Franc Vila Goes Ebel with the new FVa35 SuperSonico 5 Minute Repeater

                          

The original Ebel Classic Wave Bracelet

The Impostor Strap

I would never write about Ebel. I think their popularity died in the eightees and should stay there. I have to give mad props to Ebel in this particular case, because they were clearly the inspiration for the new Franc Vila FVa35 SuperSonico 5 Minute Repeater rubber strap. I really don’t know how I feel about this watch because the strap over powers the watch and it’s not really that original since Ebel pioneered it back in 1980 what?

Franc Vila is a very cool obscure brand that’s really f**king  expensive, and is really niche. It’s like they have thought everything through on this watch except for the strap.  I mean the watch is a minute repeater for Christ sake and their solution to round it out is to make it Ebelesque? I don’t want to give this strap any more attention than I already have because it’s making me sick, so lets go into the more significant details of this watch. The inner part of the watch case is Lightnium which is an aluminum-lithium alloy which makes the case super light, while the outer part of the watch case is super high grade titanium which allows this minute repeater to resonate perfectly at the best pitch, every five minutes.

The basic skeletonized dial brings the watch to life because it allows the watch wearer to see the highly finished parts of this movement and how this 5 minute repeater performs this highly complicated function The movement  is an in house, self-winding, hand finished Caliber FV35 complete with the exclusive Franc Vila Gold Concept Rotor and displays a 42 power reserve. The watch is limited to 88 pieces and the price is probably the cost of the new Ferrari 458 Itlaia.

Jason of Beverly Hills releases the new Dunamis Hubris Divers Watch

Jason Arasheben of Jason of Beverly Hills is no stranger to reinventing himself and pushing the envelope in the watch and especially the jewelry world. He has a clientele that the world has wet dreams about, he has a loyal following that are amongst the best athletes and most famous celebrities in the world and now he’s taking his shiz global. Jason has the Matzah Balls that very few have. He takes risks and is not afraid of the outcome and yet he strives to make his name, his image and his product the best. I recently sat down and interviewed him in a very candid one on one interview in his offices in Beverly Hills and we talked about life, expansion, new product, The Lakers and babies?  

Well, as far as that goes, you’ll just have to watch the interview for yourself, but the cool thing I was somewhat impressed by is this new Dunamis Hubris Divers watch, he just released. For $8,500, this 47 mm hunk of PVD metal is less flashy than it’s dirty counterparts of the past. Still boasts the bling which I detest, but yet with this new patented monogrammed rubber strap, this watch really doesn’t seem so obscene to me. I would wear it if it didn’t have diamonds, and if Jason was kind enough to give me an early Christmas gift, but hey that’s just me.  Just watch out because Jason is about to turn the watch industry upside down on it’s ass and release watches that watch collectors must have, it just a matter of time.

Please watch this candid interview I had with Jason of Beverly Hills

Thank You For Voting

I wanted to thank you all for voting on my latest poll. In the Latest poll where I asked “are big watches a thing of the past? ” 30% of you voted yes and 70% of you voted no. This is a great sign that big watches are here to stay and have become  increasingly more accepted and a staple part of watch culture. As much as we all think from time to time, is this a trend? I think we can take comfort that we wont be wearing watches the size of a frigging postage stamps any time soon, unless we are women or not comfortable with our masculinity and it’s just become a normal part of our watch wearing lives. Keep rocking the vote and thanks for your support.

Rock on and Flyback!

Johnny Flyback

The best part of the new Expendables movie is the Panerai Regatta 1950

                       

I just went to see the new Expendables movie, believe me, not because I am dying to see the cheesiest actors of all time assembled on one screen. The real reason was because I wanted to see stuff get blown up, and why the not, it’s a Sunday and I wanted to see how the new Panerai Regatta 1950 would be placed in a film on such Neanderthals.

To my surprise, the movie was not bad. In my opinion, Jason Statham and the watch were the heroes, not Sylvester Stallone, although, he was smart to get a cast of the biggest action stars in the world. The movie opened as the number one movie in the country. He directed well, but the story was mediocre, hey let’s face it, when you see a movie like this, it’s not for the superb acting. Sylvester Stallone was also smart because he incorporated his favorite watch in the movie, Panerai. The Panerai Regatta 1950 or PAM00332 to be exact. 

This watch is perfect for this movie because it’s made out of virtually unbreakable DLC , it’s just technical enough, understated yet quite believable.  Not only is the watch in the movie, but on the wrist of every major actor in the movie, which is free advertising for Panerai because they don’t pay to be in the movies, they are asked to be in movies and are lent for that purpose, which they have remained to keep their stance on, which is a part of what makes them so desirable. Even though the movie was entertaining and kept me from falling asleep because of the action and explosions, the best part of the new Expendables movie is the Panerai Regatta 1950.

