Archive for November, 2009

2010 Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Memovox, Rise of Legends

November 29th, 2009

The 2010 Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Memovox (Rose Gold)

The SIHH 2010 is just around the corner, I am very looking forward to the performance of Jaeger-LeCoultre. Not long before, I got the news that the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Memovox would be presented in the SIHH 2010, amazing and exciting. I am too impatient to wait for the rise of legend.

As the world’s first wristwatch with an automatic movement with alarm function, the original Memovox marked the start of a new watchmaking legend. Powered by the Jaeger-LeCoultre Caliber 815, firstly released in 1956, this Memovox is the first successful edition in the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Memovox collection, but not the oldest Memovox. The Memovox made its debut in 1950, with a Jaeger-LeCoultre Caliber 489. The development of this collection has been dormant since 1968, but nothing can interfered with its superiority in watchmaking field.

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The Memovox Tribute to Polaris introduced in 2008

The classic should be remembered, and the most classic should be the legend. The legend will certainly be continued by the 2010 Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Memovox, a stunning comeback. In fact, there is a remake edition of the Memovox 1968 unveilled by Jaeger-LeCoultre in 2008, called Memovox Tribute to Polaris. The Jaeger-LeCoultre caliber 956, firstly introduced in 2008, powers this reborn watch. This innovative movement will also work in the 2010 Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Memovox, a restart of the legendary Memovox in the real sense. Nothing I can write about its shape will be better than simply looking at it. The blue seconds hand perfectly collaborated with the silver dial and gold case, offers a good readability and appreciative concise temperament. The iconic arrow symbol on the inner disk indicates the alarm time. The 2010 Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Memovox will be released as a limited edition of 750 pieces in Stainless Steel and 250 pieces in Rose Gold.

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Posted in Jaeger-LeCoultre

Tags: Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Memovox legendary watch Memovox Tribute to Polaris SIHH 2010

Guer Man Trace Watch, A Artwork from Natural Creativity

November 28th, 2009

Recently, when I hung out on the Internet, I was very delighted to find this interesting watch, extremely surprised by its weird presentation. It has a name of Guer Man Trace. First of all, its log watch box would be one of the most attractive points for the timepiece. Apart from its great novelty, the log watch box matches the watch well and allows you to see the watch face through the porthole on it. I think if the Guer Man can release the watch along with the pictured pedestal or tray, which can carry the log watch box, the Guer Man Trace watch will be turn into to a pedestal clock, maybe that’s not impractical, but really cool.

It is said that the Guer Man Trace watch was born after a long maturity due to the collaboration of a technician and a designer. Both of them are watch enthusiasts. I can’t enter the Guer Man website, which was claimed up in September. The company or brand philosophy is reported to make relative the notion of watch integrating an ideology that strictly bonds with the idea of an “ARTISTIC CREATION”.

Look at the watch model, the matt gold case and deep blue dial with good frosting processing present an intentionally old style, exceptionally harmony with the log watch box. The bezel features an unusual and complex pattern accounts for the perimeter composed of 71 hand made columns. The dial is decorated with a ruby at 12 o’clock. No matter how cliche it is, nice jewels on a watch face are always appreciated.

The movement is an ETA 2789 calibre, an automatic movement of proven track record and extended reliability. It is stated to be Swiss made and developed by Guer Man itself. 4 wheel bridges angled in bicolour / gold 2N, 5N and white rhodium. The gilded “Guer Man” logo in 2N, 5N gold and white rhodium is engraved on the personalized rotor. A high quality ruby is found in its centre above the black engraving. The screws of the rotor and the bridges are in 18k gold.

To integrate noble, precious and natural materials with an innovative style, the Guer Man watch is truly a piece of art. With simple functions of hours, minutes and seconds, it endows its wearer with a supplement of soul and happiness.

