Unique Gift Ideas for Christmas
November 1st, 2006
Tic-Tock.com Adds New Jewelry Collection
For Immediate Release - (DALLAS, Texas) October 26, 2006 — Wingate’s Quality Watches, LLC, owned and operated by husband and wife team, Robert and Patricia Wingate, for more than 30 years, has expanded its product offerings to include a growing collection of fine jewelry just in time for the holidays. Wingate’s newly redesigned website at http://www.tic-tock.com/ boasts an extensive inventory of high-end luxury watches as well as the new selection of rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings and brooches.
Wingate’s growing jewelry collection includes diamonds and precious gems including newcomers such as Mystic Topaz and old classics Yellow Gold, White Gold, Pink/Rose Gold, Stainless Steel, Sterling Silver and Platinum. Wingate’s jewelry and timepieces are purchased with the highest quality standards with a 100% authenticity guarantee.
According to recent surveys, more than a third of both men and women wait until the week before Christmas to do their shopping for the big day. Shopping on www.tic-tock.com gives shoppers plenty of time to wait. Most orders ship same day and arrive the next. Tic-tock.com shoppers also find Wingate’s watch and jewelry prices are far below what they find in retail stores as well as other online retailers.
About Wingate’s Quality Watches, LLC
Wingate’s Quality Watches is anything but your typical small, family-owned business. Robert M. Wingate has built a solid reputation with watch dealers and consumers internationally. Founded in 1976, Wingate’s is one of the world’s leading independent dealers of luxury wrist and pocket watches and fine, exquisite jewelry.
Considered experts in the watch industry, Wingate’s boasts one of the finest collections of vintage and contemporary wrist watches and pocket watches in the world. Specializing in pre-owned and never worn timepieces from all major luxury brands has helped Wingate’s build an impeccable reputation. Wingate’s Quality Watches, LLC, can be found online at www.tic-tock.com.
What accuracy can I expect from an automatic watch?
November 1st, 2006
If a watch movement has been tested by COSC (Control Officiel Suisse des Chronometres) or any other similar organization and a certificate of a Chronometer was issued, its accuracy is within +/- 8 seconds per day.
For all other movements, anything up to 30 seconds fast or slow would be considered acceptable. Most new watches should be given a few weeks to adjust to your body rhythm before any adjustments should be made.
Pure Gold, or Solid Gold?
November 4th, 2006
In the world of watches and jewelry, many people outside the industry have a mistaken concept of what “pure gold” is and what “solid gold” means. Pure gold, or 24 kt, is usually gold found in its natural form in the earth or refined into bullion or coinage. Solid gold refers to an alloy of gold, for example, 18kt solid gold. The drawback to gold in its purest form is that it makes a terrible metal to utilize for watchcases or jewelry. It is too soft and malleable, which makes it impractical for casting or forging into long lasting detailed objects like jewelry and watchcases.
To give 24kt gold its rightful place in the world of watches and jewelry, it must be alloyed with other metals for strength and durability. Depending on the percentage of the new alloy, “pure gold” now defines the new fineness using 24kt as a base. Thus, 18kt gold is 18 parts “pure gold” and 6 parts alloy. All alloys are based on percentages of 24kt; therefore, 18kt is 75% “pure gold” and 14kt is 14 parts “pure gold” and 10 parts alloy, or 58.33% of pure gold.
Over the years, many different alloys have been used in jewelry and watchcases: 8 kt, 9 kt, 10kt, 12 kt, 14 kt, 18kt, and 22kt. In the United States, we’re most familiar with 10 kt (class rings), 14 kt (most commercial jewelry), and 18kt (finer jewelry). The most intriguing result of alloying other metals with gold is the creation of different gold colors. To achieve golds of different colors, the alloyer mixes other metals (elements) within the gold: Read the rest of this entry »
How Enamel Dials are Made
November 7th, 2006
One of the most interesting facets of Horology has to be the hand made works of art found in enamel pocket watch dials. These came into fashion with 19th century pocket watches but were introduced many years before in clock dials. In fact, the technique of enameling dates back to ancient China.
The main benefit of enamel dials is that they are impervious to the elements. The enameling is resistant to water stains, ultra violet light, and dust, each environmental _condition which can age and degrade painted dials, yet can give us the attractive dial patinas from aging that are so desirable. With the exception of cracking and chipping, enamel pocket watch dials seem never to age, and are as beautiful today as when first produced.
The technique involves producing the dial blank out of a thin sheet of copper. These can be either stamped out or hand crafted. The sheet is usually hammered into a slightly convex shape, then a hole is drilled in the center large enough to allow for the axis of the hands.The dial feet are now soldered on the copper blank. The feet are usually made of copper or silver wire. A thin brass band is constructed around the circumference of the blank and the hands hole allowing for the enamel to melt flat and stay confined to the surface of the dial.
The enamel is a fine white opaque glass ground into a powder the consistency of fine sand. The enamel is then Read the rest of this entry »
Fine Swiss Mechanical Art
November 9th, 2006
Blancpain Half Hunter Limied Edition
Chronograph Automatic Winding with Date
Beautiful 18k Rose Gold case hinge-open back case
cover with exposition back to view movement with gold winding rotor.
Watch Paradise features Zeno-Watch Basel watches
November 10th, 2006
Zeno USA, LLC, is the distributor for Zeno-Watch Basel brand watches in the United States and Canada. Watches start at in the low $200 range and extend into the more complicated watches to under $2500. Watch Paradise is now selling Zeno watches at www.watchparadise.com/watchstore — just in time for your holiday shopping!
