Archive for November, 2006
Christie’s just broke their own single watch auction record with the sale of a Vintage Patek Philippe. The “Grogan” watch is a single button split second Chronograph in yellow gold that was custom built for a left hand user. The ticket folks, 1.9 million (U.S. dollars) and purchased by an European collector (they always are)! This circa 1925 watch hops to the top three bracket for amount paid for a high-end watch, and Grogan, we believe, represents the name of the original owner. CTWG
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November 27th, 2006
...that taste great together. There's always been a big push in the watch industry to reach, car guys? If you dig watches, you may already be familiar with the linkage between timepieces and high-end automobiles. The two have long competed for the disposable income of their wealthy enthusiasts. Panerai just took over the Ferrari rights in branded watch dials that the Girard Perregaux people have had for years, a label that put G.P. back on the watch map years ago. Chopard has produced the Mille Miglia watch in homage to the Italian race car event. Omega has the Schumacher, Tag Heuer the Formula one, Porsche Design's entire company is based on the performance car name and famous designer. The Car/Watch list goes on and on and on! Why? I gotta think it is a lifestyle choice, a roll-big-or-go-home gene so deeply seated in the male DNA that it will never be lessened. So, I say, "Let's not fight it, let's embrace it!" Roll the window down in your high-end driving machine and motor with your aptly adorned wrist in plain view for all to enjoy, employ your best Chevy Chase look-over and be proud. Vroom, Vroom. CTWG
November 17th, 2006
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Breitling, Hamilton-Büren, Heuer and Dubois-Depraz and even Seiko all raced for the original automatic chronograph movement in the late 1960’s. I feel the best movement to be produced in this mini “Longitude” playout was the El Primero (The First). The El Primero best known for it’s Daytona fame, to modern watch lovers, originated as a work of genius by the good folks at Zenith. All of the Companies made a Chrono within months of each other, but the Primero still has that air about it. Check out history of the automatic Chronograph, it is the most important watch history in our era. CTWG
November 13th, 2006
