cricket

Vulcain 50s Presidents' Alarm Watch

Swiss watch maker Vulcain is (re) releasing a watch with a look from the 1950s called the "50s President's Watch." Fans of the brand understand the name, but it might not make a lot of sense to others. Starting in the 1950s with (I believe) President Eisenhower, each US President has a Vulcain watch. Since then Vulcain has gifted timepieces to each new US President. People enjoyed the watch because Vulcain uses their Cricket mechanical alarm watches - which arguably were loud enough to wake people up.

This new 50s President's Watch will be 42mm wide in steel or yellow or red gold. Unlike the ones from the 1950s, it will have an automatic, versus manually wound Cricket movement. New Vulcain watches are pretty nifty, so I am not sure who the target market for these retro models will be. Then again, everyone is releasing "old" watch designs again, so I am sure these 50s President's Watches will have their nice. Price is 8,370 Swiss Francs in steel and 22,680 Swiss Francs in 18k gold.

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

Tags: 50s, cricket, presidents, vulcain, watch

Barack Obama's Vulcain Cricket Anniversary Heart Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

I reported that Swiss watch maker Vulcain was going to present President Obama with a Vulcain watch, and here is finally what the specific watch looks like. We know that Barack Obama typically wears his Jorg Gray 6500 watch most of the time, but he does have other timepieces. Vulcain has been giving out watches to US Presidents since the 1950s and the latest timepiece they've sent to the oval office is quite stunning. President Obama received a stainless steel Vulcain Cricket Anniversary Heart watch. The watch is part of the classic Cricket watches named as such for their loud alarms. The mechanical Vulcain Cricket V-18 movement is one of the loudest (if not the loudest) mechanical watch alarms on the market. The alarm complication is easy to set via the upper crown on the right side of the watch using the central ring on the dial. The watch also features a beautiful partially skeletonized dial - now popular on many luxury timepieces. The case is 42mm wide and water resistant to 50 meters.

The sides of the watch case feature a larger coined edge, while the overall styling is classic with the modern touches being reserved for the dial. The watch is easy to read and a good mix between formal and sporty in style. I happened to actually think the style suits President Obama quite well. Funny enough the black and steel tones of this timepiece match those of his Jorg Gray 6500 watch - creating similar looks. Let's hope he wears the watch on nice occasions. The retail price of the stainless steel version of the Vulcain Anniversary Heart watch is about $6,500. It is unclear whether versions such as the pictured one with the message to Barack Obama will be available at all to the public, as it is likely a one-off version reserved for the President himself. The Vulcain Anniversary Heart watches come in various tones as well as in 18k gold.

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

Gallery: Vulcain Anniversary Heart watch for Obama

Tags: anniversary heat, AnniversaryHeat, barack obama, BarackObama, cricket, President, vulcain, watch

Bugs that Won't Bite: Handcarved Bamboo Insects

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

I'm not a bug enthusiast by any means, but there's something appealing about these bamboo insects. Maybe it's because they bring back memories from childhood (some good, some bad!), or it could just be that bugs are so inherently "creepy" and it's a rare occasion to get so close to one and see this kind of detail. Individually hand carved from "tiger print" bamboo they're each amazingly lifelike and detailed, and there's even a bamboo cage available if you're worried they might spark to life and fly away. Ranging in size from 2" (the cricket) to 7" (the praying mantis), there are 5 different designs available and prices range from $55-$65 each.

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Tags: bamboo, bug, bugs, cage, carved, cricket, crickets, handcarved, insect, insects, mantis, nature, praying mantis, PrayingMantis, toy, toys