Archive for October, 2009
Lacoste Biarritz Rose Women’s Watch
That little green crocodile has become an internationally recognized logo for polo shirts, making the Lacoste brand one of the top selling ever. Started by Frenchman Rene Lacoste in 1927 the now iconic crocodile logo was based on the nickname the “Alligator” given to Lacoste, who was at that time a professional tennis player for France. In 1933, the alligator became a brand and was printed on shirts, making it the first time that a brand logo was printed on the outside of a garment (versus the inside), an idea which has over the years become a top marketing method.
Although so familiar on a shirt, how often have you seen the little green guy on a watch? Lacoste makes men’s watches and women’s luxury watches; in fact the women’s collection is more substantial than the men’s. For women there are three collections: the Club, Sportswear, and Sport. For men, there are two: the Club and Sport.
The watch profiled here and as seen in the picture is the Biarritz Rose women’s watch from the Sport collection. Named after a luxurious seaside town in the south of France, this watch is luxurious but refined.
The Biarritz Rose comes with a rose gold-toned stainless steel case and bezel and a two-toned white dial with mother-of-pearl center with the famous crocodile sitting at 12 o’clock. The bezel also has the name Lacoste engraved in large letters around it. The white dial and soft, white leather strap reflect the tennis origins of Lacoste himself. Although a sports watch, the crystals and slightly luminescent mother of pearl dial add a touch of sophistication to it.
This watch comes in other colors including ones with pretty white and red or white and green straps and if the green of the croc is too much, he also comes in a muted grey that blends in with the color of the dial.
Nekta Diamond Watches for Men & Women
Nekta believes that men’s watches should have diamonds too. Typically, consumers and brands associate diamonds with women, after all, who hasn’t heard the saying “diamonds are a girl’s best friend?”
Nekta Watch Company has come out with a diamond men’s watch (see first picture). Although it is slightly feimine looking, perhaps due to the strap color, the Nekta Empire SS & Diamond Men’s Watch is proof that men today are confident enough of their manhood that they don’t mind and in fact, want to wear some bling. When watches come with diamonds they are known as jewelry watches and this is a great example of that as well. Both the case and the bezel are filled with and studded with diamonds
The stainless steel case measures two inches wide by 13/4 thick and comes with an interchangeable leather strap, so of the blue is too much for you, you can select a darker color band. Other features of this watch include a Guilloche engraved dial with Arabic numerals in a yellow-green color. The face of the watch reveals three metallic sub-dials to indicate the day of the week, alarm and the date, which is located at 4 o’clock position.
Of course, Nekta would not forget to make women’s luxury watches as well and that’s what you see pictured here.
The Nekta Magic SS & Diamond Watch - MG1. The rose stainless steel case measures 39mm x 47mm and there is a total of 148 diamonds, weighing 2.50 carats that adorn the bezel. The dial is also rose colored and the minute indicators are black, making for a great contrast. The Roman numerals 4, 8 and 12 are peach colored. The subdial is done in mother of pearl and has luminous hands. A date window is located at 4 o’clock, while a red seconds hand with a rounded peach pointer rotates around it. This watch is water resistant up to 330 feet and perhaps the best news? It’s quite a steal at $5,160.
Nekta is a family run business and one of the very few that are based in the U.S. The flagship store is located in Times Square in New York City.
Métiers d’Art Les Masques Collection by Vacheron Constantin
Luxury Swiss watchmaker Vacheron Constantin and the Barbier-Mueller Museum in Geneva partnered to create some of the most unique watches in the world. Using ancient tribal masks displayed in the museum, the designers from Vacheron replicated these masks and their meanings and created a four-piece series called the Métiers d’Art Les Masques collection.
The actual creation of these watches is an enormous feat in the world of watchmaking. Each mask measures about 20mm but had to be miniaturized to only a few mm. Which tools and materials should be used to do this were huge questions. With help from the Geneva Engineering School and laser technology each mask was able to be replicated in three dimensions and figure out the best possible position for placing the mask on the watch dial. It was decided that the masks would be carved from gold and it was a painstaking process to get all the details and expressions fixed on such a tiny workspace.
A special technique using specially-treated glass creates the transparent illusion that the masks are floating on the dial, while a customized metallization process on the sapphire crystal creates a unique tint that is particular to each individual mask. The color tints are as follow: green for the Chinese mask, blue for the Alaskan mask, purple for the Indonesian mask and brown for the Congolese mask.
Vacheron used an automatic Calibre 2460G4 movement, so that the time can be read without any hands, which would interfere with the showcasing of the mask. The time indications rotate around the discs: hours on the top left, minutes on the top right, day on bottom left and date on bottom right.
Each mask: a Facial Mask from Indonesia, a Zangs Bag Facial Mask from China, a Pendant Mask from Mexico, and a Ngontang Mask from Africa tells its own story and comes with a poem. The watchmaker decided to include the poem as well and the words actually circle the sapphire dial in letters of gold and can only be read when the light hits the watch in a certain angle.
