The results of this study details the perception of wealthy buyers towards luxury watches. An LBSI survey asked individuals with $2 million or more money in investable assets about various brands and IWC was rated "best of the best" out of 33 competing luxury watch brands. IWC earned tops scores for luxury, value, as well as being recommended to others as a good luxury watch brand. IWC, part of the Richemont Group is one of many luxury brands under the company's umbrella. Two and three on the list of best brands were Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin.

It is important to understand that the results of the survey does not mean that IWC is the best luxury brand, but merely that it is perceived as such by the population surveyed. This is thanks to effective marketing and brand positioning, as well as the user experience owners have had with IWC watches. Buyers of luxury watches expect their watches not only to look nice, but be reliable and free from defects. This means that overall IWC owners were happy, likely repeat customers - more so than those of comparable brands. Other key factors that surveyed consumers indicated about IWC was they they appreciate the classic yet unique looks of IWC watches, as well as the rareness of the brands overall character. This either speaks to the difficulty in finding a brand with this blend of traits, or that IWC watches are in fact difficult to find.

Luxury watch brands each have their fare share of positive and negative qualities - but IWC has apparently succeeded in winning the most amount of hearts for its target demographic. They are in fact excellent timepieces, and now I know that I am not the only one that feels this way. The pictured watch is the IWC Grand Complication perpetual calendar watch in 18k rose gold.

Via National Jeweler.

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

Shortly before Baselworld, I reported on how the German watch magazine Armbanduhren voted the A. Lange & Sohne Cabaret Tourbillon as the best watch of the year. As part of that same contest, other categories of "best watch" included the "best women's watch of 2009." That prize went to Jaeger LeCoultre for its new Reverso Squadra Lady Duetto watch. The Squadra line of watches is for men and women, with the timepieces for both genders being elegant and sporty - as well as true to the Reverso watch line tradition.

The watch is really two-in-one as the case flips around to reveal two watch faces. Both tell the time, but are decorated differently, and one side has a date complication, while the other side has a day/night indicator complication. Two versions of the watch are available in stainless steel or 18k rose gold. Both versions feature guilloche engraving on the dials and strong baton hands. Two different diamond settings are available; 36 diamonds on the steel version and 75 on the rose gold version. The inset diamond cabochon in the crown is a nice touch as well. The strap seen in the images is an articulated rubber strap that should be interesting to wear. An alligator strap, or metal bracelet are also available.

As seems to be the case with recent "best watch" awards - utility and beauty are equally valued when such decisions are made. A clear message to watch makers that people are interested in having a fully functional and comfortable watch when deciding on a luxury timepiece investment.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Because watches have their roots in practicality, one can almost not go too far over the top when choosing the ultimate watch to express their individual style. This year at Luxist, we featured watches with all manner of unusual eccentricities and legacies, including watches that only tell if it's day or night, watches inspired by the Beijing Olympics, and watches containing rare gems, woods, and actual meteorite.

Featured above is the watch with the meteorite: The Van Cleef & Arpels Midnight in Paris Watch, which shows a representation of the stars visible from Paris on a typical night set in a lovely rose gold.

As watches become less important for telling time (because it's on your cell phone), we believe it is only natural that they will become more and more beautiful.

Fairtrade wines are becoming more and more popular, which means they're getting better and better. There are 30 Fairtrade certified wineries worldwide in South Africa, Argentina, and Chile, with the majority of their product shipping to the UK. Fairtrade wines have had a rough start as far as quality is concerned, but in recent years have been making leaps and bounds to gain a better reputation. Whether you're looking to try Fairtrade wines for the first time or are a seasoned connoisseur there are all kinds of good options out there.

So we all know models make a lot of money, but do you know just how much? And if you had to guess which one was making the most money right now who would you pick? I just love the lists Forbes comes up with, and here's another great one of the world's top earning models. Its list has a total of 15 of the wealthiest models, and I've included the top 10 here:

• Gisele Bundchen: $33 million
• Kate Moss: $9 million
• Heidi Klum: $8 million
• Adriana Lima: $6 million
• Allessandra Ambrosio: $6 million
• Carolyn Murphy: $5 million
• Natalia Vodianova: $4.5 million
• Karolina Kurkova: $3.5 million
• Daria Werbowy: $3.5 million
• Gemma Ward: $3 million

How many of them do you recognize? And wow, Gisele is way ahead of the competition!

In a recent survey by J.D. Power and Associates it seems that of all car buyers, those who choose luxury brands like their cars best and are the most satisfied. The survey included owners of 35 different car brands within the first 90 days after purchase, and the top 11 spots all went to luxury brands. Porsche claimed the #1 spot, with BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, and Lexus rounding out the top 5 in that order.

Jeep came out in last place (35th), with Subaru in second to last place (34th). The most satisfying non-luxury vehicle? The Toyota Scion, coming in 12th.

Do you think premium car owners are more satisfied because their cars are of better quality? Or because they just have the money and resources to buy exactly what they want?

Using decor and service, as well as food quality and taste, the Zagat guide has compiled a list of the 100 best restaurants found in hotels across the United States. Most of these hotels use their restaurant not as money making ventures, but as a way of enhancing the reputation of the hotel, giving it an added layer of luxury by offering some of the finest dining in their city. Looking at the whole list, twenty of the top restaurants are in California and thirteen are in Massachusetts, followed by Nevada , Texas and Florida, with eleven, eight and six, respectively. The Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas actually has four restaurants on the list. Most of these fine dining experiences come with a high price tags, but the outstanding service, ambiance and, of course, the food, are well worth it. The full list is available here, but these are the top ten:

1. The French Room at The Adolphus Hotel, Dallas, TX
2. Fountain Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel, Philadelphia, PA
3. Dining Room at the Little Palm Island Resort, Little Torch Key, FL
4. Inn at Little Washington at The Inn at Little Washington, Washington, VA
5. Maestro at the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner, McLean, VA
6. Hampton's at the Harbor Court Hotel, Baltimore, MD
7. Aujourd'hui at the Four Seasons Hotel, Boston, MA
8. La Mer at the Halekulani Hotel, Honolulu, HI
9. Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead , Atlanta, GA
10. Picasso at the Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, NV

The fragrance industry just hosted their 34th annual FiFi Awards, the industry's biggest event. The FiFis recognize the best scents, best packaging and best ad campaigns in the industry. Top honors for women's and men's luxe fragrances went to euphoria by Calvin Klein and Armani Code by Giorgio Armani, respectively. The other 2006 winners included:

• Best Women’s Direct Sell : So in Love by Victoria’s Secret Beauty
• Best Men’s Direct Sell: Today. Tomorrow. Always for Men by Avon
• Best Women’s Popular Appeal: Spirit by Antonio Banderas for Women
• Best Men’s Popular Appeal: Stetson Black
• Best Packaging Women's and Men's: Armani Privé by Giorgio Armani
• Best Televised National Advertising Campaign: Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker

The Senior Corporate Vice President of Estée Lauder, Evelyn H. Lauder, was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award for bringing "extraordinary ingenuity, dedication and inner resources [to her company and] to the fragrance industry as a whole."