The limited editions top out the range with a retail price

And then there is the world time function. You'll notice the list of reference cities around the dial. Those are used when selecting different timezones. On the fly, you can easily switch to any of the major timezones without losing accuracy on the watch. Citizen makes it pretty simple to adjust, thus allowing for a great traveler's companion, or timepiece for people who like to easily know the time in lots of other timezones. Remember, the trick here isn't just the functionality - that has been done. But rather the relatively svelte layout and simple dial. The little "SMT" indicator on the dial is for turning on and off day light saving time by the way. The other area is part of the manual sync functions for the atomic clock synchronization. Otherwise the dials are pretty clean, and with the large hand and applied hour numerals (both coated with luminant) this is a very legible, sensible looking high-function timepiece! While each version of the watch is a bit different, they are each in steel cases (some in gold tone), and about 43-44mm wide. Actually, there is one model in a titanium case. The cases are relatively thin, and thankfully all have sapphire crystals. Citizen has offered certain pieces in other countries with sapphire crystals that the US only saw mineral crystal versions of, but the World Perpetual AT watches all have sapphires crystals in the US. The images above show a lot of the range of styles, but not all of them. You can see the different case shapes and styles, along with the various metal bracelets. There are also leather straps available in most collections. In addition to the standard models, there are two limited edition World Perpetual AT watches available. Both in steel (one is gold tone), they come in limited editions of 2,500 pieces each, have really nice crocodile straps with deployment clasps, and come in nicer wood boxes.

Citizen Eco-Drive World Perpetual AT Watches

Citizen's featured mainstream new watch collection for 2010 is this Eco-Drive World Time Perpetual AT line of timepieces. Based on a newly developed movement, the collection comes in a large range of styles, in various price brackets. From sporty to sleek, there is a World Perpetual AT watch for everyone. They are based on the new H144 Eco-Drive quartz movement that has a lot more features that it might suggest at first glance. For me, this watch is about offering the functionality and feature set excepted in Citizen and other similar Japanese watches, but in a very classic, simple looking design. A major philosophy in Japanese tech watches like this is the "set it and forget it principle." Which is actually a bit different than the European ideal of constantly attending to your watch. Actually, I think the same philosophy exists in the respective cars made by the Japanese and the Europeans. After being initially set, and given the availability of light, the World Perpetual AT watch should pretty much always have power, accurate time, and the accurate date. The watch has a perpetual calendar. When you set the time, you also set the month and the leap year. According to Citizen, given continuous operation of the watch, the calendar doesn't need to be set again until the year 2100. So you know that at least that calendar will be accurate aside from your other watches and ones around the house. In addition to the light power generation in the Eco-Drive movement, the watch receives signals from various atomic clock radio signals around the world. It syncs with these regularly to keep the time accurate. It even does this when you are traveling. In addition to the auto syncing you can manually sync the watch time. This is another great feature to have and gives you assurance that the time is most always correct. Even if the watch isn't able to sync with an available signal, the quartz movement is still quite accurate.

Citizen Alterna Pilot Eco-Dive Watch

With a name like "Alterna," you'd think there is something very alternative looking about these watches. There isn't. Just another one of those soft sounding names that Citizen likes to give to their sportier timepieces. My favorite so far is the "Atessa" watch. Which isn't nearly as feminine a watch as the name might suggest. Actually, the Atessa is a very powerful and durable timepiece. Citizen Alterna watches make up a really large family of timepieces, most of which aren't available in the US. I wrote about another Citizen Alterna watch here a while back. If you Google Citizen Alterna, you'll find a wide range of some really cool stuff. Problem is that non of them seem to fit a "family mold," and you'll be gouged a bit when buying them online as they are not officially for the US market. Also, the name "Citizen Alterna Pilot" doesn't narrow this collection down completely, as there are other models with this same name. You'll need to use the reference numbers which are: VO10-3831T, VO10-6833T, and VO10-6832T. I have a feeling that this watch is gonna come to the US market. It is part of a series of Japanese watches by both Citizen and Seiko that are thematically similar to watches popularized by brands such as Sinn, and Bell & Ross. It has all the bits and pieces that make a watch popular in the US. Being easy to read, sporty, "activity themed," and not very expensive. Not sure of the exact price yet, but from the Yen conversion, they would cost about $250-$300. The Alterna Pilot comes in a series of colors (perhaps more than shown here), in an IP black or brushed steel case that is 42.5mm wide. The strap is Nylon, and is sort of a mix between a stand strap and a NATO strap with some contrast stitching. Very sport oriented, I like that. Crystal over the dial is mineral (OK for this price), and luminant is Citizen's Lumibrite lume that comes in different colors. Case is water resistant to 100 meters. Movement is the Eco-Drive caliber 8637 quartz movement that is light powered. Very interesting choice on Citizen's behalf to leave off the "Eco-Drive" label on the dial.

Citizen Satellite Eco-Drive Watch: Gets Time From Space

Atomic clock radio signal syncing watches are so last year. Citizen just decimated the coolness factor of those watches with the Satellite Eco-Drive watch. This timepiece isn't just a concept, but will actually be produced as a limited edition later this year - and may have its tech show up in later watches. In a nutshell, the watch keeps its time super accurate from syncing with the navigational satellites that orbit Earth as opposed to syncing with radio signals that are broadcasted from local atomic clocks. Atomic clocks lose one second of time every 100,000 years or something like that. Maybe even longer. The point is that you'll be long dead before they are off by even a fraction of a second. Your standard quartz watch movement is accurate to within about 15 seconds a month. Syncing to an atomic clock is a good idea, and has traditionally been done in watches that do this by relying on radio signals that atomic clocks emit. However, there aren't atomic clocks all over the world, and neither are there such signals. If you live in the US, much of Europe, China, and Japan you can get atomic clock radio signals, everywhere else you are screwed. Even if you are in range the system to capture the signal and sync with it is quirky at best. I have a few atomic clock radio signal syncing clocks and am really never sure if they are getting signal or not. Navigational satellites that orbit the Earth do however get the signal.

Citizen makes the dials pretty glossy for decorative effect

On the three-hand Perpetual Calendar watch the dial is nice and easy to read, even though it does have a sort of engraved sunburst pattern dial. Legibility is ensured through large lume-coated hands and applied hour markers. Both watches have light-powered Eco-Drive movements. The three-hand model with caliber E764 has the time, and perpetual calendar with only the date displayed. This means while you only see the date, you don't need to set the date - pretty much ever. There are at least seven versions of the Signature Perpetual Calendar. Each version of the watch has a different dial and bezel combination - while two versions are done in two-tone. Dial colors include, black, blue, silver, gray, and brown. The Signature Perpetual Calendar Chronograph comes in five versions. Two of them have crocodile straps - and I really like Citizen's crocodile straps for the price. The Chronograph model is more than a chronograph, and contains Citizen's popular multi-function Eco-Drive quartz caliber E820 movement. The movement has the time, 1/20th of a second chronograph (measures up to 60 minutes), perpetual calendar, alarm, and a second timezone. It can also displays the time in 24 hour format.

Citizen Signature Perpetual Calendar Watch

For 2011 Citizen's major new piece is perfect for the American market. If you want to check out their other cool stuff you'll need to take a little trip over the Japan (which would be nice... go support them). Part of their newer Signature collection, this is the simply named Citizen Signature Perpetual Calendar, and Citizen Signature Perpetual Calendar Chronograph. Two watches that each come in a host of styles and colors. The Signature collection is a higher-end range of watches from Citizen that sits under the Campanola collection. Signature watches all have better cases, sapphire crystals, and more interesting movement. They also have more decorative elements. Some of these look great, others are more a matter of taste. The new Signature Perpetual Calendar watch is a lot going for it. The 43mm wide steel case is attractive, but has some unique decorative elements to it - and let's just get it out of the way now - yes, the rotating diver's style bezel is taken from Tag Heuer's Aquaracer 500M collection. Citizen uses a double AR coated sapphire crystal and the cases are 200 meters water resistant on the chrono (multi-function) version, and 300 meters water resistant on the three hand version. Attached to the case is a pretty decent metal bracelet, with some versions being two-tone with rows of rose-gold toned links.

Chronoswiss Wristmaster CH 2703 Watch Available On James List

I knew this watch existed for a while but seeing in the flesh solidified the feeling that yes, this is of the most (if not the most) steampunk timepieces in existence - and here I get to put it on. I believe it came out in 2008. Plus, unlike stuff from Cabestan and Vianney Halter, this Chronoswiss is not going to cost in the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars for a cool timepiece. The watch is the Wristmaster CH 2703. It is two timepieces placed next to each other, and mimics the look of dashboard instruments from classic cars and planes. The CH 2703 is the full set, while the individual pieces are the CH 2803 for the watch, and CH 7503 for the stopwatch. The steel watches are on a steel plate attached to the double strap system. The watch is a full 84mm wide by 42mm tall, and 20mm thick. Yea, it is wearable - but on your forearm more than your wrist. Quality is good and typical of German Chronoswiss. I did strap it on, and it looks neat - not everyday wear neat, but certain neat. It is also totally absurd. With double straps and a top heavy design, it will fit best on large wrists made like straight tree trunks. Inside the watch is a decorated based Swiss ETA 2892-A2 automatic movement while the stopwatch has a modified Swiss ETA Valjoux 7750 automatic chronograph movement. Logically speaking the separation of the time and chronograph works in favor of legibility - now each is even easier to read. See how nicely that works out? Design of the dials and case is based on the Timemaster collection - which is classic aviator complete with the hands, easy to read dials, and coined bezel. Chronoswiss is doing very well in the US market with their designs. Pieces such as this prove they know how to have fun and are willing to experiment.

