Words/Images Judith Ecochard
Since we’ve been wearing computers more than watches, and checking the time on our iPhone…we’ve missed how much a timepiece, adorning our wrist--- can be a stylish wardrobe statement.
At a downtown Holiday Fair, we saw some well made watches, at prices from the accessible mid 100’s to the sublime ($45,000) for a head turning, diamond bedecked stunner.
Frederique Constant ticks away with handsome contemporary classic styles for men, and solid feminine choices for women…all crafted from Swiss made, in-house movements.
A big deal as the company became a “Manufacture” with the introduction of the Heart Beat Manufacture movement FC-190---and then other notable calibers “entirely conceived and produced in-house, such as the highly accurate Manufacture Tourbillon Silicium caliber FC-980…and the outstanding Maxime Manufacture Automatic caliber FC-700…”
What got our heartbeat thumping was the limited edition humidor outfitted with a stainless steel watch. Now that’s a great gift. ($1560-$1650)
That glitzy Miami lifestyle combined with Italian creativity, sums up the flash factor of the super fun Glam Rock collection of watches.
Trend driven with interchangeable straps and bezel covers (easy to change, BTW with a screw driver)…
The assortment of band colors---made from exotic skins--- is huge and the hefty metal dial profiles range from the slightly understated elegance--- to the big and the bold. (From $995 to $5000 for the core collection--- on up to $15,000),
What’s new---are the ceramic watches…sporty, with fun dials---priced from $400-$500.
TW STEEL was new to us---we think this stainless steel, PVD plating…well designed brand of oversized watches (up to 50mm for case dimension) ---will start popping up on wrists from coast to coast.
For the speedway loving---TW STEEL is a sponsor of Renault F1 Team. A series of timepieces designed in collaboration with--- revs up keeping track of track turns with the Pilot and CEO Tech executions.
ALSO--- water resistant to 100 meters, the new Tech Collection and Grandeur Diver are both masculine timepiece collections with unique construction that connects the bezel to the case back by using pillars and engine screws. AND---textured black rubber bands.
