Today is the last day to enter the Halloween Pumpkin Carving Contest to win a Ritmo Mundo Watch. Check out the details by clicking on the ad to the left, and put your pumpkin entry up for viewing. Here are just a a couple of examples of submissions so far – don’t forget – we asked only that your pumpkin carving have something to do with time as you see it.
We promised to bring a few more skeleton images on luxury timepieces to the table this month, and with Halloween just five days away, here we are again. This Bell & Ross BR01-92 Airborne II watch, though is so much more than a cool skeleton design – in many ways. Easily the most intriguing fact about this watch is that it pays homage to the US Airborne service men who parachuted into the front lines under the most dangerous conditions. Thank you to them, and bravo to Bell & Ross for honoring them with this meaningful piece.
In true Bell & Ross style, though, this watch is not just one with a message behind it, but also one with great craftsmanship and individuality. Created in a limited edition of just 999 pieces, the 46mm watch houses a mechanical, automatic movement. It is built in steel with a PVD finish for more alluring mystery. Water resistant to 100 meters, this Airborne II is equipped with a screw-in crown, anti-reflective sapphire crystal, and either a heavy-duty synthetic fabric strap or a calfskin strap. It retails for $6,100 and makes multiple statements about its wearer! We like this watch a lot.
For the past month, I’ve been wearing the Dodane Type 21 Flyback Chronograph. Huh, you say? Never heard of Dodane? Well this five-generation French watch brand, with roots dating back to 1857, is one to know about if you don’t already. The brand offers navigational pilot watches – the Type 21 Flyback — that resonate with the reality of form and function, of aviation history and current technology. Dodane, which has supplied watches to the French air force for since the 1950’s, creates limited edition 
watches that house the finest Swiss movements. In fact, this fly-back chronograph model that I have been weaning is a re-issue of the original Type 21, and houses the Dubois-Depraz 42021 caliber. It is created in a limited edition of 400 pieces and is offered with either a gray or white NATO strap, or an alligator strap. The watch has the technical characteristics of a chronometer – having been tested under extreme conditions to endure stress, acceleration, vibration, temperature variations, resistance to magnetic effects and the like. It is tested and can be certified (on request) by the National Observatory of Measuring Time in Besancon , France.
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he flyback function allows for measurement of continuous or discontinuous intervals of time. The watch is crafted in steel with a one-way rotating bezel. The version I’ve been wearing – which drew a lot of attention – features a black dial with Super LumiNova yellow (green) accents , hands, numerals and subdials – all inspired by on-board chronographs and low-light use in the military.
On first glance, the watch doesn’t seem as special as one might expect for a $5,750 timepiece. However, it is incredibly well crafted, especially with the movement’s pearlage motif and finishing. Additionally, when on the wrist, it has a strong but not overbearing presence. It gets noticed – for both its bold allure and historical significance. Personally, while the nylon NATO strap, which I tried in both white and gray, has a certain significance to it, I was not as fond of the strap as the watch on an alligator strap. For one thing, the NATO strap loops through the lugs and therefore covers the caseback—which is sapphire and allows for viewing of the beautiful movement. If I were buying it, I’d want the gator strap – and maybe an extra nylon NATO for the value of the pilot heritage factor. In all, this is a watch that demonstrates a true “insiders” knowledge of watchmaking exclusivity and prowess and is worth checking out!
The 16th hole at Port Royal Golf CourseJust a two-and-half-hour flight from New York City lies a cerulean paradise that offers a respite for the soul and a feast for the eyes. Bermuda , a British territory off the east coast of the USA about 640 miles west of Cape Hatteras, NC, offers a subtropical climate, fine white sand that reflects pink because of the shells crushed in it, and lush flora and fauna. Discovered in 1505 by Juan de Bermudez, this island is a wonderful place to get away from it all – and offers exploring of its centuries-old forts and other historic sites, biking, hiking, incredible golf and – naturally – relaxing on the beach.
