Time Capsules: Product –Omega Unveils Newest Olympic Watches for London Summer Olympics

In honor of the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games, which begin on July 27, 2012, Omega has added three “London 2012” Limited Edition timepieces to its Olympic Timeless Collection.  The Omega Seamaster 1948 Co-Axial “London 2012” Limited Edition watch mimes the very first Seamaster that was unveiled in 1948 – the same year of the last London Olympics, where Omega was the official timer then, too.  The limited edition is a39mm watch with an 18-karat gold medallion of the London 2012 Olympic Games logo embossed on the case back. The strikingly classical looking watch features a silver opaline dial with a small seconds subdial at 6:00. It is water resistant to 400 feet.

The other two tribute models are Seamaster Aqua Terra 44mm Chronographs. One features a bicolor case crafted in 18-karat rose gold and stainless steel with a stunning blue dial and gold makers, and an integrated dark blue leather strap. The second version is created in stainless steel with a steel bracelet, blue dial and steel markers. . These Olympic watches are stamped with the “London 2012” Olympic emblem on the case back. 

All of the Omega Olympic watches are available in Omega boutiques worldwide –but the best place to purchase this is actually at the new Omega Boutique that has been built in the all-new Westfield Mall on site at the London Olympic Games Park. This Boutique features an amazing exhibit of the brand’s rich history of timing the Olympic Games, including some of the first stopwatches and cameras in the nearly 100-year-long adventure. The exhibit, and all of the great Olympic paraphernalia on display in addition to the timing materials, is truly interesting and insightful – and not to be missed.

Time Capsules: Product—Happy Beach from Chopard – perfect for summer

With so many great beach things to do this sunny season — it may be time to don this really cool Chopard Happy Beach Chrono watch from the Happy Sport Collection.  It is just a fun, easy-to-wear watch.

 With its 42mm case in 18 -karat rose gold, the Happy Beach Chrono features a painted dial representing a strip of sand swept by the waves. The floating diamonds on this watch:  little moving flip-flops!

 The chronograph and date functions are featured in a window at 4:30. The Happy Beach Chrono is powered by a quartz movement and is water-resistant up to 30 meters. Its rotating bezel is topped with blue gloss indicators and the crown is set with a blue sapphire. It is finished with a water-resistant brushed canvas strap is white with blue stripes. The perfect beach accessory – if you’ve got a  hot $25,440.

Time Capsules: Product – Franc Villa 5 Minute Repeater – Years of Pleasure

Franc Villa creates innovative timepieces utilizing high-tech materials and forward-thinking technology. All of this comes together beautifully in this FVa35 SuperSonico 5 Minutes Repeater, Superligero Concept watch.

All timepieces in the SuperLigero Concept collection are built using Lightnium, an aluminium-lithium based alloy from the aeronautical engineering field. This alloy is incredibly light weight yet offers extremely high strength – perfect for optimum performance.  The inner part of the watchcase is created in this alloy, and transmits the sound to the outer part of the case, which is high-grade blackened titanium. The case shape is the brand’s signature “Esprite Unique” shape with elliptical and circular bezel. The crystal and caseback are both sapphire with double-sided anti-glare treatment, and the watch is water resistant to 100 meters. The repeater pusher is located at 8:00, and with its activation – the watch chimes the time harmoniously with one low frequency chime to indicate the hours and two tone combined chime (low and high frequency) to indicate segments of 5 minutes. The watch is created in a limited edition of just 88 pieces.  It retails for a cool $52,000.

Time Capsules: News – David Yurman Starts Revolution

Just a couple of nights ago at the wonderful Milk Studios in New York City, David Yurman unveiled its newest concept in men’s timepieces: Revolution. This premiere American jewelry and watch designer has not released an all new collection since its Classic line took Yurman followers by storm in 2009. The series, which comprises fine Swiss-made timepieces, features iconic American designs, with sporty yet sophisticated materials, finishes and textures.  

