Archive for January, 2010
Oris Swiss Watches One Hundred Year History
Over one hundred years ago, a couple of watchmakers from Holstein, Switzerland got together and created an extraordinary timepiece. They did this by taking over a closed watch factory and turning it into the Oris watch company that we know and love today.
By the year 1921, this new watch company already had ten watch factories spread across Switzerland, and it was time to start turning their pocket watches into wristwatches. Decades later, it is easy to see that their clean, no-nonsense interpretation of the wristwatch is what has set Oris apart from other watch makers.
In the 1940’s, Oris started making clocks, which dramatically increased sales for the company, as they became a pioneer in making clocks with an 8-day power supply.
By 1965, Oris was considered one of the ten biggest watch manufacturers in all of Switzerland, and it was then that the Oris automatic movement was born. This innovation was what spawned production of the famous Oris 645 self-winding movement.
Oris continues to improve upon its designs from the 70’s, like the Chronoris, which was the company’s first foray into chronograph watches. To this day, some of the most iconic and sophisticated Swiss watches are made by this legendary company that started in Holstein Switzerland over 100 years ago.
Tissot – the Quintessential Swiss Timepiece
Back in the late 1850’s a man named Charles-Emile Tissot left his hometown of Le Locle Switzerland to begin peddling his world-class Tissot “savonnette” pocket watches throughout the Russian empire. From there, the popularity of Tissot pocket watches expanded throughout the world, and the Tissot Company eventually became the leading producer of traditional watches, available in five continents and over 16,000 locations.
Today, Tissot continues to surprise and delight its clientele with the latest innovations in luxury Swiss watch making. An excellent example of the company’s pioneering spirit is the latest touch-screen technology now used in the Tissot T-Touch collection.
Sports enthusiasts will be familiar with the Tissot luxury watch brand through the company’s long-time association with NASCAR, theAFL, World Championships of ice hockey, cycling, fencing, and the MotoGP, among others.
As the official timekeeper of so many world-class sporting events, Tissot has established itself as a high-performance, precision timepiece that continues to set the standard for Swiss watch making. It is no surprise that Tissot has recently signed on a number of well-known brand ambassadors, including IndyCar champion Danica Patrick, international football star Michael Own, and 2006 MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden.
Victorinox Swiss Army Ladies’ “Alliance” Watch
Ladies, if you are looking for a sophisticated and stylish watch that you can wear every day, look no further than the Alliance bracelet watch from Victorinox Swiss Army. This is the kind of watch that is classy enough to be worn to a cocktail party, yet subdued enough to be worn to the office, and it is stunning enough to get noticed wherever you go.
The Alliance bracelet watch combines the utility of the Swiss Army brand with the pure femininity of a piece of fine jewelry. It starts off with a stainless steel bracelet and mother-of-pearl dial, and then adds sparkling diamonds in all the right places. The Victorinox Swiss Army logo is positioned at 12 o’clock, the date window appears at six o’clock, and all of this is topped off with a glare-proof sapphire crystal. Surprisingly, while this is not a sports watch, it is water resistant up to 100 meters and comes with a generous three-year limited warranty.
Many people still associate the Swiss Army name with the company’s famous pocket knives, and while the watches are just as reliable and well-made, they are a lot more style conscious. What really sets these luxurious watches apart is their attention to detail. From the design of the case to the stitching on the top-grain leather straps, Victorinox Swiss Army has designed a stylish collection of watches for both men and women.
Discount Watches: A Buyer’s Guide
Let’s face it – we all love to get a bargain – especially if it is for something that is normally out of our reach. It used to be if you wanted a luxury watch, you had to wait for the local jeweler to have a sale, but today, discount watches are available at the click of a mouse. Before you dive into the web and start Googling “discount watches”, there are a few things you should know.
• Always read the customer reviews before choosing a watch. Sometimes there is a good reason that the price is so low, and no matter how cheap it is, you still want to be happy with your decision.
• Be sure you are dealing with a reputable retailer. Many people think they are buying a genuine luxury brand watch, only to find out later that the “discount watch” they purchased is a replica. Replica watch companies should be very clear about the fact that their watches are not the real thing, but not every company will tell you that.
• Make sure the online retailer has a generous return policy. There is nothing worse than getting a great deal on a watch that doesn’t work, and then finding out on the 8th day that you only had seven days to return it.
• Before making a purchase, do a quick price comparison to make sure you are getting the best deal.
Keeping these tips in mind while you shop will ensure you get the best watch for your money, and don’t end up suffering from buyer’s remorse.
Omega Watches Fans: Get Your Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean “Liquidmetal®”
That’s right, Omega Watches has released an historic limited edition Seamaster model, and it is the watch company to offer a watch that bonds Liquidmetal® with ceramics.
What makes this launch such big news for Omega Watches?
The ceramic elements of the watch, along with the Liquidmetal® alloy components, are an excellent combination for divers because of their incredible resistance to corrosion. In addition, the ceramic diving bezel uses Liquidmetal® for its numbers and scaling, which provide a stunning contrast against the black ceramic background.
Omega Watches is known for its consistent ability to innovate, which is how the company has remained at the forefront of performance luxury watch making for several decades. The Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Liquidmetal® Limited Edition uses another revolutionary Omega Invention – the Co-Axial calibre 2500 movement, which has long been celebrated for its long term performance and chronometric technology.
