Zenith launches limited edition in HK

The new CEO of Zenith, Jean-Frederic Dufour, hosted a launch event in Hong Kong. Zenith presented a new limited editon watch to the press. The new limited edition is called the Christopher Columb. Its named after the famous world explorer Christopher Columbus. It is a beautiful watch, the dial is classic and reminds people to the roots of Zenith and the front and backside of the case are sapphire glass. The design is spectacular because of the curve in the glass at the front side and the backside. The diameter of the watch is 45mm and it is available in 18crt white or rose gold. The movement is the manual wind Zenith Academy 8804 with a unique gyroscopic system that ensures perfect horizontal positioning of the regulating organ housed in a gyroscopic cage made of 166 components.

Personally I think Zenith will win their lost collectors over the years again because this watch is part of the back to the roots strategy. People who loved Zenith, because of their lovely El Primero watches and their classic looks. I would say, Zenith is back in business again!! Here are some beautiful pictures and the technical specifications.

TECHNICAL DATA
References
18.2210.8804/01.C631 (Rose gold)
65.2210.8804/01.C630 (White gold)

Movement
-Academy 8804, Manual
-Unique Gyroscopic system that ensures perfect horizontal positioning of the regulating organ
-Gyroscopic cage made of 166 components, 10 conical-geared wheels (with 6 spherical wheels) & 6 ball bearings
Jewels: 45
Frequency: 36’000 V/h – (5 Hz)
Power reserve: 50 hours

Functions
-Hours and minutes excentered at 12 o’clock
-Self-regulating gyroscopic module at 6 o’clock
-Small second display at 9 o’clock
-Power reserve indicator at 3 o’clock

Case, dial & Hands
Material: 18-carat Rose or White Gold
Diameter: 45 mm
Crystal and Case-back: Box-form sapphire glass with anti-reflection treatment on both sides with excrescent domes that cover gyroscopic module
Water-resistance: 30 ATM
Dial: Silver rounded “Grain d’Orges” Guilloché with straighted “Clou de Paris" on the small second counter
Indexes & Numerals: Black laquered
Hands: blued stainless steel

Strap & Buckle
Strap: Black crocodile leather strap
Buckle: 18-carat gold triple folding buckle

Written by: Tobias. S

Anonimo Firenze, another Italian master creator!

In 1972 Dino Zei made his step from the marines to the luxury market. He becomes director of “Guido Panerai e Figlio”, a company which produced top secret projects for the Italian marine. 25 years later he was one of the starters behind Anonimo, an extravagant Italian brand which connect Zei’s specialists from Firenze to the top of the luxury market. The vision of founder Federico Massacesi – former director Salvatore Ferragamo – and the expertise of Dino Zei resulted in limited series of handmade watches which made the big watch collectors thrilling!

Dino Zei’s career at the marine began in 1958. Zei was responsible for the weapon department of the marine, one of the best teams who made electronic- and weapon systems. Zei wasn’t only responsible for the production of weapons, he also custom made watches for the divers of the marine. These watches were much more specific then the watches who were already on the market.  “Time is definitely a dominant thing in the world of the marines” said Zei. Why is that we asked? The military living is always marked by time, all the activities are programmed and performed on a précised time schedule. So much attention to time might be looking obsessive for a person who isn’t an expert, but it is crucial for complex operations whose success depends on following operations which must connect perfectly!

The importance of a watch of high quality which is accurate, reliable and easy to read is not only important in the world of the marines. The luxury market also attaches great importance to these characteristics. That’s where Anonimo stands for!

The moment when Zei became responsible for the mysterious top secret department, the Panerai Company already worked together with the Italian Marine. “That was my chance to work together with Giuseppe Panerai during his last three years of live” said Zei. ‘After that period, which I talk about in my book (The PANERAI book by Dino Zei), I left the marines and began to work for Panerai. The continuity of the projects designed for the marine was assured by this career step.

Until 1997 the brand was known as Officine Panerai Firenze. This brand was bought by the Swiss Richemont Group (also known from Cartier, IWC and Jaeger-LeCoultre), then the entire production of Officine Panerai moved to Switzerland. The production facilities and staff remained in Florence. Zei’s high tech expertise combined with the feeling for luxury of the flamboyant person Federico Massacesi resulted in 1997 in Anonimo. A new standard is set for solid, mens watches in limited circulation. Research, experiments and new features in design and technology are the characteristics of a collection which focuses only on man who go for the best. The typical Anonimo man likes beauty and cannot only allow the normal. They definitely go for the best, knows Zei. The choice of shops where we want to be is crucial.  Our watches, you find only in shops where they offer the best of the best is the vision of Zei.

Tom Cruise was recently spotted with an Anonimo San Marco on his wrist at a Lakers game. He isn’t the only celebrity with an Anonimo. Also Ivan Basso, Luca Toni, Hermann Maier, Oliver Kahn, Paul Stanley, George Hincapie, Eric Singer and Caroll Shelby are spotted with an Anonimo Firenze watch.

Nowadays Anonimo is an upcoming brand which stands for quality and passion. The watches are classy, rough and sporty. ‘I consider myself a lucky man’ Zei’s laughing. My family, a wife and sons, the operations I successfully completed. Always useful, effective and honest. I am a man who has made mistakes like everyone but I always wore the consequences.’  

