Romantic Rose Gold Vintage Watches
Written by drbob on January 27, 2012 – 4:04 pm -For decades, American watch buyers were enthralled by yellow gold, but in recent years that passion has largely shifted to pink and rose gold. Indeed, the rose-gold category has emerged as the leading precious metal available in today’s market. Its warm hues are derived by adding various amounts of copper to gold. The more added, the richer the tone. Depending on the ratio, the resulting color appears softer or richer, with each shade gradient assigned one of three specific codes: 3N, 4N, and 5N—from pale pink to deep, dusky rose. Rose gold experienced a wave of popularity during the 1940s, when pure gold was more difficult to come by. Postwar, watchmakers and jewelry designers reverted back to traditional yellow and white gold as the mainstays.... more
Posted in Girard Perregaux, Omega, Rolex, Uncategorized, Vacheron Constantin | No Comments »
Vintage Watches: The Lure of Luxury
Written by drbob on September 26, 2011 – 12:34 am -The world economy may be sitting in a ditch, but cashed-up collectors are still shelling out stratospheric sums for rare, vintage and collectable watches. This year's top ticket item so far is a 1928 Patek Philippe, which changed hands at auction for a cool SFr3.24 million ($3.81 million). Another wealthy bidder snared a 1942 Rolex for SFr1.04 million ($1.22 million); the highest price the make has ever fetched at auction. Australia has its share of high-end fanatics - those prepared to spend six figures on limited edition models from the big Swiss brands - and a bombardment of luxury watch advertisements in glossy weekend magazines aims to woo the rest of us. In fact advertising spend for watches in Australia rose over 20 per cent to $20.2... more
Posted in Patek Philippe, Rolex, Vacheron Constantin, Vintage Wristwatches | No Comments »
Watches Worth Collecting
Written by drbob on January 22, 2011 – 5:27 am -Lauren Sherman, Forbes Magazine One-of-a-kind timepieces. Collectors of six-figure watches aren't hesitating when the perfect piece comes along. Last month Geneva watch auctioneer Antiquorum sold three rare Patek Philippes for $564,00, $684,000 and $780,000. Julien Schaerer, Antiquorum watch director, says such sales make sense; these timepieces will probably hold their value better than something worth a mere $20,000. "As the recession set in, [collectors] began searching for more and more unique items. Their knowledge has increased to the point that the small details matter," says Schaerer. "They're willing to pay more for something that is one of a kind." Patek Philippe 1436 Split chronograph Sold May 2009 $1.1 million Consider this square-button,... more
Posted in Girard Perregaux, Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Vintage Wristwatches | 2 Comments »