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Posted in Interesting Watches

Tags: ETA 2789 Guer Man Guer Man Trace Watch Interesting Watch log watch box

Historical Watch – Romain Jerome Titanic-DNA T-Oxy IV Ultimate Rust Watch

November 27th, 2009

Following the great success of the Rusted Steel T-Oxy II watch, the new member of exclusive Romain Jerome Titanic-DNA collection – the T-Oxy IV Ultimate Rust watch, has recently released, aiming at a special place in the wanted list of Titanic fans and luxury watches collectors.

Titanic-DNA is an exclusive and unprecedented collection, inspired by the legendary ocean liner the Titanic, which went down in the North Atlantic in 1912. Romain Jerome pays homage to the illustrious liner by providing its timepieces with a part of the legend. The rusted steel bezel is the result of the extraordinary fusion between authentic steel from the wreck lying 3,840 metres under the sea, and steel supplied by the Harland & Wolff shipyards in Belfast, where the Titanic was built almost a century ago. The hands are inspired by the Titanic’s anchor and rotate on a dial of deep black achieved using coal collected from the legendary wreck. The design adopted for the small seconds hand at 9 o’clock evokes the counters used on the steam engine dials. These watchmaking creations are limited to 2012 pieces.

The new Titanic-DNA watch features a matt 18K 5N pink gold case, with a generous diameter of 46 mm. As a expression of the last possible stage of oxidization process before the steel decomposes, the stabilized rusted bezel reveals kind of historical vicissitudes feeling. Protected by a double-sided anti-reflective sapphire crystal, the watch has a case back marked with an engraved medallion.

A self-winding exclusive C22RJ51 Concepto calibre by Jacquet, operating the hours, minutes, seconds and date functions, serves for movement in the new watch. In addition, the water- resistance is to 50 meters. The new timepiece comes with a rubber or full-skin Hornback crocodile leather strap, fitted with a folding clasp in 18K pink gold. Against the tradition of 2012 limited units, only 500 pieces made are available, extremely limited.

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Posted in Romain Jerome

Tags: Historical Watch Limited Watch Romain Jerome T-Oxy IV Ultimate Rust Watch Titanic Titanic-DNA

Parmigiani Fleurier Atelier Collection, A Spokesman for Travelling Spirit

November 26th, 2009

To celebrate the festive Christmas spirit, the illustrious watch company Parmigiani Fleurier has presented the high-end Atelier Collection to delight its distinguished customers.

Different from traditional framework of Parmigiani collections, these extraordinary model demonstrates a bolder change of the brand design. All the models with the hand-painted or gem-set watch dials, masterwork by craftsmen renowned as the very finest in their field, features a kind of spirit of haute couture within the Parmigiani Manufacture itself.

The new Atelier collection is designed as a unique or very small batch series, presenting a style full of richness and change in mind. A world exhibition tour will be undertaken for the new collection, dotted with numerous destinations, at which the models will be available for sale exclusively. The travelling spirit specially created a stunning brand environment for the Atelier collection, perfectly featured in the display cases and furniture selected to accompany it.

As a defining feature of the Kalpagraph Savane model, the travelling spirit makes the watch stand out. Just look at the external design, the flame of combustion is the best description for the first impression on the watch. The abundant enthusiasm radiated from its ostrich leather strap, as well as the color, the grain and fine lines, demonstrates a extremely hot style. Created by a highly talented miniature-scale painter, the two chronograph counters, matching well to the strap, express a kind of unique artistry.

A hallmark Kalpagraph Manta model in Abyss Blue, makes one of the shinest stars among the Atelier Collection, of course for its travelling spirit. Its galuchat strap and perfect minuscule teeth are wonderfully reproduced on the dial, equipped with two chronograph sub-dials. 444 diamonds, with a total weight of 2.95 carats, are paved on the exclusive watch. The strap, dial, and signature tonneau case are in great harmony with each other, making the Kalpagraph Manta watch like nature itself.

The world will witness ten or more exhibitions in 2010. Zermatt is set as the first destination in January, followed by St-Moritz during the White Turf horse racing event in February. The journey will continue on to the Middle East, Asia and the USA.

