Holmbrook Limited, a company based in Dublin, has found itself in legal battles brought by the brands Longines Watch Co., Rado Uhren and now Tissot AG for hijacking Russian (.ru) domain names that the watchmakers believe are rightfully theirs.

In earlier proceedings, the Moscow Commerical Court sided with Longines and Rado, prohibiting Holmrook from using the domain names and awarding the claimants modest monetary damages, but Tissot has not been as successful. On December 6, 2011, the court ruled against the company, stating that Holmrook was neither the owner of the tissot.ru domain name, nor its administrator. Apparently, Holmrook had given the name and well as administration rights to an individual named Nikolai Mikhailyukov free of charge. Mikhailyukov has been using the site to post information about the French painter, James Jacques Joseph Tissot.

Tissot AG claims that the site was not dedicated to the painter until after charges had already been filed.

Why Holmrook is targeting Swiss watchmakers is unclear; what the company even does is hard to pin down with a simple Google search. Holmrook Limited has no website, no Wikipedia page and no presence within social media. In fact, the bulk of its public activity seems to be defending itself in court against angry Swiss watchmakers.

Steve Levy, a writer for The Fair Winds Blog: DomainStrategy.com, has a theory. “It would seem Holmrook’s main function is investing in domain names (some may call it cybersquatting instead of investing), and I view the use of content relating to the artist James Tissot to be a clever ruse which was specifically intended to avoid enforcement. It would be like someone registering apple.ru and posting pictures of fruit but with the real intention of waiting for the famous computer/mobile device company to seek out the owner and offer them a huge sum to buy the domain.”

On his website, Levy makes the comment that these problems tend to abound in Russian web spaces, due to “lax copyright enforcement and a rampant counterfeiting industry.” His suggestion to businesses is to register any important trademarks in the .ru domain quickly, before cybersquatters do.

An appeal by Tissot was scheduled for Feb. 8, 2012 before the Russian Ninth Commercial Court of Appeals. And it’s a good bet that Omega, Union Glashütte, Breguet, Tourbillon, Calvin Klein and other Swatch Group companies are registering .ru domain names as quickly as possible.

Hotel del Invalides from above

PARIS – Bell & Ross Time Instruments was on hand for year number 27 of the International Automobile Festival in Paris, France on January 25. The watch maker was there to present the Palme d’Or award and show off its exclusive watch collection.

This year the Festival was held at the luxurious Hotel des Invalides, near the famous Dome of the church right next door. The Festival is held to show off new concept cars from different manufacturers and to celebrate automotive innovation. Bell & Ross were there to strut their stuff along side auto manufacturers with their new exclusive line of watches.

The watch company also unveiled something that France had never seen; a new kind of item thatBell & Ross is not know for, a Harley Davidson. Bell & Ross teamed up with Shaw Harley Davidson and created the Nascafe Harley Davidson bike. The motorcycle has won many Custom Harley Davidson championships in the US and was well received by everyone at the International Automobile Festival.

Award winning Bell & Ross Harley on display at Automotive Festival

The Festival also bring out an exclusive watch collection from Bell & Ross each year. This year the watches were on display and available for purchase to anyone with the inclination to own such a luxurious timepiece.

Of course Bell & Ross was not only there to have fun and show off their award winning Harley, they had an award to present. CEO of Bell & Ross, Carlos A. Rosillo, presented the Palme d’Or to the Red Bull Racing F1 team who took the 2011 Championship title won by German driver Sebastien Vettle. The team’s owner, Dieter Mateschitz met Rosillo on stage to accept the award for his team.

French driver for the Citroën World Rally Team Sebastien Loeb was also presented with an award. Loeb has won the World Rally Championship (WRC) a record eight times in a row.

Rosillo is also a member of the jury which decided on 14 prizes championing the work of companies and people including the Palme d’Or were handed out at the Festival. A little more than 600 people attended the event in Paris.

The event celebrated 2011s innovators in the automotive field. The new years concept cars are unveiled and any new idea that involves automobiles will be brought to the floor. It has become a place where the future of the industry is born each year anew.

Fancois Bennahmias and Lebron James pose for a picture at An Audemars Piguet Fundraiser.

