Bell & Ross Unveils BR 01 Skull Bronze Tourbillon for Only Watch 2015
For its contribution to this year’s upcoming Only Watch auction of unique timepieces, Bell & Ross has created a bronze-cased version of its BR 01 Tourbillon, which also features a hand-engraved Jolly Roger image on its dial. Scroll down to read more on this one-of-a-kind watch that blends materials from the golden age of piracy with a modern, steampunk aesthetic.The Bell & Ross BR 01 Skull Bronze Tourbillon features a 46-mm square case, made of aged bronze and highlighted by a skull-and-crossbones-shaped bezel secured by four screws. Inside the borders of the bezel (itself a motif inspired by pirate flags) a hand-engraved Jolly Roger skull made of solid 18k gold rises from the relief, “wet-look” honeycombed dial, made from a copper base with black projection. Directly beneath the 3D piratical image sits the aperture for a flying tourbillon, in a rose-gold cage and bearing Bell & Ross’s ampersand logo (see picture below), whose rotation ticks off the

Ball Engineer Master II Pilot GMT Watch
One of the reasons I really enjoy Ball watches so much is the incredibly prolific nature of their watch department. It isn't just the amount of new watches Ball releases each year, but also the sheer variety that interests me. That, and the fact that despite all the visual novelty, most Ball watches are good at retaining that sense of core brand DNA which makes their products distinct and noticeable. Another new 2014 model is this Ball Engineer Master II Pilot GMT timepiece.Ball even goes so far as to name the designer personally - something which is highly unusual in the watch industry, especially when it comes to watches priced under $100,000, when "art" is sold more than the sheer utilitarian nature of the watch. The Ball Engineer Master II Pilot GMT watch was designed for Ball by Magali M��trailler, a talented female watch designer who also created their well-regarded Ball for BMW watch collection, as well as design work for Jaeger-LeCoultre. What I think most typifies Magali M��trai

Introducing: The New Tudor Heritage Black Bay 36
On the heels of the new Tudor Heritage Black Bay Bronze is this little gem, the Tudor Black Bay 36. Yes, that's right, a 36 mm watch from the Tudor Heritage Collection. A welcome addition for any vintage watch lover, or those with a preference for 36 mm watches. 1 OF 3 The new Tudor Heritage Black Bay 36 features, you guessed it, a 36 mm stainless steel case with smooth bezel. The shiny black dial is based on the Tudor diving watches from the 1950s with large applied white lume dots and "snowflake" hands. This watch is powered by the automatic-winding caliber 2824 movement and is waterproof up to 150 m (500 ft). Additionally, this watch is available with a leather strap or a steel bracelet. ADVERTISEMENT 2 OF 33 OF 3 This watch is a welcome addition to the Tudor Heritage Collection and retails for CHF 2,400. The Black Bay Bronze and Black Bay Dark are certainly getting the lion's share of attention but this one

Are Today's Rolexes Overpriced?
All things considered and taking into account that there are many outstanding watches in the -$5K range. Some attribute the exorbitant pricing to Rolex SA's extensive and costly marketing program. Others say one is strictly paying for the name and visual recognition.At one time, a Rolex was affordable (for those who really wanted one) by either being frugal or eliminating other miscellaneous/unnecessary expenditures. It's a seemingly different story today as $8-10K+ represents a bigger chunk of change even when accounting for current inflation and higher salaries/wages.A co-worker bought his 1675 back in the mid-1970s while working at a minimum wage job (about $2.00/hour). It took him roughly six weeks + some overtime to accrue the necessary funds. Today at minimum wage (e.g. $5.50/Georgia to $11.50/Washington), it would take close to a year's wages (and that's not even allowing for basic living expenses).Over the past few decades, Rolexes have become an 'elitist' commodity rather than

Discount on Smurf
Ladies and gents, I'm about to talk to my AD about ordering the Smurf. I do have a history with this AD, purchasing two previous Rolexes at MSRP. I will not pay retail for the Smurf. Is a 20-25 percent discount doable? Thank you in advance for your input :)