This extraordinary new timepiece is just another example of how Omega Watches continues to reinvent the diver’s chronograph. In honor of the year when the Seamaster watch line first launch, Omega Watches will create only 1948 pieces in this limited edition. If you want to own a piece of Omega Watches history, be sure to get your limited edition Seamaster Planet Ocean Liquidmetal® before they sell out.
Cartier Watches I love…
Anyone who has ever swooned over the Cartier watches displayed in the boutique’s windows on Fifth Avenue will tell you – this is not an ordinary luxury watch maker. They have been the epitome of elegance in luxury timepieces ever since Louis Francois created the original “House of Cartier” in 1847. Today, they are sold throughout the world and their selection of artistically inspired designs are more appealing than ever.
Here are a few of my favorite Cartier watches:
- The Tank Watch: Inspired by World War I, these infamous watches came about as a result of the designer’s fascination with the American tank. The resulting design is a sturdy, sharp-edged watch with sleek vertical sides and simple construction that echoes the lines of an American tank.
- The Divan Watch: Similar to the original tank-style Cartier watches, the Divan watch was introduced to give a more futuristic look to the rectangular shaped watch.
- The Pasha Watch: These elegant, round-faced watches were introduced in the 1940’s and had always been available only for men. It wasn’t until the 80’s that the Pasha design became wildly popular among women.
No matter how many Cartier watches you look at, it will soon become obvious how the company became known as the creator of the world’s most luxurious watches.
Jaeger Le-Coultre Gets Live for SIHH
The Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) is the biggest event in the luxury watch industry and now it’s about to get bigger. Jaeger LeCoultre has announced that for the first time ever, if you can’t be in Geneva to attend this event, you can still be part of it by joining Jaeger’s webcast which takes place January 19 at 10:15AM EST.
For fans of luxury watches, this is how you can see in real time the new watches and collections that Jaeger will be unveiling.
It’s hard not to notice that the watch industry, one which has been around for hundreds of years and prides itself on doing things the old-fashioned way (many luxury watches are still hand-assembled) is changing gears and joining the online world. All watch brands now have websites, some undoubtedly better and more interactive than others, Facebook pages, iPhone applications and even Twitter accounts, but this webcast is, I believe, the first of its kind.
If you would like to submit questions for a Q&A session with Stéphane Belmont, Marketing Director for Jaeger, sign up here.
Jaeger- LeCoultre was founded in 1833 by Antoine LeCoultre and is known for producing over 1,000 different calibers and who for years, was the backbone behind brands like Cartier, Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe.
Men’s Watches Worn by Female Celebrities
The list is long and by now we all know that one of the biggest luxury watch trends to come out of 2009 was that of women opting for larger watches i.e.: men’s watches.
Celebrities are the ones that really drew our attention to this trend, as men’s watches were gifted to girlfriends and seen on the wrists of everyone from Rihanna to Fergie.
In addition to being a talented singer, Rihanna is a fashion icon, so everything she wears is always duly noted. In one of her top videos she wears an 18K-gold Piaget Polo watch with a 38-mm case. Due to the nature and message of the song, the watch serves a double function, exuding her independence as a woman, which I think is why a lot of women prefer men’s watches. They do, as I wear one also, give you a sense of empowerment. Anything a man can do a woman can do (better). Isn’t that a famous quote?
To accommodate this new trend, many watch brands have stopped classifying their collections as “men’s” and “women’s” but rather just go by name and size, so as not to accidently insult anyone.
Other female celebrities that love men’s watches include the Olsen twins, who even on their tiny wrists, have no qualms about wearing a Rolex Daytona , Sienna Miller goes for a Rolex as well and Fergie choose a large size Cartier Ballon Bleu (as does Usher).
They say fashion trends come and go and eventually circle back to what they were years ago. I think it’s safe to say that for now and a good while to come, the new woman’s watch is simply a man’s watch.
Baume Mercier Ambassadors
Evangeline Lilly made her fame starring in the “Lost” series and of course, we all remember David Duchovny from the wildly popular “X-Files”. In addition to being talented actors, both are also Baume Mercier Ambassadors.
The ad campaign that B&M runs for itself is titled Baume & Mercier & Me. Many other luxury watch brands hire high profile celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Tiger Woods, and Maria Sharapova, among others to represent and promote their watches, but not B&M. And given the recent Tiger Woods drama, it’s obvious that it’s not always necessarily a good thing to have a super famous face behind your brand. Baume chose these two ambassadors because while “internationally recognized, while remaining totally authentic and profoundly human.”
According to the official B&M website: “this campaign enables Baume & Mercier to convey, in an authentically committed manner, the three values forming the essence of its brand identity : proximity, authenticity and creativity.”
If a brand has big enough pockets, they can pretty much hire whomever they choose; it’s not uncommon for celebrities to earn millions endorsing a single brand, but that’s not the case with Lilly and Duchovny. The agreement is more along the lines of a pro bono partnership with Baume sharing profits with causes that the actors support.
The newest Baume & Mercier watch set to debut at the 2010 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) show this month in Geneva, is the Classima Executives XL Chronograph Complete Calendar. With this watch, Baume delivers a difficult combination of complete calendar with moon phase indication.