Celebrities and Their Preferred Watches

Arnold Schwarzenegger wears an Audemars Piguet watch such as T3, IWC Big Pilot, Rolex and Panerai.
Barack Obama- Most experts saw a light-dialed TAG-Heuer sports watch . . . probably either a Series 1000 or Series 2000. The common quartz watches of the mid-1990's. Then after 2007, he changed to a Jorg Gray 6500 chronometer.
Ben Affleck – Harry Winston
Bill Clinton is a huge fan of Roger Dubuis watches. On the cover of Time Magazine he was wearing a Roger Dubuis Much More watch.
Britney Spears wears Roger Dubuis watch. However, among her favorites there are also Chopard Montres Dame and Breitling watches.
Elton John wearing a fartload of jewelry with skulls and a gold ladies Chopard...
Halle Berry – Franck Muller Casablanca 2852
Harrison Ford – Breitling Aerospace
Isaiah Washington of Grey's Anatomy wearing an unindentified Panerai
Jay-Z loves Audemar Piguet Royal Oak Offshore. He is also a big fan of AP Grande Complication.
Jennifer Anniston – vintage Cartier and Rolex Date Just
Jessica Simpson – vintage Rolex
Jude Law, the most unbutch guy you can imagine..., wearing a big old 3717
Larry King – Ulysse Nardin GMT
Leonardo DiCaprio was seen wearing a Jaeger LeCoultre Master Minute Repeater for $175,000. and Panerai
Mark Anthony – Roger Dubuis
Marky Mark Walhberg wearing an unindentified watch
Nicolas Cage wearing his Sub (wonder what his chum to the right is wearing? Looks like a Roger Dubuis)
Orlando Bloom – IWC Big Pilot
Robert Redford- Rolex Explorer II
Roman Abramovich, the owner of the English club Chelsea, has a wide range of Rolex watches. Among his favorites there is a Rolex Daytona and a gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date Submariner.
Silvio Berlusconi, former Prime Minister of Italy wears an extremely expensive timepiece from the world’s oldest watchmaker Vacheron Constantin. The price of the watch is $540,000.
Simon Cowell – Chopard Mille Miglia
Sylvester Stallion- Rolex and Panerai
The future King and Queen of Spain, on their mobiles (wonder if they're calling each other?) showing off his Special Forces watch again.
Tom Cruise – Audemar Piguet chronograph
Usher – Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
Usher pulling a Maradona, with two Audemars Piguet
Victoria Beckham was seen wearing on her wrist an iced-out Piaget watch.
Vladimir Putin has a $60,000 Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar. This is a really expensive timepiece if compared to George W. Bush’s Timex for $50. However, the US president has a personal inscription on his Timex.
Yuri Luzhkov, the mayor of Moscow wears a Patek Philippe Calatrava
From these data, we could see that the most popular watch is Rolex, AP, Roger Dubuis, Chopard and PP.
…
Three US Presidents Bill Clinton worn Roger Dubuis Much More (limited 28 pieces, USD$80,000.00), Bush a USD$50 cheap Timex watch and Obama wears a Tag Hauer probably valued USD$200.
Now you can see how bad the US economy would be… From USD$80,000, down to USD$200.00! We have to be prepared as the worst economy yet to come… Hmm!
HK Snob

Megan Fox and Her Rolex Date Just

This is The sexxy lady appreared in Transformer, Megan Fox.
The Body Guard like stocky man is Brian Austin, her boy friend.
Note that Megan Fox worn a Rolex Date Just!
HK Snob

Does Rolex Oyster Watch have Transparent Base!?

