RLH Watch Events by aBlogtoRead.com: Los Angeles & New York City
Get ready for some offline watch love. Real Life Horology (RLH) is an event series that aBlogtoReadwatches-dealer will facilitate dedicated to bringing you together with watch makers and other watch lovers. The idea is simple: sign up (below) as a Real Life Horology member and when an event in your area is planned, you'll be notified and invited. All events will be RSVP only, and anyone can join.RLH events will be designed to be fun and bring you together with watch lovers and watch makers. The first events will take place in and around Los Angeles, California as well as New York City. Therefore, we invite all readers who are located in Southern California and around New York City to sign up right away. As soon as an event is planned you'll be contacted. If you don't live in these areas you can still sign up of course. Future events will most likely take place in larger cities, so be patient and don't hesitate to sign up no matter where you reside.What types of events can you expect fr

IWC Pilot Chronograph Top Gun Miramar Watch
Hitting pretty close to home (for me) IWC announces its first new watch of 2012 with a piece titled after the location of a US Marine Corps base in San Diego. Miramar is the location of the Naval Air Station and where TOPGUN pilots are trained. For a while now IWC has been proud of its Top Gun labeled aviator watches and 2012 sees the continuation and extension of that collection.According to IWC 2012 is going to be the year of the pilot watch for the brand. It seems as though their new strategy is to focus on? specific product families each year. Last year IWC focused on a major refresh of their Portofino watches, and the Pilot collection gets all the attention this year. One of IWC's most popular models is their Big Pilot watch, which should also see a notable addition this year.To tease the entire collection that will soon be released at SIHH 2012 IWC has released information on the Pilot Chronograph Ton Gun Miramar. It houses a brand new in-house made movement (which will be a part

Kobold Polar Surveyor In Arctic Blue 50% Off Retail On Ebay: Auction Ends Dec-10-07 15:04:40 PST
I have had a bit of a fixation on Kobold Watches since I first learned about them several years ago. They represent what most men want in a watch. Good looks, rugged construction, and a classic style which is anything but boring. Even though the Kobold watch company is new (in watch years), they have been able to achieve so much, and are truly a modern watch company. Especially considering they are one of the only watch companies that allow you to purchase direct from the factory.Kobold Watch is an American watch company. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Kobold watches use Swiss parts with American insight. Kobold is led by the younger Michael Kobold, who has become quite the watch celebrity. Showcasing his favorite pieces on the wrists of many celebrities. The truth is, he didn't have to work very hard at it, because these are remarkable watches. As such, James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano) and Kiefer Sutherland (Jame Bauer on "24" wore a PVD Kobold Phantom Tactical) have proudly displayed th

In-Depth: A Visit To Glash��tte Original��s Alfred Helwig Watchmaking School
Glashütte has a very strong tradition of horological education, dating back to the 19th century. In 1878, the German School of Watchmaking Glashütte was founded in the center of the German mountain town. Today, the school is run by Glashütte Original and named after its famous student and instructor, Alfred Helwig. While you may not know of Alfred Helwig, you most likely know of his famous invention, the flying tourbillon. HODINKEE recently visited the school and met instructor Thomas Goldbeck for a tour. What I saw was incredible, and left me feeling great about the future of watchmaking in Glashütte. 1 OF 16 Thomas Goldbeck, Instructor I should preface this by stating that I studied watchmaking at the Nicolas G. Hayek school in Miami, Florida. Like the Alfred Helwig School, the Nicolas G. Hayek School is affiliated with the Swatch Group, and offers WOSTEP certification. The European watchmaking industry is larger than the American industry, and

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Laptimer Michael Schumacher
Let's get this out of the way. Audemars Piguet and Michael Schumacher, perhaps the greatest driver in the history of motorsports, have had a longstanding relationship. In 2012, Schumacher even had his own limited edition Offshore built. It quickly sold out, and though a short-run Offshore wasn't, at the time, a particularly noteworthy thing, there was something special about Schumacher's. In December of 2013, Schumacher suffered a terrible skiing accident while on vacation with his family, and after months in a medically induced coma, he is wheel-chair bound recovering slowly at his home outside Geneva. Since the accident, Michael Schumacher's corporate sponsors have slowly but steadily recoiled from association with the all-time great. All of them, except for one – Audemars Piguet. And because of this, and the personal connection the family has with AP, today we see – with the blessing of Michael's family – a brand new timepiece sporting Michael&#