Tourneau

Hublot Big Bang Watch Exclusively For Tourneau Stores

Hublot CEO Jean-Claude Biver showed up in New York City recently to unveil a new limited edition Hublot Big Bang watch that will be sold via an exclusive agreement in Tourneau stores. America's leading watch retail network, Tourneau is often blessed with the ability to get special watches from popular brands that are only available in those stores.

Mr. Biver recently mentioned in an interview that the American market is particularly important and strong to Hublot. A noteworthy point as many brands are more or less abandoning major attention on American in favor of the quickly growing, but potentially unstable, market in Asia. While Hublot certainly has feet in China and the surrounding territories, their ongoing dedication to the US is paying off for them.

At a dinner hosted by Tourneau and its newer CEO James Suess, attendees enjoyed a meal by celebrity chef Daniel Boulud. As a thanks, Boulud received a special giant Hublot wall clock for his kitchen. Such wall clocks are custom made for Hublot and absolutely prized by brand fans and collectors. The fact that the biggest names from Hublot and Tourneau showed up to the dinner is a sign of how serious each takes the partnership.

The watch itself is a variation on the classic Big Bang. In a 44mm wide case, the watch is done in 18k rose gold with a tungsten bezel and ruthenium dial. Movement and other features are identical to those from the standard Big Bang watch collection. Not sure how many pieces are in the limited edition, but the price will be $25,900 - $26,300 - depending on the strap.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: Big bang, hublot, tourneau, watch

Bremont Watch Event At Tourneau South Coast Plaza

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Up and coming English watch brand Bremont will be hosting a special night of drinks and appetizers at the VIP Access Suite of Costa Mesa's famous South Coast Plaza on the night of October 21st, 2010. The event will go from 6pm - 8:30pm and be a joint effort between Bremont and Toureau (which has a location at South Coast Plaza).

The event will be led by Nick English and Giles English, who are the charismatic and talented founders of the British aviation themed watch brand. No doubt it will be an evening to mingle with fellow watch lovers and view the brand's current collection of fine timepieces as well as speak with the brand owners. Tourneau recommends that you RSVP for the event by e-mailing "costamesamgr@tourneau.com or calling (714) 850-0222.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: bremont, event, south coast plaza, tourneau, watch

Bell & Ross Vintage BR 123 Special Edtion Watch For Tourneau

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

As an exclusive for watch retailer Tourneau, Bell & Ross has created a new special version of their Vintage BR 123 watch collection. The watches are based on the newer Vintage BR 123 pieces, but with special colors. The standard cream colored dial is matched to a gray, almost anthracite colored case (likely steel) in a satin finish. The watch is matched to a thick black leather pilot style strap. Tourneau will have the watches exclusively, but only for a limited amount of time.

Just like the standard Bell & Ross Vintage BR 123 watches are, the cases for this limited edition are 41mm wide (which sit big as they have a small bezel). Inside the watch is a Swiss ETA 2895 automatic movement. Overall this limited edition offers a slightly different character for the new collection which is already impressing a lot of people with their straight forward good looks. Price for the standard Vintage BR 123 timepieces is $2,900 - so I imagine that this Tourneau exclusive collection will be about the same.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: 123, bel ross, br, limited edition, tourneau, vintage, watch, watches

Franck Muller Conquistador Grand Prix Tourneau Exclusive Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Watch retailer chain Tourneau has a lot of pull with major want brands, and consequently gets lots of "exclusive watches" that are available only at Tourneau shops. One such watch is this black and white, three-hand version of Franck Muller's new Conquistador Grand Prix timepiece. In addition to the special colors, this is the only version (that I know of), that is a simple three-hand timepiece. Other models available come with a tourbillon or a chronograph. I wrote more on this Conquistador Grand Prix watch collection here.

I got to see one of the watches at a Tourneau store, they had two of them, which is probably a lot. Especially given the fact that the collection is limited to just 50 pieces (and those need to be distributed among many Tourneau doors). The black case is in a special aluminum alloy (Ergal), and also has titanium in the mix. Inside is a Franck Muller automatic movement. These are very large watches as well, but the simple three-hand layout helps balance the design well, and emphasize the more rich characterful elements of the design. Other versions of the watch are red and black, or rose gold and black, so this black and white version is a great derivative. Look for this limited edition Franck Muller Conquistador Grand Prix watch in black at white only at Tourneau now. Price is $9,990.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: conquistador, franck muller, grand prix, limited edition, tourneau, watch, watches

Tourneau NYC Watch Sample Sale = Big Luxury Discounts

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

The details above pretty much sum it up. Tourneau's sample sales are one of the best kept secrets to getting a luxury watch at an affordable price from a major retailer. If you are in New York City on September 11th, I highly recommend you go. Please note that the sale is not located at the Tourneau store. This exclusive event will be held at Soiffer Haskin at 317 West 33rd Street, in New York City. The event runs from September 11th - 16th, but you really (really) want to get there on the first day. Why? Because this is a limited quantity sale, and the best stuff goes quick - trust me.