Answer is " Yes"!
Ref. 1675, GMT-Master, Transparent Back Rolex, "Oyster Perpetual, GMT Master, Superlative Chronometer, Officially Certified," Ref. 1675. Made in 1961.
Cal. 1560, rhodium-plated, 25 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance adjusted to 5 positions and temperature, shock absorber, self-compensating free-sprung Breguet balance spring, Microstella regulating screws.
Dial, case and movement signed.
Diam. 40 mm. Thickness 13 mm.
Price $20,000-30,000 asked in an Auction.HK Snob

Back To Future

I have seen a lot of funny watches being used in the movie!
in " Kill Bill II", Uma Thurman Worn a Rolex Daytona that has Date and Day Display! A Fake Rolex!
In The movie "Amelia", more than two times in close up that Amelia Earhart worn a Quartz Watch, well that was talking about her long haut flight in 1937. First Quartz was invented by the Seiko 35SQ Astron, introduced to the Japanese market on Christmas Day, 1969! Another back to Future Watch in the movie Amelia!?
Please do not underestimate the ability in scrutinization of some of the Movie goers… The movies were multi million investment, how can this happen!?

HK Snob

Everything About Rolex, Patek Philippe, Omega and Panerai

http://www.collectingwatches.com/en/

This is a great site that you have to go and find what is in your mind about your designated collection of either Rolex, Patek Philippe, Panerai, and Omega.
They supply Different topics in form of beautifully printed Book about the watches.
Interviews with the important people in the watch Industry. Picture, stories of the greatest Collection of Rolex Collections, and whatever you can think of about Rolex, the entire collection of individual Model…
Either you are expert, armature collectors, dealers, connoisseur and appreciator of Rolex, you got to go and look at this website.
HK Snob

What A Rolex Submariner would Look like after lost hidden 40 years in a beach?

This is an interesting story, a legend of a super strong Oyster case and Rolex quality movement would survive like it was 40 years ago in a beach… even more beautiful…because...
Rolex had produced the early model of Submariner with appeared all share the
same unusual characteristics. Not one of them has a serial number; all have the previously unknown model number 6540 stamped inside the case back and then carefully crossed out. All bear the manufacturing stamp for fall of 1957;
All have most unusual bezels and Explorer-style 3/6/9 dials. These were the first Rolex military Submariners; they were issued only to the elite Special Boat Squadron of the Royal Marines (the inspiration for the US Navy SEALS)
The case has rudimentary fixed bars; the case back has engraved with full military markings and is further marked by many years of a nylon G10 strap being in the same position.
It seems that in 1961 the British Ministry of Defense ordered that all dials using radium be withdrawn and replaced by dials using tritium. The watch shown here retains its original dial due to the fact that it was lost on the beach….
The story is amazingly interesting: a beachcomber with a metal detector found it buried beneath a foot or more of sand on his local beach. Unbelievably, the Oyster case had protected the watch from the action of the tide for over 40 years, that keeping the movement dry and clean. The original glass was completely opaque as the sand being washed over it with the tides had acted like fine sandpaper. However, the glass required only the lightest of polishes before it sparkled like new.
This Watch was asked for USD$175,000 to 250,000 in an Watch Auction 2008.

HK Snob

Frederique Constant Moonphase Men's watch

This was a watch that I bought once I saw it Art Deco Dial design when I Visited the Shop at Kowloon Tong Shopping arcade 14 years ago. The Layout and Design pleased me at that time, and even today, Frank Muller and Roger Dubuis is trying to Apply similar Roman figure design on their dials. During that time, the size was just right, but if using today's eyes to measure watch size, it is a bit too small. Today I went to order a thicker strap to make the watch a bit larger. It never tell lies about time as it was running Swiss Quartz movement. It was quite a good time piece when One day you find you have fed up with the R, P, A, C , V and P...Try this " FC" ...Fredrique Constant.
It was taken together with the Ranger II, so that you can see the Size!

Kowloon Tong Snob

Rolex, AP RO Offshore, AP RO Foundation Limited

From Left to Right... The Rolex Day Date Yellow Gold 36mm, Royal Oak OffShore 25970ST.0.1010ST.01 (Time Zone "Hong Kong") 38mm dia, Limited Edition of 100 Pieces Only. The AP Royal Oak Foundation blue dial 36mm dia. 14990ST00789ST01-limited 250 Pieces.