MIAMI, FL – Superstars Lebron James and Celine Dion teamed up with Audemars Piguet to help raise money for an expansion of Miami’s Cardiac & Vascular Institute on January 16.

The evening began with a private concert for 1,700 by Celine Dion and was followed by a dinner/auction sponsored by Audemars Piguet. Dion gave the sold out show at the Jackie Gleason Theater at Miami Beach in thanks to the Institute for a procedure they performed that saved her husband’s life, René Angélil. The Institutes founder and medical director Dr. Barry Katzen carried out the procedure.

“It started a little over two and a half years ago. We had quite a scare. Our family doctors discovered that René had a critical narrowing of the artery to his brain, the carotid artery, putting him at a high risk for stroke,” Dion said in her video which was played after the concert.

Celine Dion accepts a gift after performing at Jackie Gleason Theater in Miami

Fracois-Henry Bennahmias, President and CEO of Audemars Piguet, spared no expense at the dinner and auction, providing many elegant pieces to be put up for bid. NBA megastar James was there as well to promote his affiliation with Audemars Piguet and help raise money for the Institute.
One of the most prized pieces of the night was an 18K Jules Audemars Chronograph Tourbillion watch drenched in white gold and baguette diamond. Bennahmias was joined on stage with Dion to promote the watch, with Dion even taking stealing the show for a while by singing songs to help the crowd with their bidding.
James also added to the auction package, offering up two floor seats to a future Miami Heat and Boston Celtics match-up.
The show and auction was put together to support a new expansion on the Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute. The expansion that will cost upwards of $60 million will include the development of a national Center for Advanced Endovascular and Heart Therapy, Center for Aneurysm Therapy and more centers specializing in specific areas.
“Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute has been ahead of its time for the past 25 years, and this expansion will allow its leadership team to take the Institute to the next level in cardiovascular excellence,” said Brian Keeley, President and CEO of Baptist Health South Florida.
The concert pulled in nearly $6 million and the auction raised more than $500,000. Up to $5 million was matched by event benefactor and Baptist Health Foundation board member Victor E. Clarke.

Philip Stein luxury watches was founded in 2002 by husband and wife, Will and Rina Stein. Their combined business and watch designer knowledge led to the development and success of the Philip Stein brand. After discovering that natural frequencies had positive health properties, they decided to be the first to introduce a luxury watch that featured frequency-based technology.

Philip Stein Watches with Frequency Technology

So, what is frequency-based technology? Frequency technology was discovered in 1986 by a group of scientists who went on to patent the technology into a “TESLAR chip.” What these chips do is emit a signal that can make the body’s natural defenses stronger through a type of collaboration with its natural electromagnetic energy field. One study by Dr. Anthony Scott-Morley showed that the presence of a “TESLAR chip” allowed the body to obstruct ambient signals within the surrounding environment. Test results of the chip on patients showed positive results in the health field including improvement of sleep and reduction of the effects of stress. Also, the chip showed signs of reducing electronic pollution such as the use of a cell phone.

With this knowledge at hand, the Steins worked to combine a luxury watch that could affect the well-being of a person. Not long after launching their brand, testimonials soon poured in about the positive effects of wearing a Philip Stein watch. What really gave the Steins a major push into the commercial world was an endorsement by Oprah Winfrey who was gifted with a Philip Stein watch by Madonna.

And then came the design! With Rina’s 25 years of watchmaking design, the Steins incorporated distinctive features and beautiful textures to create the Philip Stein watch with Frequency Technology. The now well-known dual time zone dial and the window in the back of the face which shows the Frequency Technology metal disk are a sure sign it’s a Philip Stein watch. If you’ve never had the pleasure of looking upon a Philip Stein watch, be sure to check out their Collections which include:

• Prestige
• Signature
• Classic
• Active
• Bracelet

You can choose by dial color, single or double case, diamond or no diamond case or dial, and interchangeable straps.

We should thank the Steins. What other watch company has taken such steps to promote well-being and health? Who doesn’t want to be more resistant to stress and sleep better? There’s never been a better reason to wear a Philip Stein watch.

