Watch Out For Dr Swatch 007!

Even though Rolex was the first watch officially to be linked with James Bond films in the sixties, Omega has been the watch of choice in the last 20 years to be synonymous and famous with the 007 franchise. They have done a great job marketing the Omega Sea Master with the blue dial as The Bond Watch from Pierce Brosnan to Daniel Craig, with guest cameo’s of the watch in all the latest Bond Films, the watch has served as much of an integral role as the legendary Aston Martin he drives. So what makes the Bond Films so Great? Well besides The Hot explosions, Fast Cars, Exotic women and being every man’s wet dream, I must say it is the villains that 007 has to face because to be honest if there were no villains there would be no need for James Bond. These villains are just as memorable and have played such an important role for Bond Fans to line up for the next release for generations and have given true definition to what a Nemesis really is that have inspired so many movies to follow the lead.

So for this September 2008, Swatch Group which owns the Omega brand has come up with a way to pay tribute to Villains of these 007 films by releasing The Villain Collection By the Swatch brand. This very clever and impactful release is a very strategic way to commemorate screen magic like you have never seen. Who better than Swatch? This inexpensive brand of Swiss Art is known for how to package Pop Culture and wrap it with limited edition to create a hysteria for the masses. This is a very exciting time for Nicolas G. Hayek, also nicknamed Dr. Swatch who is the majority share holder and founder of the Swatch Group. The Swatch 007 Villain Collection pays tribute to outstanding outlaw actors, too: Christopher Walken’s malevolent Max Zorin deserves his stylish Retrograde; Gerd Froebe’s Goldfinger gets a massive, golden Irony The Chrono; Lotte Lenya’s Rosa Klebb wields a pair of knuckle-dusters welded to an Irony Lady. And in homage to Casino Royale, poker-faced master of malice Mads Mikkelsen (alias Le Chiffre) takes an Irony Big with an Ace of Spades.

There’s a lot more where that came from, but you will have to be patient and watch out 007 Fans, because in a couple more weeks when the curtain is raised you will see James Bond’s biggest villain, Dr Swatch.

Pic courtesy of http://www.swatch.com

It’s Coming

As much as I am a huge watch fan, I also really dig the finest cars in the world. I think both products go hand and hand in terms of clients, brand philosophies and innovations within both industries. I am very lucky and privileged to have a great partnership with leading Steel Manufacturer Caparo. This Company was Founded in 1978 by Lord Swaraj Paul who was given the highest distinction by the Queen Of England In 1996 as a life peer, i.e. a member of the House of Lords, taking the title Baron Paul of Marylebone in the City of Westminster.

Over the years Caparo have specialized in steel manufacturing and general engineering products. Since his father handed over the company to him in 2002, Honorable Angad Paul has further turned the company into an innovation machine and has diversified Caparo’s portfolio in Film Distribution, Automotive, Private Equity Investments, and Artificial Intelligence Technologies. He has made history by partnering up with the infamous Indian TATA Group in the manufacturing of the worlds most inexpensive car by producing the body for the TATA Nano. Angad, pursuing his passion for films, has been wildly successful as an executive producer with two of the biggest films in The UK and cult favorites around the world with the release of Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels in 1998 and The mega hit Snatch In 2002. These two films are basically amongst my top five fav films of all time, to the point the one liners from both films have become a part of my every day verbiage.

As an avid car collector and brilliant engineering brain, Angad wanted to build a car that was a formula 1 style car for the everyday road. He answered that when he developed what could possibly be the fastest, most ferocious and the most gripping driving experience ever tested with the release of The Caparo T1 in 2006. To push the extreme limits of engineering and styling Angad partnered up with design director Ben Scott-Geddes, and engineering director Graham Halstead, who were former engineers involved in the development of the McLaren F1. So what is behind this sexy beast? Well, brace yourselves car geeks! The T1 is a british racing machine which is 116-kilogram (260 lb), 32-valve, 3,496-cubic centimetre (3.5 L), all-aluminium, naturally-aspirated, Menard V8 engine with cylinder banks mounted at 90° and lubricated via a dry sump oil system. The design of the engine has gone through several designs, previously including a smaller 2.4-litre supercharged unit. The production design generates a maximum power of 575 horsepower (429 kW/583 PS) at 10,500 revolutions per minute and a maximum torque of 310 pound-feet (420 N·m) at 9,000 revolutions per minute, giving the car a power-to-weight ratio of 1,045 horsepower per tonne (779.3 kW/t). The engine is controlled via a fully tunable Pectel SQ6 engine control unit and the throttle is controlled via a throttle-by-wire system. The price tag, well lets just say it’s a bargain because a car like this should be around two million dollars, at least, but Caparo has been really smart and out of their minds at setting the standard for such high quality for only half a million dollars.

