Some Of The Best Watch Information Ever Posted On The Forums...

[TwoTone]

Theft:

Prostitute trial over $1m watch theft

A PROSTITUTE accused of stealing a $1-million watch from a Crown Casino high roller has been ordered to stand trial at the Victorian County Court.

Michelle Taylor, 20, of the Docklands, today pleaded not guilty to one charge of theft when she appeared at the Melbourne Magistrates Court for a one-day committal hearing.

It is alleged Taylor accompanied a Chinese businessman to the Crown Towers Hotel after he visited the brothel she worked for, the Daily Planet, on January 27 last year.

In a document tendered to the court, Taylor told police she took the watch from a bedside table drawer in the hotel room because the client "did a few things I wasn't too happy about".

She denied she took the watch, a Patek Philippe watch containing 580 diamonds, to sell.

Watch repairer for the Swiss Watch Service Centre, Jason Wigg, said the Patek Philippe watch was a made to order, one-off piece that was worth about $1.1 million, in a statement tendered to the court.

Magistrate Felicity Broughton ordered Taylor to appear at the Victorian County Court in April.

Courtesy news.com

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Breguet: Did he Really Invent Everything?

Abraham-Louis Breguet. Did he really invent everything that he is credited with? For some, the answer is as obvious as the question is ridiculous. In their view, the heritage left by Breguet is so important and so far-reaching that there has been no significant innovation in watchmaking since his time.

Jean-Claude Nicolet, watchmaking historian, gives his opinion, Pascal Brandt comments.

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Setting the record straight

There are others, however, who would answer that question differently. One of these is Jean-Claude Nicolet, an expert consultant with Europa Star and a former professor at the School of Watchmaking in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. This watch historian would like to set the record straight: "It would be erroneous to say that Breguet invented all that he is credited with. When Breguet started working on watches, the balance spring was already in existence and the gear train system was already being used. It would probably be more accurate to say that Breguet's main contribution was in perfecting a number of existing principles and mechanisms."

To support his conclusions, Nicolet explains how watches were constructed during Breguet's time: "They were made of two plates, one superimposed over the other, with the various parts of the mechanism sandwiched between them." Using this basic principle, Abraham-Louis Breguet then adapted an idea of Lépine, which was to hollow out the mass, make bridges and generally improve on the construction. In Nicolet's opinion, Breguet certainly does deserve credit for his remarkable sense of the aesthetic, "which was so advanced that his cases and movements are still very much appreciated today. In this regard, his work is perfectly contemporary."

Setting the record straight, again...

It would be incorrect, however, to credit Breguet only with having perfected certain existing techniques and mechanisms. Among others, he invented the drop-protection device, the forerunner of today's anti-shock mechanism. He also developed the Breguet key, a watch key with a ratchet arrangement which prevents the watch from being wound in the wrong direction.

Jean-Claude Nicolet does credit Breguet with his innovation of an ingenious system using two barrel springs geared in parallel to a center pinion, "an idea which had not been exploited even though it would save energy from the standpoint of friction."

Professor Nicolet also admits that Breguet, even though he did not create everything, still did give birth to a number of brilliant inventions. Nicolet credits Breguet with the invention of the balance spring that bears his name. The Breguet spring, an overcoil form of balance spring, was created by raising the highest exterior turn of the spring and giving it a shape which prevented it from moving concentrically, thus maintaining its center of gravity on the rotational axis.

"Breguet was, in fact, a genius in the sense that he was among the first to make very high quality watches." In conclusion," with a Breguet in your pocket today, you will never have an outdated watch. His creations are extremely modern."

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Biography: Abraham-Louis Breguet, Keeper of Time

During the religious wars in France, the Protestant Breguet family left its native Picardie in 1685 to find refuge in the western part of Switzerland. The Breguet name was thus destined to become famous in both countries, each claiming its famous son, Abraham-Louis Breguet. The future watchmaker was born in Neuchâtel, a village of 3500 inhabitants, on January 10, 1747. His father, Jonas-Louis Breguet, was a merchant who belonged to the local bourgeoisie. In 1752, he became proprietor of an inn in Les Verrières, a small village near Neuchâtel, which was a stopover point for travelers on their way to Burgundy and Paris.

Abraham-Louis spent a rather normal childhood although in school he was considered a bit of a dreamer who did not really apply himself.

In 1758, tragedy struck. Jonas-Louis died, leaving his wife, Suzanne-Marguerite, alone with their two young daughters and the 11-year old Abraham-Louis. Sometime later, Suzanne-Marguerite married her late husband's cousin, Joseph Tattet, a watchmaker who had business contacts with France.

Learning his craft

In 1762, Tattet found his 15-year old stepson an apprenticeship with a watchmaker friend in Versailles. Three years later, the young Breguet was in Paris, and would study with famous artistic watchmakers such as Ferdinand Berthoud (1727-1807), watchmaker-mechanic to the King and Navy, and Jean-Antoine Lépine (1720-1814), watchmaker to the King. Breguet also took classes in physics, optics, astronomy, mechanics and mathematics at the College Mazarin where he met the Abbot Joseph-François Marie (1738-1801). This generous man would later take the young apprentice under his wing and provide protection and support for him and his younger sisters. During these early years, Breguet learned his craft well.

The love of his life

Love came into the young watchmaker's life with Cécile L'huillier, the daughter of a wealthy family. The young couple married in 1775. As a wedding present, Cécile's father helped Breguet and his bride settle into an apartment at 39 Quai de l'Horloge on the Ile de la Cité in Paris. This neighborhood was already the home of many of the most prestigious watchmakers in Paris. At 28 years of age, Breguet now launched his own business, and was about to launch his own family. A son, Antoine-Louis, was born the next year. Business was prospering and his life's dreams seemed fulfilled.

But tragedy struck again. In 1780, during the fifth year of their marriage, Cécile died. Grief-stricken, Breguet plunged himself into his work and his inventions. He never remarried.

The watchmaker of reference

On a commercial level, Breguet was becoming well known and highly regarded. His brother-in-law and the Abbot Marie introduced him to the aristocracy. His first major customer, the Duke of Orleans, bought one of his "perpétuelle" watches in 1780. Two years later, the House of Breguet gained an even greater client, Marie-Antoinette. With the queen's support, his reputation grew not only in France but all over the Continent. In 1784 he earned the title of Master Watchmaker. Soon Breguet became the watchmaker of reference for the scientific, diplomatic, military and financial elite Europe. His understanding of technical mechanics as well as human character and talent allowed him to attract the best craftsmen and train them in order to realize the many products which emerged from his abundantly fertile imagination. In addition, Breguet possessed that unique combination of intuition and intelligence so necessary to provide for the skillful marketing of his products. He built up an international sales network through his personal contacts and his prestigious client base that, over the years, would be constantly renewed by the changing political picture.

From perpétuelles to politics

Concerned with social reform, Breguet was sympathetic to the political ideas that were gaining ground at the time in France. He joined the Jacobins, a revolutionary group under the leadership of the radical Jean-Paul Marat, whose sister made watch hands for Breguet. The threads of the lives of these two men were to become closely intertwined on at least two other occasions. In the 1780s, Paris was a boiling cauldron of political unrest. By the early 1790s, the situation was so dangerous that Breguet sent his son, Antoine-Louis to England for safety. Early in 1793, the Jacobins split into two groups, the moderate Girondins and the radical Montagnards. They began fighting not only the royalists, but also each other. The rabble-rousing radical Marat allied with the Montagnards.

Marat and the Reign of Terror

Despite their political differences, Breguet and Marat remained friends. In April 1793, while the two men were visiting a mutual acquaintance in Paris, a royalist crowd gathered outside demanding Marat's head. He was trapped. To save his friend, Breguet dressed him up as a woman, complete with powdered face and reddened cheeks. They waited until evening and then calmly walked out arm in arm, mingling with the crowd until Marat could flee to safety. The revolutionary had the opportunity to return the favor two months later. Hearing that Breguet, because of his royalist connections, had been placed on a death list by the Revolutionary Committee, Marat urged him to leave France. He arranged for safe-conduct passes for Breguet and his son, who had returned from England, to get across the Swiss border. It was the last time that the watchmaker would see his friend. On July 13, the eve of the Fête Nationale, Jean-Paul Marat was stabbed to death in his bathtub by a young member of the Girondins, Charlotte Corday.

A month later under the blazing August sun, Breguet and his son fled Paris for Switzerland. Because of his escape, Breguet was condemned as a traitor. The Committee of Public Safety confiscated his factory and shot one of his workers. His home and workshops were ransacked. His tools and equipment were destroyed. France's Reign of Terror had begun.

Sanctuary in Switzerland

In the relative calm of Switzerland, Breguet first went to Geneva and then in November returned to the village of his birth. By the end of the year, the inventor had settled in Le Locle, a village near Neuchâtel, where he set up a small workshop. Breguet used his two-year exile to perfect many of his ideas and innovative techniques in watchmaking.

The House of Breguet

The Terror passed. Calm returned to France. In May 1795, Breguet returned to Paris, reclaimed his house and obtained the restoration of his workshops from the new government. But the city was emotionally and economically exhausted. The Reign of Terror had decimated the aristocracy, the main clients of the House of Breguet. In their stead, though, new social classes were forming. This rich bourgeoisie, along with the new Napoleonic aristocracy became Breguet's new clients. The economic difficulties which still plagued the watch industry caused Breguet to create a unique system of "souscription". A buyer could pay 25% down for a watch of a limited series, with the balance due upon delivery. In this manner, Breguet watches became more accessible and the payments in advance helped finance the development of other projects.

The latter part of Abraham-Louis' life was amply marked by recognition. Clients of the House of Breguet included the Empress Josephine (1806), the King of England (1810) and many other crowned heads of Europe. Breguet was appointed to the Board of Longitude in 1814 and a year later was named as Watchmaker to the Royal Navy. In 1819, he was nominated to the prestigious Academy of Sciences by decree of King Louis XVIII. That same year, he was awarded the Legion of Honor. At the 1819 Paris Exhibition, the master watchmaker proudly presented a resume of his life's scientific achievements.

Time claims the keeper

The aging Breguet remained professionally active and enjoyed good health, except for a hearing loss. Tuesday September 17, 1823 found the inventor at his workshop as usual. As the morning sun filtered in through the half-shuttered window, the hands on his beloved pocket watch stopped. It was 8:37. Time claimed its keeper.

According to his wishes, Abraham-Louis Breguet's body was laid to rest in Père Lachaise in Paris. His spirit and legend live on.

Courtesy Europastar

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Omega puts on the ritz with first U.S. boutique

Swatch Group brand Omega plans to launch its first boutique in the United States on tony Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Calif. The new, 2800-square-foot, split-level store is slated to open in summer 2005.

The 150-year-old brand, whose ambassadors include Cindy Crawford, Anna Kournikova and recent swimming Olympian Michael Phelps, will feature a selection of museum pieces, its current collection and new jewelry collection, Bijoux.

"There are several addresses in the U.S. that say prestige, but perhaps none have the cachet of Rodeo Drive," says Robert Emmons, president of Omega US. "That is why Omega chose to open its first retail boutique here."

Courtesy EuropaStar

Watch exports for 2004 reach record high

The value of Swiss watch exports last year reached a record SFr11.1 billion ($9.3 billion), the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry said on Thursday.

This represents a jump of 9.2 per cent on 2003, underlining the strength of the sector’s recovery.

“The year 2004 saw in particular two very strong monthly increases in June and August, as well as two successive records with the highest monthly values ever achieved, in October and November,” said the Biel-based Federation in a statement.

It added that the decline recorded in 2003, where watch exports fell by 4.4 per cent to SFr10.177 billion, had been reversed due to the more stable world geopolitical situation and a sustained economic recovery in the United States.

“The pleasing growth recorded by Swiss watch exports should continue in 2005 with, however, a different development of the main regions compared with 2004,” added the Federation.

Exports of finished watches made even stronger gains than the sector as a whole, with their value rising to SFr10.2 billion, up 9.9 per cent compared with 2003.

The value of steel timepieces, which accounted for one in two watches exported, rose by almost 11 per cent and that of gold timepieces by around ten per cent.

US on top

The US remained the premier market for the Swiss watch industry, with an increase of 12.9 per cent to SFr1.9 billion. The Federation said that this was mainly due to the good economic climate in the country during 2004.

It was followed by Hong Kong, whose economy has recovered from the outbreak of the Sars virus and where watch exports rose by 15.6 per cent and Japan, where watch exports remained stable with a 0.5 per cent increase.

The news came as the world's largest watchmaker, the Swatch Group, said on Wednesday that its 2004 sales had increased 4.7 per cent to SFr4.15 billion from SFr3.97 billion the previous year.

Swatch said this was largely due to good results from its luxury watch business and added that it expected its full-year profit, to be announced in March, to increase, despite the negative effects of exchange rates.

Courtesy SwissInfo

What are the ranges of luxury watches available?

What should I expect to pay and get within each range?

And what brands are in each range?

The actual relationships and who exactly is better than whom is highly debated among wristwatch aficionados. This table is intended only to show very broad, general groupings of brands based on what each of these brands are most known for and what the bulk of their product lines represent. Many brands have a few special higher-end collections and some have lower-end models.

Courtesy Chronocentric

Attached image(s)

TV documentary star wearing a fake YM..

Has anyone seen the show called "Mythbusters"?

It's a USA show where everyweek 2 guys put myths to the test to see if they are true or false and conduct experiments to simulate the myths in reaching their conclusions.

There is 1 of the 2 stars of the show who wears a stainless steel/platinum Yacht-Master. The only problem is that the dial is black and without the maxi dial features. Every week for the past 4-5 weeks I've been looking at his watch.

This week the show gave a number of close ups of the watch and it got me a little bit angry how a guy who stands to prove or disapprove whether something (like whether a bullet manufactured from ice can be shot from a gun to injure someone) actually wears a counterfiet Rolex where the design has been stolen.

Does Rolex have the right to do something when a person is known to be flaunting a fake Rolex as one of the main stars on a real life TV show?

P.S. I otherwise like "Mythbusters" as its a pretty cool modern day documentary.

Courtesy Timezone - Rolexplor1

INDUSTRY NEWS - Omega Congratulates Ellen MacArthur’s Round-the-World Solo Record

Ellen MacArthur and her 75 foot trimaran B&Q/Castorama set a new world record for the non-stop single-handed circumnavigation of the planet, beating the already incredible time set only last year by Frenchman Francis Joyon.

Ever since she was old enough to save her school dinner money to buy her first boat, Ellen MacArthur has lived for sailing. As of October 2002, she already held the record as fastest female to race solo around the world in the 2000/2001 Vendée Globe and the transatlantic east-west solo record from Plymouth (UK) to Newport (US).

Only a couple of months after becoming an Omega ambassador, she went on to win Class 1 Open 60 in the Route du Rhum on board the Kingfisher monohull, setting a new record of 13 days, 13 hours and 31 minutes in the IMOCA Open 60 class. She is the only woman among a mere handful of incredible personalities to complete this voyage.

Last year, although she narrowly missed breaking the transatlantic west-east solo record by only 75 minutes, she nevertheless set a new female record for the single-handed crossing. This was the first flat-out test for the new B&Q/Castorama trimaran before it set off on the voyage for which it was intended: Ellen’s attempt to break the record for single-handedly sailing non-stop around the world.

Ellen MacArthur has already proven herself as a yachtswoman of extraordinary character, stamina and resistance on several occasions. However, this latest record attempt put her under the severest of pressure, with her only competitor being the on-board Omega clock that counted down the time of previous record-holder Francis Joyon’s voyage. This meant constant stress and extreme sleep deprivation for Ellen during every hour of every day of the 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes and 33 seconds that it took her to sail around the world – the ultimate three-month test of stamina!

The harsh sailing conditions and variable winds saw her lead drop from almost five days in the Southern Ocean to a deficit of 1 day in the South Atlantic, before recovering to a healthy advantage as she headed back into the northern hemisphere.

Omega is extremely proud to have been the official timekeeper of Ellen’s record voyage and has produced a unique trophy as a souvenir for Ellen in the form of a mounted globe depicting her route and the records she broke along the way.

We are also happy to note that, like B&Q/Castorama and Ellen, the Omega Seamaster watch she chooses also withstood the travails of her voyage, just as it was built to.

Courtesy Timezone

[TwoTone]

INDUSTRY NEWS - Omega Congratulates Ellen MacArthur’s Round-the-World Solo Record

Ellen MacArthur and her 75 foot trimaran B&Q/Castorama set a new world record for the non-stop single-handed circumnavigation of the planet, beating the already incredible time set only last year by Frenchman Francis Joyon.

Ever since she was old enough to save her school dinner money to buy her first boat, Ellen MacArthur has lived for sailing. As of October 2002, she already held the record as fastest female to race solo around the world in the 2000/2001 Vendée Globe and the transatlantic east-west solo record from Plymouth (UK) to Newport (US).

Only a couple of months after becoming an Omega ambassador, she went on to win Class 1 Open 60 in the Route du Rhum on board the Kingfisher monohull, setting a new record of 13 days, 13 hours and 31 minutes in the IMOCA Open 60 class. She is the only woman among a mere handful of incredible personalities to complete this voyage.

Last year, although she narrowly missed breaking the transatlantic west-east solo record by only 75 minutes, she nevertheless set a new female record for the single-handed crossing. This was the first flat-out test for the new B&Q/Castorama trimaran before it set off on the voyage for which it was intended: Ellen’s attempt to break the record for single-handedly sailing non-stop around the world.

Ellen MacArthur has already proven herself as a yachtswoman of extraordinary character, stamina and resistance on several occasions. However, this latest record attempt put her under the severest of pressure, with her only competitor being the on-board Omega clock that counted down the time of previous record-holder Francis Joyon’s voyage. This meant constant stress and extreme sleep deprivation for Ellen during every hour of every day of the 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes and 33 seconds that it took her to sail around the world – the ultimate three-month test of stamina!

The harsh sailing conditions and variable winds saw her lead drop from almost five days in the Southern Ocean to a deficit of 1 day in the South Atlantic, before recovering to a healthy advantage as she headed back into the northern hemisphere.

Omega is extremely proud to have been the official timekeeper of Ellen’s record voyage and has produced a unique trophy as a souvenir for Ellen in the form of a mounted globe depicting her route and the records she broke along the way.

We are also happy to note that, like B&Q/Castorama and Ellen, the Omega Seamaster watch she chooses also withstood the travails of her voyage, just as it was built to.

Courtesy Timezone

N E W M o d e l – Vacheron Constantin Saint-Gervais

The Saint Gervais is a limited edition of 55pieces, all done in platinum. Its claim to fame is a 250 hour power reserve movement!

Movement is the hand-wound Vacheron caliber 2250 with 33 jewels, beating at 18,000 bph and with a 250 hour power reserve.

Indications & functions are: hours and minutes, seconds at 6 o’clock, a Tourbillon, double independent power reserve indicators, a perpetual calendar showing the day of the week, the date, the month and leap years. It features the Geneva Hallmark quality seal.

The case, in platinum, measures 44mm X 15mm. Lug width is 22mm. The crystal is sapphire as is the display back. It is water resistant to 30 meters.

Courtesy Timezone

N E W M o d e l – Vacheron Constantin Metiers d’ Art

Part of Vacheron’s 250th Anniversary, the Meties d’ Art is a limited edition of 12 collectors sets, each housing one timepiece to illustrate each season, making 48 individually numbered watches in all.

Movement is the automatic Vacheron caliber 2460G4, which functions by means of 4 apertures around the dial showing the hours, minutes, day of the week, and the date.

It has 27 jewels and beats at 28,800 bph, with a power reserve of 43 hours. It features the Geneva Hallmark quality seal. The rotor is 22kt gold.

The case can be had in 18kt pink or white gold, or in platinum. It measures 40mm X 12mm with 20mm lugs. The crystal is sapphire as is the display back. It is water resistant to 30 meters.

Courtesy Timezone

NEW MODEL from Cartier

The first watch to be powered by the new MC8000 calibre is the Jumbo Pasha. Measuring a huge (for a Cartier) 42mm diameter, without the crown, this new size for the Pasha follows the current fashion for larger men’s watches.

It is fitted with a solid gold dial, finished in a “Clous de Paris” radial pattern, wide polished bezel, sapphire glass and, as with all Pasha models, the screw crown is surmounted by a cabochon sapphire and held in place by a security clasp.

The watch has a brown crocodile strap with the classic Cartier deployant clasp and “D” buckle, despite having a skin strap it is waterproof to 30m (around 100ft).

No prices have yet been announced for the model.

Courtesy Timezone

N E W M o d e l - Glashutte Original PanoMaticReserve

The PanoMaticReserve is the newest GO Pano model. It features a power reserve display in the shape of a 240° circle.

Movement is the GO automatic caliber 90-03 with 61 jewels. It features a duplex swan-neck fine adjustment for precise setting of both the movement’s beat and rate.

Finishing is done in the Saxony watch tradition of a three-quarter plate, blued screws, and a screw balance with 18kt gold weighted screws.

The new PanoMaticReserve is available in three cases, stainless steel, 18kt rose gold, and in platinum (limited to 200 pieces worldwide (with a black galvanized, silvered dial).

Courtesy Timezone

N E W M o d e l – TAG Heuer Professional Golf Watch

After more than a year of close collaboration with TAG Heuer Global Ambassador

Tiger Woods, TAG Heuer is proud to announce the limited-edition launch of the world's first professional golf watch, designed and developed to meet the unique ergonomic and subtle aesthetic requirements of top-level and stylish golfers.

TAG Heuer will release the watch in April of 2005, in a limited edition of 8,000 pieces.

The clasp and folding buckle of a conventional watch are often awkward and can hurt the wrist when playing golf intensively. The standard placement of the crown at 3 o'clock can also penalize the golfer when the wrist is bent. To overcome these obstacles, TAG Heuer integrated the clasp into the watch head with a revolutionary patented system and moved the crown across the dial to 9 o'clock.

A regular watch often slides on the wrist, snagging on the golfer's glove. When the strap of a regular watch is too loose, the watch hits the wrist and glove, which is uncomfortable. Too tight is uncomfortable too, as the wrist's diameter changes during the course of a game--even during the course of a single swing.

To combat these problems, TAG Heuer developed an exclusive, ultra-flexible rubber strap with amazing elasticity. The strap never slides, prevents any shock on the wrist and adapts its length to any change in wrist diameter.

Made of ultra-light titanium, stainless steel and silicon rubber, the watch weighs only 55 grams, making it an astonishing 60% lighter than a TAG Heuer 2000 Steel watch.

The Professional Golf Watch’s ultra-light weight, strap elasticity and anti-shock design and construction gives an incomparable 5,000 G of shock absorption - 45 times more than the shock received by the watch during a golf swing.

This limited edition with Tiger Woods' logo on the dial and signature on the case back, is powered by a Swiss quartz movement. The indexes and markers are hand-applied and luminous.

MSRP is $1,100.

Courtesy Timezone

This post has been edited by nick212: Feb 14 2005, 08:52 AM

N E W M o d e l – Vacheron Constantin Jubile 1755

Another collection from Vacheron celebrating its 250th Anniversary is the Jubilee 1755. It is done in a limited edition of 1,755 pieces. They come in 18kt pink, yellow, and white gold, and in platinum.

Movement is the automatic Vacheron caliber 2475, with 27 jewels, beating at 18,800 bph and with a power reserve of 43 hours and a 22kt hand-decorated rotor. The movement features the Geneva Hallmark Seal of quality.

The case measures 40mm X 12mm with 20mm lugs. The crystal is sapphire as is the display back and it is water resistant to 30 meters.

Courtesy TimeZone

N E W M o d e l – Rado New Generation Sintra

Rado has redone the look of its Sintra line with a more modern, fluid design, barrel-shaped case made from scratchproof high-tech ceramics.

The new Rado Sintra is available in three variants, each in three sizes: either with band and case in platinum-color high-tech ceramics with a silver dial or iridescent blue, or with band, case and dial in black.

Movement is a Swiss-made ETA quartz. The crystal is sapphire.

Courtesy TimeZone

N E W M o d e l – DeGrisogono Instrumento Grande

The case, in 18kt rose gold, measures 39mm X 48mm X 13mm and features sapphire crystals top and bottom, and on the sides.

Movement is an automatic ETA (base 2892) with exclusive to DeGrisogono big-date feature.

MSRP is 15,900 Euros.

Courtesy TimeZone

[TwoTone]

INDUSTRY NEWS – Zenith Night in Geneva

Last week, at Geneva‘s “Batiment des Forces Motrices”, Zenith celebrated its “Zenith Night” where over some 700 guests, convened to celebrate the magical moments of love.

