Baselworld 2015: Blancpain Villeret Grand Date (Updated with Live Photos)
At Baselworld 2015, Blancpain adds a new watch to the Villeret Collection: the Blancpain Villeret Grand Date. It will be the first big-date watch in the Villeret line, and it recasts a caliber that Blancpain presented in 2005.The Grand Date is built on Caliber 6950, an automatic movement that is 32 mm wide and 4.75 mm thick. The 6950 has two mainspring barrels for a 72-hour power reserve. The movement has 285 components, among them 35 jewels. The big-date mechanism is designed to shift instantly at midnight. Caliber 6950 has a free-sprung Glucydur balance wheel and gold screws for fine adjustment. The balance spring is made of silicon.The dial has a subtle sense of depth. Rose-gold hands for the hour, minutes and seconds sit atop a silvered opaline dial. The hour and minutes hands are thickest at the middle, where they bear luminous material, before tapering out. The applied Roman numeral indexes for the hours emerge from the dial to give a greater three-dimensionality. The two windows

President Bill Clinton Visits Detroit-Based Shinola
President Bill Clinton, founder of Clinton Global Initiative and the Clinton Foundation, visited Shinola in Detroit today. The Foundation has economic empowerment as a core mission, so the visit to Detroit makes sense. It doesn't hurt that Mr. Clinton is a major watch collector. Clinton wore a Timex Ironman and LIP watch while in office, but since has been seen wearing watches made by Jaeger-LeCoultre, Roger Dubuis, Rolex, Audemars Piguet and Panerai.The Detroit watch factory (we also visited about a year ago) is inside the College for Creative Studies in Midtown Detroit. Shinola also makes bicycles, journals, leather goods, and yes, that famous shoe polish.President Clinton said, "Shinola is a great example of how we can continue to build and expand America's manufacturing capabilities while creating jobs. It's exciting to see how the brand is playing its part in the economic revitalization that's happening in the city of Detroit." Also touring the factory with Clinton were Detroit Ma

Tissot T-Touch 2 Watch
What do we have here? Doesn't look like a new Tissot T-Touch you say? Well look closer. It is. These are part of the Tissot T-Touch 2 collection of watches, that will secretly replace the original T-Touch models. Actually, the best way to see that they are T-Touch 2 watches is by looking at the LCD screen, and by looking at the back of the watch. I actually didn't have a chance to snap a picture of the back of the watch, but it does say T-Touch 2 back there. The LCD screen is expanded a bit, to look more like that on the T-Touch Expert. The real reason for the new model was because the original T-Touch had some problems with the movement and water resistance. The T-Touch Expert wasn't a replacement because it was bigger and more expensive. So while the T-Touch kept selling well, Tissot was dedicated to releasing a new version that improves upon the original, and resolves the issues that consumers complained about.How do you get a T-Touch 2? Pretty soon Tissot will start to secretly rep

Platinum model pricing and availability
Just wondering whether or not platinum Patek models are a more limited in supply compared to other precious metals/stainless, and whether there is more flexibility in pricing similar to Rolex (I've been offered various platinum Rolex models at 30%+ off MSRP).The reason I'm curious is that I've been offered what I think is a nice price on a platinum Patek (5196p), when I was really in the market for white gold. However, if these models are more collectible, I might try to negotiate a bit more and stretch the wallet for platinum.Thanks for any input.

At the end I ended up
at the dark side. After being Panerai opponents throughout my watchcollectinglifefor the simple reason that the crown guard went away if you want to have the watch on your wrist becomes nothing good I think with this grotesque bodywork. Then they make a sandwich dial that is completely outstanding made me get up the eyes of Destro (left-hinged) model, which is a good compromise.The model 219 since missing a second hand made me the confident because I think Panerai withsub second be completely wrong proportions because it is so small relative to the rest of the watch, I think.Furthermore, I would like to have it brushed instead of mirror finish which is likely to be what it is suffering. The wife was with and inspected during unpacking and thought it seemed to be a crap watch when they sent a screwdriver. You should have it when it breaks down?Glassback and a decorated movement looks nice on a watch that can handle 300 meters.Naturally, it is alright readable in dark.