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New York City Asphalt Watch

How many of our readers who were in New York know about watches that are mounted on asphalt at the intersection of Maiden Lane and Broadway? They appeared there in 1899 when the jeweler William Bertman decided in this way to draw attention to his jewelry store. The audience was wildly delighted, because at that time clocks on poles were popular, and it was something new and unique. Every morning, Frank Homm, a store employee, set up his watch, but when he died, no one could handle it and had to be replaced with new ones. Since then, the watch has changed many times, as well as individual elements in the watch. And still, they are in the same place, despite the fact that the store has moved to a neighboring street. More

Vacheron Constsntin Mecaniques Savage Collection

In Paris, a new unique collection of watches from Vacheron Constantin - Mecaniques Savage was presented. This collection is dedicated to the wild world of animals. On each unique watch model, a wild animal or bird is engraved or painted with enamel. Most watches were sold immediately after the presentation. Usually, Vacheron Constantin does not advertise such novelties. But this time they made a “leak of information” and we can enjoy almost all the copies. More

Daytona Mark I

To date, the most popular watch in the world, by far - 🔥 Rolex Daytona 🔥. As for the aftermarket, Daytona is the collectors' favorite watch. For example, for many collectors, chronographs are divided into 2 categories - Daytona and everyone else. No matter how you relate to them, but the fact remains. Now at the peak of popularity at auctions - Daytona Paul Newman, but there is another model that is worth paying attention to. This is Daytona of the very first issue - Daytona Mark I. This watch was produced only in a short period in 1863 and in limited quantities, which gives them every chance to become the most expensive Rolex chronographs. Despite the high cost of Paul Newman (from $ 80,000), now they can be found at every auction and not even in a single copy. Almost every self-respecting dealer has a copy of the Daytona PN. Mark I is impossible to find, although, for a minute, this is the very first watch with which the history of the model began ☺️ That's what bad PR means. More

The most famous wedding rings in history

Queen Elizabeth II As you know, the Duke of Edinburgh himself came up with the design of the ring, and borrowed diamonds from his mother (the Princess of Greece and Denmark). The queen wears the central stone of 3 carats without taking off. Grace Kelly Initially, Prince of Monaco Rainier III purchased a Cartier ring made of rubies and diamonds for engagement, but then, having doubts about his impressiveness, he bought another ring with a central stone of 10.5 carats and surrounded by 2 baguettes. Today, this ring is valued at $ 4.3 million. Elizabeth Taylor Technically, it was not her engagement ring. She was presented to her by her husband, 5 and 6, Richard Burton (they signed 2 times) on Valentine's Day. He bought this ring at an auction for $ 300 thousand. Prior to this, the ring belonged to the wife of a famous German industrialist who actively sponsored the Nazis. A very romantic present 👀 But, despite its impressive size and history, she wore Elizabeth practically without removing it. After death, the diamond went under the hammer for $ 8.8 million. Jacqueline Onassis John F. Kennedy presented his lover with a precious Van Cleef & Arpels jewel with two large baguette-cut stones - a 2.84-carat emerald and a 2.88-carat diamond framed with diamond petals. A little later, Jacqueline decided to change the baguette-cut diamonds to round and oval. At the moment, the ring is estimated at $ 1.4 million. Marilyn Monroe Against the background of other celebrity engagement rings demonstrating impressive sizes of diamonds and gems, this ring stands out for its special design and lack of pretentiousness. 35 baguette-cut diamonds were inlaid in a platinum hoop, forming a concise sparkling bezel. For the entire existence of the ring, it was sold twice at auctions. The last time he was put up for $ 300,000. Kate Middleton For the long-awaited engagement, the future Duchess of Cambridge received Princess Diana's engagement ring. The ring of the mother was inherited by Prince Harry, but on the eve of the engagement of his elder brother, he considered it right to transfer the family jewel to him. Kim Kardashian As you know, Kanye West made Kim Kardashian a marriage proposal during a baseball game in San Francisco. The ring design was invented by Kanye himself together with the jeweler Lorraine Schwartz. A 15-carat stone worth more than $ 1.5 million replaced the previous 20-carat stone from basketball player Chris Humphries. More

Why Richard Mille?

