Maurits,rolex watch imitation,Heuer Monaco show-off - Fratellowatches.com, regular visitor of the Paneristi Forum bought himself a nice caliber 321 Speedmaster Pro pre-Moon… A nice addition to his already impressive collection of ‘Tool Watches’, as he likes to call them.
Click here for more pictures…
Picture by Maurits Bollen
When the first Royal Oak was introduced in 1972, nobody could have guessed how popular the design would be in the 21st century. Based on that original design, Audemars Piguet introduced the Royal Oak Offshore collection 20 years after the first Royal Oak. At least here in The Netherlands, the Royal Oak Offshore is very popular and in my humble opinion, it is one of the watches that caused the end of the hype around the stainless steel Rolex Daytona (given the fact that it is widely available again and that they are going for list price).
However, given the fact that I am the proud owner of the Royal Oak model that comes closest to the original of 1972, how does this Offshore compare to its ancestor and is it actually a true alternative for the ultimate cult chronograph, the Rolex Daytona ref.116520? A few weeks ago, I was able to review a Royal Oak Offshore Safari (26170ST.OO.D091CR.01) from Dutch watch dealer Watch-Site and I finally have some time to share my findings with you.
From the Offshore collection, the Safari always drew my attention,rolex watches replica, mainly because of the very nice creamy dial color. It reminds me a bit of the Rolex Explorer II Cream Dial ref. 16550 (mid-80s),leather handbags wholesale, a very sought-after Explorer II model. The Safari has this very cool brown alligator (hornback) strap with bone texture, making it look very euh… Safari. Just like every other Royal Oak, the Safari also has the 8 white gold screws in the bezel of the watch. When the watch is being held in certain angles, the light will play nicely with the satinized bezel and the high polished white gold screws. I catch myself doing this quite regularly
The watch case is a lot bigger than the original Royal Oak model and not only that, but also a bit different in shape. Edges are not as sharp as on the original Royal Oak models, and most parts of the watch are a bit more round in general. The Offshore models are famous for their rubber parts,rolex replica, like the thick rubber gasket between the bezel and the watch case and the rubber protectors for the crown and chronograph pushers.
Although not very visible in the picture above, the crown and pushers are not aligned. However, the date window already should have told you that this movement is not a dedicated chronograph movement but a regular movement with an additional chronograph module (this method is called piggybacking).
The base movement is an in-house movement, that has been used by Audemars Piguet since 2005. The regular Royal Oak Date Automatic (ref. 15300) has the same base movement (caliber 3120), amongst others . The movement used in the Safari (and other Offshore Chronographs) is referred to as caliber 3126/3840, with 59 jewels and a 55 hour power reserve. A high number of jewels for a chronograph movement will tell you that it is a piggybacked movement most of the time. Nothing wrong with that of course, but the purists amongst us will prefer a dedicated chronograph movement instead.
Personally, I think you shouldn’t expect to get a piggybacked chronograph movement in a 16.000 Euro timepiece, although it would be mainly because of the misalignment of the crown and pushers.
As you can see in the picture above, the (round) screws are going in via the back of the watch and the white gold screw in the bezel is actually a hex nut. The case back of the AP ROO Safari actually says all that is necessary on the back, except for its 100 meters of water resistance.
The production number is a combination of a letter and a few digits and then again a few digits with No. in front of it. The letter (G in this case) should tell us something about the year, 2007 and the rest is abracadabra to me. My own 15202 has an F-number, and dates back to 2006. If anyone can explain me the logic behind these numbers, I would be very grateful.
With approximately 800 employees in Switzerland and 200 in foreign countries, Audemars Piguet is able to manufacture between 25.000 and 30.000 watches per year. So, there has to be something going on with the combination of these two identifiers in the back of the case.
