The International Watch and Jewelry Guild trade show for Chicago will take place at the end of the month on June 24th and 25th, 2013 at the Crown Plaza Chicago O'Hare Hotel.
Expect tons of dealer activity and some of the most fascinating timepieces.
For more info click here.
A few days ago, we met with a very close friend and watchlifestyler to talk about watches and the good life. In all honesty, what can be better than driving a classic Mercedes-Benz SL 230 —a.k.a. W113 'Pagoda'— from 1964 in the company of an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo 15202ST.
Interestingly enough, the interior of this beautiful classic car matches the dial of the Royal Oak Jumbo as if they had been conceived at the same time. The Mercedes-Benz SL 230 is a two-door Roadster Coupé with a soft-top and an optional slightly concave hardtop —reason why it was nicknamed Pagoda— that was only sold between 1963 and 1971 –just a year short of the launch of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo.
This beautiful car with a six-cylinder engine and ground-breaking design for its time, is not only in mint condition but drives like a dream and has a wonderful story. Only 48,912 SL 230s were ever produced and only 19,440 were sold here in the U.S. This beauty is one of them.
This car was fully restored by the previous owner and meant to be driven as he didn't want it to just be a museum piece. A very close friend to our friend, purchased the car approximately seven years ago and it became a precious family jewel never to be sold. A few years later, he decided to relocate from Massachusetts to Asia and sold all of this belongings with the exception of this car. Since he didn't want to sell the car to a stranger or have it sit in a garage, he made a deal with our friend where both would have ownership of the car. It is very clear that the car will never leave either family. Wouldn't you do the same if you owned one?
Just like this beautiful car, the classic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo is a watch that is meant to never leave a watchlifestylers wrist and a family jewel never to be sold. For more info on the Jumbo click here.
After a delicious meal at Julian Serrano in Las Vegas and while finishing our last glass of sangría, we headed down to View Bar to enjoy a fine cigar. This time an Hoyo de Monterrey Dark Sumatra Media Noche from Honduras. It's nowhere near the 'real' Hoyo de Monterrey from Cuba but it's quite good.
Made at the renowned General Cigar Company in Honduras —one of two of the largest cigar factories in the world—, the Dark Sumatra is a more robust version of the original Hoyo de Monterrey from that country. This complex mature cigar features a Dark Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, fillers from Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic and Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro binders.
The Media Noche is a 'Corona Gorda' measuring 5¾ inches in length with a 54 ring gauge. With hints of coffee, roasted nuts, and leather, this cigar is smooth but rich at the same time. Flavor profile changes every 15 to 20 minutes with at least 50 minutes of good burn.
The leaves are rolled with the perfect tightness for a perfect draw, even burn and a long ash. This cigar is so well rolled that it does not require relighting at all.
If you want a mature, complex cigar that is yet smooth, the Hoyo de Monterrrey Dark Sumatra Media Noche will not let you down.
For more info click here.
The Breitling Transocean is a chronograph that takes you back in time. From its Ocean Classic mesh bracelet to its chrono pushers, this watch looks and feels just like a vintage new old stock piece. Wearing it almost makes you feel like having breakfast at Tiffany's next to Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard.
The Breitling Transocean Chronograph ref. AB015212.BA99.154A comes with a fully polished stainless steel case measuring 43 mm wide and 14.35 mm thick. The dial on this watch is matte black; however, a blue limited edition version is also available as well as a silver dial with dark gray chrono registers. The convex sapphire crystal is heavily coated with anti-reflective material very typical of Breitling timepieces and the watch is fitted with calibre Breitling 01 providing a power-reserve of approximately 70 hours.
The dial is simple, yet very elegant. The registers are recessed providing nice depth to the dial configuration and a tachymetre scale is printed on it. The register for the running seconds is located at 9, the chrono-minute register at 3 and a 12-hour chrono register at 6. Date aperture is conveniently located between the 4 and 5 o'clock markers and the calendar wheel is black with a nice white font.
If you want a watch with the look and feel of the 60s but without the potential headaches of a real vintage piece, this watch is a great option. Sticker price $8,050.
For more info click here.