Since Angad is involved in everything a man wants to have, what would be the next logical step? A watch, perhaps. Well, what fine watchmaker has the balls, drive ambition, and quality to make the Caparo T1 watch? I wonder who is up for the challenge to make a super watch to match this super car with only the coolest composites, design and flawless engineering in a limited capacity that would roar like the engine in the T1. Well, I don’t know about you, but I have a gut feeling that It’s coming, and when it does, so will you!

pic courtesy of caparo.com
READERS: WHAT SORT OF WATCH COMPANY WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE AFFILIATED WITH THIS CAR PROJECT?

ITS ABOUT TIME FOR HISTORY!

Good Morning People, I am writing this particular post even though I don’t really want to, because to be honest Patek Phillipe has never really interested me. At the same time I do feel that it is important to enlighten you all on the history of one of the most respected, well finished and historic brands, that is one of the few that really retains it’s value. I am talking about the One and Only Patek Phillipe. This brand has shattered all sorts of records in terms of Auction values, and their manufactured watch movements are amongst the best finished and most desired in the world by watch collectors. I must say their ads are quite annoying and sort of predictable “You Never Own a Patek Phillipe, You Merely Take Care Of It For The Next Generation.” Even though it’s a very safe ad campaign highlighting tradional values,it’s cleverly written and sticks in the mind of the easily brainwashed, which has had such an impact that has influenced collectors on a worldwide scale to desire and revere it, as arguably the best watch in the world.

After doing research on the brand I must say I was quite intrigued with the fact that it is a family owned business, which is a huge astonishment considering every prestigious Watch brand today is owned by some sort of conglomerate. My hats off to Patek for that. Patek Phillipe to my surprise was started by two Polish Immigrants Antoni Patek who happened to be a salesman and Franciszek Czapek a respected watchmaker, they both started making pocket watches in Geneva Switzerland in 1839. Well, the plot thickens as in 1844 Mr Czapek decides to leave to pursue his passion for watchmaking,which was a really dumb move, and one year later in 1845 Mr Patek combines his efforts when he meets up with Adrian Phillipe, who was a watchmaker from France who was responsible for pioneering the key less winding mechanism.

Needless to say the partnership proved to be a great success because in 1851 Patek Phillipe was born. That same year the privileged manufacturer started to supply Queen Victoria and her consortium pocket watches, which opened the floodgates for other monarchy’s all throughout Europe including the King and Queen of Denmark, The King Of Italy and the Prince of Egypt to order and bespoke watches from the highly esteemed brand. 7 years later in 1868 Patek Phillipe released their first wrist watch and as years passed Patek Phillipe has been responsible for the Perpetual Calender, The Split Seconds Hand, Chronograph and highly coveted Minute Repeater which are amongst the most revered complications in watchmaking and sought after by Patek Enthusiasts around the Globe.

In 1939 Patek Phillipe Changed Hands and was acquired by two brothers Charles and Jean Stern, and since then this company has been family owned with third generation President Mr. Phillipe Stern and his son fourth generation Vice President Thierry Stern. In the late 1800’s Patek Phillipe used the Brave Spanish Knights emblem as their corporate symbol which is used as their very prestigious hallmark on all their watches today to set them apart from the rest.

