The Exotic Dimensions of the 2lmx Timepiece

Now this is a timekeeping machine: Elegant, Exquisite and In your face Excellence.  The watch is a  feat of architectural engineering displaying time in space. The dimensions are not merely the result of unbridled horological passion, but excruciating calculations and planning designed for perfection like a symphony where the rhythm is the result of mathematical precision, and the final product is that of soaring creativity.
This timepiece is a work of art where the artist knows why he created every dimension and component to suit a specific purpose. It is not merely a sculpture where a sudden rush of creativity, of unknown origin, spewed forth to create a shape admired, for unknown reasons, by fans.  Although the 2lmx may evoke an emotional response born from the very depth of the limbic system, a watch aficionado response will be accompanied by a great deal of intellectual admiration.  

This highly futuristic design was born from Arnaud Tellier, a watchmaker and restorer of antique timepieces, who worked for highly regarded auction house ,Antiquorium, after which he worked for Patek Phillipe Museum in Geneva (2000-2011). In the summer of  2011,he decided to forge his own horlogical pathway with the creation of his very own design - the 2lmx. (Source: www.2lmx.com)

 The watch is as far from classical antique timepieces as you can get  - even the name has a distinct sci fi futuristic ring to it.

 Within an eloquent structure crafted from titanium, white gold, platinum or pink gold - take your pick - four barrels - two of which have a barrel within a barrel - display the time as per the 24 hour clock. A vertically mounted tourbillon counteracts the effect of gravity. The complexity of the movement, incorporation of the tourbillon  and  complete exposure of components, place this watch shoulder to shoulder with top tier watch makers and designers. The case is a  framework comprised mainly of Sapphire crystal windows where the constant motion of gears, tourbillon and barrels are in full view - like a modern skyscraper with a facade of windows.

The timepiece is quite large, - 50mm tall and 41 mm wide - but hey if you are wearing this watch - you want notice.  The 2LMX  is hand wound (there are various reasons why watch makers decide to forgo the rotor) and capable of a 120 hour power reserve.

Straps are available in black or white rubber,  alligator leather or regular leather.

I am not sure of the price yet - but since the labor of a single timepiece alone takes over 1000 hours to complete  - and those hours are the hours of a highly skilled watchmaker - it comes at no surprise that the watch will be very pricey and very exclusive.  Only five timepieces baring the mark of 2LMX will be released each year and no two are alike. Case material and dial colors will differ on each unique model.

  Each watch has undergone rigorous quality controls set forth by  2lmx's Charter of Quality requiring much greater standards than those generally required by Swiss manufacturers.  The watches are numbered by 'unique piece 1/1'and Serie 2012.

Vacheron Constantin Appraisals on the House for Madison Avenue Watch Week

Great things are happening in New York next week.  The gears are in motion for the 2nd Madison Avenue Watch Week presented by the Wall Street Journal. The events will run from April 28th - May 4th, 2012.  Major high end  brands such as Blancpain, Breguet, Girard-Perregaux, de Grisogono, F.P. Journe, Chopard, Graff and Vacheron Constantin to name a few.
This is a very exciting event for Vacheron Constantin in particular, since its Flagship New York Boutique only opened its doors on June 23rd, 2011.  To celebrate this event, Vacheron Constantin is providing complementary authentication and appraisal on Vintage Vacheron Constantin Timepieces.  These appraisals will be performed on Friday May 4th and Saturday, May 5th (10am - 6pm) by an expert from the Vacheron Constantin Heritage Department, Geneva and a vintage timepiece senior specialist at Christie's Auction House. Once the timepiece is authenticated, an archival extract will be presented. 
This is an excellent opportunity to retrieve that heirloom from the dresser drawer and finally find out what its really worth.
Other Madison Avenue Watch Week events includes an exclusive presentation by Girard-Perregaux entitled, "The New Face of Tradition" featuring "Eight Young  Watchmakers and the Art of Making Time".  This is an intriguing topic especially from a company founded way back in 1791.
Coinciding with watch week and running into summer is the "Steel Time" exhibition presented by F.P. Journe at Forbes Galleries in lower Manhattan.  The worlds largest collection of vintage gunmetal watches are on display.  In conjunction with the exhibition, F.B Journe has published a wonderful "Steel Time" book in which the 200 gunmetal watches are depicted on 300 hundred pages.   The book ,written by vintage-watch experts Jean Claude Sabrier and Georges Rigot. Journe, retails for $250.

Bvlgari Serpenti 2012 A Striking Addition to an Iconic Collection

No need to read the name of the watch to see this watch represents a snake.  The Bvlgari Serpenti 2012 looks very much like the Egyptian Cobra - an ancient Egyptian jewelry favorite most known for its placement on Cleopatra's headband.
Bvlgari's Serpenti Timepiece 2012 collection is a striking addition to Bulgari's iconic Serpenti Collection.
The Serpenti Collection is fused to the Bvlgari heritage of exceptional goldsmiths.  The original Serpenti Collection has expanded and divided into three separate Collections: Serpenti High Jewelry, Serpenti Jewelry and Serpenti.