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Posted in Industry News, Parmigiani Fleurier

Tags: Atelier Collection Kalpagraph Manta Kalpagraph Savane Parmigiani Fleurier Travelling Spirit

New Watch – F.P.Journe Chronometre Bleu

November 23rd, 2009

“To each watchmaker his own watch”, with this motto, elite watchmaker F.P. Journe has proudly released its newest Chronometre Bleu watch. As the first F.P. Journe Junior creation with chronometric precision, the Chronometre Bleu is said to be created to satisfy a demand for a precision watch by its wealthy clientele’s children. I don’t if it’s real, but I think this new watch is truly a excellent answer to the demand by customers.

Housed in 39mm case rendered in Tantalum featuring blue hues, the Chronometre Bleu presents a stunning reliability and stability. Tantalum is a precious metal as it is highly resistant to corrosion and wear. It is rare to see Tantalum being used in the manufacture of timepieces, because it has a density of 16.3 and requires a very high fusion temperature of 3000 degrees, which leads to a difficulty to manipulate.

As with the external design, to confirm a extremely contemporary style, the Chronometre Bleu’s blue dial makes a perfect match to the colour of case. The hands are in striking harmony with the massive cream-coloured Arabic numerals and markers. The guilloche seconds counter is placed at 7:30. Like all the other exclusive F.P.Journe watches, the Chronometre Bleu is powered by a hand-wound movement sculptured in 18K rose gold. Signed with the label -Invenit et Fecit- (invented and made), each F.P.Journe exceptional movement guarantees a manufacture calibre, invented, constructed, and assembled entirely in our Geneva workshops.

To our surprise, the balance and the escapement are totally independent from the movement. As to highlight this innovative isolation, The brand’s specialists has placed the connecting train under the dial, leaving only the centre wheel out. And The watch’s energy is provided by the twin barrels which could ensure a 56-hour power reserve.

Before the end of November, the F.P.Journe Chronometre Bleu watch will be proposed at all F.P.Journe boutiques in New York, Beijing, Paris, Tokyo, Geneva, Hong Kong and Boca Raton, as well as at all authorized F.P.Journe retail channels, located all over the world.

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Tags: Chronometre Bleu F.P. Journe New Watch Tantalum watch

Luxury Watches and NBA <5> – TAG Heuer and Yao Ming

November 22nd, 2009

Who is the most successful foreign player in NBA? The chinese basketball star Yao Ming is the best answer, I think. The huge chinese market behind Yao, as well as his tallest height and nimble footsteps which make him one of the best centers today, has attracted a great number of brands and companies. I said more than once that there were very few basketball players speaking for luxury watches. And Yao Ming belongs to the very few as the brand ambassador for the prestigious Swiss sports watch and chronograph brand, TAG Heuer.

This year is the fourth year of the partnership between TAG Heuer and Yao Ming. Yao Ming has gained great achievement in NBA, while TAG Heuer has successfully entered the chinese market. Yao Ming, as the brand spokesman covering product development, advertising, public relations and merchandising, serves a key role in the extension of the watchmaking legend. In Jean-Christophe Babin’s opinion, who is TAG Heuer’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Yao Ming is the perfect TAG Heuer Ambassador, the embodiment of the brand’s core commitments to passion, performance and prestige and his participation has delighted the whole company. The 29-year-old talent has it all, talent, passion and personality. These are the attributes that make him a perfect TAG Heuer representative.

In fact, Yao Ming is not just an agile, multifaceted basketball player and sporting phenomenon, and he’s also a commercial and social phenomenon of truly global proportions. I have to admit that Yao is helping change the world’s view of modern China.

