Regardless of which brands they happen to favor most (Omega, IWC, Rolex, Panerai, or whatever) sport watch fanatics of all stripes seem to agree on one thing: there’s few things better than a boldly marked dial that lights up like a torch in the darkness and doesn’t quit after a few minutes.  (I’m not referring to some Indiglo-type system, just good ‘ol Superluminova, the luminous compound the watch industry is using on the indexes and hands of timepieces these days.)  Perhaps the most incredible luminous dial I’ve seen in some time belongs to that of the newly redesigned Aquatimer watch collection from IWC.

The dials and bezels of these timepieces, such as the IWC Aquatimer Chronograph shown here, are not just impressive because of the intensity of the glow, but the varied colors of that illumination.   The contrasting white and yellow compounds you see on the dial and the beautiful sapphire unidirectional rotating bezel produce different glowing colors in the darkness, which, aside from keeping hours and minutes clearly demarcated, simply looks amazing when the lights go out.  The single most alluring visual element of the watch is probably the gorgeous sapphire crystal bezel.  By day, its lustrous obsidian-like surface exudes the unmistakable aura of fine quality, and at night–well, there’s that phenomenal glow!  The initial 15-minute sector glows a yellowish green, while the additional 5-minute marks shine in an eerie light blue. Combine all of that goodness with the slightly beveled sapphire crystal and the semi-matte dial, and you have an IWC timepiece that can’t help but catch your eye again and again.

I know some IWC fans were disappointed with the 2009 Aquatimer watches when the new models were announced in January, thinking them too youthful looking, garish, or “Seiko-ish” in appearance.  Others felt the previous generation’s internal bezel was more of a pure IWC concept, and lamented the brand’s return to a more conventional design.  These doubts fade away when you see the 2009 Aquatimers in person–or even good macro photographs.  The fact is, IWC has really done a tremendous job with this model range.  They have all the credentials of a serious diving tool, yet demonstrate the quality and standout character that a top-notch sports luxury watch should possess.

Technorati Tags: Aquatimer, IWC

Amidst a veritable sea of fine timepieces, the Corum Ti Bridge watch stood out as one of the coolest novelties at the Baselworld 2009 exhibition.  A sort of 21st century variation upon Corum’s legendary Golden Bridge theme, the Ti Bridge radiates all the watchmaking brilliance of that creation, while giving us a new statement of modern design that is better suited for daily wear.

What exactly do I mean by that?  Well, while the Corum Golden Bridge watch in its various guises is extraordinarily lovely, it also has a delicate and formal appearance–rather like a lovely museum exhibit.  While absolutely superb for formal wear or special occasions, pulling the Golden Bridge off as an everyday watch might be quite the challenge for all but the dandiest dressers.  Corum’s new Ti Bridge watch, on the other hand, showcases a fantastic new titanium case that is super stylish, beautifully finished and most importantly–versatile.  It looks great on the wrist regardless of attire, and draws attention right where it belongs: the amazing C0 007 handwound movement!

Speaking of the Ti Bridge movement, it’s worth making just a couple of brief comments on its origins and visual presence.  While Corum has clearly drawn inspiration from the legendary baton caliber in its Golden Bridge (a brainchild of famed watchmaker Vincent Calabrese) the new caliber presents its own unique constructive and technical features.  It reminds me of the skeleton within a grand skyscraper with its quartet of finely beveled V-shaped supplementary bridges, none of which obstruct the fascinating straight-line layout of the gear train.  Despite the deceptive simplicity and minimalistic beauty of this mechanical gem, Corum managed to achieve an impressive power reserve of 72 hours.

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Will Ferrell has been a staple in comedic Hollywood for a number of years now.

He was born and raised in Irvine California, a safe southern California suburb which Ferrell says helped him develop his keen sense of humor – mainly because Irving was such a boring place to to live.

After graduating from college at USC, he took a gig with a local comedy troupe in LA – A job he quickly parlayed into a spot on Saturday Night Live where Ferrell came into his own.

After seven seasons with SNL Ferrell graduated to the big screen starring in massive hits such as Elf, Old School, Anchorman, The Wedding Crashers, and Talledega Nights commanding up to 20 million dollars a film.

