On Saturday, June 15, 2019, After-School All-Stars founder Arnold Schwarzenegger welcomed over 150 philanthropic guests to his private home in L.A. for the seventh annual Arnold Schwarzenegger Westime Charity Night benefiting After-School All-Stars. Westime, the luxury watch and jewelry retailer led by John and Greg Simonian, sponsored the Western- themed event. Through the unwavering commitment of Schwarzenegger and Westime, the annual event has raised $12.8 million over the last seven years, to support free, comprehensive after-school programs for low- income, underserved students across the nation during the hours of 3-6pm.
Insider: Vacheron Constantin Partners with Climber and Photographer Cory Richards. An Overseas Dual Time Prototype Celebrates the Occasion.
Straight from NYC where we are with Vacheron Constantin and Cory Richards, the renowned climber and photographer. Embodying the beauty of the Earth and Nature, the photographs and videos taken on the dizzying slopes of Everest during Cory Richard’s new attempted ascent will be exhibited at the Vacheron Constantin boutiques around the world. This creative collaboration with the Manufacture has also given rise to an extremely good looking Overseas Dual Time prototype that the explorer wore on his wrist during his ascent. To set the pace for his adventure on the slopes of Everest, Cory Richards wanted to have a watch enabling him to keep track the time in Nepal, as well as back home in the United States. For that purpose, he chose an Overseas Dual Time.
Eye Candy: Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Mécaniques Sauvages Majestic Tiger. The Art of Wood Marquetry and Gold Engraving.
For three centuries, Vacheron Constantin has perpetuated the tradition of “Les Cabinotiers”, the name originally given to the prestigious watchmakers who exercised their art in light-filled workshops located on the top floors of Geneva buildings. Exceptional bespoke timepieces were devised at the time, brimming with a rare degree of technical and aesthetic complexity, inspired by astronomy, science and art
Experience: La Flor de Las Antillas 'Toro'. Number One Cigar in 2012 and Still as Good as Back Then.
La Flor de Las Antillas 'Toro' was ranked by Cigar Aficionado as the number one cigar for 2012 made by the renowned Nicaraguan cigar company My Father Cigars S.A. which is owned and lead by acclaimed Cuban cigar maker José 'Pepin' Garcia, his son Jaime and daughter Janny. My Father Cigars is a company that started as a small family operation out of Miami with a dozen rollers that slowly grew into one of the most prominent cigar makers establishing their factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. This company is also well known for being the manufacturers of Tatuaje when that brand was first started by Pete Johnson.
News: Presenting the H. Moser & Cie. Heritage Tourbillon Funky Blue
As soon as visitors set foot in Charlottenfels Castle, built by Heinrich Moser in 1854 they are overwhelmed by a sense of wonder at the elegance and sobriety of the high-ceiling rooms and the unobstructed view of the Rhine and the town of Schaffhausen. Today, the Moser family museum can be found on the first floor of this magnificent abode, which exhibits items belonging to Heinrich Moser and recounts his life through his creations and works. Naturally, many of the objects on display are watches, which tell the history of the brand from 1828 to today. It is from these pieces, and particularly those from the 20th century, that H. Moser & Cie. drew inspiration to recreate its Heritage line.
Insider: Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic Black Ceramic. Sandblasted for an Understated Look.
With its ultra-appealing look and uncompromisingly forward-thinking mechanics, the new Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic in sandblasted black ceramic is the thinnest full ceramic mechanical watch. Following the success of the Octo Tourbillon Finissimo in 2014, the Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater in 2016 and last year’s Octo Finissimo Automatic, Bulgari decided to add the beauty and understated look of black ceramic to its Octo lineup. Somewhat stealthy and very light, the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic in black ceramic is not your run-of-the-mill timepiece but a feat of horology and mechanics with its ultra slim movement.
News: IWC Supports the Cousteau Divers Society to Reveal Ocean's Temperatures
On World Oceans Day, IWC Schaffhausen announces its support for a pioneering environmental project, spearheaded by its partner, Cousteau Divers. Cousteau Divers intends to study the effects of climate change by measuring the temperature beneath the ocean’s surface, combining data from precision sensors with measurements taken by thousands of recreational divers. The goal is to give scientists a better understanding of how the ocean’s temperature affects biodiversity and climate.
