WatchesOnNet - Luxury Watches For Men And Women Review

I don’t know if you’d call it bling, but all the diamonds on this Patek Philippe masterpiece, with one on the watch’s face between the lugs at about 6 o’clock and, count’em… THIRTY-SIX more surrounding the bezel, each one of them just about flawless… we’re talking about a piece of jewelry with nearly four carats of Top Wesselton diamonds on it. Sounds pretty blingy to me.

But the owner of this Patek Philippe, musician John Mayer, isn’t the sort of artist one would confuse with Elton John or, for that matter, 50 Cent. In other words, he’s a bit more subtle. And the subtleties of his Patek Philippe are a great part of what makes it such a great watch to have.

The Patek Philippe 5971 (as well as every watch they make) is known for the beauty and perfection of its movement. There are 353 individual moving parts on this timepiece all working in perfect and mesmerizing harmony with one another.

In addition, the watch’s dark black dial displays a wide variety of time indications. The minutes and hours are indicated with white-gold hands. The month and date of the calendar can be seen in two apertures at the 12 o’clock position. It also has smaller dials for the running seconds and the 24-hour indicator at the 9 o’clock position for the 30-minute counter, and finally, the analog date is seen at the 6 o’clock position. Yet with all the features on the dial, it is so well organized that all the information it conveys is easily legible at first glance.

Its platinum case gives the 5971 great heft, density as well as its striking color and it comes with a black alligator leather strap.

This John Mayer guy knows his stuff.

The more I learn about him, the less I am surprised that one of the watches in John Mayer’s collection that he is most proud of is his Tag Heuer. Specifically, it is a Tag Heuer Blue Dial Monaco.

As for the fabled history of the watch, of course it goes back to the European racetrack and to Steve McQueen who famously donned the timepiece in his starring role in the 1971 car racing film, “Le Mans.”

The Monaco is the first in the history of fine watch making to have a water resistant square shaped case. But that is not this Tag’s only “famous first” as it also the first automatic chronograph movement that has a micro-rotor.

The design of the Monaco is impeccable and so unmistakable as to render it an iconic timepiece. Fashion-wise, it goes well in any casual or sporting occasion, and as for its features, it is a straight forward, simple, strong timepiece.

It has chronograph functions with 60-second, 30-minute, and 12-hour registers. The dial’s hour points illuminate at night. And the watch operates on TAG Heuer Watches Calibre 17 automatic movement. Finally, the wristwatch is water-resistant to one hundred feet and its case is 41mm.

It has been said that McQueen was originally attracted to this watch for its audaciousness and rebelliousness. Both McQueen and Tag were trend buckers, and now, in a world where every new rock star on the scene wants the next “new thing” it is refreshing that Mayer would rather go old school in his collection than to simply hop on the bandwagon of whatever the watch of the moment may be.

In particular, the Baume and Mercier Hampton series of ladies timepieces is as innovative as it is elegant. With its rectangular shape face, surrounded by diamond embellishments and its incredibly smooth lines, this wristwatch has a combination of old time charm, modern style, and luxury for any age.

While this post features the women’s model of the Baume & Mercier Hampton Classic, it is worth noting that both the women’s AND men’s versions are created and designed with virtually unsurpassed mechanics and movements and nearly flawless aesthetics as well. (Of course, unless you are a subscriber to the Elton John school of men’s fashion, I’d suggest skipping the diamonds for the men’s model… just my opinion). The men’s model impresses me almost as much with its black dial with black chrome accents on its sub dials as well as its alligator leather strap which further complements the elegant looks of the wristwatch as does its date indicator which is located at the 6 o’clock position.

Both Baume & Mercier timepieces are extraordinary both in form and function.

I recently saw John Mayer perform on a cable television music special where he played with several jazz and blues greats from a previous age. And it was hard not to be a little bit impressed that he was aware of the timelessness of their art: That sometimes the brilliance of the past simply cannot be innovated upon and that the old can be as contemporary as the next new thing.

Thus, having scene that special, I can no longer claim to be surprised that perhaps THE most prized timepiece in his extensive collection can trace its ancestry nearly seventy years: The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch, originally manufactured in 1940.

For all intents and purposes, IWC’s Big Pilot’s Watch has been their bread and butter timepiece. It features one of the largest automatic movements available and has all the famous features that have become synonymous with IWC’s historic brand. Its automatic movement can generate a power reserve of eight and a half days, however, it only runs for seven days before a built in mechanism stops it automatically because the torque that drives the movement could decrease and subsequently its balance and accuracy could be thrown off.

Furthermore, the timepiece is available in either stainless steel or 18 ct. white gold, it has an automatic Pellaton winding system, mechanical movement, a power reserve display, date display, a central hacking seconds hand, an iron case to protect it from magnetic fields, a case diameter of 46.2 mm, case height of 15.8 mm, and it comes with a crocodile leather strap.

Mayer claims that someday he intends to pass his IWC Watches and his Big Pilot’s Watch down to his kids. Who can blame him?