So what does this one of the world’s highest paid comedians wear on his wrist when he hits the red carpet? An IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph of course…

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A pastime enjoyed by many luxury watch fans is keeping up with their favorite timepieces on the silver screen and television.  Be it Tom Selleck’s reliance on the Rolex GMT-Master as Magnum PI, Rambo’s preference for Panerai, or (modern) James Bond never being without his Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600m, these bits of horological trivia are layers of interest nearly as entertaining as the shows themselves!

The Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945 Petite Second watch got its own story sideline in ABC’s “The Unusuals” drama.  During a recent episode, the character of Detective Jason Walsh lends his Girard-Perregaux to his financially strapped girlfriend; unfortunately, while at a pawnshop to trade some jewelry for cash, she is accosted by robbers who make off with the cherished watch.  Girard-Perregaux’s Vintage 1945 collection numbers some of the most elegant and finely crafted rectangular timepieces on earth, a fact these fictional thugs were obviously well aware of!

I’m sure that this intriguing little plot twist was keenly appreciated by viewers of The Unusuals who own Girard-Perregaux and other similarly prestigious Swiss watches.  It should help keep them stuck to their plasma screens to see what happens through the season.

On the cover of the May 2009 issue of Redbook, country music star Faith Hill models a gorgeous pair of Gurhan gold earrings. Hill is a long time fan of the brand.  As one of country music’s most popular and recognized celebrities, Faith Hill is a perfect model for Gurhan Orhan’s rich and electrifying jewelry.  Faith chose to wear a large pair of “Flake” drop earrings for the cover shot by famed photographer Gilles Bensimon.

Gurhan’s 24k gold jewelry designs are some of the most unique and tasteful creations available.  The “Flake” earring design features Gurhan’s characteristic hand-hammered finish on a large hanging disk design.  The disk dangles freely from a french wire in a dynamic design  which allows the earrings to catch ambient light and sparkle.

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We all know who the celebrity wristwatch junkies are -  and we don’t really have to name them. But when you start to think about them – you start to see some predictable traits. First and foremost – when it comes to their buying habits – they really don’t really branch out a whole lot:

- Sylvester Stallone: Panerai
- John Mayer: Mostly IWC & Rollers
- Jay-Z: Loads of Audemars Piguet
- Elton John: Tons of Franck Muller

By looking at the above list you will notice that there is another very predicable trait -  Its a male dominated hobby (or sickness – depending how you look at it).

Seriously… how many celebrity female watch collectors can you name? And by collectors, I simply mean owning more then ONE watch (a very liberal definition by most standards).

Generally speaking when I see a photo of a female celeb wearing a watch – I immediately put them on my celebrity “watch radar” – and I watch to see if they branch out.  The next time I see a photo of them wearing wearing a watch -  it is generally the same piece…

Thankfully, there are a few female celebrities who are leading the charge when it comes to watch collecting. One of which is the very talented Mary J. Blige – who is credited with being one of the main artist who truly fused Hip-Hop and R&B – and has won an astonishing nine Grammy Awards.

In the past I have reported that Mary J was photographed wearing a Audemars Piguet Ladies Royal Oak. So when I found this photo of her I was amazed to see something very different. If you look closely in this photo, you will see that Mary is wearing a Franck Muller Cintree Curvex ladies watch. I can’t wait to see what she is wearing next!

Go on Mary!

Technorati Tags: Audemars Piguet, Franck Muller

Lately, we’ve all had lots of bad news as we’ve watched the stock market tank, heard about financial scandals in the media and observed our friends and family lose their jobs. This daily barrage of negativity takes its toll on our morale and daily disposition. But it’s not all bad news out there!

Last week’s stock market rally provided a glimmer of hope that we may have reached the bottom of this downturn. Furthermore, savvy shoppers are realizing that there are some unprecedented deals to be had right now. Retailers need to drum up business, and many are slashing prices on stock to encourage customers to spend money.

Lussori is currently liquidating a huge number of stock jewelry items and watches at prices that we have never offered before. We are adding product daily, and if you take a browse through our “Specials” section, you’ll discover incredible values – I’m not talking about a handful, there are literally hundreds of items being offered at prices up to 70% off!

