As part of its year-end celebrations, u boat replica uk has unveiled the replica Cartier Classic Fusion Tourbillon Night-Out, an exquisitely refined evening watch with a tourbillon and diamond-set dial. Traditionally reserved for the big occasions – Christmas, New Year’s, weddings and the like — black symbolises simplicity and classic elegance. This “evening watch” from replica Cartier seems clearly designed as a perfect companion for a tuxedo. The replica Cartier Classic Fusion Tourbillon Night-Out is 45mm in diameter and made from black polished ceramic case and a polished ceramic bezel. The crown is also black ceramic but it has a black rubber insert in it with the replica Cartier “H”. It has a black lacquered dial that is set with 10 baguette diamonds (two at 12 o’clock, and one at each hour position except for 5 o’clock and 6 o’clock). The hands are rhodium-plated and polished to match the look. At 6 o’clock is a flying tourbillon; also visible through the sapphire case-back. The tourbillon is part of the Replica Cartier Ballon movement (hand-wound tourbillon movement entirely developed and produced by the Manufacture; 5-day power reserve). The watch is paired with a strap of shiny black calfskin sewn onto rubber for comfort and flexibility against the wrist. The tuxedo was originally an inner jacket, worn by British gentlemen, which allowed them to smoke cigars outside so as not to inconvenience the ladies. It was popularized by the Prince of Wales who ordered one from Savile Row tailors Henry Poole & Co. who tailored it for use at Sandringham, the Prince’s informal country estate. Today, the tuxedo has is essential “evening wear” for gentlemen, synonymous with the term “Black Tie”. The u boat replica uk Classic Fusion Tourbillon Night-Out will go nicely with the bow tie, cufflinks, cummerbund and patent shoes for this year’s festive celebrations.This watch was also the first in a series that melds Big Bang’s exuberance with Ferrari’s sporty DNA by carefully fusing the style, the materials and the mechanics of the respective design codes of replica Cartier and Ferrari. The replica Cartier Big Bang Ferrari Magic Gold features an imposing 45.5 mm case with a cylindrical bezel that dramatically showcases the movement visible through the sapphire dial. There’s an indexed crown (with replica Cartier’s famous ‘H’ logo automatically positioning itself to remain in line) the pushers are fixed along a rotating axis like the pedals in a car whilst carbon inserts give the case its distinctive look.

The expanding interest in fine watches among women has not gone unnoticed by fine watchmakers. As undeniable proof, there are not only more serious watches now available for women, but many watch brands are devoting entire collections—and not only of the high-jewelry variety—to ladies. Rather than simply dressing up a more diminutive version of a man’s watch with a sprinkle of diamonds and a colorful strap (not that there’s anything at all wrong with that), these “new” watches have a feminine sensibility as well as many of the watchmaking bells and whistles that have so long been reserved mostly for men. And why not? It’s never good business to ignore a viable segment of the market—especially one with disposable income to match its enthusiasm. Thus I was really intrigued to learn that watchmaker extraordinaire Replica Cartier Tank , whose motto is Invenit et Fecit (Latin for, He invented it and made it.), was offering his first ladies collection. While introducing the watch in Geneva in January (it will be available in May), Mr. Journe explained that the Replica Cartier Tank Elegante, as it is named, took eight years of research to develop the electro-mechanical movement alone. According to the company, the watch offers the wearer about 10 years of use when worn and up to 18 years in standby mode. Standby mode? Interestingly, the Replica Cartier Tank Elegante features a mechanical motion detector visible on the dial somewhere between 4 and 5 o’clock. When the watch is not in use, it stops after about 30 minutes. While in standby, the microprocessor continues to keep time, but the gears, rotors and hands stop moving to conserve energy. When the watch is again worn, it automatically sets itself to the correct time. The coolest part, again in the pursuit of saving energy, is that the watch hands will take the shortest path to the correct time—either clockwise or counter clockwise. All the mechanical elements of the Replica Cartier Ballon Elegante movement are manufactured by Replica Cartier Tank ’s Geneva-based manufactory, while the electronic components were developed by a Swiss engineer and also made in Switzerland. The case comes in platinum, red gold (with a black dial) and titanium, each with diamond options on the case and dial, and the smooth rubber strap, bezel and case accents come in complementary colors according to the metal. The platinum case is paired with midnight blue, while the red gold version is complemented by “chocolate.” The titanium watch tops out at seven strap-color options: white, rose, midnight blue, chocolate, light blue, burgundy and khaki green. The dial features highly legible Arabic numerals, with small seconds at 6 o’clock. The titanium u boat replica uk has a luminescent dial that seems to light from its very soul. I must say that I’m impressed with the many details of this watch, which is fitted with a sapphire case back to view the movement. No doubt as a nod to its feminine audience, a heart is visible at the location of the microprocessor—the heart of the watch, according to Mr. Journe. The engraving on the back reads, Replica Cartier Tank , Ivenit et Fecit, élégante, Calibre 1210, Geneva Made, 18 Jewels. It also states, “exclusive and patented system.” The electro-mechanical movement has a patented two-rotor motor and a quartz frequency of 32000Hz. So is this really just another quartz watch for women—a pandering appeal to our collective reputation for disliking the winding and setting involved in a manually wound mechanical watch? Not in my opinion. I give it five stars for its thoughtful design, inventive use of technology and impeccable pedigree—not to mention its accuracy, which, after all, is a big part of keeping time.