Clients from all over the world, as well as members of the international press, gathered to attend a memorable gala dinner, a celebration of chic glamour and pure emotions. Zenith showcased the Starissime, the first tourbillon chronograph for women.

Thierry Nataf, President of Zenith Manufacture, greeted his guests by stating “Dreams have the power to light the stars. At Zenith we have dreamt of this Manufacture at the pinnacle of perfection and today we are proud to see the achievement of our extravagant ambition. Our success confirms that Beauty and Truth are values with eternal character and that the loving care we apply to manufacturing our watches transcends the object and has the power to move you. I thank everyone who has shared this dream with us.”

Courtesy TimeZone

INDUSTRY NEWS – Universal Watch Acquires Ernst Benz

The Khankin family, owners of Universal Watch Company in Birmingham, Michigan, have acquired the USA-based business and worldwide manufacturing and marketing rights of Ernst Benz Limited.

Efim Khankin, President of Universal, said “Our relationship with Ernst Benz began several years ago as one of their original dealers and also as their exclusive USA after sales service center. We experienced great success with their massive 47mm timepieces in our Birmingham retail store. My sons, Boris and Leonid, and I have watched the Ernst Benz sales grow exponentially; first with the collection which we helped to develop and then the expanded dealer network. With the introduction of the new 40mm series, along with other models in development to be released later this year, the future of Ernst Benz seems quite promising and is rich in the tradition of the art of watchmaking and aviation watches.”

Mr. Khankin continues “Through the many conversations with our friend Chuck Agnoff, Ernst Benz’s founder, he had made clear to us that he felt that it was in the best interest of the future of the company to find someone who could take over and continue to grow the Ernst Benz brand and expand its distribution.”

The rest is now history. Agnoff, who is also the founder of Orbita Watchwinders, had a good problem which this acquisition solves. Orbita’s remarkable growth and success in the watchwinder business caused Agnoff to expand both in the USA and in Europe where Orbita has become an important supplier of private label watchwinders to several major Swiss watch manufacturers. Mr. Agnoff has had to establish a European factory to meet increased watchwinder demand and this growth requires his full attention. “My relationship with the Khankin family was the other factor in putting this deal together,” Agnoff explained. “They were easy to work with, very dynamic, and full of enthusiasm.”

The new USA office of Ernst Benz will be located in Birmingham, Michigan, while the manufacturing office will remain in Biel, Switzerland. The change will bring both an expanding collection as well as an increased dealer network both in the US and internationally. Leonid Khankin comments, “We are looking forward to partnering with many of the fine dealers with whom we have established relationships over the last 27 years through our service company, Universal Watch Repair, and working with our suppliers to continue developing an evermore interesting and innovative collection.”

Leonid adds, “Our family has grown Universal Watch Repair, which began as a small watch-repair shop working for six local jewelers, into a premiere facility providing after-sales service and restoration for over 4,000 jewelers, 24 Swiss manufacturers, and watch collectors worldwide. We expect to have the same success with Ernst Benz.”

The official handover is on March 25, 2005 and Agnoff said, “The change in ownership will take place in a manner which will be smooth and transparent and will not affect the current Ernst Benz dealer network, repairs or customer service.”

For further information from Universal, contact Efim Khankin at 248-723-5550.

For further information from Ernst Benz Limited, contact Chuck Agnoff at 910-792-9802.

Courtesy TimeZone

[TwoTone]

INDUSTRY NEWS - Pierce Brosnan Launches Omega Constellation Double Eagle

Omega, the renowned Swiss watch manufacturing company, part of the Swatch Group, the world's biggest manufacturer of finished watches, today announced the launch of its very latest collection - The Omega Constellation Double Eagle Chronograph.

Omega's global brand ambassador Pierce Brosnan was invited to India to launch this timepiece. Omega India brand ambassadress Sonali Bendre Behl along with G. Kannan, Country Manager, Swatch Group, were also present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr G. Kannan, Country Manager Swatch Group India said, "The popularity of Omega has grown manifold during the last couple of years. It was only imperative that we honour our patrons with something more. We are grateful to our global brand ambassador Pierce Brosnan to take out time and travel to India to launch the Constellation Double Eagle."

Omega ambassador Brosnan congratulated the International Indian Film Academy for its success in promoting Indian cinema across the globe.

The newly launched Omega Constellation Double Eagle promises to be a much sought-after timepiece. It is equipped with the Omega caliber 3313 movement. The watch has an intricate rhodium-plated finish of circular graining, Geneva wave decor and gold-plated engravings, with a blue-steel screw as the centerpiece.

Another attractive feature of this watch is its revolutionary Co-Axial Escapement, which reduces friction in the movement and offers better long-term accuracy; it also has a column-wheel chronograph mechanism. The column-wheel chronograph ensures precision operation of the chronograph functions, with a vertical coupling ensuring zero delay in the start, stop and reset functions.

Courtesy TimeZone

[TwoTone]

INDUSTRY NEWS – Rival Geneva Horology Show April 4 to 11, 2005

In addition to the venerable Baselworld and SIHH watch shows, another horology showcase will take place in Geneva on April 4 to the 11th.

Founded by Time Evolution, which is headed by Georges Daniel Remy, this event will feature Cedric Johner, Golay Spierer, Olivier Roux, Prano, Burgond, Anatole Le Grand-Edouard, Steenman, Georges Daniel Remy, Alpha du Centaure, Jean Pierre Lepine and Waltham Watches.

The show will be based in Geneva at the Galerie Amata.

Courtesy TimeZone

Article: Don't Buy That Fake Rolex! It Could Finance Terror

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Think twice before you buy that fake Rolex watch or knock-off designer handbag. The money you pay could end up funding terrorists.

It's not something most shoppers think about when tempted by the cheap and increasingly abundant wares of street vendors. But law enforcers say the threat is real and probably growing.

There is evidence that counterfeiters operating in New York City have sent money to Hamas and Hezbollah, groups designated as terrorist organizations by the United States, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said at a conference on counterfeiting.

So far, said Kelly, there had been no clear link between the selling of counterfeit goods and al-Qaeda, the group blamed for the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon (news - web sites) in 2001.

But he said the low cost of entry into the counterfeit business, low risk of penalties and the potentially big payoff made the making and selling of fake goods an ideal criminal enterprise, one that would appeal to terrorists in the same way it attracts organized crime.

"What we do know for certain is that the counterfeit trade has all the ingredients for an ideal criminal enterprise," Kelly said.

According to estimates by the International Chamber of Commerce (news - web sites), counterfeit goods accounted for 6 percent of world trade, valued at about $456 billion.

Kelly said that in New York, counterfeiting deprives the city of nearly $1 billion in tax revenues every year. The costs to security are more difficult to quantify.

Juan Zarate, the U.S. Treasury Department (news - web sites)'s top terror funding cop, said terror groups have become more sophisticated in funding their activities as the United States and other countries crack down on money laundering through banks and other financial institutions.

Counterfeiting is one of the methods used by terrorists to raise cash, he said.

Zarate said the Treasury had "seen examples where traded goods have been used to support terrorist groups." But he added that it was often quite difficult to draw clear lines between the counterfeit trade and terrorists.

DOING WELL BY DOING GOOD

The link between terrorism and counterfeiting has not escaped the attention of luxury goods makers, which have long been fighting a battle to protect their lucrative trademarks.

It's worth millions in lost revenues to the companies, but they say it's not just about money.

Glossy magazine Harper's Bazaar has been trying to make the case to its fashion-conscious readers that the bargain bags they buy on the street might be made by child labor or to line the pockets of drug dealers or terrorists.

"While purchasing just one fake accessory on a street corner might seem like an amusement, this is a far more serious crime than most of the public understands," said Valerie Salembier, publisher of Harper's Bazaar, the sponsor of the counterfeiting conference.

Frederick Mostert, chairman of the Intellectual Property Group of the Walpole Committee, a trade association of British luxury goods makers, said it was impossible to make goods counterfeit-proof. "Anything can be faked," he said.

Consumer education was the key. But it was hard to convince buyers to avoid cheap fakes when the fakes themselves often were considered chic.

People must understand "it's not a $10 product. It's cash, it's money laundering, it's organized crime, it's child labor, it's linked to terrorism and to drugs," said Bertrand Stalla-Bourdillon, general manager at Louis Vuitton.

PUT 'EM IN JAIL?

France, which already has taken aim at organized criminals involved in counterfeiting, is now targeting average consumers, who face huge fines -- up to hundreds of thousands of dollars -- and even jail time if they are caught with fakes.

Throwing shoppers into prison is probably not on the agenda in the United States. But fighting counterfeiters would be easier if international laws were streamlined, advocates said.

"When you have the restrictions and limitations of territoriality confronting a global problem, where counterfeiters and pirates act without any boundaries, we've got a mess," said Timothy Trainer, president of the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition, a lobbying group.

Slashing prices on luxury goods to put them more within reach of less well-heeled fashion lovers and discourage the purchase of cheaper knock-offs was not a viable option, said Armando Branchini, secretary general of Altagamma, the Italian association of high-end fashion companies.

"It's impossible to finance the product innovation of these brands and to support the contents of excellence, of quality they put in every phase of their business with prices comparable to those you can pay for fakes on Fifth Avenue or on Canal Street," he said. "So, it's absolutely impossible."

Author: Andrea Ricci

Courtesy YahooNews

PRESS RELEASE: Philip R Cooper Jewelers (PRCJewelers.com) has recently added to its collection of fine watches a one of a kind IWC Jacques-Yves Cousteau Aquatimer limited Edition, which commemorates the first Red Sea expedition by Jacques-Yves Cousteau in 1953.

(PRWEB) March 7, 2005 -- Philip R. Cooper Jewelers ( PRCjewelers.com) is an up-scale, independently owned and operated full-service jewelry store located in Bridgewater, NJ. Founded in 1960, PRC specializes in fine custom-designed jewelry and Swiss watches. PRCJewelers.com also maintains a presence in New York, and has built long-term relationships with reputable stone dealers in London and Belgium.

Philip R Cooper Jewelers (PRCJewelers.com) has recently added to its collection of fine watches a one of a kind IWC Jacques-Yves Cousteau Aquatimer limited Edition. This piece is one of only 1,953 watches produced worldwide, which commemorates the first Red Sea expedition by Jacques- Yves Cousteau in 1953.

“We are very pleased with our latest Aquatimer acquisition for our collection. We carry some of the top Swiss-made watches brands, such as IWC, and Chopard. Many of these top brands are made by world renowned watch makers”, said Jack Kung, President of Philip R. Cooper. “The expert craftsmanship of these watchmakers is becoming a rare commodity, which is one reason why their watches are consistently sought after by the most serious collectors worldwide.”

In addition, PRCJewelers.com also displays jewelry pieces from the store's collection. Every piece in the collection is made of only the highest quality and design in order to remain consistent with the PRC brand and mission. The in-house goldsmiths work with customers in creating jewelry pieces from concept or sketch to final fabrication. Through this type of commitment, experience, and expertise, PRCJewelers.com has established strong life-long relationships with its customers that is the foundation of the company's success.

For more information, visit PRCjewlers.com online or stop by one of the store's locations.

Courtesy PRweb

This post has been edited by nick212: Mar 8 2005, 02:56 AM

NEWS: Officine Panerai launches premium watches in India

Officine Panerai, the 145-year old Italian company, on Friday launched a range of premium watches in India. It launched the same in New Delhi on Thursday.

Romain Le Chevallier, Brand Manager, Panerai, said, "We feel that purchasing a watch is a very personal decision and one that should feel comfortable and informed about the making. At Panerai we make it possible to keep in direct contact with our individual customers by offering them special editions. These timeless pieces are an expression of contemporariness through the essentiality of its form, its content as well as its image".

The watches are exclusively available at Time Avenue, Bandra, Mumbai and at South Extension outlet of Johnson Watch Company, New Delhi. The company will gradually expand its operations to other Indian cities including Bangalore, he added.

The company targets the upper echelons of society and confident of making waves soon. The price-tags range from 3000Euros to 1.5lakhEuros for limited editions of its premium watches.

Courtesy YahooNews

ARTICLE: Presidential Watches

Putin wears a 60,000-dollar watch in comparison with George W.Bush's Timex for $50.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi wears the most expensive watch - Constantin Vacheron for $540,000

A watch takes a distinctively special place among politicians' accessories. One may say that a watch is the only standard of luxury consumption. Real estate, yachts and jets are hidden from the public eye, as a rule. A watch is something that everybody can see every day. The Russian Newsweek conducted a research to find out which trademarks and models Russian oligarchs and politicians wear.

It turned out as a result of the research that the Russian political, art and business elite prefer gold watches by best Swiss makers that count several centuries of experience. A watch underlines a high public status of its owner.

Russian President Vladimir Putin wears most expensive watch among Russian politicians. The head of state wears a $60,000 Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar watch. Putin wears his watch on the right wrist, the magazine wrote. The cost of Putin's watch is equal to the amount of the president's annual wages. The Russian president makes $60,000 a year. It looks like Putin is rather devoted to this watch brand. In 2003, Putin also had a Patek Philippe, although it was a different model - Patek Philippe Calatrava.

Patek Philippe is a very conservative and expensive brand. Patek Philippe is a watch for rich presidents, presidents and politicians. It is noteworthy, that this brand does not like public advertising. An NTV correspondent decided to find out once if Putin was really wearing a Patek Philippe. "I have heard that the president has one of our watches. It is a rather strict model, although it is not the most complicated one," a spokesperson for the watchmaker said.

Several Russian deputies and governmental officials also have a fondness for the presidential trademark. Anatoli Chubais, the chairman of the energy giant RAO UES of Russia wears a classic gold Patek Philippe complete with indicator of lunar phases and two additional calendar meters. Chubais wears his watch on the left wrist, though.

President of Alpha Bank, Peter Aven, wears a bourgeois Patek Philippe Annual Calendar that comes in a white metal case. Aven's watch costs not less than $19,000.

Moscow Mayor Yiri Luzhkov owns a Patek Philippe Calatrava for $18,000. A year ago the mayor had a gold watch with a portrait of Alexander Pushkin on the back lid. Luzhkov received the watch as a gift from the company Breguet for the 200th anniversary of the poet.

Chelsea's owner, oligarch Roman Abramovich has a selection of Rolex watches. Now he wears a $29,000 Rolex Daytona, although he had a gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date Submariner for about $19,000 before.

Mikhail Gorbachev wears Omega Constellation, Zhirinovsky owns a Soviet-made Slava watch.

US President George W. Bush is a very modest person: he wears a 50-dollar Timex Indiglo watch. The American president is sure that he will never lose his watch: the presidential watch has a personal engraving on the back: George W. Bush President January 20, 2001.

California governor and Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger wears Audemars Piguet, models Royal Oak Offshore and Paneria Luminor.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who has a great passion for watches, wears the most expensive Constantin Vacheron watch for $540,000.

Courtesy Pravda.com

Note: In no way is this a political statement.

[TwoTone]

INDUSTRY NEWS – Omega Sponsors 1st Underwater National Ice Hockey Match

The first official national ice hockey match under the ice, between Austria and Germany, ended in a friendly 8:8 (2:4/3:1/3:3) draw.

A total of 16 goals, some tough underwater fights and action aplenty made for an ice hockey match that was out of the ordinary. Philipp von Heydebreck and Knut Stender of Germany had a 4:2 lead after the first period, whereas Austria's freedivers Christian Redl and Jaromir Foukal took the second period 3: 1. The decisive third period ended 3:3, bring the overall score to 8:8.

Europe's highest bathing lake, the Weissensee in Kaernten, was the venue for the first official national ice hockey match between Austria and Germany "under the ice".

The playing field measured 8 x 6 metres, the goals were fixed to the underside of the ice, the polystyrene puck floated under the ice and the players took it in turns to dive into the 2-degree-celsius water. All divers wore Omega’s for accurate timekeeping.

Courtesy TimeZone

INDUSTRY NEWS – John Travolta New Breitling Ambassador

A seasoned pilot and a watch brand that has lived through some of the grandest hours in aviation history. John Travolta and Breitling were destined to meet each other.

John Travolta is not only a movie star and a multi-faceted actor. He is also a peerless pilot and an aviation fanatic. As a young boy in his New Jersey garden, he already used to dream as he watched planes criss-crossing the sky near the New York airports. At the age of 16, he began flight lessons, funding his passion with his first actor’s paychecks. He earned his pilot’s license when he was 19. Today, John Travolta has more than 5,000 flight hours to his credit. He is certified on eight types of aircraft, including the Boeing 747- 400 Jumbo Jet, and travels the world at the controls of his own airliner. His residence in Ocala, Florida, has its own private runway able to welcome jumbo jets, a taxiway leading to the house and a fullfledged terminal to accommodate his various flying machines. Plenty of scope to fulfill his greatest dream: to fly at least once a day.

For Breitling, aviation is second nature, a stronghold, an exclusive preserve. Since 1884, the company has shared in writing some of the finest chapters in the conquest of the skies. Several of its models, such as the Navitimer and the Chronomat, have become cult objects for pilots the world over. The brand has come to specialize in reliable high-performance "wrist instruments", designed for the most demanding professionals. Its chronographs meet the highest criteria of sturdiness and functionality, and are all equipped with movements chronometer-certified by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC), the highest benchmark in terms of precision and reliability.

John Travolta nurtures a passion for everything that embodies the authentic spirit of aviation. Which is why Breitling wrist instruments have accompanied him on some of his best flight hours. To illustrate this encounter, John Travolta will appear soon in a new Breitling advertising campaign. The visuals were shot by Patricia von Ah on the private runway of the Travolta residence in Ocala. The emphasis is clearly on John Travolta’s professionalism as a pilot, on his peerless experience, and on the authentic ties binding him to the brand with the winged B. Because when you are certified on eight types of aircraft and have chalked up over 5,000 flight hours, reliability, security and precision are definitely not about play-acting!

Courtesy TimeZone

INDUSTRY NEWS – Oris Plans Tribute to Frank Sinatra

Oris is dedicating an exclusive watch collection to the great entertainer Frank Sinatra, which will be launch at Baselworld 2005.

The Frank Sinatra Foundation has given the Swiss watch manufacturer permission to market watches under the name of Frank Sinatra, Chairman of the Board, or Ol’ Blue Eye. The collection comprises men’s and ladies’ watches with different mechanical movements and complications.

The Oris Frank Sinatra collection is a tribute to The Voice, the crooner who still attracts fans from every generation, the lanky entertainer who embodies the heyday of show business.

Courtesy TimeZone

INDUSTRY NEWS – Bombardier Jets to Market Wristwatches

Bombardier of Canada has licensed its name to B-Watches of Switzerland for the creation of wristwatches bearing its corporate logo and name. Bombardier produces regional jets, trains and snow mobiles. B-Watches is based in Porrentruy, in the Swiss Jura valley.

Their first pieces, to be unveiled at Baselworld 2005, are the Vintage Chronograph collection. These feature 44mm stainless steel cases housing automatic movements from ETA. They are water resistant to 200 meters. Crystals are sapphire.

Courtesy Timezone

[TwoTone]

INDUSTRY NEWS - Tokyo Watch Technicum - WOSTEP Diploma Ceremony

Tokyo Watch Technicum, a school dedicated to fostering watchmaking skills, held its WOSTEP Diploma Ceremony for its first class (which began on April of 2003) at the Swiss Ambassador's residence.

11 students who passed the final examination were awarded the WOSTEP Diploma by Mr. Maarten Pieters, the director of the Swiss program. The members of WOSTEP include Swatch Group, Richemont Group, Breitling and Patek Philippe, and all attended the event.

At the ceremony, the students received congratulatory addresses by H.E. Jacques Reverdin, Ambassador of Switzerland to Japan and Mr. Toshiji Kotani, the Chairman of the Japan Watch Importer's Association.

All graduates of the Tokyo Watch Technicum were offered jobs in the watch industry following their apprenticeship.

Courtesy Timezone

INDUSTRY NEWS – SoftWind Elan Watch Winders

As with other SoftWind machines the Elan 1 is available in a selection of four exotic hardwoods.

The introductory price of The Elan I is $250.00. List price is $365.00. More information can be found at www.primadyne.com.

Courtesy TimeZone

INDUSTRY NEWS – Richard Branson’s Breitling Emergency Raises £20,200 For Charity

The auction of Sir Richard Branson’s Breitling ‘Emergency’ watch on eBay has closed with a winning bid of £20,200. The money raised from this is to be donated to ORBIS, the worldwide blindness prevention charity, which was the official charity for the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer record attempt.

Richard Branson lent his Breitling watch, which has accompanied him on many of his own adventures, to his friend and fellow adventurer Steve Fossett for his solo, non-stop, circumnavigation of the world. Steve Fossett successfully gained the record in the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer on Thursday 3 March after successfully landing in Salina, Kansas after his 67 hour journey.

The watch is not only equipped with an in-built Emergency Positioning Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) meaning that it can send a rescue signal using Global Positioning System satellites but it also has a rich record-breaking history as Richard explains:

"In the years that I have owned this wonderful watch it has witnessed many, many adventures including a dunking in the Pacific Ocean on Christmas day 1998, after we had made it ¾ of the way around to world in our last Virgin Challenger balloon attempt where it helped save my life. It has raced across the English Channel setting a new World Record in the Virgin Atlantic Aquada car and last but not least witnessed the winning of the X prize by SpaceShipOne and the launch of Virgin Galactic.

Steve Fossett has now taken it one step further and it is now the first watch and only watch to go around the world in a plane on a non-stop, solo flight. Hopefully the new owner of this watch will have as many wonderful adventures as I’ve had and if they ever find themselves in a sticky situation it may well save their life too! “

ORBIS was one of the first blindness prevention charities working in developing countries to make childhood blindness prevention and treatment a priority. The statistics are shocking - every minute another child will go blind, that’s half a million children every year who will not reach their full potential. With early diagnosis and treatment much of this blindness can be prevented. To find out more about the work of ORBIS visit www.ukorbis.org

Courtesy TimeZone

INDUSTRY NEWS - Franck Muller Watchland Purchases Rodolphe & Co.

Rodolphe Montres et Bijoux has been acquired by the Franck Muller group of companies (Franck Muller, Pierre Kunz and European Company Watch).

Rodolphe Cattin, founder of his eponymous company will remain with the firm.

Whilst Rodolphe will showcase its products at Baselworld 2005, the Franck Muller group will show its creations at the rival “WPHH World Presentation of Haute Horlogerie” in Genthod from the 4th to the 10th of April.

Courtesy TimeZone

[TwoTone]

INDUSTRY NEWS – New ETA Caliber Valgranges A07.161

At Baselworld 2005, ETA has introduced the Valgranges caliber to meet the growing demand for movements for large cased watches. The Valgranges is based on the legendary Valjoux 7750 chronograph movement.

The A07-161 has 24 jewels, beating at 28,800 bph and measures 37mm X 8mm. It has a power reserve of 48 hours.

Functions include hour, minutes, seconds, power reserve and date window.

Courtesy Timezone

[TwoTone]

INDUSTRY NEWS – Ronda Quartz Movements

Ronda presented at Baselworld 2005 its new family of calibers, the 5040.F series.

These quartz chronograph movements are equipped with a 1/10th of a second counter, 30 minute counter, 10 hour counter and a complete calendar with a pointer-type date display.

The movements are gilded, with 13 jewels and measure 28mm X 4mm.

Courtesy Timezone

INDUSTRY NEWS – Chinese Tourbillons Sold at Baselworld 2005

Reed Elsevier’s JCK News is reporting that a Chinese company named Ocean Voice Time-Tech of Hong Kong showed a tourbillion watch that it sells as a private label product to watchmakers and suppliers, who put their own name on it. The tourbillion, which Ocean Voice sells for to its clients for under $3,000, was two years in development.

It was designed by Ocean Time and produced according to its technical specifications in China. Three days into the eight-day BaselWorld fair, Ocean Voice already had orders from at least 10 foreign clients, who ordered 10 to 20 each of the new tourbillion.

It has been rumored in recent years that some parts used in some European watches’ tourbillions might be Chinese-made, but this seems to be the first complete tourbillion made in China for sale in the watch industry.

Courtesy Timezone

INDUSTRY NEWS – Mercedes CLS 55 AMG Special IWC Ingenieur Edition

Well, now you know what to drive with your new IWC Ingenieur watch, the AMG Mercedes CLS 55!

Scans courtesy of Auto-Motor-und-Sport of Germany.

Courtesy Timezone

N E W S - Baselworld 2005 – The Other Products

Ok, i suggest we setup a fund to purchase a few of these for our beloved rep-makers . . . no?

In addition to wristwatches, pocket watches, clocks and jewelry, one can find at Baselworld the tools necessary to construct those items listed above.