A few months ago, while attending the wedding of a very good friend of ours in the city of Dallas, Texas, we ran into an old friend and classmate that we have not seen since the late 90s. When we first saw him, we were not sure if it was him or not; however, after looking at his wrist, we then knew it was indeed our friend and watchlifestyler Raymond. The iconic Rolex Date on his wrist was the telltale sign.
This Rolex Date ref. 15210 with white dial, small black roman numerals, block markers, oyster bracelet and engine turned bezel is not one that we often see in the wild. Our friend wore this watch every single day during our college years in the early 90s and last time we ran into him in Mexico City —back in 1999— he still had it on.
After briefly catching up with him in Dallas, we decided to schedule a get together during his next visit to Chicago. A couple of weeks ago, he joined us for dinner and shared with us a very interesting story about his watch that left us in awe.
Contrary to our belief, the Rolex Date on his wrist is no longer the same watch he used to wear in school. It's actually a third identical watch. Yes, a third one. But why?
Back in 1990, he received the first watch as a High School graduation gift from his father. After almost a decade wearing the same watch every day, that original watch was stolen. Immediately after, he purchased a second identical watch because it was very meaningful from a sentimental standpoint. Unfortunately, a couple years down the road, that second watch was also stolen and a third identical was then purchased several years ago. As they say, the third time is a charm. Isn't it almost unbelievable that someone would buy the same identical watch three times? Well, perhaps just as crazy as the story we published on the Audemars Piguet Jumbo 5402SA that had been sold and repurchased multiple times. Click here for that story.
As you can appreciate in the pictures, this is truly a gorgeous watch with a very well balanced dial and iconic look; however, nowadays it appears very small on a man's wrist. As you all know, the Rolex Date is smaller than the Datejust with a case measuring only 34 mm. Fortunately, our friend has a very slender compact body frame and the watch looks just stunning on his wrist. Additionally, we find this watch to be one of the most elegant Rolex watches out there.
This watch is so representative of him, that every time we see one for sale, our memory takes us back to those wonderful years in college sipping 'Cubas' —rum with cola— and partying till dawn.
After sharing a handful of memories and old time stories over a bottle of the best rum in the world —Zacapa Centenario Solera 23 from Guatemala—, we then devoted some special attention to the watch and snapped a few images for our beloved readers.
Enjoy the time machine. A gorgeous watch, a great friend and a memorable evening.
For more info click here.
The Salvatore Ferragamo Amos 3 shoes are the perfect balance between a casual and dressy shoe. Fitted with tassels —very trendy this season after being long gone for more than a decade— , these lambskin suede shoes are comfortable, classy and ready to make a statement on your next yacht or sailboat ride. Additionally, their color matches the blue dial on the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ref. 15300 perfectly. A match made in heaven.
Salvatore Ferragamo launched its shoe company back in the early 1900s. Salvatore made his first pair of shoes at age nine for his sisters to wear at their church confirmation. After studying the art of shoemaking in Napoli, he opened a small shoe store in his parent's home. In 1914, he moved to Boston —where one of his brothers worked at a cowboy boot factory— and then to Santa Barbara, California in 1919 to open his own boot shop, quickly becoming the 'Shoemaker to the Stars'.
In 1927, he moved back to Firenze, Italy and established the company as we know it today. Ferragamo is still a family owned business and is one of the most renowned luxurious shoemakers in the world. A synonym of comfort, design and luxury.
The Amos 3 shoes are richly colored loafers in decadent lambskin suede and adorned with front tassels. The shoes are fitted with a combination of leather and rubber soles and a boat shoe lace with grommet accents as a finishing touch. Sticker Price $495.
The shoes are perfect for boating or just relaxing 'al fresco', especially in the company of an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak with blue dial. For more info click here.
This time we stumbled upon a gorgeous Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II in the company of our Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean XL. The precursor to the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II was the Silver Shadow I, a core model of the Rolls-Royce company from 1955 thru 1966. In 1977, the model was renamed Silver Shadow II due to several modifications that improved the handling and drive-ability of the automobile. From an appearance standpoint, the bumpers where changed from chrome to a combination of alloy and rubber and the small grilles beneath the headlamps were removed.
