Why Luxury Watches Make Perfect Wedding Day Gifts

Giving gifts to your soon-to-be lifetime partner on the biggest event of your lives go as far back as the Victorian era. It is a custom practiced by many and unlike any other occasion, this gift has to be utterly perfect. Why? Because it is a gift to commemorate your wedding day, a gift that when seen or worn, would whisk you both back to that special day you decided to swap I do’s.

Luxury watches such as Patek Philippe, IWC, Tag Heuer, and the like make a perfect wedding day gift. Here’s why: 

A wedding is an investment – an investment on your feelings. You choose to wholeheartedly cherish and love one another until your dying days. Similarly, a luxury watch like a Patek Philippe, Omega, etc. is well worth the investment. These timepieces boast of impeccable quality. The skill and horological expertise combined with its history are what makes luxury watches above the rest.

A wedding is a momentous event that when remembered, it brings you back to the day in your life where you felt extreme joy. You always want you keep those memories close to your heart. A Patek Philippe watch or any similar luxury watch is something personal. You wear it with you all the time, constantly very close to you. Every time you see this perfection in a timepiece on your wrist, you are instantly reminded of that one perfect day in your life.

A wedding is only the beginning of a journey towards marital bliss. As the years pass by, your companionship only goes deeper and deeper, adding irreplaceable value into your marriage. Luxury watches, similarly, do not grow old. A Patek Philippe watch, for example, increases in value as time passes by. The real value of these luxury watches is its lasting value, making it a perfect symbolical gift for your better half.

Collecting Patek Philippe and Other Luxury Watches? Here’s What You Need to Know

Luxury watches from brands such as Patek Philippe, Omega, and Breguet are not inexpensive. The process of buying one can take weeks, or sometimes even months, because of the planning that goes into making a purchase of one. If you’re planning to collect timepieces from Patek Philippe or other luxury brands, here are some tips to get you started:

A. Lange & Söhne - Datograph Perpetual

1. When in search of contemporary watches, look for those with complicated models in limited production numbers. Watchmakers such as Patek Philippe are known for pioneering a number of innovations such as the perpetual calendar, split-second hands, and the chronograph. Breguet made their mark with the tourbillon movement and A. Lange & Söhne is known for producing the first timepiece with a wearable 31-day power reserve, while Omega was the first to successfully incorporate the co-axial escapement.

2. Just like jewelry, vintage watches are scarce, which makes them that much more expensive and worth the investment. Patek Philippe and Rolex watches are known to increase in value as time passes. Patek Philippe luxury watches have long been worn by royalty and political leaders, and have consequently become a status symbol for most watch collectors. Among the most popular timepieces are the Annual Calendar Chronograph, Calatrava, Nautilus, and Aquanaut.

3. According to Michael Ashton, a Patek Philippe and Rolex specialist, Patek Philippe timepieces from the 1940s and 1950s are good investments because, ironically, they weren’t popular during that time and thus had very limited production runs. For example, the 1943 J Chronograph features a hand sewn Patek Philippe crocodile and engravings on the crown.

4. Keep all paperwork, especially the original documentation of your luxury watch. Accessories should be intact and well taken care of. Replacing or restoring them will bring down the value of your watch.

5. Buy what your heart wants and not what the fashion world dictates. Because these luxury watches are expensive, it’s best to check out what’s available and choose what kind of movement and brand best fits your style, personality, and lifestyle. For men, watches are just one of the two or three accessories worn on a daily basis, so they should be the perfect one for you.

Bloomberg BusinessWeek Lists Most Expensive Watches of 2010

2010 means that more diamonds, gold, platinum, chronographs and tourbillions are set to make their mark in the world of chronology. Combine them and you have the elements that make up the most expensive watches of 2010. The world’s most prestigious and renowned watchmakers have submitted their picks for the most expensive watches of the year, based on aesthetics and technical functions. Here’s a few that made the list:

• Tag Heuer’s Monaco V4 is priced at $80,000, but despite that relatively exorbitant price tag, it’s probably one of the cheaper ones on this list. The world’s first and only belt-driven timepiece was inspired by maker Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton’s (LVMH) love for cars. Though only 150 pieces were manufactured, the Monaco V4 is highly durable and requires less maintenance because of the belts and micro ball bearings.

• The L'Astronomo Luminor Tourbillion 1950 Equation of Time pays tribute to Galileo Galilei, as each piece is engraved with the client’s hometown, located on the back near the rotating sky chart of the city. Cast in rose gold and priced $235,000 each, only 30 of these limited edition luxury watches will be produced.

• Although Swiss watchmaker IWC’s Grande Complication was first launched 20 years ago, it continues to makes its mark in the world of watchmaking. Featuring a perpetual calendar with a moon phase, minute repeater, and chronograph with automatic movement, only about 50 pieces are manufactured annually. The platinum version is priced at $318,000 while the Portuguese-style case costs $220, 567.

• With a price of $508,000, Chopard’s Secret luxury watch features a pave-set diamond dial and a frame adorned with 19 carat diamonds in brilliant, baguette, and square cuts. Only two Secret watches have been produced so far.

• From Breguet comes the Classique 5349 Grande Complication at the price of $755,000. With twin tourbillons rotating in a platinum case lined with diamonds, this piece has more than 570 parts and is protected by three patents for its “superior precision and technological mastery”.

• For approximately $1,091,869, watch collectors can own Patek Philippe’s Sky Moon Tourbillon. The first double-faced watch has a nocturnal sky with the stars, moon, moon phases and sidereal time. The ultimate luxury watch also has a perpetual calendar, tourbillon, and a minute repeater.