As far as auctions go, there is nobody who commands more than Patek Phillipe. In December 1999 Patek Phillipe received the highest honor of having their 24 complications in one pocket watch be auctioned off at Sotheby’s in December 1999 for an estimated eleven 11 million US dollars, which at that time was the most expensive timepiece ever sold. Then, On April 10, 2008, 2003 Ref# 5002P Sky Moon Tourbillon platinum Patek Philippe tourbillon wristwatch made the world history and holds the record as the most expensive modern wristwatch sold at Hongkong Sotheby’s for HK$11.75 million ($1.49 million). This shattered the previous record of Vacheron Constantin Tour de l’Ile sold at Antiquorum for $1.4 million in Geneva in 2005.

As much as I feel that Patek Phillipe is for boring old frumpy farts especially with regards to their design, it is quite an astonishment to see that this brand has been family owned for 4 generations and has been able to maintain the highest standards in quality, precision and exclusivity, making them arguably the most sought after timepiece to obtain.

emblem pic courtesy of http://www.patekphillipe.com

Watch & Wind

Today, it seems like there are many more accessories options for watches than ever before. I mean you have got nice custom shirts that have been ruined by specially designed shirt cuffs that your watches fit into, which look pretty gay, all sorts of cumbersome unnecessary watch boxes and winders that are very well made out of the finest skins including donkey dick, but they are the size of like an antique trunk that you could fit bodies into which is highly impractical, especially if you are traveling a lot. When I was working in retail, thank god that’s over! I had the chance to work with every variety of watch winders, they were all the same,in terms of claiming that they were the best watch winder for the money, which is a bunch of happy horse shit!

People, let me tell you one important thing, watch winders do not take place of the human wrist. It doesn’t matter how much money you spend on a watch winder, because in most cases watches actually loose time on watch winders, because of the fact they turn in one direction for a bit, then stops for a while and then starts again in the reverse direction which can impact the automatic winding mechanism of an fine wrist watch . I am personally more a purest and don’t feel winders are necessary and a waste of money, I mean if you can’t give your watch a couple of winds before you crash and go to bed there is a serious problem. In some cases depending on what brand you buy they can cost as much as a nice watch, which I would rather have all day long.

If I had to go down the watch winder route, and I understand and respect that a select few of you out there have huge watch collections and need to store them and wind them properly, I would strongly suggest you buy a Swiss Kubik watch winder. They are every bit as innovative, technical, practical and well priced as much as that fine watch you purchase. I don’t know about most of you out there, but I want something compact well made and reliable. I love minimalism, less is more, and The motor is controlled by a microprocessor which tests the unit each time it is activated in order to regulate the 950 bi-directional rotations per day. Thanks to the still/stop function in vertical position the winder has extremely low energy consumption, which pushes the limits and allows the alkaline batteries an incredible life span of up to 5 years.

As the winders are powered by batteries, you can store them just about anywhere, whether it be your small roll on suitcase while traveling, or for your own protection in the smallest hidden safe. The modern design and the extremely silent engine make it a perfect display in any room you use actively for your day to day activities. The beauty is like any of the fine watch brands today, Swiss Kubik is manufactured in Geneva Switzerland and adheres to the strict quality guidelines imposed by the best Swiss watch Manufacturers and in turn fully supports the tradition of Swiss horology today. For protection and viewing pleasure an optional polished acrylic glass may be purchased for any variety of watch winders available within the Swiss Kubik Line.Most winders today have only a couple of settings, which is very annoying if you have something a little more technically complicated, because the watch ends up stopping or loosing time which defeats the whole purpose of a watch winder. Of course, the best part of this line is having endless possibilities, by being able to program any of these winders to even the most complicated wristwatches stringent requirements on how they should be wound by the attachment of the optional USB interface cable online ensures accuracy and satisfaction.

The coolest thing about these winders is their design. You can acquire them with images, logos and basically anything you want to see. Most winders are leather, pleather and have interiors like a stuffy hotel lobby. Swiss Kubik is an amazingly well finished, fun watch necessity for that person who depends on a winder when the watch isn’t being worn so that while you watch, it winds with flawless engineering, which sets the standard for all watch winders today.

pic courtesy of http://www.swisskubik.com

A Worthwile Bang!

