Grammy Award winning rapper, "Lil' Wayne" celebrated his 27th birthday with friends, receiving a Chopard diamond encrusted watch worth a reported $1 million.

The Chopard watch was a birthday gift from friend, Brian "Birdman" Williams, who is chief executive of Cash Money Records, the record label that includes Lil Wayne as one of its featured artists, according to Scott Yeti, editor of WoooHa.com, which covers hip-hop & urban music news.

The watch was a special order from Chopard, says photographer Derick G, who was at the party. "Lil Wayne loved it," he adds. More photos and a video of the party can be seen at the photographer's blog.

Lil Wayne, whose birth name is Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr., grew up in the Hollygrove neighborhood of New Orleans. He was discovered as a teenager by Williams. In the span of his 13-year career, Lil Wayne has sold more than six million units, including "Tha Carter II (2005) which sold over 2.5 million units.

Cash Money Records is a hip hop record label founded in 1991by Williams and his brother Ronald "Slim" Williams. The upstart label has become a creative force within the independent marketplace. Other artists on its roster include the Hot Boys and producer Manny Fresh.

Cash Money Records is affiliated with Universal Records, a division of Universal Music Group, which encompasses MCA Records, MCA Records Nashville, GRP Recording Company, Geffen Records, Interscope Records, Hip-O Records, Universal Music International, MCA Music Publishing and Universal Concerts.

Judging by the whimsically cute nature of these watches, you might not think them to be serious luxury timepieces. Alas, the Piccolina collection for women from de Grisogono is a fanciful lighthearted collection for the woman who knows how to have a good time. Arriving in a large variety of colors (each a shaded blend of 18k gold) the shapely collection will never claim to suffer from diamond deprivation (or any other gem for that matter).

Seen covered with 578 precious gems (diamonds, emeralds, rubies, or pink sapphires, etc..) the collection is also available with a more sparse jewel gilding, though still with the colored gold case and half bangle bracelet. You'll then find another 38 stones placed on the square bezel measuring 25mm x 30mm in size, and another 20 diamonds on the watch face. Total stone makeup is about 4.24 carats of jewels on each individual watch. Hands and numerals are also done in 18k gold. The movement is quartz, but that isn't likely to reduce the price of this timepiece too much. The watches are as much playful jewelry as they are a serious time-telling tool.


Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

The luxury watch world loves a difference of opinion. Recently, the Prix Officiel de la Revue des Montres 2008 in Paris announced that the Girard Perregaux ww.tc. 24 Hour Shopping was the most beautiful women's watch of 2008. Around the same time, the Salon Internacional Alta Relojeria in Mexico awarded this Roger Dubuis King Square Ladies' Tourbillon as ladies' watch of the year. Two opinions in what is essentially the same category. Interestingly enough, the two watches have a lot in common. Both have mostly white tones with alligator straps and light dials; both have diamond decorated bezels and faces; and both feature easy to read dials.

In contrast to the more gentle and whimsical nature of the Girard Perregaux watch, the Roger Dubuis King Ladies' Tourbillon displays a stronger more architectural approach. It is a bold beauty with dramatic use of strong lines, as well as a shapely wrist adornment with its rounded square shapes and industrially themed Roman numeral markers. The flying tourbillon framed by a hat of diamonds never felt more at home - housed in a watch gilded with 482 diamonds and 13 rubies. This watch is statuesque in the same way that a woman can be handsome. It's not trying to be a delicate little thing, but it is inextricably feminine, and for that I appreciate the Salon Internacional Alta Relojeria's decision to award it year's best ladies watch.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Not to be outdone by those 'other' ultra expensive gem rich timepieces, watch maker Girard Perregaux creates what is possibly it's most expensive watch yet - and it's for the ladies. The popular Cat's Eye line serves as the base for the Girard Perregaux Cat's Eye Haute Joaillerie fully diamond encrusted watch.

For those who haven't made the connection (or know French) "joaillerie" means "jewelry." This watch is as much decoration as it is a fine timepiece with a Girard Perregaux automatic GP033R0 mechanical movement inside; visible through the sapphire crystal covered caseback window. The 35.25mm x 30.25mm case itself is18k white gold, with an interesting close-link bracelet (can you wear the extra links as jewelry too after sizing the watch?). I really like how the crown, with its star shape engraving, is set into the case itself, only protruding when you set the watch. Aside from the small seconds dial (part of the crescent moon), the face features a power reserve indicator that makes up the comet trail for the star in between the 3 and 4 o'clock position.