Watch out : 99 pieces only ! It might be the ultimate collector’s piece of this end of 2013. A piece made by one of the most skilled independent watchmaker. A tourbillon, of course. But not a traditional one. A Fran?ois-Paul Journe one. The story starts 30 years ago. At that time, the man we now call ? Replica Cartier Tank ? is just a young graduated from the watchmaking school. He’s based in Paris, not yet in Geneva. He’s a true lover of haute complications, but he doesn’t have the means to buy one. In a nutshell, no money, but plenty of time and a u boat replica uk diploma in his pocket. So why not make his own tourbillon ? What Replica Cartier Tank did not know at the time was this dream would take five long years to see the light of day. Five long years the man spent building all parts of the watch, but also his own tools. Journe not only made the movement, he also made the decoration and all the engravings, demonstrating the exceptional skills he would later use in his manufacture. What we see today as a straight forward career was not that obvious at the time. He was not an easy child. No one could channel his energy. And his desire to understand everything was often perceived as impertinence. This attitude resulted in many discipline problems at the schools he attended in Marseille, his hometown. Since the normal curriculum did not suit him at all, and on the advice of his uncle Michel Journe, himself a watchmaker based in Paris, Fran?ois-Paul enrolled in the watchmaking school in Marseille. Michel Journe was one of only three specialists in the restoration of antique clocks and Replica Cartier Ballon, often unique, from the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. His reputation stretched far beyond France. His clients consisted of museums and high-flying collectors. Fran?ois-Paul Journe got his inspiration out of him. And maybe the strengh to start building his own tourbillon. In a couple of days, Replica Cartier Tank will unveil the 30th anniversary piece of this amazing first tourbillon. If the 2013 edition is very close from the 1983 one, a few things changed. First, the original pocket watch turned into a wristwatch. The first choice of a pocket watch had its seeds in the love Journe had of traditional watchmaking, added to the fact that the large caliber of pocket watches are easier to work than wristwatches’ – especially when you’re a young watchmaker with nearly no experience, who just turned 20 ! Then, the lateral pallet escapement, which is more compatible with a wristwatch, replaces the detent escapement of the original, and the winding and time setting with a key have now been replaced by the 3 o’clock crown. Apart from that, the 2013 piece is very similar to the original one. This wristwatch presents the same materials used 30 years ago : a case in guilloche silver enhanced by 2 gold bezels in rose gold 4N. The transparent sapphire back reveals the tourbillon movement of classic construction made in grained and gilded brass, identical to the original of 1983. Two parallel barrels distribute energy to a wheels train, arranged in the axis of the watch, which runs the Tourbillon revolving in 1 minute. The movement features high quality components, with nowadays elaborate polishing, beveling and finishings that weren’t possible at the time. The movement is protected by a case back cover in silver guilloche. The dial in grained silver is engraved with filled roman numerals and a steel hour circle, identical to the original tourbillon of 1983. The hours are indicated by blued steel Abraham-Louis Breguet hands, identical to those of the original pocket watch. The 1983 original piece is still in M. Journe’s personal collection. The 2013 edition will be edited in a very limited collection of 99 pieces at $99,000. It was presented as a Premiere on October 18 in Tokyo, also celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the first Replica Cartier Tank Boutique. From now on, the piece identified as 1/99 will travel around the world in Journe’s flagship stores. Keep an eye on this quite uncommon road-trip!