I am writing this article because it hits very close to home. Not to air my personal laundry on here, but my 12 year old niece was just diagnosed with bone cancer. I am really proud of her as she is a fighter, believer and one of the most incredibly gifted children I know. It’s ironic just last week while she was sitting in bed getting ready for her Chemo Therapy for the next day, she was reading through all the literature of what to expect and there was a section on the Make A Wish Foundation who are this amazing foundation whose goal and commitment is to help grant the wishes of children with life threatening illnesses, with the noble cause of bringing them some joy, hope and strength during the difficult periods of their lives.
Since my niece is a giant Harry Potter Fan, I told her, that her wish should be to have Make A Wish arrange to have J.K Rowling meet her in the Hospital with a brand new signed copy of the New Harry Potter Book. Let me tell you that put a giant smile on her face!

Make A Wish Foundation has teamed up in the past with many great industries to strengthen their message of support and devotion to this incredible cause. Now for the first time on a global scale, even though I am not a fan, I have tremendous amount of respect for famed watch brand Hublot who has partnered up with Hourglass luxury watch retailers in Singapore, who also happen to be the exclusive distributors of Hublot in Singapore and Malaysia, to launch Project F Bang in the name of charity for this worthwhile cause. The Hour Glass being incredibly generous humanitarians, will be pledging Make A Wish Foundation, 5% of Retail for every F Bang watch Sold through it’s Singapore and Malaysia Boutiques. The watch is limited and numbered to 100 pieces for the world, and for the first time the world will be witnessing a Split Second-Hand Chronograph with a left hand crown and pushers, while simultaneously this watch is also dedicated to Singapore’s first F1 race. This accomplishes two significant things, First by advocating such an incredibly important social message and Second by celebrating such a bold historic occasion.

The F Bang is a watch that features the famous 44.5mm Big Bang polished Black ceramic case with red Kevlar on the side of the case and oreille. The jet black dial will have the 12 o’clock contrasting hour shown in red as the split-second hand is alternating in red and white, which are the national colors of Singapore. Both the pushers and crown are black while the inserts are made out of red Kevlar. The Bezel is constructed out of Satin-finish black ceramic with 6 H-shaped titanium screws,which happen to be sunken, polished and blocked, even though it looks quite raw and deconstructed on one hand, it provides a very technical visual. The movement is a Mechanical Chronograph Split-Second with automatic winding, Calibre Hublot HUB44RT developed in conjunction with La Joux-Perret which can be viewed through an anti-reflective coated sapphire crystal placed in the middle of the titanium caseback. The strap is a silky smooth natural rubber strap bearing the infamous Hublot Logo, on the underside of the strap has Project F Bang inscribed in red.

Hublot’s Big Bang has never really impressed me with design or originality until now, they kind of got me by the heart and balls because of their use of various composites and ingenuity of a left handed split chronograph, as well as being part of a charity that is so personal to me,making this A Worthwhile Bang!

pic courtesy of http://www.hublot.com

The Perfect Men’s Watch For Women

The Rolex Daytona in Stainless Steel in the last 20 years Has become a symbol of wealth, power and exclusivity. Now, the Solid 18 Karat Yellow Gold Daytona, that’s a different story, this is a symbol of flashy insecurity with a touch of asshole in my opinion. Like I have stated in earlier posts, Yellow Gold is way too over the top, especially on an all gold bracelet, and lets be honest it’s really for that guy who thinks he has a huge boat, and probably somewhere in his closet he has one of those blue captain’s blazers with gold buttons and the white captain hat to be completed with puke matching deck shoes. As you can tell I am really not a fan. This is no fault of Rolex, they never have projected a particular image one way or another, they have only presented their collections in associations with world class things such as Tennis, Golf, Music and Car Racing.

