The Rugged Side of Watches

We’ve reviewed a multitude of watches here – watches for everyday wear, watches for dressy occasions, watches designed for pilots or divers or racecar drivers. We’ve discussed watches with clean, legible designs, and ones with impressive, complex complications. For those of us who love watches, these variations are the building blocks of a collection: an everyday watch, a weekend watch, a dress watch, a sport watch, and the list could go on and on. But often overlooked is one of the most crucial elements of a solid watch collection, a watch to wear when you don’t want to risk damaging one of your prize possessions: a “beater.”

“Beater” is the term used by watch aficionados for a watch that is made to take abuse. There are so many times throughout the day – when you’re at the beach or the gym, working in the backyard or playing with your kids at the park – when it doesn’t make sense to wear an incredibly valuable, refined timepiece and risk damaging it. There are times when you don’t want to have to worry about your watch – when you don’t have to think twice about getting it dirty or wet, or banging it up against something hard. And for these times, there’s no better choice than G-Shock.

First created by Casio in 1983, the G-Shock was designed to be bulletproof – the engineer who designed the first model (the Casio DW-5000C) set three lofty goals: a 10 year battery life, water resistance to 10 bar (100 meters), and a design that could withstand a 10 meter fall onto a hard surface. Casio even tested the first 200 prototypes by dropping them from rooftops and office windows!

Since its initial release, the G-Shock line of watches have become standard equipment for firemen, police officers, and paramedics, as well as astronauts, mountaineers, coaches, soldiers, and anyone else who works outside in demanding conditions. They are particularly popular with Special Forces groups in the American military due to their reliability and proven toughness in the field.

Due to their popularity, there are well over 150 G-Shock models to choose from, but here are two that we particularly love.

 

G-Steel GST210B-1A

Some of the coolest G-Shock models include both digital and analog displays on the same dial, and this steel model manages to load up the dial with features galore, all without disrupting the utilitarian, monochromatic, no-nonsense design. It’s water resistant down to 200 meters, and includes countless complications: a stopwatch that measures down to 1/100th of a second, a world time function for 31 time zones, 5 daily alarms with snooze, full auto-programmed calendar until the year 2099, and a built-in auto LED lighting system. At over 50mm, it’s a big, tough watch packed with features, and with a steel case and G-Shock’s iconic shock-absorbing bezel, it’s built to stay that way.

DW5600WB-7

Though it comes in a much smaller package than the previous model, this G-Shock includes many of the same features. It shares the same depth rating, stopwatch functionality, and calendar, and offers a single alarm. It’s light on the wrist, legible and sporty with its white and light-blue color scheme. Like many G-Shocks, its entire dial glows when the light is engaged, and this model features a dial light that flashes when the alarm sounds. The perfect all-around beater, it’s a watch you could put on the first day of summer and never take off until you’re done shoveling the last bit of snow, and it would look as good as the day you purchased it.

 

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The TAG Heuer Watch Picked by the Fans

Last spring, TAG Heuer announced an unexpected competition. As many famous Swiss watchmakers have found success by “reintroducing” classic designs in their modern lineup (we’re looking at you, Tudor), TAG Heuer decided to let the public play a role by announcing the “Autavia Cup,” a competition in which fans were able to vote on the design of a historic Autavia reissue to be released in 2017.

This not only allowed fans of vintage Heuer to look forward in anticipation of an upcoming release (and one that will likely be more obtainable than the vintage Heuers of their desires, as historical Heuers have lit the vintage world on fire in the past few years), but also allowed fans to truly impact the final design of an upcoming release, a rare instance in the tight-lipped world of Swiss horology.

The voting competition began on a special website at the start of Baselworld 2016, and offered fans 16(!) different versions of the Autavia. Some versions were faithful reproductions of actual watches made in the late-to-mid 1960’s, others were complete fantasy with tweaked panda designs.

In the end, the fans chose the Autavia 2446 Mark 3, a design from 1966 known as the “Rindt” Autavia after Austrian Formula One world champion Jochen Rindt. The Mark 3 Autavia features a second execution case with a narrower bezel, applied steel markers with luminous dots at their tips, and polished steel lume hands.