What brands will be there? Very hard to say. Tourneau pulls unsold inventory from area stores, and each store can have different brands. You won't be disappointed with the selection, and the prices are 50-70% off - if not more. So check it out, then come back and brag about the deal you got.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com

Tags: 2010, new york, nyc, sample sale, september, tourneau

IWC Tourneau Big Pilot's Watch In Platinum

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

As a special, limited edition of just 15 pieces, IWC created a version of their ubiquitously popular Big Pilot's watch in a 46.2mm wide platinum case with silver toned dial. This is the only platinum version of this style piece available. The sharp looking upper-luxury refresh of the piece has the famous IWC Calibre 5111 automatic movement with a power reserve of over 7 days! The power reserve indicator on the dial in in black.

Few platinum watches are this functional. Even if you are in a room with people who all have an IWC Pilot watch, you can be pretty sure no one is going to have some like yours. "Steel? No this isn't steel. Platinum baby...." The monochromatic watch features a matching alligator aviator style strap (with rivets), and a pretty fantastically cool looking design. This is part of the power of being Tourneau, that you can get brands to do highly special edition pieces for you. If you can find one still available, price is $49,000 only at Tourneau.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: big pilot, BigPilot, IWC, platinum, Tourneau, watch

Tourneau Watch Sample Sale In Los Angeles

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

For the first time ever in Los Angeles, the Tourneau watch store is having a special sample sale from March 10th - 14th, 2010. This has been going on for a few years at the New York City store (which apparently has people lining up around the corner for the potential deals). Many of the famous brands that Tourneau carries will have models on sale from 50-70% off (this excludes at least Rolex & Patek Philippe). Available watches are "sample" pieces or pre-owned watches - meaning that they consist of the ones in the displays I believe. Most of the time they are in more or less perfect condition (just handled by people, and given a cleaning). As well as pre-owed watches that Tourneau is known for offering.

The sale can get pretty crowded, so it is best to be there on one of the first days. The Tourneau watch sample sale will, again, be held from 10:00am to 7:00pm on Wednesday March 10th through Sunday March 14th at the Los Angeles Tourneau store located in the Hotel Sofitel (8555 Beverly Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90048). Contact the store for additional details.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: 2010, Los Angeles, LosAngeles, March, sale, sample, Sofitel, store, tourneau

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Extreme W-Alarm Watch Exclusive For Tourneau

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Jaeger-LeCoultre and Tourneau together present the new Master Compressor Extreme W-Alarm watch that will be exclusively sold only at Tourneau watch stores. Tourneau is the largest watch retail chain in the world and carries an impressive number of brands at their many locations internationally. The watch is a unique combination of world timer and mechanical alarm. The watch comes in two limited editions. 20 pieces in 18k rose gold and titanium, and another 50 pieces in all titanium.

The watch case is 46.3mm wide, which is common for the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Extreme line. The time is easy to read on the main dial with the left portion of the dial being reserved for the alarm time, while on the right is a date window. In addition to cities, the world time indicator features a few natural landmarks such as the Galapagos Islands and Scandola. The crowns feature a special security lock while the watch itself is a shock absorption system for the movement. The watch is attached to a leather and fabric strap. Style of the watch is sporty and functional with a busy dial that is still legible enough. Look for the Master Compressor Extreme W-Alarm watch at select Tourneau watch stores soon.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Gallery: Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Extreme W-Alarm Watch

Tags: alarm, extreme, jaeger-lecoultre, limited edition, LimitedEdition, master compressor, MasterCompressor, tourneau, w-alarm, watch, world time, WorldTime

EXCLUSIVE PHOTO FEATURE: Essential Summer Style, Starring the Jaguar XK Convertible

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Gadgets, Timepieces / Watches, Luxury Cars & Autos, Wine, Cosmetics and Fragrance, Shoes, Books, Men's Style

Click above for high res image gallery and full credit info. Photographed by Adrianna Ault for Luxist.

Welcome to the first in a new series of exclusive photo features showcasing seasonal style essentials inspired by classic icons of elegance, sport and design, photographed with the most beautiful and coveted cars on the road. The emphasis is on luxury of course, but of the timeless variety as opposed to mere extravagance.

In our recent Classicist column on the 2010 Jaguar XK convertible coming out this August, we remarked on the sleek new cat's stylistic heritage dating back to 1948's XK120, as driven by the likes of Gary Cooper, Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable, as well as later models like the D-Type (or XK-SS) made famous by the great Steve McQueen. The first in our new series of exclusive shoots is inspired by them and stars the XK in homage to these stylish icons, both man and automotive (read all about the new XK here).

