Think of the holidays and of all the images that come to mind I bet none of them are the famous hippie symbol of Peace, but this holiday season Barneys is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the peace sign with an exclusive collection of Nixon watches all featuring a Happy Hippie theme. Designs include watch bands made of hand-stitched hemp, hand-stamped leather, and even one limited-edition version designed by Gabriel Urist that has a band of sterling silver with coral and turquoise inlays. The watches are available only at Barneys CO-OP stores (click here to find one near you) and prices range between $500 and $8000.
Designed by Vivianna Torun for Georg Jensen these bangle watches are sleek, elegant, and classic. Intended to "free people from the slavery of time," Vivianna Torun made these watches extremely simple -- featuring a plain face with no numbers and simple hands. In addition the open bangle design symbolizes that "time should not bind us" while the mirrored face serves as a reminder that "life is now."
Very dramatic sentiment but it works in this case as the watches themselves are certainly dramatic. Available in gold, silver, and black stainless steel, the simplest designs sell for $2,200 while the limited edition version (that includes 173ct of pavé diamonds) is priced at $28,500.
You've probably heard of Curtis & Co. watches. They've been seen on everyone from 50 Cent to Paris Hilton, to Stuart Scott on ESPN. They list famous wearers here, on their "Awristocrats" page.
Their collections all start with the words "Big Time," and include Air (in blue with black casing at right), Ice, Hers, and Limited Edition pieces like a gorgeous rectangular watch celebrating the new golden age of Dubai.
Are these watches "Big Time?" Yes. Each watch has a beautifully crafted face, multiple first-rate functions, and there is an extensive selection of straps in different colors and textures. Curtis & Co. makes exquisite and stylish watches for gifts or to be seen wearing.
A piece of a 2000 year-old lunar meteorite is part of the mechanism inside the one-of-a-kind Louis Moinet Magistralis watch. The 18K gold watch has a movement that includes complications such as the minute repeater, perpetual calendar and mono-pusher chronograph. A striking mechanism hammers out the hours, quarter-hours and minutes. The movement was created 100 years ago and beats at 18,000 vibrations per hour. Even the case is complex involving 90 pieces that include a pressure-controlled striking mechanism lever. The presentation box includes an original of Louis Moinet Traite d'Horlogerie, the second edition, dated 1856, a book on watchmaking techniques with illustrations of watch movements hand-drawn by Louis Moinet. The watch costs one million Swiss Francs (around $862,000).
For the last few years, watchmakers have been on a record pace, cranking out new complications and editions as fast as they could to catch the eyes of the watch-hungry public. Now one of them, Swiss watchmaker F.P.Journe is taking a breather. The company has announced they will not be holding their annual salon in its Manufacture in Geneva in 2009 as the company has decided not to launch any new watch creation. The company launched new watches in their elegant Souveraine line in 2007 and 2008 and François-Paul Journe has said he wishes to "concentrate his forces" on these watches. It's not known if this decision is related to the general downturn in luxury spending.
Fine watches and exotic cars are a natural combination, both have a tendency to make the heart beat a little faster. DuPont Registry has combined the two with the duPont REGISTRY™ A Buyers Gallery of Fine Watches, which features 44 pages of more than $1,500,000 of watches back dropped by exotic vehicles. The photos include lots of what Publisher Thomas L. duPont calls "Mega Watches" those that measure 44-47mm for men and 37-40mm for women. While I've had some interesting conversations with a friend lately about the inflation of watch size, there is no denying that big watches allow room for lots of complications and large movements. They also command attention.
I'm generally not a fan of the IceLInk 6Timezone Snow (which sells for $290,000) shown above but I must admit it takes on a new charm draped across a red taillight. Two more pictures from the guide are in the gallery below.
Antiquorum auctioned off Albert Einstein's 1930 Longines wristwatch yesterday. The house estimated the watch would fetch up to $35,000. They got $520,000. (With fees, the total came to $596,000.) That's over 2000% higher than the estimated price, and a record for any Longines at auction.
The watch is inscribed to "Prof. Albert Einstein," and is also marked with the date on which it was presented to him, February 16, 1931.
Recent reports revealed the sad news that legendary golfer Seve Ballesteros is suffering from a brain tumor. The news comes just around the time that a new watch that is a collaboration between Ballesteros and Jaermann & Stübi is set to come out. The watch case is forged from the golf clubs used by Seve Ballesteros to win the Chunichi Crowns Open in 1991. The one to nine irons he used on that occasion together with the Pitching Wedge and the Sand Wedge have been transformed into 50 watch cases for the "Seve Ballesteros" limited series. The "Seve Ballesteros" has an automatic movement and like the other Jaermann & Stübi golf watches, it has a mechanical golf counter complication to count the strokes per hole. The watch face and bezel are in Seve's favorite color, dark blue and the each watch is numbered with the golf club used for each case engraved on the back. The "Seve Ballesteros" model sells for 21,500 Swiss francs (around $19,000 US). A beautiful watch for one of golf's greats.