In the world of Swiss watchmaking, tradition sets the pace for the market. Brands like Patek Philippe and Rolex are often called industry kings in both retail and auctions. But a new generation of watchmakers is changing the age-old order. At the head of new trends is independent watchmaker Richard Mill, who creates futuristic watches that have become a symbol of wealth. Why exactly did the Richard Mille brand become so popular among watch fans? - Richard Mill founded the brand of the same name in 1999 with the support of the Audemars Piguet brand in order to manually create watch movements with technical innovations. - In 2001, the Richard Mille RM001 model appeared, in which there is no gold, diamonds or other precious stones. This watch is an exceptional technique. They came out in a limited edition of 80 copies and were sold at a price of 159 thousand euros apiece. 👆 By the way, in 2017, the RM056 model was sold for £ 1.2 million at Christie’s auction. - Richard Mille is called “the watch of billionaires,” they adorn the wrists of very rich and famous people💰 - Richard Mill, creating the aesthetics of his models, was inspired by automotive design. As Forbes wrote, acquiring a Richard Mille watch is the equivalent of “buying a miniature sports car for your wrist.” Mill himself said: “I want people who see my watch to say“ wow! ” - Annually less than five thousand hours of Richard Mille are produced, many in a limited edition. For a young brand, this is a large volume of production, but demand is constantly ahead of it. High auction prices continue to reflect this trend. For example, the RM52 Tourbillon model was released in a very limited series - only six copies, and it could be purchased only in the Asian market. - Visually, Richard Mille watches look very bulky, but in fact, their weight is an average of 40 grams😳 What do you think about this brand? More

What surprised H. Moser & Cie at SIHH 2019?

H. Moser & Cie took minimalism to the next level by introducing a tourbillon where time cannot be seen. One can only hear ☺️👌 The watches are presented in a single copy and their approximate cost is CHF 350,000. H. Moser & Cie was also surprised by the plant clock, which reminds us of how closely our time is connected with nature. About how fragile and precious our planet is and how little time we have left to save it for future generations. And how do you like such new items? More

Что связывает фабрику ETA и Hublot, Panerai, IWC и др.?

Did you know that most Swiss watch manufactories buy movements or spare parts for movements at the ETA factory? For example, TAG Heuer, Breitling, Chopard, IWC, Omega, Panerai, Hublot and other more democratic brands. ETA was formed in 1793 as a result of the merger of several independent factories for the production of mechanisms and spare parts for them. Even with the outbreak of World War II, despite the difficulties, the production of basic mechanisms continued, and ETA became a leader in this field. The price range of manufactured calibers is very large, so the company divided the mechanisms into series, depending on the properties and purpose. Some mechanisms are produced in China, but they are designed for watches of low and medium price categories, as well as in fashion watches. ETA factories are also in Thailand and Malaysia. But they work mainly in local markets. The mechanisms made there are not branded “Swiss Made”, although their quality meets the very high requirements of the company, of course, taking into account the price level. More

A little bit about home cleaning your watch.

A watch is, first of all, an accessory, and it needs constant care. If your pet has water protection of 1-3 atmospheres (bar), in other words, 10-30 meters, a wet or alcohol wipe will help you. Wipe all the parts that come into contact with the skin of the hands. If you have 5 bar or 50 meters, you can wash your watch with running water. More

Want to see the most expensive Rolex Submariner?

At a Christie’s auction in New York, Submariner was sold for a record $ 1,000,000. Compared to the Rolex Daytona Paul Newman, which was sold for an incredible amount of $ 17.8 million for watches, this is certainly nothing, but for Submariner it is a rather large amount. Previously, Submariner sold for a maximum of $ 500 thousand. In addition, they look pretty unusual for this model - the complete absence of a bezel, a fabric strap, but nonetheless ... More

Is it profitable to collect watches?

In recent years, collecting Swiss watches has become fashionable and sought after occupation. However, it requires a certain theoretical preparation, knowledge, patience and great resources. Is it really profitable to collect watches? Let's figure it out. Any collector, without hesitation, will say that the market leaders in vintage watches are Patek Philippe and, more recently, Rolex. Rolex in the secondary market rapidly went up due to the fact that two years ago at the Antiquorum auction Guido Mondani sold his huge collection (we will tell you about it a little later). At the same time, he showed how to collect Rolex, which models are valued and which mechanisms should be paid special attention to. Patek Philippe positions its watch as an investment in the future. A well-thought-out advertising campaign, a sales strategy (new sophisticated models are sold only to trusted customers) and an auction policy where Patek Philippe representatives bargain hard for their watches, raising prices, work on this image. So if you are lucky enough to become the owner of Patek Philippe in an authentic state, you can be absolutely calm: the price for them will rise over time. The same can be said about watches Audemars Piguet, Jaeger-LeCoultre, IWC (especially recently). In Europe and the USA, collecting watches is a whole culture, if not to say a whole world. In addition to a huge number of stores specializing in reselling watches, there are specialized sites, catalogs, and forums. In addition, entire dealerships are commissioned to search for their customers the copies they need. There is even a saying among watch collectors: "First you buy the right dealer, and only then - the right watch." Also, in addition to long-term collecting, the practice of short-term ownership is also popular. A person chooses a model in good condition in the secondary market, buys it, wears it for a while, then resells it without much loss, even with a small profit, and acquires a new watch. Of course, this is not “collecting." However, this creates the basis for a deeper acquaintance with the watch and spurs interest in it. More