This year at Basel 2008, Rolex very cleverly have introduced the Rolex Daytona in 18K Rose Gold. This in my opinion is an absolute winner. Rose Gold is much more soft and warm aesthetic, exuding subtle confidence. The new Rolex Daytona in Rose Gold On a bracelet have exactly the same specs as the yellow gold version except The Case, Bracelet, Bezel, Push Buttons and Caseback are made out of solid 18K Rose Gold instead of 18K yellow gold, while the dials are available in chocolate brown enhancing the bold richness of the beautiful tone of Rose Gold or with a contrasting black dial with rose colored subdials for a sportier look. Even though this watch is a men’s watch and I am sure tons of men will be wearing it, especially the really feminine ones, I feel that it is best suited for a woman. Not all women, just the women who have their own sense of style and don’t care what anyone else thinks.

The way the 40mm Daytona case in 18 Karat Rose Gold looks on a woman is the sexiest thing that I have ever seen, especially when the bracelet is not fitted tightly and is worn loose and hangs ever so slightly, it makes me weak at the knees . The size of this watch at 40 mm makes it everyday casual, while the polished rose gold case and brushed and polished rose gold bracelet makes it dressy, which strikes the perfect balance for day/night wearibility. The beauty of this watch is not only the way it looks but the functions of stop watch, water resistance to 100 meters and the extremely robust chronometer certified Daytona movement make it every bit as technical as it does visual.

In a world today where women are pigeon holed for wearing very tiny delicate watches with tons of unnecessary sparkle, it is finally a real pleasure to see how The New Rolex Daytona is really The Perfect Men’s Watch For Women.

pic courtesy of http://www.rolex.com

The Ultimate Re-issue

Usually, when watches are re-issued they never quite have the same impact they did as when they first came out. Not for Panerai! This year at SIHH Panerai re-issued the PAM00026 which has the same exact reference number, and is the exact same model of a watch that was released 10 years ago. When this announcement was made it got all Panerai enthusiasts Knickers in quite the twist, especially the ones who bought the original PAM00026. Shockingly, this started a whole new revolution for Panerai, because the message boards all over the world were flooded with people who were obsessed with regards to why? Even though it pissed off a lot of people rightfully so, it also raised awareness for that new collector to desire and have it.

What is the Pam000026? This is a left handed 44 mm 1,000 piece edition for the world, Panerai Luminor Marina case, milled from a solid block of Stainless Steel and coated with a special black PVD treatment which strengthens the case and makes it quite resistant to extreme wear and abrasion. This case in addition has had special bronzing treatment making it completely anti-reflective, while the case back coming in contact with the wrist is made out of brushed steel.

The dial on the PAM00026 whose functions displays hours, minutes and subseconds hand at the 3 o’clock position, and looks exactly the same as the original, except for the fact that today the dial is a black sandwich dial just like the vintage ones of the past, which means the numbers and indices are engraved into the dial and then filled with Super Luminova for luminocity and visibility especially at night. Instead of the patented device protecting the crown which is also stainless steel, coated with special PVD treatment, being on the right hand side of the case, it is fitted on the left hand side at the 9 o’clock position, and when this crown guard is pushed in it locks and protects the crown from being damaged and ensures a water resistance to 300 meters.

In order for the crystal to be in sync with this pressure a 3 mm scratch resistant sapphire crystal has been fitted which is formed of corundum for those hard knocks. The movement is the simple yet reliable Panerai OP 11 Caliber which is a hand wound mechanical movement and is also equipped with the Incabloc anti-shock device for extreme protection, just in case you drop the frigging thing! The strap which is screwed on to the lugs of the watch is a Panerai black calf strap which looks cool because of the all black look, but to be honest a nice gold calf cashmire strap that has been distressed would make this watch a complete rock star!

The irony is that IWC was first to make use of the black case in their timepieces in the late 80’s, while Panerai has popularized this aesthetic making it famous, influencing a generation of people to wear watches that have black stealthier cases, and watch companies to manufacture alike. The purpose behind the infamous Destro or the left handed case historically was so that Commandos in the Italian Navy wearing white glove could wind from the other side so their glove wouldn’t get in the way. Today the purpose of the Destro is to show Panerais commitment to history as well as accommodation for the left handed individual. With stats like this, and bold black masculinity so evident, the PAM00026 is the Ultimate Re-Issue.

pic courtesy of http://www.panerai.com

What Happened To Graham?

