Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945 Off-Centered Hour And Minute Watch Announced For SIHH 2008

A new model will join Girard-Perregaux's iconic Vintage 1945 watch
collection. The Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945 Off-Centered Hour and
Minute watch will feature a 36 X 37mm case in 18K white or rose gold, a
curved sapphire crystal, and an alligator strap with a matching gold
folding clasp.

The watch is distinguished by a hand-crafted
"grand feu" enamel dial whose creation involves the meticulous firing
of multiple layers of powdered enamel atop a plate. The classical dial,
complete with enameled red and black roman and arabic figures, is
contrasted by blued steel leaf-shaped hands.

This
Girard-Perregaux watch is animated by a Girard-Perregaux GP01900
caliber movement. Manufactured by Girard-Perregaux, this
automatic-winding mechanism offers a sub seconds and date display, as
well as a power reserve indicator. The power reserve of the movement
is approximately 45 hours, when fully wound.

Omegamania

A Greek letter “Omega" became the symbol of the famous Swiss brand long ago and today it is known worldwide. That’s why the première of 2005 –Omegamania collection- can be called one of the most long-awaited. Not many companies can boast of the possibility to create of a watch-case or a piece of jewellery in the shape of its symbol. As far as the watch is concerned no picture can reflect the fascination of the combination of the mother-of-pearl dial, salient multisided crystal and the shining letter “Omega” made of white and yellow gold and diamonds.

Zenith goes X-treme! But.. as Extreme as the other incredible luxury watches we carry?.. Concord, Movado, Ebel....

The Zenith Defy Extreme Stealth Limited Edition Watch:

There might have not been enough use of the word “extreme” in the title of this posting, but Zenith consistently abuses this moniker so I shall too. After the over abundance of the “extreme” label on most items a few years ago, I thought the extreme nature of product would subside. Apparently the marketing people at Zenith are unaware of the “extreme” faux-pas, or are serious as to the extreme nature of the watch, which it is.

This new limited edition Zenith Defy Extreme Stealth is undeniably the sexiest thus far. The black materials with the matte red hands and registers on the face are simply too well done to be thrown in the pile of other red and black watches. What likely separates the red (on the Zenith Defy Extreme from other red colors on watches) is the application of the red on the hands and face. While most watches have colors literally painted on, it appears as though Zenith takes a different approach. Painted materials always have at least a bit of a sheen or gloss. At the very least, the careful knows they are painted. Here the effect is different, because what Zenith is attempting to is make the red elements of the watch appear as a separate material, not just painted sections.

The very nature of the Zenith Defy Extreme series is to be a watch incorporating a litany of materials. They even created their own compound aptly named “Zenithium” that is used in some of the Defy Extreme watches. This particular Zenith Defy Extreme model is mostly titanium and carbon fiber, with some Kevlar insets. The red areas of the watch face that are so nicely done allude to part of what you are paying for in a watch of this pedigree. The application process is likely held in confidence by many and requires many hours of labor for the right effect. The saturation of deep red hue with an almost rust like element to it cannot be a look achieved with a mere brush or paint dip.

Something about the almost aged look of the red on black gives the Defy Extreme Stealth Limited Edition the look of a cold war submarine. Matte finished on the colors with red propellers. There might have never been a vessel in these colors, but the Zenith convinces me that there was. Like a submarine the Zenith Defy Extreme series can withstand intense, dare I say, extreme conditions. With a water resistance of 1000m meters and a highly shock resistant construction, the Defy Extreme will take you where your body cannot survive. I am not sure how well the watch will hold up again a hammer blow, but it certainly can laugh at all means of wind, watch, g-forces, magnetic fields, and pressure that you can throw at it. Accordingly, in defiance of the elements, the Zenith Defy Extreme Stealth states conspicuously on the face that it is “For Extreme Condition Use.” Regardless, it will still look good if you only intend on extreme condition use, at some point, even if you consider walking into a Zenith watch store an extremely intriguing activity.

To check out All the Extremely awesome watches we carry. See us at www.TheWatchery.com!

or give us a call 1-866-843-9282

Gitanjali sings JV with Italian firm, to launch luxury brand stores

NEW DELHI: Gitanjali Lifestyle, a subsidiary of the Gitanjali Group, unveiled "Opulence," an exhibition showcasing products from 14 luxury brands from Europe, which they now plan to make available to the Indian consumers through a chain of stores across the country under the banner of Gitanjali Lifestyle.

The Gitanjali Group has entered the lifestyle market in a 50:50 JV with the Morellato & Sector group. In its stores, it will house all of the watches and jewellery brands of the Italian group, which includes Morellato, Molecole, Sector, Philip watch, Roberto Cavalli Timewear among others.

