Tag Heuer Monaco Twenty Four Chronograph honors Le Mans

Tag Heuer has just unveiled the revved up Tag Heuer Monaco Twenty Four Chronograph to honor the 24 hours of Le Mans. To place the watch in perspective one must know the race. Le Mans is the worlds oldest sports car race in endurance racing. The race has been held annually since 1923, close to the town of Le Mans, Sarthe, France hence the name. The race is known as the Gran Prix of Endurance and is organized by the Automobile Club de l'Quest (ACO). The race is run on a circuit of closed public roads. It is a race to test the agility of the drive, the resilience of the car and the endurance of the highest degree for 24 hours.
Tag Heuer is celebrating the Monaco watches 40th birthday with the release of this watch.

Two stripes, one blue and the other orange mark the watch with the color of Gulf Oil. The watch is based on the first square shaped Monaco ,Steve McQueen wore in the 1970 classic hit movie Le Mans. The square chronograph was unveiled the year earlier in 1969. Tag Heuer has released four new Monaco watches. One of the four is the concept watch: Monaco 24.
Inspired by the thrilling adrenaline pumping heart stopping Le Mans race, the Monaco 24 has a few cool features to pride itself. The entire watch is encased in super resilient PVD and is suspended in in an "energy manifold" steel tube housing, similar to the protective cockpit cage of a race car driver. In addition the movement of the watch is insulated with shock absorbing "composite filter" material used in aerospace and racing engineering. The shock absorption ability id incredible, The Advanced Absorption System (ADAS) can protect the watch in case of an impact of 24,000 G equivalent to a 20 meter fall.
The movement is Tag Heuer company Calibre 36 Moving (36,000 beats per hour). The movement is visible via a see-through Sapphire crystal case back. The Monaco 24 is also the first timepiece to utilize a centrifugal system. Three arrows on the annular oscillating weight display its working rotation visible via the case back.
The other three Monaco timepieces unveiled by Tag Heuer in 2009 include the Tag Heuer Monaco Calibre 12, Tag Heuer Gulf and the Tag Heuer 1969 Original Re-Edition.

On the throne at BaselWorld 2009 Hublot Gold King Power

Hublot's latest innovation the Hublot Gold King Power. The watch is named after a new alloy ,"King Gold", developed especially for Hublot and used for the first time in the " Hublot King Gold" Collection. This gold alloy is redder and more resilient with a brilliant intensity. The Case is 48 mm in diameter and is crafted from the new alloy. The Bezel is a striking mix of "King Gold" and black rubber moulding accentuated with 6 black PVD coated titanium raised H shaped screws. The Bezel Lug and lateral inserts are comprised of black composite resin whereas the crown and push-pieces are crafted in "King Gold" and rubber inserts.
The dial is an intricate model of matt black and gold plated microblasted counters and flange; applique gold plated markers and black SuperLuminova transfers. The hour and minute hands are gold-plated. The split second hand is gold plated and black nickel with black SuperLuminova.
The automatic Hublot King Power HUB 4144 calibre is a split second foudroyante which is a chronograph that has a hand that makes one rotation every second, pausing four, five, even eight times to indicate quarters, fifths or eighths of a second. This exceptional movement was developed with La Joux-Perret.
Other features within the movement:
Bridges: Polished, satin-finish with chamfered edges
Screws: Black PVD
Oscillating weight: Tungsten carbide with dimpled surface coated with black PVD
Bottom plate: Sand-blasted; rhodium-plated
Barrel: With reinforced spring
Escapement: Glucydur balance spring
Power reserve: 42 hours

The strap is adjustable jointed black rubber with a "King Gold" and steel gold PVD deployment clasp.
The Hublot King Power is cutting edge and powerful limited to just 500 pieces numbered from 1/500 to 500/500.