Tritium gas tubes are pretty much always welcomed by me

In addition to the green hour markers and hands, there is some green aluminum on the helium release valve that is meant to add some style. I still don't think the watch is meant to be a fashion timepiece, but that isn't its point. It is a happy, and stalwart tool that adds enough flair to never be boring. Christopher Ward put a Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement inside the watch. This is basically a Swiss made clone of the ETA 2824. Attached to the watch is a pretty basic rubber diving strap with that standard "wave" pattern near the lugs for added flex and comfort. The strap is very comfortable. It is a bit tough to get the excess strap in the loops, but many rubber straps are. I had no problems with the strap, but those who want to "dress" up their C600 might want to experiment with other straps that add a bit more flair to the design. As a tool watch it is hard to beat the C600 Tri-Tech Elite Diver. It has a lot of desirable feature, quality construction, and a durable build. While quirky in design, there isn't much to complain about. Christopher Ward offers a nice little selection of color combos that are hard to find otherwise. In a suit, the watch might not give you a formal look, but in the right active outfit, the watch will be a perfect companion. Thus, for divers, outdoorsy types, military types, or other types of weekend warriors, the C600 is a great piece to have around. It isn't the last watch you'll ever want to own, but you won't want to give it away once you have one. As always from Christopher Ward, price is good for what you get. It retails for 399 British Pounds, which is about $615.

The watch dial is just a little bit glossy

At 43mm wide and not too thick at 13mm wide, the watch isn't small, but is certainly smaller than the biggy divers that we are all familiar with as of late. For me, the watch is a perfect mix of being large enough, but not being at all unwieldy. The steel case here is PVD black coated. You can tell that most of the case was brushed underneath the coating. There are more-or-less no sharp edges on the case at all. Running your finger over it is actually pleasing. Because the smooth texture of the coating combined with the many surfaces of the watch allow you to know exactly what you are touching without even looking. Which brings me to the rotating diver's bezel. At first I though it looked too rounded. Not sharp and precision cut like many of the much more expensive dive watches out there. The second you touch and use the bezel, you understand the concept. The bezel is not only easy to grip and read (even though it all black), but it does not cut into your fingers. Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Dive watches for example have beautiful looking bezels, but some of them are so sharply milled that you could actually cut yourself on them if you were too aggressive or scratched up against them harshly. The C600 though has a very pleasing to touch and use rotating bezel. It might look a bit funny, but it works real well. A serious diver, the watch is water resistant to 500 meters (what 50 ATM translates into). As such, Christopher Ward equipped it with a helium release (escape) valve. Not something you use very often, but a nice additional feature. I must admit that the feature is often mostly cosmetic, because that diagonally placed crown on the upper left of the case just always looks cool. It does have a use of course, but in the case of helium release valves, its utility is often outweighed by its style and ability to add "cred" to a watch. The watch crown is smooth to the touch (but grippy enough) just like the bezel. It screws down and has a guard built around it from the case to protect it. The 4.5mm thick sapphire crystal over the dial is domed a bit. This is often the case with watches that have a higher water resistance. Doming can often create visual distortion when viewing the dial from an angle. That, combined with glare from reflected light can make dials hard to read. The C600 has AR coating on the inside of the dial which helps to reduce glare. The easy to read dial and large hands are easy to read even with some mild crystal lens distortion.

Christopher Ward C600 Tri-Tech Elite Diver Watch

Let me first say that I didn't expect to like this watch as much as I do. What won me over in the end was its incredible happiness to be a wrist companion. Always being easy to read, nice to touch, and comfortable to wear. My first reaction to the C600 line of diver watches from Christopher Ward (a UK based watch brand that specializes in selling its products direct online) was "well that is interesting." A sort of luke warm reaction that meant I recognized that the watch collection was different, but didn't give me that intense "tell me more!" sensation. The moderately sized watches in black came with a trio of dial choices and sat at the top of the Christopher Ward dive watch range. Christopher Ward got one of the C600 Tri-Tech Elite Diver watches to me and my tone changed after testing it out. This is really a classic diver watch with some interesting design cues that are actually more function oriented that style oriented. It reminds me of certain military vehicles that look a bit odd at first, until you appreciate why they look that way. Take for instance those planes with the large "mushroom" radars coming out of them. Or perhaps the A-10 "Warthog" Tank Killer plane. The ubiquitous air to ground offensive plane is a deadly force to be reckoned with but didn't get that "warthog" name from look like a bouquet of flowers. I don't intend to suggest the C600 is unattractive - far from it. But rather that its largely utility minded. Its composition and features are meant to suggest that it is capable of hard duty. The hands are almost whimsically large, and you don't often get that combination of lime green and black on a serious watch. Though the color differences are there for contrast, and you never (ever) lose sight of the hands when trying to read the watch.

Christoper Ward for the review watch

Signed crown, screwdown, well-made threads. You can also see the screws on the strap as well as the brushed case finish. The Lido is brushed throughout, for a low-key appearance. I took this picture to show the polished surfaces of hands and applied markers, and it also hints at the domed and coated crystal. A nice play of light as you move your wrist. The dial is brass with a central guilloche pattern. I'm a big fan of the Christopher Ward brand. I've bought five of their watches since 2006, including a very nice C5 Malvern for my brothers' college graduation. CW makes really nice watches that are stunning values: Swiss made, ETA movements, sapphire crystals with anti-reflective coatings, good lume, excellent straps or bracelets, and under $1,000. The Lido here is 254 pounds for non-EC buyers, which works out to $420 (US Price here). A wonderful deal.

Christopher Ward C20 Lido Automatic Watch Review

Which is fine with me. I've long admired the Ingenieur, but the price is an obstacle, and I actually dislike their bezel - five screw holes? Why not 12, like Christoper Ward did? At least then they're hour markers. Anyway, back to the Lido. The Lido first came out last year in a quartz version, still available and a fine choice for gifts and those not afflicted with the mechanical movement obsession. The C20 model sports the ETA 2836, a solid and impeccable workhorse that's easy to like. Hacking, handwinding, quickset day and date, 38 hour power reserve, topped with a signed screw-down crown. On the back, you have a movement window showing the inner workings. Gilt movement, engraved rotor with Geneva stripes, quite nice for this price point. Echoing the design of the bezel, the caseback has similar holes for an opening tool.

Giveaway: Christopher Ward C60 Trident GMT Watch

I am pretty jealous of who ever will be the winner of this month's giveaway. I have here a Christopher Ward C60 Trident GMT watch for your winning pleasure. The C60 Trident was released in late 2010 and came in a range of flavors. The inspiration behind the C60 Trident collection is the widely beloved (and also British) Bremont Supermarine 500. Not everyone can afford a Supermarine, so the C60 Trident is your next best bet. Christopher Ward also offers the C60 Trident in GMT form, and that is what you can win here. This watch is interesting because it borrows from both the Bremont Supermarine and the famous Rolex GMT Master Pan Am - nick-named the Rolex GMT "Pepsi dial." This Ref. C60-GMT-SRBK watch is in steel and 42mm wide (water resistant to 300 meters). Inside the watch is a Swiss ETA 2893-2 automatic GMT movement. The watch has a rotating GMT bezel and comes on a leather strap. A fantastic looking timepiece and one of the best available from Christopher Ward at this time. The retail price for this Christopher Ward C60 Trident GMT watch is $630. Learn more at Christopher Ward here. For a Chance to win, see below!

Prices for this value rich collection start

Most of the magic is in the dial with those great Supermarine inspired hands and hour markers. Christopher Ward offers its own interpretation on the hands design, and they result in something that is both highly legible and elegant to look at. The icing on the cake is the Christopher Ward trident logo counterweight on the seconds hand. Hands are the right size and for the GMT version there is a GMT hand in red. While the GMT hand is the right length, it is a bit skinny. For those who really want an easy to read second timezone, this GMT hand may be too small. For those who like having a dual time watch but don't want to be inundated with a fourth hand on the dial, this GMT design is a good option. I further like the placement of the date window (and the little frame around it). On the dial is a fair amount of SuperLumiNova (in blue) for excellent darkness viewing. Inside the C60 Trident GMT is a Swiss ETA 2893 automatic GMT movement. For those new to the game, this movement offers an independently adjustable 24 hour hand that allows you either to track your local time in a 24 hour format, or allows you to track a second timezone. Using the rotating bezel, you can technically track a third time zone as well. This is one of the most affordable watches that I know of that contains this movement. By the way, this C60 Trident GMT reference number is C60-GMT-SKWS. When visiting Christopher Ward's website you'll find eleven versions of the watch so far. This includes both GMT and non-GMT models, as well as those with straps or bracelets. You can even get one with a red and blue "Pan Am Pepsi" dial.