Also available in the stores will be brands like Stefan Hafner, Nina Ricci, Greggio and Campo Marzio, and the products that will be sold in these stores will include watches, jewellery, silverware, writing instruments and other fashion accessories.

Speaking about the launch, Gitanjali Lifestyle GM of operations Amitabh Singh said, "We intend to open 200 stores in the metros and mini-metros across the country over the next two and a half years. 25 of them will be opened by the end of the year, and we expect to open at least 6 of them this quarter. Our target right now is the north Indian region which includes Delhi, Gurgaon, Faridabad and Ludhiana."

The investment of the Gitanjali Group will range between $15-20 million (around Rs 600-800 million)and the Gitanjali Lifestyle brand will include jewellery stores, fashion stores, Just Cuts stores (salons), Bezel stores (watches), lifestyle stores, Greggio Argento stores (silverware) and luxury malls.

Although there are already a number of stores selling luxury designer wear to the Indian consumers, Singh is optimistic about his stores' prospects in the sector.

"The luxury goods market in India is big and ever growing. It is no longer a preserve of only the aristocrats and super-affluent," he says.

"We know that brands like Dior, Rolex and Rado are available in India but I feel that the market is big enough for all of the brands to play in. Travelled consumers know that Roberto Cavalli and Nina Ricci are well known names in the international market but until now they were not available in India," says Singh. "We have widened the option available to the Indian consumer and to have fourteen big name brands under one roof is the icing on the cake."

The target group defined includes the high-networth individuals, sec A and A+ crowds. To reach out to their consumers, the group will use the print and electronic media. Also in their agenda is directed marketing campaign for target user group.

The outlets will be marked by the ambience and the location of the stores such that the exclusivity attached to any luxury brand is not diluted. Moreover, the group plans to build Opulence as a property that would be organised and carried to different cities across India.

Jewelry Store Retail Diamond Sales up More Than 100% in Fourth Quarter 2007

SEATTLE, Feb 12, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), today announced that diamond sales by Amazon increased more than 100 percent in fourth quarter 2007 compared with fourth quarter 2006. Each quarter, an increasing number of Amazon.com's tens of millions of customers are shopping the Amazon.com Jewelry & Watches store, especially for important gift-giving occasions such as Valentine's Day and Mother's Day.

"We're very excited about the growth in our Jewelry store," said Peter Lai, Director, Amazon.com Jewelry & Watches store. "Not only are our customers choosing to purchase shoes, electronics and beauty items from Amazon.com, but they are also choosing to make, at times, very personal purchasing decisions with us, such as diamonds, and we take that very seriously."

Everything from pendants to stud earrings to create-your-own engagement rings were extremely popular with Amazon customers this past holiday season. The 14k White Gold Journey Curve Pendant, Platinum Diamond Stud Earrings and the 2 Carat Round Cut Stone were among the top sellers. Diamond-encrusted watches and various black diamond jewelry also did very well; Amazon added over 150 new black diamond styles in the fourth quarter alone. One of the leading top sellers was the Black and White Diamond Infinity Pendant, and top-selling diamond watches in the fourth quarter included the Cartier Tank Divan 18k Yellow Gold Diamond Mini Ladies Watch, the Chopard Happy Sport Ladies Watch and the Movado Kara Watch.

In addition to the increase in retail diamond sales, gemstones did extremely well during the fourth quarter. Top-selling gemstone styles included the 14k White Gold Coated Swiss Blue Topaz Teardrop Earrings, the 14k White Gold Round Blue Topaz and Diamond Pendant and 14k Yellow Gold Channel Set Round Coated Blue Topaz Hoop Earrings.

Every piece of jewelry sold by Amazon.com is inspected by jewelry professionals to verify quality attributes and ensure an excellent product. Customers will find detailed product specifications about each of the piece's components, including gemstones, settings and metal stamps. A Learning Center provides buying guides for pearls, diamonds, precious metals and watches. Loose stones are independently certified to be a specific cut, clarity, color, shape and weight. Finally, the store provides all of the tools and helpful information that Amazon.com customers know and love, such as Customer Reviews, Top Sellers lists, So You'd Like To guides and Listmania lists.

About Amazon.com

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc., seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as books, movies, music & games, digital downloads, electronics & computers, home & garden, toys, kids & baby, grocery, apparel, shoes & jewelry, health & beauty, sports & outdoors, tools, auto & industrial.

