 which defines a wrist chronometer with spring-balance oscillator. Only movements that meet the precision criteria are provided with an official chronometer certificate.

How is the watch tested? Actually only the uncased movements are tested, not the entire watch. The movements are individually tested for 15 days, in 5 different positions at 3 different temperatures. The movements are fitted with a seconds hand. The automatic winding movement is disengaged for the test. Daily measurements are made with the assistance of a camera. Once these measurements have been obtained, 7 criteria are calculated, each of which must meet the standards of the COSC.

I know that these criteria are solely for mechanical watches. What about quartz watches? Currently there are no ISO standards for quartz timepieces, but COSC has developed its own standard for testing quartz chronometer with eight eliminatory criteria.

How difficult is it for a watch to become an Official COSC Certified Chronometer? Well judging from the fact that only 3% of the entire swiss watch production is COSC Certified, exceptionally difficult. This percentage only accentuates the fact of the outstanding nature of the chronometer. Inorder to receive the chronometer certificate, a movement must be crafted from the highest quality components, and be crafted with special care, by the finest watchmakers and timers during assembly.

Which are some of the high-end brands submit their movements to the COSC? Invicta, Bauem & Mercier, Breitling, Chopard, Ebel, Girard-Perregaux, Omega, Patek Phillipe, Rolex, Tag Heuer, Ulysse Nardin, Vacheron Constantin and Zenith.

Which are some of the high-end brands do not submit their movement to the COSC? Audemars Piguet, Breguet, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, A. Lange & Sohne and Piaget.

My Watch has a Chronograph, does that mean it is a Chronometer? NO! Chronograph and Chronometer are two completely different terms used in association with a timepiece.

A "Chronograph" is a timepiece that is fitted with an additional mechanism that may be set in motion by knobs to enable the measurement of the duration of an event.

A "chronometer" is a high-precision watch capable of displaying the seconds and housing a movement that has been tested over several days, in different positions and at different temperatures, by an official neutral body (COSC).
Each movement is individually measured. Any watch with the denomination "chronometer" is provided with a certified movement.

The perfect accuracy of a chronometer can be destroyed with rough handling and little maintenance

There is an ongoing debate, by watch enthusiasts whether the COSC Certification is a significant test or simply a marketing gimmick? A watch maker proposing to submit a movement for COSC testing, they add additional jeweling (i.e. to the barrel) and superior quality "assortment" parts - better quality hairspring, mainsprings, balance wheels, regulators and so on). The aim is to obtain the highly regarded COSC Chronometer Certification. Alternatively, many watch enthusiasts believe that with today's innovations utilized in watch making, most high-end, good quality movements are capable of being adjusted and timed so that they will fall between the COSC criteria of -4/+6 average daily rate. Movements that are presented are more likely than not, presented with better quality parts, and as a result may be less likely to maintain better timekeeping rates over longer periods.

The Bold and the Beautiful: Luxury Watches by Alain Silberstein

20 years ago, in Besançon an architect by trade, started crafting colorful mechanical watches. This was prior to the mechanical watch come back, and mechanical watches were thought to be hiccuping their way to the finish line. Tiny independent watch company's were few and far between. In a small factory Alain Silberstein ,originally from Paris, spent an entire year designing his first watch, a chronograph He tried to rent a small space in Basel in 85 and then in 86, but there was no space. Finally in 87, he managed to rent a stand the size of a closet, bringing three of his unique watches. The second day of the show, a Japanese man, came to the stand. He loved the watches and placed an order. Alan Silberstein was open for business. Alain Silbersteins' watches are full of living. The watches are exquisitely crafted in bold primary 'toy box' colors: red, blue and yellow. He prides his company with excellent innovation, quality, and service. The latter of which is very difficult to receive in the huge market place of today. Alain Silberstein has incorporated his visions of culture, and nature into his watches. He crafts the watches for the customers. some of whom become collecters of his watches, just like one may collect art, because undeniably Alain Silberstein's watches are art.
The watches all have a clear back, so that one may view the inner mechanical workings of the watch. The watch movements have been crafted to compliment the exterior vivaciousness of the watch
Many of Alain Silberstein's watches have a nature motive, as he has a passion for the wilderness. A love for the earth's untouched wilderness, as well as the different cultures. When Alain Silberstein is not designing watches; he is out leading boy scouts. Many of Alain Silberstein's watches utilize the alligator skin for the case as well as the strap. In this watch it gives an earthy feel.

