Some of the more discerning timepiece owners out there have certain standards when it comes to buying a designer watch. Some may want the latest cutting edge technology, some may prefer to have swiss made only whilst some prefer their timepiece to have bits of soil on it.
Yes, for the green fingered time afficianados out there you can now buy a bamboo clock that is powered by soil. That’s right - soil. This fascinating invention is powered by copper and zinc electrodes which ‘plug’ directly into the soil which functions as a conductive medium through which an electrical charge can pass. All you have to do is remember to keep your plants well watered!
With christmas coming this could be the ideal gift for that special hippy in your life!
Professional comedy theif, Bob Arno makes his way through an audience stealing watches off the baffled punters. He then proceeds to get them up on stage where it gets even more impressive!
After trawling the net, here are 5 beautiful luxury designer watches which Watch Superstar think will really pave the way for future watch design!
1) Parmigiani Fleurier Bugatti 370
This stunningly obscure watch was created by Parmigiana Fleurier to commemorate the release of Bugatti’s incredible Veyron car. The appearance of the 370 watch was designed to parallel the styling of the Veyron’s engine. The face can be easily viewed thanks to the cylindrial design whilst the movement is easily accessible. This watch is highly exclusive as there are only 150 lucky recipients each year!
2) Maître du Temps Chapter One
The Maître du Temps Chapter One is a ’super brand’ watch, created by three of the world’s top watch designers all of whom have worked for some of the most prominent companies in Switzerland. This spectacular watch looks hugely futuristic whilst maintaining a certain retro look and feel. It features a manual wind mechanical movement, one minute tourbillon and a retrograde GMR indicator. Most worthy of your attention are the attractive rolling bars at the top and bottom of the case. The bottom roller displays the day whilst the top roller (which is so precise that Maître du Temps holds a patent on it) displays the gradual transition from day to night.
3) Pita Barcelona Oceana
The record for the deepest diving watch is held by the small spanish firm, Pita Barcelona. Usable at a staggering depth of 5000 metres, the Oceana has a truly innovative case design and some of the most durable construction that you will find in any watch today. The case has no winding crown, nor does it have a back cover as these are the 2 most common areas where the watertight seal of a watch is broken. These are even more exclusive than the Bugatti watch as just 80 are made each year!
4) Armin Strom Blue Chip Skeleton
The tiny company of Armin Strom employs less than 20 people across all of it’s 16 departments yet despite this then have managed to open a cutting edge manufacturing facility based in Biel. Unusually for such a small company they are on the verge of producing a completely in-house watch - an achievement that can only usually be afforded by much larger firms. The exquisite movement is hand decorated to such a high level of quality as to be unmatched by any other watch in it’s price bracket.
5) The Urwerk 202
This is quite possibly our favourite one on this list. The Urwerk 202 was released just over a year ago and looks so awesome, menacing and futuristic. This watch was the first to integrate fluid dynamics into a watch’s movement. Each of the three gauges extend and retract to point to the appropriate time whilst the winding is regulated by two small turbines seen through the back of the case. All this sounds massively complicated but all we know is - we want one.
How better to show your significant other how valuable your time together is than buy buying them a watch. Not only is it a cheesy pun, but a stylish watch can make for an impressive gift - if you know what you are doing.
The first and most sensible thing you should do is to decide your budget. Whether you are looking to buy a glamarous high end watch or whether you decide to buy a more restrainded cheap designer watch you should determine your budget and stick to it. Whilst the economy is going through a difficult period it is always a good idea to ask for a discount as you may find that some jewellers are willing to offer a reduction just so they can shift their stock.
Once you have a price in mind you need to think about what features are going to be important in the watch you buy. Obviously all watches tell the time (even the really bad ones) but you way also wish to consider things like alarm capability, stop watch, calendar, chronograph, dual time zones, etc.
As well as watch features you also need to take into account the movement, of which there are two basic types: automatic or quartz. Quartz watches are fairly inexpensive and battery powered, making them easy to maintain and wont also make a huge dent in your wallet. Automatic watches have no battery and are constantly wound using the movement of your body. When it comes to maintaining these types of watches, it may require the attention of a specialist dealer and end up costing the wearer a little more.
When taking a look at the watch’s water resistance, take the following ito account: anything rated under 50m (150ft) will be okay if splashed or dropped in the sink but ideally you will want a watch that is resistant to around 300m.
When shopping for a partner then make sure you have an idea about what their tastes are. Nothing says ‘I know nothing about you’ more like buying jewellery of a style they will hate. This is particularly true with ladies watches where there is a baffling array or styles. Most makes of watch will have versions of all of their watches with and without diamonds so if you like the look of the watch, but not the price tag then you can always go for the version that doesn’t have diamonds.
Your mum always told you to wash your face - and the same applies to your watch! It doesn’t matter how neat and tidy your life might be, it’s inevitable that designer watch of yours will accumulate some amount of grime or dust on it’s face at some point. So what the best way of keeping your watch face clean without risking damage to the workings? Let Watch Superstar show you how:
1) You should start by removing the band from the watch face if possible. Be careful as some watch straps contain materials that should not get wet. If the strap is not removable then be extra cautious as to not get water or cleaner on it.