George Graham was an English Clockmaker who will forever be remembered as one of the most important forefathers in watchmaking. To his credit he was responsible for several technical design improvements to the pendulum clock, including the mercury pendulum and the mechanical device that shows the relative positions of the planets and moons in the solar system known today as the Orrery in 1704. His most credited achievement would be his modification and vision of the adaptation of the anchor escapement also know as the Graham or Deadbeat Escapement.

Look, I know that most of you out there don’t want to be bored with the explanation of how this escapement works, because you feel like you have to know fluent Clingon to understand, but hey I am going to elaborate in jive anyway because I feel it’s important to know. In an anchor escapement the motion of the pendulum pushes the escape wheel backward during part of its rotation. This recoil hinders the motion of the pendulum, causing inaccuracy, and reverses the direction of the gear train, causing digression and introduces intense forces into the system, which leads to friction and wear and tear. The advantage to the deadbeat escapement is that it totally eliminates recoil and promotes far greater accuracy with the pallets having a totally separate curved locking device on them, concentric about the pivot the anchor is released and activated. As a result of the extreme forces of the pendulum’s swing, the escape wheel tooth rests against this locking device, providing no impact or shock to the pendulum, which prevents recoil from occurring. Now, I hope that didn’t make your teeth hurt. This deadbeat escapement is used in the most modern clocks today and is the inspiration behind the many practical design elements in watch making.

Today this British brand Graham, has been revived and is now hand crafted by the Swiss. Even though these watches are built to perform using clever devices on the side of the case and are made out of only the best materials and the size is right at 46 mm, this watch is cumbersome and uncomfortable. It is good to be different and be in a league of your own, however to be so out there that the message of the integrity and value gets lost in translation doesn’t substantiate the pricing no matter how exclusive. I mean I tried one on for a laugh, and it was just a laugh. The device for the chrono stuck out and was almost offensive to the point it put me off and I immediately said to myself it doesn’t matter that it’s unique, it hurts to wear this thing. I mean shit, I have a tough enough time from the large onion crown of my IWC Big Pilot making a dent on my wrist and I tolerate it because it is the most incredibly perfect watch, but the Graham Chrono Fighter is just down right ugly on the wrist, because it is just a temporary novelty that will pass like a fart in the wind.

At the end of the day collectors want watches they can wear and not just watches that they can admire. What’s the point of spending thousands of dollars on a watch your going to end up trading in or selling because it fills that need of unique in the beginning but then as six month’s later you realize it lacks versatility and comfort because it’s too obtrusive. Lets face it people, watches are meant to be worn. It’s a shame really that a brand like this with so much history and integrity in watch making hasn’t really managed to be represented properly making me ask What Happened to Graham?

watch pic courtesy of http://www.horomundi.com
portrait pic courtesy of http://www.bitishmasters.com

The Day Has Come

Chronographs today are something that you love or hate, there is no in between. They are either way too dressy being available in mainly precious metals or typically today have huge watch cases that have a design aesthetic made to look as if they are purely built for like rock climbing. One Chrono that was just released for this years Basel Fair that is a great daily wearer with legitimate insides and an amazing throwback to pure vintage is the brand new Glashutte Senator Sixties Chrono in stainless steel.

This incredibly well constructed timepiece is available with a silver or black dial. Very few two register Chronographs can captivate my attention because they are two simple and look quite lifeless, but this seems to have grabbed my attention to the point I can’t take my eyes off it.

The silver satin finished dial is neutral, yet timeless with these vintage cut out looking numbers of 12 and 6 in dark blue playing off of it quite naturally, while the gold diamond cut indexes in between strike a balance like no other dial I have ever seen to perfectly recreate that classic sixties look. The sapphire crystal is convex, while the dial is domed which pulls the true admirer in to the world of old school with modern charm. Even though the case sits only 39 mm in case diameter, it is absolutely the ideal size for something a little bit more dressy, and besides it looks much bigger then it actually is and hugs the wrist for perfect proportions.

