Variety Watches

Discount Watches are Quality Finds

Discount watches come in all shapes and sizes.  What Discount means is great, quality watches at reduced prices.  It doesn’t refer to, cheap.  First, let’s understand that retailers discount watches for many reasons.  It may be as simple as the fact that the watch wasn’t as popular as hoped, and there is excess inventory…or they could be trying to pass off a fake.  When purchasing a discounted watch from a third party, make sure you have a way of verifying its authenticity.  Having said that, great deals can be had online and here are a few examples.

I located the 4898 Invicta Men’s Corduba Chronograph selling for $119.00.  This bold men’s watch is one of the diver’s series and is made in all stainless-steel and durable rubber.  The dial is black and displays luminous minute and second hands.  The dial also features sub-dials and day and date calendar.  The Invicta Men’s Corduba Chronograph is water resistant to 200 meters.  Great discount watch at an 83% discount from retail.  The website this was found on offers a 30-day money back guarantee.  Not bad.

Ladies are in luck as well.  That same site offered the 96X108 Bulova Crystal Watch and Pendant set for $149.99.  Bulova is well known for their quality and style, and this woman’s watch is particularly stunning.  This discount watch is made from all stainless-steel materials, with a white dial and sparkling crystals encircling the face and making up the bracelet.  This watch is feminine and elegant, and accompanies a beautiful crystal pendant. 

As I said earlier, phenomenal deals on discount watches can be found on the internet.  Just be a savvy shopper and do your research before you buy.  Happy shopping!

Watch Tags: designer watches, discount watches, men's watches, women's watches

International Watch Company (IWC) has gained unparalleled respect as a premier luxury watchmaker.  The company, founded in 1868 in Schaffhausen, Switzerland has been wowing us with incredible designs ever since.  IWC’s flawlessly crafted timepieces have been enjoyed by many, and their popularity continues to grow.

IWC is best known for their innovation.  They offer many different styles of chronographic watches, such as the Pilot’s Chronograph, which features three dials for accurate time-telling.  The dials on this watch are bold and easily read.  The Pilot’s Chronograph comes with either a leather strap or stainless-steel.  This men’s watch is both handsome and highly-functional.

International Watch Company is also famous for their diving watches.  The Aquatimer is offered with the needs and wants of the professional diver.  This watch has fantastic under-water visibility and was born from decades of technological innovation. 

And then there is IWC’s Da Vinci line.  The Da Vinci is the most luxurious and sophisticated line of watches, coming in stainless-steel, solid gold and high quality diamonds.  This watch comes with an automatic self-winding movement that IWC developed and is, truly a work of art.

These incredible timepieces will put you back a bit, but they are worth every penny.  The care and craftsmanship that goes into each piece before it is introduced to the public is unmatched.  And if you need a real working watch, like the Pilot or the Aquatimer…the IWC won’t disappoint.  If you, very simply desire a high quality watch made with the utmost care, you cannot go wrong choosing a timepiece from IWC.

Watch Tags: designer watches, IWC, Swiss watch manufacturer

Much of the companies early efforts were directed in creations for the Navy.  In 1943, Panerai released the first Chronograph prototype, this watch was water-proof up to 200 meters, an unheard of depth for this time.  But, less than 40 years later the company showcased a titanium watch that could withstand depths of 1000 meters!  They continued working closely with the Navy to provide valuable instruments.

By the mid 1990’s Panerai switched gears a bit and started offering more styles for the civilian market.  The Panerai Sub-Mariner was one of the first watches from them for the general public.

Having said that, Panerai didn’t give up much when offering a watch to the average Joe.  These watches are, definitely a piece of machinery.  The L’Astromono Luminor 1950 Turbillon GMT is a beautifully designed watch.  With a case made from titanium, a polished titanium bezel and see-through back made from sapphire crystal, this timepiece lacks nothing. 

Granted, the Panerai watches have maintained much of their conservative features throughout the years, but the inner workings are phenomenal. The history behind Panerai watches is rich with innovation and design.  I don’t believe you can find a more well-crafted watch in the world.

Watch Tags: designer watches, Panerai, panerai luxury watches, panerai watches

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.

Watch Tags: designer watches, luxury timepieces, omega seamaster, omega 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.