Written by: Tobias. S

Audemars Piguet Official Timekeeper Tour Auto 2010

The Manufacture Audemars Piguet’s interest in motor racing is definitely nothing new. In addition to close involvement with its Formula 1 racing-driver ambassadors Rubens Barrichello, Jarno Trulli and Sébastien Buemi, Audemars Piguet is also the official timekeeper for historical car rallies such as the Tour Auto, the National Classic Tour (Belgium) and the Audemars Piguet Gtaad Classic (Switzerland).

This year, 100 chronographs have been created within the Royal Oak Offshore: one 60-piece limited edition for the Tour Auto, and another 40 for the National Classic Tour. These new timepieces have been specially designed to appeal to motor sports enthusiasts.

Audemars Piguet has chosen to support two particular teams for this new edition of the Tour Auto

The Blanchard/Cloché-Dubois ladies’ team will be competing in the regularity category at the wheel of an AC Bristol. While this is a first for Céline Cloché-Dubois, Karine Blanchard has been driving the length and breadth of Europe since her childhood, when her parents instilled in her their own passion for classic racing. Karine was indeed part of the “3 girls in a Bugatti” team that took part in the Le Mans Classic race in 2006 and 2008. This is not the first Tour Auto for the Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque team, which already took part in the 2009 edition in order to support the heart surgery foundation after which it is named, racing their Jaguar MK1 in the competition category.

After the technical and sporting verifications conducted on April 19th in the Jardin des Tuileries in Paris, our friends will set off for Magny-Cours, where the first track race will take place the following day. The cars will then head for Vichy, a traditional stop-over on the Tour, followed by the famous Charade racing circuit in Auvergne, before an original stage in Lyon. After a detour via the Bresse track, the AC Bristol and the MK1 will drive towards the Alps and one of the most elegant French ski resort, Megève. The Audemars Piguet teams will then begin their descent towards the Côte d’Azur, via Aix-en-Provence on the Friday, and the Paul Richard HTTT race track. They will savour the splendours of the Mediterranean coastline as they proceed to the legendary Corniche and to Beaulieusur-Mer, the final destination of this new Tour Auto (Timezone, 2010).

Tissot Opens new boutique in Paris

Dear people, i wasn't posting for a while because I was very busy with new exclusive editorial pieces and school. I am working on a nice story about the watch brand Anonimo, please keep visiting frequently, it comes online soon!

Tissot opens a monobrand store on Paris's Champs-Elysees at number 76. For its latest monobrand store, Tissot has chosen a location on ‘the world's most beautiful avenue', the famous Champs-Elysées in Paris. Neighbouring the flagship stores of the world's leading brands, the 100 square metre boutique opened its doors for the first time on July 8, 2010. An elegant Parisian facade encloses two floors of products. These accommodate eye-catching displays, as well as interactive presentations that enable visitors to experience the diversity and energy of the Tissot brand. And wrapping up the monobrand store package are a terrace and a café, where shoppers can relax and refuel.

A lifestyle experience
Tissot is at the forefront of the retail trend geared to meet increasing customer demand for participation. The highly modern interior presents the products in the context of a lifestyle experience. Expansive, back-lit walls showcase large prints of the new Tissot black and white ambassador campaign shot by Jeff Burton. A brand new boutique design concept plays with glossy and matt surfaces, demonstrating an abilty to stimulate and soothe in rapid succession. A 117 cm flat, tactile screen presents the Tissot Augmented Reality facility, which enables visitors to view watches in 3D on their own wrist. This expresses the Tissot commitment to continual innovation, in this case inspired by the latest IT advances (Tissot, 2010).

Vintage watches

This time we have a guestwriter. His name is Stef and he is working for many years in the watchworld. He is very interested in Vintage watches so he wrote a nice editorial about it.

Vintage watches are sought for, for many years. An expensive hobby, but a very special one that gives a good insight in the world of watch making. What makes vintage watches so sought after?

What is vintage? The word "vintage" is a combination of the Latin of vinum, or "wine," and demere, or "to take off." A "vintage" was originally the field of a season's harvest at a vineyard. In the nineteenth century, "vintage" began to be used to signify in general something being old, old-fashioned, classical, or "from another time." In this way, objects other than wine began to be referred to as "vintage," including furniture, books, cars, clothing, musical instruments and off course watches.

Now we know this, lets define the term “vintage watch”. A vintage watch is a mechanical watch made before the quartz revolution in the 70’s. Because of the popularity of mass produced quartz watches, most watch companies that produced mechanical watches have since gone out of business. Several other companies that were once bold leaders in the watch making industry have consolidated and been absorbed into a few large watch houses that share mass produced parts. This means that a lot of great names from before the 70’s are not known any more only by the vintage watches that are under the many collectors.

It is this old industry that makes collecting vintage watches so “magical”. An industry that’s no longer there, but still excists at the same time. The industry goes back al long time, but in the mechanical watches industry the principle of many mechanical watches is still the same as 50 to a 100 years ago. This gives vintage watch collecting something “romantic”. Remembering a industry, that has changed so much since the 70’s, in its original form.

Next time we will talk about vintage watches as investment.

Sources: Farfo’s vintage watches & Vintage watch company

Written by: Stef