palladium

Vacheron Constantin Malte Tourbillon Palladium Watch

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Auctions

You've probably never seen one of these before. This watch came out a few years (2008) ago under the radar in the United States (only) with just 10 pieces in the limited edition. It originally sold for well over $100,000 and was mostly unknown to people outside of the dedicated Vacheron Constantin fan groups online and a few retailers (and their clients). Such tactics are smart when trying to appease collectors looking for exclusive pieces, and promoting future collectability. As such, one of these 10 pieces is going to be up for auction during Antiquorum's Sept. 15th auction in New York City. Yield for this Malte Tourbillon is very conservative with an estimated price of just $60,000 - $90,000.

The piece itself is beautiful. Set in a Malte style case, it is made from palladium (very rare as a watch case material), and features a totally skeletonized dial that has a great looking "black platinum" finish. Such finishes assist with contrast, allowing you to identify elements on the dial much better, and further appreciating the craftsmanship (and being able to see the hands most easily). The movement features a massive tourbillon cage with a bridge that looks like Vacheron Constantin's logo. There is a dedicated scale for the time (which is nice on a skeletonized dial), and the movement has a date disc, and power reserve indicator. Decoration is a mixture of modern and classic aesthetic, with a masculine twist. To see more images of it check out this post here on Vacheron Constantin's official forum.

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

Tags: auction, malte, palladium, tourbillon, Vahceron Constantin, watch

Girard Perregaux 1966 Full Calendar Palladium Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

SIHH 2010 had a unique offering of new watches from Girard Perregaux. Very much on the "retro revival" trend, the big news for them were watches their 1966 collections. Here is one of my favorites, the very easy on the eyes Girard Perregaux 1966 Full Calendar Palladium limited edition watch. A pure classic in all ways, the watch is made from the very rare and hard to work with metal palladium, that is related to platinum. Unlike gold for instance, palladium does not require rhodium plating, and is also tarnish resistant. The 1966 Full Calendar will only have 199 pieces available.

Inside the watch is the in-house made Girard Perregaux GP033M0 automatic movement that provides the triple calendar information as well as the time and moon phase indication. The movement is viewable through the rear of the watch where you can see the gold automatic rotor. At 40mm wide, the case is also very thin. It wears so comfortably with the thin yet supple alligator strap. The dial has a soft brushed finish to it and is in gray. At first I though the watch complications where a bit bunched up in the middle of the dial, but I quickly realized that this layout assists with giving the dial a more minimalist feeling and enhancing legibility. Otherwise the watch would have felt smaller in size to the eyes. The dial itself is slightly domed around the edges and the markers and hands are all in style with the "1966" look of the collection. With its classy looks, comfortable size, useful function, and appealing Swiss pedigree, the Girard Perregaux 1966 Full Calendar Palladium watch is a sleeper hit of 2010 for the brand. Price will be $19,800.

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

Gallery: Girard Perregaux 1966 Full Calendar Palladium Watch

Tags: 1966, 2010, full calendar, FullCalendar, Girard Perregaux, GirardPerregaux, limited edition, LimitedEdition, palladium, sihh, watch

Cell Phone Straps by Bulgari

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

This is something I need! A cell phone strap. I know they sell them all over, but I never seem to see one when I'm thinking of it and inevitably my poor phone keeps hitting the pavement, the sidewalk, the tile, whatever! How many lives does a cell phone have, anyway? My little guy is well into the double digits, easy.

So anyway, Bulgari has come out with their own luxurious version of the cell phone strap, made of soft calf leather and palladium -- and a handy feature where the strap part disconnects leaving a cute cube pendant behind for easy reattachment (very handy). They also have other designs available on the website (I found them under "gifts") that come in other colors, along with some darling phone pendants as well.

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Tags: bulgari, bvlgari, calf leather, CalfLeather, cell, cell phone, cell phone strap, CellPhone, CellPhoneStrap, leather, palladium, phone

Hermes Stagecoach Bracelet

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

Maybe it is because bangles are big this season, or maybe it is the horses, but this Stagecoach Bracelet from Hermes is a beautiful piece of jewelry. The enamel bracelet is silver and palladium plated, and comes in multiple colors - white, red and light blue - and in both narrow and wide bands. The narrow band ($395) looks a bit more elegant, but the wide band ($440, pictured) has the benefit of allowing you to see the design a bit more clearly, which somehow makes it look more funky and casual.

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Tags: bracelet, hermes, horse, horses, palladium, silver, stagecoach

Earthwise Jewelry

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

The New York Times pointed out that the negative environmental impact that gold mining can have has prompted jewelry companies to join Leber Jeweler, Inc. in a campaign called "No Dirty Gold," which hopes to push the industry towards responsible mining practices. Leber has a commitment to quality that has lasted over the past 85 years. They sell a line of Earthwise Jewelry that is not only beautiful, but socially conscious. The gold and platinum settings for the jewels are actually made from recycled metals and their gems come from sources that guarantee fair-labor policies. Their 18-carat white gold used in the collection is alloyed with palladium, rather than nickel, to avoid potential allergic reactions in their clientele; they are as conscientious about their customers as the environment. The 18-karat white gold Twisty Sapphire ring, pictured here, is a stunning solitaire that carries a message as well as a sparkle. Price $800.

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Tags: earth wise, earthwise, environment, ethical, fair labor, gem, gems, gold, jewelery, leber, palladium, platinum, ring, rings, sapphire, twisty ring