Here is an English translation (from French) of the poems:
| The Chinese funeral mask
The light is concentrated |
The Alaskan Frontal Mask
If I stick out my tongue
it is to show the trust I have in you
following your movements
on the sea between storms and in forests between
vast conifers on which your
genealogical myths will be inscribed
The Congolese Etoumbi-Mahongwe Mask
They wanted to deepen the shadow
where you will set your eyes
so that the flashes of sun and flames
will penetrate further
with their arrows to tattoo
not only your face and skin of your whole body
but the secrets of your night
The Indonesian Mask Wayang Topeng theatre
Bewitcher I observe
the shapes of girls who pass
my eyebrows are like a bird ready to take wing
and circle its prey
my moustache like a serpent
Ulysse Nardin Upgrades its Dual Time Collection
Sometimes during Baselworld, the luxury watch industry’s annual fair, manufacturers show brand new designs and sometimes they will upgrade an already successful collection. This is what Ulysse Nardin did during the 2009 Baselworld.
Ceramic is one of the hottest new materials to work with for producing luxury watches. It is strong, sleek and requires the same type of craftsmanship that installing precious gems and stones does.
Ulysse Nardin took its popular Dual Time collection and upgraded it with ceramic, giving it a new, and more modern and exclusive look. Ceramic is now the main focus of the large 43mm Executive Dual Time watch. Both the dial and the bezel are made from black ceramic which looks great against either the stainless steel or 18K rose gold oversized Roman numeral hands, crown and case. Ceramic also comes into play on the two push pieces on the side of the case that can adjust the hour hand to a different time zone while the 24 hour indicator continues rotating in a window at the 9 o’clock position.
This watch also features an oversized 60-seconds counter at 6 o’clock and the two-window date display at 2 o’clock, plus the U.N. name and logo (an anchor) both available in either stainless steel or 18k rose gold. Both watches come with either leather or rubber straps.
The Executive Dual Time is a perfect example of how to take a good thing and make it better. It’s also a smart move for watch companies because by upgrading an already popular watch, they invest less time and money into developing new designs and technologies.
Moni Ducci Watches
It’s a fact that certain products are created for certain groups of people, niche audiences, as they’re known. When it comes to luxury goods, the audience brands want are people with money, enough money that they barely have to look at or analyze a price tag before deciding whether or not to purchase the item.
Well, Moni Ducci watches targets a very specific group; those with money that travel frequently via airplanes. The brand Moni Ducci was created with travel retail being its main target. Items include men’s and women’s accessories, watches, eyewear, leather goods and clothes.
The duty free industry is a bustling one as there are duty free shopping zones and magazines in all airports and planes all over the world; and even those with lots of moolah like to not to have to pay taxes (the incentive behind duty free shopping).
Moni Ducci was launched in May of 2008 in perhaps what is the top duty free shopping zone ever: Dubai. Three months after the launch, Moni Ducci watches were listed in onboard magazines for Etihad Airlines, Eva Airways and Qatar Airways.
Niveen Ibrahim , the Travel Retail GM for Moni Ducci said that the brand is releasing a new collection of luxury men’s and women’s watches that will range in price from $500 – $1,180 dollars, quite a deal actually.
He goes on to explain that “travelers are well aware of the brands and are exposed to luxury on a daily basis. The most important thing for a new emerging brand is to be innovative and different. Obviously, there is no compromise on quality.”
Moni Ducci watches are made for those that have an eye for fashion and like wearing something that not everyone else does. Their women’s luxury watches are particularly colorful, with engravings of birds, butterflies, plants and flowers found on the dials.
The BR-03 Phantom by Bell & Ross
As we gear up for Halloween, all-black watches come to mind. Last year Bell & Ross came out with the BR-03 Phantom as a follow up to its popular BR-01 Phantom. Both models were released in limited editions of 500 pieces each year and sold out very quickly.
One may think that an all black watch would be hard to read, but that’s not the case here and it has something to do with the large 42 mm sized case. Some people find this large, rectangular shaped case uncomfortable on the wrist, but considering that this watch is near impossible to find, it’s not a big enough of a drawback to warrant much more mention. The case is made from carbon-blackened stainless steel.
The numbers, like the dial, themselves are large, giving them visibility. They are raised off the surface and coated in black photo-luminescent paint, allowing you to see what time it is even in the dark. To get this glow in the dark, the watch needs to be charged in the light, sometimes for longer than 5 minutes. The BR-03 Phantom emanates a powerful green glow after just absorbing natural daylight.
Although the case is large, 42mm, it’s not as large as some other BR watches that have 46mm, and at 10mm thickness they are relatively thin, making them not too bulky. The lugs curve to allow for a snug fit.
Like many other Bell & Ross watches, the BR-03 Phantom adheres to military specifications, making it a highly reliable watch.