So, is it a good and modern alternative for the once highly sought after Rolex Daytona? Most Rolex fans will tell you that there is no substitute, and a lot of AP fans will probably tell you the same. Apples and oranges indeed. Fact is though, that the AP ROO has become the watch of choice for bankers, soccer players and movie stars, where there was once only one ruler, the Rolex Daytona – preferably in stainless steel. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but movement wise, I think the Rolex is more interesting with its in-house developed chronograph caliber 4130. When it comes to the resell value, the Rolex Daytona is – although the hype is over – still good to go quickly for cash that comes close to retail.
A Royal Oak Offshore Safari Chronograph has a list price of 16.100 Euro, while you can get a BNIB model between 11.500 and 13.500 Euro. Used models, like the one reviewed, are approximately 10K Euro. One reason or another, you can bargain a lot on a new Audemars Piguet or get an occasion for almost 6K under list price. This could be seen as an advantage as well I guess, as long as you aren’t the guy who bought one for list price.
The 44mm x 14.75mm dimensions might not look good on everyone’s wrists, but I surely found the watch to be comfortable yet very ‘present’. I do think that it is at least the nicest Offshore model available right now, with its brown alligator hornback strap, stainless steel bezel (instead of rubber) and easy-on-the-eyes dial.
Thanks for reading and let me know what you think of this timepiece by leaving a comment below. Thanks to Watch-Site for lending me the watch.
Hello Watch Friends, Thought I would take a moment to introduce a unique watch that I recently taken some time to learn more about. ?Ǭ�Officially presented to the media and the public in January 2009, the innovative design and eye-catching appeal of the Automatic Chronograph Evolution bears the namesake a creative young watch maker named Fr?ɬ�der?ɬ�ric Jouvenot – himself a mere 32 years old! ?Ǭ�Most unique about the watch is that the watch rotor, which typically appears on the back side of a watch, has been engineered to appear on the front / dial side. ?Ǭ�Take a closer look for yourself in the photos below,Linde Werdelin 3-Timer review No 13 arrived!, and don’t miss the video below that Mr. Jouvenot himself was kind enough to share with me!
The face leaves little doubt as to the watch?��Ǩ�Ѣs equally inventive and ingenious intentions
Whether resting upside-down on a table or in reading mode, the chronograph?��Ǩ�Ѣs two registers always perfectly bisect ?Ǭ�the rotor?��Ǩ�Ѣs curves.
This video was sent to Perpetuelle.com directly from Mr. Fr?ɬ�d?ɬ�ric Jouvenot himself (thanks Fr?ɬ�d?ɬ�ric!) and I am pleased to share it with you here:
The collection is limited to 88 pieces in both white and pink gold
I am surely looking forward to what comes next from Frederic Jouvenot! ?Ǭ�Learn more at
Technical Specifications General information - Classic chronograph movement with column wheels,tag watches, new exclusive automatic rewinding system and patented face. – Chronograph with main dial, minute timers for 3 h – Edition limited to 88 timepieces by colour of gold or case colour. – 2-year warranty.
-Original presentation box specially made for this timepiece with integrated and warranty certificate.
Details of the movment - The rotor perfectly intermeshes with the timers for reading the time. – Screw-adjusted balance, frequency of 18?��Ǩ�Ѣ000 A/h. – Power reserve for 50 hours. – Rotor in 18K gold matching face with the case colour, face decorations in fan – Finished in chronographic steel and brass in black gold,leather handbag wholesale, pearled and hand finished. Angle polished. – Engraved chronographic bridge and balancing bridge in hand c?ɬ�tes de Gen?ɬ�ve. – Dial and movement bridges decorated and engraved with circular borders in black gold.
Details of the case – Case, crown, back in 18K white or pink gold. – Limited edition with number of timepiece engraved – Case waterproof to depth of 50m. – Sapphire glass cover for face and back with antireflective coating. – Black crocodile leather strap with 18K gold buckle matching the case. – Hands with specific form matching the movement. – Case diameter: 44mm. – Height of case: 13mm.
