JLC Delivers A Knock Out!

Boxing is a prize old sport that has been going on for centuries. I guess because I am a cheap bastard who hates paying for pay per view, I don’t watch it as much as I want to. I mean don’t get me wrong, I love seeing people knock the shit out of each other for millions of dollars and a leather belt with gold in the middle. That being said, it has always been a real classy mans sport, one that it doesn’t matter what your doing, if there is a real good fight on, or even if there isn’t, everything else can wait. As much as I have no idea about boxing stats, the one thing that I do know is that legendary British boxer Lennox Lewis, is amongst one of three boxers in the world including Muhammed Ali, and Evander Holyfield to have won the heavyweight title championship three times.

Not only is Lennox Lewis a true champion with a nearly perfect boxing record, but a humble sophisticated gentleman with class who appreciates the finer things in life, such as his Aston Martin and his Jaeger LeCoultre wristwatch. So to celebrate the opening of the first Jaeger LeCoultre Boutique in the United States in Boca Raton Florida, Lennox Lewis was there in attendance as he made a special appearance arriving in his Aston Martin DB9 Volante. How convenient? As Aston Martin happens to be one of the partners of JLC. To dazzle the public, Lennox Lewis not only had the car, but the watch to match, as he represented with his 18k Rose Gold Squadra Hometime on a bracelet. He was not only there as a fan of this highly sought after brand, but to give support To JLC, as he joined newly crowned North American President of JLC Gina Misrach welcome esteemed guests and celebrate such a significant occasion. Gina Misrach, in my opinion is one of the coolest ladies in entire the watch industry, truly a women of passion and humility.

It goes to show you, as time has evolved, the clout of JLC and the impact the brand is having synonymously with their global success of delivering a Knock Out with Lennox Lewis at their First boutique in the US in June, continues to be perpetually triumphant!

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

IT"S ABOUT TIME FOR HONESTY!

How do I say this without hurting anybody’s feelings? This new Ducati watch is absolutely downright revolting. In an effort to make motorcycle racing fans puke for days on end, the new Course watch has arrived. I mean people, there is a reason why it’s limited edition, BECAUSE IT WON’T SELL! Most of the time limited editions are perceived as hot commodities, but this is an absolute insult to watches and Ducati the brand. I would rather wear a ladies watch with a diamond bezel fitted on a strap made out of latex.

I mean look the bottom line is that Ducati is a premier name with such an amazing reputation and heritage that I have revered for many years. They are the Ferrari of Motorcycles, no question! I understand the Binda group is trying to pump money in new projects, with not just distribution but actual production as well. I do feel though, that if your going to make a watch technical and its going to say Ducati, then do it justice, otherwise put that money into marketing Wyler Geneve, because that is the sure fire winner that has respect tradition and real innovation. The only people who are gonna by a Ducati watch are the people who can’t afford the bike and want a piece of Ducati. I got news for you, it’s cheaper to buy the T-shirt, and you won’t look so stupid in the process, so save yourself the money and embarrassment.

This watch looks painfully uncomfortable to wear, and even though it’s under a thousand dollars retail, which is relative inexpensive for a watch these days, it’s better to stick to the staples like Swiss Army or Swatch. These are reliable, durable and classic, because at the end of the day a watch is a representation of yourself, and trust me the last thing you want is to be laughed at, especially for a wearing a watch that looks like it belongs in a bondage shop!

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

ITS ABOUT TIME TO MAKE A PURCHASE!

Collectors and watch enthusiasts. Being a watch consultant I get access to the coolest and most sought after timepieces in the world. For a very limited time, I was able to procure the DFB Limited edition IWC Dopple Chrono in Stainless Steel, limited to 500 pieces for the German Football Team. These pieces were sold in Germany to IWC dealers and very selected dealers worldwide, and the rest were for the German Football team and staff. So any serious inquiries, please feel free to email me at johnnyflyback@gmail.com, to have a piece of mechanical history!

ROCK ON AND FLYBACK!