In 1979, a limited number of Silver Shadow II cars were made to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the company and these were fitted with red 'RR' badges. The Rolls-Royce featured here, is from a batch of only 8,425 units made between 1977 and 1980. Therefore, quite rare but formidably beautiful.
The iconic hood figurine that has adorned the Rolls-Royce cars since 1911 —commonly known in the U.S. as the 'Flying Lady'— has an interesting story behind. The actual name of the hood figurine is the 'Spirit of Ecstasy' and it was designed by Charles Robinson Sykes. The story accounts that the figurine was modeled after a young woman named Eleanor Velasco Thornton, whose affair with John Walter Edward Douglas-Scott-Montagu — 2nd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu, British politician, promoter of motiring and editor of 'The Car'— remained a secret for over a decade as she was his secretary.
John Walter Edward Douglas-Scott-Montagu ordered his friend Charles Robinson Sykes to create a special figurine for his Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. The creation: a small statue of a young woman in fluttering robes with her forefinger shutting her lips, christened 'The Whisper'. Upon completion, Montagu made the decision to put it on top of the radiator of his Rolls-Royce. Years later, Rolls-Royce presented the 'Spirit of Ecstasy', which was easily recognizable as a variation of the 'The Whisper'. The similarity was hardly coincidental because the model for both had been Ms. Thornton.
Since 1911, the 'Spirit of Ecstasy' has adorned the grill of every Rolls-Royce. Each figurine is casted using the lost-wax technique. This practice where the molds are destroyed to reveal the casting, results in having figurines that are completely unique and no two are identical.
Now, everyone wonders why is the 'Spirit of Ecstasy' fitted with a retracting mechanism. Well, it's because from 1911 to 1914 the 'Spirit of Ecstasy' was silver-plated and victim of frequent thefts. In addition, safety regulations in some countries qualified the figurine as a sharp-edged piece of metal that could injure a victim in an accident. Therefore, Rolls-Royce solves the issues by fitting the 'Spirit of Ecstasy' with a mechanism that allows the driver to hide the figurine by sinking it into the radiator area upon demand.
Without a doubt the Rolls-Royce designs are as timeless as the designs of the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean.
For more info click here.
Nothing like nice watches and fast cars. Yesterday, while driving around the city we decided to work on a quick review of the Bell & Ross Marine BR02-94 Carbon Chronograph. In our opinion, one of the best looking Bell & Ross watches out there.
This sporty watch, comes with a massive black PVD case measuring 44 mm and provides outstanding wrist presence. This Diver's Chronograph, was a great addition to the Bell & Ross BR02 Marine line of watches several years ago.
The watch is fitted with an inner elapsed times bezel that can be rotated via the crown at 10 o'clock. However, the crown needs to be unscrewed to rotate the bezel and screwed back in before immersion in water. The bezel is graduated and toothed to 60 minutes and rotates very smoothly with a nice clicking sound.
All crowns and pushers are fitted with a rubber ring to facilitate their operation while wearing diver gloves or in case the watch is wet. The chronograph pushers just like the crown at 10 o'clock, need to be unscrewed in order to operate the 30-minute decompression chrono. The pushers need to be pressed hard in order to start, stop or reset the chrono function. The BR02-94 comes with a very soft and comfortable rubber strap with a PVD pin buckle in addition to a nylon strap that is also included inside the pelican box that comes with the watch.
The case back is very solid, does not protrude too much and it's marked with the iconic Bell & Rolls logo '&'. The anti-reflective coated sapphire crystal is very thick in order to withstand the pressure of its depth rating—500m/1,500 ft— and the watch is also fitted with a decompression valve on the side of the case at the 9 o'clock position. The decompression valve is necessary when using a decompression chamber.
Overall, the watch is very nice and the luminescent material on the dial and bezel provides a blue glow that is bright and long lasting. The matte dial is nicely finished with recessed registers at 3 and 9 o'clock —running seconds at 3 and 30-minute chrono at 9. The minute hand comes with an orange border that eases its readability underwater and provides a nice contrasting touch of color.
This 30-minute chronograph, is a true diver's watch and definitely a great timepiece to wear this summer. If you find one, grab it as they are becoming more scarce. The BR02-94 Carbon is also available in stainless steel and in a combination of PVD with rose gold. Sticker price for the Carbon one $5,900.