Even the gold hands are domed and skeletonized and float on the dial with such ease for that last bit of detail which makes this watch perform the function of time. Don’t worry just when you think will I be able to read this in the dark? Absolutely! because the super luminova dots above the indexes not only serve as a subtle design feature during the day but activate for visibility at night. The Chronograph recorders are placed at the three o’clock and 9 o’clock position and integrate so seamlessly without compromising the dial design.

The polished rounded stainless steel push buttons are absolutely stellar, clean and angled on the side of the case and make it simple to start and stop the chronograph functions with comfort and fluidity. The Most important detail is on the back of the watch. The movement is what puts this watch in motion. This hand finished in house movement can be viewed through the shaped sapphire crystal case back. This was first seen on the first Glashutte Senator Sixties, making all the components of the Calibre 39-52 movement, including the historic three quarter plate, swans neck regulator, Glashutte ribbing and double sunburst decoration come to life with such clarity and vision, and now for the first time makes it possible for a side view of the 21 karat gold rotating oscillating weight.

The final detail and touch that makes this watch possible to be worn is the strap, made out of mat black alligator which is a very well made soft and supple strap, but my only problem with this is that, Glashutte watch straps are usually very long, so if you got a small wrist be prepared to go custom or order and additional short one for a proper fit. So just when I was getting sick of Chronographs, Finally the day has come and my faith has been restored by Glashutte with the new Senator Sixties Chronograph which in my opinion is the most perfect Chronograph made today!

pics courtesy of http://www.glashuette-original.com

Just Say No To Bling!

I just want to set the record straight about something that really annoys the shit out of me. It seems like there is some sort of confusion on “if putting diamonds on Men’s Watches is acceptable”? whether it be on the dial, bezel or bracelet. I am not going to tell anyone they can or can’t do it, but please people for the love of God it just wrong in my opinion!, it’s really tacky and feminine. The ironic part is that even though diamonds are considered a symbol of wealth, they actually devalue a mans watch because there is really no demand for this sort of thing in the after market, and it goes against the purest ideal of watchmaking and tradition.

I have to say I feel really sorry for that poor bloke who goes and buys his idea of that first really nice watch because he got his bonus check, and buys a watch with diamonds on it because he think it looks really elegant and refined. Then six month’s to one year later when he comes to his senses and wants to get rid of it, he won’t even get two cents on the dollar for it. At the end of the day it is all personal taste. In the last five years there has been a lot of garbage out there that is being promoted as the watch to have, and most of these have diamonds on them. What is even worse is when you see a legit watch brand like A Lange & Sohne or Patek Phillipe using diamonds on men’s watches. For the most part this will never happen, because it goes against every core ideal value they have. Most of the time if you ever see this kind of devaluation it is done after market or on ladies watches primarily, which in my opinion is like desecrating a masterpiece. For some of you out there, you may have flashy taste and don’t care about the value and just care on how it looks, to make yourself appear like you have a huge knob, which is basically like burning money for the sake of insecurity I guess I can respect that barely, but for those of you who work hard for your money and want something of value, well made, exclusive and subtle I can guarantee you there won’t be a single diamond on it.

I can certainly appreciate craftsmanship and quality with setting diamonds on a wristwatch because it truly is an art form that takes hours and hours of precision, the only thing is that diamonds don’t belong on men’s watches because its not the type of thing you can wear everyday and besides diamonds are a girls best friend not a man’s. The cons to having a watch with diamonds should be very clear, well made diamond studded watches look expensive and if worn in the wrong circles can be the target of something easily stolen. Diamond studded watches are anything but versatile, they can only be worn with like flashy leather pants like Arsenio Hall use to wear in the nineties to like the vibe awards. If you have a diamond bezel watch and god forbid you smack it into a wall or into something you run the risk of the diamonds falling out. Diamond watches are usually worn by Pimps and Porn stars, so unless you run in those circles I strongly suggest that you buy something of quality and value instead, in other words Just Say No To Bling!

pic courtesy of http://www.breitling.com