The Hublot Ayrton Senna All Black Rattrapante Limted Edition
News Roundup:
Big Fish Eats Little Fish: It was only last week that Louis Vuitton mentioned the possibility of acquiring a brand and now they’ve got Hublot. (link)
Good Intentions do not make a perfect product: Microsoft pulled the plug on its techie watch that pulled in customized content such as showtimes, stock quotes or msn messages. In my opinion, the Spot is what Point Cast is to RSS feeds. (link)
Analysts speculated that Rome based Bulgari may be an attractive acquisition for LVMH (Louis Vuitton) after the company’s group managing director, Antonio Belloni said in an interview with Bloomberg that his company may take advantage of the downturn and acquire a liquor or a wristwatch brand.
LVMH currently owns Zenith, Tag Heuer, Chaumet, Christian Dior, Fred, among others.
The International Forum Design has awarded Tag Heuer’s Monaco Calibre 360 LS (Linear Second) Concept Chronograph the iF product design award for 2007.
The mechanical Monaco Calibr 360 LS is the first ever in the history of watch making to reach an undisputed precision of 1/100th of a second and features a Linear Second for the permanent second.
As digital technology continues to slide into the fashion accessory category, I think it should be important to take note of Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates’s speech at this year’s CES show:
“Technology has revolutionized how we listen to music, watch TV, play games, communicate and manage and share personal information,” he said. “2006 is going to be a big year for the digital lifestyle.”
Design Magazine, Frame, has published an interesting article on the design of Jacob Arabo’s new Diamond mine inspired Manhattan store:
“Russian-born jeweller Jacob Arabo, who started out as an immigrant in New York City, is currently living the American dream. From a rough stall in the Diamond District, Arabo made his name (today they call him ‘Jacob the Jeweler’: no kidding) by designing opulent accoutrements for the celebrity elite - rapper 50 Cent, actress Angela Bassett and model Gisele Bundchen wear his watches - and by carrying on the centuries-old tradition of creating precious objects for royalty. Arabo banks on the fact that gems remain a must-have sign of success in a country that adores its status symbols. To represent Arabo’s accomplishments and to highlight the sumptuousness of his designs, the New York-based Arnell Group Innovation Lab used the diamond mine as the central metaphor for the Jacob & Company New York flagship store, which they completed last winter.
In geology, a stratum is a bed or layer of sedimentary rock having approximately the same composition throughout; in society, a stratum is a level of the population with a similar social, cultural or economic status. The horizontal organization (both physical and financial) of the mine lent itself tidily to the demands of a jewellery shop. The sleekly beautiful translation of the mine, with its veins and layers, into a retail environment was assisted by the Arnell Group’s clever use of Corian and computer-controlled milling to create three types of strata in the showroom for storage, display and lighting.”
While this piece of news maybe a bit stale in the United States, it’s still fresh in the rest of the world - Up and coming hip hopper Kanye West reworked his song “Diamonds from Siera Leone”, originally titled “Diamonds are Forever”, when he first heard of conflict diamonds.
Conflict Diamonds are diamonds sold for arms and war supplies. Rebel groups, traders, transport companies, arms smugglers are among the many involved. The reworked song has been released as the “remix” version (I got my copy from the Ipod store). In the song, a conflicted Kanye even takes a jab at Jacob of Jacob and Co, a popular jewelry and watch brand among hip hop artists.
Sitting on a tree, K I S S … *cough* So Charlize Theron is the new face of Raymond Weil. A good move for them. They needed that bit of oomph. However, from the looks of their Theron press release, the brand has no plans to drop its pretentious copywriter - “When talent and elegance meet with the passion and aesthetic of watch making, it results in an unforgettable encounter, a moment of pure magic where time seems to vanish in the air”
If you are travelling by air in the United States and wear a Casio, you might just have your brand loyalty tested - The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI have issued a warning that Casio watches with built-in altimeters can be used to detonate bombs:
“Recent intelligence suggests al-Qaida has expressed interest in obtaining wristwatches with a hidden butane-lighter function and Casio watches with an altimeter function. Casio watches have been extensively used by al-Qaida and associated organizations as timers for improvised explosive devices. The Casio brand is likely chosen due to its worldwide availability and inexpensive price.”
However, the watches will not be banned from planes. Instead, screeners will probably make you go through additional screening if they find your Casio a bit suspicious, so leave it behind if you’re going to be late for a flight.