News: Watches of Switzerland Group Goes Public. Trading Now at the London Stock Exchange.
Watches of Switzerland Group, the leading multi-channel luxury watch retailer in the UK and a leading retailer of luxury watches in selected regions of the U.S., has gone public and commenced its trading on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange, trading under the ticker WOSG. The market capitalization of the Company will be approximately £647 million at the commencement of conditional dealings.
Insider: Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver Green Bronze. A Stunning 999-Piece Limited Edition.
Two years ago, Bell & Ross released the BR 03-92 Diver with a black or a blue dial as its first diving watch within the square-shaped collection. However, Bell & Ross has been making diving watches for more than a decade now. As a matter of fact the discontinued Marine BR 02-94 is one of our favorite all-time diving watches. The new Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver Green Bronze capitalizes on the huge success of bronze cased watches in a limited edition that distinguishes itself from the others through its dial. Bell & Ross introduces an appealing combination that makes two worlds meet with the combination of bronze —the diving industry’s metal of choice– and an olive green dial—mirroring the color of the military camouflage uniform— that works beautifully together, giving it a neo-retro rugged look.
Insider: IWC Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar 'Rodeo Drive' Edition. Even Better than the Top Gun Perpetual.
Rewriting history and comparable in terms of wrist presence with the uniqueness of one of the coolest and sportiest perpetual calendars out there, the IWC Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar 'Rodeo Drive' Edition ref. IW503001 is an even much sexier watch than its predecessor the IWC Big Pilot’s Top Gun Perpetual Calendar in black ceramic. Also fitted with a matte black ceramic case but this time with a gorgeous navy blue dial this complicated Pilot's Watch acquires a very unique character.
Experience: A Summer Soirée with HYT Watches. The Hydromechanical Horologists Come to Dallas.
Even though the summer has not officially arrived, the warm spring weather in Dallas makes you feel the heat just as if the summer had already begun. Therefore, a summer soirée at the end of spring is not necessarily the wrong name for a great evening with friends, watches, good food, Aperol Spritz and Negronis. This time, HYT the hydromechanical horologists, partnered with us to bring their collection down to Dallas. In our opinion one of the most avant-garde watch companies and the only independent watchmaker that has gone where others have not, HYT was launched in 2012 by Lucien Vouillamoz, Patrick Berdoz, Emmanuel Savioz and Vincent Perriard. Their product offering, the most unique horological complication ever developed and the idea of introducing fluids into the heart of a mechanical watch seemed like the craziest thing to do.
News: Presenting the Hublot Classic Fusion Chronograph Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic 2019
Hublot revealed its third limited-edition timepiece in collaboration with Veuve Clicquot in honor of the 12th anniversary Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic taking place on June 1, where Hublot is serving as the official timekeeper and scoreboard sponsor. This 12-piece limited edition watch ref. 521.CM.1490.lR.VCP19 is available with straps in Veuve Clicquot Yellow alligator and black leather and features a 45.5 mm case in satin-finished and polished black ceramic. To kick off this year’s Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic, Hublot and Veuve Clicquot unveiled this third limited edition timepiece at Hublot’s Fifth Avenue Boutique and hosted an intimate dinner at Nobu 57 afterwards.
News: HYT Presents Two New Versions of the H0. A Khaki and a Slate Grey that are Pure Fire.
With its latest H0 timepiece, HYT showcases the bare essentials of time’s transience in a watch that is as grounded as it is elevated. Fluidity is the language of the design’s appearance and message. This is translated clearly through sleek lines and shaping, subtly punctuated by splashes of color and underlying utilitarian confidence. The new H0 model’s take on transience and transparency has two variations. In one of these, a khaki dial and rubber strap stylishly camouflage the DLC anthracite coating of the stainless steel case. Red and pale green complete the color palette, with the former taking on the essential task of visualizing recently elapsed hours.
Insider: Chopard L.U.C Flying T Twin. The First Calibre with a Flying Tourbillon for Chopard.
With the new L.U.C Flying T Twin, Chopard is unveiling its first calibre equipped with a flying tourbillon. This technically and aesthetically sophisticated timepiece is distinguished by its hand guilloché gold dial with honeycomb pattern —exclusive to Chopard—, its ultra-slim case in ‘Fairmined’ 18K rose gold and its ‘Poinçon de Genève’ certification. The L.U.C Flying T Twin is exclusively available in a 50-piece limited edition and exquisitely designed to satisfy the most demanding and discerning watch connoisseurs.
