To a small group of people - mechanical wrist watches represent a true art form. An art form that allows them to become totally enamored with - and begin collecting multiple timepieces.

A subgroup of those collectors - become so enamored with the art form that they organize and create small group and have get-togethers where they sit around and admire other peoples watches.

Within this subgroup, this is yet another sub-group of folks who only buy watches from one brand. They also have get-togethers, eat, and sit around and say “look at my watch - isn’t it great?.. it looks just like yours.”

I call these folks “brand exclusive collectors.”

There are just a handful of brands which have collectors with this caliber of allegiance - and I can name them on one hand: Patek Philippe, Rolex, and Panerai.

When it comes to celebrities - a few names come to mind. Elton John in the late nineties had a penchant for Franck Muller. Usher and Pharrell Williams seems to alway have an Audemars Piguet on. Sylvester Stallone seems to still exclusively wear Panerai and Jerry Seinfeld has ALWAYS worn Breitling……up until now.

Up until now Breitling has had enjoyed the luxury of Jerry wearing only Breitling watches. BUT - at the New York premier of the much anticipated “Sex and the City” movie, it turns out that Mr. Seinfeld has changed his horological tune.

If you look closely you will see that Jerry has expanded his horizons and wearing a Breguet Marine watch. Has he abandoned Breitling all together or is he just going down the alphabetical watch line?

Breit
Bregu

Hmmm…….

Technorati Tags: Panerai, Breguet, Breitling

The Chopard L.U.C Chrono One Flyback watch is one of the world’s finest high luxury chronographs with an automatic movement. A worthy rival to such prestigious competition as the Patek Philippe Ref. 5960P or Glashutte Original’s PanoMaticChrono, the Chrono One Flyback fully bolsters the reputation for watchmaking excellence that Chopard’s L.U.C collection has become noted for amongst collectors. Originally released by Chopard in a limited edition 2006 series, the Chrono One Flyback will now be part of the regular Chopard L.U.C lineup in a choice of 18K rose gold, as well as white.

A well-rounded example of horological excellence, the Chopard Chrono One Flyback has many things going for it: elegant yet dashing design, outstanding fine execution, and the exclusiveness of an extremely sophisticated manufacture movement. (As an interesting side point, even the gold cases are produced in-house from alloys that Chopard has developed.) From a mechanical point of view, the movement inside this Chopard timepiece is outstanding from both aesthetic and operational perspectives. The L.U.C 11CF Calibre possesses three exemplary technical features that Chopard has gotten patent protection for. They are:

1) a unique automatic-wind system with a unidirectional gear that regulates winding speed

2) a reset function governed by hammers that cushions chronograph reset

3) a small seconds reset that facilitates precision setting of the time.

Of note to purists, the chronograph mechanism of the Chopard L.U.C Chrono One Flyback is fully integrated. A column-wheel is present, as would be expected from such an uncompromising, high-end execution.

Chopard just continues to add new chapters to its excellent reputation as a first-class luxury watchmaker. I hope that the L.U.C collection will have a minute repeater within the next several years—if that happens, I have little doubt it will be well worth the wait!

Technorati Tags: Chopard, Chopard L.U.C Chrono One Flyback

There are certain celebrities in Hollywood whom I call the “Tammy Wynette’s” of watch collecting. They tend to “Stand by Their Brands” - if you know what I mean…

Sylvester Stallone loves Panerai so much that he wore one in his last movie “Rambo” where he played an ex Vietnam vet living in the jungles of Laos - where he lived happily and primitively off the land.

In the movie he forged his own tools - lived in a bamboo hut with no electricity and farmed his own food. He made money by transporting people up and down a snake infested river on his sorry little boat which looked like it could have been handmade with the tools he forged. The engine on the boat always broke down and like a South East Asian McGyver - he fixed it with the tools he forged by hand.

Everything had a purpose in Rambo’s life. If he killed a snake, he skinned it, ate the meat and made a headband out of its skin, while selling its venom to local witch doctors for 20 Kip. A true self sustaining lifestyle.

After watching this movie for 20 minutes I started to realize that here is a guy who could truly live off the land, horse-trading with other locals to meet the basic life needs. I started to question how much money the character John Rambo really needed to live his life and came up with this:

50 yr old boat with engine: $200
Hand made hut: $100
Cargo pants made in Laos: $10
Tank top made in Laos: $2
Panerai Submersible watch: $8000

For everything else…There is Mastercard!

Technorati Tags: Sylvester Stallone, Panerai, Rambo

One surprising introduction from Glashutte Original this year, was a striking new variant of the PanoMaticReserve XL watch. A broad sidestep from the more classical leanings of the already existent references in that model, this version has a matte black dial which is copiously marked with accents of sporty red. To go along with this theme, is a textured synthetic strap which has double rows of bright red stitching.
There are a lot of things I like about this watch. The dial is wonderfully detailed, and the idiosyncratic Pano layout is natural for this type of informal aesthetic, though I admit that I had never considered the possibility before. The larger case size of the Pano XL case makes it a good choice for this kind of bold variation–better than the non-XL Panos would be. The decision by Glashutte Original to go with 18K white gold for the case might seem a bit incongruous for such a casually styled watch, but then again, its worth remembering that this model shares the exact same specifications (including water resistance) as its more classical siblings. So, maybe gold is fine after all–however, it is my firm opinion that a brushed or matte finish would suit the spirit of this timepiece better than the brilliantly polished one it wears.

Overall then, you might say that the Glashutte Original PanoMaticReserve XL watch is more a luxurious watch with a sporty appearance than a sport timepiece per se, but its casually handsome looks, masculine aesthetics, and superb manufacture Caliber 90 movement make it a fine choice for anyone who wants to add a strikingly unique German luxury watch to their collection.

Technorati Tags: Glashutte Original

A quietly artistic masterpiece from Girard-Perregaux at SIHH 2008, was the Vintage 1945 Off-Centered Hour and Minute watch. So named because of its hour and minute hands which are mounted just above the center axis of the dial, this Girard-Perregaux timepiece showcases a true delight for connoisseurs of artisan crafts. I am of course referring to the stunning off-white dial crafted from genuine grand feu enamel. Produced by cooking powdered enamel in several successive layers, the painstaking grand feu process, when correctly done, results in a creation of great beauty and depth. The glossy richness and aesthetic longevity of enamel dials are unparalleled; if you have ever handled a well-preserved pocket watch from the 19th or early 20th century, you’ll know what I mean.

On this dial, the charming effect of the enamel is enhanced all the more by the stately Roman numerals, and minuscule red elements on the power reserve scale, and sub seconds and date display. Of course, all of these are also rendered in enamel, which is applied atop the enamel dial base, and fired to create a permanent set. The slightly eccentric displays add to the unique appeal of this beautiful dial, as do the stunning blued steel leaf-shaped hands, which could not be a more perfect match for this watch’s aesthetic. Size of the white gold case, at 36 x 37 mm is not overly large, but suits the design extremely well.

The Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945 Off-Centered Hour and Minute watch is my favorite Vintage 1945 model without a major complication (tourbillon, perpetual calendar, etc.). The combination of traditional craftsmanship, useful functions, and striking beauty make it an exceptionally appealing luxury timepiece.