That said, the Autavia TAG Heuer will release next year will not be an exact replica of the original Mark 3. TAG Heuer CEO Jean-Claude Biver did not want to compromise the integrity of the original by making a carbon copy. Furthermore, as TAG Heuer no longer makes manual chronographs, reproducing the original movement would have made the watch prohibitively expense. Instead, they increased the case size to 42mm (the original was 38mm) and added a newly designed automatic movement, the Heuer-03 calbre. The new design also features a date window in the bottom subdial, which may rankle some vintage connoisseurs, but makes the watch imminently more sellable.

Photo by @watchesandart Instagram

Earlier this month, TAG Heuer released some photographs of the prototype, which was on display at the Heuer’s Collector Summit held at TAG Heuer’s headquarters in La Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland. Other than the sideways date display (because it’s a prototype), the watch wowed all in attendance. We cannot wait to see one in person, and have no doubt that due to its attractive price, neo-vintage styling, and historic fan-involved development, the 2017 Heuer Autavia is going to be a winner.

 

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How High-Tech Materials Play a Role in Watchmaking

While watchmakingtechnology has been steadily improving for more than five centuries, there always seems to be room for improvement. Today’s finest watchmakers continually push the boundaries when it comes to innovation – offering new and exciting technology, functions and even materials.

Gold, platinum and steel will forever be forged into watch cases, but today, many brands also take their inspiration from the space, aviation, automotive and medical worlds when it comes to super high-tech materials.

Among the favorites are engineered ceramics, multiple grades of high-tech titanium, hypoallergenic alloys, aluminium (a derivative of aluminum that can be colored and is super light weight), carbon fiber (a dense yet light-weight material that is super strong thanks to the layering or weaving of thousands of strands of fibers), kevlar and more. Some brands are even working with transparent sapphire to create cases that are virtually see through.

The point behind these materials is not just to offer an exciting marketing angle, but, more to the point, to offer more durability, more scratch- or shock-resistance and lighter weight. Indeed, the materials used have to meet a clear objective, whether that is achieving a certain color, a certain weight or a certain aesthetic appeal.

Some brands are even building their own alloys of gold that will keep the gold from scratching or wearing in any way. This, of course, makes them even more precious in the long run.

Additionally, brands are even perfecting the coatings they apply to the materials. Years ago, when one wanted to add a different color to a metal, the piece was bathed in an electroplating process. Today, at the high end of the luxury watch spectrum, a host of coating methods can be employed, including PVD (physical vapor deposition), DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) applications and other methods that make the coating last longer and resist scratching.

We invite you in any time to see our vast array of timepieces that utilize high-tech materials in their cases, bracelets, bezels and straps.

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Jaeger-LeCoultre Celebrates Venice and the Venice Film Festival

Mostra, the 73rd annual Venice Film Festival, comes to a close after 10 days of galas, celebrities and Venice fanfare. A long-time supporter of the festival and of Venice restoration, Jaeger-LeCoultre not only hosted a gala event to celebrate the brand’s 85th anniversary of its iconic Reverso, but also to celebrate the festival and the city.

For several years now, Jaeger-LeCoultre has been a supporter of the restoration of the Scuola Grande di San Rocco in Venice because of its involvement with arts and culture in the city and its long-standing sponsorship of the Film Festival. The opulent Scuola Grande di San Rocco, built in 1478 in the San Polo district of Venice, is renowned for its collection of paintings by 16th-century artist Tintoretto. Part of the restoration efforts include improving the lighting via new LED systems that protect the paintings, and cleaning and restoring the marble imperial staircase.

Additionally, during the Festival, Jaeger-LeCoultre showcased some of its very special Reverso watches. Among the special pieces on display was a full jeweled version, and a model with a heart drawn by Carmen Chaplin (of the famed Charlie Chaplin descent) that also played a role in raising funds for the restoration. The company also unveiled a hand-painted Reverso Grande Taille watch with an enamel miniature that pays tribute to the restoration work on the marble staircase of Scuola Grande di San Rocco.

If you are not already familiar with the famous Reverso watch by Jaeger-LeCoultre, we invite you in to see the many sides of time and lifestyle this watch has to offer both men and women alike.

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Sapphire Birthstones : Interesting Facts and Trending Jewelry Design

Those with the Sapphire birthstone are often looked upon as fortunate individuals. This brilliant stone has been around for centuries and cherished by several different powerful entities. From royalty to leaders of faith, the Sapphire has adorned robes, been embedded into goblets and draped on the body. This is because it has long been a symbol of nobility, wealth, good fortune and faith.