Kobe Bryant Keeps His Eye On The Ball

People, for five years now I have been saying that celebrities, whether it be athletes, musicians, actors and high profiled people are all going to shift their thinking with regards to the watches they purchase. Thank Christ! Finally, they are getting more savvy and developing taste, which is a huge blessing. The days of bling are over. I feel triumphant. Don’t get me wrong, you still get the uneducated gang banger Mofo’s walking around with diamonds on their watches, acting like pimps,which is nothing more than tacky flash, but the difference now is that they are being laughed at instead of praised. This a a huge achievement for all the legitimate watch brands, which in my opinion was inevitable. Today is a different world, it’s not like 5 years ago, where it was only about the car you drive, it’s more about the watch you wear, because it is the only article besides clothing on you at all times.

What am I talking about? Well, the proof is in the pudding. In May of 2008, Kobe Bryant of The Los Angeles Lakers, was awarded MVP. How did he thank his team? He made the astute decision of giving all his teammates, Jaeger Le Coultre Master Compressor Chronograph’s in stainless steel, after a team dinner. These timepieces were personally engraved with each players name and year on the caseback, compliments of Kobe Bryant. With a $10,000 plus price tag, How is that for gratitude? This watch not only shouts, “I have arrived”, but also “I am determined to dominate on and off the court”. The watch is a stainless steel 42 mm case, with a black Arabic dial with luminescent hour markers and hands for visibility in the darkest hours. It has a 65 hour power reserve, automatic self- winding in house manufactured movement calibre 751.

This movement like every JLC movement has been tested for 1,000 hours of quality control. This is a much more comprehensive testing than the chronometer process. If any part fails for whatever reason, the part is immediately replaced and retested from the beginning of the 1,000 hour process. This seal for the highest level of quality control is engraved on the caseback of every Jaeger Le Coultre watch.

The functions of the watch are hours, minutes, seconds, date and chronograph with a 60 seconds counter and a 30 minute counter and the assistance of the tachometer scale on the outer boarder of the dial makes it easy to time many different things with a click of a button. To finish the look of debonair, the watch is fitted with a cognac brown croco strap with double of white stitching on either side, with stainless steel to round it out and keep things in tact.

Kobe Bryant was introduced to the brand while doing a photo shoot for the JLC Sqaudra Reverso, and from there, it was history! The union between the two has proved to be a huge victory, and there is no doubt in my mind that even when Kobe is not on the court making history night after night, he still manages to keep his eye on the ball.

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

Get Ready For Bond!

We are only a couple days away from the new follow up James Bond Film, Quantum Of Solace. The should be a real nail biter. In 2006, we were all blown away with the resurrection of the James Bond franchise, with Casino Royal. Daniel Craig proved to be a modern day Sean Connery. As a bond fan, I can tell you that I was getting sick of the pretty boy old farts who played Bond over the years, who really didn’t give the character justice. As much as I have been intrigued by bond as a kid, I have finally become a believer again.

Similarly, I have become a believer in the new Quantum Of Solace limited edition Omega Planet Ocean. Finally, a watch fit enough to be worn by James Bond since the Rolex Submariner worn in the sixties by Sean Connery. Don’t get me wrong, this watch is not as cool as the vintage Rolex worn by Sean Connery, but it has serious character. I mean as far as watches on bracelets go, lets face it, your pretty limited because they all look like some variation of a stainless steel Rolex Submariner. So, the specs on the watch read like an assignment given to Bond by M. How cool is it, that the black textured dial is treated to look like the Grip used on 007’s legendary Walter PPK Gun.

As much as I find it to be a real Burger King quality, the name of the movie is laser inscribed on the inside of the domed scratch resistant sapphire crystal, it has merit, and is sure to be a real collectible for any die hard Bond fan, since the watch is limited to only 5007 pieces for the world. The stainless steel caseback has 007 engraved into a very cool textured center, while the words planet ocean and the limited edition number out of 5007 is written around the edge in black, like the color of the dial, to give it that real high tech secret agent aesthetic. The case is a lethal 45 mm in diameter, and made out of high grade stainless steel, with the helium escape valve at the 10 o ‘clock position has HE engraved, just in case you were not sure. The bezel, is a stainless steel unidirectional bezel and the watch is water resistant to 600 meters, which is enough to withstand the pressure depths of the sea and explosions faced by 007.

So, I urge you all to sit back, relax, and get ready for bond, which will be the cinematic event of the year, and be sure to watch out for 007 and his sophisticated wrist machinery!

