Time Capsules: Omega Watches – Olympic Timing Coming Up

It’s just a year away – the London 2012 Olympic Games — and OMEGA will be the Official Timekeeper for the 25th time at the Olympics. To celebrate, the brand has launched the Seamaster 1948 Co-Axial “London 2012” Limited Edition watch – one year before the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony in London. The new Seamaster 1948 Co-Axial “London 2012”  is a redesign of OMEGA’s first automatic Seamaster and is a COSC-certified co-axial chronometer. A timeless classic, the watch is created in stainless steel in high polish with hours, minutes and sub-seconds at 6:00. It houses the exclusive Omega Caliber 2202 self-winding movement with 48 hours of power reserve and is presented on a black leather strap with a vintage polished stainless steel buckle. The caseback bears an 18-karat yellow gold medallion with the  2012 London Olympic Logo. Just 1948 pieces will be created of the 39mm watch, which retails for $6,000.

The first OMEGA Seamaster was launched in 1948, which was  the last time London hosted the Olympic Games, which Omega timed. In fact, Omega has a very long relationship with Olympic timing. Its initial contact with the International Olympic Committee was forged in 1916, and in 1932, the brand was appointed the Official Timekeeper for the first time at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Since then, it has regularly developed  equipment, precision timing  and a special relationship with the Olympic Games.

 

Trend Report: Aviator Watches

IWC Big Pilot’s watchCall them what you want, aviator watches, pilot watches, aeronautical instrument watches – it doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that aviator watches are easily one of the most important genre of timepieces on the market today thanks to so many technological developments in shock resistances, antimagnetic cases and precision excellence, as well as design. Pilot watches have their true roots with the dawn of the age of flying – the 1920’s and 1930s, but they Tutima Grand Classic Black garnered fast favor in the late 1930s and early 1940’s when brands such as IWC invented the soft inner iron case to guard against magnetism while in flight. With the advent of the space program, Breitling, Omega and a few others such as Bell & Ross and Fortis, trekked in to space, giving them a leading edge in technology.

Bell & Ross BR 126 Original Carbon Today, aviator watches are a staple for top flight programs, as well as famed aerobatic and national flight teams. Top brands in the aviation watch world include IWC with its Big Pilot’s watches, Spitfire, and Fliegerchronograph lines, Tutima, Bell & Ross, Breitling, Longines, Omega, Bremont and a host of others who produce timepieces with Inca-block anti-shock devices, antimagnetic inner iron cases, and other important functions and features.  Important functions to look for in  aviator watches include chronometers (timepieces that have been tested under the most rigorous situations and standards and have passed within strict guidelines), compass abilities, tachymeter scales, chronographs and some other features like watches with oversized crowns or slide rule bezels (a famed icon of Breitling).

Alpina Startimer Pilots Chrono In terms of materials, in today’s high-tech world, so many great new DLC, PVD and ceramic are being used, as well as alloys taken directly from the aeronautical industry that the sky is  almost the limit when it comes to selecting the watch case right for you – it’s really just a matter of personal choice. So strap on one of the newest flight watches and enjoy the ride.

Weekend Sojourn: Great Reading – Coming Soon

New AP book

It was in 1875 that Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet founded Audemars Piguet in Le Brassus in the Swiss Jura.  Today, almost 1,000 people in Switzerland and around the world work for AP.  A new book, Audemars Piguet, et cie, celebrates this legendary brand and recalls the passion for fine watchmaking that it has cultivated during  its 136-year-long history through political and economic upheavals. The book outlines the values of the brand and its always-vigilant push toward technological revolution; it gives amazing insight into some of the most complex timepieces – pieces that have forged their own mark in watchmaking history. The book touches on the brand’s dedication to philanthropy and its establishment of The Audemars Piguet Foundation, and its causes. Indeed, the incredibly packed 300-plus-page book even brings you behind the scenes into the wonderful watchmaking halls of Audemars Piguet – where watches are built forever …. Yes, for true AP watch lovers, this is the must-have treasure book of the year.

Jewels of Time

This book, written by Roberta Naas, focuses on the more beautiful time-keeping machines : women’s watches, inspired by art, architecture and fashion.  This 300-plus page hardcover book demonstrates the extreme heights of technological advancements in mechanical watches, bejeweled beauties, and artisanry from dozens of the world’s top brands. Chapters offer glimpses into enamel work, marquetry, secret watches and certain genre’s, including dials rich with flowers, birds and animal influences. It is rich with quotes and interviews about women and women’s views on time from top watch executives and watchmakers — who have poured their hearts and souls into the making of women’s watches over a century of timing on the feminine wrist. It is one of the most comprehensive works ever put together on the subject of women’s wristwatches in history, and is sure to delight and fascinate watch lovers. It is published by Farameh Media LLC and due out in early October.