Now on to the diamonds. Girard Perregaux claims that each watch undergoes over 1,200 hours of labor to cut and set each of the hundreds of diamonds on the watch. The case, face, and bracelet themselves feature 394 baguette diamonds (52 carats!), while another 145 diamonds are set into the gold rotor which serves to wind the movement. The decoration, polish, and build quality in this watch is immaculate, and it is nice to see Girard Perregaux pay attention to the jewelery and watch dimensions in the Cat's Eye Haute Joaillerie equally.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

People often miss the point of watches like this when they comment, "it's not worth that price!" No, it's probably not worth the retail cost (which is certainly $100,000 plus), but you aren't paying only for the value of the materials, you are paying for image and exclusivity. The Corum Admiral's Cup Tourbillon 48 is a status symbol on your wrist, and the cost of ownership will keep the watch out of most people's hands.

Corum's Admiral's Cup line has recently evolved into a show-off watch. Progressively getting larger, the watch that began as a celebration of a yacht race now seeks to be a timepiece 'measure of a man.' This 48mm wide version covered with diamonds has shed the characteristic flag hour indexes and replaced them with black diamonds (48 black diamonds make up the hour markers). The rest of the 18k red gold case is covered with 1,389 diamonds of various cuts for a total of 10.5 carats. The watch is no longer much of a submersible with a water resistance of only 30 meters. Overall look of the Admiral's Cup Tourbillon is extremely decadent.

Powering the watch is a manually wound Corum caliber 372 with a tourbillon complication. Interestingly enough, the power reserve is about 90 hours, which leads me to believe that the movement has at least two barrels. While tough to notice, the tourbillon cage is shaped like the iconic Admiral's Cup key logo that is typically present on the end of the seconds hand on the non-diamond version of the watch. The dial isn't the easiest to read, but no one who acquires a Corum Admiral's Cup Tourbillon 48 is doing so for practical time-keeping purposes.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Piano company Steinway & Sons is now in the watch business. Their unique Steinway & Sons Watches are designed to honor the company's musical heritage as well watchmaking and should be a hit with music lovers. Pianist and watchmaker Fabrizio Cavalca is behind the watches which are inspired by the look of a grand piano. The dial has 12 hand-fitted strings on a gold soundboard and ebonized hands with a satin finish. The second hand is in the form of a tuning fork. The mens' watch uses a Swiss automatic movement, a customized ETA 2000 with an ebonized rotor and bridge. The dial and the crown of the watch bear the Steinway logo and the strap is alligator.

The line includes a men's gold watch that comes in 18K white, yellow or red gold in a limited edition of 1853 pieces per model (Steinway was founded in 1853). The ladies version has a quartz movement and is set with 140 diamonds on the soundboard.

[via Time Zone]

The Cartier Ballon Bleu gets its name from the sapphire cabochon crown which is incorporated into its rounded case. The rounded watch is available in 19 versions in three sizes 42, 36.5, and 28.5 mm and in 18K white, pink or yellow gold and stainless steel with 18K yellow gold. The movement is the automatic Cartier caliber 049, it has sapphire crystals and the dial features a subtle "C" motif. The ladies models are available with diamonds on the bezel and dial. The prices range from $4,950 to $46,000. Or for the ultimate in bling you can opt for the special limited edition all diamond version which sells for a cool $950,000.

[via Time Zone]

The Technograph Pave collection of watches from Paul Picot is exactly what it sounds like a watch that combines technological expertise with the glittering appeal of pave set diamonds. The watch uses the self-winding chronograph 7750 Valjoux movement. The display is a set of superimposed dials with the hours and minutes in the center and a small seconds and chronometer minute counter flanking it. The 44mm stainless steel case and dial are set with 797 black and white diamonds and the buckle is set with 57 diamonds.

[via WatchLuxus]

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Is this a gorgeous summer watch or what? Piaget has launched a new summer line of watches in their Miss Protocole collection. The four watches feature grand feu enameling and images of the sea including starfish, coral and seashells highlighted by diamonds. The watches are done in 18 carat yellow and white gold and use the Piaget Calibre 57 quartz movement 57P. The watches all come on a satin strap that can be easily changed. Sure, the time is a little hard to read on this one but know one would buy this just to tell time.

[via WatchLuxus]

Here in Los Angeles, I get to see lots of people with spinning rims on the wheels of their cars. If you love the look of spinning rims you can get the same effect for your wrist. The Icetek Spinner watch has a center disc that moves with motion causing the white diamonds on the spinners, crown, case and bezel to attract all sorts of attention. The watch is available with a black lacquer or white mother-of-pearl dial and comes with both a rubber tire strap and a leather strap. It has 4.5 carats worth of diamonds and sells for $5,000.