Piaget Newest Treasure

The Piaget Emperador Coussin Regulator watch absolutely reeks of sophistication and royalty. Its destiny is most certainly to be worn on the hands of kings and emporers. If you are just starting your voyage into the wonderful world of watches, you may notice this exquisite timepiece is quite different. The large dial has only one hand and displays the minutes, and the sub dial ,situated in the lower portion of the watch, displays the hours. A pie shaped retrograde dial displays the seconds. The difference lies in the fact that this watch is a regulator. In the past a Regulator was a very accurate long case clock, also known as a parent clock, used by watchmakers and observatories to set their watch to time. The regulator was traditionally void of any other complications thereby increasing precision and eliminating confounding factors. The separate hour and minute hands are non-coaxial.
The retrograde seconds counter will count 30 seconds and then swing back and start over. This characteristic adds movement to the watch.
The Paiget Emperador Coussin Regulator encloses its in-house made Calibre 835P hand-wound mechanical movement within a 42.5mm wide 18K rose or white gold case. The movement is a slender 3.92mm and has a power reserve of 65 hours. The dial looks like a velvet cushion on a Victorian chair, available in either royal blue or charcoal gray. The cushion shaped Emperador case is an excellent choice for the housing of the Regulator watch. There is no limit on the production of the Regulators; however, each watch is engraved with the serial number and year of manufacture.

BaselWorld 2009 is open today.

The wait is finally over. Basel world 2009 is open today in Switzerland. Basel world is the largest the largest annual fare for the watch industry. 2087 exhibitors are displaying their latest and innovative collections. Months of intense planning and painstaking preparation has finally come to an end, and the day of unveiling is at hand.


Omega is unveiling its new Omega Planet Ocean Jewelry with brand ambassador Nicole Kidman.


Corum is unveiling a new titanium addition to its Golden Bridge Collection limited edition of 188 pieces.


Rado unveils a True Chronograph Platinum Matt watch. The ceramic case is the hue of platinum with a matt look, a result of a sophisticated coating technique. The ceramic absorbs the light and gets deep grey-brown shades.


Eterna Contessa watches is another awesome collection. A collection exuding elegance and beauty.

These are just a few of the new timepieces on display at Baselworld today. The show runs for the next 7 days with companies from 45 different countries. Over 100,000 are expected to visit the show as well as almost 3000 journalists from 70 different countries. Wholesalers, retailers and watch enthusiasts are drawn to the show to network and make valuable business connections. Spanning 160,000 square miles of exhibition area, this watch and jewelry exhibition is a massive event. This is a chance to meet the CEO's of companies in person, to discuss the latest trends in watch manufacturing and fashion. In the struggling economic backdrop, Basel world is crucial to boost the global economy and elevate hopes for the the horological industry.

Its a bird! Its a plane! No its Concord C1 QuantumGravity Tourbillon Watch.

Phew, my imagination is reaching beyond the limits of the outer galactic disk from planetary nebulae. Some Sci Fi mind is definitely at work behind the curtains of Concord. The uncanny resemblance to a space ship is remarkable, and the wait to see this "out-of-this-world" timepiece is just a couple of days away. The Concord C1 QuantumGravity Tourbillon will be unveiled

in BaselWorld from March 26th- April 2, 2009. The exact docking location will be in Hall 1.0/D03. Please excuse any Sci Fi references that filter through, I cannot seem to help myself.

The remarkable sand blasted skeletonized Gravity dial drew inspiration from space exploration. The titanium case is
48.5 mm in diameter and a almost canyon like 22mm in depth. Potentially this watch could turn to be quite bulky to wear, but this is avoided by the highly flexible rubber strap and the super lightweight metals, titanium and aluminum.


The first thing one notices about this manually wound Concord C104 movement is the "green stuff" in a cylinder. It almost looks like a wacky scientist experiment that could explode at a moments notice. In actual fact this liquid is the three day power reserve, a far cry from the traditional dial. Nothing boring or traditional about this baby. The cylinder operates on a pressure system whereby the green-stuff (actually photo-luminescent green liquid) rises and falls in proportion to the amount of power left in the main spring.