Regarding his partnership with TAG Heuer, Yao Ming commented:” I am genuinely honoured to be a part of the TAG Heuer team. To be part of such a legend in the sporting world, part of a team of sports heroes, is very exciting. All my life I have admired the great explorers and pioneers. These are characteristics I see in TAG Heuer, that same desire to be the best, to constantly innovate and grow, to never stop pursuing a dream of perfection. I look forward to building a strong relationship with TAG Heuer in the coming years, working closely with the brand on projects in China and around the world.”

The list of TAG Heuer brand ambassador has never lacked sports celebrities. Golfing legend Tiger Woods, rising tennis star Maria Sharapova, Formula 1 race driver Kimi Raikkonen, world freediving Champion Tanya Streeter, as well as Yao Ming, are all directly involved in the development of new TAG Heuer products. To commemorate the exciting partnership, The TAG Heuer Men’s Aquaracer Yao Ming Limited Edition Watch of only 1100 examples made, has been released proudly. 11 is the significance of this NBA ALL-STAR player bearing the Number 11 Jersey for Houston Rocket.

This is the end of the Luxury Watches and NBA series. Thank you for your reading and support sincerely!

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Posted in Industry News, Luxury Watches and NBA, TAG Heuer

Tags: Luxury Watches Maria Sharapova NBA TAG Heuer Tiger Woods Yao Ming

Luxury Watches and NBA <4> – IWC and Tony Parker

November 21st, 2009

Tony Parker, the first foreign player named the NBA Finals MVP, has been IWC brand ambassador for over two year. Generally speaking, to most of who are not basketball fans, Tony Parker just represents a name that Eva Longoria’s husband owns. In performing circle or fashion world, this attractive hot property wife speaks louder than the husband, with no doubt. The marriage of concern, as well as his excellent skills, forms one of the reasons for the partnership between IWC and Tony Parker.

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As the spokesman for one of the top-of-the-line professional watches, IWC Schaffhausen, Tony Parker can’t hide his excitement by this initiated partnership. He said:” I’m very excited to partner with IWC, I appreciate the design and craftsman ship of their watches. Also as First Ambassador to the Make A Wish Foundation in France, I’ve come to really appreciate the charitable enterprises that companies take on. In this area, IWC stood out – their involvement in social responsibility initiatives such as the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation which helps underprivileged youth around the world really impressed me.”

Benoit de Clerck, President of IWC North America, commented on Parker’s participation:” Tony has an exciting career ahead of him and we look forward to watching our partnership grow.”

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(L-R) Georges Kern (CEO of IWC), Eva Longoria and Tony Parker attend the IWC Schaffhausen Party

In 2001, Tony Parker left France to join the San Antonio Spurs. As the youngest starting point guard to enter NBA. Since that moment, Tony parker has never sopped to break records. He became the third player highlighted in NBA history who has won two championships before reaching the age of 23. Because of him, the NBA Finals MVP honor fell to a foreign player for the first time. Just as its record-breaking ambassador, IWC has been breaking records in technological development and highly complicated precision watch-making since 1868. As the “engineers of fine watch-making”, the brand solely produces men’s watches, featuring a perfect integration of intelligent designs with a timelessly classical style.

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Posted in IWC Schaffhausen, Industry News, Luxury Watches and NBA

Tags: Eva Longoria IWC IWC Schaffhausen MVP NBA Tony Parker

Luxury watches and NBA <3> – Nubeo and Kobe Bryant

November 20th, 2009

Shaquille O’Neal has owned the high-end Audemars Piguet luxury watches featuring his own name. Not to be outdone, Kobe Bryant has started his partnership with a new Swiss luxury watch brand Nubeo. As the former best teammates and now the opponents to each other, Shaq and Kobe has competed out of the court. In fact, it is quite rare for a basketball star to be a brand ambassador for a luxury watch brand. Watch companies seem to prefer the likes of golf and racing stars.

