Archive for February, 2010
Tissot Watches Offer Elegance And Affordability
Tissot Watches, founded in 1853, produced the first-ever production pocket watches. Their innovation did not stop there…the luxury watchmaker has since produced beautiful designs, rich in texture and style. Among these are timepieces crafted of materials like mother-of-pearl, wood, and even rock.
Artistically, Tissot Watches excel, but pairing that with new and creative technology, really sets Tissot apart. Implementing the, first ever, T-Touch technology is a shining example of the dedication to craftsmanship that Tissot exemplifies.
Tactile touch technology, or T-Touch allows the wearer to, simply, touch the face of the watch to alter the function. This invention marks a true milestone in watch making history.
Tissot’s T-Touch watches are designed for everyone. There are sporty styles with colorful, rubber bands to classic gold, silver, and platinum creations. T-Touch series comes in both men’s and woman’s versions and with enough options to suit most any taste.
With all the accolades, you would think the prices would be out of reach, but Tissot offers watches for any pocketbook. Tissot produces nearly 2 million watches per year and offers tons of options. The T34.1.481.14 Tissot PR50 Men’s Watch is a beautiful example of their desire to offer the consumer a quality watch at a reasonable price. This watch retails for just $146.25. On the other end of the spectrum is the T71.3.445.11 Tissot T-Touch Men’s Watch. This watch is a masterpiece of design, offering T-Touch technology, with leather band and gold dial and accents. The T71.3.445.11 retails for $6,495.00.
No matter your taste or budget, it’s clear that Tissot has a watch for you. You can’t go wrong with one of these fine watches, and with so many options offered, the only problem you will encounter is choosing the one you want.
Tissot Watches-Tradition Meets Design
Tissot Watch Company celebrates its 150th birthday. A premier Swiss watchmaker since 1853, Tissot continues with the tradition of quality that keeps them ticking. Tissot watches are best known for their innovative styles which continue to delight us today.
I have a couple of favorite designs for men. The Tissot Quadrato is a handsome watch with bold features. The Quadrato is all stainless-steel, with a square dial. I love the functionality of this watch, with day, date and chronograph design. This watch is elegant and contemporary. Another great choice is the Tissot Gold pocket-watch. Tissot was the maker of the first production pocket-watch back in 1853 and the gold version continues to make a sophisticated statement today. It has character and exudes old-world charm.
I love both of these watches. They exemplify innovation and tradition, which is what Tissot is all about. Keeping up with the times, while remaining true to the highest quality craftsmanship has produced long-term success. Tissot watches continue to impress me, and their styles made of pearl, wood, even rock…show their dedication to design excellence.
Cruise donates Breitling to charity auction
At the Living Legends of Aviation Awards, Tom Cruise was honored as the Top Aviation Inspiration and Patriotism Award. And who better to present him with this award than John Travolta, the Ambassador of Aviation. Cruise was awarded a bird shaped statuette and a Breitling watch which he promptly donated to a charity auction that evening.
Travolta has always been known for his obsession with planes. He is a certified pilot and owns five aircraft. One of his collection is the Australian Boeing 707-138 airliner. He acts as an ambassador for Qantas whose insignia remains are still visible on the plain. On his $4.9 million estate in Florida, Travolta has his own runway and taxiway till the front door.
It is with this history that Travolta was seen as the perfect one to award Tom Cruise with the Top Aviation Inspiration and Patriotism Award. Cruise received the award not only for his own passion in flying and planes, but mainly for his movie Top Gun which features the most grossing aviation scenes of all time.
Many other awards were presented during the evening, most notably the First Out of This World Landing and Take-Off Award, which was awarded to Dr. Buzz Aldrin for his own accomplishments in aviation and exploration. When he was younger, Aldrin flew 66 times on missions to Korea. He is one of 12 astronauts to ever walk on the moon.
The Legends awards gala is organized by the Kiddie Hawk Air Academy, which is a non-profit organization that introduces children to aviation.