For more info click here.
Back in 1833, in the remote mountains of Jura, Switzerland, inventor Antoine LeCoultre revolutionized the art of horology and turned the Vallée de Joux into the cradle of fine Swiss watchmaking. Later on, the LeCoultre family would join forces with Parisian watchmaker Edmond Jaeger in 1903. Elegance and refinement are the keynotes of their creations. With 398 patents that have changed the course of watchmaking, hundreds of inventions and 180 years of history, Jaeger-LeCoultre timepieces are a living legend. From the launch of the iconic Reverso in 1931 to the first lubricant-free watch in horological history, Jaeger-LeCoultre complications mark the culmination of centuries of research in the watchmaking field and the Duomètre a Chronographe with its 'Dual-Wing' movement is not the exception.
The Jaeger-LeCoultre ref. 6012420 Duomètre a Chronographe is the true expression and meaning of 'haute horlogerie'. This watch contains two independent mechanisms united by a shared regulating organ. One mechanism is fully devoted to a 12-hour chronograph, while the other is devoted to time keeping.
Available in limited series of 200 in three precious metals —18K White Gold, Platinum or 18K Rose Gold— with a 42 mm robust, yet elegant case, alligator strap with deployant buckle and a display sapphire case back, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Duomètre a Chronographe is powered by the manual winding 50-hour power-reserve calibre 380.
With an off-white dial featuring hour, minute, central seconds, power-reserve indicators for both mechanisms and a chronograph with concentric hour and minute, minute-unit indicator, seconds and jumping seconds, this watch is really a true masterpiece of horology and artful in every way.
The chronograph hands —including the power reserve indicator— are anodized blue providing the right contrast and readability against the dial. The pushers are easy to operate, the dial easy to read and the craftsmanship of the timepiece couldn't be any better.
In summarize, this watch is easy to use, very comfortable to wear and extremely elegant. Could we ask for anything else here?
Sticker price $47,900. For more info click here.
Bally was founded in Switzerland in 1851 by Carl Franz Bally and his brother Fritz. Carl Franz was trained in the family ribbon-making business and expanded his focus to shoe making after being inspired by the quality of the Parisian shoe makers.
Carl Franz Bally dedicated his life to designing the perfect shoe and to giving back to the community of Schönenwerd —where his products were made. He was a champion of social projects; opening schools, parks and swimming facilities for workers and townspeople. During his lifetime, Schönenwerd was transformed from a sleepy farming village into a bustling town making up to two million pairs of shoes annually.
Considering that innovation has always played a very important role in the history of Bally, it's worth mentioning that they are responsible for developing a series of advanced materials —including rubber components— for the moon boots worn by Neil Armstrong during his first walk on the moon. Additionally, when Sherpa Tenzing Norgay took his final steps to conquer Mount Everest on May 29, 1953 he made the journey in a pair of Bally Reindeer-Himalaya boots, forever linking the Swiss brand to this amazing moment in human history.
After more than 160 years, the brand remains committed to rigorous Swiss craftsmanship, high quality, style, comfort and elegance.
The Bally Freenew sneakers are not only as comfortable as other Bally shoes, but they are also very stylish and modern looking. This shoes are leather lace-up sneakers with fabric stripes on the sides. The collar around the ankles is padded for superior comfort and the soles are made of high quality rubber with a wooden insert around the heel area. Something else to love about this shoes —besides the Swiss flag detail on the back near the heel— is how versatile they are as they can be worn with casual clothes or even a more formal attire. They are available in crocodile leather and in a variety of colors to meet the most demanding taste and match your Swiss fine timepieces.
Sticker Price $395. For more info click here.
May 29th, 2013 marks the 60th Anniversary of the conquest of Mount Everest. Mount Everest is the tallest peak on earth at 8,850 m —29,035 ft— located in the heart of the Himalayas between the borders of China and Nepal.
Before Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay successfully reached the summit, two other expeditions got quite close. In 1924, George Leigh Mallory and Andrew 'Sandy' Irvine were last seen at the Second Step at about 28,140-28,300 ft of altitude. Many people still wonder if they might have been the first ones to make it to the top; however, since neither one made it back, we'll never know for sure.