Kyle Stults is Founder & President of Perpetuelle.com, a new online community for watch owners, collectors & enthusiasts.
With all of the men’s shows happening in Europe this week,Its like you read my mind, I’ve been thinking a lot about manbags. Historically they’ve been a fashion staple, but much like hats, they fell out of favor in the second half of the last century. At least in a small way, however, they appear to be back and gaining leverage over the past few years.
And where there’s an opportunity to sell things, those trying to sell an expensive version of those things can’t be far behind. There are now more choices for luxury manbags than ever before, and my personal favorite (of the day, anyway) is the Basil Racuk Hard Brief.
Something about the stark, minimalist lines of this hand-crafted bag, combined with the vintage, weathered finish really appeals to me. The two ideas seem a bit disparate in discussion, but when they’re combined, the product couldn’t be more modern and chic. I would date a man carrying a bag like this in a heartbeat,leather handbags on sale, and I wouldn’t question his manliness over it for a nanosecond – in fact,rolex submariner replica, it might mean that he’s less likely to make fun of my bag habit, as every man I’ve dated since the beginning of…well, since the beginning of EVER…has done.
The design features little hardware and few outward design flourishes, allowing the masterful leather finishing to take center stage, as it rightfully should. I’ve been looking at this bag for a while now, and part of me thinks that perhaps it will soon be fashionable for women to carry bags like this one, just as it has become fashionable for women to wear men’s watches. If you’d like to start that trend, you know what bag with which to do it. $810, Available exclusively via the Basil Racuk store, Berkeley, CA. More info available via BasilRacuk.com.
Picture via The New York Times.
The Marc by Marc Jacobs RTW Spring 2010 collections presented most all of the female models wearing gigantic bows on their heads. You’d have to be blind to have missed the neon fuchsia, red and blue swathes of fabric walking down the runway. It was all in tune with the very prevalent ’80s theme. Or perhaps it is an ode to Madonna. Can you say “Desperately Seeking Susan” or ginormous bunny ears at the Met ball,swiss rolex replica, anyone? Thus, we are also seeing a common trend in bow-embellished handbags. Perhaps it is part of the ’80s revival as well. We found a few bags with a serious bow element to them.
Valentino’s ‘360′ Bow Trim Leather Satchel (upper left, $1,u-boat watches,395.00 at Nordstrom.com) boats a very roomy and slouchy silhouette with interior slip,buy hublot watches, zip and cell phone pockets. Get dotty with a bow themed bag from Chloé. The Polka Dots leather bag (upper right, $1,405 at Net-a-Porter) is adorned with a khaki leather stud encrusted bow. Perfect for adding a feminine edge to minimalist dresses or weekend denim basics. Valentino’s green Satin bow-front clutch ($895 at Net-a-Porter) is a glamorous bag worthy of the most star-studded red carpet event. The satin bow clutch is perfect to pair with bow pumps for a fabulous evening out on the town. From Betsy Johnson, a Little Bow Pleat Satchel, (bottom, $298.00 at Bloomingdales.com) is just about as sweet as can be. Add a bit of girly girl appeal with this purple leather satchel featuring double handles, lined interior, gunmetal hardware and zip top closure. Lastly, from the man himself, Marc Jacobs is the Marc by Marc Jacobs Stamped velvet clutch, (bottom left, $230 at Net-a-Porter). The slate gray velvet clutch is stamped with letters and would work well with your favorite LBD or during the day with a bright colored ensemble and statement ankle boots.
via The Find
The fashion world has convened in NYC for the past week for the Spring 2010 showing of some of our favorite designer labels. While Vlad and I could not make it this year, we have been glued to the computer checking out all the shows,replica rolex watch for sale, events,quality replica watch, trends, and celebs,replica rolex watch! One of the biggest parts of Fashion Week is the who is who. Bloggers are now being given first row seats to some shows, while the celeb presence continues to remain a constant. Of course there are the top fashion editors and magazines in attendance as well. One of the most notable faces of the fashion industry has made her appearances at fashion week, Anna Wintour, editor of Vogue.