IWC Portuguese Grande Complication Watch
The IWC Portuguese Grande Complication timepiece is a fascinating watch of horological complexities and impressive design. It contains the self-winding 79091 caliber, the same caliber that was released by IWC in 1990. Some of its features include a chronograph and a minute repeater, a perpetual calendar that also displays a four digit century indicator. All of these intricacies required 657 parts to be put together, thereby producing a timeless watch, which IWC says collectors will cherish as a new aesthetic identity for one of the world’s most prestigious mechanical watches.
The theme of the watch tends to be of exploration, with an imitation of a globe, with the longitudes and latitudes, appearing on the face of the watch. The multi-counting features render it a watch of discovery and adventure, and the classy design helps it retain the elegance the makers had in mind.
In addition to all of its mechanical functions and design features, the Grande Complication also boasts a case that is designed to be water resistant up to 30 meters. In general, minute repeating watches are not water resistant at all, due to their vulnerable slide piece. But IWC has always been a forerunner for this important distinctive characteristic. Even the predecessor of this watch was 10 meters water resistant which was unlikely at that time.
All in all, the IWC Portuguese Grande Complication is a timepiece that requires much skill and time to produce and therefore, IWC has announced a limit of only 50 watches to be released a year.
Michele Watches founder pleads guilty
The founder and former owner of the Michele Watches company, a Miami-based luxury watch brand, pleaded guilty to a major tax evasion fraud. Jack Barouh allegedly had offshore accounts where he hid profits he made to avoid having to pay taxes on them.
In this particular case he was charged with putting away $10 million in an account he made with the UBS Swiss bank. Barough did not report the income he earned from those accounts and he filed a false tax return based on that information.
He is said to have “skimmed the profits” off his previous business ventures, relocating them to those offshore accounts, where he believed them to be out of the watch of the IRS. Included in those business ventures is the sale of the Michele Watches company he sold in 2004 to Fossil Inc. based in Richardson, Texas for about $50 million.
It is estimated that Barouh evaded some $736,000 between the years 2002 and 2007.
Barouh, who is now free on a $1 million bond, could face up to three years in jail. He is the seventh former UBS client to be found guilty of tax evasion.
The bank has admitted in the past that it has helped US taxpayers move their money elsewhere to avoid paying taxes. As part of a deferred prosecution agreement, UBS provided the US government with names and account identities of some of their overseas clients.
Barouh’s sentencing is set for April 16.
Movado Watches – My Two Favorite for Women
Movado has been a perennial favorite among women for decades, primarily because they have stuck with a design theme that really works. Movado watches are best known for their Museum watch, which has become a symbol of style and sophistication.
My two favorite collections for of Movado watches for women are the Esperanza and Amoroso editions. The Amoroso I love best is made with a delicate two-tone dangle bracelet, featuring a round black dial with gold-toned hands and the famous Movado concave marker at the 12 o’clock hour. In the Esperanza collection, I love the sleek contemporary look of the mother-of-pearl dial, surrounded by a diamond-studded bezel, against a shiny stainless steel bracelet. It makes a highly sophisticated, yet utterly feminine fashion statement.
Rather than trying to choose between the two Movado watches I love, I decided to buy both of them. No matter which Movado you like best, you can be sure it will be among the most luxurious watches you have ever worn – accurate to within seconds per year and crafted with the highest quality materials. A constant innovator, Movado watches continue to be one of the top luxury watch makers in the world
Authentic Watches Are Everywhere on the Internet
Normally the domain of fancy jewelry boutiques and high-end department stores, some of the best known names in luxury watch making are now making their timepieces available online. Authentic watches from such well-known brands as Breitling, Baume et Mercier, Jaeger Le Coultre, Raymond Weil and Movado are enticing luxury watch buyers to buy online. One reason why these online stores have been so successful in selling luxury watches how easily you can search out the style you want.