After seven weeks of climbing, the first two climbers to ever reach the summit of Mount Everest were the New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and the Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay —both members of a British expedition led by Colonel John Hunt. At 11:30am on May 29, 1953, these two man reached the summit in company of a few timepieces.
Opposed to what most people think, the watch worn by Sir Edmund Hillary during the ascent was not a Rolex but a Smiths watch. Today, it's still unclear whether the Rolex Explorer prototype he was given was a ref. 6098 or a ref. 6084—like the one pictured below. What we know for sure, is that the Rolex watch was kept in his pocket during the ascent and taken out until the summit was reached. On the other hand, Sherpa Tenzing Norgay was indeed wearing a Rolex watch at the time he reached the summit —a gold bubble-back ref. 6305 given to him by Swiss climber Raymond Lambert.
Rolex ref. 6084. Image from Christie's.
Rolex ref. 6305. Image from Christie's.
Regardless of which watch made it to the top first, we will always correlate the Rolex Explorer to that memorable event in mankind. After the expedition, Rolex Bosecks Calcutta gave Sir Edmund Hillary an engraved Rolex Explorer prototype just like the one that was issued for the expedition and Rolex Watch Company presented Tenzing Norgay an engraved gold Datejust ref. 6305 as a memento of the Swiss Expedition to Mount Everest.
Later during the year 1953, the first Explorer to have the recognizable dial with Arabic numerals at 9, 6 and 3 was launched under ref. 6298. Since then, the Explorer has seen different dial configurations and case changes including: the first dial to include the word 'Explorer' ref. 6350, a dial with red depth rating known as ref. 6610, an Explorer fitted with a white seconds hand ref. 6610, an Explorer with white seconds hand and the words 'Explorer' and 'Super Precision' in white lettering ref. 5504, a rail dial on ref. 5500, the Space-Dweller launched in 1963 ref. 1016 and lastly the latest version —pictured below and presented in 2010— with a larger case measuring 39mm and font changes ref. 214270.
Without a doubt, the Rolex Explorer is a robust watch well suited for climbers and for any watchlifestyler in pursue of discovering the remote confines of planet earth.
This watch is not only a classic, but a discreet timepiece that will take on daily abuse just like any other Rolex. Fitted with a sleek black dial, a reliable automatic movement —calibre 3132 with a power reserve of 42 hours— and a very comfortable 39 mm case with an oyster bracelet, the Rolex Explorer is the perfect companion for watchlifestylers seeking adventure. Sticker price $6,550.
For more info click here.
Images used on the background courtesy of ©Andy Bardon, ©Kristoffer Erickson, ©Royal Geographical Society and ©National Geographic Magazine. National Geographic Society The Call of Everest: The History, Science and Future of the World's Tallest Peak by Conrad Anker, 2013.
This time we are reporting from south of the border down in the picturesque Baja California peninsula. San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas a.k.a. Los Cabos are located in the southernmost part of this peninsula, right where the Sea of Cortez converges with the Pacific Ocean.
As we embarked on a Bruce Roberts Norfolk 43' sailboat in the company of our IWC Ingenieur Mission Earth, we knew an unforgettable afternoon was about to begin. Just a short sail from the marina is the distinctive landmark of Cabo San Lucas; the rugged taffy-colored Arch—a rock formation that erupts from the sea and is also known as Land's End. A visit to Land's End is undoubtedly one of the most popular things to do. By the way, it’s called Land’s End because if you followed a straight line south from it, you would not touch land again until you reached the South Pole.
The IWC Ingenieur Mission Earth is a rugged timepiece designed for those that are in constant contact with nature and eager to discover all that earth has to offer. As we sailed out of the marina, we passed Lover's Beach —the perfect beach that only appears during low tide next to the Arch— and a big group of sea lions catching the sun on the rocks right next to it. The Arch marks the point where the the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean in the Gulf of California.
Fortunately, we had good wind and 20 minutes into our journey, we were already admiring the beauty of the Arch surrounded by sea lions, pelicans and seagulls. In the distance, a Catamaran navigated the Pacific Ocean, while we were still navigating the Sea of Cortez.