The watch comes with either a metal bracelet

For me what is important is the final product. The C60 Trident watches are hardly 1:1 copies of anything. They are merely inspired by some of these other fantastic timepieces. Each of them should be flattered at the attention. At the same time, the Christopher Ward C60 Trident is much less expensive than many of the pieces it borrows influence from. Those seeking an absolutely unique design might take issue, but everyone else should be more than satisfied. The watch comes with either a metal bracelet or alligator printed leather strap. It looks good on either, though dive watch fans will probably opt for the bracelet. Design of the bracelet feel inspired by the Bremont Supermarine, among other watches. It isn't the world's most exciting bracelet in terms of visual design but looks attractive enough. I would have preferred it to be a bit more simple with an entirely polished center link... I think. The bracelet comes with a push-button butterfly clasp. It helps give the bracelet a clean look from the bottom, but I feel that as a more serious dive watch, Christopher Ward should have supplied the C60 Trident GMT with a more traditional fold-over deployment clasp (which would have also potentially allowed for more precise sizing). The case itself is attractively finished with brushed steel on the sides and polished areas on the tops of the lugs. The bezel is bold, and offers a handsome sense of color contrast to all the steel. For this GMT watch you have a 24 hour scale on the uni-directional bezel, but the lume pip remains at the top. I do however prefer that GMT bezels are bi-directional when they rotate. That little feature simply may have been an unnecessary cost as Christopher Ward needs only to replace the bezel on the GMT version versus the standard C60 Trident that has a diver's bezel (which is always uni-directional).

Christopher Ward C60 Trident GMT Watch Review

For me, one of the most hotly anticipated Christopher Ward watches of this year was the C60 Trident and its brother the C60 Trident GMT. Priced well, this family of watches offered a rich classic style, Swiss automatic movement, and intriguing range of styles. I finally got my hands on one so here is the resulting review. A diver's watch in style, the C60 Trident offers the durability of 300 meters of water resistance with a sapphire crystal and nicely made steel case. The case is 42mm wide and feels properly sized in the medium-large class. Additional heft is ensured by the widely spaced lugs. The water resistance rating provides that the AR coated sapphire crystal is 4mm thick and the case itself is 13mm thick. Nevertheless, the C60 Trident feels like a svelte watch on the wrist due to its wide base. Comfort on the wrist is certainly a hallmark of this watch. For inspiration Christopher Ward called on two other timepieces (mainly). These are the fellow Brit brand Bremont, and Rolex (started as a Brit). The C60 Trident line resembles the Bremont Supermarine (which I reviewed here) on the dial (among other areas), while Rolex's GMT Master collection of watches helped guide the GMT elements of the piece. You can see a little bit of Omega for example in the wave textured dial. Is it bad that Christopher Ward is mixing and matching ideas and concepts from other brands? It really depends on how you look at it.

Christopher Ward C8 Pilot Mark II Vintage Watch

If you need a quick pilot watch fix and don't want to shell out four digit amounts on an IWC or something like that, then Christopher Ward's C8 Pilot collection is a good option. Their newest version offers that slick vintage look with a tan strap and tan lume that seems to go equally well with shorts and jeans. This isn't a new watch per se as the C8 has been in Christopher Ward's collection for a bit, but this new version is among the most appealing. The case is sandblasted steel and 44mm wide. I would love to see them offer a PVD black version to offer more of that Bell & Ross BR Vintage 123 look that I find so very sexy. Yea, sexy. Perhaps CW will offer that in the future. The dial of the C8 Pilot Mark II Vintage has both Arabic hour numerals and hour markers. This makes for a very tool-like look and a high degree of legibility. The 12 o'clock hour indicator is applied to keep the dial from looking too flat. This style doesn't emanate excitement at first glance, but is visually neutral and will not stress the eyes after looking at it for a while. Note how Christopher Ward offers their own version of the pilot watch "onion" crown. It sorta of has that look while looking modern and neat. The tan leather strap is a necessary touch, but where are my beloved pilot watch strap rivets? The hands on the dial are pretty much the right size, but can look smaller in certain lights. This is due to the black edge of the hands matching the color of the dial. This is a common issue and I have actually thought a lot about how to resolve it. One idea I have had is to have the black color of the hands a slightly different shade (say a bit more gray) than the dial. Alternatively, the hand edges and dial could have a very different texture or finish - those ideas will likely help the hands stand out more, but still preserve that iconic pilot watch look. One brand that does it pretty well is IWC.

Christopher Ward C9 Harrison Jumping Hour Watch

Christopher Ward really does release a lot of new timepieces each year. A few of them are real winners in my opinion. One of those which is interesting is this new C9 Harrison Jumping Hour watch, which is actually the most expensive watch Christopher Ward has every offered at $1,585. Not for everyone, this is a great piece for those who have been fascinated by jumping hour complications - one of the first types of watches to experiment with digital displays. A jumping hour watch basically has a disc with numerals on it for the hour. This disc "jumps" each hour to show the correct hour digitally. The minutes are still indicated via a traditional analog hand. The idea of this watch is to improve legibility by reducing the confusion that can occur from having two hands to read. The primary feature here is the "jumping" disc which does not slowly move from one hour to another (but rather jumps a whole disc position). For their jumping hour watch Christopher Ward uses a specially modified Swiss ETA 2824-2 automatic with a module they call the JJ001. This means it should work well being based on a reliable work-horse movement. Under the guilloche machine engraved dial sits a large disc that displays the hour indicators using Roman numerals - you usually don't see that as they are often done with Arabic numerals.

Christopher Ward C11 MSL MK1 Automatic Watch

I've been a fan of Christopher Ward for a long time. They were one of the first high-value brands I discovered, and a wonderful introduction to fine watches. It has been a pleasure to watch their style develop and evolve, which is to say that I had a lot of anticipation going when I opened the box for their newest model, the C11 automatic. According to their catalog, the design team went through 30 to 40 iterations, trying to create a watch with the look and clarity of an aircraft altimeter in a wearable form. The result, a squared-off complex shape with decorative screws and some subtle details, is a real eye-catcher. You can see the aspects they were shooting for: the shape of the hands, the high contrast, and more subtly, the 'bug' marker at 3 o'clock and the shape of the crown. Look closely, and you'll see they used diagonal-cut knurling on the 7.4mm crown, which combine for suburb ease of adjustment.

Dual Tow for his company's 20th anniversary

The movement is manually wound with a tourbillon escapement seen at the bottom of the face. As some watches focus on featuring a tourbillon as the most complex feature, the Dual Tow does not. The tourbillon just sort of placidly sits there, minding its own business... being complex and understated. The star of the dial from a technical standpoint is the planetary gear array that controls the chronograph. Like a many armed Indian God, the gear system presses multiple points at once. Claret meant to poke not only your visual interest, but at each press of the pusher, you hear a "chime." Claret's most classic talent is in minute repeaters. So the man knows a good gong and hammer show. On the rear of the watch you'll see a hammer at the top of it with a thin pieces of blue steel like a wire going around the circumference of the movement like it was an internal antenna. That thin piece of steel is the gong, and needs to be relatively rigid and not touching anything else save for the base to make sound necessary to have a deep little chime. This mechanism is one of the other things activated when you press the chronograph pusher. The concept is the same as when you get a beep each time you press a button on your mobile phone. Attention to detail all over the watch is fantastic. The hour markers around the dial are jewels that match the color theme of the watch. Here they are sapphires. The movement decoration, finishing and detail of the case, everything is amazing. Another example is that the strap ends where the butterfly deployment attached has a spring mechanism that gives about 1-2mm of pull. Why? Just to make sure the watch strap stays comfy if your wrist expands when you clench your first. Just like stretchy pants.

The gold rectangular square sits over my entire wrist

The name comes from the two rubber belts that are constantly moving to show the time (not jumping). The effect is pretty cool and you can read the time through metal windows. I am a bit concerned about the use of rubber (though I am not sure what other type of material would have sufficed). The reason being that rubber with degrade over a short amount of time as it is always moving. I expect the Dual Tow to require servicing each 1-3 years, whereby among other things, the belts will be replaced. The rollers and structures that they are built on are very interesting. Looking into the movement you see an impossible wonderment of tiny details that boggle your mind with logistical questions on how it was all made. The thin sapphire bridge that connects the chronograph dials (and where the dials themselves are printed) is made on some manner of secret machine. One of the reasons you pay about a half million dollars for a watch like this is because no one else in the world can replicate it. The Dual Tow is a big watch. The gold rectangular square sits over my entire wrist. It would look more odd if it were not curved. The entire case is richly curved, as well as a few of the sapphire crystals on the watch. The sides ones are impressive to gaze through. You can see that the machinery inside the watch is complex, like a little world. A micro mega machine that brings back a child-like sense of disbelief. Though you can't afford the watch on any adolescent allowance. Claret has a very classic sense of aesthetics when it comes to making movements though he is quite advanced in his execution. My opinion is that the man is heavily influenced by classic pocket watch design. The sort of watch making where a plate is like a canvas - and the machine is built on top of it. This is very much how the French design watch movements. The Swiss are a bit different incorporating the machine with what is holding it together. I see Claret's work like a combination between watch making and architecture. He is as concerned with the visual design and symmetry of the watch, as he is with making it work. He doesn't do the testing that the Germans do, and he does not indulge a sense of efficiency like the Japanese. He is of course an artist, not a bean counter.

