Bonhams in London Auctions off the Coolest Tag Heuer I have ever seen, The Black Monaco

 

Sometimes, it infuriates and makes me wanna beat someone, when I see the watch companies trying their hardest to make the most pathetic groundbreaking new model to expand their already tired and redundant collection. When you try too hard you fall flat on your face. I can understand some gizz mopper new brands trying too hard because they have no history to fall back on, but for a brand like Tag Heuer, it should be as easy as a Thai hooker, hopefully it’s a women!  When I see this incredible Black Tag Heuer Monaco from the mid seventies, it makes me think, this is an original, way before all the mofo’s like Bamford and Blackout came to the seen and how come they ain’t paying homage to it? 

I’ll get to that later. For now let’s get to specifics.World renowned British Auction House, Bonham’s, will be having an auction of rare an collectible Tag Heuer watches on December 12, 2010 at their very prestigieous location on Bond St. in London. The rarest Tag Heuer in this Auction, the Black Monaco will be ready for sale. This watch is as cool as it gets. On a side note according to Bonham’s In 1974 new models of the Monaco were introduced, marked by the reference 74033. The dial design and configuration were identical to the 1133 automatic, with two registers for hours and minutes and a date window at 6 o’clock. The watch was powered by the new Valjoux 7740 manual wind movement and the winding crown is on the right side between the fluted chronograph pushers. Heuer began to phase out the Monaco only five years after the launch in 1969 and this model can be seen as a final and heroic attempt to attract customers seeking the most avant-garde chronograph on the market.

The new Monaco with the reference 740303 was fitted with an all-black dial. The hour and minute hands were white and chronograph hands had a shiny red-orange tone, the Monaco’s steel markers were replaced by luminous bars. The formerly brushed steel case was coated in black PVD a new trend in the watch world.

The black Monaco is the rarest variation with only a handful, all original watches known to the entire collecting community. This example is a new old stock watch and it has its original finish with its red Heuer factory sticker still present on the case back. It comes with its box, original Heuer racing strap and rare black coated Heuer buckle. This is possibly the best example to come to auction to date and an incredible trophy for the Heuer collector. If Tag Heuer can do it then, they can do it now. They need to dig deep into their archives, not always in Steve McQueen’s grave to make collectors and enthusiasts have renewed bonners faith. To have a more in depth look,please click here

Details of the Monaco for Auction

Ref. 740303 N, 1974
17-jewel Valjoux 7740 manual wind movement, black dial with two subsidiary dials for 30 minute and 12 hour recording, dial signed Monaco Heuer, white hands with luminous inserts, red chronograph hand, slim baton indexes for the hours, white outer 1/5th seconds scale, black PVD coated square case with special snap down case back still retaining its Heuer sticker, original black leather Heuer strap with black Heuer buckle, together with Heuer box, case, dial and movement signed
40mm.

JLC Iin NYC with collectors, Master Class and an exclusive party hosted by Jon Hamm

NYC, the city that jolts life through your veins every minute and only plays is where reputable watch maker Jaeger LeCoultre will have a very busy week. They are infamous for their Master Class, which has set the stage for the way in depth watch trainings should be and has been the inspiration for other brands around the world to brainwash educate their retail partners. Starting tomorrow, Tuesday October 12, 2010 Jaeger LeCoultre will take over this Gatsby style mansion located on 2 East 63rd St .

This next four days will include ambassador Master Class trainings, Tuesday and Wednesday with a total of 70-80 people from various retail partners throughout the country, while Thursday evening will be an exclusive party hosted by famed actor and friend of the brand, Jon Hamm of the recent hit “The Town”, which has received all sorts of dirty reviews critical acclaim. This Party will include other celebrities and media and of course an appearance by worldwide JLC CEO, Jerome Lambert. Thursday and Friday will be interesting as collectors will fly in from all over the country with their respected authorized retailers to get educated and represent Jaeger Lecoultre’s Haute Horological wet dreams innovations and masterpieces and drop a shiz ton of money in the proccess. More info to follow, stay tuned!