As with Nubeo, this relatively new luxury brand was started in 2004 by Spain born Ivan Castro, an extremely skilled jeweller. Nubeo is based in Basel, Switzerland, central to luxury timepiece manufacturing and host to the world’s foremost watchmakers’ annual fair and exhibition. With Basel proximate to the Jura mountain range, at the base of which reside a number of prestigious manufacturers of watch components. Nubeo works closely with its suppliers to ensure quality production of its complex designs. And its designers believe that such direct collaboration has been vital to the success of the Black Mamba project.

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Basel is also home to notable design and engineering firms, such as Herzon & de Meuron, renowned architect of the 2008 Olympics Beijing National Stadium and other distinguished landmarks worldwide. Distinctly reflecting the trademark Bauhaus style, Nubeo’s headquarters are strategically placed in a 13th century building with a showroom that has been renovated to embrace this avant-garde design.

Ivan Castro, the founder of Nubeo, believes that Kobe Bryant was a best sports celebrity to partner with and cultivate new marketing and partnership opportunities, while Kobe has commented that he has actively been involved in the style and design of the watch – even the title “Black Mamba” is taken from his court nickname.

Nubeo’s collection is famous for the world’s most complex watch case, and the Black Mamba features a 131-component case made of titanium treated with DLC. Taking inspiration from Jellyfish and the ocean environment, the Black Mamba is just like a oceanic sea snake, for its bold snakeskin look. There are three versions of Nubeo Black Mamba available: Basic Black Mamba (a chapter ring with hour and minute markers), Black Mamba Ultimate (black sapphires lining the outer dial, with Arabic numerals on the bezel), and the Black Mamba MVP (black sapphires lining the bezel).

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As a stunning blend of materials such as ceramic, grade five titanium and rubber, the Black Mamba embodies the value of sports and luxury watchmaking. This is also the main purpose for the collaboration of Nubeo and Kobe Bryant. The prices are set at $25,000-$285,000, so don’t think you can easily get your hands on one of these babies. But once you’ve seen it, you’ll totally agree that the price is well worth this masterwork.

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Posted in Industry News, Luxury Watches and NBA, Nubeo

Tags: Audemars Piguet Basel Black Mamba Kobe Bryant masterwork Nubeo Shaquille O'Neal

Luxury watches and NBA <2> – Audemars Piguet and Shaquille O’Neal

November 18th, 2009

The Royal Oak Offshore Shaquille O’Neal Chronograph demonstrates the pleasant cooperation between the two legendary figures in luxury watch and basketball: Audemars Piguet, one of the most elegant and famous watch manufacturers in the world, and Shaquille O’Neal, one of the most dominant centers in NBA history. Frankly speaking, I am an addict to both of them.

Every time when I reviewed the Shaq’s dominant performance in NBA games, I can’t help thinking Shaq is the best basketball player after Micheal Jordan, even though Kobe and James are the best authentic successors to Michael Jordan. What really pleases Shaq’s fans the best is the perfect blend of power and “brutality” with making laughs.

AP and Shaq have many things in common: strength, dominant status and dauntlessness. I have been adoring owning an Audemars Piguet timepiece featuring my favorite’s name. And now, at least, Audemars Piguet makes me closer to the dream by releasing the Royal Oak Offshore Shaquille O’Neal Chronograph.

The box of the watch made of polished wood imitates a life-sized basket-ball.

Coming to the watch, there are two versions of the watch: 96 pieces made of white gold with 32 diamonds bezel and numbers “2″and “3″done in rubies, and 960 timepieces are made of stainless steel. White and red which are Miami Heat colors (O’Neal then played for Miami Heat) make the main tones of the watch.

The elegant black dial with scintillating white and red Arabic numerals “2″ and “3″ set with rubies and reversed in order, representing the Shaq’s jersey number, form the main peculiarity. The dark dial provides an excellent backdrop for the white luminous hour and minute hands, and 12-hour counters, the 30-minute, and small seconds chronograph hands.