Bergeon, a noted name in watchmaking tools, offered a selection of working benches for watchmakers. They were created through an association with the Bodenmann carpenter-cabinetmakers, this new range of “Swiss Made” workbenches covers the entire spectrum of watchmakers’ needs, from repairs to assembly workshops.

They feature metallic or beechwood panels, plywood, leather and drawers to house tools and optional lamps.

Courtesy TimeZone

Frédérique Constant wins "Watch of the Year Award 2005"

June the 4th Noordwijk, the Netherlands

We are very proud to announce that Frédérique Constant Genève has won the title "Watch of the Year 2005" in the class up to € 3000. The title was given to Frédérique Constant Heart Beat Manufacture Caliber FC-910.

The prize winners were announced during the annual "Horloge Gala" which was held at the prestigious "Huis ter Duin" Hotel in Noordwijk situated on the Dutch coast.

The award was presented to Frédérique Constant by chairman of the jury mr. Ron Wooter ("Director of the International Clock and Watch Department of Sotheby`s" in Amsterdam). On behalf of the jury he explained the choice for Frédérique Constant in winning the award. "The excellent price/quality ratio together with its appealing design is a superb combination. In addition, Frédérique Constant has completely designed and produced this movement making it a true Manufacture movement".

The prize was handed to mr. Peter Constant Stas, founder and owner of Frédérique Constant Genève and mr. Ralph Simons, representing Paul Simons Watches & Design and distributor for Frédérique Constant in the Netherlands.

Mr. Stas was very much delighted about winning this award:

"It is a true honour and a great pleasure to recieve this award. A great reward for the two and half years we worked passionately on the developping this caliber. The Heart Beat Manufacture Caliber was developped by Frédérique Constant together with a team of 8 specialists from the "École d'Horlogerie de Genève", "École d'Ingenieurs de Genève" and the "Horloge Vakschool Zadkine" in Rotterdam. For the production aspect, a team of 14 specialists was carefully selected.

At this moment Frédérique Constant has introduced new varieties of the FC-910 caliber. At Baselword 2005, Frédérique Constant introduced its "Heart Beat Manufacture Moonphase Date" with FC-915 caliber and its "Ladies Heart Beat Manufacture" with FC-910 caliber. New models are currently in development. I would like to close of with a word of great gratitude. I wish to thank all employees of Frédérique Constant Genève, the staff of Paul Simons Watches & Design for their tremendous efforts over the last couple of years. Concerning this evening I wish to express many thanks to the "Horloges Magazine" for organizing this impressive event. Finally I wish to invite all of you for the opening ceremony of our new building, currently being constructed in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva."

Courtesy FrederiqueConstant.com

INDUSTRY NEWS - Hermes Watches in 2004

Apr 18, 2005 - 02:23 PM

In 2004, luxury group Hermes recorded an 8.3% increase in turnover (+11.9% at constant exchange rates), to 1,332 billion euros, posting an operating profit of 336.7 million euros (+1.2%). After taking into account increases in taxation, net profit fell by 3.6% (+15.6% at constant exchange rates), to 210.1 million euros.

La Montre Hermes (the group’s luxury watch subsidiary – which accounts for nearly 8% of turnover), established on the outskirts of Biel with 85 employees, realised sales in local currencies almost identical to those of 2003, namely around 108 million euros.

The number of watches sold remained stable at 124,000 pieces, while their average price increased slightly. Distributed via a network of around 1,000 points of sale (including approximately 250 exclusive Hermes stores) and particularly strong in Asia, watches sales were buoyant in the United States and in a number of European countries, following the example of France.

Director of La Montre Hermes Emmanuel Raffner told Swiss newspaper Le Temps that the intention today was to "refocus watch activity more on our own stores, particularly in Japan, where watch distribution is experiencing a number of difficulties". In addition to traditional collections, more technical watches – notably the Dressage collection equipped with Vaucher Manufacture movements – are finding favour with the public. This has also been the case with the Arceau model, now available in a mechanical version.

Courtesy TimeZone

INDUSTRY NEWS - Bulgari Group Acquires 50% Stake in Cadrans Design

Apr 20, 2005 - 12:35 PM

As part of its vertical integration process, Bulgari announced that it has acquired a 50% stake in Cadrans Design S.A. This Swiss company is a leader in the creation and production of sophisticated dials for complicated and high-end watches for many prestigious international watchmaking brands.

Cadrans Design is based in La Chaux-de-Fonds. It has 28 employees at present and reached a turnover of 3 million Swiss Francs ($2.5 million) in 2004.

Its founder, Laurent Ryser, owns the other 50% of the company and will continue to direct it. The firm will also keep supplying other high-end watchmakers.

This acquisition will allow the three brands of the Bulgari Group; Bulgari, Daniel Roth and Gerald Genta, more efficiency in purchases and better service to customers via faster production of complicated and high-end watches.

Courtesy TimeZone

[TwoTone]

INDUSTRY NEWS - Omega Reaffirms Partnership with Emirates Team New Zealand for 2007 America's Cup

Apr 25, 2005 - 01:49 PM

Swiss watchmaker Omega and Emirates Team New Zealand today announced a continuation of their partnership as Official Watch of the Kiwi's challenge for the 2007 America's Cup in Valencia.

Omega started its involvement with the America's Cup through its association with the late Sir Peter Blake, as sponsor and official supplier of Seamaster watches for his challenge for the 1995 America's Cup. After a victory in 1995 that brought the Auld Mug to New Zealand, Omega continued its involvement with the America's Cup as official timekeeper of the oldest competition in sport in 2000 and 2003, where Sir Peter Blake's protege, Dean Barker - also an Omega ambassador - skippered the New Zealand yacht.

Commenting on the partnership, Dean Barker confessed that "the Cup would not be the same for me without Omega, since they have been with us for ten years now. Just as I feel part of their family of ambassadors, I consider them as a part of our family, too". For his part, Stephen Urquhart, head of Omega, stressed the importance of the event for Omega: "We are proud to be a partner of Emirates Team New Zealand and therefore continue our association with the America's Cup. Alongside the forthcoming Olympic Games in Turin and Beijing, it ranks as one of the most prestigious sporting events in our calendar. We wish Emirates Team New Zealand every success with their campaign".

Courtesy TimeZone

INDUSTRY NEWS – Nomos Glashutte In-House Movements – Price Increases

Apr 28, 2005 - 02:29 PM

Nomos now designs and builds its own movements, and that has prices climbing.

The company is raising retail prices by up to 170 euros per watch as of April 1st for all models.

Watchmakers’ salaries have almost doubled since the beginning of the 1990s, and with Nomos now a manufacture, the production of watches has become ever more difficult and expensive, and the results of that need to be reflected in the price.

With the introduction of the new Nomos automatic movement, the production of the manually wound mechanisms was also changed over to autonomous production. To do this, engineers, toolmakers, and watchmakers were hired, new machines bought, and the train station renovated.

Compared to other brands with even lower depths of production and less of their own developments, the prices of Nomos’ watches until now were in some cases “prohibitively low,” as a customer wrote to Nomos in February. The last price increase took place four years ago.

When larger numbers of a special edition model are sold, making distribution and communication somewhat less expensive, and when a limited special edition model is practically sold in advance, making calculation easier, Nomos will be able to offer watches less expensively every now and then. The Nomos principle will however remain: The price for a watch results from material and labor, and almost nothing else.

Here are some old and new prices for NOMOS watches:

Model - Old Price in Euros - New Price in Euros

Tangente Old - 690 New - 860

Tangente Display Back New - 960

Tangente Date Old - 1,170 New - 1,250

Tangente Date PR Old - 1,650 New - 1,730

Ludwig Old - 680 New - 840

Orion Old - 750 New - 920

Tetra Old - 770 New - 940

Tetra Display Back Old - 990 New - 1,070

Courtesy TimeZone

INDUSTRY NEWS - Jaeger-LeCoultre Inaugurates a Boutique in Geneva

Apr 29, 2005 - 01:36 PM

In the presence of invited guests and in an ambience dedicated to “light”, Jerôme Lambert inaugurated Switzerland’s first Jaeger-LeCoultre boutique in a prime position at 2, Rue du Rhône in Geneva.

“We have entrusted the management of the boutique to a long-standing partner, Les Ambassadeurs,” Lambert explained in his welcoming speech. Boris Othenin-Girard, the Director of the boutique in Geneva, will head a team of professionals dedicated to the brand along with a watchmaker to ensure total service.”

The Geneva store follows the opening of boutiques in Hong Kong, Paris, London, Shanghai and Beijing.

Courtesy TimeZone

INDUSTRY NEWS – Montres Franc Vila at Baselworld 2005

May 05, 2005 - 12:51 PM

Franc Vila is a new brand from a Spanish designer based in Valencia and Geneva.

The oficial presentation of Montres Franc Vila was in Baselworld 2005. Mr. Vila presented a series of watches featuring various complications. According to Mr. Vila, the brand will begin to have a presence in a lot of markets this year including the United States.

Courtesy TimeZone

This post has been edited by Neo: Jul 28 2005, 04:32 AM

INDUSTRY NEWS - New Hublots under Mr. Biver's Leadership

May 09, 2005 - 01:16 PM

Ever since Jean-Claude Biver, of Blancpain fame, took over the leadership of Hublot, many new interesting timepieces have been coming down the pipe.

At Baselworld 2005 Hublot showcased the “Big Bang” chronograph, created with a fusion of exotic materials such as gold, ceramics, kevlar, carbon and rubber.

Soon, Hublot will come out with this new chronometer diver, the Aquarama:

And a Tourbillon for its classic line:

Courtesy TimeZone

[TwoTone]

INDUSTRY NEWS – New NOMOS Headquarters in Old Train Station

May 13, 2005 - 02:07 PM

Nomos has moved to the town of Glashütte’s former train station. After a good three years of planning, interrupted by a massive flood, and just about one year’s worth of construction, the old train station building is now the main location for Nomos’ production and administration. It has 1,200 square meters of space.

Artist Klaus Schmitt renovated the Nomos train station. The 49-year-old artist was once a master-class pupil of Günther Uecker in Düsseldorf and studied Catholic theology. works by Mr. Schmitt can be seen at the UBS Bank in Basel, the Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt, the Oppenheim Bank in Cologne, Berlin’s Federal Ministry for Traffic, and the Bayer research center in Wuppertal.

Since 1998 Klaus Schmitt has built trade show booths for the watch manufacturer: walk-in sculptures, spindly roof batten or wood-board designs that – because they are so different – have greatly irritated the glittery trade show world of watches and jewelry again and again. Schmitt is seeing to “a little more art in Glashütte” and art at Nomos.

The building, built in 1937 at the city’s central intersection, which stands on a property of about 600 square meters, was reconstructed and renovated in an unconventional manner. Only the first floor and basement rooms have been inhabited thus far: Nomos’ production, sales, and quality control departments, previously located in the building at Altenberger Straße 36, have been at work in the train station since the beginning of the year. The administration will move into the first floor in May, and the top floor will be completed in the summer.

The building on Altenberger Straße is being sublet to A. Lange & Söhne. The new NOMOS building also remains a train station: After the pause in train traffic due to the flood, rail service is finally underway again. Passengers, however, won’t be getting their tickets in the train station, but rather at the place they have been getting them for years: vending machines.

Courtesy TimeZone

INDUSTRY NEWS - Panerai Exhibition in Tokyo

May 23, 2005 - 01:58 PM

Officine Panerai will exhibit part of its historic timepieces and accesories to the public at the Tokyo International Forum for 9 days. This will be a free event.

The event will start on Saturday, June 4 and last until Sunday, June 12.

It will take place at the Tokyo International Forum, located at:

3-5-1 Marunouchi

Chiyoda-ku

Tokyo

Courtesy TimeZone

INDUSTRY NEWS – Omega Opens Hong Kong Store – Planet Ocean Unveiling

May 27, 2005 - 01:23 PM

Celebrity Ambassadors Richie Jen and Alex Fong helped Omega launch its new Mini Flagship Store at SOGO in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong and also celebrated the arrival of the latest Seamaster, the Planet Ocean, at the Ocean Park amusement park in Hong Kong.

The excitement began in Causeway Bay as pop star and Omega Ambassador Richie Jen, a well known motor sport enthusiast, arrived at the chic SOGO department store in Causeway Bay behind the wheel of a gleaming new Maserati. After being welcomed by Kevin Rollenhagen, Vice President of Omega for China and Hong Kong, Richie watched a traditional lion dance and eye dotting ceremony to celebrate the launch.

At Ocean Park, Alex and Richie took part in a special Dolphin Show with some very playful Ocean Park dolphins. Afterwards, they completed the special mission by diving into the pool to collect the treasure chest from the bottom. Inside the chest was the latest jewel from OMEGA, the new Seamaster Planet Ocean. The Planet Ocean is one of the most important new models for 2005 and a star at the Basel Fair. It comes in a choice of black or orange, the latter being the most visible color underwater and ideal for divers. The Planet Ocean also marks the first ever first full-scale use of Omega's proprietary Co-Axial Escapement movement in the Seamaster divers' watch collection.

Courtesy TimeZone

INDUSTRY NEWS – America’s Cup Winner Russell Coutts Joins Omega

May 27, 2005 - 01:24 PM

Swiss prestige watch manufacturer Omega, part of the Swatch Group - the world's largest watch manufacturer - is proud to announce that top yachtsman and current America's Cup champion Russell Coutts has joined the family of prominent personalities that promote the brand worldwide.

Omega has been involved at the top level of international sailing over the past decade, both as the official watch of Emirates Team New Zealand and the Official Timekeeper of events such as the America's Cup 2000 and 2003 and The Transat 2004. Omega is also proud to have been the official timekeeper of Ellen MacArthur's record-breaking solo round-the-world voyage in 2005 and is honoured to count Ellen and Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker among its family of ambassadors.

Kiwi star Russell Coutts could already be seen sporting the Omega colors during the recent Toscana Elba Cup, where he convincingly defended his title. In addition to the Omega cap he wears, the three-times America's Cup winner will also wear one of Omega's legendary Seamaster timepieces: the Seamaster Professional Racing Chronograph, which has a special Regatta countdown function that will help him time his crucial starts to perfection.

At the pinnacle of match race sailing, Russell Coutts had dominated recent America's Cup history, having won the past three editions of the race with an unprecedented 14 consecutive individual race victories. The three-time World Match Race Champion, who is currently competing on the world's major match race circuits, welcomed the new partnership, recalling that he has "known the people at Omega very well since the Omega Match Race Sailing Circuit in 1992 and particularly through their association with the America's Cup since they first partnered with Sir Peter Blake's challenge.

Courtesy TimeZone

INDUSTRY NEWS – Ball Watch Unveils New Hydrocarbon Model in Japan

May 31, 2005 - 01:15 PM

The official Japanese distributor of Ball Watch has unveiled a new Hydrocarbon model, the "Engineer Hydrocarbon Chronograph".

The case, in titanium with stainless steel bezel, measures 42mm X 18.3mm. The crystal is sapphire with AR coating.

It is water resistant to 300 meters. It is shock resistant to 7,500 G’s and amagnetic to 12,000 amperes.

Movement is the automatic ETA caliber 7750. The dial can be had in white or black with 30 fluorescent micro-gas tubes on the dial and hands.

MSRP is 265,650 Yen (approx. $2,500). Ball Watches are distributed by Montre Solmare of Tokyo.

Courtesy TimeZone

INDUSTRY NEWS – Martin Braun Summer Watch Shows

Jun 02, 2005 - 01:10 PM

Born in 1964, Martin Braun is a master watchmaker who learned and honed his craft in Germany’s classical jewelry and watchmaking city of Pforzheim.

His big breakthrough came in 2000 with the introduction of the EOS model.

This year, Mr. Braun will be touring Canada and the United States to showcase his ever expanding collection of timepieces.

Here is his schedule:

June 9, 10 & 11 from 11 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.

Matt Bailey Jewelers

1427 Crescent Street

Montreal, Quebec

Canada

Wednesday, June 15, 2005 from 2 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Kenjo

40 West 57th Street

New York City, New York

June 16, 2005 from 1 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Royal Jewelers

58 Main Street

Andover, Massachusetts

June 18, 2005 from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Swiss Watch Gallery

24155 Laguna Hills Mall

Laguna Hills, California

Courtesy TimeZone

[TwoTone]

INDUSTRY NEWS – Rolex Transatlantic Challenge 2005 – World’s Record Broken

Jun 03, 2005 - 02:34 PM

The 100-year old West-to-East race record across the North Atlantic, between New York and the Lizard, fell this morning to Robert Miller's Mari-Cha IV. Robert Miller is the billionaire former owner of DFS, the duty-free chain of shops at international airports.

His yacht, the Mari-Cha IV,made her time for the 2,925 mile course from the Ambrose light off New York harbor in 9 days 15 hours 55 minutes and 23 seconds at an average speed for the course of 12.61 knots. The record set by America's Cup veteran Charlie Barr on board Wilson Marshall's Atlantic in the race for the Kaiser's Cup in 1905 was 12 days 4 hours 1 minute and 19 seconds, so Mari-Cha IV, despite the inclement weather conditions experienced during the first half of the race, has still taken 2 days 12 hours 5 minutes 56 seconds off the race record. Her official time awaits formal ratification by the World Sailing Speed Record Council.

“It is a great feat,” commented Mari-Cha IV's owner Robert Miller. “For a record to stand 100 years, and we've had the honour to make an attempt and be successful at it--I am over the moon, overjoyed. It is fantastic. This was a very tough trip. We had six days of weather on the nose. We crossed the Gulf Stream, saw some very rough seas there and again headwinds and steep short seas on the nose, and the boat and the crew took a lot of beating.”

The Rolex Transatlantic Challenge is sponsored by Rolex, and hosted by the New York Yacht Club with the cooperation of the Royal Yacht Squadron of the United Kingdom.

Courtesy TimeZone

INDUSTRY NEWS – Oris Jazz Concerts

Jun 07, 2005 - 02:59 PM

Oris Watches, Tourneau and WBGO Jazz 88.3 FM will be sponsoring a series of jazz concerts in June, at Tourneau’s Time Machine store located at 57th Street & Madison Avenue.

The concerts will be presented each Tuesday in June from 12:00 noon until 2:00 pm in the atrium. Concerts are free and open to the general public.

“WBGO is exceedingly proud of the partnership we have maintained over the years with Oris Swiss Made Watches and Tourneau. It gives us great pleasure to once again kick off the summer with the great sounds of straight-ahead jazz.”

This music, like the Oris 2005 honoree, Frank Sinatra, is timeless. Bowles concluded by saying, “This year’s concert artists truly embody the jazz legacy that WBGO is committed to preserving. We are pleased and proud of the ever-increasing audiences that gather at the atrium of the Tourneau Time Machine for these concerts.”

Courtesy TimeZone

INDUSTRY NEWS – Hublot is Exclusive Watch Partner of the Monaco Yacht Club

Jun 10, 2005 - 01:24 PM

Outsanding presentation of the Fusion yesterday June 8, in Monaco by Jean-Claude Biver.

Hublot was presenting his latest partnership with the prestigious Yacht Club of Monaco, situated on one of the most renowned port in the world. Jean-Claude Biver was announcing that Hublot has been chosen to become Official Timekeeper of the all the regattas of the Yacht Club de Monaco and particularly of the much celebrated sailing Classic Week that will take place next September in the bay of Monaco. Hublot has also presented a splendid new creation, a Big Bang "Yacht Club" de Monaco inspired by Tuiga, the legendary boat built in 1909 and today, property of the Yacht Club de Monaco.

Jean-Claude Biver has given an outstanding presentation of the Fusion with his new partner Bernard D'Alessandri, Director of the Yacht Club de Monaco who both share the same views and values of the Fusion, a marriage of Grand Tradition and Heritage. That afternoon, the guest were participating to a sailing defi in the bay of Monaco between the legendary Tuiga dating 1909 and a fabulous Wally Dangerous but Fun, contemporary sailing boat created with the latest technologies and materials symbolizing the Fusion, so dear to Hublot, between Tradition and Novation.

The event was a great success and confirms Hublot legitimacy with the sea with prestige, luxury and excellence.

Look at the picture of the new Hublot Big Bang "Yacht Club de Monaco" and the picture of the 2 Fusion men.

Please read the following Press Release for further details.

Brigitte Makhzani-Hublot Communication

"Hublot, exclusive watch partner of the Monaco Yacht Club"

The watchmaker Hublot and the Monaco Yacht Club (YCM) have decided to form a new prestigious partnership. Hublot becomes the exclusive watchmaker for the Monaco Yacht Club. The two “teams” share a constant ability to combine the requirements of sport and prestige, performance and dreams, power and emotion. In this context, Hublot becomes the official timekeeper of the 7th Monaco Classic Week, which will take place from 13 to 18 September 2005 in Monaco Bay. Finally, a limited edition of the powerful Hublot Big Bang watch in the colours of the Monaco Yacht Club marks the announcement of this partnership.

The prestigious and emblematic Monaco Yacht Club (YCM), presided by H.R.H. Prince Albert II, decided to combine forces with Hublot in a unique and exemplary watchmaking partnership. From the very outset the values shared by Hublot and the Monaco Yacht Club, as well as the image and business activities of both partners, pointed to promising future synergies and collaboration.

For Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of Hublot: “The Monaco Yacht Club is synonymous throughout the world with prestige, luxury and dreams, as well as sport, performance and the best of yachting. This image of combining apparently contradictory elements, in perfect harmony with the renaissance of Hublot, is a golden opportunity for the Hublot brand to reinforce its presence in the world of yachting. In the Monaco Yacht Club we found the ideal partner to express the blending concept that has reinvigorated Hublot on the international scene.”

A blend of sport and prestige

Wednesday, 8 June 2005 will remain engraved in the annals of Hublot’s history as a key date in the process of revamping the brand, precisely twenty years after audaciously bursting onto the prestige watchmaking scene by daring to combine gold and rubber for the first time. Perceived as eccentric at the time by almost all commentators and competitors, this alliance of noble metal and rubber is now the height of fashion and offered by many watchmakers. Hublot was ahead of its time in demonstrating that apparently paradoxical elements could provide explosive results. Sport and prestige, performance and dreams, power and emotion are today, as yesterday, in the genetic make-up of Hublot. They are also the codes that govern the day-to-day running of the Monaco Yacht Club.

“Faithful to its tradition of excellence and exclusivity, the Monaco Yacht Club does not want to forge endless partnerships”, explains Bernard d’Alessandri, the managing director. “What we are celebrating today is a particular temperament. We found in Hublot not only a prestigious partner, but one perfectly in keeping with the quality and sporting image of our club. We share values, as well as a passion and commitment to the sea.”

The partnership with the Monaco Yacht Club clearly anchors the watchmaker in the marine world from which it borrowed its name and the characteristic design of its models. This rapprochement between a watchmaker and the nautical world, emblematic of prestige and performance, underlines a shared vision of the yachting lifestyle.

As the exclusive watchmaker for the Monaco Yacht Club, Hublot has a showcase at the heart of the prestigious yacht club. The link between Hublot and the club in the Principality is manifested in the wall clocks with the characteristic Hublot design and a showcase presenting the latest models in the Swiss watchmaker’s collections.

The Monaco Classic Week – with Hublot as timekeeper

As an extension to its partnership with the Monaco Yacht Club, Hublot becomes the official timekeeper for the very popular Monaco Classic Week. This major annual event on the international calendar – from 13 to 18 September 2005 – brings together off the shores of the Principality the most beautiful boats (sail and motor) in the true yachting tradition. As a timekeeper born to the maritime world, Hublot could not dream of a better opportunity than the Monaco Classic Week to indulge its dual passion and to fully reveal its savoir-faire.

Big Bang

“Monaco Yacht Club” limited edition

The flagship of the Monaco Yacht Club, the Tuiga, is a legendary boat built in 1909 by William Fife. This “15-metre International Class”, restored in 1993, was acquired in 1995 by the Monaco Yacht Club. As H.R.H. Prince Albert II explains, “For a long time I wanted our club to have a prestigious yacht that would demonstrate Monaco’s fidelity to the maritime heritage of traditional yachting. When the opportunity to acquire Tuiga arose in 1995, I was happy to seize it, and I would like to thank all of the members of the ‘Tuiga Committee’, without whose support this project could never have come to fruition.”

Restored in 1993, Tuiga, built of mahogany on steel frames, has an overall length of 23 metres with a sail area of 370 m². Flying the flag of the Monaco Yacht Club, its crew take part in many gatherings of traditional boats and she frequently wins first place in her category.

Under the terms of the partnership with the Monaco Yacht Club, Hublot has created a new Big Bang chronograph, a first landmark in the revamped brand and an extension of its combination philosophy launched in 1980. 25 years on, with Big Bang, Hublot reinterprets its DNA, revisiting its original principles: the combination of unusual materials such as gold with ceramics, Kevlar and red gold, tantalum or rubber – and the combination of movements that marry Swiss watchmaking tradition with the visionary watchmaker’s art of the 21st century.