As we headed to the side where the Pacific Ocean begins, we saw a few whales in the distance heading north after breeding and feeding in these magnificent waters.
After another hour or so at sea and on our way back to the marina, we were fortunate to be in the presence of one of life's best spectacles: a beautiful sunset that turned the skies all hues of pink, orange and red, just like the red accents on the beautiful dial of our IWC Ingenieur Mission Earth. Sticker price $7,300.
For more info on this watch click here.
The beautiful Cartier Santos 100 Flying Tourbillon in action. Simply lovely. For the full hands-on review click here.
The other day we joined our friend and watchlifestyler Olivier for lunch. As usual, he surprised us with one of his daily beaters. This time, a Cartier Santos 100 Flying Tourbillon ref. W2020017. Yes, a true daily beater as you can appreciate on the macro pictures around the bezel.
In most people's minds, a tourbillon is a delicate watch that reflects elegance and should only be worn under the cuff of a bespoke shirt. However, the Cartier Santos 100 Flying Tourbillon is a massive top heavy tank that can be worn with anything —dressed up or down. This time our friend Olivier was wearing jeans and his favorite Bengal striped button down shirt.
The Cartier Santos 100 Flying Tourbillon Limited Edition watch comes with an extra large case measuring 46.5mm x 54.9mm x 16.5mm in 18K white gold and it's fitted with a rather small round sapphire crystal on the display case back. This watch is a serious complication in every sense of the word.
After perusing and wearing this watch throughout a three-hour lunch break, we can only conclude that this timepiece is a serious work of art from the dial to the flying tourbillon and everything in between.
The dial is openworked and composed of two layers. The first layer has roman numerals that have been cutout and the second layer is a slate grey galvanic guilloché plate. The tourbillon comes with a Cartier 'C' cage that rotates 60 turns every minute indicating the seconds. Rather than being supported by a bridge, or cock, at both the top and bottom, a flying tourbillon is cantilevered, being only supported from one side.
The watch comes with a black alligator strap and a 18K gold double-deployant buckle. After wearing the watch for a few hours we can tell that while it's very heavy due to the precious metal that it's made of, it is very comfortable.
The beating heart inside this beauty is the manual winding calibre 9452 MC with flying tourbillon. Each movement is individually marked with the Geneva seal and individually numbered on the main bridge plate.
Sticker price $126,000. For more info click here.
Enjoy the video at the bottom to see it in action.
Today, we decided to feature a rose gold trifecta composed by three amazing pieces that we know any watchlifestyler lady would love to own. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Ladies 57th Street Limited Edition —with rose gold accents on the dial—, a set of Van Cleef & Arpels Vintage Alhambra rose gold earclips and a Cartier Juste un Clou rose gold with diamonds bracelet.
Let's start with the elegant Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Ladies 57th Street Limited Edition. This Audemars Piguet ref. 26282SK.ZZ.D101CR.01 was released in 2009 to commemorate the opening of the new New York City Audemars Piguet boutique and exclusively available at that flagship location. Available in a limited edition of 150 pieces, this stunning Ladies Royal Oak Offshore comes with a 37mm case in stainless steel, black alligator hornback strap with off-white contrast stitching, deployant buckle, rose gold accents and rose gold Arabic numerals on the dial and a diamond encrusted rubberclad bezel with 32 diamonds totaling 1.25 carats. The sticker price for this beauty, only $33,000. For more info on Audemars Piguet click here.
In order to properly coordinate with the rose gold accents on the watch and with the rose gold bracelet, you also need to add a set of Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra collection earclips. The VC&A Alhambra collection, has been a synonym of class since the 1960s when it was launched. The Vintage Alhambra earclips ref. VCARN9T400 in rose gold, have a timeless design and go perfectly fine with just any outfit —casual or dressy. To find more about the earclips click here.
Lastly, let's talk about the Cartier Juste un Clou bracelet which is also another classic from a previous era. Originally designed in the 1970s, the Juste un Clou is the expression of a rebellious nature and the reflection of self-belief. Although this bracelet has been a classic for more than forty years, it's still very modern looking and quite trendy nowadays. The Cartier Juste un Clou bracelet is also available sans diamonds and in other precious metal variations. For more info on the bracelet click here.
