Monday, April 30, 2012

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.

Thursday, April 26, 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.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

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.

Monday, April 23, 2012

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.

Friday, April 20, 2012

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. 

 

Thursday, April 19, 2012

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.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

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



Tuesday, April 17, 2012

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.


Monday, April 16, 2012

Ritmo Mundo Puzzling Timekeeping to Hide Time

Don't be surprise if Ritmo Mundo timepiece brings sudden flashes of childhood party bags and sticky fingers. This is probably due to the fact that Ritmo Mundo fashioned its sliding puzzle watch after the party bag game.  The game slides in and out of a sleeve masking or displaying the watch face. In addition the actual "game" is functional.   The sliding puzzle watches typically sell for $5,500.00 and up depending on the model.
 The Puzzle timepiece ,unveiled in 2010, is a signature Ritmo Mundo timepiece.  The company has added to the Puzzle collection in different color combinations and gem encrustation.  

What is the inspiration for this timepiece?  President and Founder of Ritmo Mundo, Ali Soltani,  found inspiration in architecture "and by the limits which they can be joined" and of course the childhood sliding puzzles.
Timepieces manufactured by California based Ritmo Mundo  have a trendy fashionable appeal with  unique designs making them attractively distinct.  The timepieces exude a definite bold flair influenced by its Italian Origin. Being Beverly Hill based, Ritmo Mundo has attracted a host of celebrities who once hooked become instantly "Ritmotized" - the companies name for it. The string of celebrities donning a Ritmo Mundo timepiece range from Terry 'O Quinn of "LOST" fame to Sylvestor Stylone and Samuel L. Jackson.  Tyra Banks known for her excellent taste in attire wears one too. Ritmo Mundo has licensing agreements with many HBO award winning series like "Entourage" and "Sex and the City".

Beneath all the glitz and glamor of the timepiece beats a very good movement.

The watch is equipped with a Swiss Sellita SW 200 Automatic movement, which by all means is as good as an ETA movement. Sellita is an independent company  founded in 1950  which exclusively assembles Swiss made mechanical watch movements. In 2003,  Sellita decided to develop and produce there own mechanical movements.   The SW 200 was the first movement introduced to the market with excellent results.   Watch companies who want watch movements comparable to the precision and efficiency of ETA movements use Sellita movements. Since 2010, Swatch group, for the most part, has slowed the supply of complete  ETA movements to watch companies not owned by the Swatch Group making it impossible for small privately owned watch companies outside of the Swatch Group to purchase an ETA movement. The Sellita is almost a copy of the ETA 2824.  The main difference is that it has not been around nearly as long as the ETA 2824 and thus has not been naturally tested for longevity.
 ETA has contracted Sellita to make  their movements under the ETA brand. So one may actually be wearing an ETA movement assembled by Sellita. 
Many companies avoid the movement debate by simply stating the movement is Swiss made; however Ritmo Mundo clearly states that the movement within its Ritmo Mundo sliding puzzle is a Swiss Selita SW 200.

Ritmo Mundo uses Sapphire crystal to protect the dial.  An absolute must for watches in this price range.  One must raise an eyebrow to any watch over $500, which uses mineral crystal instead of sapphire crystal.  Sapphire crystal is still the best glass to protect the watch face - its hardness and scratch resistance only  bettered by diamond.

In just 10 years, Ritmo Mundo has achieved great strides in contributing to the watch industry.  One of its most intriguing collection is the Persepolis Automatic Collection which demands a blog of its own; however my own childhood memories of sliding puzzle games fueled by desire to blog about the RITMO MUNDO PUZZLE first.




Monday, April 9, 2012

Bubba Watson Win a Big Boost for Richard Mille


Richard Mille couldn't have chosen a better ambassador than Bubba Watson.  They even went as far as producing a $525,000  RM038 Bubba Watson Watch which  accompanies  him on many  golfing tournaments.

Richard Mille's absolute faith in its choice of golfing ambassador paid off in a big way.  The former golfing underdog, who was  relatively unknown to non-golfers became an instant celebrity in his latest victory over South African Louis Oosthuizen in a dramatic playoff at the 76th Masters.
With this victory Bubba Watson has become an instants celebrity and a "marketers dream." - (Forbes) "Bubba Watson was a bettor's dream" ( USA today).  And a bettor's dream it was for Richard Mille.  Now the limited number of 38 RM 038 ultra light tourbillon Bubba Watson timepieces and all Richard Mille's creations will attract a much wider interest.

