Parmigiani Fleurier unveils its newest Bugatti Vitesse titanium watch. The Bugatti Vitesse recaptures the outstanding concept of the Bugatti Super Sport, with the dial setting wheel at a 90° angle to the movement spindle, but in this new execution the watch identifies more closely with the car in terms of materials, colors and design. The titanium of the watch features a polished and satin-finished surface to emulate the mixed paint of the car. The dial is made from Texalium™ — a web of fiber glass covered by a thin layer of aluminium. To emulate the high-tech, high-mech world of fast-paced automobiles. These watches are super cool to look at and to wear – and are definitely on the fast track.
Panerai Sails into Port with the Classic Yachts Challenge
The North American circuit of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge concluded this weekend in Newport, RI. While I was not in Newport with the brand,, I did have the privilege of joining Panerai at the Classic Yachts Challenge kick off race of the North American circuit in Marblehead, MA, just a few weeks ago. It was an incredible event with a record-breaking 68 classic yachts competing for the challenge.
As title sponsor of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge, the brand celebrates its long-standing relationship with sailing culture and the water. (Panerai was the official watch of the Italian Navy early on in its lifetime.) The competition, the Corinthian Classic Yacht Regatta, took place in great weather conditions for sailing. Participating were such well-known yachts like Spartan and Black Watch, as well as smaller family-manned boats like Nina (captained by Alessandro Pagani and his wife, and two children). Winner of the event was the Valiant- — a 12-meter yacht originally built for America’s Cup racing and owned and skippered by Gary Gregory, a Marblehead resident. Panerai awards the winner of each regatta a Panerai Radiomir Black Sail watch.
Both the Valiant and the Nina had also participated the 
day before the races in the charity Sailing Heals – of which Panerai is a founding sponsor. Sailing Heals takes cancer patients, caregivers and family members out on the water with volunteer captains on their boats for a few hours of respite from worry and woes. “When you are sailing, you don’t think of anything else,” says Alessandro. “These patients deserve a few hours to just experience the soothing and calming effects of the water.”
Following Marblehead, the PCYC NA Circuit continued for the second race in Nantucket (40th Annual Opera House Cup), and the culminating race in Newport, RI.
Time Capsules: Commentary – Labor Day – Made-in-America Watches
Baltimore-born Roland Murphy started RGM in Mount Joy, PA, where he builds American-made watches including chronographs and tourbillons that range in price from $6,500 for the new Aircraft 801, to tens of thousands for the American-made Tourbillon. Shown here is the Professional Limited Edition Diver.By the time it became a federal holiday in 1894, Labor Day was already being officially celebrated by nearly thirty states. The concept was introduced in America in 1882 – 130 years ago – by union leaders to pay tribute to the contributions and achievements, both socially and economically, of the American workers. This day also symbolizes the end of summer for many Americans, and is celebrated with picnics, parades and a host of events – many by pools, lakes and beaches to enjoy the last vestiges of summer.
The Towson Watch Company, founded at the beginning of the new millennium in 2000, is one of the few U.S. watch companies that designs and manufactures in the United States. The Towson MD based company has multiple collections, including this Potomac watch. $1,995. So, while you are enjoying this last summer holiday – and thinking about having a day off of work – we want to remind you that the time you are spending today is precious. Spend it wearing a great watch made by workers in America from brands such as RGM, Towson and Bozeman.
Weekend Sojourn: American Muscle and Classic Cars
Perfect thing to do on a Labor
Day weekend — walk a fantastic car show filled with good old American made classics and muscle cars!! In all — 1800 cars — but just not enough time! From the great Chevy Nova SS to Chevelles, vets, BelAirs, Impalas and more — Chevy always gets my top rankings. But this show was loaded with some fantastic old Mercurys, Fords and Hudsons — which all looked really great too!!
Off the Cuff: Vacheron Constantin Malte Tourbillon Regulator
This exquisite Vacheron Constantin complicated watch – the Malte Tourbillon Regulator houses a hand-wound mechanical movement (caliber 1790R) that offers a tourbillon escapement (an escapement that compensates for errors in timekeeping due to the effects of gravity), and the indication of the hours and minutes on a regulator style (off-center) dial.
This is an exquisitely executed work of mechanical prowess, superior watchmaking and beautiful design 
balance. The small seconds’ indicator is on the tourbillon cage. The watch also features a power reserve indicator (approximately 45 hours) and a “Clous de Paris” external dial design. It is crafted in platinum and has a transparent sapphire caseback to view the intricacies of the hand-built movement. It can be yours if you have a simple $205,000 to plunk down – a lifetime of “oohs and ahhs” every time you or someone else looks at it.
Time Capsules: Commentary – Million-Dollar Watches Sold
Signed Breguet et Fils, No. 2667, sold in August 1814 to Mr Garcias of London for 5,000 francs, this rare 18-karat gold precision watch contains two movements within the area of a single plate, both with going barrels, fully jewelled, straight line calibrated lever escapements with divided lift and straight pallets. Estimated to sell for between $880,000 – $1,500,000, it realized $4,686,120. Christies Images Ltd. 2012Would you spend a million dollars on a Patek Philippe? Or, better yet, $4 millon on a Breguet? Some people did. Recently Christie’s, the world’s leading auction house, reported that sales of fine rare and watches is on the increase – with nearly $63 million spent on this categoery in the first half of 2012.