As depicted in the image adjacent to this text, a "Quantum Tourbillon" is visible, suspended via cables and attached to a bridge. The bi-axial motion is visible through the dial so that one may perceive the horizontal and vertical movement of the Tourbillon. A Tourbillon was initially invented in 1795 by French watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet,to reduce the effect gravity has on a pocket watch. I have a feeling the Tourbillon in this watch is to increase its out of this world experience.
In order to enjoy all the superb complication, the Concord C1 Quantum Gravity Tourbillon has no less than 5 separate Sapphire Crystals, so that nothing misses the eye.

Other unique features are scattered throughout the watch like the seconds hand which is placed vertically on the side of the watch. The crown is hidden probably at the 2 'o'clock position, but it is on to BaselWorld where the hidden crown shall be revieled. Now the great aspect about this watch is the decision by the watchmakers to make the dial, traditional and simple. If the dial would have been complicated mechanisms like the Urwerks (which I truly love), it would have been too much.
Built from 511 parts and countless of hours in research, development and crafting, this watch is a fascinating plethora of unique components as well as exuding a distinct Sci Fi feel which will attract many watch enthusiasts who relish in high tech luxury mechanical timepieces .

Another luxury watch company goes mobile!

Ulysse Nardin has partnered with SCI Innovations to create a smart phone. We only have a glimpse of this creation as the full extent of its glory will be unveiled at Basel World 2009. What we have uncovered is that the phone, dubbed "The Chairman" is not only smart, but green. "The Chairman" utilizes environmentally- friendly kinetic technology inspired by the winding mechanism of an automatic mechanical watch. I am not sure how this will work as the phone is not strapped to ones wrist, but the mechanics I am sure are fascinating. The phone will be able to operate on any of the global communications networks. The aesthetics of the phone is as intriguing as the inner workings, the partial view in the above image only wets our appetite for more. The phone has an exhibition window in which the guilloche engraved energy-driven kinetic rotor is revealed.

The Ulysse Nardin Smart Phone is a limited edition of 1846 smart phones, the date where ...

In 1846, a young boy of 23 years old settled in Le Locle to create his own chronometers. His name - Ulysse Nardin, and he was a technical genius. He had a wealth of experience too as he had worked under the intense guidance of Federic-William Dubois, a renowned specialist in the manufacturing of marine chronometers and astronomic watches. Although, Ulysse Nardin worked on his marine chronometers 1000 miles above sea level, his heart was at sea...

Tag Heuer has also delved into the phone market with its Meridiist phone and the official launch of its website dedicated to the Meridiist. The seven phone models are introduced to the public, displaying all the phones features and components.

Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewerly Company

This Ralph Lauren watch with the gold stirrup shaped bezel is causing quite a stir among watch enthusiasts. They are eagerly anticipating the arrival of this watch in May 2009. The watches were first unveiled at SIHH in January 2009. This watch is part of a new watch collection carrying the iconic brand name of Ralph Lauren.
This watch is the offspring of a brand new company "Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewerly Company", formed in September 2008, and based in Geneva Switzerland. This company is the partnership between two leading companies, Polo Ralph Lauren and Richemont Group. This new company will design, develop, manufacture and distribute luxury watches and fine jewelry. For both companies this venture is a first. This is Richemont's first such venture with a luxury fashion designer and its Polo Ralph Lauren first venture into the luxury watch and jewelry business.
Ralph Lauren, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation said, “I have waited a long time to create and introduce timepieces that I feel exemplify the ultimate in luxury and quality. Richemont shares that understanding and has the global reputation and experience to fulfill these shared goals. I have the highest confidence that this unique partnership will be tremendously successful and an important part of our global luxury accessories strategy.”
Johann Rupert, Executive Chairman of Richemont, said, “I have long admired Ralph Lauren. His impeccable taste, style and attention to detail are unique. These factors, combined with Richemont’s expertise in jewelry and watches has led to a fascinating business venture. Jointly, we aim to create a new luxury business, which I am confident will develop into a world leader. This is an exciting partnership and I am very happy to work with Ralph Lauren on this project. I am very enthusiastic about the timepieces we will be unveiling at SIHH 2009.”
Many people people are speculative about forming a new luxury company in times of economic uncertainty, but the overwhelming enthusiasm to the new watch collection displays positive signs for the future of the "Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewelry Company". It is pleasing to see growth and creativity.
Richemont owns a portfolio of leading international brands. Each brand is managed independently of one another, thus maintaining the unique quality and creativity. Richemont has five distinct areas of operation:
1)High end Jewelry Companies (which also sell watches): Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels.
2)High end watchmakers: Jaeger LeCoultre, Piaget, IWC, Baume & Mercier, Vacheron Constantin, Panerai, A Lange & Sohne & Roger Dubois.
3)High end writing instruments: Montblanc and Montegrappa
4)High end leather and accessories: Alfred Dunhill and Lancel
5)Other businesses: Chloe and 19.5% interest in British American Tobacco.