Chanel J12 Chromatic

Chromatic. The J12 Chromatic version is a very desirable piece for any man to own. This durable time piece is made of titanium ceramic. On the outside of the case one will find a unidirectional rotating bezel. The movement of the watch is Quartz and contains rhodium plated mirrored polished second, minute, and hour hands. All of these hands point to matching rhodium plated mirrored polished numerals. A great feature of this time piece is the little date window located between the four hour and five hour. This watch is resistant in up to 200 meters of water, making the J12 perfect for a day of water sports at the lake or that summer cruise you’ve been wanting to take. To ensure that water never makes its way inside of the watch, the J12 contains a screw down crown. The band incorporates a steel triple folding buckle to promise the owner it will never leave its wrist. This watch is retailed at $5,900.

Chanel J12 29 MM Diamond Dial

Jewelry. The jewelry collection of the J12 offers many different models. A popular selling watch from this particular collection is the J12 29 MM Diamond Dial. This J12 model is made from white high-tech ceramic. It’s very beautiful and stunning with its white mother-of-pearl dial which happens to also be set with eight diamond indicators. This time piece also contains the valued Quartz movement and contains a second, minute, and a hour hand. A great feature of this watch is that it is water resistant in up to 50 meters of water. The diameter of the case measures at 29 millimeters, making it a pretty small watch. To ensure that the watch will be with you at all times, it contains a steel triple folding buckle. This J12 retails at $6,150.

Chanel J12 Superleggera Chronograph

Chronograph. The J12 Superleggera Chronograph is made from a black-matte high-tech ceramic, titanium, rubber and aluminum. This time piece is water resistant in up to 200 meters of water, making it one of the J12′s prized features. The case diameter measures in at 41 millimeters, making it a larger sized watch. The watch not only contains a second, minute and hour hand but it also has a date window as well as the chronograph and tachymeter functions. This watch retails at $6,850.

Chanel J12 GMT

GMT. The J12 GMT is made from black high tech ceramic. The appeal of this watch isn’t just for the second, minute, hour hands and the date window. This watch contains a second time zone (GMT). This J12 retails at $6,300.

If you are genuinely interested in purchasing any of these fine time pieces it is best to do so through an authorized Chanel dealer. Chanel watches are often counterfeit and it would be a shame to fall victim to a scam. For more Chanel J12 models you can visit Chanel’s website.

Face of the new Bulgari Perpetual Calendar watch

Bulgari has impressed audiences again with the release of their Grande Sonnerie Quantieme Perpetual Calendar watch earlier this year.
Bulgari is often portrayed as a brilliant jewelry maker, and the same holds true for their watches. This new timepiece is no exception. The watch offers the owner all the magnificent extras that has come to be expected from Bulgari. Another fine addition to the Daniel Roth Collection, the Grande Sonnerie Perpetual Calendar has an astounding number of components and took approximately one year to complete.
This model pushes the boundaries on the Grande Sonnerie line  with a new function that will keep the date and provide musical cues on important dates and times throughout the year. The Calendar is set to work until the year 2100.
The watch comes equipped with 923 components and 20 different functions. The Perpetual Calendar function will chime with certain cues throughout the year. Over the course of an entire year, the watch will chime 433,580 during 35,040 activations.
This magnificent piece of craftsmanship was created by only the best and brightest in their profession. Six months of the development process was dedicated to the finishing and decorating of the moving parts alone. It is up to the watchmaker to create each piece in perfect working order or the watch will cease to perform correctly.
The tones the watch produces each day are the most intricate part of the watch. Each time the watch makes a note, tiny gongs are struck within the watch. The watchmaker must be sure that the tones within the casing sound true and accurate. If even one of the tones is off, the entirety of the sound is awful. This is even more evidence of the mastery put into each of these spectacular timepieces.

Tourbillion and Sonnerie of Bulgari Perpetual Calendar Watch

This exquisite piece of craftsmanship is designed with a tourbillion mechanism to ensure accurate timekeeping. It is held in an 18-carot pink gold case with a black alligator leather strap and 18-carot pink gold triple-blade folding clasp. The dial consists of an alternating lacquered finish, opaline anthracite and snailed surface treatment. The watch pops when one notices the sapphire discs in the case indicating the days and months.
Already being championed as one of the 10 most complicated watches every produced, the Grande Sonnerie Perpetual Calendar watch debuted at Baselworld 2011, a watch and jewelry trade show held in Basel, Switzerland. The show is held to explore the new innovations and stunning products from all the worlds top watch and jewelry companies. This watch will truly capture the jealous gaze of anyone with the privilege of witnessing it in person.