It may seen odd that men of faith were drawn to this stone. Well, their choice to select this gemstone is for a different reason than the wealthy. For the rich, royal and elite, it was a status symbol. However,  it was during the middle ages that men and women of faith saw it as blessing. The Sapphire is a gift from heaven.  The deep blue hues reminded the faithful of the vast blue sky. This brilliant color  represented heaven above. The Sapphire brought (and still brings) a sense of warmth and comfort to the spiritual all over the world. 

DID YOU KNOW - Sapphires Come in MANY Colors?

Some stones have multi-colored hues when looked at under different types of lighting. Look at the image above for a perfect example of what we mean by that. 

Another cool and unusual type of Sapphire is referred to as: The STAR Sapphire. The appearance of the star formation is known as an ASTERISM. White light reflects from a multitude of very small inclusions (the size of a needle) to create this pattern. 

Scroll below to see some current and trending sapphire pieces: 

The Sorcerer pendant from Temple St. Clair beautifully showcases the wide array of sapphire colors available. It features blue, green, pink and orange sapphires. Temple St. Clair 18k yellow gold mixed sapphire pendant, $2,750.

This cute ring from our Cherie Collection features yellow sapphires providing a fun alternative to the normal dark blue. 18k yellow gold yellow sapphire and diamond ring, $1,895.

For those of you who want to show off your dark side, this AS29 bracelet is a stunning choice. AS29 18k white gold black sapphire and diamond flower bracelet, $2,290.

This simple bangle is a great way to add some color either alone or part of a stack. 14k white gold and blue sapphire bangle, $1,795.

Pink sapphire studs add a subtle yet fun accent to your look. 18k rose gold pink sapphire and diamond studs, $2,795.

We love the contrast of the dark metal and stones with the usually light flower design in this ring. AS29 18k white gold with black rhodium mini sapphire flower ring, $1,370,





The jewelry has been hand selected from leading NJ Jewelry Stores

Classic and Timeless Jewelry Design - High End Jewelry Stores

CHANTECLER BON BON PEARL NECKLACE

Vibrant and tender temptations reminiscent of the colourful sugared almonds offered to the guests visiting the Chantecler Boutiques. Bon Bon is a collection full of joy with its intense shades of colour, soft shapes and delicate rounded curves. The 50’s make a comeback with an explosion of red and pink coral, turquoise and onyx, while the gems and pearls bestow a touch of sheer elegance. Jewels to match and wear with refined irony. Necklace set in 18k white gold with pearl and diamonds. Exclusively sold at the following High End Jewelry Stores 

CHANTECLER 18K CORAL RING

Exclusively at Hamilton Jewelers in the US, Chantecler jewelry is inspired by the Island of Capri's exotic natural environment. Di Amour Folies red coral and diamond ring in 18k pink gold.

CHANTECLER 18K CAPRIFUL TURQUOISE EARRINGS

The Capriful collection is an ode to the Capri island where the brand was born and, with its magic, its joie de vivre, its unforgettable sea and the scents of lemons and bougainvillea flowers, is still a source of inspiration for Chantecler’s creations. Main character of this Capriful collection is the drop, natural element that recurs throughout the years in jewelry and in Chantecler’s creativity, now conceived in a more contemporary and modern way. Exclusively at Hamilton Jewelers in the US, 18k white gold small earrings with turquoise and diamonds.

CHANTECLER 18K PAILLETTES AQUA EARRINGS

Chantecler's everyday extraordinariness gives life to a collection of colorful, full and flowing pieces of jewelry called Paillettes, the French word for sequins. Pink gold encircles colored enamels that create sequined embroideries budding into beautiful aqua green flowers. Pailettes: a cascade of precious and enveloping petals that turn any event into a special occasion.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE >   HIGH END JEWELRY STORES

Exclusively at Hamilton, presenting Chantecler, jewelry expressing the passion and elegance of the luxurious and exotic island of Capri. Founded upon the classic ideals of beautiful women, celebrity and La Dolce Vita lifestyle, the house continues to uphold the principles of passion and heritage with loyal admirers from heirs of dynasties and monarchy, to classic icons like Jacqueline Kennedy and Grace Kelly. Chantecler exudes refinement, elegance and beauty into an all Made in Italy brand.