The modern version of Cuervo Y Sobrinos was started in the late 1990s, but is based on a Cuban watch brand that started, and was popular, in the pre-communism days of Cuba. In the late 1950s when Cuba's government changed and Fidel Castro entered power, the original Cuervo Y Sobrinos watch brand was no longer. With the name, comes the taste and style of old Havana in all new Cuervo Y Sobrinos watches - each watch even comes in a humidor. Regardless, today Cuervo Y Sobrinos has no actual presence in Cuba - but that is about to change.

The new Cuba, while still communist, is opening up its doors again slowly. Havana might never be the play city for the rich and famous as it used to be, but signs of new life can be seen. In a few months, now Swiss watch maker Cuervo Y Sobrinos will open up a new boutique store in Havana. Finally the original Cuban watch brand returns to Cuba in the city that helped make it famous. Pictured above is a Cuervo Y Sobrinos Esplendidos Monopulsante watch. Prices for the brand range from about $2,500 and way up.

Via WorldTempus (in French).

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

Iradj Moini, a former couture designer for Oscar de la Renta, makes some of the most exquisite and unusual jewelry we've seen this millennium.

As you shop in NYC's Soho neighborhood this holiday season, be sure and stop by the Spring Street boutique (198 Spring, near Sullivan). The boutique has been open since Spring 2007, and feels like an art gallery. You won't believe you're looking at new pieces, released seasonally, and not well-kept relics of the 1920's.

If you're not in NY, you can also browse a number of Iradj Moini's items at Domont Jewelry, a West Hollywood, CA jewelry dealer with an exceptional selection of Iradj Moini on display their website.

Almost every piece is stunning, and worth a look if only for inspiration.

Polo Ralph Lauren will soon be offering American shoppers the ability to shop for goods via mobile phone. The technology itself is only about a year away (something about integrating codes for download) but the company expects Americans to warm up to the idea only very slowly after that. Although foreign consumers like the Japanese have been using similar technology for years, Americans are thought to be a little less comfortable with cutting edge shopping methods.

Do you think that's really the problem? Couldn't it be that we just have too much fun shopping to reduce the whole experience down to a tiny cellphone screen?

Hm, maybe that's just me. If you're interested look for the service to appear soon on a cell phone screen near you.

If you've ever felt the urge to drop over a grand on a hoodie, look no further than Great China Wall. Simply the most luxurious casual gear that money can buy, Great China Wall designs feature crystal detailing and limited edition tattoo type airbrushing reminiscent of Ed Hardy graphics. Made of that trendy delicate soft cotton, you definitly won't want to put them in the washer/dryer...this brand is far too high maintenance for me and truthfully I'd be a little wary of any man sporting it! Hoodies range from $900-$1400, check out the collection online and decide for yourself if it's worth the loot or just another brand that's trying way too hard.

Stylish men all over the globe are obsessed with hot new fashion line, Limoland! Limoland is for wealthy men who consider themselves eternal adolescents, who don't take themselves too seriously and who like to have fun with their wardrobes, it's couture with a sense of humor. Fun colorful street wear made out of the most expensive materials available, Japanese cottons and the finest cashmere, completed with exquisite hand detailing. So far Limoland is available exclusively at Harvey Nichols, prices are comparable to other luxury men's line, the most popular piece is the hot pink V neck sweater which retails for around $800. Check out the Limoland website, or browse the collection at Harvey Nichols London!

Do you have a year end bonus burning a hole on your pocket? Well then you better get to spending it (you know, for your own safety...) and of course there are more than enough people willing to give you ideas and take your money. Want a new car? An exotic vacation? An expensive work of art? Year end bonuses for some (namely bankers and Wall Street execs) this year are calculated to be somewhere in the $49 billion range altogether, so recession or not there's sure to be some serious spending going on.

Unfortunately I'm not part of that $49 billion demographic, but some of these spending ideas sure look awesome, especially the private jet charter. Hmmm, where wouldn't I like to go?

Shopping is one of those things that's pretty darn fun in all but the worst of circumstances, but of course there's always room for it to be even better! VIP shopping experiences are available to only the biggest of spenders, which means you get in by actually shopping a lot instead of by paying a fee for the services.

So where do those "biggest spenders" do their spending?

• Barneys, New York
  
• Bergdorf Goodman, New York
  
• Neiman Marcus, Dallas
  
• Van Cleef & Arpels, Bal Harbour
• Harvey Nichols, London
• Kaviar and Kind, Los Angeles
• Rene Caovilla, Milan
• Printemps, Paris
• Prada, Tokyo
• Joyce, Hong Kong

A VIP experience is a very subjective thing, so it's really all about your personal experience and taste. Would you change anything on this list?

One of the most well known Christmas carols enumerates the gifts for the twelve days of Christmas that most of us can appreciate for the sake of tradition, but would rather not receive. I am referring to the 12 Days of Christmas and, despite the fact that any of us are likely to be gifted lords a leaping, geese a laying or a partridge in a pear tree, the PNC has used them to continue their tradition of working out the annual Christmas Price Index, which calculates the cost of all of the items included in the famous carol and is considered to be a rough indicator of the state of inflation in the economy. For 2006, the cost of all 364 items on the list - since the previous gifts are repeated on the following day by a "true love" - $75,122.03, a 3.5% increase over last year. For the internet shopper (although one who probably did not take advantage of free shipping) the cost comes out to $125,767.32.

During the holidays, shoppers tend to have a lot on their minds, including who to buy for and what to buy. I suspect that I am not alone when I say that, because I do a good deal of my holiday shopping online, I am security-minded when it comes to online transactions. In stores, though, people tend to be more casual about their credit cards and, with so much going on, it is easy to forget who you handed them to and if you got them back. The Credit Card Alarm is a little gadget that will help you keep track of your card no matter where you are. The sleeve holds the card and, when the card is removed, it beeps every 20 seconds until it is replaced. It's only $55, which is a small price to pay for piece of mind.

[via gizmodo]

Forbes has put out a list of their top ways to shop like a VIP. By VIP, they don't just mean the ultra rich in this case. Forbes is referring to celebrities, people who are "in the know" and people who are known, like fashion editors and personal shoppers. It's not as simple as just buying the things you want, though VIPs can usually afford to do so, because VIPs are often given products at steep discounts or solicited by designers to wear and promote their products. So what are some of the things that mark you as a VIP shopper?

• Free gifts a.k.a. schwag
• Having your clothes custom made by designers like Henry Poole or labels like Dior, rather that having to buy off the rack
• Getting on the guest list for exclusive events, like the Billion Dollar Babes pre-sale. VIPs should have a good PR firm to assist them.
• Hiring personal shoppers, so you don't actually have to shop. Of course, some VIPs don't have to go this far and will automatically have designs sent to them straight from showrooms.
• Spending your way into an exclusive credit card, like an American Express Centurion (the Black card), which can get you designers on call and after-hours private shopping.