Baselworld 2007 already set for success
November 15th, 2006
The number of registrations received for Baselworld 2007 so far confirms that the World Watch and Jewellery Show is already set for success. The show, which marks the highlight of the luxury goods industry, will be continuing its dynamic development at a very high level next year too.
A successful start has been made on preparations for Baselworld 2007 (April 12 – 19, 2007). The number of registrations received to date shows that the World Watch and Jewellery Show will be consolidating its position as the leading international show and the industry’s most important Read the rest of this entry »
Antiquorum Sells Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon for a record $1,240,400
June 28th, 2007
New York, June 14, 2007- Antiquorum’s summer auction, held at The New York Timezone, obtained the extraordinary sum of $ 8,586,583 (€ 6.447.665). Bids came in from around the world including Italy, Malta, Singapore and the Netherlands. Enthusiastic and heated bidding contributed to 120% sold by value and 85% sold by lot. In addition to the plethora of telephone, room, and commission bidders, there were 368 bidders on the internet eagerly competing for the 289 highly collectible timepieces offered in the sale.
“Today’s results verify that the United States has become a mecca for serious watch collectors in addition to confirming Antiquorum as the leading auction house in the field of horology”, says Julien Schaerer, Auctioneer and Watch Director, Antiquorum USA.
The highlight of the sale was lot 289, a Patek Philippe Ref. 5002 which sold for $ 1,240,400 (€ 931.416) ; a record for a wristwatch in the United States. In addition, Patek Philippe did very well with several other watches: lot 247, the platinum diamond-dial Ref. 3970E sold for $ 146,150 (€ 108.993) and lot 278, the pink gold Ref. 3970E fetched a remarkable price of $ 123,150 (€ 92.474). Also attaining extraordinary results were the Patek Philippe “so-called TV watches”; the yellow gold Ref. 5020, lot 152 and the pink gold, lot 279 both achieved the world record price of $ 232,400 (E 174.510). Other noteworthy prices fetched by Patek Philippe were lot 277, Ref. 5050 in pink gold with Roman numerals sold for $ 117,400 (€ 88.155) while lot 93, the Sincere Ref. 5035 sold for $ 54,280 (E 40.759) nearly twice it’s estimate.
Audemars Piguet also obtained important results as evidenced by lot 107, a “Royal Oak Concept” which sold for $ 232,400 (€ 174.510). Harry Winston was not to be overlooked with lot 109, a “Platinum Opus 4” which fetched $ 232,400 (€ 174.510). Moreover, FP Journe also faired well with lot 255, a platinum “Octa-Lune” which sold for $ 47,200 (€ 35.443). Another fantastic price was achieved by lot 203, a Vacheron Constantin Tourbillon Malte Squelette which achieved $123,150 (€ 92.473). Furthermore Omega obtained a great result for lot 46, a De-Ville Central Tourbillon sold for $ 47,200 (€ 35.443).
Finally, Rolex achieved significant prices for the “Rolex Panerai”, lot 175, which sold for $ 82,600 (€ 62.025) and the Rolex Explorer II Steve McQueen , lot 259, fetched $ 31,860 (€ 23.924).
-Antiquorum
For more information about the lots sold at this auction, visit http://www.antiquorum.com/eng/press/2007/14_06_07/p_results_eng.htm
Love for a Mechanical Watch
April 16th, 2008
There is nothing more personal to us than our Time; how we spend it, enjoy its passing moments, especially how we measure it and look upon its face in a watch on your wrist. Our life is a measure of passing Time as it surrounds us in its Past, Present and our Future.
And so it is with watches. We can translate our very thinking and reasoning with the way we feel about the watch on our wrist.
Ordinary quartz watches are cheaper, independent and will function without our attention even if we forget them for a year. When we discover them a year later, it will still be running. It will still be accurate and we can take it for granted. It certainly does not need us. By their manufactured existence they are independent robots and they fail to touch our hearts in the deepest sense.
Mechanical watches, on the other hand depend on us for their very survival. We give it life and sustenance. The automatic mechanical or hand wound watch takes its power from our very motions and is a symbiotic mechanical organism on our own body. Without your movement there would not be the energy stored inside for its heart to beat (or tick). It would die or stop living for the lack of our attention. It is you who feed it and care for it, just like your own child.
These mechanical timepieces give back to us that visual splendor of a beautiful work of art; its very ticking of its watch heart can be viewed on some of them through its back. It allows us to gaze upon it in wonderment at the intricacies of its moving micro-metallic organs. The graceful sweep of the seconds’ hand enthralls the best of us. The rapid beat of the tick-a-tick quickens your own pulse. And then there is the quiet whirr of the rotor as we swing our arms or the ratcheting of the manual winding! What do you call this, but pleasure of the highest order, as it gets its existence and life on your very own wrist. What better feedback can we ask for? This and the comforting feeling that it will be by our side, a faithful companion sharing our lives and experiences being there with us for a long time to come. Something that we cannot say for sure with an ordinary quartz watch! Once we get tired of their quartz/battery independence, their life is over and we toss them to the wayside.
However the automatic or hand wound watch requires our gentle, loving ministrations in our daily ritual that coaxes it to life on our wrist. It is our own special time that we spend with it every day. Yes you really do need a mechanical watch that needs you. It is there to engage us, seduce us and regale us in its own subtle way.
What caring human being would want anything else on their wrist!
-Thanks to Stephen Rovtar and various unknown authors for putting together this post.