Chris Aire Suing for Red Gold

Has been Jeweler to the stars, Chris Aire is trying to sue his way to the top. The Nigerian born once relevant jeweler has made a major name for himself in LA and dealt with the likes of Will Smith, Hally Berry, Eva Langoria, and everyone you can possibly imagine in Hollywood. He is known as the “King of Bling”  and is famous for his tacky opulent diamond creations. So why is Chris so Sue happy? Well, he and his company, Solid 21, own the trademark for the term Red Gold, which is a terminology in the last five years that has been used by all the major watch companies. He is suing 17 of the biggest watch companies, including Rolex; LVMH on behalf of Hublot and Louis Vuitton; Breitling; Richemont International SA on behalf of Baume & Mercier, International Watch Company, Montblanc; Ulysse Nardin Inc.; Montres Corum Sàrl; The Swatch Group on behalf of Blancpain, Omega SA; Franck Muller; Chopard; Makur Design Inc.; Graham-London; Kobold Watch Co. LLC; Piere Kunz USA Inc.; Ebel; Bulgari on behalf of Gerald Genta and DOES 1-200 all for trademark infringement,unfair competition, false description, and injunctive and declaratory relief in U.S. Federal Court. 

I am not trying to sink his battleship.but it ain’t easy to sue powerhouse brands and groups like these and think it’s going to be as smooth as astro-glide. At the same time he is definitely not lying because according to the US Patent and Trademark office he does own the trademark red gold, please click here to see it for yourselves. In a statement released by Chris Aire, he says “This is a classic David versus Goliath.” “We’ve done everything that is required of us to protect the integrity of our Red Gold brand. Our Red Gold trademark has been deemed incontestable by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and we will go up against anyone to defend it.

“We feel very strongly that we will prevail in the courtroom in this case. Just because you’re a huge brand doesn’t mean you’re above the law.  This brand is proprietary to us and we’ve worked extremely hard to make it famous and now they’re jumping all over it without our permission.” I am curious to see what comes out of this, I am sure it ain’t going to be pretty or for the week at heart!

Panerai Gets innovative with the IPad

I went to the Panerai Boutique in Beverly Hills yesterday to see my good friend Chad Warrick, Boutique Director of Panerai. As I was on my way out he showed me an IPad. Panerai as a company will be the first watch company to use an IPad in their boutiques as a catalog to show to consumers. This application shows all the Panerai watches in the catalog with reference numbers and descriptions which was made specifically for Panerai. The regular consumer brochures will still be available, but this is very smart, coming from a very traditional company who just launched their IPhone App in July.  They have come a long way with the digital age this year and I am sure every other major watch brand will swallow follow. 

Jason of Beverly Hills is the Laurence Graff of our Generation

Laurence Graff

Jason Of Beverly Hills

Who is Laurence Graff? Well, let’s see, he is only the most powerful and respected Jeweler in the world! Laurence is an English born Jeweler who founded Graff diamonds in the 1960’s. Since the 1970’s he cultivated and affluent and influential group of people around the world including the likes of Hassanal Bolkiah, the 29th Sultan of Brunei.

In 2008, Graff spent 24 million dollars to defame purchase one of the most historic and sought after diamonds in the world after the highly coveted Hope Diamond.The Wittelsbach Diamond. He was given a lot of shiz from dickhead historians and other renowned jewelers because he had the stone re-cut to make it as perfect as possible, by eliminating the chips and improving the clarity, which resulted in the stone loosing nearly 4 karats going from,  35.52 karats to 31 karats. This action has been compared by critics to making the Mona Lisa prettier.

So what’s this all got to do with Jason of Beverly Hills? Well, 2 years ago, Laurence Graff was on the cover of Forbes Magazine, entitled the King of Bling. I was in Jason’s office not too long ago and he said to me, “Johnny, this is where I want to be in life, where Laurence Graff is, as he showed me the magazine, which he keeps a copy of by his desk as inspiration. I am happy to report, that as of last week Jason of Beverly Hills  has arrived at this destination.  At only 34 years old, Forbes has written an amazing article on the celebrity jeweler entitled “Mariah Carrey and Lil Jon’s favorite Jeweler: The next Laurence Graff?”  Please click here to read the full article

I just finished a great lunch with Jason and I must say he is truly humble and low-key about the success of this article. Here is an excerpt from the article: For Arasheben, better known as Jason of Beverly Hills, the [Diamond Ring Pop for Mariah Carey] was merely the latest in a slew of diamond-encrusted creations for some of the biggest names in the entertainment world. Over the past few years, Arasheben has done work for the likes of Michael Jackson, LeBron James, Nas and Rihanna, as well as European socialites and members of the Saudi royal family…

…Inspired in part by a FORBES cover story on billionaire jeweler Laurence Graff, who once sailed to the middle of the Mediterranean to deliver a cache of diamonds to Oracle founder Larry Ellison on his yacht, Arasheben has earned a reputation for a similar sort of outlandishness, albeit on a slightly smaller scale.”


