Archive for May, 2009
Cartier Great Watchmaking History
Cartier Santos
The Cartier brand is one of the most recognized luxury trademarks in the world. The name is synonymous with sophistication and luxury design. To truly admire the greatness of their legacy, one should read the history of the grand watch and jewelry Maison. The luxury brand’s overbearing presence in the jewelry, fragrance, accessory and watch industry are undeniable evidence of its massive international success.
The Cartier Company is a subsidiary of Compagnie Financière Richemont SA. Before 1964, the company was owned and controlled by the Cartier family of French jewelers. The Cartier family was renowned as artists of elaborate jewelry, commissioned by royalty from all corners of the earth. The brilliance of their technique and exotic choice of jewel ensembles created such grand pieces as the “Bestiary” (illustrated by the Panthère brooch in 1940, created for Wallis Simpson,) the diamond necklace that Yadavindra Singh Maharaja of Patiala wore in 1904, and of course the famous Santos wrist watch, made for the Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos Dumont.
The company’s origins lie in Paris 1847, when young Louis-François Cartier took over his master’s workshop. Soon after, the apprentice became one of the most skilled jewelry-artisan of his time. In 1874 son Alfred Cartier took over the company. Although the company basked in success, it was not until Alfred’s sons Louis, Pierre and Jacques took the reins of the company, that the Cartier brand would enjoy such international notoriety.
In 1899 the company decided to expand internationally. Louis Cartier remained in Paris to control the local branch. He has been credited for some of the most famous Cartier designs such as the “Mystery Clock” and the employment of “Tutti Fruti jewels.” In 1907 Cartier rose to the challenge of making the world’s first men’s wristwatch. The watch was made for the great aviator Santos Dumont, who complained of the impracticality and unreliability of wrist watches. The watch was named after him, and is still in production today.
Inspired by the powerful and newly-born war machines of the western front, Louis designed one of the most famous Cartier watch designs of all time. The Tank series debuted in 1917 and has been in production for more than 90 years.
In 1920 The Cartier Company formed a joint venture with Edward Jaeger. Jaeger would provide movements for the Cartier timepieces on a contract of exclusivity. This venture and the mass production of Cartier watches with trustworthy, precise movements mark the beginning of Cartier’s unstoppable rise to the top of the international watch industry.
Tag Heuer Formula 1 Legend
Tag Formula 1
Tag Heur’s Formula One, racing-inspired timepiece, is truly a designer watch made for racing enthusiasts. When originally launched, the Formula 1 was a more primitive quartz watch with blunt lines, yet still captured the attention of luxury watch and racing fans. More than 15 years later, the Formula 1 line by Tag Heuer has evolved into one of the most successful in Swiss watch-manufacturing history.
The F1 Tag is available in many styles, dial colors, and special commemorative editions. The quartz movement is available in regular and chronograph versions. The most popular dial colors are red, black and silver. The Formula one can be worn in casual and formal attire as it is available in both rubber strap and stainless steel bracelet versions.
The Tag Raikkonen edition features a Formula one dash board-inspired dial. The sub dials have 0 set at 8 O’clock like speed gauges on a racing car’s dashboard. Raikkonen, an F1 legend was brought to Tag Heuer’s head quarters in Switzerland for a special seminar that would allow him to be a Tag Heuer specialist. Alongside Tag Heuer’s talented watch-makers, the racing icon helped design the timepiece’s sleek design.
The new Tag formula 1 timepiece, released this year features designs by Fernando Alonso, a two-time Formula 1 champion. The recently launched F1 features new sub dials in the chronograph version. The seconds sub dial was moved to 9 O’ clock. Also unveiled this year are the Tag F1 Indy 500 and F1 chronometer. These new variations of the classic F1 are inspired by the Indy 500 American racing circuit and feature C.O.S.C certified movements.
Omega Luxury Watches
Omega Moon Watch
Omega watches are spectacular works of horologic art. Their most popular collection called the “Planet Ocean” has been featured in a variety of movies as well as on many celebrities’ wrists. The Planet Ocean is a diving watch that professionals use when scuba diving. It has an impressive water resistance up to 600 meters below sea-level. The rotating bezel allows divers to keep track of the amount of oxygen available to them at any given moment.
Omega also manufactures a mechanical watch designed for NASA space flight. The Omega Professional Moon Watch has a variety of features that distinguish it from any other timepiece. The mechanical movement does not feature a pendulum like ordinary automatic Omega watches. Scientists did not know how an automatic movement with a pendulum would respond to 0 gravity conditions. The special Hesalite crystal provides extreme protection for the most extreme conditions. After undergoing rigorous testing alongside competitor timepieces from Bulova, Rolex and Tag Heuer, Omega was bestowed with the privilege of being the first and only watch ever taken to the moon
Omega is also regarded highly by the official Olympic Committee. For this reason they the brand is the official time keeper for the Olympic Games. Omega has developed high-tech ways of measuring time for the special event. They have cameras that are synchronized to digital chronograph watches. By capturing high speed images of any event, omega can prove the precision of their time keeping instruments.
Whether is 600 meters below sea level, or on the moon, Omega Watches are incredible precision time-keeping instruments.