Many people are out of work and the rest of us are tightening our belts, but the truth is that for those of us who are still employed, one of the best ways for us to help improve the economic situation is to continue to patronize our favorite businesses. So, why don’t you treat yourself to some well earned luxuries at unprecedented savings? You’ll be doing your part to keep the wheels of our economy turning, and you’ll also be getting an outstanding deal!

Perhaps it’s mostly because of Grosse Point Blank, but I count myself as a Minnie Driver fan.  She’s cute, hillarious, and always manages to bring unique chemistry to the films she acts in.  When I saw the latest press release picture from Gurhan featuring Ms Driver wearing one of their ruby bangle bracelets, I was pleased.

It may be a reflection of the odd relationship we have to celebrity culture, but it’s somehow satisfying for me to find that a celebrity I admire has good taste.  Gurhan is one of my absolute favorite jewelry brands, not only for the richness of their 24k gold designs, but also for the depth of culture that is reflected in the brand.

The ressurection of ancient jewelry craft techniques and tools combined with the integration of actual artifacts lends story and mystique to Gurhan’s jewelry creations.  This, along with the sheer glamor of Gurhan jewelry is what sets the brand apart from other gold jewelry designers.

Furthermore, it’s these elusive qualities which to me, make Gurhan jewelry such an essential luxury purchase.  In difficult times, people demand a high level of value in the purchases that they make.  Gurhan jewelry is timeless and gorgeous.  And if you need any more convicing, just remember that Minnie Driver likes it!

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The JeanRichard Paramount watch collection has always struck me as among the most stylish of contemporary rectangular timepiece “families”.  Less formal than the distantly related Girard-Perregaux 1945 watches (Girard-Perregaux and JeanRichard are sibling companies within the Sowind Group), the finely brushed finish and distinctively shaped lugs of the Paramount case make for a timepiece that can compliment any attire from casual to full-on dress.  Exciting news for 2009 is the introduction by JeanRichard of a tourbillon watch, with–naturally enough–the firm’s signature vertically-oriented linear power reserve indicator.

I love the look this complicated white gold JeanRichard timepiece exudes; it’s very luxurious, yet extremely modern–even youthful (in the good sense of the word).  There’s a feast of great details to admire, from the applied plate with “Cotes de Geneve” which displays the power reserve, to the quirky but extremely attractive pink gold tourbillon bridge with its distinctive angled shape and flawless finishing.  The driving force is the Sowind 99201 caliber–a hand-wound mechanical movement that has the prestigious distinction of being manufactured in-house.

The extent to which JeanRichard has developed as both a brand and a serious watch manufacture over the last several years is most impressive to me–it’s certainly no mere “little sister” to Girard-Perregaux, as you occasionally heard once upon a time.  It is models such as the Paramount Tourbillon Linear Power Reserve watch which keep JeanRichard on the fast track to lasting success with the most demanding enthusiasts.

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For a lover of luxury and fine craftsmanship, the discovery of a David Oscarson writing instrument under the tree will prove a most joyous occasion indeed.  Much like the finest timepieces, the creations of David Oscarson are a feast of visual and tactile superlatives that offer a welcome diversion from the stamped-out mediocrity that so often defines the electronic age.

What you immediately perceive when handling a David Oscarson pen is–aside from the delicious weight–the overwhelming quality.  The David Oscarson press material emphasizes the painstaking nature of their cold enameling processes and guilloche, but the proof
of their dedicated labors is what you hold in your hand, gleaming and lustrous in the light like a perfect little universe. Two expressions come immediately to mind: “Seeing is believing” and “good things come in small packages”.

Choosing a favorite fountain or roller ball from among David Oscarson’s collections is delightfully difficult, as each has its own captivating presence.  Some of the Oscarson themes I like best are “Trellis”, “Harvest”, and “Pierrot Pierrette”.  Perhaps my very favorite is the Valhalla fountain pen, with its non-torpedo body shape and fascinating Norse-inspired symbolism.  Personal preferences aside, there is no way one can make a poor decision with anything from David Oscarson–these artistic writing instruments are simply
magnificent.

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