Christophe Claret Dual Tow Watch Experience

If you aren't familiar with this watch, it will take a while to explain. Being the first "Christophe Claret" branded watch to come out of the genius' watch shop, Christophe felt the need to sacrifice nothing when making his half million dollar wonder watch. It needed to epitomize the technological sophistication the Claret shop watch capable of, as well as giving the luxury watch loving world something totally different. The watch shows the time on two rubber belts. Has a monopusher chronograph, a flying tourbillon, and a hammer and gong that chimes each time you press the chronograph pusher. While these are the function, the construction, complexity of the movement, and over all design are "other worldly." I've never see anything like this. Claret is also known for making movement for brands such as Jean Dunand and Maitres du Temps. If you want to have an impressive $100,000 plus watch, Claret is the man to go to. Check out an article I did about the Christophe Claret Dual Tow watch here on Luxist.com. There you will get the basics. Let me say again that Claret is making the limited edition watch customizable. The website configurator for the watch allows you to choose all sorts of personalized materials and colors. The watch further comes with an alligator and rubber strap. I don't want this article to be filled with numbers and figures. My other articles or Claret's website will tell you the little details. I want to share with you what it is like to wear, operate, and look at the Dual Tow watch.

Andre Checa Designs Most Hideous Watch Case This Year

This is the ugliest watch case I think I have personally ever seen. What is so ironic is that the watch movement and dial itself are just fine, and totally mismatched with the watch case. This timepiece gets a "Fraggle Rock's Finest Award" for most cartoon rock formation style watch ever. What was Andre Checa thinking when he designed this watch? He was likely watching episodes of old Jim Henson Muppet television shows or movies. I get the watch, I just don't like it. This is another "home run" design from the radical French artist.You might remember the first quizzical creation of his that I discussed here (that he made as a piece unique for Romain Jerome). The watch movement is made by the very well respected Christophe Claret - a maker of highly complex and beautiful watch movement. This timepiece (that I am not sure if it has a name) has a beautifully skeletonized movement, that has a tourbillon, and just the time as functions (Claret rarely makes movements this "simple"). In addition to the high level of decoration, the inner bezel is lined with large diamonds. More diamonds can be found in other parts of the movement. Operating the manually would movement is done with a crown that looks like a piece of rock, sticking out of more rock. Andre Checa recently displayed this watch at the Belles Montres ("Beautiful Watches?" Wow... creative name there) expo in France recently. The watch was a piece unique (of course), meaning that only one was made. I wish I had the name for it. I personally would call it "Turd Vert." The case is meant to be a... well rock, and the strap is meant to be covered in "grass," which is actually green colored mink fur. Nice and animal friendly there. Way to take a nature inspired watch, and effectively make it anti nature. Some might even call this watch a "crime against nature!" Or at least against good taste. How does Christophe Claret himself feel to have a movement of his inside this eye-sore.

The main dial for the watch is used for the chronograph

The main dial for the watch is used for the chronograph seconds hand, and has a flange (in ceramic) with indicators. There are customizable precious stones placed at the "hour indicator" spots on the flange as well. In the bottom image they are likely black diamonds or sapphires. You'll notice that the watch below and on the wrist of Mr. Claret are a bit different. This is due to the customization options the watch has. Claret prefers some white in his dark watch. So you have light colored stones around the dial, white rubber belts, and some white inserts in the crown and pusher. Looks pretty cool to me. Another little change from the original Dual Tow to the NightEagle is the style of the tourbillon. The bridge now has Claret's double C motif. Both watches are mechanically the same, but the NightEagle has enough cosmetic changes to make it different. I have a feeling the NightEagle will cost even more than the original - especially given the hard to make sapphire bridges in the dial. At the same time, the original is available with a gold case, while the NightEagle is in titanium. Either way, the prices are massive (in the half million dollar range), so if you are eager to get involved in getting one, ten thousand dollars here, or ten thousand dollars there isn't likely going to perturb you. For me, I was excited to meet Christophe Claret and check out his new cool toy.

Christophe Claret Dual Tow NightEagle Watch

I am like the watch paparazzi sometimes. Look what I saw being worn on the wrist of Christophe Claret, the very man who created this watch, and the name on the dial. How cool is that. Master watch maker Christophe Claret waited until last year to put his name on a watch with the Dual Tow, an incredibly impressive luxury watch that I discussed here. The vast details that make this watch interesting I attempted to cover there. There is no point in my spending an hour discussing the complex features and technical merits of the Dual Tow. The watch is a monopusher chronograph with a complex planetary gear system (that you can see), a chime that goes along with pushing the button (using a hammer and gong), a tourbillon, and the time read on rubber belts. All in an amazing watch case fit for a king - and with the price that these custom made limited edition pieces go for, pretty much only fit for a king. The standard Dual Tow watches start via customization on a special website where you choose the look. For 2010 the Dual Tow (DualTow, not ever sure about it being one or two words), gets the "NightEagle" treatment. A dark case, new style on the rubber belt indicators, and tinted sapphire bridges over the dial. Essentially, there are sapphire plates (cut to look like parts of a stealth aircraft) sandwiched over the movement and the top sapphire crystal. The bridges have a purplish tint to them, and cover most of the movement (that was exposed in the standard Dual Tow watch). Time is read in the open sections over the belts. You need to look a bit closely to read the time, bu you can understand it pretty easily as it is digital. The font on the rubber belts now looks like that on a digital LCD screen - part of Claret's vision of combing modern pieces of technology and convenience with luxury mechanical watch making. The complex case is in PVD titanium and made to fit ergonomically on your wrist - which it does. The case is all made in-house by Claret, which is the same with the movement of course. The strap on the watch is actually leather, though it looks like rubber. Just an interesting way of finishing the leather I suppose. Attached to the strap is one of the coolest buckles you will ever see - which has some interesting ergonomic features, and the ability to have a 10mm "comfort extension." The case is large though wearable, at 42.75mm wide and 48.20mm tall. It is water resistant to 30 meters.

The roulette wheel spins as it is the automatic rotor

It is however the game of blackjack that will really get people excited about the 21 Blackjack watch. The system offers a total of 884,736 game play combinations. Or as Christophe Claret puts it, "884,736 ways to win or lose." The basic rules of the house are displayed in the dial of the watch. The dealer must hit on 16 and stay on 17. All of the "cards" are located on a series of printed solid gold discs under the smoked sapphire dial. Playing blackjack is done via a few simple pushers on the left of the case. There are pushers to deal, and hit for either the player or the dealer (the watch). Each time you "hit," a chiming mechanism (similar to that on a minute repeater) using a hammer and gong sounds like you are starting a boxing match. As I said before, the hammer (that is labeled with "Hit") is visible through a window on the side of the case. All Christophe Claret watches involve some manner of chiming element to them as hammer and gongs are one of his signature complications. The watch is really incredible and I can't wait to play with it. No matter how many times you play blackjack on the 21 Blackjack watch - you are only out the 178,000 to 210,000 Swiss Francs the watch cost to own in the first place.

The most basic of the three casino games is dice

First the case and housing. The watch is 45mm wide and available in a few material combinations. All models have titanium that is mixed with either more titanium, 18k white or pink gold, or platinum. I believe there are five total combinations, which means that Claret will build a maximum of 105 of these timepieces (to be made over the years). By the way, on the PVD black titanium and 18k rose gold mode, the hands on the dial are not ruby edged, but black ceramic edged (with gold in the center). The case is fascinating, but not Claret's most unique. It is however a very proper design to go with the theme. There are four sapphire crystals on the case. One over the dial, another over the caseback, and two on the side for the dice and the hammer and gongs window. 30 meters of water resistance too! On the back of the watch is a roulette wheel. It is actually part of the automatic winding mechanism in the in-house made and designed Christophe Claret Calibre BLJ08 (which co-host John Biggs and I made famous in episode 58 of the HourTime Show podcast). The automatic movement has a frequency of 28,800 bph and a power reserve of 72 hours. It is made of 501 components and the discs for the blackjack game are done in solid gold on ceramic ball bearings (for low friction). Don't forget, it tells the time too. The roulette wheel spins as it is the automatic rotor, but here is a little different. The rotor has a minor stop mechanism to stop to a halt in one of the fixed positions when it loses momentum. This causes the little arrow (versus a ball) to stop at a specific spot on the roulette wheel scale. Don't miss the set green emerald on the rear of the case above 17 between the engraved "Lucky Number" statement. I guess 17 is someone's lucky number. I think the roulette wheel detailing is gorgeous, and Claret's integration of it with the automatic winding system is not only efficient, but also clever.

Christophe Claret 21 Blackjack Watch Revealed

A new video just released by Christophe Claret finally shows the entire upcoming 21 Blackjack watch - and it is in full action. So I should probably take this opportunity to debut the watch to you. You are gonna love this one. This latest wild wonder watch by master watch maker Christophe Claret is imbued with three different casino games, and you can play blackjack with it, as the watch as the dealer. It also lets you play roulette and dice. I first wrote about the Christophe Claret 21 Blackjack watch here with more information on just how excited you should be (and why you can't likely afford it). Now for the full scoop. Once I get my hands on it I will get your minds dirty with Christophe Claret watch porn. The 21 Blackjack is the third watch to bear the Christophe Claret name - as his past involved being the "inside guy," making movement for other brands. First was the Dual Tow from 2010, then the Adagio from 2011, and now the 21 Blackjack also for 2011. The spectacular "gamer's" watch will be part of a limited edition of 21 per version set, and have a six figure price (that specifically is below). When Claret does something, he does it his way. You can also hear Casino voice favorite Frank Sinatra singing in the background as you watch this timepiece operate and image Claret at the watch makers desk. This watch is a toy, a game for big boys, and a masterpiece among Claret's micro mechanical and manufacturing achievements. How cool are those hands edged in synthetic ruby?