What do you think about New York Fashion Week: Which shows left you wanting more and which shows did you adore?
Is anyone else seeing an Hermes Bolide when they look at the Dolce & Gabbana Miss Brigette Dome Satchel? I definitely am.
Which is not necessarily a bad thing, since the Bolide is an elegant bag choice in its own right. But like all things Hermes, the Bolide can be prohibitively expensive for a lot of people,rolex replica best, and having a slightly less expensive but still well-made option in a similar shape is not necessarily a bad thing.
Not that Hermes officially has some sort of monopoly on making bags that are this shape,replica watches, but the resemblance to their products is a lot closer than it is to, say, the Louis Vuitton Alma. Particularly when you add in the clochette and the horizontal exterior pocket, which mirrors the external seaming on the Bolide.
Normally I’m not a fan of bags that remind me so precisely of other bags, but I think I may actually like this version more than the original, the more that I look at it. The choice of the smooth, slouchy leather is spot-on for creating a bag with the everyday sort of elegance for which the Bolide strives,uboat watches, and turning the external seam into a pocket is totally functional. Plus it’s lined in leopard-print, and that’s the kind of secret kick of attitude that I like. Buy through Saks for $1595.
Recently, this question was asked on TimeZone, one of the most popular watch portals on the internet. “The popularity of watches — and their prices — are at very high levels right now. It doesn’t seem like the prices can go up forever, since they really only act as status symbols or collectibles, and don’t create value. What do you guys think, is this the heyday of mechanical watches, or will a lady or a gentleman in 100 years still be wearing a Rolex?”
The poster of the question held a poll and – although only few responded – the outcome was that most visitors of TimeZone didn’t think of watch as a bubble. Of course! However, I wonder what people would have answered who aren’t involved or interested in watches.
Well, to answer a part of the question,Submariner replica, it seems that price can go up forever. Rolex announced a price increase of 7% (as of February 1st 2011) and it seems that you will be paying 8,800.- Euro for a ref.16622 Yacht-Master, 6,170.- Euro for a ref. 116710LN GMT-Master II and 6,250.- Euro for the new ref. 116610 Submariner Date. It must be said that Rolex did not increase their prices during a longer periode. Audemars Piguet for example, announced their annual 5% increase of their prices.
When you just bought a watch before these price increases, or before a price increase in general,cheap wholesale fashion handbags, it is of course nice to know that you saved yourself a buck . However, some watches are becoming far out of reach for people who would be able to buy the exact same watch a few years ago (but didn’t). If you did though, and you bought the right watch, it might have created some value of course.
Personally, I don’t think watches are a bubble per se (unless you are buying a Corum Bubble). They represent a certain value, partly because of the craftsmanship, partly historical value another part is the demand for it. Will this demand last forever? I don’t know, but if you pick your watch wisely, it doesn’t have to be a bubble.
When you own a Panerai,wholesale handbags online, it is a simple job to get a decent custom made strap for it. When you own an IWC Ingenieur (ref.3227), it is a bit harder…?Ǭ� the IWC soft strap of the AMG version will fit perfectly, but IWC doesn’t make a leather strap for this model.
Jacob from Spain creates leather straps for all types and makes of watches. Including a strap for the IWC Ingenieur. I heard about it via e-mail, when a reader of this blog noticed that Jacob was making these straps and did know that I own a 3227 as well The writer of the mail also sent me a link to a short review of the Jacob strap for the IWC Ingenieur on Watch Talk Forums (click here).
Before I clicked, I wondered if Jacob had made a solid construction for the strap ends (that are being connected to the case with a genius spring system). And he did. Jacob uses a steel core layer to give the strap the proper ‘strength’, because the construction of the lugs and strap could easily ‘break’ the strap if not strengthened by something more solid inside it. I think the official IWC soft strap uses the same kind of construction with a metal core inside.