The Hublot Big Bang “Monaco Yacht Club” chronograph, inspired by Tuiga, is produced in a limited and numbered edition of 250 units. Its black carbon face displays the red, white and gold flag of the Monaco Yacht Club, whilst the bottom of the case is engraved with an image of Tuiga in an exact replica of the coat of arms at the end of the boom of the Monegasque cutter.

With its angular design, built of superimposed layers of different materials, the 44.5 mm diameter case of the “Monaco Yacht Club” Big Bang is fashioned from steel. A Kevlar insert provides an unusual side view that gives the impression that the watch is traversed by the legendary Hublot black natural rubber strap. The stamped carbon dial sets off the extra-wide crystal in a ceramic bezel with six screws in the form of an “H” and Kevlar lug disks. The crown and rectangular button heads have black natural rubber inserts.

With its mechanical self-winding chronograph movement, the Hublot Big Bang “Tuiga, Monaco Yacht Club” limited edition will be available in the autumn of 2005 and will be accompanied by a book to be published on the fabulous saga of Tuiga, the flagship of the Monaco Yacht Club.

HUBLOT AND SAILING

2005 - Hublot: a name predestined for the nautical world. The concept of this watch was born of a combination of watch-making tradition and technical innovation – a watch inspired by a ship’s porthole and a strap manufactured entirely of rubber. Once again in the same spirit, Hublot is using an amalgam of unusual materials such as Kevlar and pink gold and blending symbols and materials from the nautical world.

Hublot has set sail in sponsoring different nautical events thus confirming its legitimacy with the sea, and its unique sense of design in the fusion guiding principle, combining the traditional Art of Watch Making and Visionary Art of the XXIst century.

Since 2002, Hublot is supporting the 44R sailing yacht,

the “Hublot Diva”, in a scientific and medical research project that reflects the convergence of fundamental values with high-competition and extreme adventure.

In November 2004, Hublot became the sponsor of Dominique Wavre’s magnificent 18-metre monohull to take part in the greatest solo sailing adventure, the Vendée Globe 2004, around the world without stopping or assistance.

In 2005 Hublot has sponsored the PalmaVela Hublot Regatta, a partnership that combines watch-making innovation with nautical technology in this superb regatta. Hublot is becoming the official Timekeeper of the Wally Class, which represents the largest fleet of modern boats over 24 metres. In 2005, Hublot has been chosen as partner of the Yacht Club de Monaco and Official Timekkeper of all its regattas.

Hublot is also becoming the Official Timekeeper of the Solitaire du Figaro this August 2005.

Hublot also sponsors other international nautical events, including the Trimaran Sodebo for its forthcoming record attempts in 2005 and the world record of free diving “No Limits” with Loic Leferme to minus – 171 metres deep in Villefranche-sur-Mer.

Through these choices the Hublot brand highlights its intrinsic values: Innovation and Heritage. Jean-Claude Biver, the Managing Director of the company, has skilfully perpetuated these values, which remain the foundation of the Hublot strategy.

For any further information please contact Brigitte Makhzani

at the press office of Hublot in Switzerland:

Tél : +41 22 - 362 19 70 - E-Mail : b.makhzani@hublot.ch

Courtesy TimeZone

[TwoTone]

INDUSTRY NEWS - Antiquorum New York June Sale

Jun 14, 2005 - 01:49 PM

Antiquorum Auctioneers will offer 284 diverse timepieces in its Important Collectors' Wristwatches, Pocket Watches, & Clocks sale on Wednesday, June 15 at the Essex House Hotel in New York.

The sale will offer an impressive array of both modern and vintage pieces, a significant number of which will be offered with no reserve. Viewings will be held prior to the auction at Tourneau TimeMachine and at the Essex House.

The highlight of the sale is a "Breguet 250th Anniversary"(1747- 1997) watch, No. 1748, Ref. 3857. It was made to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Louis Breguet (1747-1823). It is a minute repeater cased in platinum with a visible one-minute tourbillon regulator, jump-hours, perpetual calendar with retrograde date, and leap-year indication.

This piece is offered with no reserve and is expected to fetch between $200,000 to $300,000.

Courtesy TimeZone

INDUSTRY NEWS – Richemont Changes Dunhill Management

Jun 14, 2005 - 03:23 PM

Richemont, the Swiss luxury goods group, has announced the resignation of Simon Critchell, CEO of Alfred Dunhill Limited, after more than 15 years with Richemont.

Formerly President and CEO of Richemont North America, Mr. Critchell was instrumental in Cartier’s expansion in the United States throughout the 1990s. He was appointed to the Richemont management board in March 2001 and became CEO of Alfred Dunhill Limited in September of that year, when he moved to London and assumed responsibility for the worldwide renaissance of that unique, masculine, luxury brand.

Richemont has appointed Christopher Colfer as Chief Executive Officer of Alfred Dunhill Limited to replace Mr Critchell. Mr. Colfer, aged 36, joined Richemont in 1991 as a marketing executive in Rothmans International. He was closely involved in the successful integration of Rothmans International brand portfolio into British American Tobacco, following the merger of the two companies in 1999. Most recently, he has been responsible for a number of marketing initiatives and has overseen the successful development of Richemont’s smaller brands, including Chloé, Hackett and Purdey and has been responsible for a number of the Group’s venture and development capital investments.

Richemont owns a portfolio of leading international brands including Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Alfred Dunhill, Montblanc and Lancel as well as prestigious watch manufacturers Jaeger-LeCoultre, Piaget, Baume & Mercier, IWC, Vacheron Constantin, A. Lange & Söhne and Officine Panerai.

Courtesy TimeZone

INDUSTRY NEWS - Seiko to Sponsor the “Quartz Wristwatches: Leading the World” Exhibition in Tokyo

Jun 17, 2005 - 12:57 PM

Seiko Corporation will co-sponsor the Quartz Wristwatches: Leading the World Exhibition hosted by the National Science Museum of Tokyo, Japan.

This exhibition, in honor of Time Day on 10 June, is a mini exhibit that runs for four weeks—from 7 June through 3 July—on the Progress in Science and Technology Floor on the second level of the new wing at the National Science Museum in Tokyo’s Ueno Park.

Time Day, established as a commemorative day in Japan in 1920, draws its significance as the day on which we pay our respects to time. Seiko developed the world’s first commercial quartz wristwatch—the Seiko Quartz Astron—in 1969, and has led the way in enabling the public to keep time more accurately. In recognition for this technical feat, the Seiko Quartz Astron received the Milestone Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in 2004 for its historic achievement in electrical and electronics engineering and their related fields.

In this exhibition the company will showcase the Seiko Quartz Astron along with a plaque commemorating the Milestone Award. At the same time, it is also providing exhibits that will illustrate the details of quartz timekeeping technology and development.

Courtesy TimeZone

INDUSTRY NEWS - TAG Heuer Official Partner of the China Team Challenge at America’s Cup 2007

Jun 20, 2005 - 02:16 PM

TAG Heuer has announced its partnership with China Team, the People’s Republic of China’s first-ever Challenge for the America’s Cup competition in 2007.

“It is with great pride that TAG Heuer embarks again on this legendary sailing adventure, made even more extraordinary because we are now siding with the first-ever Chinese challenger in the 151-year history of the America’s Cup,” says TAG Heuer CEO and President Jean-Christophe Babin. “This partnership is an important part of TAG Heuer’s global brand commitment to the People’s Republic of China, where TAG Heuer is now distributed in the best high-end watch and jewelry stores, including exclusive boutiques in the major cities.”

TAG Heuer will supply China Team members with wrist chronographs specially developed for the America’s Cup and sunglasses from its Golden Silmo and Reddot awards winning Sport Vision collection. In particular, the revolutionary Aquaracer Calibre S chronograph with synchronized countdown-chronograph function, will equip the members of the Afterguard. Thanks to its patented bi-directional engines and hands, the Calibre S offers a very simple, stylish and easy-to-read display of information.

TAG Heuer’s shield and logo will be prominently featured on the boom and afterdeck of China Team America’s Cup boats (CHN 69 and CHN 79 in 2005) as well as on the China Team racing and sailing team uniforms and on their Valencia and Qingdao sailing bases.

The partnership also covers product development with the afterguard members and the engineers responsible for designing the new boats for 2006/2007. The partnership will start in Valencia in June 2005 with the Louis Vuitton Acts 4 and 5 and will continue till the end of 2007, with options to be extended beyond.

“We are extremely happy and proud to collaborate with such an iconic and global brand as TAG Heuer” says Chaoyong Wang, President of the China Team syndicate entered by the Qingdao International Yacht Club (Qingdao will host in 2008 the sailing events of the Beijing Olympic Games). “TAG Heuer is one of the most legendary and sophisticated luxury Swiss watch brands, with very high credentials in the most prestigious sports including Formula 1, golf and sailing. TAG Heuer is driven by prestige and performance and its unrivalled experience in mastering time in these sports will be a major asset for China Team members, who will be equipped with state-of-the-art chronographs and sunglasses, two strategic accessories that will help us achieve the highest precision in the America’s Cup races, especially at the start of the regattas.’

“As is the case with many sports in China, the government has decided to heavily invest in competitive sailing, especially Olympic sailing, in anticipation of the Games in 2008,” says Chaoyong Wang “And Chinese sailors are now performing well at the international level. Recent examples are young Yin Jian's silver medal for windsurfing at Athens, and Zhai Mo's Vendée Globe 2008 project. In the 2001 Optimist World Championship, Zhu Ye took the silver, and in last year's Optimist, 13-year old prodigy Wei Ni from Shanghai dominated the field to become the 2004 IODA world champion. These performances on smaller boats demonstrate the depth of China's potential and desire to be an international player in this sport. Graduating to larger boats is the logical next step. And competing in the America’s Cup is the ultimate goal".

TAG Heuer is a member of the LVMH (Moet Hennessy-Louis Vuitton) luxury brands group.

Courtesy TimeZone

INDUSTRY NEWS – Corum’s Severin Wunderman Made Chevalier of the Legion of Honor

Jun 20, 2005 - 02:17 PM

The French Republic has bestowed the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor medal upon Severin Wunderman, owner of Montres Corum LLC.

The medal was given to him on June 17, 2005 in Paris by the Minister of Culture and Communication Mr. Renaud Donnedieu de Varbres. This honor, given to Mr. Wunderman by France, is a reward for his numerous acts, both cultural and philanthropic. Born in Belgium in 1938, he was forced during the Second World War to seek exile in the United States, where he later became an American citizen. Thanks to his exceptional adaptive qualities, he became very successful in the business world. From his youth, when he was just an apprentice watchmaker, he was attracted by art and culture and showed a certain taste for the works of Jean Cocteau – a taste that would later be confirmed after a meeting with the artist’s heir, Edouard Dermit. Over the years, his artistic sense was refined and he collected the works of great masters of the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, also enriching his collection with the works of Cocteau’s friends (Marie Laurencin, Sarah Bernard…).

As soon as his personal fortune allowed him, he developed a philanthropic and humanitarian action to which he dedicates 13 to 17% of his annual earnings. He created and financed diverse foundations: Change a life and Severin Wunderman Family; the first for aiding people of merit who are in either morale or material distress, by donations or endowments, the other for financing fundamental research for incurable illnesses. With Steven Spielberg, he founded The Severin Wunderman Collection of Child Survivor Testimonies from the holocaust: The children speak to children. At the same time, he realized a dream: create a Cocteau Museum, the Severin Wunderman Family Museum, situated in Orange County.

Knowing the ties that linked Cocteau with the city of Menton, he suggested the idea of creating an even more ambitious museum dedicated to this admirable artist. A museum in which would be exposed his graphic and pictorial works that, according to Mr. Severin Wunderman, are not yet appreciated for their true worth. He therefore offered to the Deputy-Mayor of Menton to give a donation to the city of over two hundred Cocteau works that he owns, with the purpose being to propagate and perpetuate the works of this great artist with whom he would like to associate his name in France, Cocteau’s home country. These works will therefore be exposed in a magnificent architectural showcase built on the coast. The inauguration is foreseen in the coming years.

Severin Wunderman’s immense Cocteau collection, comprised of over 2,000 works, is distributed between the Severin Wunderman Family Museum in California, the future Musée Cocteau de Menton, and the private collection of this philanthropist which is spread out between his various residences. Of these numerous works, 255 will soon be leaving on a tour of Japan where they will be exposed in different museums until June 2006.

Courtesy TimeZone

INDUSTRY NEWS – Villemont Collection

Jun 21, 2005 - 12:50 PM

Villemont was started by Olivier R. Müller, a young Swiss businessman enamored of watchmaking and mechanics, with an eye for a challenge. Aware that master watchmakers have long formed a select coterie, he decided to embark upon a long-term undertaking to build a brand with a style and identity of its own.

To explore promising avenues of time measurement, he adopted an eclectic, cross-disciplinary approach that allowed him to reach his goals.

Founded in 2004, the Villemont company has its roots in the old town of Geneva in Switzerland. With an independent structure conferring great flexibility, Villemont works closely with first-rate artists and artisans in the watchmaking profession.

VILLEMONT: MULTI-DISCIPLINARY EXPERTISE AND UNIQUE DESIGN

Each Villemont watch is designed, developed and manufactured in the area between Neuchâtel in the Jura Mountains and Geneva, by experienced artisan watchmaking professionals, each selected in his field according to stringent criteria. Olivier Müller patterned his working methods after the socioeconomic organization of Geneva's 17th- and 18th-century "Fabrique" and the way it worked with the different "parties" (a period term designating all watchmaking arts and trades). Villemont watches go from one highly skilled craftsman to the next. The engine-turner in charge of machine-engraved decoration researched period techniques and revived venerable lathes to duplicate the famous "Clou de Villemont" motifs. The dial-maker makes 18kt gold dials. The gem-setter still works by hand, mounting precious stones one by one by size and color.

For its debut, Villemont is presenting a complete collection with three lines and 24 models. This range is organized by three watchcase shape: the round, Aston R, the tonneau, Aston T and the ladies models, Lady V, using different colors of gold and different dial finishes. Each of the three lines comes in two sizes to fit any wrist and ensure absolute wearing comfort.

Each curve and angle was carefully thought out in terms of overall design harmony. With their streamlined beveling of variable geometry and taut yet weightless angles, the watchcases give Villemont creations strength of character, immediately recognizable. Their successful shape is the fruit of long research focusing on design and production. Manufacturing the watchcase is complex, because the caseback, lug connections, beveled sides and bezel – not to mention the crown and push-buttons - must come together to produce a seamless, pleasing visual effect. The result is there for all to see, the closest thing to perfection…

The "Clou de Villemont" guilloché motif uses this emblem, especially created by Villemont. This motif appears on the dials of men's models.

The circumference of the crown is skillfully beveled and stamped with the Villemont emblem. The distinctive watchcase features receding beveled sides and skillfully crafted push-buttons that fit perfectly into the overall design. The hands are also beveled.

The Aston R comes in two sizes, 39mm or 43mm in diameter. The small size indicates the hours, minutes and seconds and features a big date window at 3 o'clock (Big Date watch). Among the large sizes, the GMT Alarm Watch is the standard-bearer for the House of Villemont. In addition to a clever strike mechanism, it features a double-time zone and a date calendar indicator. This version also comes in red gold.

Two other complications watches are available in this size, including a dual time zone, a date indicator with a hand at 6 o'clock and a small second hand at 9 o'clock (Dual Time Chronograph watch), and a Split-Seconds Chronograph, activated by a coaxial crown, and with a power reserve indicator.

Each model is equipped with a selfwinding mechanical watch movement with a sapphire display back . Thus, one can admire the crafted finish of the calibres, the bridges and bars with their fine circular-graining finish or the oscillating weight engraved and decorated with the "Côtes de Genève" pattern.

The dial is face of a timepiece. Villemont chose 18kt gold dials, finely decorated with "Clou de Villemont" guilloché work as well as silver, ebony, slate-grey or orange finishes and gold appliqué index markers. All models come with an alligator strap (black, brown, gold or orange, depending on the version) and an 18kt gold buckle matching the watchcase or, at the customer's request, an adjustable folding buckle.

The Aston T also comes in two sizes (46 x 32 mm and 51 x 35.5 mm). Except for the alarm mechanism, this shaped watchcase contains the same complications as its round counterpart, the Aston R line, and meets the same manufacturing and esthetic standards.

On the other hand, the smallest Aston T model comes in a version with a diamond-set watchcase. With the large date indicator at 3 o'clock, this jewelry watch remains very much a watchmaker's creation: its selfwinding mechanical watch movement is visible through the a sapphire-crystal caseback. One important detail: the oscillating weight is set with 42 diamonds tracing the stylized Villemont initial. Intended primarily for women who value mechanical watches with plenty of personality, this version comes with an alligator or a “toile satinée” strap.

The Lady V line is conceived specifically for women and are not scaled-down versions of the men's models.

This tonneau shape model for ladies is more generous and curving than the men's counterpart. The watchcase also comes in two sizes to fit any wrist, even the most slender (33 x 25 mm and 42 x 33 mm). Made of 18k yellow or white gold, it holds a selfwinding mechanical movement (set with 42 diamonds) or a quartz movement.

Here again, extensive design work went into the creation of the dial look. Dials range from white, pink or grey mother-of-pearl, adorned with finely engraved "V" motifs and painted Roman numerals or diamond index markers, to jewelry versions. The jewelry watches have an 18kt gold dial sprinkled with "stardust" - diamonds or colored sapphires in graduated colors and sizes – all the way to the case.

The Lady V line comes with a bordeaux or pink alligator strap or a brown or grey “toile satinée” strap, complete with a gold buckle. They can also be ordered (on request) with a 18kt gold bracelet.

Courtesy TimeZone

[TwoTone]

Rolex, Swatch alarmed by watchmaker dearth - Spring for schools.

July 01, 2005

Jordan Ficklin fixed watches in Tucson, Arizona, to pay his bills while he studied computer science at the University of Arizona.

He's now in a Pennsylvania graduate school -- honing his skills with the tiny steel dials and gears of luxury timepieces. Ficklin, 25, turned down a software job after getting his degree in 2003. Instead, Rolex Group, seeking to ease a shortage of watchmakers that could cut into sales, is educating him for free.

"I really needed to have some physical results instead of just virtual results to show for my efforts," says Ficklin, who grew up in Las Cruces, New Mexico. "Watchmaking is very misunderstood; people think it's almost a dead art."

Rolex, Swatch Group AG, Breitling SA, Audemars Piguet and other Swiss companies are spending millions of dollars on schools to make sure the watches they sell in the U.S. can get fixed. The U.S. now needs about 4,000 watchmakers in addition to the 7,000 it has, says Jim Lubic, executive director of the American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute. As many as 4,000 will retire in the next 10 to 20 years.

By contrast, about 140 students are now in U.S. watchmaking programs. The median age of people trained to repair coiled-spring wristwatches has climbed to 61 since battery-powered models arrived from Japan in the early 1970s, says the Harrison, Ohio- based watchmakers-clockmakers institute.

"We're almost missing a generation," says Charles Berthiaume, Rolex USA's senior vice president of technical operations. "We have an unprecedented number of retailers looking for watchmakers." Still, any crimp in sales is yet to come: Swiss watch exports to the U.S. rose 13 percent to $1.5 billion last year, according to the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry.

Swatch Repair

The number of U.S. watchmaking schools has fallen to 12 from about 40 in 1978, and only four now certify graduates to work on luxury Swiss watches, Berthiaume says.

Swatch, the world's biggest watchmaker, plans to start a repair school in Secaucus, New Jersey, later this year that will certify six students at a time to work on its fanciest brands, including Blancpain, says Joseph Panetta, a spokesman. The Biel, Switzerland-based company also sells Omega, Longines, Tissot and its namesake plastic models.

"If you provide a premium product here, you have to be able to service it," Panetta says. "When you buy a Mercedes, you don't send it back to Germany for repair. We can't sit on our hands and not address this."

Microscopes in Amish Country

Grenchen, Switzerland-based Breitling, with wares priced from $1,500 to $100,000 or more for jeweled models, joined Audemars, Richemont SA and Swatch in donating $500,000 to a program at Oklahoma State University in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, in 2002. Rolex, which invented the self-winding watch in 1931, pledged $1 million each to a school in St. Paul, Minnesota, and to another in Seattle.

Rolex's two-year program in the Amish town of Lititz, Pennsylvania, began three years ago in a building designed by architect Michael Graves.

The course, in which Ficklin is enrolled, teaches 24 students to make parts by hand and diagnose defects in coiled-spring technology that was developed more than 500 years ago.

They spend 47 days practicing how to shape steel winding stems with a lathe, cutter and dies while looking through a microscope. A typical self-winding watch has 250 parts crammed into a space the size of a postage stamp.

"This is the traditional watchmaking process," says Hermann Mayer, 39, a native of Wuerzburg, Germany, who became the school's principal after studying German literature and working as a Volkswagen mechanic earlier in his career.

"You need really a couple of freaks who love working on these kinds of things," he says.

Seiko Quartz

To attract those candidates, Geneva-based Rolex waives tuition worth about $40,000 and provides a working environment complete with fresh-cut flowers in the bathroom and porcelain teacups in the lounge. The 10,000-square-foot (929-square-meter) Lititz building is a modern take on a traditional stone barn. It sits across the street from a Dodge dealership and is paneled inside in Swiss pear wood.

Tokyo-based Seiko Corp., which created the world's first quartz watch in 1969, set up shop in the U.S. the following year and started selling liquid-crystal display digital watches in 1973.

A subsequent deluge of cheap Asian watches choked demand for European products, forcing almost 1,000 Swiss-watch companies to close since 1970, according to the Bienne, Switzerland-based Swiss watch industry federation.

"The shortage tells people 'Don't buy a Swiss watch'," says Joe Juaire, 43, who heads a two-year watchmaking program at Minnesota's Saint Paul College.

Demand for Diamonds

His graduates receive an annual starting wage of about $38,000, Juaire says, and Swiss certification brings multiple job offers from independent jewelers, national chains and watch manufacturers. He expects salaries to increase at least 30 percent by 2007.

The watchmakers are also haunted by the lack of repair personnel as the economy expands and demand for luxury products such as watches, diamonds and handbags rises. Tiffany & Co., the biggest U.S. luxury jewelry retailer, expects a profit gain of 10 percent to 12 percent in 2005, the company said last month.

Antoine Simonin, 66, a consultant for the Watchmakers of Switzerland Training and Educational Program and a watchmaker for 50 years, says the industry's revenue growth will depend on more funding for schools that teach the traditional techniques.

`Very Alive'

"They will see the results later on," says Simonin, who has also worked to help open schools in France, Germany, Japan, Sweden and China. "Sales fall because of problems in after-sales service. Customers get fed up and buy somewhere else."

Juaire says Rolex's donation to his school -- together with job losses that left Minnesotans looking for new careers -- have spurred interest. Five years ago, his workbenches were a third full. Last year, he had 170 applicants for the 12 spots in a class that started in January.

"Among most people, the perception is that mechanical watches are a thing of the past," says Ficklin, who will graduate from Lititz in 2006. "But it's a luxury item and, for that clientele, it's a very alive thing."

Article by: Bloomberg

Smoking is good for watches

Jul 01, 2005

Pilo & Co. Genève, one of the younger generation of Swiss watch brands, recently carried out a successful advertising campaign in collaboration with the cigarette brand Winston. Each and every packet sold in the 250 Duty Free areas around the world carried a photograph of one of his automatic watches with second time zone and power reserve indicator.

The campaign was so successful that it will now continue in retail outlets in certain other countries around the world.

Source: Pilo & Co

Copyright infringement - FORTIS Fake watches sold on Poland markets

Jul 01, 2005

"The most profitable and safe business for criminals apart from drug dealing is the copy production of fine watches", we were told by custom officials.

Swiss watches enjoy good reputation world-wide. Counterfeits ruin the brand reputation established over decades. Today falsifications are industrially manufactured, accordingly large is the damage for the watch industry. The following comparison shows to which extent the fake watch market has grown:

In Switzerland about 26 million watches are produced per year. These face roughly 30 to 40 million falsifications. Many buyers are not conscious of the fact that the custums is obligated to seize and to destroy watch falsifications. The buyers of falsified watches will be empty handed in this case doubly empty, as they pay the purchase price and receive no watch. A reclaim from the salesman is useless. This applies accordingly to online order via the world wide web.

Left: Original. right: Fake

Source: Fortis Watch Co.

Patek Philippe Exclusive Boutique In Shanghai

Jul 01, 2005

Patek Philippe and the Melchers Group opened a new Boutique and Service Center in Shanghai to better meet the increasing demand for the Geneva watchmakers' timepieces in China.