Christophe Claret 21 Blackjack Watch

One of the watches that I was most eager to get my hands on at Baselworld 2011 was Christophe Claret's new 21 Blackjack masterpiece. Having previewed the 21 Blackjack watch and understanding all of its three gambling game functions, I was eager to see the master watchmaker's work in real life. For the first time, a single watch could play blackjack, dice, and roulette - not to mention that this is the first watch ever that could play blackjack. The design of the watch is polarizing, however, some felt that the design left a bit to be desired given Claret's usual intense attention to refinement. It is true that the 21 Blackjack watch is a very different Claret timepiece but I think it satisfies its mission well. That mission of being a showpiece, a plaything, and a casino floor toy. A watch like this isn't meant to look elegant and timeless, it is meant to draw attention - just as casino games do - for better or worse. I like the watch, especially the hands. I eagerly wanted to see those synthetic ruby lined hands. There are actually two options, the hands seen here in red, and onyx hands on the gold version. Christophe Claret took the same type of synthetic ruby material used in mechanical watch movements and made it into parts of the hands. The results are broad, determined looking hands with a bright red edging. I love them. The rest of the dial is all dedicated to the Blackjack game. The face is smoked sapphire crystal with windows showing the cards. The only semi-cheesy part is how it wants very much to be a blackjack table and the (slightly unnecessary to be constantly seen) "Dealer must draw on 16 and stand on all 17" plaque prominently placed on the face.

To achieve this upside down lens effect

The next step in the evolution of the date window magnifier was very clever, and almost seems obvious given the result. Watch makers took the magnifier lens and placed it upside down on the bottom of the crystal, as opposed to on the top. By reversing the lens, to magnify in this new direction, the same effect is achieved without the bump on top of the crystal. You can see this feature on some of the more expensive watches. A few notable ones are the Zenith Defy series, the Louis Vuitton Tambour line, and the Chopard Mille Miglia line of watch models. This upside down magnifier lens feature is not limited to these models, and should be found on a number of newer watches. As time goes on, these new types of lenses are sure to appear on less expensive models. To achieve this upside down lens effect, there must be enough clearance between the face of the watch, and the crystal. With the trend in watches being larger in size, this is often not an issue, and the upside down lens is actually a bit smaller than would be needed on top of the crystal. Needless to say, this feature is very clever, and works wonderfully in providing the best of both worlds to those of us who want a clean looking watch that is visually convenient.

Clever Method Of Placing A Magnifier Lens

It was probably Rolex that pioneered the use of a magnification lens on a watch's crystal over the date to enhance the wearer's ability to see the date. They were most likely to first to use this technique although it is unclear whether they invented the concept. Since Rolex starting using magnifier lenses, it has been a controversial watch feature. While most people don't need the magnification lens (sometimes called a "cyclops") to read the date, it is a nice addition to have when you want to know the date at a glance. And for some people, the date is just too small to be read without squinting. Rolex put the magnifier lens on the Submariner (not Sea Dweller model) watches and the Datejust models (among other Rolex watch models). The placement of the date and magnifier was specifically chosen where it is, because if wearing a watch on your left hand, it was the first part of the watch that emerged from your sleeve, allowing quick reference to the date. Virtually all the Rolex clone models started to copy this design feature as it was an integral characteristic of the watches. Magnifier lenses are not without their drawbacks. Many people do not like them for two reasons. First, is that they tend to attract scratches and blemishes. Being raised up from the otherwise flat crystal, the lens bump simply had more opportunity to rub against things. Second, lots of people simply do not like them from an aesthetic point of view. It is true that the magnifier lens can detract from the symmetry of a watch, and look odd while looking at the watch's side profile. In response to this, lots of people started to have magnifier lens removed through various types of customization, and watch makers ended up making models with and without the magnifier lenses. So consumers had two options, either go with a cleaner looks or have a date indicator that is easier to see.

Chopard L.U.C. XP Ultra-Slim Watch

Slim watches are very chic right now. The diminutive profile on your wrist keeps the watch barley noticeable by the wearer. As fas as slim watches go, anything under 8mm tall on your wrist is considered very thin for a mechanical watch. Quartz watch slimness on the other hand... well that is another story. The Chopard L.U.C. XP Ultra-Slim has a lot going for it. The "flat on your wrist" watch houses a splendid, just over 3mm high, Chopard in-house L.U.C. automatic movement with a power reserve of 70 hours. Such a long power reserve in this thin watch is achieved through having two (basically flattened) barrels. The 3.3mm of the movement is very slim for an automatic movement because of the added space the rotor requires over a manually wound movement. The watch itself is only 6.8mm high, and about 39.5mm wide. Next, the L.U.C. XP has that beautifully "size-less" look to it. Meaning that you could blow it up to the size of a wall, or evening building clock, and it would look good. Here you can have very bold handsome looks on your wrist with a timeless design. The new color for this Basel World is the slate gray face, with a rose gold (or steel) case. This should prove to be the favored classy watch among many for the right types of events. Unlike most slim mechanical watches, the Chopard L.U.C. is an automatic, which alleviates the need to constantly self wind the watch. Thus you can place the watch on your winder and be sure that it will be ready for use whenever you need.

Chopard also just released the Speed Black Chronograph

Not to seem staid, Chopard also just released the Speed Black Chronograph. Part of the larger Mille Miglia Gran Turismo collection, this future racing watch takes styling cues from the existing line of the Gran Turismo watches, along with super expensive racing watches such as Richard Mille (average watch is about $80,000). A while ago, I predicted that Swiss watches were going to start emulating the Japanese by using DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) coating on their watch cases. Companies like Ball, and now Chopard are fulfilling my prediction by using the sophisticated coating technique to add quality to their watches. DLC coating is a virtually unscratchable coating that adds a dark sheen to surfaces. Used for a few years of such watches as the Casio MR-G line, the Swiss waiting until it was a proven technique, and now they are emulating it. It goes without saying that the Chopard Speed Black Chronograph has a DLC coated case. Style wise, the Speed Black Chronograph is interesting. A cluttered design is likely meant to reminisce contemporary dashboards, will hearkening to the machine soul of every car. Fonts used are technical in appearance, and the raised boarders on the chronograph registers give the watch a more three dimensional and layered look. Use of an upside down cyclops crystal is an excellent way to have a flat surface while providing date magnification (the magnifier is located inside the watch, rather than on top of it). Also placed on the inside of the crystal are stenciled "12" and "6" indicators (just as used on most Richard Mille watches). This a modern approach, and I have yet to determine whether I like it. Regardless, it does make for a more eye catching design, and again, enhances the layered look of the watch face. Like the Gran Prix de Monaco Historique, the Speed Black Chronograph embodies a Valjoux 7750 movement and is a certified Chronometer. Right now, the Speed Black Chronograph is part of a 1000 piece limited edition, and I imagine they will go fact. The watch also has my favorite feature of any Mille Miglia watch, that being the tire tread strap. Chopard still does this the best, using a pattern taken from 1960's Dunlop racing tires (obviously not ultra-slicks). Such straps just look superbly cool sitting on your wrist. Always a good idea. Figure prices to be a bit higher, perhaps in the $5000 - $6000 range.

Future With Two New Mille Miglia Styled Watches

The Mille Miglia line of watches is likely to be Chopard's best selling men's line. The broad model line continues to evolve over the years, but maintains a wonderful following due to highly recognizable looks. A few years ago, beginning with the XL line of models, the Mille Miglia line began to grow up, literally and stylistically. The XL line is bigger and more futuristic in its representation of racing watches. Regardless, Chopard has always been dedicated to classic looks, and maintains a strong foothold in tradition. Two new watches point in both chronological directions. The first is not technically part of the Mille Miglia line, but aesthetically it cannot be removed. The Chopard Grad Prix de Monaco Historique 2008 watch in steel is a new production watch, with a rose gold limited edition of 500 pieces, and is an homage to the Monaco Automobile Club. Looking at the watch, one can immediately recognize the Mille Miglia underneath the classically styled watch. Use of dark circles in the upper and lower registers give the watch a bicompax look, which preserving the functionality of the watch's Valjoux 7750 movement inside by maintaining the third register (which keeps color of the rest of the dial). The watch is a comfortable everyday wear, having good legibility and chronometer accuracy. While difficult to tell in the picture, the leather strap features a porthole design placing large open circles in the strap. This is mostly stylistic, but helps reduce sweat a bit. Sized at 42.5mm, the case is acceptably large, without going in to XL territory. Around the bezel lays the necessary tachometer (also spelled tachymeter; and is for a racing watch), but here it is largely decorative. While it can easily be used with the chronograph, in my opinion it is placed a bit too far from the chronograph seconds hand to be read easily; minor quibble. Aside from that, the large red arrow at the tip of the chronograph seconds hand is a delight. Adding a nice sense of color to the otherwise sober looking watch. I think you will agree that this is a purely classic racing watch. Perhaps not innovative in its interpretation of the past, but it really does not need to be. The audience this watch is aimed for will appreciate its nice lines, and historic appeal. I imagine pricing to be in the $3000 range for the steel version.