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

The Dirty Truth About Variety

Hey, They say variety is the spice of life. Well, it’s true to a point, but when it comes to timepieces it’s completely overrated bullshit! In the last five to ten years, it seems that even frigging underwear companies want to be watch makers. Maybe I am exaggerating a little, but it’s got way out of control. I hate to take food away from anyone’s mouth, but let’s be honest people, one thing this down economy will inevitably and finally do, is filter all the mickey mouse joke companies that claim or profess that they are serious watchmakers. The biggest issue that we are facing in the industry today are the independents. There really are some outstanding quality timepieces produced by the most exclusive artists, such as F.P Journe, Richard Mille or Vianney Halter. However, they are way too expensive and there is no heritage to legitimize who they are, and sadly enough, they just become another painting on the wall that most people can never afford.

The other issue is that because these independents make their own tools and parts, who the hell is going to service these timepieces once they are gone? To run as an independent today, there needs to be a lot of money backing them, and the reality is that this is few and far between. So as a result, there are no true independents because either they go under because of lack of funds, or they get swallowed up by a much bigger luxury group for a song. The other thing is, that it confuses the consumer to have too many choices. I know the whole deal with watches is they are statements of one’s individuality, but come on people if it ain’t done right, well let’s just say it can be like a bottle of cheese wiz that exploded in the microwave, dirty,sticky and who wants to touch it? The end consumer today wants to be informed, but at the same time have their personality in tact. Trust me people, variety in the watch industry has become massively cliche. I have collected enough watches to know that you can try them all, but it becomes an expensive lesson to realize, that you should stick with the staple brands that have had a voice for hundreds of years because of their history, exclusivity and now investment potential.

Please don’t be fooled so easily. If your lucky a brand like Panerai comes very rarely. I have so many clients that ask me about a million different brands and to be honest, I can’t keep a track of them all. Like music today there are so many imitators, and the true visionaries are in a different league trying to survive one day to the next. How cool would it be, to buy that true piece of craftsmanship and not have to read about it or talk about it because it is out of your league. So, I say to all of you out there, first do your research and find out the dirty truth about variety, before you put yourself in debt for something that you love.

A Real American From Switzerland!

People, I am very excited about this. About two years ago, I had the unique opportunity to view the prototype of this incredibly sophisticated watch by Vacheron Constantin. The only thing was that it was very different from anything I have ever seen produced by the brand, even though it was originally produced in 1921 for the American market. Finally, the moment has come and this production is a reality. When I had the opportunity to see the prototype, it was white gold, cushion shaped, nostalgia pouring out of it, and a crown that was located at the one o’clock position near the very lug that the strap was connected to. The dial was this incredibly white enamel dial with the boldest fluid arabic numerals which absolutely blew me away.

In my ideal world this would be 45 mm, but hey I didn’t design it did I? This feeling I had overwhelmed me when I saw it, I mean it made me want to buy a vintage car, and have a vintage suit, and act in some Woody Allen Film, set in the nineteen twenties. Very rarely do vintage watches have that effect. Normally vintage watches are cool, but never evoke an emotion to make me want to do other things.

So, the name of this watch is the Vacheron Constantin Historique American 1921. As far as I know, this watch is available in a limited production in 18k Rose Gold, which has so much depth, and is very rich in color. The watch sits 40 mm in case diameter, the unique placement of the crown gives it character and sets it apart from any fine wristwatch manufactured today. The movement of the watch just like in the roaring twenties, is a manual wind movement and in house manufactured, which is a Vacheron Constantin caliber 4400 that includes a 65 hour power reserve, and the most important seal of excellence, the very prestigious Hallmark De Geneve is stamped on it, ensuring the highest level of quality and craftsmanship. The dial, well lets just say it’s just as important and well finished as the movement. Even though the original dial from the twenties was enamel and extremely white, this dial achieves a similar vision without being so stark. This dial has a unique personality as it is slightly shifted to the right, and is silver satin finished and sand blasted, with hand painted fancy black arabic numerals dancing of the dial, like words off a page. This is to be fitted with the finest black crocodile strap and a rose gold buckle to match the 18k rose gold case.

As far as I am concerned, the new Vacheron Constantin Historique American 1921, is the finest dress watch out there today with a taste of the twenties and proving once again to the world that it’s a real American from Switzerland!

Pics courtesy of http://www.timezone.com