Bell & Ross Craft Fighter Pilots Watch

On March 18th, 2009, Bell and Ross became the official supplier to the French Air Force. The French Air Force requested that Bell and Ross create a watch specifically designed to meet the timepiece requirements of fighter pilots - the BR 03 Type Aviation.

The dial of a Bell & Ross timepiece looks like the dials on the aircraft cockpit instrument panel, and within the watch, the movement tracks time with precision like that of a fighter pilot navigating the sky with startling speed. This watch is based on four fundamental principles: legibility, functionality, precision and reliability, which is the driving force behind the success of Bell & Ross.
With the Instrument BR Heritage, Bell & Ross draws inspiration from 1940's military aircraft instruments. Although, the BR Heritage is inspired by history, the craftsmanship of this watch has incorporated some of the most modern techniques in watch crafting. The sandy strap is stamped with the Bell & Ross logo. The sandy colored dipped hands and tawny indicators creates an image of war.

Bell & Ross' timepieces are becoming increasingly popular as the dial is simple yet at the same time stylish and appealing.

Harry Winston unveils the Histoire de Tourbillon 1

There are a myriad of complications, but none as captivating as the tourbillon. The tourbillon is an extremely challenging complication to master. This Spring of 2009, Harry Winston will release a unique collection , the Histoire de Tourbillon, comprising of five distinct designs. Each design will be limited to just twenty timepieces, making this entire collection rare and highly desirable collectibles.

The Tourbillon was invented in 1795 by French watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet, who hypothesized that gravity had an adverse effect on the workings of a pocket watch. Abraham Louis Breguet placed the escapement and balance wheel in a cage in order to counteract the effects of gravity.
Harry Winston has utilized innovative materials as well as increasingly sophisticated mechanisms in the Histoire de Tourbillon 1 Collection.
The 48mm case is crafted from white gold and Zalium. Zalium is an ultra-light alloy made from zirconium and allium lily. The material has a low density, high thermal resistance, high durability and is extremely resilient. Zalium originated from the aerospace industry; however the term Zalium is a trademark first used by Harry Winston in its Project Z series of watches.
Each timepiece features two 25º inclined single-axis Tourbillons with rabid 36 second rotations.
Harry Winston accepts the hypothesis that the Tourbillon does counter the effects of gravity and thus uses increasingly sophisticated techniques to increase the efficiency of the Tourbillon. The high rotation speed of the Tourbillon reduces the exposure of the regulator to natural gravity. The speed of the rotations of the Tourbillon is achieved by the incredibly light weight components. 88 components in the system only weigh .46 grams.
The angles of the Tourbillons as well as their rapid rotations and synchronicity, achieve an hypnotic allusion that the Tourbillons are moving towards the Sapphire Crystal.Hours and minutes are displayed on the front rotating disc and on the back of the timepiece with seconds for more precise timekeeping. This Harry Winston timepiece is a testament to its ongoing commitment to watchmaking excellence. The timepiece is a mechanical self-winding movement.

