Ellicott Majesty Automatic Chronograph Watch
Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
Timepieces / Watches
Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
Reach the Beach: Luxury Resort Style in the Turks & Caicos Islands {Exclusive Feature}
Click above for a high-res image gallery
The Turks and Caicos islands in the British West Indies is well known for having the world's most beautiful beaches. It also has some of the world's most stylish and luxurious beach resorts, which are remarkable for their amazingly private settings and lush natural landscapes, far removed from the over-development that plagues some other Caribbean hotspots. The perfect setting for our latest style feature, we're sure you'll agree.
Parrot Cay, located on a pristine 1,000-acre private island, including a mile-long powdered beach, is an elegant combination of glorious nature, understated luxury and unparalleled privacy complete with an award-winning holistic spa, healthy gourmet cuisine and beach villas with private pools (above).
The villas are a favorite with celebrities including Donna Karan, Bruce Willis, Keith Richards and Sir Paul McCartney. Some like Willis and Karan were so entranced they decided to build their own beach houses on the island. Want to own one? So do we. Parrot Cay is currently offering a small selection of villas for private ownership, starting at $10 million.
World's Most Stylish Superyachts Set Sail for Perini Navi Cup
The Perini Navi Cup, an annual super-luxe regatta in Sardinia dedicated to the world's most stylish sailing superyachts built by the famed Italian boatyard Perini Navi, is gearing up for its biggest year ever with an extra day of racing and help from some big-name sponsors.
Hundreds of millions of dollars worth of yachts, from the megabucks Maltese Falcon to the Lord Foster-designed Panthalassa and founder Fabio Perini's own Elettra are slated to make the scene and compete for the top prize under the auspices of the ultra-exclusive Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.
Set to take place September 1–4 in the waters around Porto Cervo, big ticket sponsors include Rolex, Audi and Champagne Pommery.
Want to compete in the Cup? There are six Perini Navi yachts available for sale via global online luxury marketplace JamesList, ranging from the 131-ft. Clan VI built in 1983 for $7.3 million, to the 184-ft. Salute built in 2008 for $50 million. There are also six Perini beauties for charter on JamesList, from the 110-ft. Heritage M built in 2000 for $95,000 per week to an impressive 164-ft. cruiser built in 2001 for $195,000 per week.
Graff BabyGraff Collection Watches
The cases are available in a few styles that emphasis either only diamonds, or diamonds and rubies, sapphires, or emeralds. The time is displayed via a pair of dauphine style hands and a Swiss quartz movement. There is a triangular cut stone in each as the 12 o'clock marker, and more more hour indicators in a small flange ring around the dial. I appreciate the extra effort used to make the as legible as possible. What is also interesting is that the watches feature an array of stone cuts, including baguette, princess, trilliant, trapeze, and triangle. Look for them soon where Graff watches are sold.
Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
A. Lange & Sohne Zeitwerk Striking Time Watch Hands-On
Christophe Claret Adagio Watch
Looking like a follow-up to the Shabaka watch that he made for Jean Dunand, the Adagio has a sort of space-age Egyptian design to it, and comes in a 44mm wide case in either 18k rose or white gold, or in platinum. Aside from telling the time, the watch has a second timezone in 12 hour format with a day/night indicator, a big date, a subsidiary seconds disc, and a minute repeater. The beautiful dial comes in a series of materials including the pictured onyx, ruby, jade, lapis lazuli, and more.
Powering the watch is a Christophe Claret made SLB88 manually wound movement that is visible through the open case-back. Each Adagio watch style will be limited to just 8 pieces, from prices ranging from 268,000 - 318,000 Swiss Francs.
Ariel Adams publishes the wrist watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
Ulysse Nardin Lady Diver Watch New Colors For 2011
For me the color trend is interesting. It used to be that a high-end item needed to look really serious. As though to spend a lot of money you needed feel some elated sense of purpose. At some point people got a lot less scared when it came to charging a lot for an item and realized that people with money will pay for nice looking fun things. It doesn't matter than you can get a pink watch for $50 or $50,000 - it is all about how the buyer feels when they get it and wear it. For that reason I think it is OK to have a baby blue luxury watch.
The Ulysse Nardin Lady Diver watch is 40mm wide (large for a lady's wrist). Inside the watch is a UN-810 automatic movement. The dial has a wave texture on it, and diamond hour markers. While the dial is actually a bit simple, it is legible and does help keep attention on the design of the case. There are more diamonds on the bezel and still more on the middle lug section. If these colors are too much for your tastes but you still like the Lady Diver, there are more simple toned white or black version - and those with different dials. Look for the 2011 Lady Diver blue, red, or purple watches soon.