Six Professionals That Tend To Be Watch Lovers

Enjoying watches is typically not a solo activity. Watch lovers like myself feel the need constantly discuss or mentions watches, much to the dismay of non-watch lovers. But when you meet a fellow horological enthusiast, the conversation quickly becomes lively as shared interests intermingle. In my time I have realized that certain types of people tend to like watches more than others. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but represents six professions that tend to attract a watch loving bunch. Though it could also easily be suggested that entrance into the profession itself engenders a new appreciation that all the while lay dormant. Myself being in this group I felt it prudent to mention first. Lawyers comes in all varieties but one thing all lawyers (should) have in common is a distinct attention to detail. We also value items of inherent value, and reliability. Accuracy is another characteristic that lawyers value, and coincidentally enough, these are the same values that many watch makers attempt to imbue their watches with (at least from a marketing standpoint). There is also the showmanship of being an attorney, and regardless of an attorney's area of practice, it is important for them to make a stand. For this reason an attorney needs a high quality timepiece that communicates purpose and strength when seen by observers. Good brands for the successful attorney are Rolex, Roger Dubuis, Piaget, Sinn, Breguet, A. Lange Sohne, Franck Muller and many others. I can easily say that many attorney's I have met either have a nice watch, are interested in watch making, or are plain watch fanatics. Lawyers tend to covet well know brands, but that does not encompass every watch a lawyer may like. There are even those lawyers who prefer very low end watches, especially when meeting with client or speaking to a jury in order to allow them to better blend in and appeal to the lay person. Overall you'll be hard pressed to find a lawyer that doesn't wear a watch, or have idle interest in the one(s) they have.

The Super Avenger Blacksteel is a large and heavy watch

Look closely at the chronograph pusher buttons, which are protected by castle like crenelation. Really nice and tough looking. the crown itself is well protected and grooved for each of use. Then you have the standard Breitling rotating bezel that couldn't look more at home than on this watch. Next is the military stencil font used for the numbering which again, is so aptly executed. The watch works so well from a design perspective, you just seem to take it for granted. Of course, there is the Breitling chronometer certified movement (Breitling caliber 13) inside that you can also take for granted in terms of accuracy and reliability. The Super Avenger Blacksteel is a large and heavy watch, which is probably why it is on a rubber strap. I don't mind the weight and would prefer it on a steel bracelet with the same tone. This is likely available, knowing how much Breitling likes to provide options to its customers. Actually their pricing tends to reflect a separate price for the bracelet and "body." So if you want an everlasting tribute to manliness in your watch collection, and you like the Breitling style, the Super Avenger Blacksteel chronograph watch is the way to go.

The New Breitling Super Avenger Blacksteel Chronograph

It is funny how sometimes one watch can epitomize a theme. Breitling watches are known to most people who know anything at all about watches, but think about what they actually mean to you. You probably thing "professional" watch, or "pilot" watch, but what does any of that really mean? Well a large part of it is Breitlings clever advertising, which has gone to great efforts to make the Breitling name synonymous with Swiss rugged watches. When it comes down to it, they have ingrained themselves as being part of the essence of masculine watches, with so much being compared to them. In a sense, I have always felt that Omega (part of the Swatch Group) and Breitling have been head to head battling for the standard "nice" man's watch. Well, sometimes a watch comes out that just epitomizes a brand, and a theme; like started saying earlier. It really sums up most of what a brand is trying to be. Here, I am suggesting that the Super Avenger Blacksteel chronograph includes most of what Breitling wants to be known for. However, conspicuously missing is the complex slide rule bezel! You have a automatic mechanical chronograph movement, inside of a very large (48mm) black steel case. The black coating is a exotic carbon nitride-based movement, which is even more rugged than PVD.

Chopard has done an excellent job with this

Then you have something which takes an icon of a watch, and places a feminine twist on it, and adds to the sparkle factor of course. Perrelet is know to place a rotor on the inside of the watch dial. The rotor is part of the automatic movement which winds the watch. This way people can view the movement of the rotor which is usually hidden in the back of the watch. Cleverly, Perrelet has altered the rotor to appear like a diamond covered flower. The Diamond Flower watch is really beautiful in look and execution, and even has a rare sportiness associated with it. Probably because it is on a rubber strap, but that can always be changed. This is among the most attractive Perrelet watches available. The watch is 38mm, has an automatic mechanical movement (of course), and different colors and materials options are available. Each of these watches are undeniably feminine, and obviously luxury watches with prices of $5,000 plus. There is a growing subset of the luxury market that places less emphasis on formality and more on whimsy and visual interest. They are all worth checking out.

Then you have something which takes an icon of a watch

The watches can be attained in either white or rose gold, and in 32mm or 38mm sizes. Inside is a quartz movement in a thin profile. Differing amounts of diamonds can be placed on the watches depending the severity of the sparkle factor (see, I used the term) that you wish for. Of course, the clover charm that revolves freely has diamonds on it, and that is the best part. This is a great pick for any woman. Then you have what I consider to be one of the first 'whimsy' luxury watches that might have began the 'movement' trend in luxury women's watches. I am speaking of the Chopard Happy Diamonds, and all the derivatives that came after it. This proved to be a very popular watch for Chopard with an endless amount of colors, sizes, and styles. What they all have in common are gold cases diamond studs that move freely in a compartment sandwiched between two sapphire crystals above the dial. While the effect hindered one's view of the time, it was an interesting novelty that many adoring fans still covet today. Chopard has done an excellent job with this, and it is still one of their best sellers.

Three Luxury Women Watches With Real Movement

...Watch movement.... No, I don't just mean the watch movement that powers the watch. I mean something about these watches literally 'moves' in a playful sense to add interest and novelty to that watch. Men's watches don't really have things that just flail about, but women's watches are meant to attract attention, both from the wearer, and her audience. You'll notice that these three watches heavily feature the use of diamonds. Well women do like diamonds, but there is another reason. Not to sound remedial, but people like diamonds because they shine. The shine comes from light refracting off the various flat planes on the cut gem. When you are inspecting a diamond, you gently turn it in the light to admire its sparkle. Using this same concept, the designers of these three watches specifically places diamonds on the moving parts so as to enhance the sparkle factor. I do hope that "sparkle factor" now becomes an industry terms. The first watch is a new release from Van Cleef & Arpels. The wonderful (and wonderfully expensive) French based brand never fails to release strikingly beautiful timepieces and jewelry. Their newest line are the "Charms" watch models, and are really something nice for the ladies. The round faced watches feature simply faces with a symbolic reminder of Van Cleef & Arpels clover shaped watches in the middle of the dial. The straps of the watch are interchangeable satin with leather. So you can choose different colors. You'll notice around the outside of the bezel is a little diamond covered charm. It is attached to a free moving ring that runs around the circumference of the watch with gravity powering it.

Look for the Chopard L.U.C Louis Ulysse Tribute watches

You can see that the strap is connected to a polished metal cradle. Without this segment the LUC Louis Ulysee is a pocket watch (not sure if it comes with a chain). Not only can you insert the watch into the cradle to make it a wrist watch, but this process is supposed to be incredible easy and fast. Alas. all you need to do is slide the watch into the cradle, and tighten the lock on the back of the watch. This should also create a snug, wiggle free fit. For added security you can loop a small buckle through the crown guard attaching it to the cradle in another way. The strap it self is in alligator. With its appealing looks, finely made movement, and convertible nature as being able to be both a wrist watch and a pocket watch, I don't see why Chopard should have too much trouble ending up "sold out" of the 150 limited edition pieces of this watch. Look for the Chopard L.U.C Louis Ulysse Tribute watches soon.

Chopard L.U.C Louis Ulysse Tribute Convertible Watch

The idea of taking a wrist watch and transforming it into a pocket is less common than the other way around. Having a piece that can go back and forth between wrist watch and pocket watch is much rarer still. Sure it is a novelty, but I think it is one that Chopard executes rather nicely in the case of their new L.U.C Louis Ulysse watch. L.U.C (I am just going to write LUC for brevity) labeled watches in the Chopard line as those that have their in-house made movements. At least this is my understanding. LUC might even stand for Louis Ulysse Chopard, not 100% clear on this. Well nevertheless, this piece is a direct tribute to the man. The watch begins with a new manually wound pocket watch movement. The movement design is actually apparently further intended to be used by watch making students at the Geneva Watchmaking school. The idea is that for the student's final projects, they will make one of these movement. Nothing created by mere students has been fitted into any of the 150 pieces of the LUC Louis Ulysse Tribute watch. This of these as "master copies." While the movement is pretty simple in form and function, it is COSC Chronometer certified (meaning that it is accurate), and has the prestigious Seal of Geneva placed on it - indicating that it was made within the Caton of Geneva and with certain decor standards.You can see the movement at all times through the sapphire caseback window of the watch. At over 49mm wide, the watch is pretty big (but then again it is supposed to be a pocket watch as well. The case is done in 18k white gold and polished and satin finished. The design of the case is not exactly vintage, but not exactly modern either. It has some semblances of the art deco, but I don't think it is that. Perhaps there is an addition style option that I am not familiar with. Though regardless, I like the angle crown guard, thin bezel, and wide sized dial. The face is probably enamel, with beautiful hour indicators and a dash of red. It really looks like a vintage instrument dial. Chopard opted to go with a very interesting choice of hands. They appear a bit similiar to other Chopard pieces, but on nothing this classic looking.