The leaders of the pack when it came to single-sale 
Signed Patek Philippe, Ref, 2523/1, Movement No. 724’303, Case No. 313’037, Manufactured in 1963. this watch houses the Cal. 12-400 mechanical movement, 18 jewels, double stamped with the Seal of Geneva, silvered matte dial, central time zone with applied baton numerals, rotating central two-tone day-night 24-hour dial, outer rotating silver dial engraved with 41 place names adjusted by the crown . Christies Images Ltd. 2012high-ticket items included a Patek Philippe watch — A 1963 18K gold world time wristwatch with two crowns – that set a world record price of $1,022,500 and a 955 Patek Philippe 18K gold wristwatch with cloisonné enamel dial depicting the North American continent: world record price of $2,992,680 (Geneva). Topping them both was the sale of a rare early nineteenth-century Breguet & Fils 18K gold watch with two movements, setting a world record price for a watch by Breguet at auction (sold in Geneva). It sold for $4,686,120.
We here at Atimelyperspective would love to tell you more about the people who purchased these watches, but unfortunately that information is confidential. I know I would love to hear about their other timepieces, because if you are spending this much for a watch – we know you have more!
Off the Cuff: Cartier Tourbillon Kingfisher Takes Flight
This is one stupendous timepiece. There are no other words to describe it. Meticulously crafted, painstakingly built, and artfully finished, this Cartier Tourbillon watch is a masterpiece inside and out. On the inside, the watch houses the Geneva-seal certified 9458 MC Caliber with flying tourbillon created in house by Cartier in its Manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds. It is the second ladies’ complication (following the superb Tourbillon and Crocodile watch released in 2011).
On the outside, the 18-karat white gold watch features a kingfisher in flight on the dark blue and Tahitian mother-of-pearl dial, bedecked with 210 brilliant-cut diamonds for the wings and 80 cognac-colored diamonds for the body (and an emerald eye). It is finished with translucent opaque blue, orange, yellow and white enamel. The entire case (top, sides, lugs) is meticulously set with diamonds. Just 60 pieces of this stunner will ever be made, and if you have about $221,000 to spare, and if you get on that waiting list, it could be yours. Otherwise, you have to as lucky as me to get to wear it on the wrist for just a short time, and revel in its beauty.
Off the Cuff: Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Watches
The perpetual calendar timepieces, as well as annual calendars, are a specialty of watchmaking legend Patek Philippe. This stunning masterpiece, Ref, 5496P, is a mechanical self-winding watch housing the caliber 324S QR with retrograde perpetual calendar. It is meticulously built in alluring platinum to offer retrograde date hand in an elegant arch around the dial. It also displays the day of week, the month, moonphases and leap year indicator in harmoniously 
placed apertures. It looks sleek, elegant and, at the same time, powerful on the wrist.
Somehow the eye is just drawn to this watch, with its satined silvery dial and gold applied hour hands, and wearing it is sort of like a dream. Water resistant to 30 meters, the 39.5mm case is crafted in platinum and the watch features a sapphire caseback for viewing the exquisite movement. This great complicated watch can be had for about $115,700.
Weekend Sojourne: Sheep an Art Lover Can't Resist
These wind- and rain-swept sheep were caught in the mind of artist Deborah O’Rourke when she traveled through Ireland one of her many trips there. This Pennsylvania-based artist captures them magnificently in this pastel painting. It is one I would love to own, but I am fortunate enough to already own several pieces of her work. O’Rourke can create anything, it seems, that she puts her brush to — from scenery to nature and more. She works in oils, waters, pastels and even paints on porcelain..
Time Capsules: Commentary – IWC Pilot’s Watch in The Bourne Legacy
Just recently, Universal Pictures released the next film in the “Bourne” series of espionage thrillers, “The Bourne Legacy,” starring Jeremy Renner as the leading man, Aaron Cross. Now, if you are just a normal film lover- you went (or plan to go) to the movie and enjoy it. I, too, have such a desire, however – as many watch lovers know – it is impossible to sit through any movie where a watch has prominence on someone’s wrist and not crane your neck to check out whose watch that celeb is wearing.
In the case of this newest film – IWC stepped up to the plate, out fitting the bold and daring Cross with an IWC Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph Edition TOP GUN. This 46mm high-tech black ceramic timepiece features grey titanium crown and push buttons. Powered by the 79230-caliber chronograph, 
it’s not only sleek in look, but it is also a high functioning precision piece — perfect for the fearless lifestyle of an agent. This watch is the predecessor to the current IWC Pilot’s Watch collection. It’s a cool watch and – better yet – anyone who aspires to their own secret agent life – can own one of the new Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Miramar watches for about $12,700.