Archive for January, 2010
Beauty of Decentralization: Glashutte PanoMatic Lunar XL
Posted by Matthew in Watch News on January 31, 2010
In the past month, many watch manufacturers keep unveiling their watches for this year’s Basel World exhibition one after another. Recently the focus is converged at Glashütte Original’s new watch, the PanoMaticLunar XL.
Appreciated by critics for their originality of line and form, Glashutte Original watches exemplify fine German craftsmanship. The new PanoMatic Lunar XL watch sticks Glashutte’s principle of “Less is more” and strikes me with its cool looking face. The watch features a matt gray dial with sleek beveled edges and matching gray alligator strap, which creates an understated elegance and maturity feeling right for businessmen.
The name “Pano” comes from the word “panorama”. The panorama date design means both digits of the date can be displayed in a single “panorama” aperture, which is Glashutte’s iconic design and can also be seen on another German watchmaker A. Lange & Sohne.
The Glashutte PanoMatic Lunar XL features a decentralized design: On the right of the watch, there is a moon phase display at 2 o’clock and the panorama date window is located at 4 o’clock. The hour and minute display and the small second subdial at 7 o’clock are positioned at the left bigger part.
Personally, I don’t like the asymmetric design very much. I am not used to see such dial as it seems to waste a lot of room of the watch face and make the dial a little bit small. But as most watches are in well symmetric design, this decentralized design is certainly special and distinct. If you have unconventional mind, this watch can be your ideal accessories.
The watch also features anti-reflective sapphire crystal on both sides, so you can enjoy seeing the German handiwork – the Calibre 90-02- via the exhibition crystal on the back.
Glashutte PanoMaticLunar XL is about to selling at around $20,000. Although some online retailer is offering a discount, but it still cost you no less than $15,000. Since most online dealer are not authorized by Glashütte Original, so why not just take a replica Glashutte that would cost about $100 – 300? See if you can find your ideal model of Glashutte watches from our Glashutte replica watches.
Review of Girard-Perregaux 1966 Full Calendar Limited Edition Watch
Posted by Matthew in Watch News on January 27, 2010
When more and more luxury watches are trying to catch people’s attention with complicated and novel designs, the The Girard-Perregaux 1966 Full Calendar Watch is almost going to the opposite. Yet its stylish simplicity is not capturing less hearts.
As its name indicated, the Girard-Perregaux 1966 Full Calendar Watch is in honor of GP’s achievement in the sixties of the last century, so it features some retro style. In 1966, Girard-Perregaux received the Centenary Prize of the Observatory of Neuchâtel for their accomplishment in introducing the groundbreaking movement oscillating at a frequency of 36,000 vibrations per hour whereas the highest frequencies at that time did not exceed 21,600 vibrations per hour.
The new GP 1966 Full Calendar looks handsome, elegant and modern. It displays the date, day, month, moon phase as well as the hour, minute and seconds on the 40 mm case in an uncluttered way. I love this extreme clean style. But I found the sweep seconds hand somewhat too long. And I found it a little bit strange to place the day window right next to the month window while the moon phase window is surrounded by the date display. I think these design may makes the date display less visible. Maybe that’s because I am used to my watch that shows the day next to the date. So I would suggest Girard-Perregaux put the month window around the moon phrase window, and put the date display next to the day window.
The 1966 Full Calendar comes in two versions, what we discussed above is the palladium version, which is a limited to only 199 pieces. The unlimited edition is in red gold, but looks much worse. And there is a diamond-paved variant of the red gold version that is so meretricious that I doubt why it could even exist. But funny thing about that it is said that both version are sold at the same price.
Despite of some minor design oversight, the Girard-Perregaux 1966 Full Calendar limited edition watch is a very nice looking watch. If you can spend $19,800 on a watch without a blink, then you should not hesitate to put on this gorgeous watch. But if that’s too hefty for you, you can always satisfy your luxury desire by checking our replica watches.
A Lange Sohne Zeitwerk Luminous – Annotating Time in Different Ways
Posted by Matthew in Watch News on January 20, 2010
When I first saw this watch, I think it is so special that I would like to write about it. It’s called Zeitwerk Luminous from A. Lange & Sohne.
I really appreciate the watch designer who figure out such a creative disply of time for the Sohne Zeitwerk Luminous. As we know that the watch dial is just about 15-20 cm2, there is only little room for the watch designers to impress the watch collectors. Besides, there are so many watches unveiled to the market each year, it’s really hard to figure out something totally different.
But the watch designers at A. Lange & Sohne made it. The Zeitwerk Luminous presents time in an interesting new way. It’s a mechnical watch, but what it shows to us is like a digital watch. The hour and minute is shown in the two windows at 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock repectively in digit format. As the numbers is on a rotating plate, so there is no need to have watch hands to indicate hour and minute. This interesting design leave you only the essential infomration. You won’t see other numbers as they are only shown when it’s time for them to show up. But I guess it may take you some time to get used to such “handless” watch as it shows the time too straight.
Maybe to make you feel at ease, the watch designers introduce two watch hands as compensation. These two watch hands indicate the power reserve and seconds. They are located at 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock respectively, which match the two digit window harmoniously.