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The Royal Oak collection has marked the first successful integrated watch-and-bracelet design. The watch is encased in full-size 18kt white gold case with a diameter of 47mm, and “SHAQ” engraved on the caseback. The hand-stitched strap of the timepiece is made of crocodile leather bedazzled with diamond. The watch bears all the signature features of Royal Oak Offshore collection – sure to be admired by every watch collector. Moreover, with the patented Ball-engineered self-powered micro gas light technology, the watch can be lighted up more than 25 years.

To pay a tribute to the NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, Audemars Piguet integrated immaculate engineering effort to the watch. The price is $89,000, and all proceeds from the sale of the Royal Oak Offshore Shaquille O’Neal Chronograph will go to Shaquille O’Neal’s charity foundation. Of course, not all basketball fans can afford acquiring such expensive and exclusive Audemars Piguet watches. And, if to consider the both timepieces are to benefit the charity foundations, I’m applauding to the great work done by the company.

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Posted in Audemars Piguet, Industry News, Luxury Watches and NBA

Tags: Audemars Piguet Luxury Watches NBA Royal Oak Offshore Shaquille O'Neal

Luxury Watches and NBA <1> – Panerai and Micheal Jordan

November 16th, 2009

This isn’t the first time that I have came out of a idea that I should write something about luxury watch and NBA, for my enthusiasm for both of them. NBA players, especially those first-team stars, earn the best salary and speak for a huge range of brands. However, it is not easy to associate them with luxury watches. In fact, there is very few NBA players with a title as spokesman for luxury watch brands, and even the greatest basketball player of all time can’t be one of the very few.

Micheal Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time and also one of the most marketed sports figures in history. 6-time NBA Champion, 6-time NBA Finals MVP, 5-time NBA MVP… The list of Jordan’s achievement in basketball field can be very, very long and ground-breaking. Another NBA figure Magic Johnson once said:” There is Micheal Jordan and then there’s rest of us.” MJ has been a major spokesman for such brands as Nike, Coca-Cola, Chevrolet, Gatorade, McDonald’s, Ball Park Franks, Rayovac, Wheaties, Hanes, and MCI. Yes, he has not spoken for any luxury watch brands (I don’t think Nike will view watches as its main products), but Micheal Jordan is truly a watch enthusiast, especially for Panerai.

You may think Rolex or Patek Phillipe can be a better match to Micheal Jordan’s performance on the court, which is extremely competitive and triumphant. However, MJ is famous for his silky skills and certain purity of energy, as well as the ability to dominant. And the people “in the know” would never doubt Micheal’s favor in Panerai. It is not surprising to hear the news that MJ wears a Panerai watch on a certain event or presents Panerai watches as gifts to his relatives or friends. I have to say, the signature big diameter of Panerai collection suits him very well.

As the official supplier of the Royal Italian Navy, Panerai is famous for its Radiomir and Luminor watches and precision instruments. Serving as a key role in the sinking of Allied naval vessels in WWII, Panerai watches are legendary and prestige. Among the devotees of Panerai can be found many celebrities, for its largest diameter and concise temperament. The movie superstar Sylvester Stallone spotted and bought a Panerai Luminor in a jewelry store in Rome in 1995 to wear during shooting of the film Daylight. He once ordered a small batch of such watches with his signature on the case back, called Slytech. He offered them as gifts to friends, including Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The sporting world is a field Panerai knows well. A new partnership was signed with Panerai to develop, manufacture and distribute watches under the Ferrari trademark, When the contract between Girard-Perregaux and Ferrari expired.

Panerai releases many watches as either limited or special editions producing fewer watches than the market demands. Retailers may only receive a few limited edition pieces each per year and long waiting lists for popular models are not uncommon.

Micheal Jordan and Panerai, are truly partners without a contract. And Kevin will continue the series of “Luxury watch and NBA” with stories between Audemars Piguet and Shaquille O’Neal.

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Posted in Industry News, Luxury Watches and NBA, Panerai

Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger Ferrari Girard Perregaux Luxury Watches Micheal Jordan NBA Panerai Sylvester Stallone