Crown vs Fingernail. Let the battle begin.

There has been a rise in Mechanical Watches for women, like the timepieces which belong to the striking Zenith's El Primero Collection.
Most of the Women's Mechanical Watches are Automatic and thus the watch is powered by the swinging motion of the wearers arm; however, when the watch is not worn the watch is not wound and thus stops. When this occurs the crown needs to be turned in order to adjust the date and time. This is usually no problem unless you have long manicured finger nails. In many instances the nail gets caught between the crown and watch case and breaks. This can occur before a social event where the dazzling watch rests above the wearers hand ending in long shimmering nails. The wearer who is probably doing a million things at once like adjusting the delicate strap on her shoe, and reapplying her lipstick whilst looking for her cellphone, keys and purse will try winding her automatic watch and break a finger nail. This is a potentially devastating occurrence being that perfect nails are a must around the dinner table. To hide the finger with a broken nail whilst one is drinking a long stemmed glass of champagne could prove quite tricky and not to mention most embarrassing, and could potentially ruin an entire evening.
The solution is quite simple ,but rather clever. Ladies watches are most often smaller than the men's timepieces and thus run out of power after just two days of being unworn.
The solution: A watch winder. A watch winder will ensure that when the watch is not worn, the watch winder will move the watch so that the watch will remain powered and time will continue interrupted. However many watch winders are bulky and heavy manufactured for men's automatic timepieces. With the growing demand for women's mechanical timepieces, Orbita Corporation has introduced a watch winder for women. The watch winder is attractive and compact, equipped with two mounting cushions; a standard-size and a more petite version to accommodate smaller watch straps. The mounting and removal of the watches in both these versions are a breeze.

The Sparta Mini series is available with faux lizard covering in a selection of creme, red, blue, pink and white. The watch winder can be plugged into any socket and it keeps the watch in motion by gently moving the watch in a series of arcs, automatically every ten minutes, mimicking the swinging motion of the wearers arm. The winder is of fine quality with no possibility of over winding or damaging the watch mechanism.

The Charm of DeLaneau

DeLaneau is a passionate luxury watch company transforming a timepiece into a piece of art. Established in 1949 in Bienne Switzerland, Delaneau creates rare beauties. DeLaneau is little over half a century old, and thus moved its offices to a location steeped in centuries of watchmaking. Delaneau wanted the best and this historical 18th century residence in the center of Geneva's old town had the best in watchmaking techniques. The best stone setters, engravers, finishers, master goldsmiths and watchmakers as well as fine jewelry craftsman. Delaneau is one of the only companies that boasts an in-house enamel workshop whose superior craftsman have perfected the secrets and mystery surrounding this complicated art form.

Delaneu has focused on Mechanical Watches for women. Since quartz watches flooded the market in the 1970's, mechanical watches were reserved for machine loving men. Women's watches, although smothered in diamonds and gems, mostly kept time with a quartz movement. DeLaneau realizes that a women too can appreciate the deep tradition and brilliant craftsmanship of mechanical movements and thus has created thrilling mechanical movements for women.

The power behind DeLaneau is CEO and artistic director, Christina Wendt-Thevenaz. She is passionate about women's timepieces, and every luxury watch is inspected by Christina before it leaves the door. Christina wants each watch to be a woman's treasured item, a constant companion, that will be on her wrist throughout her life. Only a few hundred pieces are crafted a year, each piece a sculptor, crafted by an expert watchmaker. The collections are quite unique and breathtaking. The Fauna Collection includes a timepiece displaying the bowed head of a white horse, another displays the vivid green of a leopards eye, and yet another the shimmering colors of a butterfly in flight. The Flora Collection contains a timepiece with the enigmatic orchid. The Lotus Collection is my favorite as the timepieces themselves breath the mystic and ancient symbolism of the Lotus Flower. The Tourbillon Collection is truly captivating, defying gravity, not only in function but also in rare beauty. The Angel Heart Collection seems to stem from a place between reality and fantasy. Within these collections are Amazone Timepieces. DeLaneau has created a jumping hours collection which has captivated the World of Horology.