Chopard Mille Miglia Watch Flavors For 2010

Like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore or Hublot Big Bang, the Chopard Mille Miglia is a constant force of consistency, which little changes each year to help spice up a core collection timepiece that hopes to find a delicious new flavor to tempt you. It is like you know you enjoy ice cream, but are sick of chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry. So in this case, with the Mille Miglia, Chopard offers up potentially tasty new flavors to re-enliven your interest. 2010 first sees two new limited edition models with the Chopard Mille Miglia XL GT Chrono 2010, which is limited to 2010 pieces (imagine that), and the new Chopard Mille Miglia Grand Prix de Monaco Historique Chronograph 2010 - a new version of a Monaco tribute watch limited to 250 pieces in rose gold, with the steel version being a new edition to the overall collection (until they discontinue it down the line). Both watches are pleasing to the eye, fun, and fashionable. Yes, fashionable. Like Cartier's lower-end (still not very low end), Chopard Mille Miglia watches are fashion timepieces. That doesn't mean they are bad, but don't confuse them for haute horlogerie. The watches are meant to function well yes, but moreover, be beautiful and look cool. Playing with colors, materials, etc... Chopard has made the Mille Miglia collection a real men's accessory item. Again, that isn't at all bad in my opinion, but you don't want to confuse these watches with the interesting Chopard L.U.C watches with in-house movements and more high-end character. Though to many, these watch at prices of about $8,000 and up for the gold versions are pretty high-end already. My fav is the "for no reason rather than it is a new year" limited edition Mille Miglia GL XL Chrono 2010 with its pretty perlage polished metal dial and larger 44mm wide steel case. Inside both watches is a base Swiss ETA 7750 automatic chronograph movement with custom Chopard engraved rotors. The movements are both COSC Chronometer certified. Mille Miglia dials have always been relatively clear. The 2010 GL XL Chrono doesn't stray from that too much. The perlage dial has applied hour markers (with lume), and easy to spot hands and subsidiary chronograph dials. Certainly a very masculine timepiece that few men can say without a doubt that they would not proudly wear. Though I could easily do without the "12" and "6" numerals applied to the sapphire crystal. Of course it has the typical Mille Miglia porthole leather strap (alternative is always the 1960s Dunlop tire tread rubber strap).

Birdman is not quite about the fact that the watch

What Elton John and rappers have in common is a taste for the highly ostentatious. This very large 18k white gold watch is totally covered in diamonds with an alligator strap and moving "$" motif and diamonds set in white gold sandwiched in the dial between two sapphire crystals. Is wearing a large dollar sign that moves around freely on a watch dial good taste? Oh god no. If you want to show people that in defiance of all things good taste "you've made it," then this here is the timepiece for you. Note the underbelly of the watch with the exposed automatic movement. It doesn't even appear to have much decoration. That is likely due to the fact that this audience simply perhaps isn't trained (for the most part) to appreciate movements. Though I could be wrong and the movement plate is covered with diamonds! The movement is more than likely a base Swiss ETA. Telling the time is not exactly el primero on the list of important things to do while wearing the watch. And of the design of the watch? Well really, what can I say. It is what it is. Blingy, showing, large, full of angles to show off the diamonds. It has a sort of rugged masculinity to it, and feels as unpolished as the people wearing it. A bit like the opposite of elegant. Though given the chance, you'd totally wear it around for a day. "Straight from overseas," exclaims Birdman. Referring to his joy that this watch is foreign. While not necessarily the case today, there is an aging sentiment that "nice things" from foreign places are "nicer." Today most of our things are from China or other places overseas. Actually in many instances I would prefer things made in the US if possible. Sure Birdman could have used the term "from Switzerland," but his actual terminology was more telling of the mentality of this sport of buyer.

Rapper Birdman And His $1.5 Million Chopard Diamond Watch

"This might be the best piece of art y'all have," says rapper Birdman (aka,"Baby," aka Brian Williams) in regard to a diamond encrusted Chopard watch that he is receiving for the first time in the above video. Taken last summer (I believe), you have an intimate look at the mentality and desires of this type of high-profile timepiece buyer. Aside from being extremely amused by the interaction, I am quite fascinated by the whole thing. Birdman is considered to be the second most wealthy rapper in history behind Jay-Z. A lot of his money came not only from performances and record sales, but also lucrative business deals with other record companies as well as his own record company "Cash Money Records." 41 years old in 2010, Birdman is known for having a distinct love of fine things and in many sense epitomizing the "rapper ideal." His music often promotes unrestrained spending of money, as well as exaggeratingly lavish lifestyles. Listen carefully to his thoughts on the watch after buying it. While Birdman is almost always seen with a watch, he is clearly not a seasoned watch expert. His two major concerns for the watch are this it is heavy, be very blingy, be foreign, and have exclusivity. He almost balks at the notion that the watch he had specially made for himself is not unique. It isn't. One other watch like this exists and is owned by Elton John. John, another well-known watch lover has had various partnerships with Chopard. There is an Elton John line of Chopard timepieces (ironically mostly for women), and then there are items like this.

Chopard L.U.C XPS Watch Available On James List

At the 2011 Oscars, best actor Colin Firth was wearing a Chopard L.U.C XPS watch - could you ask for a classier tuxedo watch? The L.U.C XPS of this type first came out in 2009, and if it were not for the "Chopard" name, I would think it was a Dell computer. This is also one of Chopard's answers to the thin elegant watch question. The L.U.C XPS has a Chopard L.U.C 12.96 automatic movement and is still just 7.13mm thick. While Chopard offers the watch in 18k rose or white gold, it is really the white gold version with the black dial that you want. The thin bezel makes the 39.50mm wide case feel larger than it is, and the alligator strap adds a bit of glossy luxury on the wrist. Chopard designed the dial to be minimalistic but highly functional. It is like a dressy version of what Panerai design is going for. One version of the dial has the time with subsidiary seconds dial using dauphine hands, matched to a mixture of baton hour markers with stylized Roman numeral hour markers. Dauphine hands always look stellar on minimalist dials. At the 2011 Oscars, best actor Colin Firth was wearing a Chopard L.U.C XPS watch - could you ask for a classier tuxedo watch? The L.U.C XPS of this type first came out in 2009, and if it were not for the "Chopard" name, I would think it was a Dell computer. This is also one of Chopard's answers to the thin elegant watch question. The L.U.C XPS has a Chopard L.U.C 12.96 automatic movement and is still just 7.13mm thick. While Chopard offers the watch in 18k rose or white gold, it is really the white gold version with the black dial that you want. The thin bezel makes the 39.50mm wide case feel larger than it is, and the alligator strap adds a bit of glossy luxury on the wrist. Chopard designed the dial to be minimalistic but highly functional. It is like a dressy version of what Panerai design is going for. One version of the dial has the time with subsidiary seconds dial using dauphine hands, matched to a mixture of baton hour markers with stylized Roman numeral hour markers. Dauphine hands always look stellar on minimalist dials.

Chopard Monaco Historique Time Attack MF Watch Review

I love this watch, but not everyone will. Some people might not get it - but the beauty is crystal clear to me. This watch was announced last year and was a curious release for Chopard. Part of the larger Mille Miglia collection, this watch combines Chopard sexiness with Superquartz geekiness - something that is really hard to find. This Chopard Monaco Historique Time Attack MF watch is one of two timepieces made for the car race in Monaco that is officially named the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique. The other one is an automatic model with a 7750 called the Monaco Historique Chronograph (of which there is a picture here). Each share the slick black, orange, and polished steel color scheme, but the Time Attack MF is a much more unique model (even though the mechanical chronograph is a nice model as well). These watches aren't limited edition models per se, but aren't the types to be produced for very long. What really drew me to the watch was the fact that it had a super reliable and accurate high-end thermocompensated (also known as "thermoline") ETA quartz movement, but didn't look like a tool watch. These are the same movements that Breitling (and a few other brands) use in their COSC Chronometer certified quartz watches. Getting a Chronometer certification for a quartz movement isn't at all the same as for a mechanical movement. While your standard drug store quartz watch will be accurate to within about 15 seconds a month, a Superquartz will be accurate to within about 10 seconds a year. They are also a lot more expensive and better made that standard quartz movements. The "MF" part of the watch name stands for multi-function. The movement does more than tell the time, but has your standard bevy of multi-function quartz features such as a chronograph, 2 alarms, calendar, UTC (GMT) time, and second timezone... among a few other features including being back-lit. This is all done via a small negative LCD display on the dial. If you like, you can "blank" out the LCD screen to make it look as though it is not there.

