On The Cheap, Timex makes a bad ass watch for 2010 and it’s only $200

What can two hundred dollars buy you these days, besides a cheap digital camera or hooker for that matter? To buy a decent watch with some sort of name that you have heard of besides a plastic Swatch is generally not going to happen, until now.

Even though I have never been a fan, you couldn’t have grown up in the eighties and nineties not referencing Timex watches at some point. I mean everybody knows their catch phrase “Takes a licking and keeps on Ticking”, It’s actually a pop culture reference. They have always been known to be really inexpensive reliable plastic sports watches or classically cheap looking pedestrian watches, that are literally disposable. This year they actually have just released a watch called the Time E Altimiter. I must say for the money this watch is killer! Here are the specs

The case, in stainless steel or steel black PVD, measures 50mm. The crystal is mineral and it is water resistant to 100 meters.

It features a proprietary quartz movement, developed by the firm at its Timex Development Center in Pforzheim, Germany. It has a digital altimeter with analog display, with minimum and maximum altitude recall.

The watch retails for $200

I would much rather have this than a Tissot T-Touch because it has a lot more character and doesn’t make you look like you just got out of a fucking mental institution. I don’t think you can buy a better watch for the money with these features. The only thing that sucks is that is has a mineral glass not sapphire crystal, but for the money I can buy three of these compared to one Tissot T-touch, so who cares right? Go on ,be bold, and pick yourself one up and test it to it’s limits, because this is one hell of a bad ass!

The new De Bethune DBLM from Basel World 2010 is my favorite watch of the year

Not much impressed me this year at Basel 2010, and seriously, the ones that did were predictable and expected for a very long time. I guess that’s the difference between Basel and Geneva. The brands that that show at Basel are mostly all whores because you see it all before it gets unveiled and when it is shown all you get is a limp dick, because you are no longer interested,while Geneva gives you so much foreplay that, when you do actually see the product you’ll need to replace your screen, because of the excitement. Basically the Basel product is let out of the bag before it’s shown which is actually irritating because there is no mystery. One brand that didn’t show at Basel, but was at Basel was De Bethune which has slowly over the last 5 years become one of my top three favs of the complicated shit that’s being produced in a limited and exclusive capacity.

This Year for Basel 2010 De Bethune launched the brand new DBLM which is magnificent and no doubt is my favorite watch for 2010. I mean what’s not to like, unless you are going blind and even then you will get instant wood just feeling the high grade polished titanium case. From the pictures that I have, which were taken by Ian Skellem at Horomundi, I have quite frankly never seen a watch look this fucking mind blowing off and on the wrist. The watch is feather light, weighing only 45 grams, and from what I understand, the watch is particularly comfortable to wear because of the articulated lugs, which serve the purpose of technical design feature and ultimate wearability.

After being weak at the knees going on a tangent about it’s phenomenal exterior, the guts and heart of the watch are equally if not more impressive. Where you have a power reserve that indicates how long a watch will actually be running for, the “Optimal Performance Indicator” on the DBLM, alerts the person wearing the watch if the actual wind of the watch is in the realm of maximum accuracy. While the power reserve of the movement is 5 days, 4-days of that power is optimal for accuracy, which is an incredibly useful feature. The attention to detail like the large central triangular bridge has a polished steel bridge and the miniature dots for the hour markers are highly polished titanium. The hands are three dimensional, the lugs are floating which is a signature icon that gives the watch character, while the balance is silicon which ensures longevity and the case is highly polished titanium which makes the watch extremely light.

All these elements make this watch an outstanding timepiece on so many different levels and adds to my obsession to why I have to have it, even though it’s only like $80,000. The watch will be available exclusively at the Hourglass in Singapore and Chronopassion In France for 2010 and the rest of the world will be so lucky in 2011.

Porsche Design Introduces their second divers watch after 27 years, for Basel 2010

Clean and Legible

Modern Construction

Unique Design

Incredible Luminocity

It’s been 27 years since Porsche Design introduced it’s very first divers watch, the very cool and collectible Ocean 2000 in 1983. This watch was revolutionary for it’s time and was designed by company founder FA Porsche. This year for Basel 2010, Porsche Design has succeeded it’s predecessor with the new P’6780 Diver. This watch is Porsche all the way and will have collectors gagging for it. To be honest, I haven’t seen a cool modern minimalist designed divers watch from a decent watch company since the last generation IWC Aquatimer almost 5 years ago now. If you remember IWC and Porsche design collaborated 20 years ago to make a similar design.

This second designed divers watch by Porsche Design has a Diver’s three-part case design is both unique and specifically complicated, acting as the housing for the dial and the movement, a circular stainless steel container hinges back into a bead-blasted titanium bridge structure held on the wrist by means of a caoutchouc strap. This means the strap serves as much of a purpose in the mechanics of setting the time, which makes this a very interactive watch for the wearer/diver because of it’s unconventional design element.

The case, in stainless steel and titanium, measures 46.8mm x 17mm. The crystal is an AR-coated sapphire and it is water resistant to 1,000 meters.
The Movement is the Swiss automatic ETA caliber 2892-A2 with 21 jewels, 28,800 vph and a power reserve of 42 hours. It features a personalized Porsche Design rotor.

If you want something clean, modern, and different from the rest and want a Porsche but can’t afford the car than wait till this summer for this incredibly functional practical timepiece that screams must have.

Great Event at The Panerai Boutique Beverly Hills

A gathering of Panerai Freaks

The PAM00339 will be mine!

More PAM00339 foreplay

Another Angle



The Coolest New MOD Regatta Polo Shirt

Even the shopping bag is sick!

You’ll never guess what this is?

Keep Guessing!