For a moment, if you can look past the dazzling exterior of DeLaneau masterpieces, you would be pleased to know, the movement tracking the time is of superb quality and extreme precision. DeLaneau caters to the individual and if you desire a creation of your own, DeLaneau can provide you with a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.

The Hidden Message in a President's Watch

A message hidden from sight for over 150 years. A message engraved on a movement beneath a watch case. Stories told from one to another; from generation to generation, blur around the edges so that the story itself becomes questionable. This was the case with the message engraved on the movement of Abraham Lincoln's pocket watch.
Abraham Lincoln - (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States who succeeded in leading the country through a period of grave conflict within its borders, the American Civil War, thereby preserving the Union and ending slavery.

In 1861, Irish Immigrant and watchmaker, Jonathan Dillon, was working in a Washington D.C. watch repair shop when Lincoln's watch was brought in for some minor maintenance. He began meticulously repairing the timepiece as the news of the attack on Fort Sumter in South Carolina came in. The first breath of the Civil War. Dillon, moved by the news, engraved his name, the date and a message about the current time on the movement of the watch. He told his children about the engravings. Fifty years later, a 84 year old Dillon, related the story to a New York Times Reporter later the wording of his message: The gun is fired. Slavery is dead. Thank God we have a president who at least will try.

At least those were the words he thought he had written.

Dillon had closed the watch case and sent it back to the White House in good working order. Lincoln never knew of the message and Dillon passed on in 1907. In 1958, Lincoln's Watch was given to the Smithsonian Institution. They never knew of the tale. The old watch no longer worked and the watch case remained closed, year after year until now ...

Dillon's great great grandson, Douglas Stiles, a real-estate attorney in Waukegan, Ill remembered and old family legend he had heard as a kid around the dinner table. He wondered if their even was an engraving on the watch. He did a bit of research and discovered the 1906 New York Times article from 1906, which had the interview with Dillon. However, he still was not convinced, Dillon had been interviewed so long after he had actually engraved the watch, maybe it had been just a thought. Last month, Douglas Styles, notified the Smithsonian Museum and immediately their interest was peaked.
This morning in a small conference room on the first floor of the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History, Lincoln's Watch lay like a small time capsule waiting to be opened. The watch was old and had not be opened for years, and the task required the hand of an expert watchmaker, George Thomas. The anticipation mounted as reporters and museum employees viewed the watch via a video monitor.
"The moment of truth has come. Is there or is there not an inscription?"George Thomas said as he carefully removed the case with tiny tweezers and pliers. Suddenly the inscriptions of Dillon were uncovered and a legend sprang to life.
However, the big surprise came in the wording. The wording was not what Dillon himself had remembered.
Douglas Styles read the inscription etched on the metal plate beneath the dial.
It read: "Jonathan Dillon April 13 - 1861, Fort Sumpter was attacked by the rebels on the above date." Another part reads, "Thank God we have a government."

As Douglas Stiles was digesting the confirmation of an old family legend he said,
"My gosh, that was Lincoln's watch," he said, "and my ancestor put graffiti on it!"

Lincoln's pocket watch was one of his only valuable possessions which he brought from Springfield Ill. The watch has gold case and it is stamped as coming from the George Chatterton jewelers in Springfield, Ill., where Lincoln was known to shop. The watch, Thomas said, would be the equivalent to a timepiece costing "$5,000 or more" today.

Lincoln wore this watch everyday through tumultuous upheavals never once knowing that his watch bore the writings of a Irish immigrant watchmaker who sat at his workbench on Pennsylvania Avenue.

ESQ by Movado

ESQ Aston Men's Watch Stainless Steel Blue Dial

Shortly, Movado Group Inc. will be announcing the new name for ESQ will be “ESQ by Movado”. ESQ Swiss was launched in 1992 as a name brand whose quality watches were affordable and at the same time aesthetically appealing and exceptionally durable. The ESQ watches are made by Movado with cutting edge materials including ceramics and carbon fibre.