The watch will make its debut at this year’s SIHH. I anticipate to see it personally.
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Captive de Cartier – Ice Queen of SIHH 2010
Posted by Matthew in Watch News on January 15, 2010
If Rolex is the king in the world of watches, then Cartier must be the queen. Although Cartier already demonstrate its strong R&D capacity in developing cutting-edge watches such as the ID One Concept Watch, their traditional advantage is in making luxurious ladies’ watches. As we will see at the SIHH 2010, the Captive de Cartier watch is one such latest model showing Cartier’s incomparable sense in designing female watches.
Captive de Cartier features a very unconventional design with sharp contrast in size between the hour indexes and watch hands. The central dial is 35 mm in diameter, but the hour and minute hands were shrunk to a very small size that they look like a subsidiary dial. On the other hand, the most space of the dial is occupied by the radiant gem-set hour markers, which is mounted on a clean and sleek 18 carat rhodium plate in light gray.
The bezel, of course, is set with round diamonds in concert with the glittering hours. Besides, the watch is matched with a light gray brushed canvas, which looks very similar to a metal starp. The watch is water resistant to 30 meters, although probably no one will wear such a watch to go diving.
Overall, the Captive de Cartier light gray color theme with the unstinted use of glittering diamonds makes the watch like a ice rose in full bloom. It is indeed an ice queen at the SIHH 2010. If you want to melt a girl’s heart, Captive de Cartier may be the right option for you. The retail price of such watch is estimated for thousands of dollars. Should you find this too expensive, why not check our replica Cartier watches? You’ll find the right watches at Watcheslux.com.
IWC in the Post-War Period – IWC History (3)
Posted by Max Stone in Watch Stories on January 6, 2010
After the devastation of two world wars, the western world entered into a fast-developing period. As the entire Swiss watch industry went into a brisk market, the IWC also embraced its heyday that lasts for decades.
However, the emergence of quartz watches and the cataclysmic rise in gold prices in the 1970s brought huge challenges to the Swiss watch industry, which is known as the Swiss watchmaking crisis. To adapt to the profound changes that swept the whole industry, IWC required more funding to sustain its development. As a result, IWC was taken over by VDO Adolf Schindling AG in 1978. The name of IWC, given by its founder F.A. Jones, was recovered at the same time.
In 1981, Otto Heller succeeded H.E. Homberger as general manager following the latter’s retirement on age grounds. Under the lead of the new management, IWC soon got back to the track of rapid growing.
In 1991 IWC director Günter Blümlein founded the LMH Group, with 100% stake in IWC, 90% in Lange & Söhne and 60% in Jaeger-LeCoultre.
In 2000, LMH was acquired by Richemont, now the world’s second-largest luxury goods group, but the independence and continuity of the LMH brands as a closed unit was remained.
With the rich resources in the Richemont group, the brand of IWC is substantially reinforced. Since then, IWC opened boutiques worldwide and made debute at SIHH every year. IWC watches became more and more sought after. IWC replica watches are thus more and more popular, too.
In 2008, IWC celebrated its 140th anniversary with the launch of 6 its iconic watches: the Pilot’s Watch, Portuguese, Ingenieur, Aquatimer, Da Vinci and Portofino. The great event push the popularity IWC watches to an unprecedented height. It can be predicted that IWC Schaffhausen will continue to achieve new culmination with more exciting watches for its fans.
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The Rauschenbach Era of IWC – IWC History (2)
Posted by Max Stone in Watch Stories on January 5, 2010
Despite the huge success it enjoyed, IWC was sold to the Rauschenbach family in 1880. Since then, IWC entered into the Rauschenbach Era and its ownership was changed from American to Swiss.
During this period, four generations of the Rauschenbach family dominated IWC with different names.
First Owner from Rauschenbach
The first owner from the Rauschenbach family was Johann Rauschenbach-Vogel, who was a local machine manufacturer at Schaffhausen. He bought the company in 1880. IWC was called Internationale Uhrenfabrik by then.
But just one year later, Johann Rauschenbach-Vogel died and IWC was taken over by his son, Johannes Rauschenbach-Schenk, the second owner from Rauschenbach family.
Second Owner from Rauschenbach
Johannes Rauschenbach-Schenk was only 25 years old when he took over IWC. IWC was named Uhrenfabrik Von J. Rauschenbach by then.
With the help of the experienced and loyal IWC staff called Urs Haenggi, Johannes Rauschenbach-Schenk ran the company successfully for 24 years until his death in 1905. During this period, sales grew significantly in the European market. IWC’ motto, Probus Scafusia, meaning good solid craftsmanship from Schaffhausen, was also advanced at this time.
Third Owner from Rauschenbach
After the death of J. Rauschenbach-Schenk in 1905, his wife, two daughters and their husbands, Ernst Jakob Homberger (director of G. Fischer AG in Schaffhausen) and Dr. Carl Jung, became the new owners of IWC. They ran IWC as an open trading company by the name of the Uhrenfabrik Von J. Rauschenbach’s Erben.