2) Next you need to apply just a small amount of rubbing alcohol onto a clean cloth. Gently rub the surface of the watch face with the dampened section using a slow, circular motion. It is using this technique that will ensure you don’t accidentally scratch the surface.
3) If you own a designer watch who’s face has expensive metals (i.e gold, platinum, etc) then it is important that you should use jewellery cleaner. You should be able to buy some from most jeweller’s shops. This cleaner is specially formulated so that these metals can be safely cleaned. Again, apply only a small amount to the cloth and rub over the surface as before.
4) If you have removed the watch band then you should then re-attach it and then place the watch in a warm, well ventilated room. Make sure that you leave it to sit for 2-4 hours in order to ensure that all of the moisture is removed.
5) This time using a dry, clean cloth you should remove any additional moisture from the watch face if necessary as this can cause mildew or in more serious cases - rust.
You should make a habit of keeping up this routine once a month for the best results.
A while ago, Watch Superstar ran a feature on chronograph watches - watches that obviously display the time but also has all the functions of a stopwatch. Some of the more popular designer watches such as those made by Rolex will also display the day of the week and date. For that sort of money it’s the least you would expect them to do! Other features may vary depending on the manufacturer but it is always worth learning the basics of how to set your chronograph watch up to display information correctly.
Setting the Correct Time
In order to set the time on the watch, you should either pull out or twist the centre dial that is located on the left hand side of the watch face. If you have done this correctly then you will feel it settle into it’s extended position. You should then twist the dial so that the hour, minute and second hands reflect the current time. Once you have the hands set in the correct position push the dial back in to resume the watch functionality starting at the right time.
Setting the Date
If your watch has the ability to display the date then you should again pull on the centre dial on the left hand side of the watch face. Give it another pull or twist and it should reach it’s extended setting function. This is the one which controls the date setting. As you did before, twist the dial until the display reflects the correct date. Push the dial all the way in again to resume the watch’s function.
Using the Stopwatch Function
Your chronograph watch should have small circular design’s on it’s face. Most watches will have three. If the stopwatch buttons aren’t visible these snall faces should have moving hands that show as seconds elapse. Alternatively the frame of the watch may move in order to let you see the seconds elapse from a set movement. If stopwatch buttons are provided then they will be found above and below the centre adjustment dial.
Seeing as though Watch Superstar is currently running a deal on cheap oris watches, we thought we would give you a bit of background on these beautiful timepieces.
Based in Holstein, Switzerland, Oris was founded in 1904 by Paul Cattin and Georges Christian. Their aim was to bring together Swiss horology tradition along with the watchmaker’s craft in order to make one precision timepiece.
Named after the stream and valley close to Holstein, Oris pride themselves on making purely mechanical watches. All of their watches operate without batteries and are well equipped with very high quality automatic mechanial movements.
Like many other brands of designer watches, Oris has had it’s watches endorsed by several high profile names including Keanu Reeves and Matthew McConaughey. Oris also have a history of sponsoring Formula 1 racing and it’s drivers.
Keanu Reeves sports his Oris Watch
These beautiful watches are extremely resilient and can withstand many types of conditions. In case they need to be maintened, Oris have official service centres all over the world. All watches are subject to wear and tear so Oris recommend that you service their watches every 3-5 years.
What’s not to love about this? It’s a great big bloody cuckoo clock! Getting up in the morning would be a treat with one of these - provided your bedside desk was big enough.
2) Alarm Clock
This clever chap has invented an ingenious contraption to wake you up in the morning. Although I’m not sure it’s to suitable for anyone with spinal injuries. Come to think about it - it’s probably not suitable for anyone without spinal injuries either as they’d soon get them.
3) Inclined clock
I don’t think there’s much competition out there for large inclined clocks, but still this is a very impressive piece of construction.
4) Pendelum Clock
This huge clock really straddles the line between art and function as it’s undoubtedly a beautiful thing.
You may have seen this rather unfortunate advert for Citizen designer watches published in various magazines and newspapers. For those of you who couldn’t care less about cricket, the joke is explained here.
Lying in bed too long, turning up late for work, missing appointments: all of these are symptomatic of a broken or stopped watch. But how do you diagnose the problem if you suspect your designer watch of dishonesty?
If you can hear or see that the watch has stopped ticking, the odds are that the battery has simply worn out. You will be able to purchase a replacement battery from most corner shops or if you want to be extra sure you can of course buy one from your local jewellery or watch shop.
If this doesn’t solve the problem then you will have to inspect the watch more closely. If you can hear the watch ticking but the hands are not moving, then it could be that there is a gear stuck inside. If it is the case that only one of the hands is moving, this could mean that just the non moving hand is broken. Once you have worked out which is the case you will be able to determine whether it would be cheaper to have the watch repaired or to simply purchase a replacement.
Make sure that you check the warranty that came with your watch. If it has not yet expired then the chances are that the maker will mend the watch as long as you pay for the shipping and handling. This may not apply if it is the watch strap rather that the watch itself that has been broken.
Return the watch to the shop where you originally bought it from. If you have inadvertantly purchased a watch that you can prove was originally broken then the store should be able ro replace or offer you a refund. Be sure to consult the shop’s return policy before buyung anything if you are in doubt about returning goods.
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