brand watches review blog: October 2011

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Paris Hilton’s Ice Cube Chanel Purse

?Paris Hilton’s Ice Cube Chanel Purse

I love Chanel’s classic 2.55 bag in almost all its incarnations, and marvel at how they keep coming up with fresh ideas for the very iconic bag. When Chanel released the Ice Cube line,watches 4 u, I was on the fence, particularly on the 2.55 flap.

The handbag is made by attaching vinyl cubes onto metallic lambskin, thereby resembling the quilting of classic Chanels. It’s a fun, modern and daring take on a beloved design. And at $1,650, it is relatively affordable for Chanel.

After seeing Paris Hilton toting the bag at a Miami party,u.s. handbag factories, I’ve made up my mind about this 2.55. As a general rule of thumb for me,swiss replica rolex watch, anything on Paris is not for me. If this bag floats your boat, call your local Chanel boutique for more info.

(Photo from PopSugar.com.)

Paris Hilton’s Ice Cube Chanel Purse

Marc Jacobs names a bag after my favorite mall

When I first saw Marc Jacobs named a bag after my ultimate favorite mall, Bal Harbour shops, I was instantly excited. But then I looked at the bag, and it fell short of my expectations. Where is the glitz and glam and tinge of gaudy that Miami is known for?

The Marc Jacobs Bal Harbor Julie is reluctant in its design which appears to be safe and subdued. Bal Harbour may hold exquisite shops in its highly gorgeous and jungle-like atmosphere,cheap wholesale designer handbags, but the people in Miami love to infuse color and spunk into their outfits.

If I take away my expectations, I realize that this is still a lovely bag. Truth be told, with many outfits taking center stage in South Florida, a simple taupe tote may be just what the fashion Doctor is looking for. The design itself is entirely simple; a tote shape with a leather and chain shoulder strap. The only bling added to this bag is the colored tassel.

Honestly,watches store, if I didn’t frequent Bal Harbour shops so often when we lived in South Florida I could accept this bag for what it is more easily. But there is nothing Bal Harbour about this bag. I would have expected one of Marc’s more playful designs to be named after the fun and flirty mall in South Florida.

With all of my bias, it is hard to see this bag for what it is: a plain, simple, and functional bag. Buy via Saks for $1,cheap designer wholesale handbags,250.

Louis Vuitton unveils plan for museum in Paris

Louis Vuitton In Paris

,watches u boat

Just thought some of you might be interested in this news. I know I’d love to visit the museum when it is done (gives me an excuse to make it back to Paris)!!!

PARIS (Reuters) – France’s biggest fashion group presented plans on Monday for a futuristic museum built out of glass to promote the heritage of its brands, promising the new Paris landmark would be a celebration of creativity.

French tycoon Bernard Arnault, chairman of luxury goods group LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, said the 100 million euro ($127 million) museum would show the art that has influenced its designers from Christian Dior to Marc Jacobs.

The “Louis Vuitton Foundation for Creation” will be housed in a glass-clad building soaring over the trees in the Bois de Boulogne park on the city’s western edge that Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry said was intended to resemble a cloud.

Critics immediately drew parallels between Arnault’s project and the museum plans of his arch rival in business,wholesale bags online, Francois Pinault,wholesale bag store, owner of the luxury Gucci Group.

Pinault, who also owns Christie’s auction house, unveiled his modern art collection earlier this year in Venice after attempts to build a museum on an island in the river Seine in Paris were thwarted by bureaucracy.

“It won’t be a purely contemporary art foundation,” said Arnault, knocking down comparisons with Pinault’s collection.

“Comparisons with other initiatives are not pertinent.”

Gehry, who designed the titanium-clad Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, Spain, said the commission for the Louis Vuitton building was like a dream.

“As I experienced the world, Paris became my favorite city,” said Gehry, 77. “So when a man who leads in fashion, who collects art that I love, invited me to Paris to do a building it was a heavenly assignment.”

Gehry said when he saw the site he thought of the writings of Marcel Proust and “wanted to cry with happiness.”

Arnault said the cost of the building to LVMH, which spends billions each year on advertising, would be spread over five years. He hoped construction could start next year and end before 2009.

Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe said: “This is an enormous present for Paris, and for France’s image in the world.”

French Culture Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres promised the foundation would get favorable tax treatment.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Casio Bluetooth Watch For Smart Phones

This page requires Flash Player version 10.1.52 or higher.

Casio Bluetooth Prototype Casio Bluetooth Watch For Smart Phones

News about this Casio watch concept has been everywhere. People seem to be more excited about what it is able to do than Casio is. This is partially evidenced by its circa 1987 G-Shock design. This however is a mere prototype - meant to show off the concept. That concept being the ability for a watch to sync via Bluetooth with a phone - and not have pathetically poor battery life in the process. Sure this Casio Bluetooth watch isn't the first timepiece that allows you to connect your phone to your watch, but all of those previous watches needed to be charged really frequently. This watch would need a battery change each two years like a normal (non solar powered) Casio quartz watch.

The secret? Something called BLE, which stands for Bluetooth Low Energy. This new profile requires much less energy to move information from two Bluetooth connected devices. Though I did also hear that this is a feature of Bluetooth profile 4.0 - something that is currently not available on any phones. So while this is impressive technology, you'll have to not only wait for this watch to come out, but also new phones to come out that utilize Bluetooth 4.0.

If the Casio Bluetooth concept is a success, don't expect just this one resin model to come out. Casio will more than likely offer a whole range of timepieces that utilize the phone connect functions. While I could be wrong, I have a feeling that the pictured model will not be released in an unmodified form. Though for reference, it is just over 44mm wide - so not as big as say a Pathfinder model.