I will repeat once again that I truly love this watch

The steel links are chunky and feel great. The center link is polished while the outer links are sort of brushed. Basically the whole watch is polished, but to add visual interest, Chopard gave certain areas of the watch a more intense level of polish -Â if that makes sense. The only problem with the bracelet is sizing. You don't have a lot of micro-adjustment options. It happens to fit well on me, but you could find it is either a bit too small or too large (that is where a strap comes in handy). The bracelet has a more or less hidden clasp to look flush and clean on the bottom. For me the best part of the design is the dial. The bezel has a tachometer that looks cool, but I will never use it. The dial is a deep semi-glossy black with large applied polished steel hour indicators. For dial orientation, the 12 o'clock marker is a bit larger than the rest of them. The watch hands are large and perfectly sized. They also match the design of the hour markers which is nice. There is an extremely good level of contrast on the dial making it very easy to read, and the hand and hour markers are generously coated with SuperLumiNova. Along with the "Monaco Historique" text on the dial, the large seconds hand is in orange and adds just the right amount of sporty color to the dial. Chopard Pretty much covered all the bases with the design. To switch to the various modes in the LCD screen you spin the crown. Not just casually, but you need to give it a little jerky spin in order to have it switch modes. This is done in order to prevent you from accidentally switching screens. Once you learn the basics of how to operate the functions it is pretty easy, but I recommend studying the manual a bit. It is overall a pretty user friendly experience. To activate the backlight, you just press in the crown.

Quality is great. Say all you want about Chopard

Herein comes part of the polarizing qualities of the watch. Some people think that it is either a shame the watch is quartz at all, or that Chopard should have removed the LCD screen and have the watch just tell the time. Other people (like me) welcome the additional features to an otherwise classy watch and appreciate the high-end quartz movement and accuracy. This is like a stealth nerd watch -Â because sometimes I don't want everyone knowing I am a nerd. It is also a good daily watch for people who want a timepiece they only need to worry about when changing the battery each few years. My history of loving watches started out with timepieces made by an old friend named Casio. As a kid I would get all excited by watches with as many features crammed in as possible. Analog pieces that just told the time bored me. I wanted my watches complex and useful. But they were plastic, and for an adult, pulling them off while trying to look presentable is hard. So most of the time you are stuck with an ugly though useful watch, or a pretty but boring watch. Yes, this is an over-simplification, but you get the concept I am trying to suggest. For me, Chopard was able to combine the best of both worlds in the Time Attack MF, being able to satisfy picky people such as myself. Though seriously, I don't get the "Time Attack" part. Does the watch have some secret weapon in it that I haven't discovered yet? Quality is great. Say all you want about Chopard, but they make a good looking, well put together watch. The Monaco Historique Time Attack MF is in a really well polished steel case that is 42.5mm wide and 14.5mm thick (ideal size for the case and design). It has a perfectly domed AR coated sapphire crystal, and that nicely engraved caseback. All I would improve is the 50 meters of water resistance. There is another steering wheel engraving on the crown, and the pushers feel good to the touch. Very few areas on the case are really sharp, but it doesn't look rounded either. For me the watch is perfectly comfortable with its elegantly curved lugs and beautiful bracelet. The watch came on a port-holed leather strap or this great looking metal bracelet.

Chopard Gran Turismo XL Racing In Pink Watch

I put this question before you now: Can a man wear a pink watch and retain his masculinity? I made fun of the first guy I saw wearing a "salmon" colored shirt. But, today, it isn't that uncommon. Worn properly, and in the right style, pink isn't always out-of-place. So I wonder, has the time come when a man can get away with wearing a pink watch? When I write about men's watches in white people always fight about whether they would wear them. While one guy can easily pull off a white watch, it definitely isn't for everyone. I expect that even fewer men would be wiling to try it with something pink. Here is what I think: If you take the right type of fairly masculine watch and make it pink, at least a few guys will be able to pull it off. Which brings me to this new-for-2011 limited edition piece from Chopard. Apparently the wife of Chopard's CEO wanted this to happen. It is a limited edition of 1000 piece pink version of the Chopard Mille Miglia Gran Turismo XL watch. Named "Racing in Pink," it is otherwise identical to the standard black-dialed version of this 44mm wide steel watch. Design is anything but feminine and I was brave enough to strap it to my wrist.

Quality is very high thanks to Chopard's fine attention to detail

These 5th Edition models further follow style form some of Chopard's Historique watches from the last few years. I covered some 2010 Mille Miglia models here, and I reviewed the Monaco Historique Time Attack MF here. You can see how the Classic Racing Jacky Ickx 5th Edition follows suit with a similar bezel and dial theme. The dials are quite attractive and really legible (which is often the case with Chopard sport watches). You can see how the rose gold cased model comes with a silvered dial with two black subsidiary dials, while the model with the steel case comes with a black dial (and two silvered subsidiary dials for the chronograph). For fun the chronograph pushers look a bit like engine pistons. On the rear of the watch is Jacky Ickx signature and some limited edition graphics. For the record, I think that almost every Jacky Ickx watch (from and brand) has his signature on the dial or elsewhere on the watch. I am not sure of the exact movement inside of these pieces. According to Chopard they are built on a Swiss ETA 2892 automatic base with a chronograph and big date module. The movements have power reserves of 40 hours and are COSC Chronometer certified. In addition to the 24 hour chronograph and big date, you should know that the chronograph has a flyback function and the time is a stop seconds (which means the seconds stop when you pull out the crown).

Chopard Classic Racing Jacky Ickx 5th Edition Watch

2011 sees the release of the 5th version of Chopard's Classic Racing Jacky Ickx Edition watches. The former high-profile race car driver who was popular in the 1970s has a long history with timing and watch brands. Chopard is by no means the first brand to honor the driver with timepieces. Though I believe that they currently are the only brand making new Jacky Ickx themed watches. With the 5th Edition limited production model now released I assume that that the first four editions sold pretty well. Done in a Mille Miglia style case, this Classic Racing watch is about 42.5mm wide and available in steel or 18k rose gold. While the case and overall demeanor of the watch is all "Mille Miglia," the Jacky Ickx models have separated themselves by having tri-compax oriented chronograph subdial layouts and a big date indicator under 12 o'clock. Plus, following in the foot steps of the 4th Edition Jackie Ickx Chopard watch, the hour register for the chronograph measures a full 24 hours - not just 12 hours. This of course is in honor of Jacky Ickx and the Le Mans 24 hour race.

Certina Podium DS, A Podium Finish Every Time

Certina has been in the business of making outstanding Swiss watches since 1888. Now into its 120th year of enterprise the company has remained true to its vision of innovation and excellence. Even after all this time the watchmaking ethos of the company can be expressed in three key words: style, reliability and precision. This is perfectly illustrated by the latest chronograph model in its emblematic DS Podium line. Equipped with the famous ETA Valgranges movement for large watches, an automatic movement with a very long energy reserve (the power curve is very smooth), and a calibre that lends itself very well to customization, it is growing in stature and confirming its temperament. For many successful years now, Certina has been an official Partner of the BMW Sauber F1 Team and their ace driver Robert Kubica. This strong association with motorsport is evident in every aspect of the design of this stunning timepiece, especially the clarity of the dial. Many chronographs can often appear cluttered and difficult to read, however, the DS Podium line does not suffer from this affliction. In fact quite the opposite is true, the dial is almost striking in its clarity and the colour scheme chosen makes a strong statement that legibility is a priority.

Certina DS 1 Chrono Automatique Watch

Last year Basel saw the Certina DS 1 release to a lot of happy watch lovers. It was a entry level priced handsome watch with the build quality and parts that the Swatch Group is able to provide (usually pretty good). Quality is a bit up from Hamilton, another Swatch Group brand. The standard DS 1 watch has an ETA 2824-2 movement, while this new chronograph version will have a Valjoux 7750. This might be one of the best priced watches to be available with the highly desirable work-horse automatic chronograph movement. Still with the Tag Heuer Carrera look, the Certina DS 1 Chrono Automatique (Automatic if you aren't in Europe!) takes everything I love about the Valjoux 7750 movement and emphasizes on its sober tool-like demeanor. That isn't to say the watch is without beautiful good looks, but it is more handsome than flashy. You'll notice that Certina chose to include two different types of pushers for the chronograph. The start and stop pusher being a bit larger and easier to use. The presence of three distinct pushers/crown on the side of the case is a nice design feature. With an impressive 100 meters of water resistance, a special Certina DS crown security system (to protect from damage), and an AR coated domed sapphire crystal, this is to be the value of the year for under $2,000. The 316L grade steel case is 43mm wide, which is the perfect size for today's tastes. The case polish varies between high gloss and satin, which add visual depth and interest to face and bracelet. Also note the exhibition caseback window. You can't see it in the image above, but as this is a 'retro' themed watch design, Certina chose to stamp the brand older logo on the watch crown. Collectors like stuff like that. Look for the official release very soon.

Certina DS Rookie Watch

In addition to Tissot, Certina offers nicely designed Swiss watches are affordable prices, and is part of the Swatch Group. While not as common in the US, there are some real nice Certina timepieces that should be considered when looking for a decently priced quartz watch. Though there are mechanical Certina watches available as well. Basically, Certina watches are priced in the 200 - 2,000 euro zone. Almost all Certina sport watches have a name that starts with "DS." This stands for "Double Security" and is more a safe sounding name than impressive technology. It just means that their cases are durable (not sure just HOW durable), are 100 meters water resistant, and have sapphire crystals. This watch is the DS Rookie, a funny sounding name for a good youthful timepiece that doesn't look chintzy. At 40mm wide, Certina is literally aiming straight at the young make demographic with this watch - those more mature adults who prefer 40mm wide cases will find the DS Rooking a good wear. The cases are in steel, with some in PVD black. You'll notice the interesting two-tone model below in both brushed and PVD black steel.