The exquisite 18k gold structure gold structure of the bracelet moves with a Serpents flexibility wrapping about the arm in an elegant embrace. A pattern of diamonds (245 - 385 diamonds) framed in gold and embedded in skilled enameling of jet-blag or egg shell adds a wild edgy flair to the timepiece.  The movement is a Swiss quartz movement Calibre B031 personalized for Bulgari. The watch is available in either single or double wrap around coils.

An excellent addition to that little black evening dress.

Harry Winston and the Missing Diamond

Harry Winston Luxury Watches are timepieces dreams are made of. Glittering with diamonds, sporting gorgeous curvaceous lugs, Harry Winston watches embody pure unrestrained luxury.

Harry Winston, the founder of the legendary company was born in Los Angeles. His father was a small retail jeweler stemming from many generations of jewelers. At 16, Harry Winston helped his father in the shop, and then at 21 he felt he was ready for New York City. He started with $2,000 and quickly built a reputation for himself buying historic diamonds such as the famed Vargas Diamond and the Jonkers Diamond (stay tuned). He was full of courage, determination and high intellect. He sold diamonds to royalty and movie stars. Marylon Monroe referenced Harry Winston in "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend".

He recognized his fortune in his smaller customers who bought small engagement rings with hard earned money. "But most of our business is in the lower-price field." he said in a1949 interview " We have stones for as little as $2 . The average engagement ring in the country is a quarter-carat, retailing between $100 and $15o. That's the biggest part of our trade"

An interesting occurrence happened when a journalist was interviewing him regarding the Hope Diamond  Harry Winston was seated at a long velvet-topped table. Before him lay four trays containing the jewel collection of the late Evelyn Walsh McLean. Nearby on a stand hung the 44 and a half carat Hope Diamond and the famed Star of the East Diamond. Suddenly, Harry Winston's demeanor changed ever so slightly; although still quite relaxed. he said,

" There's a diamond missing, the little five-carat one"

Harry Winston searched through the gems as the journalist shuddered.

"Ah, here it is" Harry Winston said as he plucked the five carat diamond from under an elaborate ring setting, "Funny," he continued seemingly unaware of the journalists relief, "I can tell in a second when one's missing. Works unconsciously."
The journalist still troubled by the almost disappearance of the diamond inquired as to what would happen if the diamond would have vanished,
"Well for one thing," he said, "I might press this little button near my table . The police would surround the building in just a few minutes."

Then Harry Winston recalled the harrowing day when his elbow inadvertently knocked a $125,000 diamond into the waste paper basket near his desk. The entire staff had to search through all trash receptacles and about 1500 paper packages. It was like searching for a needle in a hay stack and the staff all very nearly had nervous breakdowns. Finally, after 3 days, the diamond was discovered in a trash can outside the building waiting for the garbage truck to come haul it away. Since that day, Harry Winston made a rule that all garbage must be kept in the building, just in case.

Harry Winston inspires generations of luxury lovers.

Jaquet Droz Enigmatic Simplicity in Onyx and Steel

A company born from the brilliance of Pierre Jaquet-Droz ,a Master of Mechanics capable of building mechanical wonders the likes of which were never seen in the midst of the 18th century, has now unleashed a watch of enigmatic brilliance.
  The Grande Heuere Onyx ,available in stores May 2012, bares a dial of flawless monochrome onyx. A single hour hand  slides unrestrained across an expansive universe of space and time hinting at an empty future yet to be trodden. Although the single hand represents an early version of timekeeping dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries where simple clocks only had one hand, the numbers on the dial represent a much newer version of timekeeping - Sandford Flemings 24 hour clock. Click here to read a in depth discussion on modern day timekeeping.

A single hand stretches over 24 diminutive Arabic numerals and makes clear contact with highly discernible indices. This enables precision time read out.
The blackness of the onyx dial - punctuated by a single hand and rimmed in a steel bezel- provides the illusion that the Sapphire Crystal ,surrounded by a steel bezel, is a window into a black hole and at its center is a single rod of light pointing at a space in time.  After all is that not what is time? A window into a void not yet created?

The stark whiteness of the hand is due to a rhodium treatment, which reflects a unique silvery white.


The automatic is automatic powered by a Jaquet Droz 24JD53 (in-house). The movement is equipped with a double barrel and incorporates a heavy metal oscillating weight. The watch is water resistant to 30 meters and is enabled with a 68 hour power reserve.  A rolled alligator strap secured with an stainless steel buckle seals the deal.