Now, if you prefer an even more timeless look on your wrist, you could always go with a Cartier Love bracelet instead of the Juste un Clou. The picture below, shows how good it looks next to the Audemars Piguet watch. Maybe you can also give it a try.
Three timeless classic designs that make a perfect rose gold trifecta, don't you think?
Since many of you are Formula 1 fans —just like us—, we decided to feature this gorgeous and understated Girard-Perregaux Monte Carlo 1970 Limited Edition Flyback Chronograph in honor of this weekend's Formula 1 Grand Prix of Monaco. As you all know, the race takes place around the streets of Monte Carlo in the Principality of Monaco.
The Girard-Perregaux Monte Carlo 1970 Limited Edition ref. 49581, is a flyback chronograph that gives homage to one of the most famous rallies in motor racing history. In 1970, Björn Waldegaard and Lars Helmer —drove and navigated respectively— their Porsche 911 S with the number 6 through a notoriously difficult icy course to claim victory at the legendary stage of the Monte Carlo Rally that year. Their names along with the car model and number are engraved on the case back to commemorate their win.
Photo Courtesy of Early 911S Registry
The Girard-Perregaux Monte Carlo 1970 was released several years ago in a limited edition of 250 pieces. This timepiece clearly evokes the look of chronographs from the 60s and 70s —very lightweight, comfortable on the wrist, precise at timekeeping and bold looking. The Girard-Perregaux Monte Carlo 1970 Limited Edition, comes with a lustrous black dial with contrasting white Arabic numerals and plenty of red accents matching the color of the legendary #6 911 S. The red accents are present in the words 'Monte Carlo 1970', the chrono hands, the font on the calendar wheel and even in some of the numbers along the tachymetre scale. In our opinion, a very well balanced dial that is easy to read and worthy of admiration.
The watch is fitted with Girard-Perregaux's in-house automatic calibre 337A —with a power-reserve of 46 hours and 63 jewels— and a black alligator strap with deployant buckle. While the stainless steel case measures 40mm, this watch definitely wears a little bit smaller than that, but still quite nice, elegant and for sure not a run-of-the-mill chronograph.
If you can still find one at an authorized dealer, take it as you won't regret it. Sticker price $9,350. For more info click here.
Proart, an ultra-contemporary 32,000 sq. ft.—3000 sq. meters— building designed by Chavanne architects’ is now open in Les Breuleux —Canton of Jura, Switzerland.
This factory represents a new milestone in the development of the Richard Mille brand, which has already won over connoisseurs and enthusiasts of very fine watchmaking. Richard Mille watch cases, as well as certain movement components —including base plates and bridges— will be manufactured at this site. The opening of this new facility enables the company to further consolidate its position in a market segment for which it is perfectly suited in terms of both staff and logistics.
The technical quality of Richard Mille watches manufactured in limited numbers has progressed in recent years, as demonstrated by the RM 039 Aviation E6-B Flyback Chronograph —an extremely technically complex and high-performance timepiece of which just 30 pieces will be produced. The development of these kinds of products in such small volumes and to such high standards, is only possible through in-house production.
It has taken more than two years to complete this factory, which is at the cutting edge of environmental considerations, thanks, in large part, to the materials used in its construction.
The machinery is already running and around 30 CNC programmers, inspectors and polishers are already working on-site. The factory is managed by Alain Varrin.
For more info click here.
The year 2013, marks the 20th anniversary of the launch of the Royal Oak Offshore; another milestone in Audemars Piguet's history. Contrary to the Royal Oak, the Royal Oak Offshore was not a response from the manufacture to any particular request from a particular market. Stephen Urquhart, Audemars Piguet's Managing Director at the time, felt it was time for the Royal Oak to have a sibling.
In 1989, he asked Emmanuel Gueit to come with a design to commemorate the Royal Oak's 20th anniversary. Emmanuel, based his design on the observation that women were already wearing men's watches back then and he felt it was time for the Royal Oak to move up a notch in size. Initially scheduled to be launched in 1992 —right at the time of the Royal Oak's 20th anniversary—, the Royal Oak Offshore ref. 25721ST was pushed back another year.