HK Snob

Extremely Rare Tudor Ranger II

This is the most desired watches of the 70’s TUDOR range II...to wear a RANGER is to understand why! This dial is sunken, blue and striking having huge, Arabic luminescent numerals... very prominent and eye-catching...a simplistic design that makes this deal the best looking in the TUDOR Ranger II, The hefty stainless steel case with steel fluted big bezel and ROLEX crown measures 37mm...shimmering... sitting high on the wrist...commanding attention...having a solid and heavy linked original TUDOR integrated bracelet. The black dial with date readout is also perfect...retaining its' original hands and vibrant, orange sweep seconds. The automatic winding, ETA TUDOR movement has just been cleaned and is keeping perfect time. Most of the Tudor Ranger II found on internet is not real at all on every parts of it, this one is completely correct all around...with exception of the dial has been touched up a bit I guess. But who cares, this is perfect Blue Colour I like! These models were marketed as an experiment for Rolex in the 1970's and 1980's in both automatic and quartz versions. The watch measures 38mm wide by 43mm long. This is the Tudor Explorer II equivalent of Rolex. It has Rolex Oyster Case, Rolex Crown and Rolex Buckle... An Extremely Rare collection if everything goes original. More Eye-catching than anyRolex Explorer I or II!

HK Snob

HK Snob's passion for AP RO

As I say so, Royal Oak was a greatest Invention for a Watch of such Uniqueness and beauty, and that is going to be the most beautiful watch from 1972 and onward for Audemars Piguet. 2012 will be the 50th Anniversary for the Royal Oak Series. Let's Watch Out for what important Royal Oak Memorial and Limited version will be launched in 2012.

HK Snob

China's Sea Dragon in diving to a depth of 5038 Metres

A Chinese manned submersible Sea Dragon carrying three people successfully reached a depth of 5,038.5 meters during a test dive conducted in the Pacific Ocean at 0357 27 July.
China, initiating the Jiaolong project in 2002, is the fifth country to send a man 4027 meters below sea level, following the United States, France, Russia and Japan.
23 Jan, 1960 US Navy’s experimental bathyscaphe, the Trieste, descended into Mariana Trench successfully to the deepest known on the Earth’s surface at record of 10916 metres, with Pressure of 1 metric tone pressure per square Centimeters! Being a Chinese, I feel great though we are late comer on this but we have to go for next trial for deeper. People may think that we have been late for Going into the space after 41 years Apollo 11 landed on Moon, though there is debat recently shown on Discovery that some of the landing video might be fake. China started its first Aircraft Carrier after Cheng Wo conquered the South China Sea and Indian Ocean after 602 years. But Don't laugh at that as there will be always the Mission Impossible in China.

Don't forget 10 years ago no one could expact a Black People could be President of The US.No one could imagine that China could be the biggest US debt holder. according to World Bank, by 2045, China economy scale will be THREE times of USA!
Back to 1960, The Prototype Rolex was attached at the outside of the Trieste and was found working normally after surface, I did not see both US Lieutenant Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard (Swiss) worn any Watch or Rolex on his wriest!
I doubt if the Chinese inside JiaoLong worn a Rolex DeepSEA or not!? DeepSEA can stand down to 3900 Metres under water, insofar, the best professional divers watch for general purpose. But one thing for sure a Brand Name is hard to copy, Like Rolex... Who can make a better and Cheaper Deep Sea Divers watch commercially!?

HK Snob

PS The upper picture is Trieste 1960, the lower one is China's Jiaolong 2011.

