Chris D

POSTS BY Chris D

Blancpain Saint-Valentin 2013: A Special Gift for That Special Someone

Haute horlogerie maker Blancpain, the world’s oldest watch brand founded in 1735, has combined technological expertise, exquisite craftsmanship, art and loyalty to Valentine’s Day by creating a watch to celebrate love. The Saint-Valentin 2013 chronograph is the perfect gift for lovers to declare their feelings for each other on February 14; the timepiece features gemstones, colors, and shapes inspired by the international symbols of love. Blancpain artisans have combined a white mother-or-pearl base and diamond heart-shaped hour markers. Five vivid red hearts which seem to float across the bottom half of the watch’s dial add a touching splash of color; READ MORE

Cartier Crash Limited Edition 2013 Unveiled

Haute jeweller and timepiece producer Cartier has recently announced the release of four new limited edition Crash models, a line with a significant history. First introduced in 1967 by Cartier London, many chronograph aficionados are under the impressions that the inspiration for the Cartier Crash came from the world of surreal art, namely Salvador Dali’s famous melting watches from his 1931 masterpiece The Persistence of Memory. However, the real story is surprisingly more interesting. A vice president of Cartier London was involved in a fiery automobile collision; the watch he happened to be wearing, a Cartier Bagnoire Allongee, melted in READ MORE

Cartier’s Ballon Bleu de Cartier Tourbillon Double Jumping Second Time Zone

Revolutionizing the world of world traveller’s chronographs, the Ballon Bleu de Cartier Tourbillion Double Jumping Second Time Zone watch has been designed to be more like a regulator. It has a central minute hand, but features two jumping hour counters, one of which is for starting-point time and the other is for local time. The watch also allows aficionados to observe the timepiece’s moving mechanism. The watch combines the classic ideal of beauty in specific proportions and function. The design was purposely made for the eye to instinctively go to the jumping hour discs. The timepiece’s blue hands are adjustable by READ MORE

Vacheron Constantin to Expand Production to Meet Asia Demand

Vacheron Constantin, the luxe watchmaker that forms an integral part of the Richemont luxury goods company, will continue to open new shops in China in both first and second-tier cities in a move to keep up with rising demand in the region. Manufacturing at the plant in Gerteva will be expanded to meet the demand in Mainland China for Vacheron Constantin timepieces. Juan Carlos Torres, chief executive, stated to the South China Morning Post that since the successful launch of the brand’s Shanghai showroom in 2008, Vacheron Constantin wants to expand. “We are going to double our workforce and increase READ MORE

IWC Schaffhausen Unveils Portuguese Sidérale Scafusia in Singapore

During an exclusive dinner event held in Singapore’s prestigious Tamarind Hill Restaurant, IWC Schaffhausen, the luxe horlogerie manufacture, took advantage of the lush hill-top setting to present the Portuguese Sidérale Scafusia chronograph to guests and to gaze at the stars. Technologically speaking, the timepiece is a master work of haute watchmaking and is the IWC’s most complex time-keeping device ever developed. The culmination of an entire decade of ground-breaking research, the Portuguese Sidérale Scafusia unites solar time with side real time; the watch also presents astronomical displays. New technical features with astounding complications make this chronograph a work of art READ MORE

World’s First Travelling Safe: Döttling’s Guardian Designed to Protect Your Watches

Döttling, a luxury safe manufacturer from Germany that produces bespoke products for an elite clientele, has been in business crafting safes in the Royal Prussian tradition for almost a century. Their unique coffre-fort masterpieces are made by hand with attention paid to the most minute of details. For a first-hand look at their craftsmanship, just look at the Döttling Colosimo Double Wing tailor-made for a $2.5 million Jaeger-LeCoultre watch set. Or the highly technological iPad-Controlled Hublot Morphosis safe. The latest bespoke offering from Döttling was made for those who travel frequently and carry their treasured watches, jewelry, or important documents with them. READ MORE