Ellicott Majesty Automatic Chronograph Watch
Filed under: Timepieces / Watches
Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
watches
Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
Reach the Beach: Luxury Resort Style in the Turks & Caicos Islands {Exclusive Feature}
Filed under: Apparel, Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Timepieces / Watches, Luxury Cars & Autos, Books, Men's Style, The Classicist
Click above for a high-res image gallery
The Turks and Caicos islands in the British West Indies is well known for having the world's most beautiful beaches. It also has some of the world's most stylish and luxurious beach resorts, which are remarkable for their amazingly private settings and lush natural landscapes, far removed from the over-development that plagues some other Caribbean hotspots. The perfect setting for our latest style feature, we're sure you'll agree.
Parrot Cay, located on a pristine 1,000-acre private island, including a mile-long powdered beach, is an elegant combination of glorious nature, understated luxury and unparalleled privacy complete with an award-winning holistic spa, healthy gourmet cuisine and beach villas with private pools (above).
The villas are a favorite with celebrities including Donna Karan, Bruce Willis, Keith Richards and Sir Paul McCartney. Some like Willis and Karan were so entranced they decided to build their own beach houses on the island. Want to own one? So do we. Parrot Cay is currently offering a small selection of villas for private ownership, starting at $10 million.
Graff BabyGraff Collection Watches
Filed under: Timepieces / Watches
The cases are available in a few styles that emphasis either only diamonds, or diamonds and rubies, sapphires, or emeralds. The time is displayed via a pair of dauphine style hands and a Swiss quartz movement. There is a triangular cut stone in each as the 12 o'clock marker, and more more hour indicators in a small flange ring around the dial. I appreciate the extra effort used to make the as legible as possible. What is also interesting is that the watches feature an array of stone cuts, including baguette, princess, trilliant, trapeze, and triangle. Look for them soon where Graff watches are sold.
Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
Christophe Claret Adagio Watch
Filed under: Timepieces / Watches
Looking like a follow-up to the Shabaka watch that he made for Jean Dunand, the Adagio has a sort of space-age Egyptian design to it, and comes in a 44mm wide case in either 18k rose or white gold, or in platinum. Aside from telling the time, the watch has a second timezone in 12 hour format with a day/night indicator, a big date, a subsidiary seconds disc, and a minute repeater. The beautiful dial comes in a series of materials including the pictured onyx, ruby, jade, lapis lazuli, and more.
Powering the watch is a Christophe Claret made SLB88 manually wound movement that is visible through the open case-back. Each Adagio watch style will be limited to just 8 pieces, from prices ranging from 268,000 - 318,000 Swiss Francs.
Ariel Adams publishes the wrist watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
Ulysse Nardin Lady Diver Watch New Colors For 2011
Filed under: Timepieces / Watches
For me the color trend is interesting. It used to be that a high-end item needed to look really serious. As though to spend a lot of money you needed feel some elated sense of purpose. At some point people got a lot less scared when it came to charging a lot for an item and realized that people with money will pay for nice looking fun things. It doesn't matter than you can get a pink watch for $50 or $50,000 - it is all about how the buyer feels when they get it and wear it. For that reason I think it is OK to have a baby blue luxury watch.
The Ulysse Nardin Lady Diver watch is 40mm wide (large for a lady's wrist). Inside the watch is a UN-810 automatic movement. The dial has a wave texture on it, and diamond hour markers. While the dial is actually a bit simple, it is legible and does help keep attention on the design of the case. There are more diamonds on the bezel and still more on the middle lug section. If these colors are too much for your tastes but you still like the Lady Diver, there are more simple toned white or black version - and those with different dials. Look for the 2011 Lady Diver blue, red, or purple watches soon.
Ariel Adams publishes the wrist watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
Hublot Big Bang All Black Carbon Fiber Watch
Filed under: Timepieces / Watches
While I tend to find carbon fiber gets stale as a design element quickly, it really looks good here. The fact that the case is light weight and entirely made out of carbon fiber is a big plus. Inside the watch is a Hublot HUB4100 automatic chronograph movement. Look for this Big Bang All Black Carbon Fiber watch soon - price is 18,900 Swiss Francs or 15,500 Euros.
Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
Rado True Thinline Is Thinnest Ceramic Watch
Filed under: Timepieces / Watches
Technically unisex, these are more or less women's watches. They come with or without diamonds in the hour indicators and are on while or black rubber straps with a ceramic buckle. The crystal is sapphire and inside the watch is a Swiss ETA quartz movement. My choice is the while model as the hands have the most contrast and I think it fits the thin watch theme the best.
Ariel Adams publishes the wrist watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.
LeBron James Is New Audemars Piguet Watch Ambassador
Filed under: Spirits, Timepieces / Watches
Audemars Piguet is one of the most popular luxury watch brands with US Athletes (as well as international athletes of course), and has done an admirable job of receiving a high level of awareness in the US. The relationship with LeBron will further that mission, especially given LeBron's popularity both on and off the court. Moving ahead a year or two the world will see a specially designed LeBron James Audemars Piguet timepiece. Likely a limited edition, and very likely part of the Royal Oak Offshore collection, the watch will come out in probably 2013. LeBron's new relationship with Audemars Piguet was announced in Miami yesterday - where he plays for the Miami Heat team.