Amazon Web Services provides Amazon's developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon's own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Examples of the services offered by Amazon Web Services are Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2), Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), Amazon SimpleDB, Amazon Simple Queue Service (Amazon SQS), Amazon Flexible Payments Service (Amazon FPS), and Amazon Mechanical Turk.

Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, and the Joyo Amazon websites at www.joyo.cn and www.amazon.cn.

As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, significant amount of indebtedness, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007, and all subsequent filings.

SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.

Luxury Watches - Timex CEO Sets Growth Agenda

Published: Monday, February 25, 2008

By Caroline Tell

Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard, the new president and chief executive officer of the $700 million Timex Group, wants to build the firm's luxury offerings and raise its international profile.

"What attracted me to Timex was that it has one of the strongest portfolios of brands, and I believe that a global company with a strong portfolio from mass to luxury is a strong point," Hoejsgaard said. "Timex Group has been somewhat of a quiet entity and there is real opportunity to leverage the group's strength across all of its divisions to produce interesting partners and retailers."

In addition to acquiring the licenses for Valentino and Ferragamo watches last June, Timex is eyeing more potential licensees to solidify its portfolio.

"We are very focused on launching Valentino and Ferragamo licenses, but are thinking of plenty of others and with good reason," Hoejsgaard said. "But we want to secure this expansion in the luxury watches sector first and see that it is a success, and establish a good platform in building the luxury end of the business further.

"We are constantly looking at new opportunities, but we need to be very sure that potential new licensees will fit into our future," he said. "We need to look at global strength and become true masters of our portfolio strategy and have a bright future as a group."

Hoejsgaard is intent on growing globally, specifically in China and other emerging markets. The firm already has a major presence in India. Timex has 7,500 employees in the U.S., Brazil, France, Germany, the Phillippines, China, Israel and India.

The ceo, whose appointment was effective Feb. 11, had been president and ceo of luxury jewelry firm Georg Jensen. Previously, he was president of Paris-based Lancaster Group Worldwide Inc., a division of Coty Inc. Hoejsgaard reports to Timex chairman Anette Olsen.

The company, based in Middlebury, Conn., operates five units under the Timex name, two of which are devoted to producing luxury watches. The Timex brand is at the core of the firm, with a legacy of technological innovation. Timex features the Core and Classic models that put Timex on the map 154 years ago, as well as newer Expedition and Sport ranges. The collections retail from $50 to $150.

India : Cut down import duty on luxury watches, urges AIFHI

All India Federation of Horological Industries (AIFHI) has urged the Government to reduce the import duty on luxury watches from 40 to 20 percent, in the upcoming union budget. As a result, the market for premium and luxury watches will grow in the country.

While attending a press conference AIFHI Vice President, Yasho Saboo emphasized on the rationalization of indirect tax structure and said that the existing system of indirect taxation had proved to be a burden on the industry. It has not allowed the demand for premium and luxury watches to grow to an expected level.

According to him, if the government reduces the import duty on watches, the volume of luxury and premium watches will double, which will also result in more revenue to the Government in the shape of taxes

The domestic market for watches costing more than Rs10,000 crore is presently only Rs600 crore, and is growing at 25 percent per year. He even pointed out that because of low volume of premium and luxury watches, international watch manufacturing companies do not find it practical to set up manufacturing or assembly units in the country.

Countries like Dubai either have zero or very low import duty, resulting into huge growth of the watch market.

Tommy Hilfiger expanding to tier-II, -III cities

Tommy Hilfiger expanding to tier-II, -III cities

New Delhi: Fashion retailer Tommy Hilfiger India is charting its second phase of expansion with a slew of new stores even as it is extending its footprint to tier-II and tier-III cities in the country. Backed by a healthy appetite for luxury brands in the country, the company is poised to clock a turnover of Rs 100 crore this fiscal.


There is immense appetite for luxury brands in India. The market is exploding. We are currently in the second phase of expansion and will be having 23 points of sale by the end of this fiscal,” Shailesh Chaturvedi, CEO, Tommy Hilfiger India, told Business Line.

The company said it hopes to become a pan-India luxury brand by 2010. The new stores from its stable will come up in the tier-II cities such as Ahmedabad, Pune and Ludhiana. “There is a tremendous growth coming from these cities and it is imperative for us to have a presence there,” he added.

The apparel and accessories brand said the new stores will be a combination of both mono-brand and concessionaire (shop-in-shop type arrangement) outlets. While apparel contributes to the chunk of revenue, accessories such as watches and bags too are much in demand, he said adding the company is also looking to scale up its product line.

On the challenges, Chaturvedi said lack of availability of quality retail space and high duty on imported apparels and goods are bottlenecks in the growth of the sector.

