December 21, 2007 at 10:57 pm · Filed under Watch Stars
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Teri Hatcher and Ashton Kutcher are the newest celebrities to represent luxury watchmaker Baume and Mercier.
As with the brand’s two previous campaigns, all royalties due to the ambassadors and their photographers—Robert Erdmann for Terri Hatcher and Jim Wright for Ashton Kutcher—will be donated to charities jointly chosen by the Hollywood stars and the watch brand.
The new campaign will support the fight against cancer, underprivileged women and the promotion of child education.
The ads featuring Teri Hatcher and Ashton Kutcher will launch on Jan. 1 and April 1, respectively.
Previous Baume and Mercier celebrity ambassadors have been Meg Ryan, Kiefer Sutherland, Kim Basinger and Gary Sinise.
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December 12, 2007 at 11:11 pm · Filed under Watch Stars
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With the help of Zenith watch brand, Andy Summers of legendary rock band The Police showed off a photo series of his candid, behind-the-scenes shots from the band’s early days during an invite-only reception held in New York at the end of October.
Revelers at the event, held at the über-trendy Milk Studios in Manhattan’s Chelsea district, included fans, artists, models, musicians, and friends of Summers and Zenith, who served as host of the exhibition.
Included among the black-and-white photo series was an exclusive shot that Summers took of Zenith’s “Defy Classic Open” watch. In the photo, the timepiece hovers above a guitar resting on a backdrop of sheet music. The timepiece, featuring a black strap and face as well as a steel bezel, fits right into the two-toned scene.
In honor of the Summers-Zenith partnership, Zenith North America President Paul Ziff presented Summers with a Zenith watch of his own.
“As an acclaimed professional artist in two distinct areas, Andy Summers embodies the spirit of Zenith,” Ziff said in a statement. “That he is incredibly talented, versatile and a true Renaissance man is abundantly obvious. That he exudes a style and manner that is both warm and gracious is his gift. We are very proud to have Mr. Summers wearing a Zenith timepiece.”
As for further proof that The Police legacy continues to live on: The band rocked two sold-out shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden concurrent with the photo exhibition.
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November 5, 2007 at 10:51 pm · Filed under Watch Events, Watch Stars
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 IWC Schaffhausen ambassador Tony Parker was the guest of honor at a charity dinner hosted by the luxury watch brand and the Make-A-Wish Foundation France.
The dinner, held at the Park Hyatt Place Vendome, raised a record 200,000 euros (about $289,453) to help raise money for sick children around the world. This amount greatly surpassed last year’s proceeds of 110,000 euros (about $159,199).
IWC Schaffhausen donated an exclusive Portuguese Chrono-Automatic with Tony Parker’s signature engraved on the case back for the event. Other auction items included signed jerseys from the San Antonio Spurs, David Beckham, Thierry Henry, Franck Ribery and David Trezeguet, Amelie Mauresmo’s tennis racquet and a trip to New York to watch an NBA basketball game.
Other guest attendees included U.S. ambassador to France Craig Stapleton and sports legends Pascal Bideégorry, Jean-Alain Boumsoung, Richard Dacoury, Leslie Djohnes, Ladji Doucouré, David Douillet, Tony Estanguet, Luis Fernandez, Fabien Galthié, Céline Giraud, Sandra Laoura, Sylvain Marconnet and Patrick Timsit.
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October 8, 2007 at 10:50 pm · Filed under Watches
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In a move that it hopes will help its expansion in the United States, Japanese watchmaker Citizen Holdings Co. said it would buy rival Bulova Corp. from conglomerate Loews Corp. for approximately $247 million, according to news reports.
Citizen said it would buy all shares in Bulova in January from Loews, which has businesses across a number of industries including the financial, tobacco, energy and hotel markets, Reuters reported.
A spokesman for Citizen reportedly said the acquisition fits into the company’s strategy to diversify its portfolio of brands and strengthen its presence in the $200 to $600 price-point segment of the watch market.
A Bulova spokesman added that the move would help expansion in the United States, the world’s biggest market for watches. Bulova’s brands include Bulova, Accutron, Caravelle and Wittnauer.