The Melchers Group were able to secure a prime retail site in Shanghai located on the "Bund", an area with many classic colonial buildings situated on the banks of the Huangpu River which offers spectacular views of the Pudong Financial District modern skyscrapers.

Bund 18 is an elegant building constructed in 1923 for the Chartered Bank of India, Australia & China and today classified as a historical landmark by the Shanghai City Government. Close to the Nanjing Road shopping area, this magnificent building was entirely restored. It re-opened last October and its seven floors host a number of established companies, luxury boutiques and finest dining restaurants.

The new Patek Philippe Boutique in Shanghai opened in June. Covering a total area of 105 sqm, it provides a dedicated showroom and sales outlet for the Patek Philippe Watch Collection. It also hosts a fully equipped state-of-the-art After Sales Service Center manned by a full-time trained watchmaker.

"The showroom provides a fantastic opportunity to display our timepieces locally to Chinese amateurs of prestige watches, and to further improve awareness of Patek Philippe products in this important market, while allowing us to gain valuable commercial experience in China", said Philippe Stern, President of Patek Philippe.

The management of the Patek Philippe Boutique and Service Center is under the direct responsibility of the Melchers Group, one of Patek Philippe’s long-standing partners. The Melchers Group has maintained commercial activities with China for almost 140 years and is well established in this country, especially in Shanghai. The Melchers Group already handles the distribution of Patek Philippe timepieces in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines through its affiliated company, Geneva Master Time Pte Ltd (GMT), established in 1987 in Singapore as sole distributor for Patek Philippe timepieces.

The Boutique and Service Center will also benefit the current distribution network in the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau, where Patek Philippe have a well established distribution network managed by their local partner Libertas Ltd since 1996.

Patek Philippe timepieces are distributed throughout the world via an exclusive network of more than 600 selected retail outlets in over 70 countries, each offering the ideal environment for purchasing the world’s finest timepieces. The company has its own retail showrooms in Geneva and Paris, and is the direct agent for markets such as Switzerland, Austria, Scandinavia, Italy or South America. In other countries, Patek Philippe watches are imported by distributors such as Libertas in Hong Kong, or the Melchers Group.

Source: Patek Philippe

This post has been edited by Neo: Jul 31 2005, 05:14 AM

INDUSTRY NEWS – Charlize Theron is Raymond Weil’s New Ambassador

Jul 05, 2005 - 12:53 PM

Swiss watchmaker Raymond Weil has announced that film actress Charlize Theron of South Africa will be its newest brand ambassador. Her publicity campaign will begin on October 1st of this year.

"Charlize Theron is an Oscar Winning actress of the highest calibre, a stunning and radiant woman who transcends any standard definition, and has evolved into a feminine myth, an icon. As a purveyor of watches, Raymond Weil is very involved and sympatico with the world of the Arts. "Charlize is the perfect Ambassador for our timepieces, representing beauty, style and perfection of function." declared Olivier Bernheim, President and CEO of Raymond Weil .

Courtesy TimeZone

INDUSTRY NEWS – Record Breaking 2005 for Swiss Watchmakers

July 7, 2005

The Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH) anticipates a new record for exports of Swiss Watches to be set in 2005. Total exports in 2004 exceeded $8.5 billion and 2005 already appears as if it will top $9.2 billion.

“At the end of 2004, we announced an increase in exports for 2005 of between six and seven percent. The five first months of the current financial year, which have led to an increase of 13.7 percent, more than confirm out forecast. It is hoped that external factors-and here, I am thinking in particular about the rate of the dollar- will not interfere with this positive outlook,” said Jean-Daniel Pasche, president of Federation of Swiss Watch Industry, on June 30.

Pasche noted that the Asian market is expanding, the United States is recording an increase, and business in Europe is returning. He added that “other regions of the world are showing a growing interest in our products,” including Eastern Europe, Russia, and Latin America.

Pasche attributed Swiss watchmakers’ success to various policies including the launching of the association’s new image, the impact of the international tour of the exhibition, the creation of an FH internet site to combat counterfeits, and making economic and legal services available to its customers.

Article by Jeanette Goldman, published by Diamonds.Net

Officine Panerai Firenze

July 11, 2005

The article as illustrated here, was published in 1992 by World Wristwatch Magazine.

Officine Panerai Firenze

This article here illustrated, was published in 1992 by World Wristwatch Magazine (Japan).

Text by: Tadashi Noda

Report by: Stephan Ciejka & Thierry Serna

Photograph by: Officine Panerai Firenze, Stephan Ciejka, Yoshisa Kumagai and Yasuji Yushina

Illustration by: Mototaro Hasegana

The Watch of the Wimbledon Champion

July 11, 2005

This time he had it on when he presented his hard-fought trophy to the celebrating crowd for the third time at Wimbledon. In 2004, the emotions came thick and fast after winning the match point that had decided the most important tennis tournament of the year, and Roger Federer did not think about slipping on his Maurice Lacroix watch for the trophy presentation. But within the last year, this Swiss tennis star, who can now be counted among the sport’s greatest with his third successive Wimbledon victory, has had the opportunity to identify completely with the watch brand he has represented since 1 June 2004 and the watch models they make. Not only did he visit the Maurice Lacroix facilities at Saignelégier in Switzerland’s western Jura Mountains, he was also present at various events in Switzerland, Germany, the United States, Thailand, Australia and at London. It is therefore completely natural for him to wear one of the watches from his Maurice Lacroix collection after his victories and at all official appearances.

Roger Federer selected the Masterpiece Croneo COSC for the Wimbledon final. This is the first model in the exclusive Masterpiece Collection to carry the name of this exceptional athlete, and it is a COSC certified chronometer and one of the few things that can match Roger Federer point-for-point in terms of athleticism and precision.

Roger Federer Masterpiece Croneo COSC

Source: Maurice Lacroix SA

FORTIS B-42 OFFICIAL COSMONAUTS CHRONOGRAPH TITANIUM

July 11, 2005

In the early 90s, when Swiss watch maker FORTIS made the first test series of their automatic chronographs to undergo a harsh qualifying before being selected as official cosmonauts' equipment in 1994, the International Space Station (ISS) did not exist.

Today, 10 years after its first spacewalk onboard of the Russian orbital station MIR, a new FORTIS watch generation has its debut in space: The FORTIS B-42 Official Cosmonauts Chronograph. The crew members of the ISS Expedition No. 10 made a special performance in weightlessness, celebrating the 10th FORTIS IN SPACE jubilee with a photo shooting in one of the most exclusive locations, providing an insight into the world's largest common construction in space, the International Space Station.

As Russia's official watch supplier for space missions and onboard the ISS, FORTIS presents a limited edition of 500 automatic chronographs constructed of titanium:

The FORTIS B-42 OFFICIAL COSMONAUTS CHRONGORAPH

"International Space Station - Limited Edition".

The dial imprint around the 12-hour counter indicates the limited status of this exclusive edition; the minute counter is easily visible thanks to the circle of fundamental colors at the 12 position. The screw down titanium caseback is embossed with the FORTIS logo and the number of limitation as well as the authorizing national emblems of the Russian Federal Space Agency and the Cosmonauts Training Center, Star City.

This FORTIS Limited Edition – International Space Station - is presented on the occasion of the Basel World 2005 and at the same time to the members of space mission ISS 11 / Soyuz TMA-6, launching into space on the 15th of April 2005 from Baikonour to continue working on the assembly of the ISS.

Source: Fortis Watch Co.

INDUSTRY NEWS – Century Opens Boutique in Kuwait

Jul 12, 2005 - 01:27 PM

Century Watches has opened a boutique in the heart of Kuwait – the first in the Middle East and the second overall. This boutique is the fruit of long years of co-operation between Century and Al-Shahab, their local distributor. The two family companies have already been working hand-in-hand for two generations.

Century Watch is based in Biel, Switzerland, and was founded in 1966 by Hans Ulrich Klingenberg.

The opening ceremony took place under the patronage of Sheikh Sabah Nasser Al Mohammed Al Ahmed Al Sabah. Also present were the Swiss Ambassador to Kuwait, Philippe Tissieres, as well as representatives of Century and Al-Shahab.

The new boutique was designed completely in line with the new Century corporate identity: off-white and fuchsia create the desire for an exclusive shopping experience.

Courtesy TimeZone

[TwoTone]

INDUSTRY NEWS – Tutima Announces Limited Edition Chronograph

Jul 13, 2005 - 11:38 PM

Tutima of Germany has announced a limited edition red dial Flieger Chronograph F2 Power Reserve. Here is a picture of the prototype.

The striking new red dial F2 PR is an extension, introduced to celebrate the TUTIMA Classic Flieger (“flyer”) series and will be limited to 250 pieces worldwide. The red dial will complement the white and blue dial F2 PR models and will be available in stores this coming Fall.

“We wanted to give our customers the freedom to express their individuality” said Gustavo Calzadilla, president and C.E.O., TUTIMA USA, Inc. “The red dial highlights the red marker that TUTIMA coin-edge bezels are famous for” Calzadilla added.

The TUTIMA Flieger Chronograph F2 PR features the unique combination of a chronograph and power reserve. The chronograph provides a separate start/stop timing function and the power reserve monitors the level of power available via a motion sensitive mechanism. The F2 PR not only monitors itself, it monitors you. The F2 PR contains two scratch-resistant sapphire crystals. The top crystal is convex for viewing at virtually any angle and the rear crystal showcases the intricate and precise Swiss mechanical self-winding movement. This movement was specially modified to support the location of the PR indicator on the right-hand side of the dial, introduced by TUTIMA with the consumer in mind. The F2 PR was the first watch available in North America with this modified movement. Additional details include a deep blue or white dial, date display and raised luminous hour numerals, markers and hands with an extensive after-glow effect.

The TUTIMA F2 PR has a total of eight displays including three sub-dials providing continuous and fluid timing movement. The thirty-minute counter and twelve-hour counter sub-dials support the chronograph and the third sub-dial provides an ongoing sixty-second counter. The F2 PR has been rigorously tested for pressure and water resistance up to 100 meters. The exquisite quality and combination of these unique functions are unparalleled at the price point in which they are offered. Suggested retail price for the Red dial with black alligator strap and deployant clasp is $4,300 (Ref. 780-85) and the red dial with stainless steel bracelet and deployant clasp is $4,500 (Ref. 780-86).

Founded in 1927, TUTIMA continues the rich tradition of creating exceptional instrument watches. The innovation, precision and quality of TUTIMA timepieces have earned the company worldwide recognition. TUTIMA has met international standards of excellence in watch making for nearly eighty years. TUTIMA carries three distinctive lines: the Classic Flieger which has set industry standards in craftsmanship and design since the 1930s; the Military, known for the distinction of being supplied as official NATO equipment since 1985 and the FX maintains the tradition of quality while providing an elegant and modern design.

Courtesy TimeZone

The COSC In 2004 - Fewer Chronometers

July 15, 2005

Last year, the Contrôle officiel suisse des chronomètres (COSC) issued 1,090,581 certificates, or 10.0% fewer than in 2003.

The number of timepieces registered fell by 10.4%, to 1,137,716 (1,104,691 in the mechanical category, -10.6%, and 33,025 in the quartz category, -3.8%).

"In view of the behaviour of watch markets in 2004, this result could be seen as surprising," writes the COSC in its annual report. "The findings must however be viewed in a relative context, possibly reflecting a depletion of stocks," it points out.

In terms of manufacturers, there is no change to the top three rankings, which have not changed in recent years:

• Rolex (628556 certificates)
  
• Omega (226796)
  
• Breitling (135423).
  
• Next Panerai (26052)
  
• Chopard (11511)
  
• Ulysse Nardin (11448)
  
• TAG Heuer (7447)
  
• Zenith (5073)
  
• Corum (4991)
  
• Chanel (4832)
  
• Tiffany (2826)
  
• Mido (2411)
  
• Bulgari (2315)
  
• Paul Picot (2312)
  
• Louis Vuitton (1912)
  
• Ebel (1693)
  
• Invicta (1026) et
  
• Longines (999)
  

All other applicants obtained fewer than 900 certificates.

Source: Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry

INDUSTRY NEWS – Tiffany Opens Boutique at Galeries Lafayette in Paris

Jul 15, 2005 - 06:34 PM

Courtesy TimeZone

A. Lange & Söhne links the world's time zones to its headquarters in Saxony

July 20, 2005

A global live link brought the lovers of mechanical timepieces together with the most illustrious guests around the world in celebration of the Lange 1 Time Zone launch.

Mathias Zskchiedrich, watchmaker & engineer

at A. Lange & Söhne, escorted by security as

he walks towards Lebanon dealer for carrying

the set of 3 Lange 1 Time Zone watches

A. Lange & Söhne aficionados from different parts of the world did not need to visit the distant Saxon town of Glashütte in order to see where the coveted timepieces are manufactured because on July 8 2005, the 'Made in Germany' label demonstrated originality and bravado in bringing the world's time zones together by way of linking major cities to its watch-making house in Saxony via a live link moderated in Germany.

A. Lange & Söhne ensured that the Middle East was one of the chosen few regions that had originating capabilities, which enabled them to transmit live back to Glashütte.

A. Lange & Söhne sent out its masterpieces with 36 of its watchmakers into major cities around the world in celebration of its latest offering; the Lange 1 Time Zone. Linked via satellite, each of the chosen 36 cities such as Beirut, Brussels, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Chicago, Milan, New York, Rome, Singapore, Paris, Tokyo and Zurich received one A. Lange & Söhne ambassador who was carrying with him an exclusive set of three Lange 1 Time Zone watches- in pink gold, yellow gold and platinum.

The Lange 1 Time Zone timepieces were hand-delivered by the craftsmen who departed from Glashütte simultaneously and began their separate journeys to the respective A. Lange & Söhne dealers around the globe. At the symbolic venues chosen by A. Lange & Söhne and its dealer in every location, celebrities, watch enthusiasts and officials witnessed the synchronized arrival of the watchmakers on their screens.

Every time zone and its invited guests interacted with other time zones via presenters in the different cities who conducted live discussions that were moderated through the event's nucleus; the town of Glashütte.

Guests, including the likes of Jackie Chan in Hong Kong, discovered the exclusive sets of three Lange 1 Time Zone watches up close and personal following the arrival of their A. Lange & Söhne ambassador as well as the other 35 watchmakers.

In Beirut, Mr. Abou Adal, Chairman of Abou Adal & Cie- the official representative of the A. Lange & Söhne house in Lebanon- as well as Nadine Njeim, Miss Lebanon 2004, were joined by an audience of 100 watch lovers in the dramatic vicinity of the Cadrans boutique. Beirut's 'Cadrans', the luxury watch and jewelry boutique where A. Lange & Söhne timepieces are sold.

Ms. Sukaiyna Gokal, Brand Manager for A. Lange & Söhne in the Middle East, concluded by saying: 'As far as the Time Zone event was concerned, it was all about 'timing' for us, be it in the concept behind the event or its treatment. From the one side, the Lange 1 Time Zone watch simply lends itself to a global celebration engaging the world's time zones. On the other side, we welcomed the timely opportunity for highlighting our emphasis on history, craftsmanship and originality.'

Owing to the unprecedented nature of this event, the watch-making industry witnessed a launch it has never seen before whereby the German watch-making house of A. Lange & Söhne from Saxony proved that not only is it in a league of its own when it comes to craftsmanship and understated perfection but in its novel approach to advancing its reputation.

Source: Ameinfo

A newcomer to the “Elton John” collection: the “Orange” chronograph

Jul 20, 2005

As the latest addition to the “Elton John” watch collection, the “Orange” chronograph heralds the summer season with a boldly trendy and vibrant look.

Dazzling and fresh, the orange tone of this chronograph makes a striking contrast with the silvery grey hour-circle and sub-dials. Worn on a matching crocodile leather strap with a polished steel buckle, this timepiece combines elegance and luminosity.

It features an impressive range of assets. This bright and functional chronograph, produced in a limited series of 2000, will give a festive touch to any attire. It carries Sir Elton John’s signature as well as a reference number on the case-back, and comes with a certificate of authenticity guaranteeing its origin.

Chopard is delighted to contribute to the noble work undertaken by “The Elton John AIDS Foundation” by donating a significant proportion of profits from the sale of these watches. For Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele, Co-President of Chopard, generosity, sharing and solidarity represent core values that she is determined to defend. Commenting on this partnership, she states “I am pleased that Chopard is sponsoring the White Tie and Tiara Ball once again. It is our way of celebrating Sir Elton John’s exemplary work during the past twelve years and of supporting his dedicated commitment to the fight against AIDS and HIV. Chopard’s own commitment to the Elton John foundation reflects the longstanding and sincere ties of friendship between us, which have enabled us to be involved in this work for the past six years.”

Devotees of beautiful music and original watches will doubtlessly appreciate this new model!

Source: Chopard

Swimming legend Dano Halsall receives Omega watch for 20th anniversary of world record

July 21, 2005

20 years ago to the day, Dano Halsall stunned spectators, timekeepers and fellow competitors by smashing the 50 metres freestyle record for the first time in his career, with a time of 22 seconds and 52 hundredths. Omega today commemorates this significant moment in the swimmer’s life by presenting him with its new Planet Ocean watch.

To this day, Dano Halsall remains the only Swiss sportsman to have held a world record in a discipline with official timekeeping. And he managed this feat not just once, but a total of five times over the 50 metre freestyle distance (short and long course). He also has 58 victories in international competitions under his belt and made the finals at the 1984, 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games. Halsall’s performance at national level is equally impressive, with 92 Swiss records and 86 Swiss championship titles – his first being at the age of 15.

Newly inducted Omega wearer Halsall joins other legendary names from the world of swimming who wear the brand’s renowned divers’ watches. Russian swimming “czar” Alexander Popov has been associated with the brand since 1997 and two of the current top names in the sport, Ian Thorpe and Michael Phelps, also help to promote Omega. Commenting on the gift, Halsall said “I’m touched that Omega decided to commemorate this anniversary. Everyone knows how heavily involved they are in the sport, but this gesture proves just how much they care.”

Swiss watchmaker Omega, a company of the Swatch Group – the world’s biggest watchmaking group – has long been a pioneer in timekeeping at swimming and athletics events. Since becoming the first-ever official timekeeper of the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1932, Omega has led the field and seen its name on the Olympic Games scoreboard a staggering twenty times over the course of the last century. This close association with the Olympic Games has led to timekeeping developments such as the Omega Contact Pads for swimming competitions, which were first introduced in 1967 and are now taken for granted at the world’s major competitions.

In the new millennium, OMEGA returns to the Olympic stage as official timekeeper of the 2006 Torino Olympic Winter Games, the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games.

Source: Omega

INDUSTRY NEWS – Tutima Logs 175,000 Hours as Official NATO Pilot Watch

Jul 21, 2005 - 01:04 AM

Tutima of Germany has the distinction of being an official ongoing watch supplier to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for the past 20 years logging over 175,000 hours of flight time.

The Tutima Military Air Force Chronograph is the only watch or chronograph that can make this claim. In 1985, Tutima was selected to manufacture and supply the Military Air Force Chronograph as official standard equipment for the German Air Force and NATO after exceeding the requirements and standards set forth by the armed forces’ test institute.

Tutima developed the first two-pusher aviation chronograph in Germany in 1939 and made a significant contribution to the watch industry with the innovative design of the Military Air Force Chronograph that features integrated chronograph push buttons, providing pilots with greater functionality and the ease of control under extreme circumstances. German astronaut Lieutenant Colonel Klaus Dietrich Flade proved this during the ’92 Mir space mission, wearing a Tutima Military Air Force Chronograph.

“Our association with NATO gives us the credibility that no other company has.” said Gustavo Calzadilla, president and C.E.O., Tutima, USA, Inc. “We have met the exact standards. Our link to aviation is valid and official and cannot be duplicated” Calzadilla added.

Tutima, whose name is derived from the Latin adjective tutus meaning “safe” or “protected” is a fitting partner to NATO pilots who serve as protectors and ambassadors for world freedom and safety. The Military Air Force Chronograph is available to NATO pilots serving on behalf of the 26 North American and European country alliance.

In addition to the revolutionary integrated chronograph push button design, the Tutima Military Air Force Chronograph also features a highly durable, anti-magnetic titanium case and one of the most reliable mechanical automatic movements available. The 45-hour power reserve with high precision regulating is shock and vibration resistant at an acceleration of 7 G’s in all directions or vibrations of 4 Hz and 20 mm amplitude, compression-resistant for usage up to 15,000 meters above sea-level and water resistant to 200 meters.

The Military Air Force Chronograph also features permanent military time, 60-second and 12-hour displays. The sapphire crystal is scratch resistant and contains an anti-reflective coating. All markings and hands are specially coated with an extensive after-glow non-tritium luminous compound. The Military Air Force Chronograph is not just for pilots but anyone who wants functionality, precision and reliability. Prices start at $3,000.

Courtesy TimeZone

Blancpain re-affirms its ties with the nautical world

July 22, 2005

Continuing to cultivate its particularly strong kinship with the nautical kingdom, the Manufacture from Le Brassus is pleased to partake in and crown the 30th Régate des Vieux Bateaux organised by the Cercle de la Voile de Vevey. The event will take place from July 29th to the 31st, in La Tour-de-Peilz.

As a testament to the immovable values that it shares with sailors, Blancpain will further consolidate its participation in the nautical realm by associating itself with this event steeped in tradition.

Its engagement in this regatta bespeaks the Manufacture’s adoration of beauty and of hand-tailored precision, qualities cherished too by boat lovers. In the name of its imperishable amour for sailing, Blancpain was quite naturally wooed to participate in this splendid event. And wooed it was! ...succumbing to the soft coo of the lake bearing the name of one of its collections: the Léman.

With a sporty countenance, the watches that constitute the collection are characterised by their 100 meter water-resistance, a resistance guaranteed thanks to screw-down crowns, case-backs, and push-pieces. The Flyback Chronograph, which will be featured in a watercolour sketch by Philippe Persyn and given to all participants, is the most emblematic manifestation of the collection’s essence.

The technical virtuosity demonstrated by elite, antique ship-restorers is reflective of the Manufacture’s own pre-eminent inventiveness that has had the rest of the watch-making industry riding Blancpain’s coattails. For 270 years, it is this ethos of creativity that has pushed the Manufacture’s watchmakers to leave a definitive Blancpain stamp on the scroll of horologic history.

More strongly connected to sailing than ever, the Manufacture from Le Brassus is honoured to take part in this event and to hoist high upon its shoulders the noble traditions held by participants in this 30th Régate des Vieux Bateaux.

Source: Blancpain / Courtesy Europa Star

INDUSTRY NEWS – Bulova Acquires Sligh Clocks

Jul 26, 2005 - 01:30 PM

Bulova Corporation has announced an exclusive agreement to become the successor to Sligh Furniture Company’s clock business, with plans to continue offering high-quality clocks to an established customer base, largely composed of specialty furniture and clock retailers.

Under the agreement, reached after Sligh’s decision to discontinue its clock division, Bulova will also provide its sales and marketing resources to Sligh’s current customers. In addition, Bulova will acquire the rights to all of Sligh’s clock designs.

Sligh will continue to provide any necessary service or repairs on their clocks.

The agreement increases Bulova’s international profile in the clock industry, while solidifying its position as the only company in the world dedicated to offering the full spectrum of timepieces for personal use, from watches to the largest clocks for the home. “Our agreement with Sligh gives us an opportunity to create an improved and expanded clock division,” observes Bulova president and chief executive officer, Herbert C. Hofmann. “We plan to work closely with Sligh during the transition, carefully analyzing their product with the goal of presenting a line that reflects the best of both companies.”

Founded in 1875, Bulova, currently celebrating its 130th anniversary, remains one of the world’s most recognized brands, reaching a wide range of consumers with its Bulova, Accutron, Wittnauer and Caravelle watches, as well as its award-winning Bulova Clocks. A subsidiary of Loews Corporation, the U.S. owned and operated company is headquartered in New York City, and maintains offices in Switzerland, Canada, Mexico

and the Far East.

Sligh Furniture Company was established in 1880. It is renowned for high-end home entertainment and office furniture sold throughout North America. Sligh acquired a clock company in 1968 and developed a highly regarded product line, including a widely acclaimed selection of fine grandfather clocks. Sligh is based in Holland, Michigan and is family owned and operated.

Source: Bulova

INDUSTRY NEWS – Omega Opens Boutique in Fukuoka

Jul 27, 2005 - 01:00 PM

Swatch Group KK, the official distributor of Omega watches in Japan, has opened an Omega boutique in Fukuoka. It is the third Omega store following the ones in Ginza and Osaka.

The boutique offers over 250 Omega watch models in addition to Omega Bijoux. The boutique was designed in the same way as Omega stores in Europe.