Check out MoniDucci.com to see more watches.

Watch Tags: designer watches, Luxury Watches, mens watches womens luxury watches, moni ducci, moni ducci 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.

Watch Tags: designer watches, luxury timepieces, Moon Watch, omega watches, Planet Ocean

 Italian design and classical aesthetics have always been an inherent part of the Bvlgari Watch Company’s interpretation of beauty. The designer brand’s watches feature smooth chic lines that challenge visual conformity and are reminiscing of Italian renaissance. The luxury watch manufacturer employs the same creativity and passion when manufacturing designer timepieces as it does in its perfumes, jewelry, scarves and fashion accessories.

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  BVLGARI BVLGARI Timepiece

  1) The flagship Bvlgari timepiece that launched Bvlgari’s debut in the international watch industry was the “Bvlgari Bvlgari.” This distinctively elegant timepiece was introduced in 1980 and quickly became an overnight international success. The designer timepiece boldly carries the BVLGRI logo engraved on the circumference of its perfectly cylindrical bezel. The watch is available with a quartz chronograph function that boasts 24 jewels.

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  Bvlgari Grande Complication

  2) The Bvlgari Grande Complication AA48PLTBSK/N is an outstanding work of talented craftsmanship and horologic engineering. The grand scale complexity of this timepiece’s movement features a day, date and leap year perpetual self-winding calendar. The tourbillion movement also has a 24 hour GMT function. The entire dial is transparent, which allows users to witness every single one of the tourbillion’s 26,600 vibrations per hour.

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  Grande Complication

  3) Bvlgari Grande Complication BB40C6PLTB has an impressive movement that counteracts the forces of gravity which hinder a luxury watch’s precision. The movement is designed to transfer energy to different parts of its components to compensate for gravitational forces exerted on it. By dissipating the gravitational stress throughout different parts of its components, the movement ensures longer life and greater precision.

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  Bvlgari Reserve De Marche

  4) The Bvlgari Masterpiece Reserve De Marche has an incredible 72 hour powers reserve in its caliber BVL131 movement. The masculinity and eloquent design of the watch is empowering. A convenient power reserve marker on the dial allows users to gauge the amount of energy stored in the movement. The extra thin profile of this precision time-keeping instrument is quite incredible considering the movement’s massiv power reserve and double barrel components.

  Bvlgari can truly be considered one of the most important players in the international luxury watch industry. The advancements this Swiss Manufacturer has given the world of fashion and horology have continuously pushed the limits of manufacturing, quality, aesthetic and precision standards.

Watch Tags: Bvlgari, Bvlgari Timepiece, designer watches, luxury timepieces, Swiss watch manufacturer

If not for the engineering and technical expertise behind each piece, the allure of designer watches usually comes from the luxury that they represent. The luxe factor accounts for many things – the stratospheric price tags, the elite clientele and the premium materials that go into each watch. The Omega Aqua Terra collection – the newest one from the prestigious company – has not just Omega’s signature expertise but also oodles of luxe.

Face value isn’t exactly a shallow factor with this collection of watches. Top Wesselton diamonds make up each of the hour markers for a total of almost 0.2 karats of precious rock. Another 44 diamonds – almost 0.8 karats of rock – are installed in the bezel. And instead of the teak concept used for the Aqua Terra collection, the Aqua Terra Jewelry line has vertically set diamonds to highlight the face.

Luxury goes from inside out in the Aqua Terra Luxury Watch line. The 30mm case of each watch is made from 18-karat white gold, matched by the 18-karat white gold bracelets. Each of the watches in the collection is an intimidating piece once it weighs in – there’s a total of about 18 karats’ worth of Top Wesselton diamonds in each timepiece. The highest end of the line is a watch that has over 1,400 Top Wesselton diamonds weighing over 17.5 karats.

Another one of the models in the collection has a case in white gold that’s set all throughout with over three dozen diamond baguettes totaling 1.32 karats. 1,560 more diamonds account for another 14 karats of weight. The third and last model in this collection has 726 diamonds for a total weight of over 7 karats.