Price for an IWC Ingenieur strap is 130 Euro, excluding shipping costs. Prices (and some examples) of IWC Ingenieur straps can be found here:
Below is an example picture (from Jacob’s website) of the Ingy strap:
Thanks to Maarten for letting me know!
The Linde Werdelin 3-Timer was already available in black, white and brown and now,rolex replica watch, they introduce a green version of this superb traveller’s time piece. Just like the brown version,used rolex watch, it is limited to 22 pieces world wide.The watch has a proven and solid mechanical mechanism (ETA 2893-2) featuring a 2nd time zone hour hand and because of the 24h bezel, you can actually use it to point out a 3rd time zone as well. This 46mm x 49mm x 12mm (w x l x h) watch is not for everyone probably, but let me tell you that it doesn’t wear as big as the specifications let you think, as you can read in my review on the brown 3-Timer here.
The green dial 3-Timer comes with a black pointed calf strap and a deployant buckle to keep it put. However, if you are – just like me – not really a fan of deployant buckles, they have a ver nice Ardillion buckle as well. What I really like about this watch, is the dial pattern as shown below in a close-up image.
As I wrote before, the dial reminds me of a turtle shell, because the colour and the pattern changes very nicely. This is only the case on the brown (sold out) and this green version though. Further more, the ‘ears’ on this watch that can be used to connect a Reef or Rock instrument makes this watch remind me of a Patek Philippe Nautilus. Because of the size of the watch, you could define it as a cross-over “Nautilus Off-Shore”. Perhaps that explains the popularity of this specific model (the guys over Hodinkee can’t stop raving about this watch as well).
The 3-Timer is water resistant to 300 meters (1000 ft) and has a screw down crown mechanism. The bi-directional bezel is very pleasant to use (not the rattle system as on the former Rolex Submariner and Omega Seamaster Professional models) and the used font for displaying the hours on the bezel has been designed by Linde Werdelin as well.
Price of this green 3-Timer is 4920 Euro. Since it is restricted to 22 pieces world wide, I guess it will run out pretty fast.
Almost all watch forums seems to have these weekly or even daily threads about what’s on your wrist today. Well,wholesale rolex replica watch, in my case it is quite easy, the vintage Submariner I recently got is hard to beat on a sunny day like this
Our friends over at the German Rolex Forum (Das Rolex Forum) are clearly having fun with this “What are you wearing?”-thread, hence the 469 pages (and counting) filled with the most beautiful watches AND photos. Forum member Kurt tops the last few pages with his white gold Rolex Cosmograph Daytona (I love the dial on the white gold version), this picture could easily be in the Rolex catalogue if you asked me.
This white gold Rolex Cosmograph Daytona has reference number 116509 (in case you want one) and is fairly easy to obtain, as the stainless steel model remains the most popular version of the famous Daytona. The white gold version lists for 23.450,- Euro (here in The Netherlands) but there is more discount on gold models than on the stainless steel models
Other interesting “What’s on your wrist today?”-threads are:
WRUW on WatchUseek What’s on your wrist at the end of the week? @ TimeZone What’s on your wrist on Sunday (or “De Pronkzondag van 11 april”) at DeZinVanLuxe Friday Wrist Check at Watch Talk Forums What’s on your wrist on Friday at Vintage Rolex Forum Roll call over at Poor Man’s Watch Forum (Thanks Jittery Jim for notifying!)If you have more of these,swiss rolex replica, please add them in the comments…?Ǭ� Photo courtesy of Kurt @ R-L-X.de
Have a nice friday!
Besides publishing for digital media such as my own blog, my first article (a column) for printed press is also a fact. WATCH, a Dutch magazine about watches,leather handbags wholesale, dining, men’s fashion, cars, traveling (ergo: “the finer things in life” ). It is written in Dutch,rolex gmt replica, and I have no translation of it (yet). This one page column is about the watch industry and their conservative – in general -?Ǭ� attitude with respect to e-commerce solutions, how this enables e-business for the grey market dealers and ofcourse about letting the consumer decide whether they want to buy from a bricks and mortar authorised dealer or the webshop of this very same authorised dealer.
