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.

Badollet Ivresse Tourbillon Limited Edition

The Badollet Ivresse Tourbillon Limited Edition is  a beautiful timepiece. Its soft curves and smooth lines evoke a sense of relaxed boldness.

 The entire construction of the timepiece ,spanning 250 hours of development and 420 hours of crafting, polishing, gem setting and assembling, had the wrist in mind.
 
The rectangular case is crafted in 950 platinum (95%  platinum )- a rare metal - tricky to work with due to its high melting point and rapid hardening while cooling, but Badollet has achieved the look of flowing metal like running mercury. The captivating midnight blue dial brushed finish is in complimentary contrast to the circular satin-brushed chapter ring.The Badollet Griffin - a mythological creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle - prevails at the 12 'o'clock position.  The case, created by Eric Giroud, is  53.80mm in length and 30mm in width and sits extremely well on the wrist.

Beneath the captivating case lies a flying tourbillon only visible via a Sapphire crystal case back.
 The movement,  crafted exclusively for Badollet with the highly creative watchmaker David Candaux (formerly from Jaeger-LeCoultre), features cone shaped going train. The watch has a power reserve of 120 hours and is water resistant to 30 meters and strapped to the wrist with an alligator leather strap in midnight blue  -secured with a 950 platinum pin buckle.

Movado Polyplan circa 1930's

This watch is truly a rare find and rare it will remain as only 30 timepieces will be made. The number is reminiscent of the 1930's from where the inspiration of the timepiece came.The Badollet Ivresse Tourbillon brings to mind the Movado Polyplan circa 1930's and a hint of the Concord Dilirium.

Priced around 198'000 CHF

Tag Heuer Link Lady Diamond Starring Cameron Diaz

Tag Heuer is reinventing its image to attract the females.

At Basel World 2012,  Tag Heuer unveiled the  Link Lady Diamond Star - a watch of feminine grace and sophistication with a touch of edgy sensuality kind of like Tag Heuers newest appointed ambassoder for the link lady collection, Cameron Diaz.

 Cameron Diaz of Charlie's Angel , Vanilla Sky and Gangs of New York  fame is a multiple Golden Globe nominee and one of the highest paid female actresses.
On why she agreed to become Tag Heuer's Ambassador for the Link Lady collection.
"I decided to become the ambassador for Tag Heuer for the Link Lady collection because my first watch was a Tag Heuer," she explained.
"I had just got my first diving license and I needed an underwater watch. It was a men's design, too big for my wrist. I bought that when I was 18, with the first money I earned as an actress."

Also Cameron Diaz has an affinity for fast cars.  Telling FoxNews in an exclusive interview back in 2010 -“I love driving, love it. I have been doing it well before I should have,” the 38-year-old told FOX411’s Pop Tarts while promoting her new super hero action flick, “Green Hornet.” “My cousin Johnny would put me on his lap when I was nine and let me take the wheel, or he would sit in the middle and put me in the front seat and let me ... I love speed.”

Cameron Diaz even appeared beside Tom Cruise  on Top Gear testing the speed of a car.

Its seems Tag Heuer and Cameron Diaz is a perfect team - Cameron Diaz elegant and sexy with a passion for fast cars and Tag Heuer elegant and sexy with a passion for fast cars.