Retail Therapy: Gucci Watches comes to town

Exciting news for folk keen on adding a luxury bag to their collection: Gucci is opening in Auckland in late April. And it's not just bags - luggage, shoes, watches, fragrances, eyewear and the Gucci Gift Collection will be available in what is set to be Gucci's largest outlet in Australasia, clocking in at 300 sq m. There will also be ready-to-wear. The store is in the Imperial building, 48 Queen St.

And Louis Vuitton is moving across the road to be Gucci's next-door-neighbour. The new LV store at 56 Queen St will be larger than the current one, meaning a bigger selection of shoes, bags, luggage, Gucci watches and accessories.

Time for T

Trend-conscious parents should get to The Warehouse next Wednesday. We're telling you this now because last time, T-shirts designed for children by New Zealand label World sold out pretty quickly. It's all for a good cause, with $5 from each T-shirt - they cost between $15 and $18 - going to the Starship Foundation for lifesaving equipment and air emergency services. The World Starship Foundation T-shirts feature motifs such as milk bottles, waistcoat outlines and sparkling wands.

Business Daily - ‘Watches are ice-breakers’

Bindu D. Menon

You may think that in the days of high-end cameras, swanky mobile phones and iPods, the days of the watches are numbered. Wrong! It is believed that when people make their first million, the first thing they go out and purchase is invariably an exquisite luxury watch.

And if Stephen Urquhart (62), President, Omega Watches, is to be believed, the future of the luxury watch industry is on terra firma. For the purpose of a watch is not just to tell time, it also a way of self-expression.

Estimated at Rs 650 crore, the luxury watch segment in India is growing at a compounded annual rate of 25 per cent. The market size for Swiss watches alone is about euro 14 billion and India’s share, at Rs 200 crore, is less than 0.5 per cent of the total market for luxury watches. Omega is a part of the Swatch group, which owns 18 well-known brands. It other top brands are Blancpain, Breguet, Longines and Rado.

In an interview with BrandLine, the Swiss timekeeper says India has evolved and transformed itself. It is a booming market for luxury goods and watch collectors are enthusiastic about any new launches internationally.

A popular assumption is that the luxury watch industry may not survive in the days of high-end gadgets. Where do you think the industry is heading?

It is wrong to assume that the days of the watch industry are numbered. On the contrary, it is literally ‘high’ time for the segment. The awareness is very high and consumers are clued into the minutest details. A watch is a horological masterpiece and a style statement. A person’s handshake can say a lot about his social status. Watches capture people’s attention and start conversations. They are ice-breakers.

Omega has been capturing people’s attention in India. How is the market in India?

The Indian consumer is a very discerning consumer. Sales have been high and our five exclusive outlets have a steady clientele. Omega helps an aspiring individual to fulfill his emotional and artistic need. It is not a me-too product and attracts people with fine taste. Watch lovers know the bells and whistles their watch offers. They love to talk about all the complications included on their watches. So it is basically luxury meets lifestyle.

Omega is seen to lend its name to sports events. Is that your way of connecting with sports lovers?

Sports and lifestyle are very intrinsically linked. Omega has been wearing a sporty hat for a long time. For instance, we have been heavily promoting golf and sailing for a long time. In India, we are promoting the two games. Besides, motivational merchandise reflects the style statement of an individual and so sporty watches will be a dominant theme in the future.

The grey market is a thriving industry and more so in India. How will you tackle this problem? What are your strategies to increase your presence in India? Grey markets exist in all pockets around the globe. It is estimated that more than 40 million counterfeit Swiss watches are sold every year and in values terms it is a loss of over $650 million. We are addressing this through various means. The distribution network is being strengthened and lots of awareness is being created. We will be increasing the number of corporate flagship stores. This will create a distinct brand identity besides providing a touch and feel experience.

What is the trend in high-end luxury watches?

Watches both quartz and mechanical are doing very well. Sporty styles with big dials, water-resistant, easy-to-read LCD display that indicates the wearer’s heart rate, speed, distance and altitude and has chronograph functions are also extremely popular.

Complicated watches with lots of utilities and functions have also generated considerable interest. Our belief is that these products motivate an individual to stay healthy. Red gold is also in vogue though steel finishes both gloss and mattes are also enduring timepieces. More and more people are becoming eco-friendly, opting out of leather and using composite materials like rubber.

There is a lot of excitement about vintage watches. How is the market doing?

Watches which are over 50 years old can be classified as vintage. A lot of Omega’s vintage watches are sold on e-Bay. So we thought, it was better to buy them back from old customers and establish it in a museum. This helps our design team to work on enhancing designs and at times even marrying the contemporary with the vintage. Currently, we have 15,000 pieces in our museum in Vienna itself. The company spends about 10 per cent turnover on R&D.