Anyway, if you are able to read Dutch, check it out and do not hesitate to give me some feedback. You can order the magazine on-line at the AKO kiosk (in Dutch), with next day delivery if ordered before 15:00.
Well isn’t this *interesting*. ?Ǭ�A recent note from Concord announcing the company’s new “official fine art collection for mechanical watch and interior design enthusiasts.” Wall Art? For interior design enthusiasts? ?Ǭ�Seriously, what is this?
OK,genuine leather purses, OK watch companies create some cool “accessories” every now and then – for example we have seen cuff links from Patek Philippe, cuff links from Stepan Sarpaneva, fine pens from Girard-Perregaux, Montblanc, and others. And also now we have the new cell phone coming from Ulysse Nardin, and the long ago announced Tag Heuer’s Meridiist cell phone (by the way whatever happened to this?)
What do you think? ?Ǭ�Feel free to share your comments below.
Kyle Stults is Founder & President of Perpetuelle.com, a new online community for watch owners, collectors & enthusiasts.
Breitling is one of the brands that doesn’t get a lot of coverage here. Perhaps because they make me think of two tone Crosswind models with those UTC bracelets, but I am aware that this is not entirely fair to this brand from Grenchen, Switzerland.
However,replica rolex watch, I found this vintage Breitling Chronograph from the 1970s with a Valjoux 72 handwound chronograph movement. This movement has also been used by Rolex for their (Oyster) Cosmograph Daytona models from that period. The Breitling has – more or less – the same small dimensions as these 1970s Rolex Daytonas. A 37mm diameter case and 13mm in height.
The small and sleek case with the big ‘pilot’ crown for easy winding makes this watch also ‘optically’ an interesting object in my opinion. The white dial also stands out, with its dark registers with red accents. I can imagine wearing this vintage chronograph on a black strap with red stitching for example.
The auction started with 1 Euro on the 17th of April and is currently at 436 Euro with two days to go. The nice ‘extra’ about this watch is that the movement is fairly good and easy to service by watchmakers. There are a lot of spare parts floating around for these movements and a lot of watchmakers have experience with these vintage Valjoux movements. It shouldn’t therefore cost you an arm and a leg to have it serviced periodically.
The movement is signed J.P. Pingouin, which I’d never heard of before, but it appears to be some kind of famous watchmaker from that period. Spending some time on various watch websites, I noticed that his ‘signature’ is on similar Valjoux movements for several other brands as well.
Update: There are some concerns about this watch though. The movement should be signed by Breitling,rolex 8570f, no matter that it has been signed by another watchmaker, there should at least be some mentioning of the brand from Grenchen. The dial is nice, but the Breitling wording on the dial is a bit ‘off’ as well. Please contact the seller to proof authenticity if you are interested, other wise, let this one go. At least be careful with your maximum bid
You can check out the eBay auction here. It is listed in German and has a short summary in English as well.
Just like last year, Dutch watch photographer sBmRnR is working on a watch calendar for 2012 (see last year’s post on his calendar). This time,leather purse handbag, you are able to follow the process of making the watch calendar. sBmRnR is keeping track of all photo shoots, watches that he used for the calendar and used equipment on his Facebook page.
Last Thursday, we had a small meeting – including a perfectly arranged BBQ by our host sBmRnR – and witnessed how some of the calendar photos came into existance. One of the other visitors created a report of this meeting on his own blog,buy watch, please visit Boris Pjanic’s report of that day.
Visit the Watch Calendar Facebook page by clicking the link. Since a few days, Fratellowatches is also on Facebook with a dedicated page, make sure to give it a visit as well and click Like:
