waltham

Waltham Vanguard PP60 Pocket Watch With Piaget Movement

Waltham is an old American brand that recently reinvented themselves,and is now Swiss. Nice watches, though pricey, are certainly eye catching. I write about them once in a while because I like their timepieces, though I think that ironically they aren't even sold in the US. I am not sure who owns the brand these days, but I hear that they are mostly only sold in Asia. If business is good, then more power to them, but I still find it odd that the brand is absent (at least for the most part) stateside.

This is a special (and beautiful) pocket watch in celebration of the 160th anniversary of the brand. With a mix of styles and qualities that watch lovers admire, the Waltham Vanguard PP60 pocket watch is sure to be a icon for the brand in the years to come. It all starts with a Piaget caliber 158 manually wound 8 day movement. It has been modified and thoroughly skeletonized behind a dial that looks like open vertical blinds. This dial is actually an inner sapphire crystal will metal etchings on it. A small visual opening is located at the balance wheel. The bridges on the skeletonized movement have been decorated. Hands on the pocket watch are really cool in my opinion. Pomme style hand in blued steel, they feel actually modern even though they are classic in origin. There are small lume dots on the hands, and their large size helps add welcome character to the watch. Around the inner dial is a gold ring with lume applied hour and minute indicators. Further out is a mother-of-pearl mosaic with diamonds around the chapter ring, as well as another set of hour indicators in diamonds.

The watch case is in 18k yellow gold and serves to frame the work of art inside nicely. With a beautiful, almost art deco design, precious materials, and Piaget movement, the limited production Waltham Vanguard PP60 pocket watch collection might very well be a worthy point of attention for collectors.

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

Tags: pocket watch, PP60, Vanguard, Waltham

Waltham Crescent Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

The last few years has seen Waltham, a traditional name in American watch making, come back. The real story behind the resurgence is unknown to me. I don't know if it is brand originals, or new owners who are furthering the legacy of the name. Either way, their new men's and women's watches have been impressing me. Nice bold designs with a classic touch that makes them more enjoyable avant garde. It really starts with their distinctive case with its highly flared lugs and complex (almost Cartier-like) case. What I do know is that the former American brand is all Swiss now - so I think it is a Waltham corporal resurrection with a new brain.

For 2010, a new men's model for them is this Waltham Crescent. It has a sporty look to it, but is a luxury timepiece. The 43mm wide case is available in 18k white, rose, or yellow gold, with a high-end La Joux-Perret Calibre 3513 automatic movement with a 22k white gold rotor. The movement is even COSC Chronometer certified and has the time, big date, and a power reserve indicator feature. The crystal is AR coated sapphire, and also like Cartier watches, there is a blue gem as a crown cabochon.

I quite like the black dial with white gold case combo, but there is also a white dial available. It seems odd that a traditional railroad watch has now turned into a luxury half retro, half sporty brand. The sport part of the design is all in the dial, with its large, almost dive watch style, hands and hour indicators. In all, a nice cohesive look but they made the hands pretty stubby (why do they do that!?)

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

Tags: 2010, Crescent, Waltham, watch

Waltham Lady Amelia Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Waltham is one of America's oldest watch brands, but has been out of the spotlight for some time now. Seemingly back in action, the brand has a few new models for 2009, one of which is this Lady Amelia watch. As a tribute to the ill-fated Amelia Earhart pilot, the watch is a true combination of elegance and function. The stunning and unique design features flared lugs and prominent classic looking pushers and crown. The pink cabochons are a good touch, and mix well with the soft pink tones of the face as well as with the rubber strap. Waltham calls the pink "pastel," I'll just stick with "pink."

Inside the watch is an Swiss ETA caliber 251.471 chronograph quartz movement. Diamonds serve as some of the hour markers while the mother of pearl face serves as a fitting backdrop for the polished steel hour markers and dial bezels. The watch is also available in black and steel tones for those who find that the pink version makes too much of a statement. Price is about $3,000 retail.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: amelia, earhart, lady, pink, timepiece, waltham, watch, womens