Source: Nationaljeweler.com
September 20, 2007 at 12:01 am · Filed under Watch Events
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A prestigious jury of equestrian and sports journalists recently selected the most elegant male and female riders of the 2007 season, awarding valuable points at the Gran Premio Longines in Barcelona. In the end it was Switzerland’s Christina Liebherr, on L. B. Robin Hood, and Spain’s Sergio Alvarez Moya, on Wisconsin saw their elegance, charisma and performance rewarded. The noted Russian actors and Longines Ambassadors Ingeborga Dapkunaite and Oleg Menshikov were on hand as the winners of the Longines Press Award for Elegance 2007 received a cheque for 20,000 Swiss Francs, a set of Longines watches including the new “Instrument pour Cavalier” and a trophy. Spain was again honoured with Ricardo Jurado’s victory, as the winner of the Gran Premio Longines, which was crowned by Walter von Känel, President of Longines and Miguel Ãngel Palmer, Longines Brand Manager Spain.
Swiss watch brand Longines is proud this year to continue its role as official partner and timekeeper of the CSIO Barcelona. The seventh and final round of the Longines Press Award for Elegance was judged on Friday, 14th September 2007 during the Gran Premio Longines. The prestigious jury, comprised of members of the sports and equestrian press, named Switzerland’s Christina Liebherr the winner as the most elegant rider, not simply in Barcelona but for the entire 2007 season. In a very close vote, Spain’s Sergio Alvarez Moya took the prize as the most elegant horseman of the 2007 Longines Press Award for Elegance.
The jury elected the Swiss rider Christina Liebherr, on L. B. Robin Hood, as the most elegant horsewoman for the second year in a row! Her victory in this final stage in Barcelona underscores her position as the most elegant rider of 2007, a distinction she maintained throughout the season.
Christina Liebherr and Sergio Alvarez Moya, winners of the Longines Press Award for Elegance 2007 with the Longines Ambassadors of Elegance Ingeborga Dapkunaite and Oleg Menshikov in the Longines lounge at CSIO Barcelona.
Votes were somewhat more divided with regard to the male rider as many riders had been elected over the seven events but in the end, it was Sergio Alvarez Moya of Spain, riding Wisconsin, who prevailed. His elegance and harmony with his horse convinced the jury members to elect him as the most elegant rider.
Longines Ambassadors of Elegance, Lithuanian-born Russian actress Ingeborga Dapkunaite and Oleg Menshikov, regarded as the most famous actor in Russia, graced the event with their presence and took great pleasure in presenting the trophy to the winners. This year the bronze trophy of a jumping horse has been specially designed and cast in Switzerland by a noted sculptor of the Jura region, where the Longines brand is based.
Longines also launched at this event its new watch designed specifically for horse riding enthusiasts: the “Instrument pour Cavalierâ€. This watch, which bears a tachymeter specially calibrated to enable the calculation of a horse’s speed, is part of the Longines Sport Collection and was part of the prize awarded to the two elegant winners.
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On the strength of its heritage of more than 80 years in equestrian sports, Longines presents its « Instrument pour Cavalier » watch. A new model in the GrandeVitesse line, this automatic chronograph symbolizes the engagement of Longines in the timekeeping of equestrian sports since 1926. The tachymeter, which enables one to measure the speed of a horse up to 70 km/hour, suggests the new model is suitable not only for the most demanding of riders, but also for those enthusiastic followers of horses who thrill to the exploits of horsemen and –women and of jockeys at the race tracks.
August 2, 2007 at 7:50 pm · Filed under Watch Events, Watches
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In December 1999, one of the most complicated watches ever made became the most expensive watch ever sold when it was hammered down for $11 million at Sotheby’s.
The gold pocket watch, which featured 24 complications, was the result of a long-standing competition between two magnates of America’s Gilded Age. New York financier Henry Graves Jr. and Ohio automobile engineer James Ward Packard vied with one another to own a timepiece with the greatest possible number of complications. (Complications are mechanical functions of the watch other than the hours, minutes and seconds.) Packard commissioned 13 complicated watches from Patek Philippe between 1900 and 1927. They included a perpetual calendar with phases and age of the moon, indication of sunrise and sunset, and a celestial chart depicting the constellations of stars in the sky over Packard’s home in Ohio.
