elite

There seems to be a strange nomenclature shift in 2011 to brands preferring to call GMT watches "Dual Time" watches. Why? Really not sure, they are functionally the same. New this year will be a new Zenith Captain collection watch called the Dual Time. It has a new in-house made "Elite" collection calibre movement called the 682, and it is an automatic. The movement is under 4mm thick and has the time (with subsidiary seconds dial), date, and GMT hand. The GMT hand is given a quick adjust pusher at 10 o'clock.

Of course the watch has a retro look to it. The case is in steel and 40mm wide with either a black or silvered dial with machine guilloche engraved decor on them, along with applied hour markers to match the properly sized dauphine hands. The Captain Dual Time is a very functional watch that is also handsome. It is however oddly positioned as it is not quite sexy enough to be a formal watch, but not aggressive looking enough to be a sport watch - nevertheless, I am sure enough people will like it.

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

Lotus is about to embark on a new direction,and this is the model which will spearhead it. Aptly called the Elite, this is a new kind of Lotus, and will debut at the upcoming Paris Auto Salon next week.

Unlike the brilliant, but cramped, mid-engined vehicles currently in the Lotus stable, the Elite is a commodious 2+2, its engine mounted up front, yet close to the vehicle's center, with a retractable hard-top. The 5-liter V8 comes from the Lexus IS F, providing enough power (611 horses, to be precise) to propel the Elite to 62 mph from a standstill in 3.6 seconds and on to a top speed approaching 200 mph.

Although this model – set to debut next week in Paris – is technically a concept, a production version is expected to arrive on market by 2014 with a £115,000 ($180k) price tag.

Ahoy captain! Why I needed to begin with that cheesy, cliche phrase I do not know.. but Zenith calls the watch the "Elite Captain," which sounds just as cheesy. The "Elite" part of the name comes from the collection - which is a mid range of models from the 'reinvented' luxury brand. I believe that most Elite watches have in-house made Zenith movements. At least the Elite Captain does. Zenith has been offering watches with in-house made calibers at prices that are comparatively very reasonable - starting in the $5k - $6k range I believe. Not sure about the price of the Elite Captain, but with its relatively simple three-hand date automatic Caliber Elite 670 movement, it shouldn't be too much.

In steel or gold, the Elite captain comes in a few versions. Each in a 40mm wide case with various dial colors. The model here with its swanky looking metal bracelet and sharp dial is my favorite. It is a very handsome watch in a classic sense, quite the direction that Zenith is trying to take. Enough watches like this and they just may succeed. Looking at it again, it is starting to feel like a solid alternative to a basic Rolex Oyster Perpetual watch. What do you think? Look for the new Elite Captain watch soon.

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

Have you ever noticed that a lot of vintage watches look alike. There are like two decades in the 20th century where 90% of the watch looked the same. Just different brands and minor differences. The last decade proved that each watch brand could be unique with lots of interesting and distinctive designs. Sadly, with a new push toward "traditional" styles comes that traditional problem of boring look-alike watches. Not that such designs are inherently boring, but that enough brands have them, so the overall theme makes you want to yawn.

Zenith has had a couple of tough years, and there was a lot of promise with their new CEO Jean-Frederic Dufour. We knew that Zenith was going "back to its roots," but why does it have to be like this? One of their "exciting" new releases is the Elite 681 Ultra-Thin watch. It looks almost identical to other watch brand's retro-esque ultra thin watches. Sure, the 40mm wide gold watch that is about 3.8mm thick and has an automatic movement is decent looking, but just decent looking. Feels like your typical "grandpa watch special" and too much like other brands who are releasing doppelganger watches, and do the style better. So Zenith, you are telling me that your new identity is to be like Vacheron Constantin? Nice watch, yawn-worthy design. Another squatter on the already too full retro bandwagon. I was just sort of expecting more from them. We will see what else Zenith has in store for us soon.

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

When Aston Martin turned its entry-level V8 Vantage into the top-of-the-line V12 Vantage, they went the decidedly understated route with the car's styling: a few extra air vents here, some more aggressive spoilers there.... And good thing, too, because the Vantage is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cars on the market. But some may be looking for something with a bit more visual attitude. So along comes Elite with the LMV/R. Starting with the base Vantage, the LMV/R adds a serious dose of testosterone with its widebody carbon-fiber panels. Only 30 examples will be made, with a handsome sticker price of $173,000...plus the cost of a stock Vantage.

Do you love your job? Do you sometimes wish you were in a position that was a little more glamorous or sexy? We all have our daydreams, so in yours what makes a job glamorous? Probably things like money, along with traveling to exotic and luxurious locations, meeting celebrities, and getting invited to exclusive upscale parties. And then there are some job titles, like "brain surgeon" and "rocket scientist", that get a certain level of respect and esteem even though the daily working conditions aren't necessarily that glam.

Salary.com recently surveyed over 800 people and came up with the top 5 most glamorous jobs (check it out below). ...Surprised at all by what made the list?

Epic Aircraft's entry into the very light jet market is the twin-engine Elite. The Elite made its first flight earlier this month. The carbon-fiber Elite uses two Williams Jet FJ-33-4 engines and can cruise at 412 KTAS and travel more than 1600 nautical miles with a payload of nearly 1700 lbs. The cabin has leather seats with lavatory and mulitmedia options available. The Elite will be available as a six-seat experimental category jet in 2007. The six-to-eight-place certified version of the jet is scheduled for 2009. The Epic Elite will make its official debut July 23 during AirVenture in Oshkosh.

[via General Aviation News]

The Web Time Series Elite Watch is, in my opinion, probably more of a conversation piece than a convenient way to tell the time -- which you do by looking where the colored lines intersect with the numbered lines (the hour on the top, the minutes on the bottom). Available in Aqua (blue resin) or Satsuma (orange resin) it boasts Super 2035 inner workings, a 4 year battery, and a hidden butterfly clasp on the strap. I won't deny it looks awesome, though I think the frustration of using it may increase your risk for migraines (so use it at your own risk!). ¥16,800, $169.

Via TechEBlog