Bubba Watson's RM 038 crafted from ultra light-weight tough magnesium-aluminum alloy or AZ91 is a tad heavier than Richard Mille Ambassador and tennis great Rafael Nadel's RM 037 weighing in a just 18 grams and crafted from titanium and lithium alloy. The feature focus on the Bubba Watson Watch is the incredible shock resistance capability in a watch sporting a manually wound tourbillon movement.  The incredible skeletonized structure of the timepiece emphasizes Richard Mille's advanced mechanical expertise and commitment to resilience and timekeeping precision.


Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Omega's Olympic London 2012 Collection

The Amirillo Sunday News, July 25th, 1948
The Olympics will be back in London come summer 2012 and   Omega will be timing the games for the 25th year.  To commemorate Omega's 80th year as the Olympic Games official Timekeeper, Omega launched an Olympic Collection London 2012.

Three versions of the   Olympic London 2012 Seamaster co-axial chronometer watches are available.

The most sporty looking of the three is a Seamaster chronograph timepiece with a steel case and bracelet surrounding a blue dial priced at  $7,600. The Olympic Logo is emblazoned in steel on the case back.

The second chronograph timepiece is more classical in design. A red gold case and blue dial and strap - currently the most trendiest  color combination. This Seamaster features a transparent case-back revealing its movement.


The third watch is an OMEGA Seamaster 1948 Co-Axial “London 2012″ in steel with a solid yellow gold case back sporting the logo of the  London Olympics 2012.  This watch is priced at $6,800.  This watch is limited to 1948 pieces, representing the last year the Olympics were in London and the  year the Omega Seamaster was launched. The watch is powered by a highly efficient Automatic Caliber 2202, sporting a Co-Axial Escapement for optimum precision and durability.  A silver dial with an hour minute and small seconds sub-dial at the 6 'o'clock is the most formal watch of the three.  A black leather strap is sealed by a matching polished steel buckle.  The Omega Seamaster 1948 is water resistant to 120 meters and is capable of a 48 hour power reserve.




 
At the heart of the first two watches is an Omega 3313 self-winding chronograph movement with a highly efficient column wheel mechanism and Co-axial Escapement ensuring maximum precision. The watches harbor a free sprung balance and display a date,hour,minute and continuous small seconds hand.  A central chronograph hand ensures reliable timing of the races.

Both the Chronograph watches are equipped with a crown which screws into the tube of the case and  locks.  This feature maximizes the water resistancy of the watch to 500 meters.

 

Omega has opted to utilize an outside source to ensure maximum performance, efficiency, precision and reliability ,even in adverse conditions, by having the movement tested by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres or Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute. (COSC).  The movement undergoes a battery of rigorous tests in order to achieve the status of chronometer.  After Rolex, Omega is one of the companies which submit the largest amounts of movements to be tested by the COSC.  As an added precaution of authenticity, a serial number ,officially certifying the movement as a chronometer, is engraved into the movement.

The dial of the watches are protected by a domed scratch resistant Sapphire crystal treated with an anti-reflective coating enabling maximum read out against the glare of the sun.

 Omega is the Official Timekeepers at the Olympic Games and has been since Los Angeles 1932 Olympic Games and the 1936 Olympic Winter Games in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany -  when a single Omega technician came to the games hauling 27 stopwatches. In the intervening years , from then till now, Omega's expertise in Olympic timekeeping has increased dramatically.
In this years Olympics all eyes will be on 26 year old Omega Ambassador Swimmer Legend Micheal Phelps winner of no less than 14 gold medals and 2 bronze with Omega timing his progression stroke by stroke.

As far as efficiency, durability and precision goes, these watches are the complete package.  All three timepieces attract  different tastes for different occasions. 

Purchasing a watch commemorating an event adds a collectible quality to the timepiece especially if  manufactured in limited editions.

Monday, April 2, 2012

The Beauty of Blancpain's Villeret Collection


One of the most beautiful luxury watches available is the newest addition to the Blancpain Villeret Collection.  The watch exudes a distinction of excellence. Immediately noticed! Immediately understand! From a company which never manufactured a Quartz Watch.- Read a Luxury Watch Company that Never Went Quartz

Elegant hands sweep across an exquisite blue  flinqué lacquered dial. The endless deep blue like the sky on a still night is created by multiple applications of translucent blue lacquer.  The Arabic Numeral days of the month are indicated by a serpentine hand - its name derived from the shape of a snake. The hours are marked by Roman Numeral.  A extra elongated minute hand ensures precision time display. A retrograde second hand is situated at the 6 'o'clock. A new in-house automatic ultra slim (only 4.57mm) Blancpain Calibre 7663Q is housed within a white gold case. Comprising of 244 components and 34 jewels, the movement has the capacity for a 72 hour power reserve.
 An under lug corrector for  fast date adjustment is very discretely placed at the 5 'o'clock position.
A Sapphire Crystal scratch resistant case-back enables movement visibility.