The U-PLAY collection is know for it’s interchangeable parts and unique design. The owner can mix and match most parts to make the watch their own. The bezel and straps can be interchanged depending on the occasion or attire being worn. This is one of the many great attributes this GUCCI Watch collection offers.
GUCCI Watches has gone back in time with this collection. The interchangeable bezel was once all the rave in watches, and the elegant GUCCI has brought it back into style. The U-PLAY collection is one of the most intriguing and fun lines that GUCCI Watches offer.
The watch was designed by GUCCI creative director Frida Gianni. The watch comes with a red Guccissima leather strap, with the iconic double “G” pattern appearing throughout. The double “G” also appears on the inside of the strap, giving the entire band an authentic GUCCI look. The bezel is set with the GUCCI signature markings and encased by a bold red outline. The double “G” dial is stainless steel and shines brightly with the the marking of “GUCCI” at 12 O’clock. The “Swiss Made” marking is at 6 O’clock to let the owner know the fine quality of craftsmanship that went into the watch. The hands are slim and tapered, elegant enough for any wrist. The watch is run by reliable Swiss quartz movement and is waterproof for up to 30 meters.
Of course the strap and bezel can be changed at any time, but the red is suitable for a Valentine’s Day gift. The bright red throughout the watch complements the stainless steel dial and will bring a smile to anyone’s face. The gift is perfect for anyone looking to show their love and passion for those most important in their lives.
The watch offers the best in quality and style for a great price. GUCCI Watches has been producing amazing timepieces for some time and this U-PLAY watch collection is no exception. With the versatility and well made craftsmanship you expect from GUCCI, this U-PLAY collection Valentine’s Day watch will become an important piece in anyone’s ensembles.

Face of the Blancpain L-evolution Tourbillion Grande Date

Blancpain reveals the newest edition to their stellar collection of watches, the L-evolution Tourbillion Grande Date Réserve de Marche sur Masse Oscillante.

The latest edition in the L-evolution collection by Blancpain, the Tourbillion Grande Data offers a new feature to the line. The Grande Date will feature a power reserve indicator not on the dial as normally the case in luxury watches, but on a subdial that will be displayed opposite the face of the watch. This allows for more room on the dial, which will allow for more functionality or simply for the dial to be more pleasing to the eye.

This breakthrough in luxury watches lets the owner know whether or not the watch needs to be wound at the most crucial times; before it is put on and after it is taken off. The power reserve is often on the main dial because it needs to be attached to two components near the main dial to know how much life is left in the main spring. What Blancpain has done is put the power reserve indicator on an oscillating weight, which makes it interdependent from the rest of the watch. Therefore, the power reserve dial can be displayed on the bottom of the dial rather than taking up space on the face of the dial.

The watch also comes with a seven day reserve of power before it needs to be wound. The movement of the watches intricate components can be seen through the sapphire crystal caseback. The watch also includes the Blancpain “flying” tourbillion to keep the watch accurate throughout the entirety of ownership and a double-disc large date mechanism.

The power reserve on Blancpain Tourbillion Grande Date

The watch is available in a red gold version or white. The L-evolution Tourbillion Grande Date offers the well know dial from the L-evolution collection, matching the color of the watch casing. The rubber-lined alligator leather strap completes the magnificent luxury watch and lets the owner know that comfort and performance were at the forefront of the watchmakers mind when the Tourbillion Grande Date was conceived.

This innovation allows for more functions or more room for great looking dials which Blancpain is known for. The L-evolution watches are top tier in luxury and the new power reserve indicator will only make them better. Anyone would be lucky enough to own such a fine timepiece.