Jason is clearly a rags to riches story bitches. His determination, perseverance and tenacity prove no matter what the obstacles, you can have whatever you want, it’s just a mind set and is the reason why that Jason is The Laurence Graff of our Generation. On my behalf, I would like to say F- Yeah! Congrats Jason, you deserve it!

Girard Perregaux should just be called Zegna Watches

So, It appears that  Zegna Girard Peregaux has continued the partnership with Zegna and will be manufacturing Zegna watches. Hey, whatever works right? If GP feels that putting a clothing brands logo on the dial instead of their own will sell watches, then I guess whatever! Maybe Zegna should make Girard Perregauz suits. They may have a much better chance at getting their name out with that than watches.

According to the clothing maker, Gildo Zegna CEO of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group said: “After the successful launch of the Centennial Limited Edition Watch developed in cooperation with Girard Perregaux, the natural progression was to consolidate our partnership and embark on a new adventure. The concept is to create a range of Ermenegildo Zegna watches, made exclusively in Switzerland, of very specific design, which is precisely what our clients need and expect from our brand. The collaboration with Sowind, with whom we share beliefs and philosophy, will utilize the specific know-how of the Swiss watch making sector, to further complete the Zegna world and consolidate our position as the leader in men’s luxury”  YAY!

According to Girard Perregaux, Gino Macaluso CEO of Sowind Group said “This partnership is an interesting tale of two families whose commitment and work ethic have become their own life philosophy, and who have chosen to travel together along a new mutual path while still maintaining their own identities. I am sure that from our side working with the fashion world will be a very informative experience. The incredible qualitative values of style and Italian know-how will merge well with the uniqueness and excellence of the top end Swiss watch making.”  Personally, I think he is delusional. Maybe Zegna should just buy Girard Perregaux.

Hublot Creates a Aero Big Bang Ceramic Chrono for the MS Society

Hublot amazes me again. On October 20, 2010, They will  donate a very special timepiece known as the Aero Big Bang Ceramic Chrono, specially created for MS Society in NYC auctioned off by leading auction house, Antiquorum. According to pioneer and CEO of Hublot, Jean Claude Biver “The 21st century will be the century of sharing”. “We will have to start sharing wealth, energy, the climate and finally have to share the planet Earth. Therefore I believe that every company and every brand has to include and develop a policy or concept of sharing. We are proud today to donate this special watch for a very noble and valuable cause”.  The watch is cool, even though it has a rose gold bezel the watch is brought together by the semi -skeletonized dial. The strap is a high grade croco strap which should have been some sort of rubber which would have been way cooler. I hope this watch raises a lot of money. If any of you out there are nut about Hublot and want to help contribute to killing this terminal disease forever, please bid high and help create history.

Even though, Hublot is getting a lot of shiz from the repressed geeks watch enthusiasts about how much can they beat a dead horse by promoting on style of Big Bang, Hublot is doing outstanding things by donating a one of a kind watch for a remarkable cause.

The Details

The Aero Big Bang Ceramic Chronograph features a black ceramic case and rose gold bezel with a semi-skeletonized dial and superluminova markers. The 44.5 mm timepiece houses a self-winding chronograph movement. Its Hublot Caliber 4214 is rhodium-plated with a straight-line lever escapement, shock absorber and self-compensating flat balance spring. 

The new Ceramic Bezel Submariner gets Pro-Huntered

Imposters or imitations are all kinds of flattering, but at the same time really fuc*ing annoying. Much is this case with revolutionary Rolex modifiers Pro-Hunter, who have to compete with all kinds of imposters. They were the first to really make the Rolex Black craze famous and credible. Enhancing Rolexes to a stealth black finish that made collectors, actors, musicians, politicians and even former Presidents like Bill Clinton go crazy for. Today, the game has changed a lot. There are all these imposters out there and I am not even going to say who they are because they are all a bunch of whores who don’t have any originality whatsoever. Sure, you can buy any of these other cheats and get the same desired effect, but the finishing is terrible. What separates Pro-Hunter from the rest is the fact that the man behind the brand Kamal Choraria is not just a collector, innovator and re-seller but an authority on vintage Rolex Watches, giving him credibility as well as authenticity. A lot of knowledge and specific information goes into making these Pro-Hunters, because most of them have details from the past that are applied to these modern day cult classics.