The address of the Omega Boutique Fukuoka is:

Tenjin27, Bldg. 1F

2-7-19 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka

Japan

Tel: 092-718-0580

Hours are from 11:00am until 7:00pm.

Courtesy TimeZone

INDUSTRY NEWS – Airain, the Watch of the French Air Force, Back in Business

Jul 27, 2005 - 01:23 PM

The original Montres Airain was founded by a famous French watchmaker dynasty – whose legacy as watchmakers date back to the 19th century - in Besancon, France.

Airain began as a supplier to the French Air Force of both wrist chronographs and dashboard chronometers for planes. Both instruments were noted for their uncompromising construction and reliability in both peacetime and combat conditions.

Due to their reputation, the popularity of the Airain watches spread to other military organizations in France (notably NATO forces) and in Europe, South America, and North Africa.

The top model was the Type 20 chronograph with a unique reverse engraved bezel (counter clockwise) to enable countdown timing measurements. The Type 20 models were popular with the fighters of the famous French Foreign Legion.

During the 1980’s Airain diminished in popularity with the onset of quartz watches. At that time the company closed, having never declared bankruptcy.

The revived firm is now producing two mechanical and one quartz chronograph models.

The automatic model is limited to 99 pieces and features a stainless steel case measuring 43mm with double sapphire crystals. Movement is the ETA 7750 caliber. It has a bezel with counter clockwise engraving for countdown time measurements, following the classical Type 20 watch designs. The dial is nightflight-black with structured subdials and white, luminescent hands. It is water resistant to 100 meters.

The manual wind model is also a limited edition of 99 pieces and measures 37.5mm, in stainless steel, using a vintage Valjoux 7733 movement. The crystal is hardlex plastic with magnifying-loupe effect to improve reading precision. This classical chronograph follows the designs of the 1950’s Royal Air Force watches.

The quartz version is a limited edition of 199 pieces, that comes in a 40mm stainless steel case equipped with an ETA caliber G10.211. The crystal is mineral, and it is water resistant to 50 meters.

MSRP is 999 Euros for the automatic and the hand-wind, and 199 Euros for the quartz version.

Courtesy TimeZone

[TwoTone]

INDUSTRY NEWS – Hublot Official Timekeeper of the Afflelou du Figaro Solo Race

July 29, 2005 - 02:00 PM

Each month at Hublot, under the management of Jean-Claude Biver, their new CEO, sees the beginning of a new event and it is for the best to re-launch our beautiful brand.

As of August 8, Hublot will be the Official Timekeeper of the Solitaire Afflelou du Figaro (The Figaro Afflelou Solo Race) that will sail the oceans departing from Perros Guirec (France) to Cork-Crosshaven (Ireland), passing by La Rochelle (France), Bilbao (Spain) and Port Bourgenay (France again).

Hublot is definitely becoming the Official Timekeeper of the major sailing events in Europe suchs as the Yacht Club de Monaco for all its regattas and most particularly for the Monaco Classic Week, Official Timekeeper of the Wally Class with the incredible achievement of the PDAS, Performance Data Acquisition System that allows all Wally boats, a Premiere in the sailing world, to see at any time their ranking and corrected time.

For more information, click on the Link below.

http://people.timezone.com/jmerino/DP.doc

Source: Hublot

Thieves swipe $360,000 in Blancpain watches

July 29, 2005 - Paris

Blancpain and Swatch officials are seeking help from the public and its watch dealers in tracking down four pricey watches taken from the Paris Blancpain boutique July 22.

In a letter to the brand's U.S. dealers, Blancpain U.S. President Marc Junod writes that two thieves made off with four tourbillon watches last Friday afternoon. The letter states that one thief allegedly browsed in the Paris store last Thursday, then returned Friday asking to see four watches. He then grabbed the watches—worth $361,800—and ran out of the store into a waiting getaway car, the letter states.

Blancpain Chief Executive Officer Marc A Hayek took out a full-page ad in Parisian newspaper Le Figaro asking the public for help in tracking down the watches. The ad features images of all four watches and promises a reward for their return.

In his letter to Blancpain's U.S. dealers, Junod asks that retailers contact the company if the stolen watches come in for servicing.

Source: National Jeweler

Inside the Rolex Caliber 2235

by A Watchmaker

I thoroughly enjoyed Alan Downing's -- better known as Watchbore on Time Zone -- informative and entertaining article Inside COSC. But what intrigued me the most about his article is this excerpt…

Even more amazingly, at less than 20mm, the Rolex 2235 falls into the smallest category where the tolerances are at their widest, yet performs well within the tightest allowances reserved for pocket-watches.

Having worked on a few of these myself, and being in total agreement concerning both the merits and accuracy of this excellent movement, I thought that it might be a good idea to take a closer look at it and see if we could unearth the secret of its success. Both to satisfy my own curiosity, and the curiosity of Time Zone's readers, ever thirsty to expand their knowledge of these mechanical marvels of precision engineering.

Basic technical info for the 2235:

Diameter = 20mm

Casing diameter = 19.7mm

Height = 5.95mm (5.4mm for the non-date Cal. 2230)

Jewels = 31

Power Reserve = Approximately 50 hours

A closer look at the movement

The complete movement with both the automatic module and rotor (oscillating weight) attached.

Module still in place, but with the rotor removed

A clearer view of the movement, now that the automatic module has been removed. Note that, unlike the ETA 2892, the automatic module fits onto the movement allowing for larger diameter wheels of the driving train, and more freedom concerning their layout. The disadvantage of this approach is seen in the fact that the ETA 2892 is only 3.6mm thick versus the Rolex 2235 which is almost 2.5mm thicker!

Like its larger sibling, the Cal. 3135, the balance wheel has a bridge supporting it with provision for quick and easy adjustment of the end-shake.

The underneath of the automatic module. One can clearly see how the reversing wheels have been modified slightly from those of the older Cal. 2135. I'm no mechanical engineer, but my feeling is that the slightly larger steel teeth allow for a more positive locking action when they are turned in reverse.

The dial side with both the calendar module and date indicator in place

The calendar module is still in place, but the date indicator has been removed. This seems to me to be a slightly simpler calendar layout than the older Cal. 2135, but much more watchmaker friendly as far as servicing is concerned.

The dial side sans calendar module

Top side of the balance wheel. It's interesting to note that this is quite a large diameter balance -- approximately 8mm - for a 20mm ladies movement. This is about the same diameter of the balance wheel in the men's JLC 889/2. For comparison, the ETA 2892 has a 9mm diameter balance.

This is probably the smallest diameter balance fitted with a Breguet hairspring. As one can see, the hairspring is attached to a Greiner collet which is friction fitted onto the balance staff. I was a little surprised to see that Rolex chose to use a Greiner collet as they use their own variation of ETA's Nivatronic collet on their men's movements, and have for some time.

Personally, I don't see any difference between the two as far timing is concerned. But I do have a preference for the Greiner collet, as I've found that the other ones, both Nivarox-Far's and Rolex's Nivatronic ones, impossible to demagnetize 100%. Not that it affects the timing in any way, just that it bothers me knowing that.

The under-side of the balance wheel. As with most balance wheels that have crossed my bench, the finish on the under-side leaves a lot to be desired as far as aesthetics are concerned. Even the best that I've seen are still not that great, but the better ones at least have reasonably smooth and even lines all running in one direction.

A comparison showing the size of the train wheels of the 2235, versus those of the men's Cal. 3135. From left to right - the great wheel, 3rd, 2nd and escape wheels. Overall, the differences in diameter between the two are virtually negligible. Upon closer inspection, one can see that that the third and second wheels of the cal. 2235 appear to have slightly fewer teeth compared to those of their larger and older sibling.

As a note of interest, while the escape wheel of the older Cal. 2135 is not interchangeable with the newer Cal. 2235, the pallet fork is. What this implies is that the basic geometry of the escapement between the two is therefore relatively unchanged.

So, what secrets has this closer inspection unearthed. Ha! None really! But if you really want to know more, then read on for my personal observations. Rolex obviously have a good understanding of what constitutes good movement design and implement it with amazing precision. Especially keeping in mind their very large production. They continue to refine their movements, while also bearing in mind the time that it will take to disassemble and reassemble them, when the time comes for servicing them.

Personal Observations:

Here are my thoughts and observations as I try and put this movement and its accuracy into context through my years of experience gleaned at the bench.

As previously mentioned in my article on the ETA 2892, accuracy and reliability are the result of intelligent design with well thought out compromises, executed as superbly as possible. Examining the movements that fit into this category does highlight a few important areas that seem common to most of them.

First off, almost all of them are high beat (28,800 BPH) movements. I know that some manufacturers prefer a slower beat (usually 21,600 BPH) in order to reduce wear on the pivots. I know that many will disagree with me, but I honestly don't believe that the gains justify the losses in going with a slower beat.

The most important gains are more torque, which usually results in a smoother and more even transmission of power. Greater moment of inertia. So that the balance wheel is disturbed less and recovers faster from shocks and bumps. Also, the fact that the balance is moving faster, means that it's spends less time in contact with the escapement. These things contribute greatly to increased accuracy and reliability.

The two main negatives from a higher beat are theoretically more wear of the pivots, because of higher friction due to the higher torque. Secondly, the automatic winding will need to be more carefully designed and implemented. Both to take into account the increased pressure on the driving wheels and pivots, and also the gear ratios in order to more efficiently wind up the >stronger mainspring. A perfect example of a poorly designed automatic system is the old Patek Philippe Cal. 310. The gear ratios were poorly chosen for the strength of the mainspring used. This not only resulted in poor winding efficiency, but also in the steel ratchet wheel deforming the teeth of the ratchet driving wheel within a short time.

The only reason that I say 'theoretically more wear' is because in all my years at the bench, I honestly don't see any difference in wear on the pivots from an old 18,000 BPH watch to the Zenith Cal. 400 chrono, which is the fastest beating mechanical movement currently in production. The one thing that seems to destroy pivots in short order, is moisture in the movement and then leaving it running for an extended period of time before its next service. Poor servicing (i.e. inadequate cleaning, which leaves dirt and dried out oils on the pivots) and careless lubrication is also responsible for worn out pivots.

It's also worth noting that the metal of the pivots used in watches today is generally quite a bit softer than that used even 20 years ago. The older watches had pivots that were unnecessarily hard. Just try to polish one of these by hand and you'll see exactly what I mean. By not hardening the pivots (and screws) as much as they used to, the manufacturers can cut and finish them faster. An added benefit is that their tooling will last longer too. Obviously there's a fine line here - and if the hardening process is not carefully controlled, they can end up with parts that'll wear out too quickly regardless of everything else being up to par.

Smooth and even transmission of power also helps considerably in the accuracy department. Easier said than done. But obviously a good understanding of the mechanical principles involved, together with the knowledge gained from decades, if not centuries of experiments. The older watches relied on the fusee, maltese cross in the barrel etc to achieve that aim. Modern watches rely on specially shaped teeth (such as the ETA microgear toothing), correct shape and material of the mainspring, modern lubricants, careful lay-out of the drive train and the smooth rolling of the Glucydur teeth on the steel pinions. Variations in amplitude on my timing machine are consistently the least with the modern Rolex calibers and the chronometer grade ETA 2892 and its variants. With the Valjoux 7750 and JLC 889 being not too far behind.

A well designed and accurately set up escapement is a given. This, together with a modern Glucydur balance that has been dynamically poised by computer and used in conjunction with an excellent hairspring are just some of the 'secrets' of an accurate movement. And what I mean by 'excellent hairspring' is both it's shape and material. Rolex and ETA (in their chronometer versions) both use the highest quality Anachron for their hairsprings. Rolex having refined and perfected the Breguet hairspring, and ETA having refined and perfected the flat hairspring with dog-ear bend to achieve virtually identical results.

The fit and finish of important parts -- escapement, balance wheel and hairspring etc -- is exemplary. While the decoration of the basic plates is really quite crude where visible, and virtually non-existent when it's out of sight. This might bother some people, but Rolex obviously spare no expense concentrating on those parts that affect precision and reliability while just giving a basic nod to bare-bones decoration of their movements.

I know that some people might attribute this movement's extraordinary precision to its Breguet hairspring, but I'm not one of them. Putting this movement on a timing machine shows its very smooth and exceptionally stable transmission of power from the barrel to the escapement, and putting it through its paces in the various positions shows its absolutely astonishing isochronism. This is the same type of performance that I see in the better adjusted Omega watches fitted out with their Daniels escapements -- and the latter do not have Breguet hairsprings.

All in all, I'm very impressed with Rolex's new movement. I really take my hat off to them for not sitting on their laurels, because there really was no pressing need for them to update their already accurate and reliable Cal. 2135. While other movements do match it, both in terms of precision and reliability, none do it with the volume and consistency of Rolex. A tribute not only to both their movement designers and precision engineering, but also to their amazing quality control.

Courtesy TimeZone

[TwoTone]

INDUSTRY NEWS – H5 Group – New Home of Perrelet, Leroy, Joseph Chevalier & Berney-Blondeau Brands

Aug 01, 2005 - 01:34 PM

A new watchgroup has been formed in Bienne, Switzerland, the H5 Group. The new holding company is headed by the CEO of Spanish watchmaker Festina-Lotus, Miguel Rodriguez, and aided by Swiss watchmakers Herbert Arni and Guillaume Tripet.

The H5 Group has acquired the rights to the Perrelet, Leroy, Joseph Chevalier and Berney-Blondeau brands, their manufacturing plants and inventory.

The intention is to continue to grow this well-known names as individual brands.

Courtesy TimeZone

INDUSTRY NEWS - BREITLING - Mulliner Tourbillon

Aug 02, 2005

Mulliner, the jewel in the crown of the Bentley factory in Crewe… Behind the closed doors of this prestigious workshop, a hundred or so craftsmen and technicians lavish the utmost care on fulfilling the most specific wishes of Bentley owners. Embodying a blend of technology and tradition, commissioning is taken to its ultimate conclusion.

This spirit of exclusivity has given rise to an extraordinary timepiece, the Mulliner Tourbillon chronograph. A rare and indeed extremely rare model, since only a few dozen will be made over the next few years, at a rate of two per month. While exclusivity comes at a price, it also brings its share of privileges, since each Mulliner Tourbillon is customized by its future owner. According to his personal preferences, he can choose the type of case – in platinum or in yellow, rose or white gold – the dial colour or the exact shade of the crocodile leather strap. Even the precious wood decoration on the back of the watch comes in a choice of six types of veneer.

This masterpiece also has an exceptional heart in the shape of hand-wound Breitling Caliber 18B, a Tourbillon chronograph movement exclusive to “Breitling for Bentley”. The tourbillon is a sophisticated mechanism constituting one of the most ingenious mechanical watch complications: the balance, balance-spring and escapement are contained within a carriage spinning on its axis, a construction which compensates for the variations in rate that occur when a watch is in a vertical position. This is not the only special feature of this mechanism: its “30-second” type chronograph mechanism is distinguished by its central hand revolving around the dial in half a minute instead of the usual 60 seconds; this apparently surprising configuration enables extremely precise read-off for the fractions of a second, in this case 1/6ths. It is also endowed with a 15-minute totalizer and a pointer-type date display.

Each automobile that emerges from the Mulliner workshop is unique… and such is also true of each Mulliner Tourbillon, thus guaranteeing its owner the certainty that he will never see an identical watch. Never!

Each hour-marker on the dial is fashioned from natural hand-crafted mother-of-pearl. A work of true artistry.

Both literally and figuratively, each Mulliner Tourbillon carries the hall-mark of its owner, including his initials engraved on one of the movement bridges.

Protected by a sapphire crystal, the precious wooden ring is available in the same shades and veneers as the Bentley Mulliner trim: burr walnut, dark stained burr walnut, madrona, birds eye maple, burr oak, olive ash.

The countless ways of personalising a Mulliner Tourbillon chronograph are directly inspired by those offered by the Bentley Mulliner workshop in Crewe.

Breitling Caliber 18B with “Tourbillon” regulating system.

Hand-wound. 30-second chronograph function. Pointer-type date display.

Chronometer-certified by the Cosc.

Breitling SA

Schlachthausstrasse 2

P.O. Box 1132

CH - 2540 Grenchen

Tel: +41 32 654 54 54

Fax: +41 32 654 54 01

http://www.breitling.com

Nautilus - Patek Philippe adds noblesse to its casual collection

Aug 02, 2005

As a world debut, the Nautilus – Patek Philippe’s interpretation of casual elegance – has been endowed with three complications: a power-reserve indicator, an analog date, and a moon-phase display. To accommodate these added features, the prominent signature dial was fitted in a larger-format steel case, preserving the charisma of the original launched nearly thirty years ago.

The Patek Philippe Nautilus: a classic in form and function

In the mid-1970s, Patek Philippe decided to launch a more rugged men’s wristwatch, but the new timepiece needed an inimitable personality in order to hold its own against famous classic collections like the Calatrava and Golden Ellipse. An inspiration for its design soon emerged: The universal shape of a porthole found on virtually all maritime vessels, even the most luxurious passenger steamships. The classic round window is framed in brass with a solid hinge on one side so it can be bolted to the hull. Opposite the hinge is an equally massive threaded toggle lock used to secure the window against the gasket. To make this shape more attractive for a watch case, Patek Philippe drew eight intersecting circles to create an octagon. Introduced in 1976, the Patek Philippe Nautilus not only looks like a rugged sports watch, but it is built that way. Rather than a traditional three-part case — with a middle, back and bezel —the Nautilus’ heavy-duty steel case is milled from a single block of metal and hermetically sealed with a gasket and bezel, similar to a ship’s hatch, to protect the movement. The Nautilus immediately attracted attention, and its overriding success confirmed that the Geneva workshops, long admired for their elegant timepieces, could find a niche in the sportier watch category. Since then, the Nautilus has established itself as a classic and is one of the most sought-after timepieces at auction.

Nautilus Ref. 3712/1

The original Nautilus (Ref. 3700/1), nicknamed Jumbo, inspired a smaller model (Ref. 3800/1) in 1982 followed by a ladies’ version (Ref. 4700). The new Ref. 3712/1 in steel takes the Nautilus back to its larger proportion, measuring 42 mm wide and 38 mm vertically. It is a mere 8.37 mm thick, which is particularly thin considering the complications added to the movement. The individual links of the steel bracelet are meticulously finished with the middle links mirror polished and the outer links satin-brushed, a technically difficult and time-consuming process. The stainless steel fold-over clasp assures safety and comfort.

Familiar shape with a new face

The dial of Nautilus Ref. 3712/1 is somewhat familiar yet strikingly different. The color graduates from a deep blue in the middle to black at the periphery, and horizontal embossing adds a dimensional accent. The layout of the dial is unmistakably new. A small white hand between 10 and 11 o’clock shows the power reserve. The moon-phase display is located in an aperture at 7 o’clock, surrounded by a ring of numerals to indicate the date. The subsidiary dial for the second hand is between 4 and 5 o’clock. The wide, luminous baton hands and matching hour markers are Nautilus signatures. Even in the darkest night, they make it easy to instantly tell the time.

The manufacture movement caliber 240: self-winding, convenient, trustworthy

The unusually thin 240 PS IRM C LU caliber is celebrated for its timekeeping accuracy. An integrated 22K solid-gold mini-rotor powers the movement. The abbreviation PS in the caliber designation stands for Petite Seconde (small seconds), IRM for Indication de Réserve de Marche (power-reserve indicator), C for Calendrier (calendar), and LU for phases de LUne (moon phases). Despite its small diameter, the mini-rotor relies on the high density of gold to generate enough winding energy to keep the watch running reliably under normal conditions of use. The movement has a power reserve of 38 to 48 hours and runs at a frequency of 3 Hertz (21,600 semi-oscillations per hour).

The first complicated Nautilus

In addition to telling the time, the new Nautilus Ref. 3712/1 features a power-reserve indicator, a moon-phase display and an analog date. These three complications are extremely useful and enhance the overall value of the watch. Because of their ingenious design, the moon-phase and date-display mechanisms require little energy. These periodically advancing displays, based on two identical wheel trains, are synchronized with a lunar cycle and a 24-hour cycle, respectively. The automatic date change is completed in one hour. The moon-phase display is so accurate that it deviates from the true lunar month by only one day in 122 years and 45 days. The date and moon-phase displays can be individually adjusted with two corrector buttons on the side of the case. If these corrections are performed during an automatic date change (around midnight), a refined safety device protects the sensitive switching mechanism from sustaining damage.

In addition, Patek Philippe has designed a new system to unlock the winding stem that replaces a split stem. The addition of a small device allows the crown and winding stem to be disconnected from the movement. At the edge of the dial, a tiny opening in the movement provides access to a small lever that detaches the setting detent holding the winding stem. The stem can be removed and inserted as a whole, allowing the movement to be easily placed in the case from the top.

Perfection in craftsmanship

Despite the three complications and advanced safety mechanisms, the overall height of the 240 PS IRM C LU movement is just 3.98 mm. Its bridges and off-center gold rotor are decorated with Geneva stripes. The plate is engraved with a graceful perlage (machine-turned) pattern and, like all Patek Philippe’s mechanical movements, is hallmarked with the Geneva Seal, the most prestigious official award for horological excellence. The movement can be admired through the sapphire-crystal back.

Enhanced with a contemporary appeal, the Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 3712/1 is another classic from the Geneva workshops.

Technical data

Movement:

• Caliber 240 PS IRM C LU
  
• Ultra-thin self-winding mechanical movement
  
• Diameter: 31 mm
  
• Height: 3.98 mm
  
• Number of parts: 265
  
• Number of jewels: 29
  
• Power reserve: Min. 38 hours, max. 48 hours
  
• Rotor: Integrated mini-rotor in 22K gold, unidirectional winding
  
• Balance: Gyromax
  
• Frequency: 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour
  
• Balance spring: Flat
  
  • Two-position crown
    
  • Pulled out: to set time
    
  • Pushed in: to wind watch
    
    • Hours
      
    • Minutes
      
    • Subsidiary seconds between 4 and 5 o'clock
      
    • Power-reserve indicator between 10 and 11 o'clock
      
    • Analog date between 7 and 8 o'clock
      
    • Moon phase in an aperture between 7 and 8 o'clock
      
      • Moon phase at 4 o'clock
        
      • Date at 8 o'clock
        
        
        Features
        
        Case:
        • Steel, sapphire-crystal back, water-resistant crown with a monobloc winding stem
          
        • Bezel with vertical satin-finish
          
        • Water resistant to 60 meters
          

        Case dimensions:

        [*]Width: 42 mm

        [*]Height: 38 mm

        [*]Thickness: 8.37 mm

        Dial:

        [*]Graduated tone from black at the periphery to deep blue in the center

        [*]Sunburst, embossed horizontal relief

        [*]11 applied baton-style index markers in 18K white gold with luminescent coating

        [*]Baton-style hour and minute hands in 18K white gold with luminescent coating

        [*]White-lacquered, baton-style second, date, and power-reserve hands in 18K white gold

        Bracelet:

        [*]Steel, middle links polished, outer links satin-finished.

        [*]Steel fold-over clasp.

        Nautilus Ref. 3712/1 steel

        Patek Philippe SA

        141, chemin du Pont-du-Centenaire

        P.O. Box 2654

        CH - 1211 Geneva 2

        Tel +41 22 884 20 20

        Fax +41 22 884 25 47

        http://www.patek.com

        NEWS - Strong sales growth in first half 2005

        August 03, 2005

        LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world’s leading luxury products group, reported consolidated sales of EUR 6,173 million in the first half of 2005, reflecting an increase in organic* sales of 12% compared to the first half of 2004. This sales growth accelerated in the second quarter of 2005, coming on top of a strong 19% increase in the second quarter of 2004.

        Key points of first half 2005:

        - Good sales growth across all business groups,

        - Asia and Europe see strong sales growth and the US continues to progress well,

        - Louis Vuitton continues to post double-digit sales growth,

        - The Watches & Jewelry and Selective Retailing business groups record organic growth of 15%

        - Market share gains across all brands.

        

        * with a comparable structure and constant exchange rates

        Wines & Spirits delivered organic sales growth of 12% during the first half of 2005. The champagne brands, particularly Dom Pérignon, Krug and Veuve Clicquot, showed strong growth across all geographic areas. Moët & Chandon achieved good levels of growth in Japan and Europe. Hennessy cognac strengthened its momentum with solid growth, particularly in the US and Asia.

        Fashion & Leather Goods, Louis Vuitton posted double-digit organic sales growth.

        After the Cerises line, the Denim and Antigua collections, which have just been launched, are already attracting waiting lists around the world.

        The other fashion brands of the Group have also seen buoyant sales growth over the first half of 2005. Fendi continued its momentum and opened its new Fendi Palace boutique in Rome.

