Nomos Glashutte launches the coolest World timer ever

                                                                              
It’s interesting when you see a watch and decide that you want to have nothing to do with it because it gives you that not so fresh feeling and then boom, all of a sudden they release a piece that blows your mind. This is exactly what happened with the brand Nomos Glashutte. They recently released the very cool, very modern, very minimalist and ultra sophisticated World Timer in stainless steel. Fellow watch blogger Hodinkee was the first to report about this ultra swank time piece a few weeks back. The most amazing thing that this watch commands besides practical beauty and functionality is price point.  At only 3,500 Euros you are getting a state of the art complication which stands out from the rest because of it’s Bauhaus inspired design and easy to use World Timer Complication.

Details:

Movement: ξ (xi) – manufactory caliber with automatic winding and world time indicator, black gold


Case: ten parts, stainless steel, diameter 39.9 mm, height 10.85 mm, sapphire crystal glass back

Dial: galvanized, white silver-plated, with world time and 24-hour indicator


Hands: brass, rhodium-plated, faceted


Price: 3,400 EUR


Reference number 805

Please watch this video provided by Fellow blogger Hodinkee

Panerai Launches PAM00414, Paris Boutique Edition

PANERAI  PARIS 

BOUTIQUE

EXTERIOR

PANERAI PARIS 

BOUTIQUE

INTERIOR

PAM00414 

EIFFEL TOWER CASEBACK ENGRAVING. REALLY?

IT SHOULD BE CALLED “THE TOURIST”

                                                                                     

It’s a bit annoying of late that I can’t get any information on PANERAI special editions. I understand that shiz is leaked all the time via Paneristi or other watch forums, but it makes me nutty that I can’t confirm information from Panerai Boutiques. What the F am I talking about? Well, two days ago, This picture of the new PAM00414 was leaked . This watch is supposedly a Special Edition for the Panerai Boutique Paris. The problem is that nobody can tell me when the release date is, price or how many are being produced?  Whoever is leaking this shiz, should be shot questioned. This kind of leak makes the brand look weak and unprofessional and I don’t blame Panerai, but yet the leak had to come internally somehow.  I just don’t understand what the point is in leaking something you can’t get and by the time you can get it, the price has gone up because of price increase. To me the watch is cheesy, touristy because of the caseback being engraved with the Eiffel tower, it’s cheaper to buy a postcard.  

Details for PAM00414: Special Edition for Paris Boutique 

The case, in stainless steel, measures 44mm. 

The crystal is an AR-coated sapphire and it is water resistant to 300 meters. 

Movement is the Swiss manual-wind caliber OP II (base UNITAS) with 17 jewels, 21,600 vph and a power reserve of 56 hours. It is COSC-certified as a chronometer. 

The Swatch Group Tourbillon boutique on Rodeo Dr. is a great concept, but the staff is questionable

The other day, I decided to pop over to the Swatch Group Tourbillon boutique on Rodeo Dr. in Beverly Hills. I must say it is a very clean, modern boutique, which have great displays and a decent inventory, but they made it more sterile than a frigging hospital. The Tourbillon boutique replaced the Omega boutique about 6-8 month’s ago. A smart move by the Swatch Group to house and expose a variety of their top brands including, Swatch, Omega, Tiffany and Co., Leon Hetot, Blancpain, Jaquet Droz and Glashutte Original. 

I know It’s not easy to be in the middle of Beverly Hills and sell brands like Jaquet Droz, Blancpain and Glashutte Original because the general public doesn’t know these brands, but there is absolutely no excuse not to have product knowledge as a sales associate or management. This was exactly the case when I went the other day. Is the Swatch Group sending apes over to train their staff? What the F is the point of having a Tourbillon Boutique on one of the most prestigious streets in the world when your staff has no clue about the product. Please don’t misunderstand me, the gentleman I spoke to was very nice, personal and willing to learn, but this is not a training camp, it’s their flagship. When I was there. the store was staffed with three gentlemen well dressed, but it felt like a testosterone convention. There should have been a beautiful sophisticated women to break up the monotony. 

Unfortunately, the Swatch Group corporate headquarters have dellusional certain ideas on what sells product and what translates to the general public. These boutiques are billboards and staff can be replaced in a snap of a finger, but if you want to be taken seriously with legitimacy and not only want to be known for product selection but for great service, then I feel they need to take the consulting services of somebody who knows the game and has the experience. Guys, I am always here if you need me, I am just saying.  