Time Capsules: Some of the Best Watches in the World are Clocks – from Patek Philippe

Yesterday we brought you a close-up look at Rare Handcrafts – a set of limited-edition marquetry Royal Tiger watches from Patek Philippe that are exquisitely made with passion. We promised to deliver an insider’s look at some more of the best watches from this brand – and are doing so today in the form of unique dome clocks.  Patek Philippe has been hand crafting these unusual dome table clocks for decades — unique pieces that are superb renditions of fairy tales and dreams.

In the Carousel, Ref 1579 M, Cloisonné’ Enamel Dome Clock, approximately 45 opaque, translucent and opalescent enamel colors are used to create the carousel rooftop and horses that comprise this  alluring piece. A length of gold ribbon was used for the partitions that is 28.70 meters long – approximately 90 feet and weighs 57.41 grams. Each enameled element requires 5 to 7 firings at temperatures between 800 and 850 degrees centigrade to complete the process. With each firing, comes a risk of damage and destruction.

For the One Thousand and One Nights Tales, Ref 1604 M, Cloisonné’ Enamel Dome Clock with integrated gold and silver leaf, approximately 44 opaque and transparent enamel colors were used. Each element – from Arabian figures, to horses, moons and stars, required six firings. The clock features a length of gold ribbon for the partitions that measures 12.45 meters (more than 36 feet).

Each clock is a unique piece, a work of art, a wonder to behold. No matter how long one stares at the dome clocks, turning them and turning them, there is still another beauty to behold. In these pieces, it is as though time stands still. The artists, who have captured beauty herein, have held time captive in a masterpiece destined for greatness – as only Patek Philippe can do.

Time Capsules: Expensive watches move over – Patek Philippe Raises the Bar

Forget the concept of expensive watches. Sometimes it really isn’t about cost or expense at all; it is about incredible craftsmanship and superb ability – decade after decade or century after century. That’s what the legendary Patek Philippe demonstrates time and again in its work. This revered brand not only builds its timepieces as heirlooms, but also regularly startles collectors and watch lovers with its extraordinary passion for craft, art and elegance.

In this business I am always vigilant of the level of magistry some brands aspire to raise the bar to, but after 26 years, it is often difficult to impress me. However, Patek Philippe regularly does. In fact, I am well aware of the magic this company weaves. This morning, when I opened a package they sent to me, I was more than pleasantly surprised by a stunning book, Rare Handcrafts, that is a compilation of some of the most rare and beautiful masterpieces of enamel, marquetry and haute joaillerie watches and dome table clocks that I have seen in a long time. While we all know the brand can build these beauties, to see so many – 150 pages – assembled all together in all their finest glory  — samurais, tigers, fairy tales, horses, wolves, flowers, giraffes, birds and more  —  welled tears up. Witnessing all of the beauty in one book, under one roof, reminds us that there are those who feel passion first in their hearts, minds and souls, and then let it sing in their fingertips– such incredible feats. In the coming days, we will bring you a few inside looks at these beauties and bravo again – to all the master artisans working with Patek Philippe.

In this Royal Tigers series, Ref. 5077P, a set of four Calatrava wristwatches with marquetry dials deftly depicts the magnificent beast in various poses. Each platinum watch house the Caliber 240, ultra-thin self-winding movement. Each watch dial is decorated with tiger heads made of precious wood marquetry created by a master marquetarian who spends more than 50 hours of painstaking work deftly placing tiny pieces of wood into place to form the tiger. In each dial, between six and eight different types of woods are used, with anywhere from 120 to 137 pieces. Diamond markers finish the pieces.  The exquisite set is created in a limited edition.

Style Watch: Graham Watches — One Great Swordfish

Today, Atimelyperspective launches this new section: Style watch, to take a look at women’s watches that are leaders in form and fabulous flair. Graham Watches, a brand with a rich British history, offers both men’s and women’s timepieces of distinction, but this Graham-London Swordfish Ali Baba is a real catch. Created in a limited production of 40 exclusive pieces crafted in stainless steel, the Ali Baba is set with 61 diamonds, 64 emeralds, 57 blue sapphires, 48 yellow sapphires, 46 pink sapphires, 42 rubies and 40 mandarin garnets for a spectacular rainbow of gemstones weighing 4.65 carats.  The watch is a chronograph caliber that retails for $75,515. Go ahead, cast your line.