This watch also comes in all white, all green (military color), all black with bright luminescent blue indications, all black with a stainless steel case and a few other options. Some come with black synthetic or rubber straps.
Although not terribly expensive, prices range from $3,000 – $5,000 these are hard to come by. If you spot one, grab it. Maybe even make an offer to someone who you see wearing it on the street.
Black will always be in and with so few all-black watches to choose from (Rolex does something similar but at a much higher price point) the BR-03 will always be a hit.
Trick or treat?
The 2009 Conquistador Grand Prix of Singapore by Franck Muller
What a name: The 2009 Conquistador Grand Prix of Singapore, for quite a watch. The world premiere of this luxury watch by Franck Muller has quite a unique style.
The case is made from titanium and ergal (performance enhanced high-tech aluminum alloy), from titanium and 18K rose gold and from pink gold with a blackened titanium bezel. The use of ergal merits special mention because due to its being ultra-light and highly robust, it is commonly used in the Formula 1 racing industry as well as the aerospace industry. So the fact that Frank Muller incorporated in into his watch is innovative and really ties the timepiece to the event for which it was created.
Franck Muller produced a series of these 2009 Singapore Grand Prix chronographs, 80 of which are made from titanium (as shown in the first picture), 80 in rose gold and titanium (second image) and six very exclusive pieces made from pink gold with blackened titanium bezel (last picture). The watches measure 48mm wide by 62mm in length and 14 mm in thickness. The crystal is sapphire and the caseback has an engraving of the logo of the 2009 Singapore Grand Prix on it.
At first glance you can tell there is no other watch that this one can be compared to. The black and red contrast (including the strap) and the large numbers on the dial, give this watch a serious, dark, but glamorous look. The idea behind this look no doubt comes from the event that this watch, along with others, commemorates.
The Singapore Grand Prix is the only race within the FIA Formula 1 World Championship that takes place at nighttime. Therefore, this Franck Muller watch (of which there are three styles) illustrates the concept of “dark speed.”
Although the race has already taken place, it was held from September 25 – 27, the watch lives on. As with many race car driving events, the Singapore Grand Prix drew in large numbers of people; an estimated 100,000 live spectators and about 110 million that watched it on TV.
A Luxury Watch for Women
Watches made by the German luxury brand A Lange & Sohne are definitely luxurious and definitely exclusive. All Sohne watches are made from gold or platinum, none from steel. Due to their exclusivity and price range, these watches command attention, especially their women’s luxury watches.
The new Cabaret Soirée women’s timepieces are a perfect example of what Sohne is capable of. They are delicate, measuring 26.5mm wide by 36.3mm tall, and come in 18k white gold cases with 70 diamonds (.9 carats) surrounding the bezel. The dials are lined with solid silver and come with gold coated hands.
There are two versions of this watch, each limited to only ten pieces each. One comes with a baby blue mother of pearl dial and matching light blue crocodile strap and the other comes with a pink, “rose colored” dial and matching band.
Aside from total luxury, another feature that A. Lange & Sohne applies to all its watches is that they all have in-house movements, something not common among watch manufacturers anymore. These new additions to the Cabaret Soirée line, come with the Calibre L931.4, a manually wound mechanical movement that has 237 parts and a power reserve of 42 hours.
Sometimes when a watch brand seeks to create women’s luxury watches, the actual function of the watch comes second to the aesthetic, but Sohne is careful not to do this. After all, commanding the prices that they do, the wearer must be able to easily tell the time and look glamorous.
Due to the diamonds and mother of pearl dials, these watches are most definitely jewelry watches as well and in this case, due to the softer colors, are most definitely made exclusively for women.
Seiko Unveils Luxury Watch Collection Abroad
Up until now, in the U.S. Seiko has been known as a manufacturer of sporty, high tech watches. But that image is about to change, since for the first time, their Elite Collection will be brought to the U.S. as well as be available internationally.
Seiko watches are built using four technologies: Spring Drive, Kinetic (quartz watch powered by human movement), Mechanical and Quartz.
Seiko has achieved many “world firsts” in its time, these being some of them: world’s first LCD quartz watch with six-digit digital display, world’s first multi function digital watch, world’s first TV watch, world’s first watch with computer functions, and Seiko Thermic, world’s first watch driven by body heat, among others.
The Elite Collection are all mechanical watches, representing another “first” for the brand and asserts them in a competitive place with other watch brands. The Elite Collection brings with it three calibers, two of which are brand new developments by Seiko. Each watch within this collection uses Seiko’s SPRON 510 alloy, and classifies these watches as the “only luxury chronograph (that can) measure elapsed time in a unique, glide motion and not to the nearest tick, like its competitors.” The design of both the case and the dial is reminiscent of Katana, the ancient art of sword-making first developed over 800 years ago.
Seiko has received many awards over the years for its innovation. You can be sure they are standing by to see how this new collection will be received by the global watch market.