Most fine watch makers manufacture right out of Switzerland, even still today. It’s no wonder than that Concord was established in Biel, Switzerland in 1908. When Concord first started making watches they had American customers in mind and one can still notice that through the brand’s designs even today. Concord is known as being the first “private label” luxurious watch brand to add gems and precious metals to its watches. The Concord brand has also earned the title of being the first watch designer to make a wrist watch made entirely of coins.

Concord made another “first” in 1979. Concord designed the Quartz ultra-thin dress watch, the Delirium, which at the time, was the thinnest time piece to ever be made. The watch measured at 1.98 millimeters thin. Later on, a Delirium 2 was released which happened to be even thinner than the first, measuring at 1.5 millimeters. Before 2007, Concord was best known for also manufacturing the Mariner which was specifically made for the sports and activity watches market. The La Scala targeted the contemporary luxury time piece market and the Saratoga targeted the luxury sports watch public.

Concord C1 Chronograph

The Concord company had a major change of vision in 2007. Concord closed several dealerships due to slow sales and lack of customers. This caused a large gray area in the company’s market and damaged Concord’s reputation. Concord targeted the luxury sport market when they released the C1. The C1′s style and pricing was meant to compete with luxury time pieces such as Audemars Piguet, Hublot and Panerai. The C1 is best described as an extremely large sports luxury watch. From 2007 to present, all Concord models are based off of the C1′s base case design. Concord only has a couple hundred dealers left around the world and was hoping to earn a new name in the world of fine watches. Concord designed two new C1 watches in 2008, the C1 Gravity Tourbillion and the C1 Worldtimer. The C1 won the impressive “Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve” as “Best design of the year 2008.” The C1 is sure to be a watch of 2012, attracting more fans.

Concord gained a new worldwide CEO, Alex Grinberg, in 2009. Grinberg continues to do an outstanding job as CEO for Concord to this day. Concord customers eagerly wait to see what Grinberg will do for 2012

Today, Concord is included as a member in the Movado group. This group is also known for owning Ebel, Coach, Movado, ESQ, Juicy Couture Watches, Tommy Hilfiger, Lacoste and Huge Boss watches. These watch companies continue to make a large profit in the luxury watch market for 2012 and are very popular amongst the public.

Concord continues to slowly make history. Any of their watches can be purchased at any of the remaining Concord dealerships that are scattered all over the world. It will be interesting to see if 2012 is the comeback that Concord has been waiting for.

The Rotonde de Cartier Annual Calendar

The Rotonde de Cartier Annual Calendar made its first appearance this year at the watch show in Geneve. It’s a very large time piece with a case measuring in at 45 millimeters. The watch offers a new capability in which the crown adjusts all functions of the watch. Two versions of this watch are available. The first is available with an 18-karat white gold case and a black leather strap. The other version is available in pink gold with a brown leather strap. The function that makes this watch so unique and appealing is the multi-layer dial. Each layer is in charge of keeping track of a specific time. The first layer of the dial contains a weekday scale. The next layer out contains roman numerals for displaying the current hour. After that one will see the month scale and then last but not least, a minute track that runs in the outside rim. By the 12 hour roman numeral, one can find a date window, another great calendar function of The Rotonde De Cartier Annual Calendar. This luxurious time piece contains blue sword shaped minute and hour hands that point to the hours while red hammer shaped hands with only the tips showing, point to the week and month scales.

The Rotonde de Cartier Perpetual Calendar

The Rotonde de Cartier Perpetual Calendar is available in two versions just like the Rotonde de Cartier Annual Calendar. The first variation contains a polished round pink gold case. The other version offers a polished round white gold case. Both of the cases measure in at 40.5 millimeters in diameter, a decent average size watch that will fit just about any man. Both come with black alligator straps that contain gold clasps. The gorgeous silver dial is elegantly decorated with guilloche. The dial contains blue sword shaped minute and hour hands that point to large black roman numerals which indicate the hour. There is also a centrally located thin blue pointer that points to the date displayed on a circular scale inside of the outer rim. Located at the hour six, one will find a retrograde weekday indicator. Located at the hour twelve, one will find a disk that shows the month as well as a leap year. The crown is an absolutely stunning feature of the watch. It is decorated with cabochon blue sapphire and beads.

2012 has been good to Cartier so far, it will be difficult to top what they have accomplished thus far.