Time Capsules: New Watches — Concord’s C2 Chronograph offers Sleek Sophistication

It’s always great to see new watches come along that offer cutting-edge 21st century appeal. This Concord C2 all matte black chronograph features red insets that make this stealth powered sleek watch boldly commanding. The C2 Chronograph with ultra modern, urban and industrial design is crafted of a 43mm black PVD coated stainless steel case with curves and angles that give it an amazing aerodynamic appeal. It features a 2mm thick sapphire crystal and a strongbox-shaped caseback that ensures water resistances to 100 meters.  The high-precision 27-jewle automatic ETA caliber 1894-2 movement beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour and drives the date, and chronograph functions on a three-part tone-on-tone dial. The strap is vulcanized rubber with red highlights. It will be out this October – for just $6,500 — be ready to snap it up!

Off the Cuff: Alpina Watches – Extreme Diver 1000 Meters

For the past month, I, along with both my husband and my nearly 17-year-old son, have been alternatively wearing the Alpina Extreme Diver 1000 meters watch. We have been sharing this dive watch on our different adventures. I, naturally, needed to experiment with and wear and son, however, are the avid ocean-goers, with my son being the snorkeling enthusiast and dive student.

The fairly recently released Alpina Extreme Diver 1000 Meters watch, with its unidirectional rotating bezel displaying the time in minutes, is a sturdy, reliable watch. Bold, angular and definitely a piece of extreme design and weight, the 48mm watch, has a lot of gusto. To begin with, it was clearly legible under water thanks to its luminous hands and markers – a nice plus at night on the beach, too. I found it a strong piece to wear, and enjoyed the fact I could go from beach to water with no concerns. The watch displays the date at 3:00 with a crescent-shaped aperture and the brand’s signature red triangular pointer hand.  The great look of it and its wear ability garnered a lot of attention from others, always with a positive statement.  While the watch is offered in surgical grade stainless steel with a black dial, I opted for the Full Black version, with PVD case and black dial – cool, dark, mysterious looking.  My only issue was that I would have preferred a slightly longer than 42-hour power reserve.

For my son, the functions were more important than the look and feel of the watch. This piece, which houses the automatic wind AL-525 movement, measures elapsed time in minutes for the first 15 minutes, and then in 10-minute segments after that. It also features the luminous triangle maker at 12:00. Naturally, the watch is equipped with a helium escape valve at 10:00, essential for a diving watch of this depth.  

Other Facts:  AL-525 automatic movement, 26 jewels, beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour; black rotor; bridges decorated with perlage. ABS-coated screw-down crown; transparent caseback.

Essentially, the Alpina Extreme Diver 1000 Meters watch is a sturdy, well-functioning, good-looking reliable instrument – at a cool $2,590.

Weekend Sojourn: Orbita Watch Winders Team with Brown Safes for High-Tech Safety

Keeping those mechanical watches wound, and safe, can be problematic – but North Carolina-based watch winder manufacturer Orbita, has been teamed with Brown Safe Manufacturing — premiere safe and vault company in California, for a decade to bring watch lovers several cool products that give solutions. Among them is Brown’s luxury “Man Safe” with eight custom-made watch panels featuring Orbita programmable winder modules for watches.  These luxury safes are manufactured expressly for those who demand the finest protection, organization, and convenient storage for their expensive timepieces, pens, and more.  They are made of high tech materials including carbon fiber with anodized inserts and are available in three sizes to best suit any watch and jewelry storage requirements. Brown Safe’s Man Safes can be custom made with various interior and exterior finishes. This one retails for $10,000.

 

Time Capsules: Cool Watches for a Heat Wave — SEAH(R)

If you are watching the news or living in the USA, you’re living in heat wave right now, with record-breaking temperatures that are bringing some of us to a breaking point. So, it’s time to talk about cool watches – ones that let you be you:  SEAH® astrological watches.  In 2003, polarized in the moment of a Floridian post-hurricane power outage, the SEAH® watch idea was conceived by  Rachel Levy, who’s talent for art, combined with her own motivations based on the values of family and faith, came together to form the first step in what was to be a surprisingly long journey.  From epiphany to delivery, the first SEAH® watches took seven years to realize—thanks in part to Levy’s perfectionist nature and in part to the research and development that went in to the making of the trademarked, registered and patented SEAH® brand.  Inner peace, spirituality and art of the design evolved during the discovery process, and while design was always critical, so too was the quality, finish, and savoir faire of the astrologically inspired Swiss Made timepieces.  SEAH® is the realization of the desire to meld oneness with life’s forces into a signature timepiece like no other.

Perfection being key, the heart beating within the watches could naturally only be Swiss. The 42mm Automatic version, such as the Leo seen here, whose sign began yesterday, is powered by the ETA 2824 automatic caliber. The rotor is embellished with the SEAH® logo and wave design and is visible through the sapphire crystal caseback.   The personally unique watch, in 10micron goldplate, retails for $3,200.  Keep Cool!