The latest ESQ creation, the ESQ Fusion Retrograde Chronograph, is a watch wearers dream. The profile of the watch is fashioned with the majestic curve of a suspension bridge in mind. The case in convex for absolute comfort. The watch is crafted from high tech materials such as carbon fiber, stainless steel, hard rubber and scratch resistant Sapphire crystal. In some models, a ultra light aluminum is integrated in the timepiece. Extra attention has been used in crafting the watch strap which is fashioned from stainless steel with titanium or ceramic. Both materials are highly resilient. A pleasing feature on this watch is three retrograde dials which provide for easy reading. In a retrograde dial, the numbers form a line or in this case a semicircle. In retrograde watches the hand jumps back to the starting point once it has reached the end of the line. The watch is Swiss quartz precise as well as being water resistant. This is a great sporty watch made by Movado Group.

By adding the name Movado to ESQ, ESQ will carry the name of Movado's long history and excellent craftsmanship.

Just like the legend of the company this JeanRichard women's watch has a magical whimsical air about it. (Click to Read the legend of Daniel JeanRichard) This gorgeous timepiece is the Lady Small Seconds watch. It is part of the JeanRichard Bessel Collection ( "Les Bressels" being the birthplace of Daniel JeanRichard) which was unveiled in 2005. To me the watch conjures up fairies with fragile wings sharing air space with butterflies and fireflies. The image is not far fetched at all, as the dial design is sprinkled with delicate flowers floating in a fairytale mother of pearl grey violet pond. Amongst the flowers is a lotus flower which turns, marking the seconds.

It is no surprise JeanRichard chose the Lotus flower to drift on the pond like dial. The Lotus flower grows in muddy water, its roots embedded the lake bed, and rises above the surface to bloom in all its exquisite splendour. At night the flower closes and sinks underwater, and then at dawn it rises and opens again. There are over 300 types of Lotus Flowers. The lotus is mentioned in ancient writings. In Ancient Asia it was a symbol of purity, its unfolded petals like the expansion of ones soul. Other symbolism of the Lotus flower include the purity of heart and mind and represents long life, health, honor and good luck.



The dial is elegantly framed with a bezel lined with 58 diamonds. An additional 12 demands mark the hours. The date aperture is placed adjacent to the 3 'o'clock and its bold red numerals are immediately visible. The sapphire crystal cabochon only adds to the soft look. The rhodium (an element within the platinum group metals- PGM) plated hands are perfect in shape and shimmer. The scratch resistant Sapphire crystal is quite rounded above the 10.75mm timepiece providing for an appealing accessory on a women's wrist.


The watch may look like a whimsical addition to a fairy tale, but its impeccable craftsmanship, precision and functionality is anything but. This mechanical watch is powered by a JR1000 automatic movement. The alligator strap is available in either black or white with an additional lotus flower motif on the strap deployment

The Lotus Flower has a unique trait, it can regulate its temperature within a narrow range. The watch exudes a sense of magical mystery just like its Lotus.

Cartier unveils a unique skeleton watch

The Cartier Santos 100 Squelette Watch was unveiled at the SIHH 2009. It is a watch unlike the other. Cartier broke watch boundries and delivered and icon. Cartier brings skeleton to a whole new dimension. The skeleton dial and Roman Numerals are integrated in the very framework of the watch.

The watch is cased in Palledium. Palledium is a rare metal. It has a lustrous sivery-white appearance. Palledium is part of a group known as platinum group metals (PGMs) which includes other elements such as platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and osmium. These metals share commen chemical properties; however, Palledium has the lowest melting point and is the least dense. It is an excellent material for a watch case as it is incredibly tarnish resistant, resistant to chemical erosion and intense heat.

The Palledium case is 46.5mm x 55mm. The entire movement is visible. Every part is finished and polished to perfection.

