IWC North America President Gianfranco D’Attis: The WatchTime Q&A
IWC Schaffhausen has made 2013 the Year of the Ingenieur, and to launch the new collection in the U.S., the brand joined WatchTime for a gala event at its flagship boutique in New York City. Prior to the event, WatchTime spoke with IWC North America president Gianfranco D’Attis about the revamped Ingenieur line and his lifelong personal connection to the brand.WT: You were raised in Schaffhausen, which makes your connection to IWC a very personal one. What was that like, and when did you first become aware of the brand and the role it played in your hometown?GD: Well, my entire family wore IWC watches. In Schaffhausen, at least 10 percent of the town works for IWC, so you’re basically not allowed to wear any competitor’s watch!WT: So It would be like driving a foreign car in Detroit?GD: Absolutely, and everybody is proud of representing their town on their wrist. Whenever I see an IWC watch, I see it as representing home.WT: Have you worked for the company your entire

he Bulgari Company develops a lot of its designs in its headquarters in Rome
The Bulgari Company develops a lot of its designs in its headquarters in Rome. It has invested heavily in Swiss companies to match their high quality standards and secure their parts' supplies. This strategy started in 2000 with acquiring Daniel Roth and Gerald Genta from The Hourglass Group, a big wholesaler/retailer located in Singapore. In 2005 Bulgari acquired 51 percent of the shares of Prestige D'Or, bracelets' producer, and 50 percent of Cadrans Design, a company developing high-end dials.

5146 update?
I've decided to purchase both a 5711/1A and a 5146G (creme), though plan to space out the purchases to spread out the cost and to appreciate/savor each individually.I'm itching for a 5146, but what gives me pause is that it has been out for a while so could be due for an update. If it will be updated in a year or two, I'd love to be able to decide between the two versions rather than regret having bought the old version recently.Therefore, I'm leaning towards getting the 5711 and waiting on the 5146, but would appreciate any thoughts, particularly on the likely update cycle for the 5146.

Large dial Pateks - fake or real?
Hi. In canvassing the web for Pateks, I notice some big ones that seem to suggest old movements from 1880s or so, purportedly pocket watches of that era that have now been converted into wrist watches, keeping the original 'enamel casing' but now housed in glass. Dial size is a massive 45mm to even 51mm (at which size it could be worn on the forearm more than on the wrist). I would imagine these would border on fakes but the machinery seems genuinely from that time, which means it's original Patek and the official servicing might still be supported. And the sellers who sell this type of stuff are rated 100% positive on big ecommerce sites -- like the bay one. So the watches seem legit. One of the sellers says that these movements are genuine and widely covered in the Patek books. How can I confirm (or otherwise) these claims? Where can I find these books? Google doesn't turn up anything meaningful. The seller has been quite convincing -- and he's the owner of a pretty solid looking bus

Time to "SHOW OFF" Your PAM 424, PAM 425, PAM 249, PAM 448 & PAM 449 STRAPS!!!
I am having a hard time looking for straps for my new bought PAM 448 and 449. Please kindy show me your non OEM straps? It would be a great help... thank you so very much in advance guys!