Will the new Panerai PAM00386 give the PAM00339 a run for it’s money?

PAM00386

PAM00339

It amazes me how last minute Panerai corporate is in releasing info to their boutiques. It can almost be somewhat embarrassing when a Paneristi frat boy Panerai enthusiast is telling one of the Panerai boutique employees ” Have you seen the new PAM00386?” and the boutique employee looks completely lost and has to google it their and then. Panerai Italy really need to get with the program and get more cohesive with their boutiques in releasing information because it’s the boutiques responsibility to educate the enthusiast, collector, consumer on what latest happenings are with the brand. OK, enough of taking the piss, I love Panerai, so we are all good. 

The new PAM00386 was leaked yesterday on Paneristi as a 2011 novelty for SIHH. What is the PAM00386? Only the baddest Panerai I have seen to date, it’s sick, you know, in a good way! This is the automatic version of the PAM00339, but with automatic 3 day in house movement instead of a manual wind 8 day movement, see through case back instead of solid caseback, 44 mm 1950 case instead of 47 mm Radiomir case, and oh yeah, brown composite case which stays the same. The only problem is this sends collectors on a feeding frenzy for a watch that probably won’t be delivered till 2012, especially since we can’t even get a realistic time frame of when the F will the highly anticipated PAM00339 be delivered and it’s almost 2011. This creates another issue, the PAM00339 is $15,000 retail and the PAM00386 will probably go for right under $10,000 retail. All the collectors love how it says 8 days in Italian because of it’s raw history on the PAM00339, but who gives a shiz?, it serves no purpose because it’s not a working power reserve. If you ask me the PAM00386 looks way more historic and has a much more useful date function at the 3 o’clock position instead of a useless power reserve indicator that doesn’t work and it’s incredible 1950 case and is a giant bitch slap to the PAM00339, now if I could just get one for myself?

Details-

Reference PAM00386 

Movement

Automatic mechanical, Panerai P.9000 caliber, executed entirely by Panerai, 13 ¾ lignes, 7.9 mm thick, 28 rubies, balance Glucydur ®, 28,800 alternations / hour. Anti-shock Incabloc ®. Reserve of three days, two drums. 197 components.

Functions

Hours, minutes, small seconds, date

Case

Diameter of 44 mm, Panerai ® Composite brown, with integrated rim

Crystal

Smoked transparent sapphire crystal

Device protecting the crown

Protected as a trademark in Panerai ® Composite Brown

Dial

Brown with Arabic numerals and luminous hour markers. Date at 3 o’clock, small seconds at 9 o’clock

Crystal

Sapphire, 2.6 mm thick. Coating anti-reflective

Water resistance

30 atm (300 meters)

Bracelet

Panerai personalized leather bracelet brown aged, with a large buckle closure Composite in the same color. Supplied with a second interchangeable strap and a steel screwdriver

Perpetuelle.com launches a new online marketplace to buy and sell your pre-owned watches called WatchXChange

                                                                      
Next week, friend and fellow watch blogger, Kyle Stults, founder of Perpetuelle.com will be launching  a new online market place called WatchXChange, to buy and sell your pre-owned watches. I am so relieved that there will be other options besides the very hypocritical evil nazis at a much bigger online forum.  The benefits included by using this service for buyers and sellers of pre-owned watches will be Guaranteed Authenticity and Payment Protection, in addition free and unlimited listings for sellers and free shipping for buyers and a lot more. Even though, I could give a shiz about online watch forums and think they are evil and can promote bullying, Perpetuelle is one place that I feel is safe and provides and experience unlike any of the other A-Holes out there. So sign up and become a member and show Kyle your support. On my behalf, congrats Kyle, you are doing an amazing service and I wish you continued success.

Tom Brady sells his two favorite watches to benefit Best Buddies charity

                                                                              

When I was in hell retail, years back, the biggest highlight of my career besides working with a former president, was having the chance to work with legendary quarterback and humanitarian, Tom Brady.  Forget professional athlete, as a human being, Tom is one of the nicest, most genuine people I have ever met. I know, enough with the verbal fellatio.  It’s just rare, especially in the world of Entertainment, be it Sports, Music, Politics, Fashion, Porn, Midget Tossing, Roman Grecco Wrestling, you get where the F I am going with this, that you actually meet real people. 