“America was built on revolutions and this American-designed line from our American company makes perfect sense,” said Evan Yurman at the event. Sadly, the unveiling came just a few days after the death of Carroll Shelby.

The line was six years in the concept and development stages, with the past three years being the vital ones. There are two key models in The Revolution collection, including an automatic and a chronograph – both with Swiss automatic movements and housed in a round steel or 18-karat rose gold case. Steel models are equipped with either a steel bracelet or a rubber strap and the gold versions feature either a gold bracelet or an alligator strap. All watches feature cases created with a rubber side inset and rubber crown protector. The multi-layer galvanic dials re further finished with hand-applied Arabic numerals, and SuperLuminova treated hand and indexes.

As a special subset of The Revolution collection is the licensing agreement between David Yurman and Carroll Shelby Licensing to create the Revolution Shelby 1000 Limited Edition watch. There is also a limited production Shelby piece. This marks the first time the company has created a limited edition and limited production watch.  

The Revolution Shelby 1000 series was inspired by the illustrious 50 year history of Shelby American, and pays tribute to the powerful car whose name it bears.  The watch is a 43.5mm piece crafted in steel and rubber and housing a Valjoux 7753 movement.  It is equipped with a tachymeter bezel to log lap times and features the iconic Shelby Cobra insignia on the dial. The rubber strap is highly textured and every watch is etched on the caseback with Carroll Shelby’s signature.  Just150 numbered limited edition pieces will be created in black case and a numbered production in steel.

 “For half a century, Shelby American has been creating iconic cars that have both progressed automotive design as well as demonstrate how beautiful and effecting American craftsmanship can be,” said Evan Yurman.  “It’s this extraordinary dedication to craftsmanship and design that gravitated us to partner on this project, as both brands share the same passion for building beautiful objects of the highest possible quality.”

 

Trend Report: Gotta Regatta

It’s almost upon us — the season for sailing, yacht racing and enjoying the great oceans that surround us. This summer a wealth of great regatta races abound – some are even preliminary races for the 34th America’s Cup races that are finally coming back to US waters in 2013. For skippers commanding some of the fastest boats in the world, accurate timing is essential.
Over the centuries, man has perfected the art and craft of building faster, stronger, better boats. Similarly, the art of building precision watches has progressed so that now some of the finest watch brands in the world offer yacht racers regatta countdown timers right on the wrist.  Sharing a passion for excellence on the water, skippers turn to the most high-tech materials and most exceptional maneuvers as they look for function and performance out of their boats and their timepieces. What’s more, watch brands don’t disappoint – offering great new regatta timers.
Such is the case with Louis Vuitton, which is the official timekeeper of the America’s Cup Races, the Louis Vuitton Cup Races (the final competitions leading up to the America’s Cup) and all of the World Series regattas. This year, in celebration of its involvement with the America’s Cup, Louis Vuitton unveils two new Tambour Regatta America’s Cup yachting watches, including one with revolutionary new technology. The automatic version is revolutionary in that it times the five minutes (instead of the heretofore indicated 10 minutes) before the start of the races. The quartz version is created in an edition of 1851 (the birth year of the America’s Cup) pieces, with regatta functions of countdown between one and 10 minutes with sound indications.
Other watch brands actively partaking  in the America’s Cup include: TAG Heuer, which sponsors contender, Oracle Team USA; Omega, which sponsors Emirates New Zealand team; and Corum, sponsor of  Energy Team, the French challenger skippered by Loick Peyron, also a Corum ambassador.
Additionally, brands such as Rolex (title sponsor of multiple important regatta races) and Panerai, which sponsors the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge, love sailing. Panerai is even a founding company in the Sailing Heals charitable foundation for cancer patients, that was formed in Boston last year. (Portions of this trend report ran in the May issue of Boston Common Magazine.)

