Friday, November 30, 2012

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon Chronograph

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon Chronograph
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Case
The case of the watch is made of 18k Rose Gold. It has a sapphire crystal both front and on back. The case width is 44mm with a thickness of 12.9 mm. The watch is water resistant to 20 meters.



Dial
 The watch dial is black with an intricate “Grande Tapisserie” pattern. It had gold applied hour markers with a luminescent coating and Royal Oak hands also with a luminescent coating.




 

Strap
The watchstrap is hand stitched and genuine crocodile with a large square scale pattern. The watch has a deployant buckle and comes with an AP folding clasp.






 
Chronograph
The watch has an integrated chronograph with a column wheel chronograph movement. The dial has a 30 minute register and to start the chronograph you press the top button as well as to stop it. The bottom button resets the chronograph.



Tourbillon
A tourbillon is one of the most expensive and intricate complications you can find on a watch. A Tourbillon aims to counter the effects of gravity by mounting the escapement and balance wheel in a rotating cage, to negate the effect of gravity when the watch is stuck in a static position. The rotating cage can be seen on this watch on the dial with a skeleton view. When you move your wrist the cage rotates which allows no effect gravity on the machanics of the watch.




Monday, November 12, 2012

Want To Make An Investment? Wear It On Your Wrist

Want To Make An Investment? Wear It On Your Wrist


In a time of economic uncertainty people need to be creative when it comes to investing. If you are looking for an investment that increases in value over time but also is practical for everyday use than it is time to start investing in watches. The first lesson in watch investing is only the best watches increase in value over time.

“The beginning tier of investment grade watches run about $500 to $3000…and include American brands such as Hamilton and European ones such as Omega. The next tier runs to around $10,000 and includes entry level Rolex and Patek Philippe models. But prices can soar much higher.”(WSJ) To gain the most of your watch investment it is best to either buy vintage or buy incredibly rare and complex pieces.

A good example of vintage watches to look for is the “Paul Newman Daytona”, a style of Rolex that earned that moniker because it was favored by the late actor and can sell for $50,000. When you are looking at watches with complications the brand you should look at is Patek Philippe. Their complications are true works of art. There most expensive complication watch the Sky Moon Tourbillon goes for 1.3 million.

The way people see watches and use watches in financial markets has continued to evolve.  “Watches are almost an international currency unto themselves. A sought after Rolex with the proper paperwork can be taken to any major city in Russia, South America, India, and now China and turned directly into cash, says Edward Faber, a watch dealer with New York’s Aaron Faber Gallery.”(WSJ) Remember the next time you are looking to invest don’t forget to check the time.
 
 

Source:
Wall Street Journal "So You Think You Want To Invest In..." Charles Passy
 



Monday, November 05, 2012

Looking for Diamond Jewelry? Make it Yellow

The common moniker “diamonds are forever” still holds true but they should have been a little more specific. White diamond prices have continued to soar which brought a change in consumer diamond buying habits and it has led to color. Leading the pack in colored diamond sales is the yellow canary diamond. “For consumers who wanted to stay with diamonds, moving across to yellow diamonds was an affordable option said Olivier Reza, a French jewelry designer…”(WSJ)





To understand the new found popularity of yellow diamonds you don’t have to look too far into popular culture. The celebrated and famous have been showcasing exquisite yellow diamonds for years most notoriously Marilyn Monroe. It was Heidi Klum’s yellow diamond engagement ring that really re-introduced it to the masses. “Yellow diamonds were long seen as either rarities served for royalty or, worse, low-quality cousins of white diamonds…”(WSJ)


The demand for yellow diamonds has surely risen but the thing that makes them so sought  after now is their rarity at its highest grading. The yellow color in diamonds is caused by nitrogen replacing carbon atoms in the diamond’s structure. “According to a color-grading scale for diamonds from the GIA, or Gemological Institute of America: Colorless, or “white,” diamonds range from those which are colorless to the naked eye, graded from D to J, to faintly colored yellow-colored stones, graded from K to Z and seen as lower-quality colorless diamonds”(WSJ)

 
Once a diamond’s yellow color reaches a certain saturation it increasingly becomes more and more valuable. The scale goes from: Fancy Light Yellow, Fancy Yellow, Fancy Intense Yellow and Fancy Vivid Yellow. There is only one fancy yellow diamond for every 10,000 white diamonds in the world. The high end jewelers in Paris Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Bulgari, have not been shy in showcasing there new yellow diamond items.  U.S based Signet Jewelers also has started showcasing jewelry with yellow diamonds. The important question now is with the holidays coming closer are you going to go white or yellow?

 




Source: Wall Street Journal "The New Color of Luxury:Yellow"