Many customers start out on the manufacturer’s web site and search out the watch they want. Others find their watch in a blog or fashion article and then click on the links to find out how to buy it. However you end up finding a virtual watch retailer, you will find it is much easier to compare prices and styles from your living room than it would be to visit several luxury boutiques. The only challenge for the online shopper is making sure that the store is selling authentic watches.
Many replica watchmakers have cropped up over the past several years, which can make it difficult for consumers to be sure they are buying the real thing. Look for an online watch retailer with impeccable customer reviews, manufacturer’s warranties, and a 30-day money-back return policy, and only buy from a store that sells authentic watches only.
Panerai Watches: The Elusive Italian Watch Maker
Just in case you have never heard of Panerai Watches, this Italian watchmaker has been making some of the world’s finest timepieces since 1860. Their most famous models are the Luminor and Radiomir watches, which were used by the Royal Italian Navy’s commando frogmen during the sinking of Allied naval ships during World War II.
It wasn’t until Sylvester Stallone “discovered” Panerai Watches in 1995 while shooting a movie in Rome that the watches became more widely known in the United States. Stallone was so taken by Panerai watches that he soon started giving them as gifts to his friends, like Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Panerai watches now come in four collections – the Contemporary, Manifattura, Historic and Special editions, but most of these collections are made in limited quantities, and each of them includes a number of issue on the caseback. Prices range from $6,250 to over $25,000.
It wasn’t until a new agreement was signed between Girard-Perregaux and Ferrari, that Panerai watches became the official timekeeper for the Ferrari brand. As a result, a new collection of watches known as “Panerai Ferrari” is available, but these watches are also produced in limited quantities.
The limited production runs for all Panerai watches make them a valuable commodity among luxury watch collectors, and often causes them to increase in value over time.
Watches Sale Offers Great Deals on Raymond Weil
A luxury watches sale always attracts people that are looking for the best watches at the best price, and with so many more watches being sold online, it’s easy to find a good deal on your favorite watches. All you need to do is some searching.
One such search for a “watches sale” yielded a surprisingly wide variety of Raymond Weil women’s watches, including the popular Tango 5390-STP-00308. This gracefully crafted watch features a bracelet made of 18-karat gold plated and stainless steel. Slim and sophisticated on the wrist, the Tango has a white dial, gold-plated case, and a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. The Raymond Weil Tango is a thoroughly sensual women’s watch and makes a delicately feminine complement to any woman’s wrist.
This particular watches sale offered a 44% discount, which brought the price down from $760.75 to $475. From the design and assembly to the choices of materials, Raymond Weil is perfect example of Switzerland’s finest watch making skills. Located in Geneva, Switzerland, the Raymond Weil Company is one of the world’s most prestigious watchmakers.
In addition to several other models from luxury watch companies, this watches sale featured popular models from companies like Movado, Tissot, Baume et Mercier, Gucci, Michele and Omega.
Watches are Getting Bigger as the Dollar Shrinks
When it comes to watches, especially luxury watches, customers want to get what they pay for. With the value of the dollar shrinking, many smart watch companies are making their watches bigger. Even if it is just psychological, the average person still things bigger is better.
Take, for example, the Oris Aviation Big Crown watch. The name says it all. This men’s watch features a plexi-domed sapphire crystal over a stainless steel case that measures an impressive 44mm in diameter. With a wide selection of strap and bracelet options, an automatic winding movement, and a Guilloche anti-reflective black dial, these watches are a great example of an oversized crown.
Another aptly named watch is the Concord C1 Big Date, with a case that measures 44cm in diameter. Its exacting construction houses over 40 individual parts, including a rubber coated ring that is there to protect it from scratches. These massive and striking men’s watches have a fluted screw-down crown that is crafted from rubber, steel and composite materials.
Lastly, from Jaeger LeCoultre comes the Master Compressor Extreme World Chronograph which, while it doesn’t have the word “Big” in its name, comes in at a hearty 46.3mm in diameter. This is one of those watches that looks like it is made for action; with a black rubber strap, black dial, scratch resistant sapphire crystal, and water resistance up to 100 meters.