Alain Silberstein has made a special line of watches to commemorate the Chinese Year of the Rat. In Chinese culture, the rat is a symbol of tremendous charm and attraction. To be born in the year of the Rat, is considered great fortune. In the Year of the dragon, Alain Silberstein went to great lengths to learn about the symbolic meaning of the dragon, and then used an enameling technique to fuse the five fingered dragon- a symbol of the Emperor in Imperial China - to the watch.

Alain Silbersteins watches are highly recognizable with unique fun style crafted with serious watch making skills.

A Luxury Watch in your Jewerly box.

There are many Glittering Luxury Watches that fulfill the role of jewelry. That are jewerly. A prime example is the Joallerie 101 Manchette, a slender watch from Jaeger LeCoultre. Yes Watch! If you look closely, you will see the Joaillerie 101 Manchette with it silver colored dial and sapphire crystal. The watch ,although small, can hold its own, it uses the mechanically wound Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 101 movement. The watch is available with either 576 diamonds or 11 onyx cabochons. The price? Jaeger-LeCoutre has not name a price for this watch as of yet. It is popping up in various places as being one of the worlds most expensive watches in the Current Luxury Watch market. However, if this type of watch appeals to you, do not panic.


The Corum Debutante Ladies' Watch is the perfect evening watch for the perfect evening. Its mother of pearl dial shimmers against the elegant diamond encrusted bezel. No other piece of jewelry is required on the wrist wearing this watch. The feature I love about this watch is that it is four watches in one. This watch comes with four alternate stainless steel bangles :diamonds; 74 peridots; 74 blue topaz and 74 pink topaz. So whatever your mood, or the color of your dress; you will have a choice. A Precise quartz movement means that it will run from event to event.



Audemars Piguet Facettes Ladies' Watch is deliciously smothered in 890 diamonds; beneath the diamonds rests 18K white gold. The watch simply breathes elegance and taste. A piece of watch jewelry like this will not go unnoticed. This watch will not take the spotlight away from the wearer, it will add to it.







A watch for a bride. Chopard Casmir Ladies' Watch nestles among luscious creamy pearls. When purchasing this watch, you can be assured, this watch will become a family heirloom to past from mother to daughter. I like this watch as it represents a gentle sense of femininity and elegance.



Rado Esenza for the woman who knows what she wants and means to get it. A serious watch. A Watch with a sharp conrast and stark edges: Black Dial, Diamond Bezel and Black leather strap. This watch is perfect for that formal function one must attend.







Concord Soiree Ladies' Watch is a perfect gift for the dashing fiancée to give to his bride. The shape of the watch and its open bracelet loops, suggest infinity. Infinite is the love of two people who give each other the hand in marriage. Am I going a bit mushy, I suppose I am, but it is the effect this gorgeous watch has on me.









I was about to end my post; however , I felt this posting would not be complete without an Ebel Beluga watch. 18K gold and mother of pearl dial, this luxury watch whispers sensuality.The mother of pearl dial softens the color of gold. The Ebel Beluga watch will suit any women, no matter the age or style. The Ebel Beluga is a watch that can be an integral part of a women's persona, never leaving her wrist. This watch will be the constant piece of jewelry on a womens wrist when no other jewelry is needed.

Tissot is the official timekeeper of Nascar.

On February 15th, 1948, a new era in American Sport was born: Nascar (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), the fastest growing sport in America with over 75 million fans. In 2006 Tissot, the 150 year old swiss watchmaker was appointed the role of the official timekeeper of NASCAR and Official Watch of NASCAR.

Tissot introduced an entire collection of watches aptly named "NASCAR". These watches embody NASCAR with their sporty dials and bold colors. These watches represent the world of stock car racing; the revving sound of the engines careening round lap after lap of 500 miles at the Daytona 500, the smell of burning rubber, and the yells of the onlookers. The T-Touch Tissot Watch is one of the most popular models. The case is crafted from Titanium PVD. Its movement is E40.305 quartz. The unique aspect of this watch is in its touch driven technology . By touching on the crown and then on the touch sensitive screen the wearer can activate 8 different functions: An Altimeter in feet and meters; Chronograph -split and add time; Compass, Alarm, Thermometer ( in either Fahrenheit and Centigrade); Barometer; Date and time. The Touch Technology enables incredible ease of use, especially in tough terrains, hostile environments, or in competitive situations associated with the sports. Tissot has succeeded in combining a smooth elegant design with the pulsating energy of the speedway, and cutting-edge technology.