The duty on imported watches is very high. Have you made any representation to the Indian government to bring it down?

The Swiss luxury watch manufacturers have made a representation to the Indian Government to bring down the duty in luxury goods. This would help us consolidate the market in India. India has a fine taste for imported watches and we hope that in three to five years, it will among the top markets in the world for luxury watches.

With Bollywood heartthrob Abhishek Bachchan as your brand ambassador, how many eyeballs have you managed to attract in India?

Having a local brand ambassador is a part of our policy of ‘think global, act local’. Abhishek is a perfect brand fit and symbolises our images as a lifestyle brand. For our jewellery line, we have Sonali Bendre.

Piaget's Newest addition, Slim and Stylish

Piaget is a watch maker I love. I may give it a hard time because it reminds me petite European man in flamboyant attire, but Piaget makes nice looking watches. Piaget came to the watch scene from a jewelers perspective, so everything had to look nice. Their watches each embody a degree of minimalism with subtle accents of top design flair. These are extremely attractive watches for people innately comfortable with their sense of taste. Flicking out their Piaget nonchalantly to tell the time, realizing it looks that good without expression.

The newest addition to the Piaget watch line family is the Piaget Altiplano Petit Seconds. That is a fancy way for saying that it is a three-handed watch with a small subsidiary seconds dials asymmetrically placed in the top left-hand corner, which is really the major appeal of this watch. Traditionally, Piaget watches have focused on detail orientated minimalist watches, with a high degree of symmetry using high quality materials. Look at most Piaget watches and you will discover platinum, gold, or white gold watches that are very easy on the eye with a distinct symmetrical appeal. Stepping away from this tradition, the Altiplano Petit Seconds throws an extra point of focus on the watch. Not just a mere sub-dial either, this seconds dial has a half circle adjoining the full circle. The effect is appealing, but it is unclear why. There is a degree of three-dimensionality that is created, as well as another semi-circle that add to the overall theme. Another effect is for the semi-circle to help “anchor” the subsidiary dial without it looking too misplaced on the face. Not being enough of a designer, the best comment I can make is that the placement is well-done and fitting of the Piaget name.

The name “Altiplano” literally means “high plain.” Whether this regards the “elevated” status of the watch and its design, or it refers to a geographic location best suited to appreciate this watch, it is a fittingly “high-class term.” The Altiplano is a very thin watch as just 2.5mm thick. To allow for this slim size, it has a manually wound movement, which requires winding from time to time. This however is an in-house movement and offers over 60 hours of power reserve. So you only have to wind the watch each couple of days. Piaget is uncommon in the jeweler class of watch makers that provide manufacture movements.

So here you have it, Piaget has filled the small yet open gap in its lineup of slim, stylish, yet slightly avant garde watches. What will they come up with next?

Have a look on our website at the Piaget watches we carry, along with hundreds of other high end luxury watches! http://www.thewatchery.com/

Watches With Sharp Black And Steel Contrasts

Watch makers can have a good time playing with colors and materials. A typical favorite among watch designers is sharp transitions from one material, color or texture to another. This often yields in an interesting look appealing to the eye due to the constant contrasts. Lights appear lighter, and dark colors appear deeper. This is mostly due to the human eye, which seems to be drawn to such complexities of form.

A particular favorite of mine is the contrast between matte black and polished steel. The austere look of the black works to immediately enhance the sheen of the polished silver colored steel. This effect is somewhat lost when the black itself is always glossy. Creating a series of sharp contrasts, the eye picks up a number of distinct shapes and patterns that come out of the design and construction of the watch. In effect, you get a much better appreciation of the colors and segmentations of the watch because the overall watch stands out so much more.

The three watches pictures from left to right are the Concord Saratoga, Movado Gentry, and Tiffany & Co. Mark T-57. These represent an evolution in the design theme produced in these attractive watches. Starting with the Concord Saratoga that really allowed for the contrasting black and steel to work, which was followed by parent company Movado’s Gentry model. This particular model is the Movado Gentry Sport (as it contains a chronograph complication). Last is the recently released Tiffany & Co. Mark T-57. An obvious copy of the Movado Gentry, Tiffany & Co. would probably describe it as a flattering emulation of a successful design, which it is. While very different watches, the visual appeal is similar in each watch. In the event you do not love the watches themselves, you must admit they hold your gaze longer than you expected, as your eyes seem to subconsciously find some cognitive interest in the watches laid out before you.

Check out our website http://www.thewatchery.com/ for these styles and more