Details

  Unique edition of 500 units   PAM 00332  

Movement: automatic mechanical, exclusive Panerai OP XVIII calibre, 13 ¼ lignes, 31 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 28,800 alternations/hour. Incabloc® anti-shock device. Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds, split-seconds chronograph with 2 counters, tachymeter scale. Case: diameter 44 mm, steel with special hard black coating. Steel with special hard black coating push buttons for the chronograph functions at 2 and 4 o’clock and for the split-second function at 8 o’clock. Bezel: steel with special hard black coating. Back: screw, steel with special hard black coating. Classic Yachts Challenge 2009 engraved. Device protecting the crown: (protected as a Trade Mark) steel with special hard black coating. Crystal: sapphire, made from corundum, 2 mm thick. Anti-reflective coating. Water resistance: 10 bar (~100 metres). Strap: PANERAI personalised leather strap and steel buckle with special hard black coating. * Officine Panerai is not the owner of the Trade Mark Glucydur® and Incabloc®.

IWC releases yet another special edition Big Pilot, but this time it’s a yellow Perpetual Calender?

To me special or limited edition watches are usually special, unusual, cool, limited and collectible. It seems like the thing to do now a days is make any watch special edition because you may not have any other reason. Much is the case with IWC of late.  This new Big Pilot Perpetual Calender is not really that special.  Ok, I get that they are using primary colors now on the Big Pilot to attract a fruity audience, but this is just taking the piss to have a complicated watch like a perpetual calender in yellow.

Please don’t get me wrong, the watch is cool and aesthetically it’s not completely revolting, but at the same time it’s anything but special or innovative. The whole point of IWC is their finishing technical machining and their subtle touches, not going crazy with a highlighter on the dial. To be honest my favorite part of this watch is the strap because of it’s contrasting yellow stitching because it’s a subtle touch that you notice as the watch wearer. I wouldn’t mind if there were only little accents of yellow on the dial because the watch is big to begin with, but I feel this dial is a bit loud, obnoxious and as far away from a real IWC Big Pilot as you can get. If you want one bad enough, you can’t get it at a local authorized dealer because it’s a boutique piece only.

Yellow Boutique – Limited Edition of 250 Pieces

The stainless steel case measures 46mm. It has an AR-coated sapphire crystal and is water resistant to 100 meters.

Movement is the in-house, IWC caliber 51612 with 64 jewels, 28,800 vph and a power reserve of 7 days. It features the Pellaton winding system.

Retail  is $28,000 and is only available at select IWC boutiques.

Panerai Brings the "Fu" with the new PAM366

Panerai has really been intrigued the last 5 years with the Asian market, specifically China. What a fucking shocker? It’s the fastest growing market in the world and you got over a billion people, ya do the math that’s a lot of watches sold. Well, to commemorate the Chinese Market and the 5 year anniversary of doing business with China, Panerai has decided to launch the new Special Edition PAM00366. This watch is basically a PAM00111 with a black calf strap with contrasting white stitching. 

“Fu” is written in Chinese characters on the dial at the six o’clock position. Don’t worry this doesn’t mean F**k You.  “Fu”, when broken down into the five elements of ancient Chinese teachings, translates as longevity, prosperity, health, virtue and a well ended life. The watch is very cool, but according to one of my dearest Chinese friends, white writing in Chinese Culture symbolizes death, which is a complete paradox to the meaning of “Fu”.  Maybe not so smart or researched, but the intent is good. If this was written in burnt red on the dial, it would have been epic and I would definitely have to have one. The coolest part is that Panerai’s wish is that everybody who purchases one of these timepieces receives this  

valuable blessing and be grateful. This watch I am sure is certain to sell out and be a cult favorite especially amongst Asian collectors.

                                           The details of the watch are as follows

LUMINOR MARINA

A SPECIAL EDITION DEDICATED TO CHINA

 

Movement:   Hand-wound mechanical, exclusive Panerai OP II Calibre. 16^1/2 lignes, 17 jewels. Monometallic Glucydur® balance, 21,600 alternations/hour. Incabloc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 56 hours. Bridges and oscillating weight personalised PANERAI. Chronometer certificate (C.O.S.C.).

 

Functions:    Hours, minutes, seconds.

 

Case:     Diameter 44 mm.

              Brushed in AISI 316L steel.

 

Bezel:    Polished steel.

 

Back:     Screw, brushed steel.

 

Device protecting the crown:   Brushed Steel. Protected as a Trade Mark.

