Another Record Year for COSC in 2008
After setting records in 2006 and 2007, the Contr?le officiel suisse des chronom��tres (COSC) once again issued a record number of attestations in 2008 with 1,599,588, an increase of +8.6% over the 2007 results. The number of timepieces submitted rose by 10.6% to 1,676,515. Of these, 1,536,950 were awarded to mechanical movements and 62,638 went to quartz calibers, with the large majority of the latter (56,224) going to Breitling products. In terms of manufacturers, there was no change in the leading trio which has stayed the same in recent years: Rolex received 769,850 certificates, followed by Omega with 377,514 and Breitling with 234,021.The remaining manufacturers to receive at least 1000 certificates are:Panerai (46,446)TAG Heuer (35,429)Chopard (22,977)Mido (10,870)Ulysse Nardin (10,249)Enicar (8,861)Ebel (8,823)Corum (8,801)Chanel (8,407)Bulgari (8,067)Rado (5,807)Ball Watch (4,312)Tissot (3,767)Titoni (3,513)Movado (3,446)Carl F. Bucherer (2,262)Concord (2,224)Porsche Design (2,

Aviation wristwatches: "Time Flies" article from AOPA
Thought you guys and gals might like this. It was written by Thomas A. Horne and published in AOPA magazine.Take a look around. It seems like every wrist sports a huge, thick, clunky-looking watch. How did this fashion come about, you may wonder?The answer lies in the intertwining of aviation and watchmaking history. It’s interesting to note that before aviation came along in the early 1900s, there were no wristwatches to speak of. Pocket watches were the rule for men; women wore watches pinned on their blouses, or as a pendant. For those who couldn’t afford to buy a watch, the town clock or church bells served as timekeepers, or a factory whistle, or the family grandfather clock if you were fortunate enough to have one.The first recorded mention of a watch made specifically for pilots came in 1906. That’s when Brazilian Alberto Santos-Dumont, previously a balloon pilot, flew his first airplane, the 14-bis, before an audience in France. Santos-Dumont kept track of the

Seamaster GMT 2535.80 Bezel
I am looking to replace the bezel of my blue seamaster gmt, but am not sure how to get it off and do not want to spend a fortune to replace it. If anyone has one they would like to sell or knows where to buy one at a good price I would appreciate it. Also, if anyone could provide directions or a method to remove the bezel that would be great. Thanks!!

Watch Winder Recommendation
Hi, Guys, After a lot of research, I am about to pull the trigger on a 5726A annual calendar, which will be my second Patek. Could you please suggest a high-quality watch winder for this watch?Thanks in advance.

I broke down and...
5980R!Thanks to Ken for his council. Thanks to George at Govberg Jewlers in Phily. I can't say enough about his knowledge of Patek and understanding of how exchange rates affect price! :)Sorry for the crppy pic!