Besides watches made by fellow Dutch citizen Christiaan van der Klaauw, we now also have watches from another Dutch company called Van der Gang Watches. Their main model looks (to me) a lot like the IWC Portugieser Chronograph, I could be insulting them by writing this, but even the price is about the same. If I had to design a watch for my brand new company, I wouldn’t design a watch that comes so close to a true classic by another brand and sell it within the same pricelevel. I would go IWC Portugieser for that kind of money within a blink of the eye.

Anyway, pay them a visit by clicking here, maybe you’ll think otherwise. If so, let me know by leaving a comment here.

“Already renowned for its production of advanced technical high-precision instruments for the Royal Italian Navy, Guido Panerai & Figlio, which subsequently became ?Officine Panerai?, created the first prototype of a new design of watch in 1936. Using a Rolex movement, it was designed for a special military group that was being formed in Italy. “

Click here for the full article on Europastar!

I guess I am a bit of a Panerai-nut, sorry

Yesterday evening I was watching a rerun of Top Gear, where I noticed that one of the gueststars had a Panerai on his wrist. One of the presentators wears an Omega Seamaster Pro if I looked correctly last time. In watchmagazines, a great deal of interviews reveal that one who appreciates nice timepieces, also appreciates nice cars. The Rolex Daytona (or Cosmograph) and the Omega Speedmaster probably were one of the first few wristwatches that were specially designed for carraces. Followed by the Heuer chronograph models. Heuer also made chronographs for ‘on board’, and Sinn still produces ‘on board’ chronographs.

Anyway, when I just was reading this article on watches and cars, I really had to think about the author’s associations between certain watch and carbrands. Here is my own list, based on quality and image:

Rolex Day-Date = Mercedes Benz S600
Omega Speedmaster Pro = Porsche 911 Carrera 2
IWC Doppelchronograph = Audi S8
Panerai Powerreserve (PAM0027) = BMW M3
JaegerLeCoultre Reverso XGT Grande Reserve = Jaguar XJR
Rolex Daytona = Mercedes Benz SL55 AMG
Chronoswiss Delphis = Austin Healey
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo = Bentley Continental GT
Sinn Finanzplatzwecker = Saab 9-5
Tag Heuer Monaco = Alfa Romeo GTA

What is your list? If you want to share your list, click the ‘Comments’-button below this post.

Thanks to a message on TZ from Jorge, I noticed that Alain Silberstein is still active in the watchbusiness!

Their newsletter shows their new models. Quite “exotic” like always, and probably not suited for everyone, but just take a look at them.

Below you’ll find three new tourbillon models.

If you can read French, you should check-out this website. A lot of in-depth watchreviews and articles about movements, like this one here on the caliber 861 chronograph by Omega/Lemania.

Oh, what the heck, even if you can’t read French, it is worth checking out!

On the 12th of october, Sotheby’s has an auction called ‘Important Watches, Wristwatches and Clocks’ in New York. Click here to see the lot of watches, wristwatches and clocks.

The Blancpain below is estimated to fetch between 30.000 and 40.000 US Dollars. For this, you’ll get a minute repeater, made out of platinum with a 21k gold rotor complete with box, papers and certificates!

Other auctionhouses are Antiquorum, Christies, Phillips-Auctions and ofcourse the online-only auctionhouse eBay. Although I doubt that eBay is a serious competitor for the other ones mentioned when it comes to very exclusive and expensive watches.

A meeting of European members of ThePurists in Salzburg. It seems that it was quite succesful with participation Ulysse Nardin! Click here for a nice picture report of the meeting.

Probably because the summer has ended and we are heading to the cold wintermonths, people like to get together with a good glass of wine and a nice diner.

Maybe it is a good idea to collect all ‘events’ like this (before they are being held) so people have an overview of ‘watchmeetings’.

Once in a while, I try to organize a watchmeeting for some Dutch fellow collectors who share the same passion as I do. Last two times we went to Dudok and had a great time raving about wristwatches. Most of the participants were linked to WatchUseek, and one or two of them weren’t into watchfora at all.

However, these small watchmeetings fade away like snow for the sun when you compare it to P-Day. A meeting cq Panerai show held in the Hilton Hotel in Frankfuhrt Germany, including a dinner (if you want to). If you are a Panerai-nut, I probably am telling you old news, but if this is new to you… act quick! Signing up can be done till the 6th of October.

Fastime Stopwatches has a serious amount of stopwatches available for almost every type of sports and activities. The conventional models as well as wristwatches with stopwatch features. Prices at around 4 UK pounds for the most simple models. Who doesn’t need a stopwatch?

I looked at this post at TimeZone today and was wondering, what is ever going to happen with Minerva? They even don’t have a website anymore. Last thing heard, is that they would bring out some serious timepieces, comparable to the best of the best (Patek?). Prices were alike Patek as well.

SteveG did a nice write-up at his website called SteveG’s Watch Launchpad.

Will Minerva remain silent and thought of as a legend in watchmaking? Or will you be surprised at some point in the future by their new range of watches?

In the last edition of Horloges, a ladies special, there is a large article on Delaneau. A brand by Cristina Thévenaz, who creates jewelry AND watches for women. Like dozens I hear you say, but not this lady, she also has a tourbillon watch for ladies. The Delaneau Dôme Tourbillon, as pictured below, for if you really want to give your wife/girlfriend something special!! (and expensive)

Visit their website at : www.deleneau.com

Cristina Thévenaz, CEO of the Deleneau company, founded in 1880.

Oompalupah has a new watch and besides the nice write-up he did on it, he should be taking photographs for the official Omega catalogue for a living as well.

In a recent edition of Horloges, a Dutch magazine, an interview was given with the owner of Van Esser. The website looks a bit crappy in my opinion, but it gives you an idea about the watch. See for yourself.

More than 100,000 counterfeit watches were destroyed recently in the canton of Fribourg. Report of a first on Swiss soil.

Read here the whole the article on FH.

Right, Robert-Jan is out on holiday, we can post what we want - hè hè!. Although it’s not a watch, it ís a Panerai - so he will be happy with it anyhow. Only 100 pieces of this huge instrument (60 mm diameter!) will be produced. I guess this is the most expensive compass I’ve ever seen…

Here’s a review/article on paneristi.com: http://www.paneristi.com/reference/vendome/images/sihh_press_pics/BLACK_SEAL_COMPASS.htm

Cheers,

Gerard

This guy at WristWatchReview.com seems to be gone as well! Well, he will be back in one week, and I will be back in two… Oh well, you should be at work anyway, if only your boss knew you were watching all these watchwebsites all day

In a few days I am off to the Cote d’Azure for some well earned holidays with my girlfriend. We are, ofcourse, planning to visit Monaco and in order to answer to my watchaddiction, I tried to google on watchstores in Monaco in the hope to see some really high-end watches in the flesh.

However, most hits shows this:

If anyone has tips for nice shops in Monaco/Cannes/St Tropez which are really worth the visit, let me know via e-mail or through the ‘comments’ button below.

On the Dash, a website about Heuer Chronographs (for both on your wrist and in your racingcar) has a very nice section on vintage catalogues on chronographs. Click here for the vintage catalogues. The gallery of fake Heuer watches may come in handy when you are looking for a vintage piece to add to your collection. Great website!