Since the Royal Oak was partially inspired by the maritime world, it was natural for the new watch to be named Offshore. The other name that could've been used was 'Challenger'. We really think that 'Offshore' suits this watch way better.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Royal Oak Offshore, there's no other wine out there as iconic as the Petrus Pomerol. A perfect match to the iconic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore.
Petrus is a Bordeaux wine from the Pomerol Appellation near the border with Saint-Èmilion. Petrus is produced by a very small winery that belongs to the Moueix family and Christian Moueix has been in charge of the winery since 1970.
Today, Petrus is widely regarded as the most outstanding wine and one of the world's most expensive wines you could buy. Petrus vintage 2000, is a complex merlot grape wine with a bright ruby red color. Smooth but with a thick body, Petrus will leave hints of truffle and liqueur on the palate. A remarkably impressive wine that will finish with strong tannins. While the 2000 vintage is nowhere near 1998's vintage, this wine will be better enjoyed by the time the Royal Oak Offshore turns 40, just like the Royal Oak turned 40 last year.
Sticker price $4,700-5,000. For more info on the Royal Oak Offshore click here.
The Breitling Superocean 44 is fitted with a sturdy thick case measuring 44 mm in width and 16.7 mm in thickness. Available on three different straps —leather Superocean, rubber Ocean Racer and rubber Diver Pro— or on the Professional stainless steel bracelet, this watch has all the right attributes to become a daily wearer and to be submitted to the daily abuse of any watchlifestyler. Robust, yet good looking, the Superocean is also built to last and withstand the abuse from all types of marine activities.
Conceived as a diver's watch, the Superocean 44 comes with a depth rating of 2,000m/6600ft. The dial is matte finished, well balanced with numerals at 9 and 6 o'clock and available in five different 'Abyss' variations —yellow, orange, red, blue, and white— with just a hint of color on the word 'Superocean', the seconds hand and the border around the date aperture.
With a double-coated anti-reflective thick sapphire crystal and a safety valve that balances out differences in pressure inside and outside the case, the Superocean 44 looks up to par next to any other diving watch in its class.
The bezel is solid, thick and very easy to grip and turn with or without diving gloves. The bezel insert is made of a rubber composite —fitted with stainless steel numbers marking the quarters and dots for the first 15 minutes between 60 and 15— that under natural light appears to be more graphite gray than black; something we actually love about it. For those wishing to combine elegance with performance, Breitling also offers a variation with an 18K rose gold bezel insert.
This beautiful watch comes fitted with Breitling's Calibre 17 —based on the ETA 2824-2— offering a power-reserve of at least 40 hours. The Superocean 44 Abyss Yellow dial ref. A1739102.BA78.134A has a sticker price of $3,890 and it's the perfect entry level watch for anyone just about to become a watchlifestyler. This watch is sturdy, masculine and has a strong wrist presence.
For more info click here.
A few days ago, while driving around our old neighborhood trying to find a parking spot, we ran into one of our all-time favorite automobiles, a legendary Porsche 911 from the 1960s. This Porsche 911 circa 1966, is still in very nice condition and running strong and loud as any 911 should be.
After parking our own Porsche, we decided to then snap a few pictures to record this memorable encounter. The watch on our wrist an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver. It's really crazy how often we run into fancy cars while wearing this watch. From now on, we should call our Diver the 'fancy car magnet'.
Porsche launched the 911 back in 1963 at the Frankfurt Auto Show. At that time, the 911 was originally called 901; however, Peugeot objected the use of the name 901 and Porsche changed it to what is now the most iconic number in automobiles, the '911'.
In 1965, the production of the 911 a.k.a. 356 was stopped, and the 912 was launched. The 912 was a less expensive model featuring a four-cylinder engine from the last 356s and was less luxurious than the 911. This 1966 model we stumbled upon, is still a 911 that maintained the same line and details of the first 911s up until 1970, year in which the new line of 911s was released.
This particular vintage Porsche is fitted with all original parts and its black paint is still in very decent shape considering the age of the vehicle. Nothing like fancy timepieces and fancy cars to enjoy the 'good life'.
For more info on Porsche click here.
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