On my recent trip there with Omega Watch Company, I arrived 
Horsehoe Baystressed and tired, but was quickly refreshed by the most beautiful turquoise waters and lush green foliage on the short ride from the airport to the Fairmont Hotel in Southampton. This hotel boasts the “sweetest three-hour drive” in Bermuda – a par-three executive golf course that seems particularly enjoyable to experience in just about two to three hours. A brief three-minute trolley ride from the hotel entrance to the private beach brings refreshing sands, warm waters and – for the adventurous – one of the most beautiful Bermudian beaches. A short walk away from the Fairmont’s private beach is the 
well-known Horseshoe Bay where waves roll in and lap a white-sand shore, and sandy dune trails beyond the bay lead to coves and small cays and beaches. Beware, though, Bermuda is expensive. In 
fact, if you live in Bermuda and are not earning more than $70,000 a year, you are considered poverty level. So go for a short while, but bring a big purse.
Richard Mille RM038 Skeleton watchA timepiece that is sculpted by hand, a skeleton watch is one whose movement has been carved away to such an extreme degree that often as much as 60 or 70 percent of the metal is gone – leaving an open-worked masterpiece that is one of the most alluring mechanical works of art for the wrist. Another category of timepieces that has emerged on the market as a significant trend is the Mainplate-revealed Open-Worked watch that is less bare bones than a skeleton watch. It typically does not have a watch dial, but rather allows the mainplate of the movement to be visible and apparent – showing more of the workings as a mechanical whole.
hautlence HL2.0 Typically, both open-worked mainplate-visible watches and skeletonized movements are magnificently etched and intricately engraved by artisans who have spent hundreds of hours on the fine workmanship. These exquisite timepieces are beautiful not only in their design, but also in their technologically advanced mechanisms – so they offer the wearer (and onlookers) a special insight into the world of haute horlogerie.
The first skeleton watches in history are actually antique pocket watches of the late 17th and early 18th century. Skeleton watches have enjoyed amazing popularity in the past few decades, and most recently — this past decade – the newer form of mainplate display has emerged as a strong trend. To create 
Harry Winston Opus 11 these watches, master engravers often spend dozens of hours carving away metal and etching the most succinct details into hundreds of miniscule pieces that comprise a single movement. The watches are alluring as mechanical wonders, and often are created in extremely limited numbers.
German watchmaking has come so far and Tutima is one of those Glashutte-based brands that is making great strides with its technology and craftsmanship. Long known as a strong aviation brand, Tutima brings style and function together with legendary appeal. This Grand Classic Black Chronograph PR from Tutima is one of the most alluring pieces on the market and utilizes cutting-edge technology. The case and bracelet have a black coating that is largely resistant to shock and scratches. The stainless steel actually undergoes a process to harden it far below the surface layer. It is then given an extra coating of ultra hard PVD (physical vapor deposition) as extra protection. The watch houses the well –known and precise Swiss self-winding Valjoux 7750 movement. The chronograph offers 12-hur and 30-miute totalizers and center second counter. Retailing for $4,700, this watch with its bright red dial is a definitely eye catcher.
If you are looking for an authentic, innovative, trendy yet timeless watch at a great price then you may have to take a really close look at Ritmo Mundo. This young watch brand has a lot of vision – well, its founder, Ali Soltani, is the one with the vision. The brand — which is our partner this month for the pumpkin carving contest — has unveiled such unusual watches as the Puzzle (seen here just a couple of weeks ago) and the revolving Persepolis lines. The Persepolis, a round watch that rotates in its case and is two-sided, now comes in a fantastic array of colorful pieces – offered either unadorned or diamond or gem set. They are available in three sizes and give you a watch that not only tells time on several sides, but also starts grand conversations.