Eye Candy: Rolex GMT Master II 'Pepsi' ref. 126710BLRO. Perfect for Memorial Day.
More than a year and three months later the Rolex GMT Master II ‘Pepsi’ ref. 126710BLRO in stainless steel continues to be ‘the watch’ and prices in the secondary market are still more than double its retail price. While the Rolex GMT Master II 'Pepsi' ref. 126710BLRO has a retail price of only USD 9,250, most buyers of this watch have been willing to pay a premium through the grey market dealers with prices commanding as high as USD 22,500 and at an average around USD 19,500. Its blue and red bezel make it the perfect watch for Memorial Day when we remember and honor all of those who have died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Happy Memorial Day and enjoy the images.
Experience: The 2019 Rally Maya with Franck Muller. Latin America's Second Most Important Rally.
For a third year in a row, WCL joined the Rally Maya in its 6th edition this past weekend and this week. This exceptionally orchestrated rally with a route that reaches the confines of the most remote roads through the Yucatán Peninsula kicked-off this year from the archeological site of Uxmal to finish off in Tulum, one of the world’s most revered archeological sites. Despite the sweltering temperatures throughout the route that passed through Mérida, Izamal, Peto, Valladolid, the K’aak Cenote and Puerto Morelos, 110 classic cars were driven by their pilots and copilots —mostly classic Mercedes-Benz, Porsches, Jaguars, Alfa Romeos, Austin Healy, an Audi that belonged to former Mexican President Adolfo López Mateos and several Mini Coopers— in what is today the second most important rally race in Latin America after the Carrera Panamericana.
News: Presenting the Ressence Type 1 ZZ. A Collaboration with Laurent Picciotto from Chronopassion Paris.
Ressence was founded in 2010, winners of the 2013 Horological Revelation Award at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, Ressence takes a distinctive approach to the craft of contemporary fine watchmaking. Ressence is a Belgian brand based in Antwerp that combines Swiss made calibres with unmatched self-engineered innovation to reimagine how mechanical watches can function and interact with its user in the modern age. When Chronopassion was first founded in 1988, the aim was to gather the most exclusive items in the world of watchmaking under one roof; and today, that original motivation is just as strong as ever.
Insider: Zenith Defy El Primero 21 Carbon. A Very Stealthy 1/100th of a Second Chronograph.
If you like stealthy watches that fly under the radar, the Zenith Defy El Primero 21 Carbon is the perfect choice. First released in 2017, the 1/100th of a second chronograph mechanism, continues to prove why Zenith is one of the leaders and pioneers in making reliable and very accurate chronographs. The Zenith Defy El Primero 21 Carbon is one of those watches that ticks al the boxes if you are looking for a underrated, all black, sporty in-house chronograph under $20K USD. After the revival of the Defy line with a case design more in line with the historical Defy watches from the sixties and seventies, the Defy collection brings a breath of fresh air to a brand that has revolved around the El Primero look for most of his modern history since 1969.
Eye Candy: De Bethune DB28 Yellow Tones. The Beauty of Gold in Titanium.
The beauty of gold, the brilliance of precious stones, and yet none of it in this watch. Upon closer inspection one could mistaken its case with an aged yellow gold, bronze or brass case. With complete mastery of the art of thermal oxidation of metals, De Bethune explores all the possible color shades resulting from the heat released by the chemical reactions of heat-treated steel and titanium. The De Bethune DB28 Yellow Tones brings a hue of yellow never seen before on a titanium case.
Insider: Chopard Mille Miglia 2018 Race Edition. One of the Nicest Vintage Inspired Chronographs.
For 30 years Chopard has been involved with the Mille Miglia Race. To celebrate the occasion, two new chronographs have been released under the Mille Miglia name. These two new vintage inspired looking timepieces are the Mille Miglia 2018 Race Editions, one in stainless steel and the other in a very nice two-tone stainless steel and 18K rose gold combination. Featuring a perfectly sized 42 mm case with a smooth bezel, the anthracite engine-turned dials on these two watches evoke classic car dashboards.