The latest edition to be Pro-Huntered is the current Rolex Submariner with ceramic bezel. which was introduced at this years Basel Fair for 2010. The Customization of this highly finished Submariner is complete because this year this watch received a total makeover with the maxi dial and better Glidelock clasp allowing for fine adjustments of the bracelet length, letting divers expand the band incrementally up to 21mm. The ceramic bezel was a necessary change as is is almost impervious to scratches and ultra violet rays unlike it’s silk screened predecessor. The Pro-Hunter DLC finish in my opinion really makes this watch a classic because of the matte black DLC finish, the steel is nice but can look naked because of it’s monochromatic wearability of too much steel.  So, don’t be fooled and buy a knock off, because it’s always better to have the real thing, otherwise you will just feel dirty like an imposter.

Details

The Pro-Hunter Maxi Dial Submariner Date

The Pro-Hunter Maxi Dial Submariner Date is a high quality customisation of a Brand New Rolex Submariner Date ref 116610.

– Diamond Like Carbon Coating
– 31 jewels
– Black dial with SUBMARINER in Red Writing
– Black rotatable ceramic bezel
– 40 mm case
– Sapphire crystal
– Anti reflective coating on Case
– Individually engraved case back (001-100)
– Fliplock Bracelet with Glidelock Clasp
– Date Function
– Waterproof to 1000ft/300m
– Brand New with Box and Papers
– 2 Year In House Warranty

Limited to 100 Pieces Only.

Production from September 2010

MB&F and Boucheron make a diamond studded owl with the new HM3

                                                                            

                                                                                

MB&F are known for their technical renegade watch making. They are exotic, yet highly innovative and well finished. No one said anything about them actually being good looking. To add insult to injury they have collaborated with renowned French Jeweler Boucheron for a disgusting new timepiece called the Jewelry Machine. Oh Please, someone stick a pencil in my neck and put my out of my misery! Why? This watch didn’t need to be made because it is so ugly from top to bottom.  I appreciate the artistry and craftsmanship from both companies, but come one, this is just an all time low to make a watch that looks like a diamond studded owl. I don’t care how complicated or highly jeweled it is. At the same time, I do understand making a piece like this creates nausea buzz for both brands and reinforces their images and pushes barriers far beyond, but in my opinion this is just wrong.

This watch is available in two variations, presented either in 18k white gold, with amethyst, diamonds and blue and violet sapphires, or in 18k red gold, with pink tourmaline, rose quartz, diamonds and pink sapphires. Strangely enough, even though this watch was never created with diamonds in mind, Maximilian Büsser, who is the MB in MB&F, for years has been toying around with the idea of  working with Boucheron. He goes on to say “I was impressed by their immense savoir-faire,” he says,“and their creative passion. They are resolutely avant-garde, and each of their jewels is a virtuoso performance.”  According to Boucheron’s CEO, Mr Jean-Christophe Bédos says, “MB&F showed an appreciation of the excellence that Boucheron embodies. A collaboration between our two Houses was certain to lead to an exceptionally creative concept, with a sparkling result and even a sense of humorous audacity.” I guess Boucheron finally met it’s match, scary as it is, with partnering up with a watch brand like MB&F, who can depict nature in the most disturbing extravagant way with the new HM3

Piaget launches their first UK boutique on 169 New Bond St in Mid October

                                           Seems Like a real watch Boutique      

Only if they actually sold watches that didn’t look like a$$ 

Oh Damn! I thought I was at Cartier

                                                                        
Sadly, Piaget are launching their first UK boutique on one of the most famous, prestigious and sexy streets in the world. That’s right, come this mid October, the house of PiaGAYPiaget will land on 169 New Bond St. in London.  I feel somewhat bad for this brand because they have never been able to come out of the recession that is their brand. The sad part is, they actually make their own quality in house movements. The boutique looks really impressive, well laid out, modern,sophisticated, elegant, but the problem is they sell Piaget watches.

So, let’s focus on the only positive outcomes there are for Piaget in this shituation because we all know it ain’t their watches. Their jewelry is quite sleazy nice and the selection will be bar none the most expansive selection of Piaget anywhere in the world. This boutique will be the 71st Piaget boutique launch and their very first stand alone boutique concept. The architect behind all this madness, non other than  French architect, Gérard Barrau who is known best for designing Sephora’s iconic flagship store right on the Champs Elysees in Paris, France.

According to Philippe Léopold-Metzger, CEO Piaget, says : “We are delighted to open a store in Bond Street which I consider the best place in the world for a jewellery store, alongside Place Vendôme. London is the cosmopolitan city by excellence, and it is a must for a global brand like Piaget to have a strong qualitative presence there”. Even though I am not a huge fan and would rather wear pearls around my wrist than a Piaget, I commend their move to build such an amazing atelier, housing luxury products in both jewelry and watches completely manufactured in Switzerland in one of the premier destinations in the world!