OK,breitling fakes, so you have a decent battery life and the ability to connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth. What is that going to allow you to do? Casio has actually be able to successfully demonstrate a host of uses that I think are more than gimmicky. They are also seem to suggest some light touch screen properties.

While there is more info below,watches u boat, and the final product is yet to be seen, there are a few promising features. First is the very basic time sync function. Know all those people who use phones for the time rather than watches? Well the accurate time from your phone can sync to this Casio watch - that also applies to the date, etc...

Because the connection is almost instant, your watch can let you know when a call is coming in, as well as who is calling you via caller ID - or contact name info set in your phone. You can also silence the ringer on your phone to stop a call by tapping the watch. Related to this is the ability to get alerts about incoming text messages or e-mails on your watch.

You should also be able to access information gathered on your phone, on your watch. GPS information, or streaming data from apps should theoretically being available on the Casio Bluetooth watch. This has all types of potential functions and benefits. These include simple tools such as weather data on your wrist, to potentially information on turn by turn GPS directions on your wrist.

As really cool feature (especially for a lot of people I know) is the "find my phone" tool. Given that your watch is in Bluetooth range of your smartphone (maybe 30 feet),watches you, you will be able to have your phone ring if you can't find it. This is good if the phone is dropped under a seat in the car, long in a bag, or caught somewhere in bed covers.

Aside from all of these phone connect features via Bluetooth, except the Casio watch to do all the things you'd expect from a Casio watch. So you'll have the time, calendar, alarms, stopwatch, etc... While we are all really excited about this new Casio Bluetooth watch, I expect a few solid months before it is finally commercially available - if not more. There will need to be at least a few phones on the market with the most up to date Bluetooth standards, and the price will need to be right. I have a feeling these Casio Bluetooth watches will be in the $200 range when they are eventually available.

Tech specs from Casio:

Watch Capabilities:

Incoming call and e-mail alert – see who is contacting you without having to take out your Smartphone (aka during a meeting or dinner date)
Phone finder - for all those times you misplace your phone and need someone else to call it in order to find it (you need this)
Global Time Sync – self-adjusts to local time (think of jet setting and never having to set your watch ever again, no really!)
Can sync with a variety of applications:
- Sports and fitness/Outdoors – track your distance, speed, direction and altitude
- Security: alert emergency services via call/e-mail through your watch
- Entertainment – use your watch as a motion sensing, remote control

Overview of Casio’s Prototype Bluetooth Low Energy Watch

Main features:

§ Wireless communication is powered by the button-cell battery used in small devices and watches

§ Battery life with the communication functions is the same as previously released watches

§ The watch case measures a comfortable 53.4 (D) x 44.4 (W) x 12.8 (T) millimeters

Main functions:

§ The alert signal notifies the wearer of calls and e-mail messages arriving on the networked smartphone

§ Alarm and vibration functions of a smartphone can be activated using a watch button

§ A smartphone’s ring and vibration alerts can be stopped by tapping the watch

§ Accurate time information can be transmitted from a smartphone to the watch to ensure correct time

Main Specifications of the Prototype Bluetooth Low Energy Watch

Communication Specifications	Data Transfer Rate	1 Mbps
	Signal Strength	0 dBm (1mW)
	Signal Range	2–5 m (may differ depending on surrounding conditions)
	Encryption Method	128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)
Communication Functions	Time Correction	The watch can be synchronized with time information transmitted from a smartphone
	Incoming Call and E-mail Alert	The watch alerts users of incoming calls and e-mail messages sent to a smartphone
	Finder Function	Alarm and vibration functions of a smartphone can be activated using a watch button
Watch Functions	Alarm	5 independent daily alarms; hourly time signal; vibration function
	Stopwatch	1/100-second; measuring capacity: 23:59’59.99”; split time
	Countdown Timer	Measuring unit: 1 second; Input range: 1 minute to 24 hours
	World Time	100 cities (35 time zones, daylight saving on/off) and Coordinated Universal Time
	Light	Electro-luminescent backlight with afterglow
	Other	Full auto-calendar, 12/24-hour format; sleep mode
Power Source		CR2032
Approx. Battery Life (Based on the Prototype Model)		Approx. 2 years (assuming the communication function is used for 12 hours per day)
Size of Case		53.4 × 44.4 × 12.8 mm
Total Weight		Approx. 50g

Check Out This IWC GST At Sotheby's Important Watch Auction On May 15th

Apr
22

Sotheby’s has an Important Watches auction in Geneva on the 15th of May. Browsing through their auction catalogue, I noticed this IWC GST Rattrapante chronograph (ref.371508). IWC discontinued their GST line of watches a few years ago, probably not without a valid reason, but I really happen to like the design of the GST.

This 43mm wrist watch has a rattrapante chronograph movement (caliber 79230) to be able to record an intermediate time, using the pusher at 10 o’clock. This movement is based on an ETA/Valjoux 7750 movement,rolex 8570f price, but modified by IWC. This watch dates back from 2000/2001 and has a height of 16.9mm,watches 4 u, which really makes it a large and thick chronograph,rolexwatch, especially for those days.

Sotheby’s estimates this watch at 6.000 – 8.000 CHF. On Chrono24 they are listed for approx 5.000-6.000 Euro (8.000 CHF is approx 6.000 Euro), so we don’t expect anything funny to happen here.

Besides this modern IWC GST Rattrapante chronograph, this auction has a lot of vintage Rolex (including a nice ref.6262 Daytona), a number of interesting vintage Omega watches and of course the usual suspects by Patek Philippe. Click here to go to the on-line catalogue.