Tom is selling his two personal favorite watches, The IWC GST Perpetual Calendar in stainless steel which is extremely cool for $12,500 and is most symbolic to him and the highly dirty Movado Tom Brady limited edition Chrono in rose gold for $17,500 which is an outrage a bit on the high side. Tom has asked good friend Scott La Du at renowned jeweler, Betteridge in Greenwich CT to help assist him with the sale of these two timepieces. Both watches come with a personalized hand written note from Tom Brady.  One hundred percent of the proceeds will go to one of Tom’s favorite charities, Best Buddies. Best Buddies is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

This is for a great cause, so pony up biatches. 

Hayden Panettiere does not wear a Pro Hunter Daytona

This week, I am in my favorite city in the world, London. Even though it’s grey and really F’ing cold here, it’s the best. Almost a month ago now, village bicycle actress Hayden Panettiere was in London for the premiere of her new animated children’s movie Alpha and Omega . It was reported that she was wearing a Pro Hunter Daytona. Please click here to see for yourself. I knew there was no way this could be true, because I don’t think she has the class or sophistication to pull something like this off.

Interestingly enough, this past weekend, I met up with good friend Kamal, owner of Pro Hunter watches out of London for a coffee and I asked him about this. He confirmed that this was not a Pro Hunter and in fact a Gold Rolex Daytona. He went on to say “it’s amazing that when people see a Rolex, they think it’s a Pro Hunter, I can understand if someone sees a black Rolex, and think it’s a Pro Hunter” It just shows you how strong the Pro Hunter brand is becoming and that in a very short period of time, it’s even transcending Rolex themselves.

Jason of Beverly Hills gets his own Press Conference before the 2010 Lakers Championship ring ceremony

Last Year he was a fixture on the court next to Dr Jerry Buss presenting the championship Lakers rings, this year he gets his own press conference. How frigging cool is that?  Things keep getting better for Jason Of Beverly Hills.

Please watch Jason’s Press Conference

Ron Artest of the LA Lakers auctions off his 2010 championship ring for a charitable cause

                                                    

Ron Artest of the 2010 Championship Lakers is truly a champ in every way, even though he plays for the wrong team in my opinion. He made history with the Lakers this past season, by being an instrumental force in bringing home their sixteenth championship. To further make himself a hero, Ron is auctioning of the highly coveted 2010 championship Lakers ring in support of mental illness charities. Is he out of his mind, you may ask? He just won his only championship ring and this one is historic on so many levels.  Ron hopes to raise over a million dollars to help fight the shame associated with mental illness. As this is something so near and dear to him, Ron wants to address this illness by making one of the boldest statements he can make in the most selfless way. Please support this heroic cause by clicking here.

Please watch this important video

Tag Heuer celebrates 150 years of innovation with their new V4 belt driven Monaco

It was Homoworld Baselworld 2004, where Tag Heuer dazzled and riveted collectors and press all over the sphere with the release of the highly anticipated double-patented MONACO V4 as the world’s first watch with a high-yield mechanical belt drives and a linear rewinding system.

Today, the newer version of this conceptual master, boasts a bigger 41 mm case and is constructed out of 18k rose gold with fine-brushed silicon nitride “ceramic” inserts. I am blown away with the beauty and execution of this watch in a rose gold finish. Other parts of this watch in rose gold are the faceted hand applied indices, the sub seconds at the four o’clock position, the thermo lacquered crown with amazing fine grip at the three o’clock position and the straps folding buckle.

More importantly, I am very impressed with the contrast of the movement in black and white which screams technical. The black juxtaposes with the white “V4” and “TAG Heuer” engravings on the dial, and with the patented transmission and rewind white belts, now in high-contrast, high-tech white polymers exclusively developed for this version. The watch case and structure remains the same, while the finishing of the watch has been modified with practically unbreakable black ruthenium coating on the back plate and the Cotes de Geneva decorated bridges. The strap is the larger scale alligator, with anthracite hand stitching, titanium inserts and a rubberized leather lining. With all these components completed, it doesn’t surprise me that Tag Heuer celebrates 150 years of innovation with the new V4 belt driven Monaco.