Only Watch Project

Only Watch project was established in 2005, a Bi-yearly event for a Charity Auction in Monaco – Only Watch Offers 40 One-of-a-Kind Watches.
40 renowned watchmakers created and donated their one-of-a-kind-unique-watch to the Only Watch charity auction. It will take place in Monaco, on 22 September 2011. This special event is organized by Antiquorum Auctioneers, Geneva and the Monegasque Association against Muscular Dystrophies (AMM), in order to help Duchenne muscular dystrophy research. Only Watch has donated 2.5 million euros to 18 organizations with 90 researchers, clinicians and chemists in last event in 2009. It will be a great opportunity for the lovers of luxury watches to visit Monaco and donate money for a great cause.
This year is the Fourth Auction that will be organized during the Monaco Yacht Show, under the patronage of HSH Prince Albert II,
40 brands are Audemars Piguet, Bell&Ross, Blancpain, Blu, Bovet Fleurier, Breguet, Cyprus, Celsius, Chanel, Chaumet, Chopard, Corum, De Bethune, Delacour, De Witt, Franck Muller, Frédérique Constant, Girard-Perregaux, Glashutte Original, Harry Winston, Hermès, Hublot, Ikepod/Marc Newson, Jaquet Droz, Laurent Ferrier, Louis Vuitton, Maurice Lacroix, MB&F, Mont Blanc, Patek Philipe, Piaget, Richard Mille, Tag Heuer, Ulysse Nardin, Urwerk, Vacheron Constantin, Van Cleef & Arpels, Vulcain, Zenith. Click on the ling below to see a complete list of models and their images http://www.onlywatch.net/index.php/watches-and-auction.
Before the first touch with lucky owners, these watches are going to travel the world, displaying their beauty to watch lovers in:
Singapore (The Hour Glass): 30 August
Hong Kong (Antiquorum Auctioneers Ltd.): 1 September
Shanghai (Antiquorum Shanghai): 3 September
Beijing: 5 September
Tokyo (The Hour Glass): 7 September
Los Angeles (Westime Beverly Hills): 9 September
New York (Antiquorum Auctioneers Ltd): 12 September
Milan (Orologerio Luigi Verga): 15 September
Geneva (Antiquorum SA): 16 & 17 September.
Note that the Country starts from Asia, USA and Europe, that you can see Asia is the biggest end users for Finest Swiss Watch, replacing USA as the biggest importer for Swiss Luxaury watch before. Amongts all the watch I like this Richard Mille.
Richard Mille
Richard Mille offered the uniqueness on a different way. Instead of producing unique form, it has given the world unique spirit, throughout the watch that Rafael Nadal was wearing, during his champion’s run inMonte Carlo, earlier this year.
Rafa’s personal timepiece is even more authentic, since it is a pre-production prototype model that had been under serious tests, before the line was released. However, this watch pasted the most serious tests on Nadal’s wrist, during professional tennis games. Since it is unbelievably light, just 20 grams with a strap, the RM 027 doesn’t affect its extraordinary precision, as well as the game has no effect on the perfect work of the watch. I have always mentioned that good watch should alao be string and tough enoughjt o go for the sport you do… Tennis is a tough game that swing your arm to hit the ball for a 100KM/hour speed. No watch with Tourbillon could possible stand and work without any damages. Richard Mille designed this watch with the toughest and lightest material, toughj could be indistrutibel light to reduce the inertia and impact force on the Balancign gear and other precision parts inside this watch. I think this watch can go up to Euro 620,000 on the aution!
A 48mm x 39.7mm case of Richard Mille RM 027 is crafted in a composite of mostly carbon, matching a polycarbonate strap. The most striking part of the watch is inside the case. A Caliber RM 027 hand-wound mechanism with a tourbillon has a low weight under 4 grams, thanks to its construction, made of titanium and a rarely used metal alloy, called aluminum lithium.

Monaco Snob

Citizen Appleseed XIII Eco-Drive Satellite Watch

It is Battery-less, with Accuracy of the Atomics Clock, it works anywhere on the Earth for receiving Satellite Signal. This is what an ideal watch should equip with.
The First revolutionary Citizen watch with the ultimate precision, named the Citizen Appleseed XIII Eco-Drive Satellite Watch will be released in fall.
Solar power and extreme precision combined are the insurance that you don’t have to worry about the maintenance, because the Citizen Appleseed XIII functions perfectly, precisely and endlessly.

HK Snob

1974 Grand Seiko Hi Beat

GRAND-SEIKO HI-BEAT Ref.5646-7010
Function: Hour, Min & Sec Hands with Date & English or Kanji Day Wheel
Caliber: 5646
Production Year: About 1974's
Cal: 5646 (Hi-Beat) 5 Position. Adj. Automatic Winding with Manual Winding & Hacking. (Stop the Sec Hands)
Jewels: 25 Jewels
Dial: Cream Color Dial
Crystal: Original Glass
Smooth Bezel
Original GS Crown.
Case: Stainless Steel (Some Fine Hair Scratches)
Dimension of Case: 36 x 41 mm (Excluding Crown)
Band: Original Bracelet (With the Gold GS logo on the Clip)
Condition: 90% New, Used, Working, Very fine in as found condition as you can see at the Pictures Service: I have tested it gains 1 second a day when Lying with the crystal face up, and Gain 1.5 seconds when Crown Facing Down after 24 hours.. It is a Superb Accurate Mechanical Masterpieces made by the Japanese Craftmanship in the 70's Highly Collectible.