When it comes to racing, timing is everything. Tissot has a long history of timing speedway events like MotoGP and championship cycling. Tissot not only keeps time at the speedway, but also acknowledges the accomplishments of the drivers.

Tissot participated in NASCAR's Victory Lap last November , when NASCAR's top 10 drivers drove their stock cars through New York City's Times Square. After the Victory Lap, at the Hard Rock Café , Tissot awarded the top 10 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series drivers each with an engraved PRS516 NASCAR 2007 Limited Edition watch. Jimmie Johnson won ten races in 2007, he is the NEXTEL Cup Series champion for the second year in a row. Tissot started a new tradition by honoring him with a exclusive timepiece from Tissot. Jimmie Johnson was presented with a Bridgeport featuring an 18K Gold bezel, chronograph, and decorated rotor.

The Olympic Games Begin and Omega, the Luxury Watch Company, stears clear of Politics.

The Olympic opening ceremony is just hours away and the political fever is at its boiling point.
Lopez Lomong, a 23 year old athlete, in the 1,500 meter race will be the US flag bearer leading the US team. He was chosen on Wednesday by his fellow teammates as he has conquered tremendous hurdles to get to where he is today.
Lopez Lomong was one of the "lost boys of Sudan" a group of 3,800 refugees who were resettled in the USA. Lamong had been fleeing the civil war, which crippled the country from 1991 to 2005. He was six year old and fleeing with his family across the unforgiving terrain in Southern Sudan, when he became separated from them and ended up in a Kenyan refugee camp where he remained for 10 years. Since then unrelated violence has ignited in the Darfur region of Western Sudan . Lopez has become a member of Team Darfur, a group of athletes who are committed to raising awareness about this ongoing violence . The Teams Darfur co-founder, speed skater gold medalist Joey Cheek, was denied a visa by the Chinese government.

China has been reprimanded for not pressurizing Sudan, its trading partner, to end the constant bloodshed in the Darfur region.

In light of these issues, George Clooney, an Oscar winning actor and a brand ambassador for Omega watches, has urged Omega to voice its disapprovals of China's foreign policy in Sudan. Omega is one of the 12 worldwide Olympic partners for the Beijing Olympic games. Omega has been the official timekeeper of the Olympic Games since 1932.
George Clooney spoke to them for over a year in regards to Darfur.

However the chief executive of the Swatch Group, Nicholas Hayek, told BBC: :We have discussed this issue with Mr. Clooney and we fully respect Mr. Clooney's strong engagement in the good cause and share his opinion, especially concerning Darfur. We're proud to work with a person who has such high ethical views, but Swatch Group Policy is not to get involved in politics, because it wouldn't serve the cause of sport, which is one of the most noble human endeavors for creating understanding and peace all over the world.
"Swatch's stance is not new, Hyak continued, our role, with 300 on-site timekeepers, was always clear of politics. Thats why," he said, "it was in Moscow during the 1980 Olympic, despite a boycott by Western Countries after the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan, and why we provided our services to the athletes during the 1984 Olympic games in Los-Angeles which were boycotted by the then-communist bloc."

Swatch Group owns Omega.

Hyak has a point. Time is beyond politics.

In honor of the 2008 Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, Omega has created an Olympic Collection Beijing. The Omega Seamaster XXIX Limited Edition, inspired by the 1956 Seamaster XVI Melbourne. This Luxury Watch will be released in limited numbers: 88 numbered watches will be released daily for the 17 days of the Olympics, from August 8 to August 24. After the Olympics this watch will no longer be available.

The World's Most Complicated Luxury Watch.

If a simple Mechanical Watch is comprised of give or take 130 parts, and one of the most expensive watches in the world, the Vacherin Constantin Tour de I'lle, contains 834 parts, then the Watch with the most parts would be ...?

...1728 parts. That is 1728 individually crafted pieces working in complete harmony. The watch in question is the Calibre 89 crafted by Patek Phillipe. This watch was crafted to commemorate the 150 year anniversary of Patek Phillipe. It took five years of research and four years of crafting to complete. Patek Phillipe declares that "it is the most complicated watch in the world. It weighs 2.4 lbs , is 18K gold, and has a amazing 24 hands.

A complex Watch indicates much more information than the time of day (which up until a couple of hundred years ago was no mean feat). This extra information indicated on the watch is called a complication.