1973 doesn’t rank all too highly on my scale of “fun years in history.” The cold war was in full swing, Watergate became a household word, and the Yankees had a losing record. But all was not lost, because somewhere in Geneva, Switzerland, Baume and Mercier created the Riviera Luxury Watch… and alas, almost literally, time started anew, because the Riviera has since become one of Baume and Mercier’s all-time classics both in style and mechanics.

So here in 2009, at least one good part of ’73 is gracing the luxury watch world. I am looking at the RIVIERA XXL MAGNUM PVD RED GOLD … and I am a big fan.

This is a charismatic watch that somehow manages to combine a rugged, sturdiness with sophistication and prestige: It hits the former with its vulcanized black rubber band as well as with its massive 43mm diameter. But on the class and sophistication side, as the name suggests, it has a red gold bezel that surrounds a very sporty dial.

It also has a vertical porthole on the back of the case that shows the pulsating beat of its powerful and mesmerizing mechanics. (The Riviera is driven by a mechanical self-winding Valjoux 7750 movement).
What are the other main features…?
It is a chronograph with a date function at 3 o’clock. A twelve-sided case of black sandblasted PVD-coated steel and applied gilded Roman numeral hour markers.
Bottom line is that this watch was exceptional in 1973 and is even more so now.

There has been a rumor about Abraham Lincoln circulating for about one hundred and fifty years. Well, perhaps the rumor is not so much about Lincoln as it is about his timepieces. The rumor was that there was a secret message about the Civil War embedded somewhere in his timepiece.

That rumor is now a reality. It was proven to be true when George Thomas, an expert maker of timepieces came to the National Museum of American History and before a crowd of museum workers and reporters, he looked inside this rarest of antiques. And indeed, upon unscrewing and prying open the pocket watch, he found a message written by Mr. Jonathan Dillon, dated April 13th, 1861. It was written in small cursive letters that occupied the tiny space between the gears and the screws. The message was so small, in fact, that it required a magnifying glass to read it. It said: “Fort Sumpter was attacked by the rebels on the above date.” The inscription also said: “Thank God we have a government.”

Jonathan Dillon was a watchmaker in Washington DC. He was in possession of President Lincoln’s pocket watch when he found out that the first gunfire of the American Civil War was reported on the battlefields of South Carolina. Mr. Dillon, an Irish immigrant, later remembered that he was the sole believer in the Union cause working in his shop.

Mr. Dillon’s story circulated among his friends and family and went down to subsequent generations before it landed in the hands of a reporter for the NY Times. In the article, Mr. Dillon, then eighty-four years old, said that to his knowledge, nobody including the President himself ever laid eyes on the inscription.

Doug Stiles, who is the great-grandson of Mr. Dillon, initially heard the story of the message to the President from his own great uncle many decades ago. Stiles said the tale had reached family members all the way to Ireland.

Then several months ago, Stiles used the Google search engine to track down the NY Times article, and subsequently he relayed the information to curators at the Smithsonian who did not know anything about the message.

The moment of the confirmation of the inscription was not without its drama. First, Mr. Thomas said: “The moment of truth has come. Is there or is there not an inscription?” Then, upon revealing the message, Mr. Thomas called for Mr. Stiles to join him and read his great-great grandfather’s words to the President. After he did so, Stiles joked: “My gosh, that was Lincoln’s watch… and my ancestor put graffiti on it!”

President Lincoln’s family held the watch before, in 1958, they gave it to the Smithsonian. It was one of the President’s everyday timepieces, and one of his only possessions of value that he took to Washington from his home in Springfield, Illinois.

The famous watch will be displayed in the museum’s current exhibit on Lincoln’s life.

But the exhibit will now include Mr. Dillon’s amazing story about timepieces.

This blog has written extensively on the timepieces worn by President Obama. (And I’m sure the good people at Tag Heuer are appreciative of his fashion tastes). But it is quite possible that fashion watchers and “watch watchers” are even more interested in the wrist-wear of “that other Obama”, our 44th first lady.

Well, the rumors, they are a’circulatin’. And the latest is that Michelle Obama has been seen on more than one occasion wearing a beauty from Cartier: the Cartier Tank Francaise Ladies Watch.

This really is a stunning timepiece. This Cartier has an 18kt yellow gold octagonal crown that is set with faceted sapphire. It has a 22mm stainless steel case and matching stainless steel bracelet. Its dial is silver grained and it has sword shaped blue steel hands with elegant Roman numeral hour and minute markers. Finally, it has a scratch resistant sapphire crystal and excellent quartz movement.

If there was any doubt about who is the number one fashion leader at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, it is certainly diminishing quickly, as Mrs. Obama seems to already share the company of Nancy Reagan and, (dare I say it), Jackie Kennedy as first ladies whose style choices seemingly influence the entire country.

Lately it seems as if the bare arms of our first lady – toned but feminine- have been gathering the attention of and style and culture watchers throughout the land. But alas, with her choices in watches, it may soon be what she wears on those arms that will be what grabs the lasting attention of designers and fashionistas in the know.