 

Dial:      Black, with hour markers and Arabic numerals at 3 and 12 o’clock, marked with vintage luminous. Small seconds dial at 9 o’clock. Chinese sign for “Good Fortune” ( 福 ) at 6 o’clock.

 

Crystal :   Sapphire, made from corundum, 1.6 mm thick, anti-reflective coating.

 

Water-resistance:       30 Bar (about 300 metres).

 

Strap:    PANERAI personalised Black Calf strap with ecru stitching and polished steel buckle.

 

Reference:    PAM00366

 

 Please Enjoy this cool video from Panerai

Is Baume and Mercier Smoking Crack?

So,as far as I am concerned and the last time I checked we are still in a recession. Things haven’t really gotten better and corporate boutique’s are the treading theme to cutback costs and move ahead. Well, I guess Bame and Mercier  still thinks it’s 2005 and business is booming, because they have just launched a high end jump hour watch in rose gold which retails for close to $19,000. In my mind this is pathetic and completely off the mark from their identity. I know for a fact that they were close to 50% down last year from the year before. What the f**k are they thinking?

The whole appeal  of Baume & Mercier is the intro to luxury price point and now their positioning themselves as high end luxury. This is really a tough pill to swallow. Moves like this really make me loose respect for them because now they are slowly digging a hole they can’t get out of. Why would someone buy a Baume and Mercier for almost $19,000, when you can buy a Patek, Lange, or AP?  OK, I know this is the William Baume edition, commemorating 180 years of watch making, but no one is going to buy it because the price point is way too high and their are so many other prestigeous brands in that pricepoint which dilutes this special occassion of commemorating the founder of Baume & Mercier.

The details are

William Baume Jumping Hour (Ref M0A08857)

41mm red gold case (9.6mm thick), Dubois Depraz 14400 movement

RIP Nicholas Hayek 1928-2010

Ok, I never do this so frigging late,  but I guess Why not? This is my tribute to a legend. Nicholas Hayek, Chairman and Co-Founder of the Swatch Group died unexpectedly on June 28, 2010. Ok, I know it’s been over a month and old news, but I had serious respect for this man. He single handedly renewed faith in the Swiss Watch industry in the early eightees and is the reason why Switzerland still makes luxury timepieces today.  

Mr Hayek was 82 years young and died of heart failure while he was working in his factory in Biel Switzerland. Mr Hayek was a pioneer and visionary who built the largest watch manufactory in the world. The Swatch Group ownes Swatch, Breguet, Blanpain, Hamilton,Tissot, Glahutte, Rado, and a slue of others. He also invented the Smart Car, which was a brilliant idea that he sold to Mercedez Benz to make a car that was small practical and unique that could fit anywhere. We truly lost a genius who had life, passion, innovation, creativity and heart. He will be missed. 

Please enjoy this video

Is Patek Phillipe opening their first US Boutique in Beverly Hills?

A reliable source tells me that renowned watch maker Patek Phillipe is building their first Beverly Hills Boutique in Beverly Hills California. No idea of when and where, but I will say this is a very strategic smart move on Patek’s part. With watch sales getting spanked in retail outlets, this is the perfect time for Patek to take control and build their own infrastructure and cash in 100% of the profits.  

I have to say, Panerai was the first to do so in the US, and they are receiving the all the benefits. In the long run it’s cheaper to create your own stores, because it controls grey market discounting, controls product distribution, and really hone’s in on the ultimate customer service experience because these companies have the money and resources to romance the consumer and make them feel like they just got finished off at a massage parlour without getting pumped. 

As I have said in my earlier posts, the watch industry has vastly changed. We are living in a world where retailers are sinking and watch companies are restructuring to save face, keep down costs, and to spread awareness to the consumers. Plus at least when you go to a company owned store, there is no excuse for not having the information you need.  I hope Patek does land in Beverly Hills because they still stand as arguably the best watch in the world,  the affluent and repressed live there and this will definitely bring big business for all the watch companies around.

The new Bell & Ross Compass watch is way cool

Compasses are an essential tool when your out in the wild, but really boring, until now. Bell & Ross has taken one of the most utilitarian useful devices known to man and made it cooler on their new 46 mm compass watch. As complicated as this watch may appear to read and make sense of from a quick glance, it’s actually retartedly easy to read. The cool clever aspect of telling the time on this watch is that it only has one hand which serves as the time measure point and has two discs, the outer for hours and the inner for minutes. The watch is limited to 500 pieces for the world and won’t deliver till October of 2010. Don’t worry the watch is probably sold out, so please don’t be over zealous and think it’s easily attainable, because unless your giving oral to someone who works at Bell & Ross, I don’t think you’ll stand a chance.

Please enjoy this new video from Bell & Ross