SIHH 2015: IWC Portugieser Annual Calendar (Updated with Live Photos and Prices)
The new IWC Portugieser Annual Calendar, part of the brand’s “Year of the Portugieser” at SIHH 2015, is a timepiece that marks two IWC firsts: its in-house movement is equipped with an innovative annual calendar mechanism and also boasts a two-barrel, seven-day power reserve.In keeping with IWC tradition at SIHH, the brand has devoted the lion’s share of its development and marketing efforts on one of its collections; this year, the Portuguese family gets its time in the spotlight. Kicking off IWC’s latest Year of the Portugieser is this new annual calendar watch (Ref. 5035), containing the new IWC Caliber 52850.The dial of the IWC Portugieser Annual Calendar displays the month, date, and day, in that order, in three semi-circular windows at 12 o’clock. This “American-style” date indication, which uses three individual disks, is an homage to IWC’s American-born founder, Florentine Ariosto Jones. The watch’s seven-day (168-hour

Another Speedmaster or a Datejust?
Looking to add a brown dialed piece to my collection. Initially, I was considering the rose gold, chocolate dial Datejust. Then I saw this Speedmaster! Yes, they are 2 very different pieces and I already have a Speedy, but this one is very different and stunning! Thoughts?Current collection includes:Speedmaster 105.012, Rolex BLNR, Rolex OP 39mm, JLC MUT Moon, Hublot Classic Fusion, Breitling Aerospace

Patek Philippe Geneva Salon
There have been some great write ups and pictures on thevSalon by both Ben and Andy so instead of rehashing the same old stuff, with the same pictures I just tried to fill in some gaps and maybe cover a bit about why I was there. The Salon is certainly impressive and I think could be slightly intimidating to a person wandering off the street. It was completely renovated in 2006 using craftsmen to restore the interior as close to the original as possible. Leather embossed walls, crystal chandeliers as found in Versailles and a heavy influence from the Napoleon 111, gives a sense of history. Whilst the building is 6 stories I was restricted to the ground floor (where the sales staff and watches are displayed), the first floor where the minute repeaters are kept (where the watchmaker is present) and then the 3rd floor where they have the boardroom, dining room and facilities for product launches etc. They moved to this building in 1891 which I understand was previously owned by Tiffanys w

Ruud Van Devastated.
The explorer and Panerai wearer Mike Horn’s yacht is in Singapore early next month. The OP boutique are hosting a cocktail evening for some clients with Mr Horn as an incredibly special guest. I’ve been invited. I fly home a week before and head off to the States a few days later. I’m going to miss it

Shell strap authenticity from Bruce and Donna Ginsberg?
I recently purchased a strap for my brand-new PAM 422 from Bruce and Donna Ginsberg that purported to be Horween shell cordovan. I own numerous pairs of Alden shell cordovan shoes and am quite familiar how the material looks and behaves in footwear. There are a number of things about this strap that seems suspect to me, including how supple it is immediately (my shell shoes have taken a long while for the uppers to soften), the lack of color depth, and the stamp on the underside of the strap. The stamp doesn't look like the standard Horween stamp, and the trademark symbol that is normally above the N in Horween is adjacent to it. Horween also tries to have small portions of the larger stamp on most parts of the underside of the shell, and yet that is not visible on this strap. If I had to guess, I'd think the strap was one of the imitation shell cordovan materials that are a coated calf or other such thing. Has anyone here purchased a shell strap from Bruce and Donna, and if so, are yo