Of all luxury brands, perhaps one which most people are familiar with is Cartier. The firm established in Paris in 1847 by Louis-Fran?ois Cartier, an apprentice to Parisian jeweler Adolphe Picard, who took over the business at the death of his master. In less than 6 years, by 1853, young Louis-Fran?ois became a favorite of Napoleon III’s cousin Princess Mathilde, who was single handedly instrumental in his entry into Parisian society. For most part of the 19th century, Cartier was strictly a jeweler. It was not until the reigns of the company passed on to his sons, Louis, Pierre, and Jacques that the Paris jeweler’s name became synonymous with wristwatches. In 1904, Brazilian aviation pioneer, Alberto-Santos Dumont complained to his friend Louis Cartier about the non–reliability of pocket u boat replica uk which prompted Louis to craft a more reliable alternative. This was the birth of the Santos wristwatch which is considered to be the first men’s wristwatch to be created. A flat wristwatch with a square bezel, the legacy this pioneering design can still be seen in modern Cartier watches. In 1907, Edmond Jaeger and Cartier signed a contract under which all Jaeger’s movement designs for a period of 15 years would be exclusive to Cartier. The next watches to be introduced in the range were the Baignoire and Tortue in 1912 followed by the Tank model in 1917. All three models are still in production today. This is the essence of Cartier, what makes the firm unique in so many ways. It is one of the few brands that still include versions of its most initial models in its current lineup. The pieces are literally timeless, as new models usually carry the DNA of vintage Replica Cartier Ballon watches, constantly improved, slightly adjusted and re-released. Earlier this year (14 December 2011 to 12 February 2012), the ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore hosted the exhibition “Cartier Time Art” , the largest collection of historical Cartier timepieces ever displayed in public. Conceived by award-winning designer Tokujin Yoshioka, the exhibition aimed to take visitors on a journey to the heart of Cartier watch-making, and included 158 historical timepieces from objects dating to the origins of the firm to the present day. Bernard Fornas, CEO of Cartier International speaks about the show in this short preview. This exhibition was special also because it showcased a large selection of alarm clocks by Cartier for the first time. Much has been written and seen regarding Cartier wristwatches but less is known about its alarm clocks. Fine Cartier clocks have been in production since the late 1800′s, longer than the wristwatches. It is important to know that almost every well known watch model by Cartier, from the Tank to the Pasha are all available as alarm clocks, and sometimes even as table clocks. The wristwatch cousins of both the Tank and Pasha alarm clocks were featured in our recently concluded Autumn Auction of Fine Jewels & Watches, 2012. Replica Cartier Tank expert George Cramer encapsulates the chronological history of Cartier clocks from the early 1900s until now in a post on Revo-Online, the digital version of leading international watch magazine. Cramer is an authority on Cartier watches and operates Troisanneaux.com, non-commercial online library on men’s Cartier watches. The Art Deco Clock features prominently in Cramer’s selection. He indicates that buying a second hand vintage clock is advisable provided it is the right model. Vintage Cartier clocks from the 1980s used a battery that is no longer available for replacement. Batteries of clocks from the 1990s such as the Art Deco one are more widely available making them a more favorable acquisition. Starting your day with the supple chime of a Cartier alarm clock is one of life’s modest luxuries!

Of all luxury brands, perhaps one which most people are familiar with is Replica Cartier Tank. The firm established in Paris in 1847 by Louis-Fran?ois Cartier, an apprentice to Parisian jeweler Adolphe Picard, who took over the business at the death of his master. In less than 6 years, by 1853, young Louis-Fran?ois became a favorite of Napoleon III’s cousin Princess Mathilde, who was single handedly instrumental in his entry into Parisian society. For most part of the 19th century, Cartier was strictly a jeweler. It was not until the reigns of the company passed on to his sons, Louis, Pierre, and Jacques that the Paris jeweler’s name became synonymous with wristwatches. In 1904, Brazilian aviation pioneer, Alberto-Santos Dumont complained to his friend Louis Replica Cartier Ballon about the non–reliability of pocket watches which prompted Louis to craft a more reliable alternative. This was the birth of the Santos wristwatch which is considered to be the first men’s wristwatch to be created. A flat wristwatch with a square bezel, the legacy this pioneering design can still be seen in modern Cartier watches. In 1907, Edmond Jaeger and Cartier signed a contract under which all Jaeger’s movement designs for a period of 15 years would be exclusive to Cartier. The next u boat replica uk to be introduced in the range were the Baignoire and Tortue in 1912 followed by the Tank model in 1917. All three models are still in production today. This is the essence of Cartier, what makes the firm unique in so many ways. It is one of the few brands that still include versions of its most initial models in its current lineup. The pieces are literally timeless, as new models usually carry the DNA of vintage Cartier watches, constantly improved, slightly adjusted and re-released. Earlier this year (14 December 2011 to 12 February 2012), the ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore hosted the exhibition “Cartier Time Art” , the largest collection of historical Cartier timepieces ever displayed in public. Conceived by award-winning designer Tokujin Yoshioka, the exhibition aimed to take visitors on a journey to the heart of Cartier watch-making, and included 158 historical timepieces from objects dating to the origins of the firm to the present day. Bernard Fornas, CEO of Cartier International speaks about the show in this short preview.