HK Snob

Why Rolex Oyster Watch is So Durable and Reliable!?

Shock Resistance Capability of a watch
Early watch say before 1934 did not have any shock resistance design and is liable to get damages very easily. Before the widespread use of shock protection devices like Incabloc, broken balance staffs were a major cause of watch repair service visitsThe major defect besides the scratches in the casing and Crystal, is the main balance staff that would be broken, or chipped. That would cause the watch to lose accuracy and or even stop. Some of the balance staffs of watch have a diameter of merely 0.15mm. They have to be made hard using steel, they are small especially the contact between the tip and the jewel bearing so as to reduce friction. That is an essential design to increase watch accuracy by reducing friction. So it is necessary to be protected from damages by accidental drops on the floor.
Incabloc
The Incabloc shock protection system is the trade name for a spring-loaded mounting system for the jewel bearings that support the balance wheel in a mechanical watch, to protect the wheel's delicate pivots from damage in the event of physical shock. Incabloc design model prevents shock damages on the shaft of the balancing wheel by allowing the jeweled balance of the watch to move laterally and vertically within a spring-mounted setting. Incabloc was invented in 1934 by Swiss engineers Georges Braunschweig and Fritz Marti, at Universal Escapements, Ltd, Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. It is currently manufactured by Incabloc, S.A.
Incabloc is used by many movements including most modern ETA and Omega movements.
How Does Incabloc Work?
The Incabloc system uses a "lyre-shaped" spring to allow the delicate bearings to shift in their settings under impact, until a stronger shoulder of the staff contacts the strong metal endpiece, so that the fine and delicate pivots and bearings don't have to bear the force of the impact. When the impact is over, the springs guide the parts back to their original positions. The staff itself does not move relative to the jewel bearing, but the whole bearing is carried in a metal bushing that is free to move in the metal endpiece, under the control of the spring. The watch equipped with Incabloc does not mean that it could stand a very strong impact, if the impact force is greater than the strong shoulder could stand, the balance staff would be broken too.
Other Shock Resistance Design
Other techniques for shock protection include Parachoc, Kif, Unisafe and Novochoc. KIF is a Rolex Design Shock resistance system, ETA's Etachoc, Seiko's Diashock, and Citizen's Parashock.
These are the known types of Watch Shock Resistance System, It may have more…
Antichoc, Bidlingm, Contrachoc, Cymaflex, Diashock, Duofix, Durobloc, Duroshock, DuroSwing, Etachoc, Farr, Forester, Herucles, Incabloc, Intrabloc, Junghams, Kif, KifA, Microflex, Monobloc, Monorex, Novochoc, Parashock, Parechoc, Resomatic, Rubyshock, Rufarex, Shockresist, Shock Stabil, Super-Shock-R, Super-Shock-Res, unichoc, Unishock, Uwersi, Vibrax...
Comparison between KIF and Incabloc
The primary difference is the shape of the spring which holds the cap rubies (s) down. Both let you remove the cap jewel without totally removing the spring - it kind'a hinges up and out of the way without having to take it completely off.
Most of the higher end brands use Kif: AP, PP, Rolex, VC, JLC, Chopard, etc.
From the design Incabloc has just two contacts in the jewel bearing whereas Kif has three balance at each 120 degrees along the whole circumference for the jewel. Under strong shock impact, the Kif may survive better in maintaining the Ruby jewel bearing in a balanced position. As Kif using three-point contacts that it will have a self-aligned effect on the position of the bearing. Two point Incabloc may have a possibility to shift the bearing a bit to one side in case the spring is not in a co planarity or flat. So I think three points are best… two points is insufficient, and 4 points is not working, some what Like the Hi Fi System that only we put three Nails under each amplifier, we seldom put four.
ISO Standard of Watch Shock Resistance
The International Organization for Standardization issued a standard ISO 1413 Horology for shock resistant watches which many watch makers have adopted.—Shock-resistant watches specifies the minimum requirements and describes the corresponding method of test. It is based on the simulation of the shock received by a watch on falling accidentally from a height of 1 m on to a horizontal hardwood surface. It is intended to allow homologation tests rather than the individual control of all watches of a production batch.
Shock Resistance Test
In practice shock resistance is generally tested by applying two shocks (one on the 9 o'clock side, and one to the crystal and perpendicular to the face). The shock is usually delivered by a hard plastic hammer mounted as a pendulum, so as to deliver a measured amount of energy, specifically, a 3 kg hammer with an impact velocity of 4.43 m/s. The watch must keep its accuracy to +/- 60 seconds/day as measured before the test.
Rolex is Likely One of the most Durable Watches on the World!
The Solid Oyster case is circular in shape, due to the shape of the oyster case once there is force impact onto it, the cylindrical surface will transmit portion Part of force onto other end of the case instead of the impact is direct acting on the movement inside, and the case is hewn from a single solid pieces of metal using 60 tons of pressure. It will not break and would likely last for life time. On the Other hand Rolex is famous for their ruggedness and all of their movements are based on their KIF shock Resistance System, mounted 3130 movements...3135 for a date, 3186 for a GMT function, 3131 for a Faraday cage and some non ferrous parts.
The exceptions are the 4130 Chronograph movement in the Daytona, and the 3156 movement in the Day Date II which has their own, new Paraflex shock system. Moreover, Rolex has invested on both the Balance Wheel staff and Lever Escapement Shaft. I call it double Shock Resistance System, only a few watches in the world have been equipped double Kif System in one watch.
When I was working on board merchant vessels, I asked why the Chief Officer, Quartermasters, oiler, carpenters, sailors, and Engineers used Rolex Oyster watches, no matter, Date Just, Air King, Or even Oyster Precision. The only Answer is “Rolex is reliable!”
Oyster case in fact is made in high precision with 162 operations from a solid metal or Gold. Great care that are present throughout the manufacture of an Oyster result in a case that is virtually a miniature safe, extremely strong and practically indestructible, the movement is installed inside the seal safe with double Shock resistance system to guarantee the watch will be used in the harsh condition like Polo, Horse Riding, Golf, Diving, will no incur that possibility to create and damages to the watch.