Later, E.J. Homberger took over the company as sole proprietor. He led the company through the most difficult times when the two world war and the world economic crisis broke out. His great contribution was honored in 1952 with a award of honorary doctorate by the University of St. Gallen.
Last Owner from Rauschenbach
E.J. Homberger died in 1955. His son Hans Ernst Homberger became the last of the Rauschenbach heirs to run IWC. He had joined his father’s company in 1934 and took control of IWC since his father’s death.
Hans Ernst Homberger’s major task was to develop the company to keep it stay ahead of the increasingly fierce competition in the watch making industry. He built a new premise to the original factory, bought new machines, and set up modern pension fund for the staff. E.J. Homberger continued to run IWC as a sole proprietor. He died in 1986 at the age of 77.
Many of IWC’s iconic watch models and technical breakthroughs were born during this period. For example, the IWC Ingenieur collection, the first automatic wristwatch with a soft-iron inner case, was introduced in 1955. In 1978, IWC introduced the world’s first titanium watch case and bracelet. And the revolutionary IWC Da Vinci collection was unveiled in 1985.
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The Early History of Watchmaker IWC – IWC History (1)
Posted by Max Stone in Watch Stories on January 4, 2010
The name of the famous Swiss watchmaker IWC is actually the abbreviation for International Watch Company. As its name implies, IWC originated from international cooperation. It is in fact founded by an American called Florentine Ariosto Jones.
F.A. Jones had been the director of America’s leading watchmaking company at that time and aimed to blend the Swiss craftsmanship with American modern engineering technology. In 1868, 27-year-old Jones came to Schaffhausen, a small town in eastern Switzerland with a long history of watch making activity. He wanted to open a company to produce movements and watch parts to supply the American market.
He expected the Swiss craftsmen to share their watchmaking expertise with him at his factory. But his brave decision encountered cold shoulders. At that time, although there was an abundant supply of skilled watch craftsmen, most craftsmen tended to work in their homes and feared for working at a factory with the worry of revealing their patrimonial expertise.
Fortunately, an visionary Swiss watch maker and industrialist Johann Heinrich Moser showed interest to Jones’ plan. Moser had built Schaffhausen’s first hydroelectric plant and was highly respected in the local watch industry, he attracted many talented craftmen to work for Jones.The International Watch Company was founded based on such dream partnership of Jones and Moser. Located in Schaffhausen, IWC is the first and only watch manufacturers in north-eastern Switzerland.
The timepieces produced by IWC soon became sought after with their excellent quality and middle-end price. By the year of 1875, IWC already grew into 3 factory premises to meet the increasing demands.
The Serious Helicopter Summoner – Breitling Emergency Watch
Posted by Max Stone in Watch Stories on January 2, 2010
This must be one of the coolest watches in the world. Because you can call a helicopter to pick you up when activating the built-in radio transmitter. What a watch! This is why they are called Breitling Emergency watches.
Breitling is always proud to be the luxury watchmaker that produces “instruments for professionals”. The Breitling Emergency watches are just one of such typical watches that feature strong professional style.
Tailor-made for pilots and air-crews, the Emergency contains a microtransmitter broadcasting on the 121.5 MHz distress frequency, which is monitored by Cospas-Sarsat, an international search-and-rescue operation.
When a pilot encounters emergency situations such as a crash or forced landing, he can activate the transmitter by removing a cap on the watch which releases an antenna. The transmitter can then broadcast radio signals for 48 hours, serving as a complement to the beacons carried aboard aircraft. Under normal circumstance—flat terrain or calm seas—the signal can be detected at a range of up to 160 kilometers (90 nautical miles) by search aircraft flying at 6,000 meters (20,000 feet).
In 2003, Breitling Emergency watch attracted huge attention and proved its value by saving two British pilots’ lives. Steve Brooks and Hugh Quentin-Smith, crashed their helicopter in Antarctica. They activated the Breitling Emergency watch transmitter and stayed in their lifeboat. A Chilean Otter aircraft found them after homing in on signals from their watches and rescued them .
Needless to say, such a life savior watch is coveted by a lot of people and watch fans in addition to professionals such as pilots. The good news is that Breitling Emergency is available for non-professional customers who do not hold a pilot’s license. But in order to prevent the false triggering of the distress beacon, customers must sign an agreement stating that they will bear the full costs of a rescue operation should they trigger the alert. And people who abuse the alert would be defined as making false alarm and will be subject to extremely steep fines. However, you can test the alarm according to strict procedures.
Some may feel too stressed to wear a Breitling Emergency watch as it is very serious watch. It must be a disaster for you if your child accidentally activate the transmitter for you. If you don’t want to be disturbed by a self-invited helicopter during your holiday, why not wear a replica Breitling Emergency watch?
The Breitling Emergency replica watch features the exact appearance of the real thing but is lack of the built-in microtransmitter. So you don’t need to worry that you’ll trigger an Emergency helicopter service that would spoil your vacation. And replica Breitling Emergency watches are much cheaper than the authentic counterparts. If you want to familiarize yourself with such a special watch, Breitling Emergency replica watches are your ideal choice.
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