If the price tag is too high for you, the Aqua Terra collection has models available with a design – and a price tag – that’s a little less luxurious. Those models will have straps made of less premium materials. They will, for example, have stainless steel bracelets and cases instead of the classic gold. Even if you won’t be wearing 18 karats on your wrist, you can rest assured that you’re still getting the same quality that the Omega name represents.

Watch Tags: designer watches, Luxury Watches, omega aqua terra, omega watch, omega watches

Luxury watches are typically seen as very closed-doors, esoteric items that are known only to a rich and knowledgeable few. That’s not really true, especially once you consider all the times that a designer watch has appeared on the silver screen. Expensive wristwatches might not exactly stir the same interest as the lead characters, but they’re still celebrities in their own right.

It’s All in the Wrist

Countless contemporary movies are just full of these premium timepieces, and there are even a number of groups that like to keep tabs on all of them. 2008 blockbuster Street Kings, for example, featured star Keanu Reeves wearing a Rolex GMT II quite prominently in the movie poster. Blood Diamond, another big movie from the same year, showed lead Leonardo DiCaprio with a Breitling Chrono Avenger.

Other notable silver screen watches include

• George Clooney spotted with a Luminox watch in Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
• 007 agent James Bond (played by Daniel Craig), who wore an Omega Seamaster to the opening scene of Casino Royale (2006)
• Ben Affleck, who fought crime as the title character in Daredevil (2003) wearing red tights and a Hamilton Linwood Daredevil Automatic
• An Omega Speedster watch worn by Tom Cruise as Chief John Anderton in the futuristic Minority Report (2002)

A Long History

This whole trend of wearing expensive premium timepieces, however, is hardly a new thing in Hollywood. In fact, it’s been a recurring theme in the James Bond movies, one of the oldest establishments of the silver screen. Through the years, exclusive watches have topbilled in movies like

• Dr. No (1962), where James Bond (played by Sean Connery) used a Rolex Submariner to test a Geiger counter
• Goldfinger (1964), where Sean Connery reprised his role wearing the same watch from Dr. No
• The Predator (1987), where Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Dutch wore a Seiko H558-5000
• The Abyss (1989), where Ed Harris wore a Seiko 6309-7049 as Bud Brigman

If you have a free afternoon, try going through your DVD collection and checking through the blockbusters for any watches you didn’t spot before. You never know, your favorite actor might just wear the very same watch that you do.

Watch Tags: designer watches, Luminox watch, Omega Speedster

You’ve probably noticed by now that a lot of contemporary luxury watches are getting more and more, well, everything. One model will look edgier or more garish than the next, while another will claim to have the most number of complications yet.

But there are those times when all you want is a simple and straightforward watch that will tell you the time, period. While the heyday of those watches is long gone, some haute horlogerie houses still make models of a similar aesthetic. Here are three watches that definitely go for that subtle and understated message you’d want from time to time.

The fact that it’s a manual-winding watch only adds to the old-world allure of the Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Traditionelle 38mm watch. A couple of years after the first release of the Patrimony line, top horology house Vacheron Constantin adds – update would be the wrong word – to the collection with this manual mechanism piece.

Its design is beautiful in its sheer simplicity. A plain vanilla round rose gold case holds a slightly off white dial with baton indices and just a single no-numeral subdial at 6 o’clock. It’s symmetrical, straightforward and positively stunning.

Of a similar streak is the Piaget Altiplano collection, a series of watches that features a simple, slim white gold case and a plain dial with no markings other than the indices and the brand at 12 o’clock. Long, thin batons are used for the hour indices, and the hands are uncomplicated needle-like affairs. Measuring just 2.1mm thick, the Altiplano watches are very unobtrusive and can go with any outfit, event or occasion.

Yet even with its impossibly thin frame, each one of the Altiplano watches is equipped with a top-of-the-line Calibre 430P, created by Piaget’s team of master watchmakers. Behind the simplicity lies power and engineering born from over a century of haute horlogerie.

Timepieces like the ones in the Patrimony and the Altiplano collections are not common anymore, especially nowadays where there’s some one-upmanship between the houses in terms of features, complications and design. However, it’s still refreshing to know that, should you ever need this kind of simplicity, some of the best names are still willing to deliver.

Watch Tags: designer watches, Luxury Watches, Piaget, Vacheron