Jaquet Droz in its quest for timekeeping simplicity has opened a window into the complexity of time.

Piaget Whimsical Depiction of the Four Seasons

Piaget Limelight Dancing Light Collection is an exquisite depiction of the Four Seasons.  So finely crafted, the timepieces appear to be the work of angels rather than highly talented mortals.

I caught my breath the first time I glanced at these watches mesmerized by the beauty - like a painting by Monet or a symphony by Vivaldi. Both of whom used the four seasons as inspiration for creation.

As the seasons are a constant ebb and flow of change - Piaget's objects of the seasons: butterflies, bees, stalks of wheat, leaves and snowflakes are in constant motion around the analog dial.  The mother-of-pearl  39mm dials becomes a moving work of art achieved by a discreet rotating system.. The watches are powered by a high efficient 56P quartz movement. (I would have loved the watches to be automatic and the rotating dials to act as the rotors)  

The Spring Limelight Dancing Light Model is aflutter with three diamond encrusted and two 18k carat white gold butterflies hovering over the soft pink and green mother-of-pearl petals of blossoms. A 18k white gold case embedded with 128 brilliant cut diamonds weighing in at 1.7 carats  surround the springtime scene.   A pure white watch strap fastened by a buckle set with 15 diamonds secure the watch to wrist.

The 39mm dial of the Summer Limelight Dancing Light shimmers with heat and the drone of bees collecting pollen from bright red flowers amidst stalks of wheat and beneath hazy blue skies. The center dial depicts the sun blazing with 101 brilliant cut diamonds.  72 more diamonds shimmer on an 18k gold case.

Then fall comes and leaves of many colors blow off trees against the fierce backdrop of breathtaking sunsets. Autumn at Piaget is heralded in with leaves of yellow gold and red gold and leaves smothered in diamonds.  The vibrant colors of the violet mother-of-pearl marquetry dial hints at stormy weather and windy nights.  An 18k white gold case set with 126 brilliant cut diamonds quiets the storm.  

And then winter arrives quiet and cold; the sounds of summer, but a memory. Snowflakes fall against a softly swirling blue-gray mother-of-pearl dial.  Piaget's winter Limelight Dancing Light timepiece evokes a calm serenity only afforded by a landscape covered in snow. The 18k white gold case is cast with 72 brilliant cut diamonds like drops of ice. 

 

Top Marques Monaco 2012 Supercars, Luxury Watches and Superboats

If you happen to be in Monaco this evening head down to the Grimaldi Forum for a delightful event filled with visions of luxury supercars, watches and superboats. The 9th Annual Top Marques Monaco 2012 is one of the only prestigious shows to join luxury supercars, watches and superboats.  Of course the idea makes perfect sense, since an arm resting on the steering wheel of a Pagani requires a luxury watch in kind and the same goes for the arm resting on a deck of a Luxury Yacht.  The show runs from April 19th to April 22nd, 2012

Roger Dubuis Pulsion

To accommodate the growing exhibitors of luxury watches, the Top Marques Monaco has increased its watch venue to 2000 square meters at the Espace Diaghilev.
One can delight in a hands on with the new Roger Dubuis Collection including four great models all meeting the new stringent standards required to achieve the Hallmark of Geneve. (read about the new standards here) .
The four models: Pulsion, Velvet, Excalibur and La Monegasque represent the four different worlds: Player, Warrior, Venturer and Diva.
With these models Roger Dubuis is displaying uncanny horological technical advances in mechanics and materials ,such as the super scratch resistant sapphire crystal glass and flying tourbillons, while still upholding the highest quality of traditional watchmaking acquiring both the status of Chronometer and and Hallmark of Geneve.

Fabergé Horlogerie will be on display too - exhibiting the finest of dial artwork comparable to its exquisite Fabergé eggs. The painted art dials and hand-worked guilloché enamel  are reminiscent of the great Romanov palaces and whisper aristocracy and worth. The watches part of the Palais du Temps  Collection  bare names like Alexei Jardin Secret, the Alexei Jardin D’hiver, the Alexei Rotonde, the Alexei Pavillion, the Agathon Palais D’Or and the Anastasia Boudoir, which bring to mind extravagant palace gardens, distinctive Romanov palace architecture and decor and of course, Antastasia Boudoir ,the daughter of Nicholas and Alexandria.

If you lucky you may spot Franck Muller's GIGA Tourbillon. A power house of a watch featuring an expansive 20mm tourbillon and  four large barrels able to store 10 days of power reserve. The skeletonization - a difficult feat in ordinary watches -  displays every component of the movement. Read more about the remarkable movement here.

Top Luxury Brands like CVSTOS, Bakes & Strauss, Longio, Badollet,
Rebellion, Stardust, Baskania and Cresus will be on display as well.