The complications on the Calibre 89 include:
Day of the month, Day of the week, 12-hour recorder, Hour of second time zone,moon phase display, winding crown position indicator;century, decade and year displays (I suppose Patek Phillipe expects this watch to last quite a long time), Leap year indicator,Power reserve, month, thermometer,Date of Easter, Time of Sunrise, Equation of Time, Star Chart, Sun Hand, Time of Sunset and split second hand. There are only four in the world, and one was sold in Geneva for 6,6 million Swiss francs.

Omega Luxury Watches opens its Omega Pavilion on the Olympic Green in Beijing.

Olympic Games begin on August 8th, 2008, but Omega watches has made a running start with the opening of its Omega Pavilion, on the Olympic Green. The opening of the Omega Pavilion was a huge ceremony with hundreds of members of the international press and invited guests.
CEO of Swatch Group Nick Hayek, President of Omega, Stephen Urquhart and Omega Olympic Manager, Christophe Berthaud attended the opening. Also present were the President of the International Olympic, Tu Mingde, and four Ambassadors for the Omega brand each of whom are impressive Olympic medalists:


Australian swimmer, Ian Thorpe, who earned multiple Olympic Medals.






Russian swimmer, Alexander Popov, multiple gold medal winner.



China's Yang Yang, the first Chinese speed skater to win a gold metal at a Winter Olympic Games.


and shooter Xu Mai Feng, who was the first Chinese gold medalist at the Summer Olympic Games.

The pavilion is now open to the public, every day of the Olympic Games from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m . The Pavilion covers an expansive 8200 square feet, on two floors. The Pavilion includes a large exhibition center where on display is Omega's legendary watches as well as Omega's innovative timekeeping equipment introduced over the decades since 1932, specialized for the World of Sports. The Pavilion also contains a boutique and a stage for special events. A selection of exhibits highlight not only OMEGA’s legendary watches but also the timekeeping equipment which the Swiss watchmaker has introduced to the world of sport over the past several decades.

The constant quest to measure time. Luxury Watch Makers strive to impress.

For centuries, great minds sought to create instruments to measure the passage of time. The oldest, of which, is the sundial dating back to 1500 BC. Earlier than that, men looked at the sun and stars , and the glowing horizon to determine time. The main problem was the driving force - the everlasting constant characterizing time. Weights were use prior to the 1600's, but unless one was thinking of opening up the earliest "Crunch" chain, then this was not the option. Weights were heavy and bulky. Henlein was our first glimmer of hope, he received 15 florins for his gilt musk-apple with a watch in 1524. Thanks to Henlein, the door opened, and innovations and advancements in watch making increased.
At first, the watch movements were made of steel, and then brass. These watches had straight verge movements with no balance springs. They were quite inaccurate "to put it mildly", and had only an hour hand. In addition, they were quite a handful having to be wound twice a day. However, they were the stepping stone to the precise "to the 10,000th of a second determined by the Tag Heuer time-keeping of today.

The movement and the display of the following centuries of watches were quite similar. The watch face, with the traditional hour, minute and second hands, rotating round a central axis and indicating the time on the circumference of the watch face.

A new wave of telling time has infiltrated the watch market, unique and ingenious ideas, confusing our earlier Kindergarten knowledge. Scrap the idea of Ms Hobbs standing before the the class in her sunny yellow dress dappled with tulips, holding a large poster of the watch face with bold red hands.

Now, look at this watch...


The Urwerk UR-202 series. A different way to tell the time. Confusing at first, but once one gets used to the idea, it actual is more simple than the traditional watch face. In the center of the watch is telescopic minute hands which operate through the center of the revolving and orbiting hour satellites. (Kind of like the planets revolving around the sun, spinning on there own axis- I wonder if Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei had such galactic thoughts when designing this watch- I have no doubt) The telescopic hands adjust their length to follow three vectors marking the minutes. The dial is large and easy to read , and since the telescopic hands retract, the size of the case is minimized to provide the wearer with absolute comfort. In addition, this unique watch houses an innovative new winding system regulated by compressing air utilizing miniature turbines. This watch is a re-invention of an old concept.

Another unique watch created by Urwerk, is the 103 collection. Within this collection is the Titanium Aluminium Nitride Urwerk, this TiLAN coating, is the hardest know material known to the World of Watches. This coating , only 4 microns thick, increases the resistance of the underlying metal to scratches, oxidation, shocks and even acids. The coating turns the watch a burnt plum color which is quite appealing. The time display is unique to the 102 collection; however,I think, not as effective as the 202 series.

These watches , although, available in the present, hold a hint of taste to the future.