The Santos 100 is equipped with the 9611 MC skeleton movement manufactured exclusively by Cartier. This movement is designed for a complete visual thrill whereby nothing is hidden behind a well placed dial. There is no dial to display the time, but the movement itself so the movement becomes the display. The watch is manually wound as an automatic movement will conceal part of the watch. The fascinating aspect of this movement is that its very shape has been designed to include bridges shaped as large Roman Numerals and to utilize the entire space the Palledium case provides. As you can see the watch has two barrels, thus the 9611 MC caliber can reserve sufficient energy for 72 hours. The balance wheel can be seen pulsating at the 7:30 position.

The Santos Watch is named after Santos Dumont who required a watch that could be viewed with convenience while he was flying his plane. Click here to read this truly fascinating story of Santos Dumont and how he popularized the wrist watch.

The Effect of the Economy on Luxury Watches.

When the economy was great, my interest in finances was somewhat vague, but now it has become something of an obsession. I constantly check the Dow Jones to see whether the market is up or down - mostly down, and the minutes before 4pm ,when the market closes, my eyes are glued to the screen watching the numbers change. So naturally I am always scanning the net to find articles about the current economic situation and luxury watches. I came across an article on Portfolio. com titled "Tough times for Luxury Watches" which I found well written and a good read. Click on the title and you will be able to read the full article.

The article states quite a bit of statistics regarding the downturn of mid range luxury watches. The downturn in the economy left an entire army of watch buyers in a quandary, your stock brokers, your mortgage brokers, lawyers, real estate developers, construction workers suddenly found themselves scrambling to pay the bills, regular bills like the phone and electric. Who could think of buying a luxury watch?
But there are dreams and just because the bank balance is dwindling the dreams don't stop, as Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel designer, voiced in a January BBC interview.

"I can be interested in a $20m diamond I will never buy, without desiring the diamond. If you want only things you can afford, it's boring too."

"It's great to see things you may not buy - because you don't have the money - but it is very ugly to think they shouldn't exist because you can not buy them."

(Watch depicted Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Joaillerie Ladies' Manual Wind Watch 18K White Gold with Diamonds Q2673301)
People will not succumb to frivolous spending, but spending wisely, and although at this present moment the spenders have halted to rethink their past spending habits, they will reorganize and begin to set money aside for that which they want. The thrill of having a luxury watch strapped to ones wrist does not fade with the passage of time, but only increases so that when one purchases an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak or a Cartier Tank or a Concord La Scala the satisfaction is ten fold.

(Watch depicted Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Men's Watch Automatic 18K Rose Gold White Dial on Brown Leather Strap 15300OR-OO-D088CR-02)

Last week I took my son to the doctor to have his yearly shots. I noticed the Doctor had on an exquisite Cartier Tank. I admired it and she said, "I had wanted a Cartier Tank for the longest time, and finally I bought it."
In these troubling times with CEO's getting hammered for travelling by private jet, people are feeling guilty about spending large sums of money. However, there is no substitute for a good watch, especially a good Luxury Watch which will last a lifetime. The trick is to channel your money wisely and in doing so you will be able to afford a luxury watch. Buy a luxury watch and feel good about yourselves, feel that even in this economy you can gain self confidence, and confidence is a much needed trait around about now.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the above issues.

Omega begins counting down to Winter Olympics 2010

Omega Speedmaster Date Chronograph Automatic

Omega marks the one year count down to the Vancouver Winter Olympic 2010 opening ceremony. The ceremony was attended by Omega president Stephen Urquhart, Swatch group CEO Nick Hayek Jr. IOC President Jacques Rogge and John Furlong, CEO of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC)

Spectators cheered as cheered as the Omega Countdown Clock reached precisely 365 days, 0 hours, 0 minutes and 0 seconds.

chronographs manufactured by its subsidiary Lemania. Since then Omega was a pioneer in cutting edge time keeping in the field of sports.
It is little wonder that Omega has the edge in sports watches.

Omega Speedmaster Date Chronograph Automatic Men's Watch Stainless Steel Black Dial 3210.52