Time Capsules: Racing Watch News from TAG Heuer, IWC, Bremont

It’s no secret that watch brands love cars and vice versa – since they are both precision machines. Currently a host of watch brands are making new alliances. TAG Heuer partners with the Monaco Grand Prix and the Automobile Club de Monaco for the same reasons it is ineluctably linked to the other two “Triple Crown” races of motorsports, the Indy 500 and the 24 hours of Le Mans – because of a wealth of shared values and history. The 2012 new official watches of the Monaco Grand Prix are: Monaco Calibre 12 Chronograph – ACM limited edition, Monaco Heuer Calibre 11 Chronograph, Monaco Twenty-Four Calibre 36 Chronograph, and Carrera Calibre 16 Chronograph Monaco Grand Prix Limited Edition. We’ll show more about them soon.

 Meanwhile, IWC Schaffhausen announces a new global partnership with the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team. IWC embarks on a three-year term as Official Engineering Partner of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS beginning in January 2013, two months before the first race of the 2013 Formula One season in Melbourne, Australia. IWC and AMG, the performance brand of Mercedes-Benz, signed a long-term partnership agreement in 2004 that has been ongoing.

 Then, of course, there is the world of motorcycles, which the British brand Bremont enters into. To mark the return of Norton Motorcycles, Bremont formed an exclusive partnership with  Norton, acting as the Official Timing Partner for the ‘Festival of Speed.’ The two companies share a  passion for fine engineering and British heritage. There will only be only 200 Bremont Norton chronograph mechanical watches made. Each hand crafted at the Bremont workshop in Switzerland according to strict standards of excellence and precision.

Off the Cuff: Montegrappa NeroUno – Uno Delight!

For the past few weeks, Atimelyperspective has been testing the boldly beautiful Montegrappa NeroUno timepiece, which is sold in a superb set along with matching cufflinks and a chic black resin Montegrappa NeroUno fountain pen.

 Montegrappa is known the world over for its fine Italian craftsmanship in writing instruments, with luminaries and dignitaries from around the world writing with these instruments. In fact, during World War I, both Ernest Hemingway and John Dos Passos were volunteer ambulance drivers on the front. While stationed in Italy, they wrote their communiqués with Montegrappa pens. 

 While the fountain pen in the set I was testing was wonderful, the watch was the clear winner. The watch I test-drove is a 42mm piece crafted in 18-karat 5N rose gold PVD (though it is also available in stainless steel and in black PVD). It was so stunning that I was dismayed when I had to package it up to return it. This is a dramatically impressive timepiece.  It features an octagonal case with sharp, strong lines that are smoothly formed but powerfully identifiable. Even the crown is octagonal.  It offers discreet date at 3:00 and a generous sub-seconds dial at 6:00. The sapphire crystal is treated with anti-glare coating and the watch is water-resistant to 5 ATM.  With a crocodile-patterned strap and deployant clasp – this watch went on like a dream and caught the eyes of many discerning business colleagues.

While Montegrappa is a heralded Italian writing instrument manufacture with roots dating back to 1912, the brand recognized the need to create its watches with the finest watchmaking country. Each watch is Swiss made and houses either a Ronda 6004 quartz movement or an ETA 2824 automatic movement. The watch is sold as part of a three-piece set – boasting rose gold PVD cufflinks, black resin and rose gold PVD fountain pen by the famed Montegrappa – both with octagonal accents.  It is all housed in a fine Italian-made Montegrappa box. The set is beautiful, the watch is inspiring. It is a true statement maker and a symbol of individuality as well as good taste. Making it supremely better is the outstanding retail price: $4,100. Go try it out!!

 

Time Capsules: New Product – Ring a Ding Ding with Poetic Wish by Steven Grotell

Ring watch in 18K white gold, Rock crystal center stone with pave diamond lunette and mother of pearl dial. Full pave diamond case body, side roundels’ and ring shank highlighted by four briolette diamond cap stones. 347 diamonds with a total weight of 3.70 carats. Ring watches. They were an incredible part of timekeeping history –with some of the finest in the world being unveiled back in the first half of the 20th century.