The past few days, we here at Atimelyperspective have been covering watches in space and dive watches, so it is only fitting we take a close look at land now- and more precisely – pretty speedy land watches. This really cool (yes, we did just use the word cool in conjunction with the luxury watch brand Jaeger-LeCoultre) new Amvox2 Grand Chronograph watch was inspired by Aston Martin racing driver Adrian Fernandez – as evidenced by the colors on the dial and the performance strap. Jaeger-LeCoultre, renowned for its technological prowess, has had a long-standing relationship with Aston Martin for years now and 
so this extension is not unexpected. The Limited Edition watch is built in a series of 50 pieces in 18-karat pink gold, with each watch retailing for $27,000. In honor of Fernandez’ origin, the dial and the strap of this edition feature the green, white and red colors of Mexico’s national flag. The dial also bears Fernandez’ initials between 7:00 and 8:00, and the caseback is engraved with his name.
Celebrating 50 years of nautical heritage, Vulcain – a brand we like here at Atimelyperspective thanks to its great heritage and fine craftsmanship – unveils its new Vulcain Nautical Heritage Limited Edition watch. Water resistant to 300 meters (900+ feet), the watch houses the legendary Cricket V-10 alarm caliber, which is fully audible under water. What’s more, it features an indication of the decompression stages – making this a really cool watch for use and to look at.
Vulcain presented one of its first diver’s watches in 1961, the Nautical, whose strike could be heard under water thanks to the triple caseback that served as a resonance chamber and warned divers that it was time to return to the surface. The re-edition of this watch is close to authentic and boasts the characteristics of the original divers’ watch. The hand wound caliber is equipped with two barrels – one to supply the energy for timing and one to operate the alarm function that sound for a full 15 to 20 seconds. The 42mm watch offers 42 hours of power reserve. The read-off of the depth indications and stop times for each decompression stage (of classic 9, 6, and 3 meter decompression phases) is created via two superimposed dials, a lower fixed dial and a top dial adjustable by a screw-lock crown at 4:00. The patented timepiece is built in a limited edition of 1961 pieces. This is a part of dive heritage that Cricket and Vulcain lovers will want to be a part of –especially at just about $6,200 retail.
A few days ago, Atimelyperspective posted about an upcoming event in Las Vegas, wherein Omega will be hosting a forum with some top astronauts of our time. It sparked some reader emails asking more questions about Omega and space. So here are some fun facts in time and space about Omega. The brand has long been involved in the conquest of space, and has been a part of all six lunar landings.
On March 1, 1965, OMEGA’s Speedmaster chronograph was “flight-qualified by NASA for all manned space 
missions.” That is because the Omega Speedmaster withstood all of the U.S. space agency’s severe tests under conditions of zero gravity and magnetic fields, extreme shocks, vibrations and temperatures ranging from -18 to +93 degrees Celsius. It is, to date, the only NASA flight-qualified watch.
Since 1965, Omega Speedmasters were on board Gemini 
missions, Apollo missions and even Skylab. Many recall one of the most significant moments in space history when, on July 21, 1969, the Omega Speedmaster recorded man’s first steps on the Moon on the Apollo 11 missions. Omega’s Speedmaster is the first and only watch to be worn on the moon. Hence, it has been nicknamed the Moonwatch.
Another significant moment in Omega Speedmaster space timing came in April 1970 with the Apollo 13 mission, when the watch was used to time the reentry and divert potential disaster when certain instruments malfunctioned. The Omega Speedmaster earned the Snoopy Award, the highest distinction awarded by NASA astronauts for that mission.
The Speedmaster was worn on the wrists of both the American astronaut Tom Stafford and the Russian cosmonaut Alexei Leonov during the historic Apollo-Soyuz space rendezvous. This was the first time the cosmonauts also wore the OMEGA Speedmaster. Ever since, the Speedmaster has been the official chronograph of all Russian manned space missions.
Today, Omega continues to be involved in space exploration and discovery. In fact it recently released its new Apollo 15 watch that celebrates the 40th anniversary of that mission, the first in which the Moon Rover was used. The three red, white and blue rings on the dial echo the design of the Apollo 15 Official Mission patch. The 42mm cased chronometer chronograph is created in a limited edition of 1971 pieces (the year of the Apollo 15 mission), and retails for $6,800.