Not to be outdone, Henry Graves Jr. also commissioned a series of complicated watches from Patek Philippe, culminating in a timepiece that took three years to design and five years to produce. When completed in 1933, the watch had a different horological function for each hour of the day and included a chart of the nighttime sky over Graves’ home in New York.
Graves died in 1953, and his heirs sold the watch to the Time Museum in Rockford, Ill., in 1968. When the museum closed, the watch was among 80 other pieces from the collection that were deaccessioned and sold at Sotheby’s in 1999. All together, they brought $28 million. The Graves watch had a presale estimate of $3 million to $5 million, and sold for $11,003,500 to an anonymous collector.
July 29, 2007 at 5:38 pm · Filed under Watch Events, Watch Stars
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Stunning young actress Anne Hathaway dazzled on the red carpet in Piaget for the New York premiere of her new film “Becoming Jane.†Working with celebrity stylist Rachael Zoe, Piaget created a jewelry statement befitting the leading lady.
Piaget’s light and airy “Honey-inspired†yellow gold and diamond drop earrings beautifully framed Anne’s face, while the brilliant white gold Magic Reflections topiary cocktail ring showcasing 89 sparkling diamonds graced her right hand. On her wrist, Piaget’s 18K pink gold Miss Protocole watch with diamond accents and a white patent leather band. The choice of mixing white, yellow and rose gold broke the rules in a fresh, exciting way and is destined to spark a trend.
The movie premiered to an audience of fashion and entertainment influencers, socialites and other VIPs. Afterwards, Piaget hosted a champagne reception and private dinner on the terrace of the swanky Bowery Hotel. New York’s best and brightest joined Anne and her closest friends and family to celebrate the new film and raise a glass to Hollywood’s new shining star.
     
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July 17, 2007 at 11:17 am · Filed under Watch Events
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OMEGA COCKTAIL PARTY at KaDeWe in Berlin. 11 Jul, 2007
Four limited edition Omega Speedmaster Professionals, each the last in their line celebrating the 50th anniversary of the famous chronograph, sold for twice their retail value at an extraordinary charity auction in Berlin on Wednesday evening.
Organised by Antiquorum, the world’s leading horological auctioneers, the event took place at the renowned KaDeWe department store where for the third year running Omega are staging an exhibition showcasing some of their most prestigious timepieces.
As a curtain-raiser to the exhibition which opens today, the four Speedmasters went under the hammer of Antiquorum president Osvaldo Patrizzi. The lots were one white gold, one pink gold and one yellow gold Speedmaster, each No 57 in a series of 57, and one stainless steel model, No 57 in a series of 1957. They sold for CHF75,000, CHF58,000, CHF58,000 and CHF25,000 respectively.
Prospective buyers were at KaDeWe itself, bidding by telephone or via the internet from all corners of the globe. ‘’It was a fantastic show for the Berlin public,†said Omega president Mr Stephen Urquhart. The auction followed on from the amazingly successful Omegamania auction earlier this year, also run by Antiquorum, when 300 vintage or celebrated Omega watches sold for more than CHF6.5m.
 The exhibition, 159 Years In The Making, will give KaDeWe’s clientele the chance to see some of Omega’s most outstanding products at close quarters. In addition to several examples of the Speedmaster and a tribute to its famous space history, exhibits include Omega’s Haute Joaillerie and Olympic collections as well as the Hour Vision watch and the intricate Nivarox mechanics behind the brand new movement contained within it.
 “It is very rare to see the heart of the entire watch industry on display like this,†said Mr Urquhart, commenting on the Nivarox showcase. “It is the first time any of these details have been shown outside of Switzerland.â€
Among the 600 special guests Mr Urquhart, Mr Patrizzi and Mr Patrice Wagner, director of KaDeWe, were delighted to welcome several glittering stars from the world of German showbusiness including the actors Heiner Lauterbach, Uwe Ochsenknecht and Jan Josef Liefers.