Now, Steven Grotell pushes the boundaries between statement jewelry and the watch in his newest one-of-a-kind ring watches from Poetic Time. We’ve written about Grotell in the past, here, when we unveiled his delightful, unique watches to the world.

Creative and innovative, Grotell offers the new ring watch series with majestically faceted center stones crafted in a variety of gemstones and precious materials – offering color , light and reflection.  Crafted in Geneva, the ring watches are made in 18 karat gold and offer refined elegance and playful edginess.  Dials are of mother of pearl or gemstones such as turquoise, onyx, oral, etc. always juxtapositioned with faceted diamonds or gemstones as accents.

Sold exclusively in New York, Grotell’s watches and ring watches are superb statements of individuality and personality.

BREGUET – 200 Years of the Wristwatch World Tour

The Swatch Group-owned brand celebrates the 200th anniversary of the marque’s first wristwatch, completed in 1812. Festivities include a world tour of historic memorabilia, a look at the Reine de Naples collection inspired by the original and a finale expected in September.
Portions as seen on WORLDTEMPUS – 5 May 2012 –
Roberta Naas

This year marks the 200th anniversary of Breguet’s first wristwatch for ladies – a repeater ordered in 1810 and delivered in April 1812. The watch was, naturally, ordered by the Queen of Naples, Caroline Murat (sister of Napoleon Bonaparte), who commissioned Abraham-Louis Breguet to create the first timepiece to fit around her wrist.

Breguet’s archives refer to the order as, “A thin, oblong repeater watch with a silver dial and Arabic numerals, mounted on a wristlet of hair woven with gold threads.” The innovative historical piece, No. 2639, was last known to be in the hands of the queen’s daughter in 1849. Unfortunately, it has since disappeared.
Ten years ago, to honor that timepiece and Breguet’s visionary thinking, the brand released the tribute watch collection Reine de Naples. Today, as the brand celebrates the tenth anniversary of this line and the 200th anniversary of its beginnings, a host of events tour the world. The first such event kicked off in New York City at the brand’s Fifth Avenue boutique last week with a cocktail reception hosted by the Young New Yorkers for the Philharmonic. On hand to toast the festivities were Alan Gilbert, music director of the New York Philharmonic, and Joshua Bell, Grammy Award-winning violinist.
The Breguet watch company is paying tribute to the Queen of Naples through an incomparable exhibition called “1810-1812 Breguet Makes the First Wristwatch, Fit for a Queen.” This exhibit was launched in Geneva, and Breguet is sending it on a world tour – with New York being the first stop. The exhibition cites Breguet’s historic work for the Queen of Naples and highlights ten years making the Reine de Naples flagship ladies collection. Among the pieces on display in the New York exhibition are the stunning Charleston Reine de Naples, the beautiful ribbon-and-bow Reine de Naples and even the floral cameo piece.
The exhibit will be open at the Breguet Boutique on Fifth Avenue in New York City from April 25 through May 13 – coinciding with Madison Avenue Watch Week – and then continue on to the Breguet Boutique in Las Vegas from May 24 through June 3. After that, it leaves the USA on its global tour. The grand finale of the tour will take place in September in Capri. That event will honor the 200th anniversary of the wristwatch ordered by Caroline Murat – with a top-secret new piece.

Time Capsules: News — Rolex Lovers There's a New Store in NYC

While the official opening of the new Fiifth Avenue Rolex boutique isn’t until May 10, we here at Atimelyperspective.com got a chance to visit the store and get a sneak peek. We promised not to reveal anything yet, but it is beautifully appointed in wood and marble and featrues  a spectacular Rolex selection  of timepices. In fact, an entire wall of watches greets customers — making one very cohesive brand statement. If you plan to be in New York City soon– visit the new Rolex store.