HK Snob

Is Rolex considered a conspicuous consumption item in HK?!

Yesterday when I went to CitiSuper Gateway TST intending to shop for some Japanese beef for my daughter, when I entered the pay line. I was shock to see that there is having 6 persons wearing Rolex… really that is more or less a watch show. It was probably co-incident m but I noticed what watch people wears. They are White Gold Rolex Daytona on leather strap on a young lady’s right wrist, mid size Stainless steel Rolex Date Just with pink dial, Rolex Submariner black dial and bezel, Rolex Date Just two tone boy size. Rolex Thunderbird stainless steel, a Panerai. I was wearing my Rolex Yellow gold Day Date Purple dial.
Well, those area are usually you can see a lo of middle class people and It was Saturday, a lot of shoppers.
Since we have been labeled Rolex for many years as the most luxury brand in Asia, after Louis Vitton. More people is intending to buy a Rolex if he does not yet have one, to buy more as is he is a Rolex lover… to buy many if he is serious collector.
The reason why people like Rolex? It can retain its value, as even after you have been using for 10 years still you can sell it at a rather good price.
On the other hand, the service support is very good at Rolex Authorized Service Centre, they are efficient.
The other major reason is Rolex has a good reputation of durable, reliable, accurate, functional and beautiful, it does not need Tourbillon, or perpetual calendar, or repeater. it is a simple time telling function, extremely watch-proof! And Rolex never go out of Fashion!
As Far as I think, Rolex watches can not be considered as a conspicuous consumption in HK. It is an Investment, a man's accessory, a piece of Swiss WatchMaster egineering works.. Rolex is a life time investment. A honest beautiful time piece for many many years.

HK Snob