Blue Diamond Achieves Record Price at Sotheby’s
On Tuesday May 12, Sotheby’s realized $9,488,754 (CHF 10,498,500 / �7,024,336) for a fancy vivid blue, internally flawless cushion-shaped diamond weighing 7.03 carats. This is the highest price for a fancy vivid blue diamond sold at auction and the world-record price per carat for any gemstone sold at auction – $1,349,752. The sale was held in Geneva, and the price topped the pre-sale estimate of $5.8-8.5 million. The diamond, which was cut from a 26.58 carat rough, was discovered in 2008 at Petra Diamonds' historic Cullinan diamond mine in South Africa, the world's most consistently reliable source of blue diamonds. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) graded the stone as fancy vivid blue in color and internally flawless in clarity, the highest possible grading for a blue diamond. The winning bidder, who wishes to remain anonymous, has not yet exercised his or her privilege to name the stone.

Hands-On: The IWC Portugieser Annual Calendar Reference 5035
The IWC Portugieser Annual Calendar debuted this year at the SIHH, as one of the most talked-about introductions from IWC. It’s essentially a variation on the Portuguese Automatic, which launched as the reference 5001 in 2004 but which was preceded by the limited edition Portuguese Automatic 2000, which housed the now-legendary IWC caliber 5000, the forefather of an entire family of movements in the Portuguese/Portugieser line of watches. (The Portuguese Automatic 2000 was available – in the year 2000, natch – in three metals – red gold, steel, and platinum – and you could buy all three as a boxed set the year they came out, for about $45,000.) The caliber 5000 featured a very technically interesting – but also very beautiful to watch – automatic winding system that had been designed by IWC’s legendary technical director Albert Pellaton, and the Portugieser Automatic, reference 5007, represents an accumulation of 15 years of technical ex

first patek
friends,i need some expert advice on buying my first patek. here are my thoughts (a bit chaotic) and options:1)Calatrava 5296r-010 (non sector white dial): i really like this watch. but has wrist presence inspite of its rather small size, very elegant.2) annual calendars: i can get a 5396r-012 (breguet numerals, white dial) and a 5205g-010 (darker dial). i have a slight estethic preference for the 5205 but the 5396 breguet might become a future classic while that is difficullt to say about the 5205. or am i wrong?3)nautilus: i can get (actually at a fair discount) a 5711r but it does little for me. surely a great watch but the dial color is not really spectacular. the other option is a 5980 1AR-01 which - surely the most expensive watch i have under consideration- is spectacular.grateful for all thoughts...cheers peter

Tudor Black Bay GMT
I think that this is another home run for Tudor. I am getting this one. Black Bay GMT anyone?Sent from my MI 5 using Tapatalk

Incoming: Rolex Date
Hi Guys -- I just thought I'd share the Rolex Date that was given to me. It was purchased new in 1988 by my aunt for my Uncle (have receipt). He died a few years ago and as she was preparing to move houses, she gave it to me as a gift. I personally love its family story and how it compliments my 1601 Datejust. Pics of both of them below.One question: I haven't had the chance to pull the lugs off -- can anyone advise me of the model number?