        Perfumes & Cosmetics, the good momentum of Parfums Christian Dior continued with sustained growth. The new perfumes, Pure Poison, Miss Dior Chérie, and the make-up and skincare lines, are showing strong growth.

        L’Instant and the skin care products continue to support the growth of Guerlain.

        With a 15% organic sales increase, Watches & Jewelry once again showed strong growth over the entire first half of 2005 after an excellent performance in 2004. The performance of TAG Heuer was particularly strong in the US and in Asia. Zenith recorded strong sales growth across all its markets. The momentum of Chaumet continues.

        In the Selective Retailing business group, DFS continues to grow, particularly in Asia. Sephora continues to deliver good performance in Europe. In the US, sales growth is accelerating with, once again, a double-digit increase on a comparable store basis.

        LVMH works to capitalize on its worldwide leadership, excellent geographical sales balance, its innovation policy, the quality of its products and the talent of its teams to accelerate its development in a growing worldwide market. Over the second half, LVMH will focus on developing market share for its leading brands and on a series of new product launches. The first half performance allows LVMH to confirm its objective of a tangible increase in operating income for 2005.

        Source: LVMH / courtesy europastar

        INDUSTRY NEWS - Christiaan van der Klaauw watches

        Aug 04, 2005

        

        Christiaan van der Klaauw is one of the true Masters of Watchmaking.

        He has been creating exceptional clocks since 1974, many of which today are unique pieces and collectors items.

        A combination of timeless design, craftsmanship and a predilection for astronomy are the trademarks of his remarkable work. After becoming a member of the Swiss founded Academy "Horlogeres des Createurs Independants" (AHCI), he presented his astronomical table clock as his masterpiece at the Basel Fair in 1990.

        There he established his name among the top known clockmakers. The successor to this table clock was the "Pendule Variable", with which he won a gold medal for the most innovative design at Basel 1992.

        Christiaan van der Klaauw lives in the Netherlands, and creates some of the most beautiful and complicated watches in the world.

        His love of astronomy translates well in the design of his watches, all of which feature beautiful dials and colors. His watches that are in current production are:

        Christiaan van der Klaauw Real Moon Rose Gold

        

        

        Eclipse in Rose Gold

        

        

        Planetarium in Rose Gold

        

        

        Ariadne in Rose Gold

        

        

        Christiaan van der Klaauw Mondial Rose Gold

        

        If you are looking for an extraordinary watch with highly unusual complications and a large amount of hand workmanship, Christiaan van der Klaauw has the watch.

        List prices US$ 12,000.00 - 25,000.00

        Courtesy Watch Buys

        Telling time, Italian-style - Q&A: Romain Le Chevallier

        Jai Arjun Singh / New Delhi July 30, 2005

        

        Romain Le Chevallier

        Romain Le Chevallier is the brand manager-Middle East for Panerai, the Italian watch brand. He joined the company in December 2003 in Dubai and launched the brand in the Indian market last year, after considered market research. He speaks to Business Standard about the company, its history and future plans.

        Most established watch companies have a rich history. What is Panerai’s like?

        The company actually goes back to 1860, when it was founded by Giovanni Panerai; from the late 19th century onwards it was making navigational instruments. In 1936 Panerai produced the first military watch for commando divers and became the official suppliers for the Royal Italian Navy.

        However, it was only in the late 1990s that we entered international markets as a brand, launching our watches in 20 countries.

        Why the shift from being a military watch?

        It started in 1995, when Sylvester Stallone — an ardent watch collector — asked us to produce some limited-edition pieces for him and his friends. We produced a line of “Slytech” watches (after the actor’s nickname) and that was really the beginning of our venture into the general market.

        Having said that, we’re not looking at mass appeal but at exclusivity. Rarely (if at all) does anyone go in for a Panerai model as their first watch. Our models tend to appeal more to watch collectors.

        What are Panerai’s distinctive features?

        Well, all our timepieces use a mechanical movement — you won’t find a single battery in our collection! The watches are unisex and in keeping with the history of the company our designs tend to be mostly utilitarian. We still have big, luminescent numbers, for instance — because commando divers needed them back in the old days.

        One distinct feature, for which our company even has a patent, is the bridge on the side of the watch, which covers the crown. It was developed to protect the crown and to help in water-resistance.

        What’s your take on the Indian market?

        We have noted an increase in the sales of tourbillon (a gravity-defying movement) watches; it seems to be a recent trend in the Indian market. We are optimistic about India, because you have a small segment of people with high purchasing power.

        We’ve already been told about Hollywood actors sporting Panerai watches in films, as a status symbol. We’ll be targetting the upper segment — like I said, we’re not looking at a mass market anyway.

        We had a soft launch in India in October last year and launched with events in Mumbai and Delhi in February 2005. Our objective here is to build brand awareness.

        What future developments can be expected?

        There’s a major product development coming up this year — we have developed our own mechanical movement and will be launching the first watch with a 100 per cent in-house Panerai movement by the end of this year.

        It’s a three-barrel movement that has taken around four years to develop. This should strengthen our position as a Swiss watchmaker and we are very enthusiastic about it. The watch will be available in a limited edition of 250 pieces — 150 in yellow gold and 100 in platinum.

        Do you customise your watches based on the markets you are entering?

        Not as a rule. We have done it once in the while — for the Chinese market, for instance, and we also did some Jules Verne engravings for the French market. Occasionally, special pieces have been made for high-profile customers. But we prefer to stick to our brand’s core strengths.

        Source: Business-Standard

        INDUSTRY NEWS – Movado’s New Ambassador

        Aug 05, 2005

        

        Actress Kerry Washington, who recently starred in the hit-movie Ray, will join Movado's international advertising campaign starting this fall.

        Washington played opposite Jamie Foxx, who starred as Charles in last year's Ray, the widely-acclaimed film about the life of musical legend Ray Charles. She won "Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture" at the NAACP Image Awards for her role as Charles' wife, Della. She also appears this summer in the Fantastic Four, based on the Marvel Comics superheroes.

        "We are very excited to have Kerry join the 'Art of Time' campaign," said Movado President and CEO Efraim Grinberg. "She takes a young, fresh approach to her art. Her exceptional talent and striking beauty will enhance the artistic designs of our watches. She ideally complements the prestigious group of artists who are part of Movado's brand advertising."

        The Movado Group designs, manufactures, and distributes Movado, Ebel, Concord, ESQ, Coach, Tommy Hilfiger and Hugo Boss worldwide, and operates Movado boutiques and company stores in the United States.

        

        Courtesy TimeZone

        Counterfeit watch vendor arrested in Pattaya (Thailand)

        25th july 2005

        

        Counterfeit watch vendor arrested on Beach Road between Sois 4 and 5 in Pattaya

        Once again, a foreign spy was utilized by Bangkok Police in Pattaya, this time on Beach Road between Sois 4 and 5, at 11:45 pm on July 22nd. Inspectors from the Economic and Technology Suppression Division arrested Khun Garan Saocha-em, age 23, from Grabi Province, and seized the following evidence of counterfeiting:

        [*]25 brand-name "Rolex" watches

        [*]5 branded "Gucci" watches

        [*]15 brand "Omega" watches

        [*]6 "Breitling" watches

        [*]2 "Rado" watchdes

        [*]5 "Tagheuer" fakes

        for a total of 58 different timepieces.

        Khun Garan stated that he purchased these items from "Klong Tom" in Bangkok for 100 to 120 baht each (US$ 2.50 - 2.90), and was selling them for 1,500 to 2,500 baht apiece (US$ 36.40 - 60.75), which is a handsome profit indeed.

        The accused was booked on a charge of selling counterfeit merchandise.

        Source: Pattaya-People

        Swiss Made Watches Not 100% Swiss Manufactured?

        Definition of the term Swiss Made in watches.

        Denver, Colorado, USA (PRWEB) July 14, 2005 -- The term "Swiss Made" when used on watches is typically regarded as a mark that indicates the country of origin of a watch.

        However, the term "Swiss Made" is actually a term that has been trademarked by the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (http://www.fhs.ch), and has been used to deceive the American public as well as the general population worldwide into believing that 100% of the components used in a "Swiss Made" watch are manufactured in Switzerland.

        According to seldom seen "disclaimers" from the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (go to http://www.fhs.ch and click on the "Swiss Made" link for the verbatim definition), a watch is considered to be Swiss Made if 50% of the VALUE of the components have been manufactured in Switzerland and if it has been assembled and cased up in Switzerland and the final inspection is in Switzerland. This deceptive disclaimer means that a $10 movement can be purchased from the far east or Russia and then can be assembled using one $10 Swiss manufactured screw made to fit the movement, and the watch can legally be called "Swiss Made," said Terry Allison, founder of Montres Allison.

        Pierre Maillard, well known and highly regarded writer for Europa Star (the best known magazine that covers the Swiss Watch Industry) stated in a recent article regarding the term "Swiss Made": "...this label is no longer a guarantee of origin worthy of the name because, as we know only too well, it covers all kind of practices and allows the label ‘Swiss’ to be placed on watches that are essentially Chinese. Let’s admit it. The ‘Swiss Made’ appellation is largely a masquerade." To read Pierre's entire article go to the following link: http://www.europastar.com/europastar/searc...t_id=1000486686

        "The use of this term is very deceptive and creates unfair competition for us and for manufacturers of components and watches in countries other than Switzerland," stated Allison. The components in question are not marked as to the country of origin, so the public is not fully aware of the magnitude of this very serious issue being perpetrated on the American people.

        Often times, "Swiss Made" watches aren't 100% Swiss manufactured, and if the public knew this, in Allison's opinion, the public would make buying decisions based on other factors.

        A Gallup poll published on the Federal Trade Commission government website showed that half of adults surveyed indicated that the country of origin is important to them when considering the purchase of a watch. The same poll revealed that if they had a choice, two-thirds of those surveyed would prefer to have a watch manufactured in Switzerland. More than a quarter of those polled indicated that country of origin was extremely important to them. The Gallup Poll also surveyed the respondents' confidence that an unqualified "Swiss" marking on a watch meant that the complete watch was manufactured in Switzerland. More than half (52%) of the adults surveyed were at least "somewhat confident" that a watch marked "Swiss" was completely manufactured in that country. The percentage was even higher (59%) among those who stated that they would prefer a watch manufactured in Switzerland. The results of the Gallup poll can be seen at http://www.ftc.gov/opp/jointvent/madeusa/ftp/usa/047.txt.

        "It is common industry knowledge that many of the Swiss watch manufacturers purchase cases, movements, components, crystals, crowns, and display boxes from countries in the far east for use in watches that will be sold to unsuspecting customers as "Swiss Made," said Allison. Allison also stated, "My problem with this is that the components manufacturers in countries other than Switzerland that are producing quality components that are being used in "Swiss Made" watches and that are good enough to be used in the highest quality of watches are not being treated fairly by the consuming public due to the deceptive term "Swiss Made" and the perception by the public that "Swiss Made" products are so much better than those produced elsewhere." "A watch should be judged on it's individual merits, and not on the country of origin -- especially when a country of origin marking such as "Swiss Made" is deceptive and allows the use of components manufactured in countries other than Switzerland."

        If more than one-half of adults surveyed believe that the term "Swiss Made" indicates that a watch was completely manufactured in Switzerland, when the regulations clearly indicate that this need not be the case, the FTC and US Customs need to become involved in order to protect the American consumer who has been repeatedly duped by those companies who mark their watches as "Swiss Made" when they are secretly subcontracting the manufacture of many of their components in Russia and the far east.

        "The list of manufacturers who mark their watches as Swiss Made while knowing that their watches do not consist completely of components manufactured in Switzerland is very long. You would probably be surprised to learn of the high end watches that use components manufactured in countries other than Switzerland," Allison stated. Do a google.com search for the term "swiss made scam" to read about many of the dirty little secrets in the Swiss watch industry. Caveat Emptor - Buyer beware.

        Source: emediawire

[TwoTone]

NEWS SAUDI ARABIA - Watch That Watch

February 2005

A warehouse used for storing counterfeit watches was the target of a recent raid undertaken by officials from the Municipality of Mecca and the Criminal Inspection Department. The sale of counterfeit watches had reached epidemic proportions during the Hajj period, which could jeopardize the future of the business and distort the image of this Holy City.

The Vice-President of the Commercial Anti-Fraud Department announced that the counterfeit sales had been valued at around 300 million Saudi Riyals during the Hajj period only. On the other hand, a local source said that this transition period of piracy is coming to an end. Local daily monitoring followed by immediate enforcement measures should curb the counterfeiters from reaching the consumers.

Also, as part of the new plan to enforce copyright laws, the authorities concerned are working to ensure effective enforcement of the regulations and efficient customer protection.

Source: Saba & Co. Group

ALFREDO CONDE @ AS220

by CHRISTIAN HOLLAND

Copying something creates a fake. Creating that fake object can be quite simple, you need only find an original and copy it, bearing in mind that he closer the semblance to the original, the more difficult the task of copying. Trying to create a fake without an original, however, is essentially impossible—the very concept of fakeness necessitates an original.

With his recent work, Boston based artist Alfredo Conde achieves this idea. His show, "Cheappy Cheappy Good Stuff" at AS220's gallery in Providence included works that were demonstrations and sketches of the sales stands, including products, of the counterfeit watch and jewelry market of Chinatown in New York. In a tongue in cheek description of his work one could say they are fakes without originals in that they are indeed copies of copies, but the works are actually representations of fakeness.

Alfredo became interested in the street vendor of Chinatown and began studying their culture and systems of survival by observation and discreetly held digital camera. All of this is much to his wife's concern as he could easily find himself embroiled in a rather treacherous misunderstanding if detected, especially considering the recent relegation of contraband products to terrorism. He's been so lucky as to take away an integral part of street vending paraphernalia, the up-up cardboard stand the vendors use to place the cases of their products on for display. He actually uses this stand in his own works. Alfredo insists he's there as an observer, not to invade or become a part of the counterfeit vending culture. From his detailed descriptions of the vendors, however, it seems as though he could compose a short ethnography on them. The vendors are a compelling subject, watch sales alone puts them at the end of a $9 billion illegal market with the losses to watch industry estimated to be $630 million a year.

His sculptural works are comprised of the suitcases that the sellers use for both transport and display cases, which he built out of the popular modeling material, foam-core, with packing tape and Velcro. For practical and aesthetic purposes, the suitcases are functional—they can be closed and gently transported. CD's (some real, some fake), costume jewelry, watches fashioned from foam-core and blings cut from cardboard (one of a hand-grenade, another of dollar-sign) are all products for show in Alfredo's suitcases. His paintings are matted on pieces of foam-core that look as though they were created by Alfredo to resemble the same display boards improvised by street vendors to sell their goods.

This re-creation of improvisation helps create the aesthetic that Alfredo strives for in these works, but his works are not improvisation: his materials are chosen with the same careful intent and the works constructed with the same apt deliberation as the designer of the display at the Rolex boutique. He is also not creating the object that the street vendors are indeed putting together in their improvisation. His work is somewhere in between the real and the fake, the actual and the improvised. Of course, his pieces and concepts are as original and fresh as an Alpen snowflake; he has found a way to articulate fake without an original.

When I first saw the images of the works online, I believed the suitcases to be real. The jewelry in the cases, though costume, could very well have been real "fake" jewelry, i.e. knock-off jewelry meant to seem real enough to impress a passer-by, but his jewelry of choice is costume jewelry. It is too fake and gaudy to be sold as 'legitimate' and fashionable wear (which is a rather extraordinary accomplishment considering the 'bling blings' of Chingy) but it suits Alfredo's needs for it to be one step outside the feigned authenticity of the street vendors merchandise. It seems as though Alfredo is trying just as hard to make his works seem fake as a counterfeit watchmaker is trying to make his product seem real. On the pricelist for "Cheappy Cheappy Good Stuff" the suitcase pieces are priced with their "product," the product being the watches, dvd's or jewelry. Describing those objects within the works as "products" helps balance out their apparent artificiality with a word that connotes legitimacy. In another witticism on the make believe, one of the works disappeared during the show and was listed on the price list as "Confiscated." As a matter of fact, billions of dollars of counterfeit goods are confiscated by various law enforcement entities all over the world.

The aesthetic he has created seems most tenuous when the objects he uses could actually be the same object they represent. When he does this the liminal fakeness created by representing the artificial, and standing as neither fake nor real, is pushed in the direction of tangibility. The fact that most of his sculptural works are made from foam-core, a rather ethereal material, keeps them in the realm of the pseudo, but the handle on one of the cases seems quite functional. The rolled-up cardboard stands are also quite usable—with a few slight modifications for durability, they may be quite usable for the purposes of street vending. These aspects of the work may indeed be "real" but they help illustrate the relativity of authenticity. The tactile qualities of some of the works are only foregrounds their oscillating point in the spectrum of bona fide and phony. The works do beg the question of what constitutes authenticity and where the limits of real and fake stop and end.

Let's not forget the Blonde Redhead album, "Fake can be Just as Good". We improvise where we cannot attain the original, as we've fallen prey to consumerism and iconography, we make every attempt to attain our ideal image, in so doing authenticity loses its priority to the desired image. Alfredo's work playfully takes advantage of the relativity of authenticity and has created works that demonstrate that very concept. His cases are fake, his models of counterfeit watches, also fake; but to the passer-by they are just as real as that Rolex I'm planning to purchase on my next trip to Canal Street.

Source: Big Red & Shiny | All images are courtesy of the artist and AS220.

INDUSTRY NEWS – Omega Celebrates 110 Years in China

Aug 08, 2005

Omega celebrated 110 years in the Chinese market with a glamorous press conference held at the Old Train Station in Shanghai; the occasion was graced by two of the brand’s leading global ambassadors, actor Simon Yam and actress Qi Qi. To mark the first Omega watches ever produced for the Chinese market, Omega also launched the latest exclusive edition of its famed Railmaster family, the Railmaster Limited Edition in Gold.

Considering that the first Omega watches in China were produced for China’s National Railway in 1895, the Old Train Station in Shanghai was the ideal setting for the 110th anniversary celebration.

A programme of activities to mark Omega’s anniversary in China were also announced, including the start of a travelling tour of renowned timepieces from the Omega Museum. From now until December 2005, over 40 pieces from the Omega Museum in Switzerland will be showcased in 20 Omega stores around China.

Omega also announced details of a public competition to find the oldest Omega watch in China. Interested applicants just have to take an application form and their watches to the nearest official Omega retailer, who will verify the age and authenticity and photograph the watch for the competition.

The owner of the oldest certified authentic Omega timepiece in China will win one of the 1,895 Limited Edition Omega Railmasters in Gold, while all owners of Omega watches produced before 1930 will receive special certificates.

Courtesy TimeZone

CORRECTION – Chopard Gran Turismo XL – MOVEMENT is Valgranges

Aug 08, 2005

Last Friday I reported on the new Chopard Gran Turismo XL, part of the Mille Miglia collection.

I erroneously reported that the movement used in that model was a Vaucher caliber. My sources at Chopard have informed me that it uses an ETA movement, based on the 7750 caliber, the new Valgranges caliber A07.111.

The movement itself measures 37mm X 8mm, it has 24 jewels, beating at 28,800 bph with a power reserve of 48 hours and it has an ETACHRON index assembly with fine-adjustment device.

Courtesy TimeZone

INDUSTRY NEWS – 360 degrees of total innovation by TAG Heuer

July 04, 2005 By D. Malcolm Lakin

Founded in 1860, TAG Heuer has remained ever since at the forefront of precision timing. In the last four years however, the brand has broadened its horological profile both technically, stylistically and promotionally with its recent Sport & Glamour concept.

TAG Heuer is the world leader in the prestige sports watch and chronograph categories. From the brand’s beginnings sport has been a part of its DNA, in fact it is true to say that its very "raison d’être" is the world of sport. In 1916 it launched the first stopwatch accurate to 1/100th of a second, in 1969 came the world’s first self-winding chronograph movement, in 2004 we saw the remarkable Monaco V4 Concept Watch, an avant-garde timepiece driven by micro-dented belts instead of the usual wheels and pinions. This year we were introduced to the captivating Calibre 360 Concept Chronograph, the world’s first mechanical wrist chronograph with an unprecedented 360,000 vibrations per hour (vph) – ten times faster than any other chronograph - that measures precisely and displays 1/100th of a second.

The Calibre 360 Concept Chronograph

The Calibre 360 Concept Chronograph, the first 1/100th of a second mechanical wrist chronograph, is the culmination of TAG Heuer’s know-how and expertise in the field of precision mechanical watchmaking and sports timekeeping. Years of painstaking research and experimentation have been involved and every mechanical obstacle has been eliminated through a groundbreaking manufacturing concept and a world first in watchmaking.

TAG Heuer has developed a unique and complex movement, the principle of which was set by the Chronomatic Calibre 11 in 1969. Made from more than 234 components and mechanisms of which 131 are directly from the chronograph movement, it actually fuses two distinctive mechanical movements, each connected to the other but operating independently.

To achieve this exceptional level of precision, adjustment and operational independence, the basis of the Calibre 360 is a TAG Heuer Calibre 7 automatic movement that has a 42-hour power-reserve, 28,800 vph with Côtes de Genève decoration on the oscillating mass. It is also a certified COSC chronometer.

The Calibre 360 Concept Chronograph

However, the Calibre 360 movement is unique in that the chronograph function is not just a module added to the automatic watch movement. With its barrel, separate manual winding system, gearwheel and an independent balance wheel and spiral mechanism, it is a genuine and wholly separate movement, a chronograph with a power-reserve counter and a quick-rotating barrel that offers 100 minutes of power reserve, plus a remarkable Swiss lever escapement and special balance wheel. The high-precision mechanism provides an unbelievable oscillating frequency of 360,000 vibrations per hour, thus creating a new milestone in Swiss watchmaking history. The quantum leap to 360,000 vph from the usual 28,800 or 36,000, is like comparing a Formula 1 engine jumping from 18,000 to 180,000 rpm.

The CALIBRE 11 movement

Being a world first, TAG Heuer has filed for two exclusive worldwide patents for the Calibre 360: the first to protect the 1/100th of a second counter on a mechanical wrist chronograph; the second to protect the unique crown control system. The single crown winds both movements and sets the time. A clockwise rotation loads the barrel on the manual chronograph movement and a counter-clockwise rotation rewinds the automatic movement for the time.

The movement is housed in an ultra-resistant and light titanium Ti5 case that can be highly polished, an exclusive TAG Heuer material developed with McLaren in 1997 for the brand’s Kirium series of watches. With a highly original architecture, the chronograph functions are displayed through the ‘Chronograph Engine’ which contrasts with the mat black dial. At 6 o'clock, an oversized circular fine-brushed counter keeps track of the 1/100ths-of-a-second red hand, while at 9 o'clock, a red minute hand directly integrated into the ‘Chronograph Engine’ displays the elapsed time on a 9-minute scale disc, adapted specifically for the car-race timekeeping. The 100-minute power-reserve indicator is at 12 o'clock and is displayed in the same manner as the fuel indicator of a car through the angled polished opening of the ‘Chronograph Engine’.

There is an oversized crown and two asymmetrical pushbuttons, the larger of which, at two o’clock and capped bright red, controls the stopwatch function. Once pressed, the chronograph mechanism springs into action, simultaneously activating the chronograph second hand in the centre of the dial and the 100ths-of-a-second hand located in a counter at six o’clock. Thanks to the high oscillating frequency, the centre hand advances at a perfectly regular pace, and the 100ths counter makes a complete rotation in one second. The caseback houses two semicircular sapphire crystal windows offering another perspective of this extraordinary TAG Heuer movement.

The bracelet, developed with Juan Pablo Montoya, Formula 1 driver, watch aficionado and one of TAG Heuer’s ‘ambassadors’, is in black rubber with a folding buckle that enhances the comfort and ergonomics of the watch, even when driving at 300 km/h. Montoya, who was also involved in the concept of the Calibre 360 Concept Chronograph, has tested this Formula 1-inspired revolutionary timepiece on the racetrack.

Product innovation

Over the last three years, TAG Heuer has redesigned and re-engineered all of its historical watch icons in order to create an exciting range of timepieces. At the same time it has lost no time in continuing its innovative foray into both mechanical and quartz timekeeping.

In the digital/quartz field we have seen the introduction of the remarkable Microtimer (see Europa Star 3/2003), the first-ever wrist chronograph measuring and displaying 1/1000th of a second that also included a 99 lap-by-lap timing memory and best lap automatic recalculation, a perpetual calendar, dual time and countdown functions.