The exhibition continues until 24 August. All proceeds from the Speedmaster 50th Anniversary auction will be donated to two children’s charities in Germany.
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Cindy Crawford opens world’s newest Omega boutique in Sydney
 
Omega Flagship Store Opening - main event, Sydney Australia
Omega Brand Ambassador Cindy Crawford @ the Omega Flagship Store Opening - main event, Sydney Australia. Wed 13th June 2007.
Sydney, Thursday 14 June 2007 – Supermodel Cindy Crawford unveiled the world’s newest Omega boutique yesterday evening on the exclusive retail strip of Castlereagh Street.
Ms Crawford was joined after the inauguration by fellow Omega Brand Ambassador Ian Thorpe, the great Australian swimmer, as well as Omega president Stephen Urquhart who travelled from Switzerland to oversee the 37th Omega boutique to open its retail doors to the world.
The official party was joined by an exclusive group of 200 guests who gathered under a specially created marquee in Martin Place in the heart of Sydney’s central business district for a series of live performances. The highlight was a specially arranged appearance by representatives of the internationally acclaimed Cirque du Soleil who delivered an inspiring acrobatic performance.
A series of multimedia presentations showcased the history of Omega, which dates back to 1848. The legendary Swiss watch brand, renowned for its precision, has been Official Timekeeper to the Olympic Games for more than three-quarters of a century, a role it will play once more during next year’s Games in Beijing; and it has been the watch chosen by NASA and its astronauts in the conquest of space ever since the early 1960s. The brand’s reputation for exquisite design, craftsmanship and style also sees it as the choice of many of the most fashionable and glamorous men and women around the world.
The new Castlereagh Street boutique will display the most comprehensive selection of Omega timepieces in Australia to date, as well as the brand’s new Fine Jewellery Collection, now available in Australia and modelled for the brand by Cindy Crawford.
The boutique also unveils the very latest in the brand’s interior design aesthetic, which is presented over 133m² and incorporates a private presentation room in addition to the main showroom space.
July 10, 2007 at 5:20 pm · Filed under Watches
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Harry B. Henshel, 88, the last member of the Bulova family to head its high-end watch company, died June 29 at his home in Scarsdale, N.Y. No cause of death was reported.
Bulova Watch Co. was started as a jewelry store by Henshel’s grandfather Joseph Bulova in New York in 1875. Mr. Henshel started at the company after serving in World War II and took over as president after the death of his uncle, Arde Bulova, in 1958. He became chairman in 1974.
The company became a subsidiary of the Loews Corp. in 1979.
It was under Henshel’s tenure that the company released the Accutron, a groundbreaking battery-powered watch that used a tuning fork as the timing mechanism to achieve greater accuracy. Mr. Henshel also developed the Phototimer, the first automatic timing device used in sports, in 1948, the company said.
June 15, 2007 at 6:19 pm · Filed under Watch Events
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IWC Schaffhausen celebrated its new Da Vinci watches with a gala event during the SIHH on 17 April 2007 and caused a stir with the appearance of Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey.
The Swiss watch manufacturer, IWC Schaffhausen, celebrated the Da Vinci models with a glamorous event in front of an audience of illustrious international guests. The high spot of the gala evening on the occasion of the SIHH Watch Fair in Geneva was provided by Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Spacey, who appeared as a star guest in a selfproduced stage play. The short film of this performance had its own online world premiere on 16 May.
Although the launch of the latest Da Vinci watches was the incentive for the magnificent “Serata di Leonardo” from IWC, stars of an entirely different kind were in the spotlight at the start of this glittering event. Oscar winner Cate Blanchett and the actors Jean Reno and Matthew Modine headed the cohort of actors on the red carpet, flanked by Asian stars Sanada Hiroyuki and Chang Cheng. The singer Ronan Keating and worldclass footballer Zinédine Zidane posed before the photographers, and Laureus sporting legends like Boris Becker and Alberto Tomba graced the “Serata die Leonardo” with their presence.
 
 
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