• The title of most expensive watch belongs to Louis Moinet’s Meteoris, priced at an astonishing $4,599,487. With a set of four tourbillon watches, each made from a different material such as a meteorite from Mars, the moon, an asteroid, and the “Rosetta Stone”, the Meteoris comes with a planetarium that makes its price worth paying for.

Patek Philippe Luxury Watch Tip: How to Extend the Life of Fine Watches

Patek Philippe watches are luxurious accessories, and any watch lover would feel honored to wear one of these classy timepieces on his or her wrist. On the other hand, for collectors these watches are more than just an accessory because each Patek Philippe piece is a precious addition to their life’s assemblage. Below are a few tips to help extend the life of these valuable collectables.

•The first thing everyone should know when purchasing and caring for a Patek Philippe luxury watch is that each piece is different. When it comes to manufacturing techniques, most luxury watches are hand-crafted to perfection, which is what helps these timeless pieces grow in value.

•Each Patek Philippe watch should be cared for differently. Manufacturers know that customers expect quality in the production of their luxury watches, which is why these timepieces come with instruction manuals on how to properly care for each individual watch. It’s important to pay attention to all the details of your Patek Philippe timepiece.

Patek Philippe Twenty~4 18kt White Gold Diamond Ladies Watch 4910-51G

•All luxury watchmakers make timepieces and models that are water resistant. The manufacturers do this because they understand the needs of watch lovers, and they want to satisfy their customers’ desires. On the other hand, if you have no intention of wearing your watch in the water, water resistant Patek Philippe watches are probably not the best match for your collection. However, with these watches, you can prevent damage if you ever accidently take a dip into water and forget to remove your timepiece. Additionally, keep in mind that salt water causes corrosion so try to avoid using water resistant watches in the ocean.

•Avoid leaving Patek Philippe, or any other luxury watch, in extremely high or low temperatures for an extended period of time. When you expose luxury watches to extreme heat, the battery life shortens, and if these pieces are exposed to extremely cold weather, this can cause the watch to stop.

•Keep Patek Philippe watches away from any chemicals, solvents or gasses. If you expose your piece to harmful chemicals, your watch can become discolored or deteriorate. Similarly, static electricity can also damage your watch so you might want to keep them away from certain household appliances.

These tips don’t cost a thing and there’s nothing to lose by following them. Your luxury Patek Philippe watch is a substantial investment, so it deserves the best care possible.

2010 Annual Watch Trade Shows Reveal the Top 10 Designer Watches of the Year

From Patek Philippe and Chopard to Breitling and Audemars Piguet, it’s usually important for most watch enthusiasts to have one of these popular brands of luxury designer watches. Luxury watch fanatics everywhere should know that the Swiss watch shows in Basel and Geneva, Switzerland revealed the top 10 luxury watches of 2010. The rankings are based on the following criteria: technological advances, timepiece designs and new collections. Here is the list of the 2010 top 10 designer watches of the year…

1. Audemars Piguet – With only 500 pieces released, the Audemars Piguet Quincy Jones Limited Edition watch features a 45 x 40mm oval blackened stainless steel case, automatic movement, an engraved Quincy Jones signature on the caseback, and an off-center inner oblong black circle, which is typical for the series. If that’s not enough, the Quincy Jones Limited Edition watch comes with an alligator strap and a stainless steel folding clasp.

Omega - Seamaster 007 James Bond Watch

2. Breitling – Breitling’s high-end diving watch, Superocean, has in-house Calibre 17 automatic movement and a unidirectional ratcheted diver's bezel. Additionally, the dials are available in Abyss Black, Abyss Silver, Abyss Blue, Abyss Red and Abyss Yellow.

3. Cartier – Cartier’s first luxury timepiece dedicated to men, the Calibre de Cartier, has new in-house 1904-PS MC self-winding movement and a crown featuring a synthetic spinel cabochon. This watch is available in two-tone stainless steel and 18K rose gold, and also has an alligator strap with a stainless steel folding clasp.

4. Chanel – Chanel’s sporty J12 White Ceramic women's watch is perfect for diving. This durable and reliable luxury watch sports a white ceramic case and a stainless steel bezel with blue indicators. It also has a white dial with blue hands, and a white rubber strap.

5. Chopard – Boasting a robust design with a sophisticated stainless steel case, automatic chronograph movement, and a black rubber strap, Chopard’s Superfast Chrono racing watch is one of the hottest items in today’s market. It has a black dial with date display and black rubber pushers and crown.

6. Omega – The 09 Collection of Omega features quartz precision movement with a rhodium plated finish, a 32-month power reserve, and a brown mother-of-pearl dial with an embossed 'Supernova' pattern. Also with diamond bezel and hour markers, Omega’s 09 Collection has an 18K red gold and stainless steel bracelet.

7. Panerai – The Panerai Radiomir Composite Marina Military 8 Day has an aluminum-based composite case, Manifattura movements, a rugged brown dial and a vintage leather strap.

Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Chronograph 5960R

8. Patek Philippe – The Swiss maker’s Annual Calendar watch, which was first introduced in 2006, now has a larger 19k white gold case in 40mm, self-winding movement and a two-tone rhodium/silver gray dial with 18k white gold hour markers.

9. Tag Heuer – The Tag Heuer Silverstone Chronograph Limited Edition watch was re-issued to celebrate Tag Heuer’s 150th anniversary. There are only 1500 pieces released. Featuring in-house Calibre 11 automatic movement and a perforated alligator strap, each Silverstone piece is numbered and engraved with “150th Anniversary 1860-2010”.

10. TW Steel – TW Steel’s large and elegant CEO TECH has a 48mm rose gold PVD case and a black tachymeter chronograph dial with a black rubber strap.