Ariel Adams publishes the wrist watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
Tudor Heritage Advisor Watch
Filed under: Timepieces / Watches
Tudor isn't a brand available in the US. There is a good reason for that. It would harm Rolex's market position as they are less-expensive, but made in the same place. Unlike Rolex pieces, Tudor pieces don't use in-house made movements. Usually they offer their own, more entry-level versions of Rolex favorites, but Tudor has been trying to move away from that model as of late.
Greubel Forsey Double Tourbillon Technique Platinum Watch Hands-On
Filed under: Timepieces / Watches
I first discussed the Greubel Forsey Double Tourbillon Technique watch here (where I go into more technical detail about the in-house made GF02s manually would movement). In short, it has the time, power reserve indicator, subsidiary seconds, and double tourbillon escapement. All in a compelling and airy dial that is a view into the hand-made and decorated mechanism. For the platinum model much of the movement is done in a nickel-palladium finish. There are polished, brushed, and frosted areas.
The watch is really a beautiful thing that I attempted to capture in the images. Unlike the rose gold version for example, Greubel Forsey really wanted to lighten up the open-movement of the watch to show off their brilliant level of finishing and polishing. They have done three versions of the Double Tourbillon Technique now, and this might be the last one. You really can't go up higher than platinum. Perhaps they will do a "heritage" version in a few years - as they have done with other models. Having said that, if this is the last watch you were to ever buy, you'd realize you've hit close to the top.
Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
Charles Oudin Full Amazone Curvex Women's Watch
Filed under: Timepieces / Watches
The brand is Charles Oudin, and they are based in Paris (no surprise there). Watches like this aren't about high-horology, but jewelry with a sober tone only make decadent by the amount of precious material. I enjoy the lack of pretentiousness in the design and presentation. The case is in 18k white gold, and I am not sure of the precise size. The dial is easy to read if you don't need indicators as the dark hands contrast well with the diamond face. There is an option to have a Swiss ETA quartz or Swiss Frederic Piguet automatic movement - nice that you have a choice. In addition to this pictured version with ruby leaves and flowers, you can order one with sapphire ones. Price is 150,000 euros.
Ariel Adams publishes the luxury wrist watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
Graff ScubaGraff Diver's Watch
Filed under: Timepieces / Watches
Graff is being skimpy with details so I don't know pricing or the case size. The watch will be available in steel and gold, with a DLC black rotating diver's bezel. The case will be water resistant to 300 meters and have a helium release valve. I love the liquid blue dial and large easy to see hands. It wouldn't be a Graff without diamonds. Note the trapeze cut diamond as the 12 o'clock hour indicator. I believe it will be an emerald on the gold cased version. There is another precious stone in the crown. Inside the watch is an automatic movement with 50 hours of power reserve. There is also a unique 30 minute count-down timer on the dial, not sure how that is activated though. Really a cool diving watch from Graff - even if it is destined to be incredibly excessive.
Ariel Adams publishes the wrist watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
Patek Philippe Triple Complication Ref. 5208 Watch
Filed under: Timepieces / Watches
The dial design feels very contemporary by Patek Philippe standards. While sophisticated, in true Patek Philippe fashion they are able to include a wealth of information on the face without the dial looking cluttered or intimidating. The most cleverly integrated feature is the perpetual calendar which uses a link of window on the top of the dial to indicate the day, date, and month. Small windows in the chronograph subdials indicate the leap year as well as a day/night indicator. A moon phase indicator is built into the subsidiary seconds dial. An important element of the calendar system is that all the indicators instantly jump when they change as opposed to change slowly.
$2.7 Million Patek Philippe Watch Stars in Christie's Sale
Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Auctions
An extremely important white gold Patek Philippe single-button chronograph from 1928, undoubtedly the only one of its kind, is expected to fetch up to $2.7 million at Christie's Important Watches sale in Geneva on May 16.
Created in 1928 on the eve of the stock market crash, the unique and complicated 1928 chronograph was a bespoke commission from one of Patek Philippe's most important patrons, though his exact identity is unknown.
The cushion-shaped wristwatch, with vertically positioned registers and Breguet numerals, is the only known example extant of a single-button chronograph by Patek Philippe made in white gold.
As such, it's perfectly possible that it could end up selling for more than $2.7 million, especially with the buoyant market for such horological masterpieces at the moment.
[via JustLuxe]
Piaget Celebrates Polo in Palm Beach
Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Events, Sports
Renowned Swiss watchmaker Piaget took over Palm Beach and Wellington, Florida recently to celebrate the brand's longtime commitment to the sport of polo.
Among the posh events was a garden party presenting the band's newest collection at the Flagler Museum, and an intimate field-side dinner at the International Polo Club Palm Beach to present the new Pilarà-Piaget polo team.
The festivities concluded with the final match of the Piaget Gold Cup at the Polo Club, attended by American Beauty actress Mena Suvari and followed by an exclusive champagne reception outside the 7th Chukker.
On display for the first time in the U.S. were the latest editions to the Piaget Polo FortyFive collection including two new models in rose gold and titanium, one featuring Piaget's manufactured chronograph movement and the other equipped with Piaget's in-house perpetual calendar movement.
Audi's polo team won the Gold Cup and each of the victorious players got to take home a Piaget
Polo FortyFive watch.
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