Ariel Adams publishes the wrist watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
Hublot Big Bang All Black Carbon Fiber Watch
While I tend to find carbon fiber gets stale as a design element quickly, it really looks good here. The fact that the case is light weight and entirely made out of carbon fiber is a big plus. Inside the watch is a Hublot HUB4100 automatic chronograph movement. Look for this Big Bang All Black Carbon Fiber watch soon - price is 18,900 Swiss Francs or 15,500 Euros.
Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
Rado True Thinline Is Thinnest Ceramic Watch
Technically unisex, these are more or less women's watches. They come with or without diamonds in the hour indicators and are on while or black rubber straps with a ceramic buckle. The crystal is sapphire and inside the watch is a Swiss ETA quartz movement. My choice is the while model as the hands have the most contrast and I think it fits the thin watch theme the best.
Ariel Adams publishes the wrist watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.
LeBron James Is New Audemars Piguet Watch Ambassador
Audemars Piguet is one of the most popular luxury watch brands with US Athletes (as well as international athletes of course), and has done an admirable job of receiving a high level of awareness in the US. The relationship with LeBron will further that mission, especially given LeBron's popularity both on and off the court. Moving ahead a year or two the world will see a specially designed LeBron James Audemars Piguet timepiece. Likely a limited edition, and very likely part of the Royal Oak Offshore collection, the watch will come out in probably 2013. LeBron's new relationship with Audemars Piguet was announced in Miami yesterday - where he plays for the Miami Heat team.
Ariel Adams publishes the wrist watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
Tudor Heritage Advisor Watch
Tudor isn't a brand available in the US. There is a good reason for that. It would harm Rolex's market position as they are less-expensive, but made in the same place. Unlike Rolex pieces, Tudor pieces don't use in-house made movements. Usually they offer their own, more entry-level versions of Rolex favorites, but Tudor has been trying to move away from that model as of late.
Greubel Forsey Double Tourbillon Technique Platinum Watch Hands-On
I first discussed the Greubel Forsey Double Tourbillon Technique watch here (where I go into more technical detail about the in-house made GF02s manually would movement). In short, it has the time, power reserve indicator, subsidiary seconds, and double tourbillon escapement. All in a compelling and airy dial that is a view into the hand-made and decorated mechanism. For the platinum model much of the movement is done in a nickel-palladium finish. There are polished, brushed, and frosted areas.
The watch is really a beautiful thing that I attempted to capture in the images. Unlike the rose gold version for example, Greubel Forsey really wanted to lighten up the open-movement of the watch to show off their brilliant level of finishing and polishing. They have done three versions of the Double Tourbillon Technique now, and this might be the last one. You really can't go up higher than platinum. Perhaps they will do a "heritage" version in a few years - as they have done with other models. Having said that, if this is the last watch you were to ever buy, you'd realize you've hit close to the top.
Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
Charles Oudin Full Amazone Curvex Women's Watch
The brand is Charles Oudin, and they are based in Paris (no surprise there). Watches like this aren't about high-horology, but jewelry with a sober tone only make decadent by the amount of precious material. I enjoy the lack of pretentiousness in the design and presentation. The case is in 18k white gold, and I am not sure of the precise size. The dial is easy to read if you don't need indicators as the dark hands contrast well with the diamond face. There is an option to have a Swiss ETA quartz or Swiss Frederic Piguet automatic movement - nice that you have a choice. In addition to this pictured version with ruby leaves and flowers, you can order one with sapphire ones. Price is 150,000 euros.
Ariel Adams publishes the luxury wrist watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
Seiko Credor Spring Drive Minute Repeater Watch
Bulgari Serpenti Ladies Watch Hands-On
The "snake head" is the watch dial, and again it comes in a few styles. There are a few different faces and the Serpenti models come with and without diamonds. There are also some very high-end versions that are totally covered in precious stones. These also require you to open the snake's mouth to reveal the watch face. In the past the Serpenti watches didn't use Bulgari watch faces, but where make for a host of other brands. Today, as Bulgari makes their own watch, there is more brand uniformity.
There are a few coil sizes I believe for different wrists, but concept is more or less "on size fits all." As a man I'd never be able to wear one of these, but I was impressed with how cool and elegant they look on women. I could easy see these watches as casual wear for the right lady. As a concept they are cool, as a watch they are refined, and as a style statement they are unmatched. Prices start at $4,050 in steel and $6,800 for steel and diamonds. More for gold, while the pictured model in gold with diamonds retails for $29,900 . Check out more images in the galley below.
Ariel Adams publishes the wrist watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
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