In the domain of mechanical movements, we were offered the TAG Heuer SLR Chronograph, an exclusive mechanical chronograph developed with Mercedes and reserved exclusively for owners of the Mercedes-McLaren Sports car. Then came the revolutionary Monaco V4 Concept Watch (see Europa Star 3/2004) which is considered to be one of the most surprising watch-making advances in recent history. It is equipped with a mechanical movement with a belt-driven transmission encased upside down in a classic square Monaco case. The name V4 derives from the movement’s four barrels, mounted in a V-shape like the cylinders in a supercharged motor-racing engine.

Microtimer, Monaco V4 Concept Watch and the Professional Golf Watch

The New Aquaracer Calibre S

As recently as the end of May this year, at the same time as announcing that TAG Heuer will be the partner of the Team China Challenge for the America’s Cup in 2007, the brand launched its New Aquaracer Series, with the New Aquaracer Calibre S as its flagship model. An elegant, high-performance chronograph that displays Time, Chronograph elapsed time and a Regatta Countdown function all using the three central hands (hour, minutes, seconds) and two patented counters with bi-directional hands positioned at 5 and 7 o’clock.

The 3 central hands are used to display either the elapsed hours/minutes/seconds in the Chronograph mode, or the hours/minutes/seconds in the Time mode or, turning anti-clockwise, the remaining minutes/seconds in the Regatta countdown mode, making the watch extremely comprehensible. The right semi-circular counter with bidirectional hand displays the tenth of a second in the Chronograph mode. If the Time mode is in use, the date is displayed using both the left and right bidirectional hands of the semi-circular counters: the left counter indicates the tens and the right the units.

New Aquaracer Calibre S

To switch from standard Time mode to Chronograph mode or to Regatta countdown mode, the crown is pressed, once to access the Chronograph mode and twice to access the Regatta countdown mode. The small hand of the semi-circular left counter changes to indicate the Mode, and all the central hands are automatically set to the appropriate starting position.

For the Regatta Countdown mode, by pressing the crown of the Calibre S twice, the central minute hands go to a 10 minute-countdown (any minute countdown can be set) as indicated on the aluminium bezel. The second hand is set to 0. The left semi-circular counter hand indicates ‘Regatta’. By pressing the pushbutton at 2 o’clock the 10-minute countdown begins and the second and minute hands turn anti-clockwise from the 10-minute position. When the countdown is completed, the minute and second hands having turned anticlockwise reach zero and the watch automatically switches to the chronograph function and runs from zero in the standard clockwise manner. At this point, the left counter hand indicates ‘Chrono’.

The New Aquaracer Calibre S (41 mm) is the superlative aquatic sports chronograph. Exclusively developed and patented by TAG Heuer engineers, it has all the attributes of a competitive yachting timepiece, including the technical characteristics that represent the essence of TAG Heuer's long-term commitment to aquatic sports. The watch has either a blue or anthracite dial with sunray decoration, is water-resistant to 300 metres, has a perpetual calendar, 1/10th of a second precision, a fixed aluminium bezel with countdown scale, a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, luminescent hands and markers, hand-applied indexes and semi-circular counters. The 3-row steel bracelet, alternately polished and fine-brushed, has a double safety clasp and bracelet extension.

The fusion of Sport & Glamour

The contribution of the TAG Heuer brand ‘ambassadors’ to product development is of fundamental importance to the brand. From the very first so called ‘ambassador’ in 1969, Jo Siffert, the F1 driver who suggested placing the crown on the iconic Monaco model at 9 o’clock rather than at 3 o’clock so that the watch would be more comfortable when racing, through to today when Tiger Woods was instrumental in the creation of the TAG Heuer Professional Golf Watch, ambassadors are implicitly involved in the products.

Another first: The Chinese authorities allow TAG Heuer to use The Great Wall of China for promotional purposes.

This fusion of Sport & Glamour is highlighted by the ‘What are you made ofi’ catchphrase that is used in the current highly successful communications advertising strategy. Patrick Demarchelier, the star fashion photographer has photographed the ambassadors wearing a TAG Heuer watch … and just look at who is involved in this TAG Heuer experience: film star Brad Pitt wears the Aquaracer Automatic; Juan Pablo Montoya the F1 Mercedes-McLaren driver wears the Link Tachymeter Automatic Chronograph; the golfer Tiger Woods wears the Professional Golf Watch that he helped to perfect; Uma Thurman, the actress is involved with the Link Chronograph Lady Diamonds; Maria Sharapova the tennis star showcases the new Formula 1 Diamonds ladies’ model and Kimi Räikkönen relaunched the men’s Formula 1 model last year. Other TAG Heuer Ambassadors are Yao Ming, Jeff Gordon, Ian Poulter, Sébastien Bourdais, Sushmita Sen, Ai Tominaga, Tanya Streeter, Shah Rukh Khan and many others.

“For TAG Heuer, 2005 is first and foremost the year we perfected the fusion between ‘Sport and Glamour,” Jean Christophe Babin, President and CEO of TAG Heuer eyplains. “These two qualities along with ‘Prestige and Performance’ have always been the key elements of our brand’s DNA. In 1969, Jack Heuer, our Honorary Chairman, launched the revolutionary Monaco Chronograph, a brand icon, based on his communication strategy of Sport and Glamour centring on Jo Siffert and the legendary actor Steve McQueen. Thirty-five years later the Monaco remains one of the brand’s most successful watches and with our dream team of ambassadors, TAG Heuer more than ever stands for Sports and Glamour and Prestige and Performance!”

Courtesy Europastar

OCEANUS TO LAUNCH THE WORLD’S FIRST ATOMIC SOLAR CHRONOGRAPH WATCH

Dover, NJ – June 3, 2005 – Casio has introduced a new brand of timepieces that are the world’s first atomic solar chronograph watches at the Jewelers Circular Keystone (JCK) Show that opened in the Sands Convention Center today. The collection will be on display at Casio's Booth # 32064.

Oceanus targets the 30 – 50 year old male professional who appreciates precision engineering with a pristine design. The collection is designed for men whose adventurous lifestyle requires top-quality functionality infused with their refined sense of taste, desires, simplicity and style. The Oceanus customer has a keen sense of fashion and is confident in making his own decisions. Oceanus offers him the opportunity to own a watch incorporating the world’s first combination’ atomic time with solar rechargeable chronograph movement.

Oceanus makes its debut with eight styles; six of which are chronograph and two of which are strictly 3-hand analog. Oceanus is available in titanium, stainless steel or leather bracelet styles and titanium or stainless steel casings. The titanium pieces, being the lightest, yet most durable, and strongest of the collection, are hypoallergenic, nickel free and corrosion resistant. All styles are 100 meter water resistant and also feature sapphire crystal scratch resistant glass. Oceanus suggested retail prices range from $350 - $600.

The Oceanus line incorporates the best of Casio’s technologies including WaveCeptor atomic timekeeping for pinpoint accuracy, and Tough Solar power for dependability together with the timeless style of a classic chronograph. Atomic time is the official U.S. government time. It is the time that NASA uses when they’re counting down a shuttle launch and the time our military relies upon. The atomic tower in Colorado transmits the time data and it is received, several times daily, through an antenna built right into the watch! WaveCeptor atomic time even automatically sets and synchronizes Oceanus watches during Daylight Saving Time. Tough Solar technology features a unique power saving function and allows Oceanus timepieces to energize themselves through even the lowest level of illumination; natural, solar or artificial light.

The exclusive Oceanus collection will be offered through different distribution channels than Casio brand watches, namely jewelry and select department stores. The launch will begin in nine Tourneau Watch Gear doors, and continue with a strong emphasis in the New York City Market. A launch party for consumers is scheduled at the Tourneau Time Machine in NYC on June 9th.

A comprehensive outdoor advertising campaign kicked off in New York City in May with teaser advertising messages simply stating “Arriving 6.3.05” on a sea of blue with just a hint of the Oceanus product under the surface of the water. A fully revealed and more comprehensive New York City brand launch campaign will follow in June. Oceanus advertising will appear in the New York area in print, around the NY Waterway, utilizing ferry boat and bus wraps, ferry terminal dioramas and flash media screens, as well as Manhattan bus shelters, commuter trains and rail platform posters.

“Casio is thrilled to be able to offer yet another high quality innovation and has big plans for this exciting new stand-alone brand”, says David Johnson, Vice President of Casio, Inc.’s Timepiece Division. “We are confident that Oceanus will revolutionize the watch industry by bringing this much-desired technology into the jewelry store and finer department store markets”, he continues to say. “Our goal at Casio is to make waves with new technology while addressing the demands of fashion, and we are confident that the Oceanus collection will deliver this.”

Casio, Inc., Dover, N.J., is the U.S. subsidiary of Casio Computer Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, Casio, Inc., which markets digital cameras, calculators and other educational products, business organizers, mobile presentation devices, keyboards, portable color TVs, timepieces (Wrist Technology), as well as cash registers and other consumer electronic products. Casio, the unexpected extra – for more information visit www.oceanus-us.com

Source: Casio Press News

France, home of luxe, wages war on fakes

By Laurence Frost, AP Business Writer | August 9, 2005

LYON, France --The man was sweating as he edged toward the blue-uniformed customs agents framing the doorway -- his only exit. Red-faced and incongruous in the air-conditioned cool of the arrivals area, he never had a chance.

Officers had singled out the French holidaymaker even before he touched down at Saint Exupery airport, on the outskirts of the southern city of Lyon. Poring over a flight manifest, they noticed he was the only passenger returning from Thailand, a major source of illegal counterfeit goods.

Brigade Commander Bernard Mortelette opened the luggage the man was carrying, and noticed something wasn't right.

"We put it to him that this probably wasn't his suitcase because it had a woman's clothes inside it," he explained later. The case was restored to its concerned owner. Inside the 38-year-old engineer's unclaimed luggage -- which he may have planned to retrieve after the officers had left -- were two fake Rolexes, still wrapped.

The lengths to which panicked tourists will go to avoid detection of their illicit souvenirs is one result of the tougher approach to counterfeiting in France.

With one of the world's richer concentrations of luxury goods makers to defend, France increased the maximum fine for buying fakes in March to three times the retail price of the authentic product.

A 30 euro ($40) fake Rolex could incur a 10,000 euro ($12,000) penalty. The same month, Italy introduced fines of up to 10,000 euros ($12,400) for buying rip-off goods.

The Colbert Committee, which represents French luxury brands, estimates that counterfeits cost the country 30,000 jobs. It wants other governments to crack down on buyers as well as sellers.

"There's a problem of supply, but there's also a problem of demand," said Nicolas Prelot, the group's project manager on counterfeiting. "Ordinary consumers who buy forgeries should also receive convictions."

The French and Italian laws are among the harshest in the world for individuals caught with counterfeit goods for their own use.

U.S. laws provide for tough sanctions against individuals who carry out piracy or counterfeiting -- even on a small scale, for example by illegally downloading music on their computers -- but don't penalize those who buy the fake finished products.

"In most countries around the world the consumption of infringing products is not a crime," said Eric Smith, president of the Washington-based International Intellectual Property Alliance.

But police concerns that terrorist groups are cashing in on counterfeiting -- which may account for as much as 7 percent of world trade, according to the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development -- have added a new sense of urgency.

Interpol says intercepted fakes ranging from toiletries and cigarettes to brake pads and music CDs have already been linked to groups including al-Qaida, Hezbollah, the Irish Republican Army and the FARC rebels of Colombia.

"It's quite clear that paramilitary organizations, and the best example is Northern Ireland, are heavily involved in the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit goods," said John Newton, head of intellectual property crime at the Lyon-based international police organization.

A study prepared for the European Union reached similar findings last month, and Brussels announced plans to require all 25 member countries to treat the commercial manufacture or supply of counterfeits as a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment.

The European Commission also cited health and safety hazards posed by much of the ever-growing range of products forged on an industrial scale -- extending far beyond handbags and watches.

"Fake luxury goods are the most visible and do a lot of harm in France, but we estimate that they amount to about 5 percent of the global market for counterfeits," said Marc-Antoine Jamet, head of Union des Fabricants, a French manufacturers' association.

Besides the ubiquitous pirated films and software, there is a growing international trade in fake toys, medicines, foodstuffs, spare parts for cars and even passenger jets.

Since June, about 250 Chinese schoolchildren have become ill and dozens were hospitalized with breathing problems after being given fake vaccines. At least one is reported to have died.

"Developing countries are the biggest victims of counterfeiting," Jamet said. "In some African states, 85 percent of all medicines sold are fakes."

Lyon customs agents are under no illusion about their main adversary. An antique newspaper illustration, framed on their office wall, underlines the challenge with a simple caption: "A French customs inspector is murdered by the Chinese."

China consumes the lion's share of its own vast counterfeit output, but the remainder sold overseas is still enough to make it the world's largest exporter of fakes -- in ever more ingenious ways.

Over the past month, officers inspecting freight shipments have unearthed thousands of imitation Chanel earrings, fake Von Dutch T-shirts and bracelets bearing the Nike swoosh.

But it was a much smaller find that really got their attention, Division Chief Pascal Regard said as he handled three crudely stitched, unmarked handbags -- discovered, like most of the month's booty, in a shipment from China.

From openings cut into the rubberized fabric by an observant inspector emerged two fake Chanel bags and one Louis Vuitton that had been sewn into the linings.

The discreet shipment of immaculate fakes -- distinguishable to the untrained eye only by the faulty grammar on their forged guarantees -- was probably a dry run for a larger planned shipment, Regard said.

"I'd like to see this as a compliment to us," he said. "But now it's up to us to get the message and adapt to the new techniques. They're changing all the time."

Source: Boston News

NEWS - Bell & Ross participate in the ‘Black & White’ evening in Saint-Tropez

August 10, 2005

Jeffrey Steiner’s mansion in the exclusive Domaine De Valfère in Saint-Tropez was the venue for a ‘Black & White’ evening on July 8th, to celebrate the inauguration of the launch of the Bell & Ross BR01-Instrument and the opening of the brand’s first boutique at the Byblos hotel.

In addition to he cocktails and live jazz, dinner, and finally a disco for the 300 guests, there was a highly successful auction of a unique series of ten Bell & Ross timepieces with the benefits going to five charities:

• The Frineds of Netanya University Center represented by Jeffrey Steiner,
  
• the Jeannine Manuel Foundation represented by Philippe Hercot,
  
• The Firefoghter Amicale of Saint-Tropez Gassin represented by Jean-Michel Couve, mayor of Saint-Tropez,
  
• Orpheopolis – the police forces’ Orphanage Foundation represented by Chairman Sebastien Glane
  
• Action Innocence represented by he founder Valerie Wertheimer.
  

A great time was had by all in this magnificent mansion in its secluded setting and rumour has it that the last guests left directly from the disco for the sun-drenched beaches just down the hill.

Courtesy Europa Star

[TwoTone]

UPDATE - Ebel Ebellisimo Chronograph - Platinum

Aug 11, 2005

The new Ebellissimo tonneau chronograph is also available in platinum, in a limited edition of 20 pieces.

Courtesy TimeZone

NEWS - TITONI watches now also available in Interlaken / Switzerland

August 11, 2005

The demand for TITONI watches from Asiatic tourists in Europe is on a constant increase. For this reason TITONI has started to sell watches in several cities in Europe as well as in Switzerland.

TITONI is pleased to announce that as of May 20th, TITONI watches are also available in Interlaken.

Gallery Metropole

Höheweg 37

3800 Interlaken

Tel: 033 826 70 70

Fax: 033 826 70 79

E-Mail: office(at)royalpresent.com

The store, which is located in a small tourist city between two lakes, and not far away from the famous Swiss mountains, carries a full range of TITONI watches. A well trained sales staff will be happy to help you selecting the suitable watch for you.

Source : Titoni

[TwoTone]

By combining multiple Post [from the old site] into single ones [here] I was able to move the archives into 8 [very long] pages...

There is a swarm of "New Model" post that I didn't move...

I'm going to create a seperate thread for those and move them all there...

Enjoy,

TT

[TwoTone]

ww.tc - Financial

World First: Girard-Perregaux Presents the ww.tc - Financial

Click the watch images to view larger versions

With its ww.tc - Financial, Girard-Perregaux, has created the first chronograph to indicate the different times around the world as well as the business hours of four major stock markets. A technological and aesthetic tour de force, this innovative, high-performance time-piece brings together the two exciting worlds of horology and finance.

The elegance of Girard-Perregaux's ww.tc line blends well with its modern functions. These watches can be used to read, simultaneously and very easily, the time in twenty-four different cities, one for each time zone; hence the name, ww.tc, the abbreviation for World Wide Time Control.

This function, which is ideal for international travellers and businessmen, has been supplemented with a novel feature in the ww.tc – Financial automatic chronograph. For the first time, a watch now indicates the different times around the world as well as the hours when four stock markets - New York, London, Hong Kong and Tokyo – are open for business.

This system depends on two mobile discs around the dial: a 24-hour ring is synchronised with the hour hand. A second bezel can be regulated with the crown at 9 o'clock; this displays the names of the twenty-four cities and the periods when the four bourses are open for business. When the red pointer on the hour ring is opposite one of these periods, that particular market is open.

Style and Technical Mastery

The chronograph's new exterior finishing accentuates the strength of its lines, combining a delicate classicism with strong personality. In keeping with the Brand's passion for detail, the watch has been perfectly designed. The hour ring features a day/night contrast, making it easier to read, and harmonises with the large-numbered, silver or anthracite dial.

The large pink gold case, forty-three millimetres in diameter, houses the Girard-Perregaux GP033C0 automatic mechanical movement. Embellished with a gold rotor, this sophisticated mechanism, designed and manufactured by the Girard-Perregaux Manufacture, can be admired through an anti-reflective sapphire crystal.

Two limited, individually-numbered series are planned for ardent steel-case enthusiasts: five hundred will combine this discreet metal with a silver dial, the other five hundred with an anthracite one. Both will have a power reserve of at least forty-six hours.

The transactions that crisscross the globe twenty-four hours a day are reflected in the financial markets. "Wall Street has opened on a positive note and London is still rising…"Like a watch Manufacture, this complex world uses the most up-to-date technologies to meet new challenges, while drawing on its historical traditions.

Today's financial markets were founded long ago by small groups of tradesmen and stockbrokers. In the eighteenth century, London brokers laid the foundations for the London Stock Exchange; sometime later, the New York Stock Exchange began taking shape in Manhattan. The London bourse is Europe's foremost stock exchange, while Wall Street is the world's number one.

Two other stock markets, now occupying key places in international finance, started up at the end of the nineteenth century: the Tokyo Stock Exchange, one of today's leading bourses, and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Analysis: ww.tc, One of Girard-Perregaux's Treasures

The ww.tc line, part of the Classical Elegance collection, illustrates the Brand's excellence. Its internationally-successful models express its grand horological tradition, passion for design, and bold, modern vision. Following the automatic chronograph it launched in 2000, Girard-Perregaux introduced a model in 2005 that was forty-one millimetres in diameter and featured a power reserve. The Manufacture then incorporated a Tourbillon with three gold Bridges movement into this line for the first time.

In early 2006 the Brand launched of the ww.tc perpetual calendar, the first watch to combine the hours of the world and perpetual calendar functions. Proof of the Brand's boldness and vision, it does not only indicate the time in twenty-four different cities, but also the days of the week, the months and the moon phases over a four-year period, including leap years, all harmoniously arrayed in a gold case.

Ongoing Innovation

Girard-Perregaux knows how to use its watchmaking heritage to create new treasures. Since its foundation in 1791, the

Manufacture has guarded its independence and concentrated on developing its status as a manufacture. Located in La Chaux-de-Fonds, in the Swiss Jura, it is one of only a handful of companies to design and manufacture its own movements.

Perfection and adaptability, tradition and innovation have been brought together to create an exceptional range of timepieces and movements: the fabulous Tourbillon with three gold Bridges, for example, other complications like the Foudroyante seconds, as well as a whole array of automatic mechanical movements and quartz movements.

With over eighty registered patents to its name, the company reinvests a good part of its turnover in Research and Development. With the creation of two new calibres this year, one particularly adapted to ladies' watches, Girard-Perregaux has demonstrated once again the wealth of its technological expertise.

Technical specifications

Steel case

Diameter: 43.00 mm

Height: 13.40 mm

Crystal: antireflective sapphire

Case back: see-through, fastened with 6 screws

Water resistance: 30 meters

Movement Girard-Perregaux GP033C0

Mechanical with automatic winding

Calibre: 13'''

Frequency: 28,800 vibrations/hour (4 Hz)

Jewels: 63

Power reserve: minimum 46 hours

Functions: hour, minute, small second, date, chronograph, world time with day/night indication, global stock market trading times

Alligator strap with folding buckle

Limited and numbered edition of 500 pieces

Pink gold case

Diameter: 43.00 mm

Height: 13.40 mm

Crystal: antireflective sapphire

Case back: see-through, fastened with 6 screws

Water resistance: 30 meters

Movement Girard-Perregaux GP033C0

Mechanical with automatic winding

Calibre: 13'''

Frequency: 28,800 vibrations/hour (4 Hz)

Jewels: 63

Power reserve: minimum 46 hours

Functions: hour, minute, small second, date, chronograph, world time with day/night indication, global stock market trading times

Alligator strap with folding buckle

Some Images from the Launch

Girard-Perregaux selected a fitting location for the official launch of the ww.tc - Financial: the vault of the former J.P. Morgan Bank at 25 Broad street in Manhattan, near the New York Stock Exchange...

Girard-Perregaux's owner, Dr. Luigi "Gino" Macaluso, poses next to the vault's massive door...

G-P USA President Ron Jackson addresses the audience...

G-P's Dimitri Aubert provides a technical tour of the ww.tc - Financial...

Thanks to Girard-Perregaux for inviting TimeZone to be part of this launch!

[TwoTone]

BELL & ROSS BECOMES THE SUPPLIERS OF THE CARRIER-BASED NAVAL FIGHTERS

The French Navy has an element at its disposal that few other nations have. It has often been able to assess its usefulness while sailing the seven seas: it’s the carrier-based air force. Nowadays, Rafale, Modernised Super Etendard and Hawkeye are the spearheads on these floating towns that are aircraft carriers, the latest addition being the «Charles de Gaulle».

The air and sea forces were born on 14 November 1910 when a Curtiss biplane took off from a ramp fitted out on the American cruiser «Birmingham». Their progress was quick. The steam-powered catapult, invented in 1912, enables all cruisers to be equipped with reconnaissance and observation aircrafts. During World War 1, it was discovered that the planes, originally intended for Navy reconnaissance and patrolling only, could have a whole series of offensive uses: attack missions on other ships, troops or shore installations using cannons, bombs or torpedoes.

At the same time, some long-range aircrafts, seaplanes and airships demonstrated their efficiency as submarine hunters. In 1918 the French Naval Air Force already had nearly 1600 aircrafts and 36 bases. So in 1945 the Air Command became the fleets’ essential weapon, rendering heavily armed cruisers obsolete. Today the French Naval Air Force has 162 aircrafts of which 138 are combat aircrafts, and 6800 people, civilians and military.

Six naval bases (BAN), five in France and one overseas, support its squadrons, fleets and training centres. The Naval Air Force is the natural embodiment of all air forces relating to the Navy. It has four main components: The aircraft carrier’s Air Group; The Maritime Patrol Air Force; The aircraft carrier’s helicopters; The support naval air forces.

The Naval Air Group (GAE) on the «Charles de Gaulle» aircraft carrier is formed from units from French Naval Air Force bases in Landivisiau (Finistère) and Lann-Bihoué (Morbihan).

It is made up of: 2 Air Combat Commands (11F, 17F); 1 Air Interception Command (12F) ; 1 Air Patrol Command (4F) and 1 Training and Mission Briefing Centre (CEIPM).

These Commands manage dissuasion missions, force projection and naval air superiority.

One type of plane corresponds to each mission:

The modernised Super-Etendard (11F, 17F) is used for maritime and land attack missions, sea and land tactical reconnaissance and nuclear dissuasion.

The E-2C Hawkeye (tactical airborne warning aircraft - 4F) provides all-weather airborne early warning and command and control functions for the carrier battle group.

The Rafale F1 (12F) is in charge of air superiority missions.

2 limited editions of 150 pieces

On the pilots of the French Naval Air Force’s request, Bell & Ross is producing two limited series of 150 pieces of the Pilot chronograph specially designed for aerial navigation.

An exceptional, perfectly functional watch, the Type Aéronavale proudly sports the colours of the «Chasse embarquée».

Produced in two limited series of 150 copies, the Type Aéronavale is offered in acrylic glass (ultra-domed synthetic glass in reference to specifications from the 50’s) or in sapphire glass. Easy to read in the daytime as well as at night thanks to its black matt dial with its photoluminescent hands and antireflection glass, the Type Aéronavale is worn by these exceptional pilots as the emblem of their squadron. A new prestigious reference for the Bell & Ross brand, synonymous of quality and reliability for extreme professionals.