Variety Watches

Watch Tags: Breitling, Breitling Watches, mens luxury watches, Swiss watch manufacturer

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.

Watch Tags: Aviation Awards, Breitling, charity, Tom Cruise, Watches

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.

Watch Tags: Authentic Watches, baume et mercier, Breitling, Jaeger LeCoultre, Movado, Raymond Weil

They’ve come to be known as “auto watches” – luxury watches that are born from a partnership with a luxury automobile brand or racing event. The thinking goes that if someone can afford to drive a high end, limited production automobile, that person is also game to buy the specially made, limited edition watch that “goes with” the car.

This is not a new concept; TAG Heuer and Porsche Carrera have a partnership, as do Breitling and Bentley, Tissot and Nascar, and others. Here are three newcomers:

Jaeger-LeCoultre and Aston Martin

Only 300 pieces of what’s to be called the AMVOX3 Tourbillon GMT will be made. The watch will feature a round case made of ceramic, a first for this watchmaker. It will run on the automatic Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 988 tourbillon movement, “driving two time-zone displays with more than a glimpse of the tourbillon mechanism. Most remarkable of all is the openworked dial, giving a full view of the ruthenium-coated bridges and baseplate.”

EDOX and Koenigsegg

Only 30 of these hand-made Edox-Koenigsegg Chronograph watches will be made.  “The outstanding visual feature of this timepiece is the pair of hinged ‘doors’ that protect the crown – imitating the gullwing design of the Koenigsegg CCR sportscar.”

Hublot and the Automobile Club de France

A limited edition series of men’s and women’s “drive” chronographs by Hublot for the oldest automobile club in the world will feature the colors of the ACF. “The skeleton dial, which reveals a section of the movement, is surrounded by a black ceramic case and bezel.”

Most likely watch and automobile aficionados will see more of these “auto watches” at the BaselWorld show in March of 2010.

Watch Tags: auto watches, Breitling, EDOX and Koenigsegg, Hublot and the Automobile Club de France, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Aston Martin, Luxury Watches, men's watches, TAG Heuer, Tissot, Watches, women's watches

There are all sorts of crazy marketing gimmicks and when it comes to Las Vegas, craziness on any and all levels is taken to new heights. So, although this may sound way out there, supposedly it is true.

CityCenter is the newest city within a city to come into existence on the Las Vegas Strip. It’s 16 million square feet encompass everything from casinos, to hotels, restaurants, shopping and of course, nightlife galore.

Haze Nightclub in CityCenter’s centerpiece ARIA Hotel has come up with a cocktail called the “Haze 75” which is geared toward high-rollers. At a cost of $25,000 what could possibly make this drink so special? It’s prepared with Remy Martin Louis XIII Black Pearl Cognac and Grand Marnier 150 year and comes with two Breitling watches – presumably one for “him” and one for “her.”

Nor does the marketing pitch talk about what kind of Breitling watches these may be, but in a town where anything is possible, perhaps it is true that $25,000 will buy you two luxury watches.

Whether Haze Nightclub can count on anyone actually purchasing this cocktail is another story; they must be banking on the notion that people do crazy things in Vegas, especially after a few drinks.

As for the watches, Breitling typically makes men’s watches. Their collection for women is more limited and due to their complexity in design and having so many visible functions on the dial, they may not be that appealing toward women. However, there is no doubt that they are quite the luxury watch; Breitlings have become quite the status symbol due to the fact that they’ve been worn and seen on many celebrities.

Watch Tags: Breitling, breitling watch, Breitling Watches, Luxury Watches, men's watches

In celebration of the 40^th anniversary of the launch of the first self-winding chronograph Breitling is releasing two, limited edition versions of its Chrono-Matic watch, one called the QP and the other called the 1461.

The QP will be released in 125 pieces while the 1461 will be more widely available in a total of 2,000 pieces.  The latter, the 1461, is named after the fact that is features a chronograph and a calendar complication that needs only one adjustment per leap year resulting in a memory of 1,461 days. The QP features a perpetual calendar, made of 500 parts, which beautifully displays the date, day, week, month, season, and moon phase.

The look of both of these versions is inspired by the original Chronomat which came out in 1969.

1969 was a big year for both the aviation and watchmaking industries. Both the first flight of the Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet and that of the supersonic Concorde took place and Breitling created the first self-winding chronograph movement. This invention led to the launch of many collections of men’s watches. Breitling has always made watches specifically for aviation pilots which is why the company’s motto is “instruments for professionals.”

Both the Breitling Chrono-Matic QP and 1461 measure a hefty 49 mm in diameter and feature a circular slide ruler that is also seen in the Navitimer line. Both are water resistant to 30 meters and have a power reserve of 42 hours.

The overall design of both versions takes inspirations from the 70’s but each watch is very different looking than the other. The Chrono-Matic QP is crafted from red gold and comes with a black rubber strap, while the Chrono-Matic 1461 (as pictured in the second image) is made from all steel, including the woven steel Aero Classic bracelet, which gives the watch a retro look.

Watch Tags: Breitling, breitling chrono matci 1461, breitling chrono matci qp, Breitling Watches, limited edition watches, Luxury Watches, men's watches

If anything, the watchmaking industry is one that really honors time. Vintage designs and time-honored traditions only get better and more valuable through the years, only receiving small updates every now and then. For 2009, Breitling – another tradition in the field of horology – is celebrating its 125th anniversary with a design that’s more than your average designer watch: the Navitimer.

A Tradition is Born

Breitling traces its roots all the way to St. Imier, Switzerland, where 24 year-old Leon Breitling founded his company for making technical and high-quality timepieces. During World War I, Breitling specialized in manufacturing chronographs, watches and chronometers and chronographs for aviation purposes. That began the company’s association with the aviation industry and many pilots’ affection for the brand.

The Navitimer itself has quite a bit of history associated with it. It was originally designed in the 1940’s (the first model had its market release in 1952) specifically for aviators. This much was proven by the close ties this particular model had with the aviation industry; there was a release where all the units had Association of Pilots and Aviators branding on them.

It’s High Time for Change

For its 125th anniversary, it seems fitting that the company should reprise one of the most iconic Breitling watches in history. The Navitimer has long been the standard bearer for the company, especially because of its popularity with aviators and pilots all around the world.

The reimagining of the Navitimer retains all the features of the classic model, particularly the 38-jewel design, 60-minute totalizer and the time accuracy of up to a quarter of a second. For the anniversary edition, however, Breitling adds its Air Racer design to the metal bracelet, giving it a holed design with a Sixties flair.

If you want one for yourself, you’ll have to act quickly. Only 125 units of the model will be executed in 18-carat gold and the special color combinations. Should you miss that one, you have another chance: 2,009 pieces will also be released, only in less luxurious basic steel and different colors.

Don’t expect these things to be cheap either; insiders expect this new model to retail for at least 5-digit prices. But you can rest assured that that’s money well-spent on a piece of well-engineered history.

Watch Tags: Breitling, Breitling Navitimer, Breitling Watches