In particular, the influence of Gable (with his XK120 in 1954, top right) and McQueen (with his XK-SS, center right) can be seen in the summery style essentials we've assembled for this shoot. For the pastoral setting we drew on another classic Jaguar reference, an image of writer Truman Capote in a Jaguar XK-E, the model most closely aligned with the new XK, in the Hamptons in 1965 (bottom right).

In the spirit of summer we've chosen a classic combination of navy and white, popular as fashionable resort wear for a nearly a century and still going strong in the right circles. While navy blazers of the type shown here originated as part of English cricket club scenery and other elegant sporting occasions such as the Henley Royal Regatta, without gold buttons it needn't be unnecessarily nautical or costume-y.

The jacket shown here, in tropical weight wool with soft shoulders by the dashing Italian house of Etro, references its sporting antecedents with grosgrain tipping on the lapels, pockets and cuffs; however, since it is finished in the same color as the jacket the effect is a subtle one, while the slim cut updates the look with Italian flair. A cream linen camp shirt by Paul Stuart and white linen pants by Polo Ralph Lauren round out the rest of the ensemble.

As an alternative on cooler days or evenings - which we've certainly had plenty of this summer - we've also included a variation of the navy blazer by Brooks Brothers made of butter-soft goat suede with spiffy sporting details including a throat latch, stand-up collar, action back and pure Irish linen lining, which calls to mind the jacket worn by Gable above.

While a polka dot foulard silk scarf by the venerable British clothier Turnbull & Asser (shirtmaker to the Prince of Wales) provides not only another classic touch and added dose of sprezzatura, it also protects against the elements while piloting the XK with the top down at serious speeds. A hefty dose of McQueen meanwhile can be seen in the rakish cap, sunglasses and watch. For the feet and the road, a pair of pebble-sold leather driving moccasins by Tod's keep the haute Italian vibe going.

The checked linen driving cap - this model is made by Brooks Brothers - of the type favored by McQueen has no brim to collide with a car's headrest, and is infinitely more elegant than a baseball cap. Also on view: iconic Italian Persol sunglasses, in particular the model made famous by McQueen in The Thomas Crown Affair. Starring in this feature are a foldable version of McQueen's faves, as well as a couple of other killer Persol models; all are available at Ilori. Also included is a pair of shades by Paul Smith. The watch is a classic and vintage stainless steel Rolex GMT-Master II, available at Tourneau, of a similar design to the Rolex Submariner model favored by McQueen (and which recently fetched a record price at auction). Read on for details of the rest of the accessories after the jump.

Gallery: Essential Summer Style 7/09

Tags: Adrianna Ault, AdriannaAult, Brooks Brothers, BrooksBrothers, camera, Clark Gable, ClarkGable, classic cars, ClassicCars, convertible, Duke of Windsor, DukeOfWindsor, Etro, Floto Imports, FlotoImports, hats, Ilori, Jaguar, Leica, lighter, Paul Smith, Paul Stuart, PaulSmith, PaulStuart, Persol, photography, Polo, Prince of Wales, PrinceOfWales, prosecco, Ralph Lauren, RalphLauren, Rolex, S.T. Dupont, S.t.Dupont, scarf, Steve McQueen, SteveMcqueen, summer, summer style, SummerStyle, sunglasses, teNeues, Tods, Tourneau, Truman Capote, TrumanCapote, Turnbull Asser, TurnbullAsser, Via dei Mille, ViaDeiMille

Continue reading “EXCLUSIVE PHOTO FEATURE: Essential Summer Style, Starring the Jaguar XK Convertible”

Tourneau Luxury Watch Stores Lose CEO

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Tourneau is the largest chain of watch retailers in the world with their largest store in Las Vegas in the Caesar's Palace Forum Shops, and headquartered in New York City. Like all retail watch stores, Tourneau has been hit hard by the economic slump due to drastically decreased luxury watch demand. On the plus side, they finally started to sell (some) watches online via their website. Notable is the sale of Tag Heuer watches online. Whether or not related to rapidly changing business environment of watch sales that prior to 2000 (or so) was more or less the same for 100 years, Tourneau's CEO of 18 years Howard Levitt will step down at the end of 2009.

His term might end sooner, as he will stick around until the company finds a replacement which might come earlier than the end of the year. Tourneau really became a focal point of luxury watch brands having such a vast presence all over the world, and having so many different brands for sale (which differ by location). Levitt was of course instrumental in that fact. Not sure if he was also responsible for Tourneau's in-house brand of less expensive watches which sort of serve as a consolation item to people who step in to the store not able to afford most of the popular brand watches but still wanting something.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: ceo, howard levitt, HowardLevitt, store, timepieces, tourneau, watches

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