bLavish

La Vie en Rose Watches by Chopard

May 12, 2011 | Posted by bLavish as For Her, Timepieces at 4:17 pm | Comments off

Chopard has just released a special line for summer. It’s called the Happy Sport la Vie en Rose line, named after the famous song by French chanteuse Edith Piaf. It’s an interesting tribute, as the soft feminine styling of the line isn’t particularly in line with that of Ms. Piaf. I guess it’s just the emblematic rose design that inspired the name.

Regardless, these sparkly pastel timepieces are quite sweet. They each have an enamel rose on them, but with varying degrees of bling. I prefer the sleeker version, with the rose gold bezel and floating diamonds. The more elaborate version has a rose sapphire and diamond encrusted bezel plus floating diamonds, plus pave diamond detailing on the rose. Honestly, I think it’s a little much, but that’s to be expected from a minimalist like me.

The La Vie en Rose line is typically high Chopard quality, with all Swiss quartz movements. One of these would make an extravagant belated Mother’s day gift for a very lucky woman.

Solar Diety Watches By Frederic Jouvenot

March 19, 2011 | Posted by bLavish as Timepieces at 12:50 pm | Comments off

I’ve never been a big watch connoisseur. I’m more likely to go for sleek, contemporary watches that are less expensive than luxury timepieces. But this amazing collection by Frederic Jouvenot combines classic and contemporary in a genius way that will appeal to a wide variety of tastes.

The Suriya, Ameratsu, and Helios are all named after sun-centric divinities. The design pays homage to these gods of the sun by placing a sun design front and center on the timepiece. Each design features a different sunburst and color scheme. The Suriya is the women’s design, and it boasts a flower motif and row of white diamonds. The Helios is black titanium, and the Ameratsu is made of polished steel.

Each of the solar diety timepieces has its own unique look and feel that honors the diety it represents.

Bergamo 40 Watch Winder Armoire By Orbita

February 26, 2011 | Posted by bLavish as For the House, Timepieces at 4:38 pm | Comments off

Watch collectors are always looking for a way to keep their collections wound. There are a lot of options out there, but most of them involve winders that will accommodate a few watches at a time, at most. If you have a significant collection, that’s just not going to work. This Bergamo 40 Watch Winding Armoire by Orbita presents a solution to the problem. Unfortunately, I’m not sure it’s going to work, either.

There’s no particular technical problem with the case. It is, in fact, a bit ingenious. But I am always dubious about furniture that tries to be too many things at once, and this is no exception. In part, it seems a little ostentatious to display your watches so publicly, and also, I’m not sure they belong on the same furniture with a fake plant and family photos. It sort of reminds me of that faux potted palm from the Sky Mall catalog that is also a litter box. I’m not comparing watch collections to kitty litter, but still, I think it might be okay to invest in a piece of furniture that’s JUST a watch winder if your collection is super extensive.

Avant Garde Watch By Alexander Shorokhoff

February 17, 2011 | Posted by bLavish as Timepieces at 7:55 pm | Comments off

Ok, I should admit that I don’t know much about watches. Which is why, perhaps, I never know what time it is. Yes, I do own a watch, but it’s battery ran out years ago. Why don’t I wear it? Well, it’s just not, I don’t know, perfect? It doesn’t go with everything, and I’m a minimalist, so I can’t be bothered to accumulate a whole watch wardrobe. If I’m going to wear something, it’s going to be all the time. This gorgeous timepiece by Alexander Shorokhoff is exactly that kind of watch that I could go for.

The design is classic, minimal, and a little quirky. I guess that’s why it’s called the Avantgarde. I love the deco style numerals and the large size of the mechanical 30 minute chronograph. In sleek silver and black, it’s a sure bet with almost anything, especially if you’re a monochrome lover like me. Yes, I do know that this watch is for men, but unlike so many men’s styles, it isn’t clunky. Instead, it’s streamlined and super wearable.

Hamilton Lipstick Watch, A Good Valentine’s Day Gift?

February 10, 2011 | Posted by bLavish as For Her, Timepieces at 7:53 pm | Comments off

Hamilton, an American luxury watchmaker, just released this new “lipstick” watch as part of its 2011 line. The sleek stainless steel case is accented with two iridescent pink faces. It’s possible to set the two to different time zones, in case you want to keep track of the hour both here and elsewhere. The movements are the finest quality and the faces are quartz. While the quality of the object is undeniable, the practicality of it is in question.

I’m not really sure that many women need a watch disguised as a tube of lipstick, and as a person who loses her lip balm constantly, I would be afraid that the pricey object would suffer the same fate, forever relegated to the bottom of a tote bag. The aesthetics, while, undeniably feminine, are also a bit girlish for most grown women. The watch comes with the equipment to wear as both a necklace or on a wrist strap, but frankly, neither of these options is well-suited for telling the time, and while it may become a collector’s item due to its novelty, I’m not sure I would want to wear it around my neck. Sometimes luxury goods put a little too much emphasis on the luxury, and forget that they’re supposed to be goods that you can use. This, I’m afraid, is one of those.