Looks like Charlize Theron will be heading to court against watchmaker Raymond Weil. The case, which we first reported on last year, has gone before a New York judge who ruled that the case has enough weight to proceed to a jury trial. Raymond Weil is suing for $20 million in damages saying that Theron violated her endorsement contract, which dictated that she only wear Weil watches, by wearing a Dior watch at a public appearance. She of course has also been the face of Dior's fragrance, J'Adore. Damages will be decided at trial but it seems likely that the opposing sides will settle before then. Charlize Theron has already gone on to a new watch, jewelry and accessories contract with Breil Milano.
Harrison Ford, a long time board member of Conservation International has partnered with Hamilton watches to create the Khaki Conservation watch. A portion of the proceeds from the sales of the watch (4,000 units to be offered from mid-November to the end of December) will go to support Conservation International.
The Khaki Conservation is a 42mm stainless steel watch in Hamilton's Khaki series and has a Swiss automatic GMT movement which can be seen through its see-through case back. The watch's second time zone highlights locations of CI projects, from Colombia to Indonesia.The signature of Harrison Ford and the Conservation International logo are engraved on the caseback window. And no fancy watch box here, it comes in corrugated recycled cardboard packaging. The watch sells for $1,195.
Former Antiquorum chairman Osvaldo Patrizzi has struck out on his own with a new auction house specializing in vintage watches. His first sale has been announced for November 18 at the Hotel Richemond in Geneva. He's starting out with some impressive pieces, the top one being the Breguet No. 2807 shown above. It is an 18-karat gold and enamel astronomical, equation-of-time pocket watch. The watch is one of an edition of three created by Breguet and is the earliest of the three and the only one known to still be in its original condition. Sold to General Yermoloff in 1817, it is expected to sell between $1,400,000 and $1,850,000. Also on the block will be several other rare Breguets, a Vacheron Constantin extra flat minute repeater and a Patek Philippe Ref. 1518.
One thing I've learned after spending time with serious watch collectors is that their obsession is only limited by their wallets or what their spouses might let them get away with. For serious Piaget aficionados there is the Piaget Collector's Trunk created by luxury trunk maker Pinel & Pinel. It is made of poplar wood covered with cowhide with palladium-electroplated brass with mirror-polished finish. It holds 51 watches and there is a movement integrated into the center window to wind automatic watches. It comes with a travel case that holds three watches. "Essential collector's tools" and a remote control to switch the lights inside on and off are also included. It is available in 20 different colors of leather for both the inside and the outside and can be personalized with an engraved plate. Custom trunks take three months to create.
Derek Jeter's collaboration with Movado has resulted in four new watches sporting Yankees-style pinstripe design. The fanciest model in the Special Edition Series 800 Chronograph Watches is the Limited Edition Movado Series 800 Derek Jeter Chronograph in 18K rose gold. It is a series of 10 pieces and has a 47mm case with sapphire crystals on both sides and an alligator strap. Jeter's name and team number decorate the edge of the caseback, and the 18K central winding mass has his number on it. It sells for $25,000.
There is also a version in black PVD-finished "Performance Steel" and 18K rose gold with a black strap in kevlar-reinforced "XtremeResin". It retails for $7,700. Two Special Edition Series 800 Derek Jeter Chronographs in Performance Steel have a matching steel bracelet, blue or black stripe-textured dials with silvered subdials, and battery-powered ETA quartz chronograph calibers. They sell for $1,700.
Movado will donate $100,000 to Jeter's Turn 2 Foundation, which works with kids to inspire them to avoid drugs and alcohol and "turn 2" education and a healthy lifestyle.
Movado has also done a similar series with Tom Brady and though I will always be a Boston girl (and a Boston sports fan) at heart, I have to admit Jeter's watches are more stylish.
Baume & Mercier has introduced three new beautiful William Baume watches in rose gold cases and gentlemanly gray guilloche dials with alligator straps. Each watch has a sapphire crystal and is water resistant to 30 meters.
The William Baume Tourbillon has a 43mm case and uses the manual-wind WB-T002 movement with Tourbillon complication at the 9 o'clock position. It is a limited edition of 10 pieces.
The William Baume Retrograde has a 41mm case and the movement is an automatic caliber LP3533 with big date and retrograde seconds complications. It is a limited edition of 178.
The William Baume Ultraflat measures 41mm x 5.8mm and the manual-wind movement, caliber T001 is just 2mm in height.
Actor Edward Norton is joining Charlize Theron as a face for Breil Milano. Norton will appear in the Breil Milano men's ad campaigns until 2010. WWD reports that he was photographed in Los Angeles by Jean-Baptiste Mondino, who also did Charlize's most recent Breil Milano ads. The ads will debut next month.
You've probably heard of Curtis & Co. watches. They've been seen on everyone from 50 Cent to Paris Hilton, to Stuart Scott on ESPN. They list famous wearers 
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