Thursday April 8, 2010
It’s about 6:30 pm and I just left a great event at the Panerai Boutique in Beverly Hills. There was a frenzy of people outside all waiting to see the new PAM00339, which was this years new novelty for SIHH 2010. As I walked in I was greeted by the MC himself, Chad Warrick, the world renowned boutique director of Panerai, who runs The Beverly Hills Boutique and oversee’s the New York City Boutique on Madison Ave. Champagne was flowing, finger food was being inhaled, all in the name of Panerai. This boutique is small, yet inviting and especially after today’s experience has solidified itself as a must visit place, especially if you like watches as much as I do. The key to customer service is when a store is busy, then you really know what time it is. Chad and his crew treated every person there like a VIP. There were close to 40 people there and at six o’clock pouring in and out of the store, which created this casual yet exclusive feeling I have yet to feel till today.

Every person at that boutique was gifted a bag containing a special edition catalogue chronicling 10 years of Panerai Special Editions from 1997-2007. This was one thick bastard of a book. The other was a Manufactura catalogue which was oversized but showcased all the in house manufactured movements that Panerai developed for 2009. No matter how busy Chad was in making sure everyone was comfortable, he and his staff were never too busy too answer any one’s questions, which is a major testament to the boutique’s success. The collectors who packed in were all passionately wearing their watches and showing them off to each other like collectors do in that creepy yet cool way.

The PAM00339 is breathtaking and extremely light. Even though the watch case is brown, I have to have it. It’s very comfortable, especially for a 47 mm and looks stellar on the wrist and reminds me of a piece from the archives. From the dark brown distressed strap to the aged brown dial, and even though it serves no purpose whatsoever, the eight day power reserve written in Italian at the three o’clock position. I like the fact that it has a closed case back because it feels more solid and complete. I was only there for twenty mins, and I was lucky enough to be gifted the new Panerai Regatta Polo shirt with white collar, which is really MOD. All in all, a great experience and if you are so lucky to have the opportunity to go when there is an event, I urge you strongly, you will never forget it, because you will probably soil yourself with excitement!

What’s The Point?

Most of you who stay tuned to this blog, all know that I am usually in full agreement with all the models that Pro-Hunter chooses to modify. They definitely turn regular Rolex watches into to cult classics. Usually these modifications are warranted on current production Rolex pieces that have history and collectibility over the last 40 years. So I was absolutely baffled when I saw that that Pro-Hunter has completely made over the Rolex Steel and Platinum Yacht-Master into a stealth timepiece.

In comparison to the vintage models, the Yacht-Master has only had history for the last ten or so years. In my opinion, to make this modification to the Steel and Platinum Yacht-Master is way premature and doesn’t warrant this sort of homage due to it’s modern pedestrian nature. This is the sort of thing I would expect from Bamford or anybody trying to emmulate Pro-Hunter. I understand this may serve a need to anyone who wants to wear a Steel and Platinum Yacht-Master and thinks it’s too flashy in Steel and Platinum, but the whole point to Pro-Hunter is paying tribute to the vintage pieces by making the current versions better. Just in case you are interested here are the details.

– Diamond Like Carbon Coating
– 40mm Case
– 31 jewels
– Gloss Black dial with Maxi Luminous Markers
– Diamond Like Carbon Coating on Case and Full Bracelet
– Diamond Like Carbon Coating on Platinum Bezel
– Sapphire Crystal
– Individually engraved case back (001-100)
– Waterproof to 100m/300feet
– Brand New with Box and Papers
– 2 Year In House Warranty

Limited to 100 Pieces Only.
Launched March 2010
Price GBP £ 12950.00

Manfredi Jewels makes the Impossible, possible

If you are a watch retailer, the last couple of years have been a serious challenge. Your lucky if you sell a watch for $20,000, that’s a great day. So, it amazes me when I hear that famed watch retailer Roberto Chiappelloni owner of Manfredi Jewels and his team in Greenwich Connecticut, recently just sold the highly complicated and Uber expensive Gruebel Forsey 24 seconds Incline Tourbillon in 18K Red Gold, for $490,000 to a watch collector. If this isn’t a sign that the economy is making a serious comeback, I don’t know what is.

Gruebel Forsey is a super exclusive brand with only 33 dealers worldwide. Manfredi Jewels is one of the most renowned watch retailers in the world and has one of the most impressive watch collections, which houses brands that roll of the tongue and you have definitely heard of and brands like Gruebel Forsey that you may not have heard of because of it’s highly complicated, limited and ridiculously valued nature. I like that. most retailers don’t have the meatballs to take risks, and it’s clear as day that Roberto not only has the vision, but has the drive to execute his passion.

What the fuck is so special about this watch? Well for starters, the he Tourbillon 24 Secondes Incliné (T24Si) is Greubel Forsey’s third fundamental invention and continues the exploration into minimising the effects of gravity on the regulating organ.

In the T24Si a single inclined tourbillon cage undergoes rapidly changing positions with a high angular velocity. A distinctive asymmetrical case allows for a comfortable case size as well as an additional side window to further appreciate the tourbillon mechanism. Here is a breakdown of features and technical porn.

* Sapphire crystal
Size (mm) 43.5
Thickness (mm) 15.76
Water resistance (m) 30
Dial color Silver
* Skeletonised/ see mechanism
Hour markers
* Arabic numeral
* Index
Case Shape
*Asymmetric
Indicators
* Hours
* Minutes
* Seconds
* Power reserve
Tourbillon
Movement Jewels (qty) 36
Power reserve (h) 72
Size (mm) 36.4
Strap Color Black

With sales on the up an up and complicated exclusive product being strongly in demand, Manfredi Jewels makes the impossible, possible!