Dunhill Black Diamond Classic Watch

January 23, 2011 | Posted by bLavish as Timepieces at 10:00 pm | Comments off

Dunhill is primarily known for their cigarettes, cigars, and cologne. A strange combination, you must admit. However, they seem to do all things with the same low key sense of elegance. They usually put out a few timepieces each year, and they are always of the same Dunhill quality that you expect of their other goods. This Black Diamond Classic watch is a beautifully sophisticated watch that will quickly become a collector’s item.

The movement is an Jaeger-LeCoultre calibre 896 automatic, known by horological connoisseurs as one of the finest available. The steel dial is made of crushed diamonds pressed into enamel, which creates a delightfully dark sparkle that is understated but luxurious. The faceted, diamond cut hands are another exquisite feature. The dark coloring and bright accents make this watch the perfect accompaniment to your black tie wardrobe, and the timeless styling makes it an instant heirloom.

Marc By Marc Jacobs Stainless Steel Symbol Watch

December 17, 2010 | Posted by bLavish as For Her, Holiday Gift Ideas, Timepieces at 4:30 pm | Comments off

If you’re looking for a fabulous stocking stuffer for a hip woman with quirky taste, you’re in luck. This stainless steel Symbols watch is one part low key practicality and one part totally cute.

The Marc by Marc Jacobs line has won the hearts of  fashionistas the world over. The edgy, and sometimes irreverent designs appeal to a young, cool demographic that few mainstream fashion lines are able to reach. Not only that, but the line’s designs usually have enough classic touches to appeal to other women as well.

This chunky stainless steel watch has a mannish shape that is offset by a face with a cartoonish cast of characters, including some Marc Jacobs standbys, and some new paper cutout lovelies . The watch comes in a graphically decorated presentation box with a pack of designer logo playing cards.

The Nixon 42-20 Black Brushed Steel Watch

December 8, 2010 | Posted by bLavish as For Her, Holiday Gift Ideas, Timepieces at 3:00 am | Comments off

This may come as a surprise to some people, but not all women want to get diamonds as gifts. Not all of us want spiky heels or delicate satin purses, either. Some women opt for tight designer jeans and minimal accessories. This watch is for that kind of woman.

For the avant gardist, this watch is almost completely irresistible. It’s both practical and also well-designed. The black-on-black color scheme won’t interrupt the flow of your monochromatic wardrobe and makes it look sleek, even though the shape is a bit clunky and masculine.

Nixon has become, in the past few years, one of the hippest watchmakers around. They make quality timepieces for reasonable designer prices, and most of their designs are meant to stand up well to wear and tear. The 42-20 is definitely one of these. It has a scratch-resistant face and is water resistant up to 200 meters. Not bad for $420.

Jay Strongwater Martina Jeweled Spider Clock

November 27, 2010 | Posted by bLavish as For Her, Holiday Gift Ideas, Timepieces at 7:15 pm | Comments off

If you’re looking for an opulent holiday gift for a person with unique, perhaps macabre taste, this jeweled spider by Jay Strongwater is pretty amazing. Jay Strongwater got his start in jewelry design making small gifts for his mother. Eventually, his collection made it onto runways and into stores. Now he designs housewares, using only the finest Austrian crystals available. His aesthetic is eclectic and ornate, and appeals to people who like more than a little decadence in their objets des arts.

This spider is extraordinarily baroque. The golden metal has been finished with enamel details in a topaz and olivine ombre design and encrusted with volcano, vitrail, and citrine coated Swarovski crystals. The aurora crystal teardrop on the spider’s back opens to reveal a cream dial clock. This kind of extravagance could be the perfect accent to a minimally-decorated living room, or an interestingly dark and sparkly addition to your dressing table.

Cartier Tank American Diamond Watch

November 26, 2010 | Posted by bLavish as For Her, Timepieces at 1:15 pm | (1) Comment »

For the most part, feminine accessories dominate the marketplace, but somehow, women’s timepieces seem to get overlooked. Well, this is one women’s watch that is worth more than a second glance. The Tank American Diamond Watch by Cartier has a classic design with all the decadence of diamonds.

The 18 karat white gold bracelet and case are accented with 49 round-cut white diamonds, for a total weight of 1.12 carats. The face is silver-grained with black Roman numerals, which are set off beautifully by the deep blue steel hour and minute hands. The crown is octogonal with a faceted diamond, and a pave diamond bezel.

Like all of Cartier’s timepieces, the movement on the Tank American is Swiss-made, with a calibre 157 quartz movement. It’s even water resistant up to 30 meters, but I certainly wouldn’t take such a beautiful piece in the shower. The Tank American combines quality craftsmanship, practicality, and beauty in a way that ensures that it’s timeless design will last for decades, if not longer.

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