Bvlgari Watches

Sotiro Bulgari emigrated from his native Greece to Italy in 1879. His first shop opened in Rome in 1884. Then, in 1905, with his two sons Constantino and Giorgio, he opened his flagship Bulgari store on Via Condotti; it remains there to this day. Bulgari-Bulgari, first introduced in 1977, is the brand’s most unmistakable design. It features the Bulgari name engraved twice around the bezel.
Based in Rome, since 1884 Bulgari has been creating renowned fine jewellery. Today it is a global and diversified luxury brand with a product and services portfolio of jewels, watches, accessories, fragrances, skincare, hotels and resorts featuring exceptional quality, an innovative style and impeccable service.
Quality and excellence form the basis of Bulgari’s culture. Its corporate philosophy reflects this commitment within the working environment, with the aim of achieving the customer’s full satisfaction.
Bulgari creations are appreciated by customers worldwide for their bold, sophisticated and unmistakable style, in which meticulous attention to quality and innovative design combine to create a timeless elegance.
Excellence for Bulgari means the perfect balance between the highest quality products and impeccable service worldwide.

Breitling Watches

The Breitling family tradition for quality and accuracy in timekeeping has continued for nearly a full century. There are the achievements of Leon Breitling, who along with his son and successor Gaston Breitling, developed and built the very first wrist chronograph, to Willy Breitling, the founder’s grandson, who modified and improved the modern chronograph.

Since then, it has been Breitling’s mission to continually improve and redefine itself. Breitling watches are available in steel, precious metals, or titanium, with a myriad of dial treatments, straps and bracelets. Not to mention the many different and highly specialized features from alarms to emergency transmitters. Breitling remains poised for the 21st century and beyond as a force in precision timekeeping.

Breguet Watches

Born in Switzerland in 1747, Abraham-Louis Breguet pursued his career in Paris. He won fame as the creator of technical innovations, devising watches, clocks and chronometers that launched modern watchmaking. The slender blue-steel Breguet hands he designed, with their distinctive circles, have told the time on Breguet watches for two centuries. In that time, they have become symbols of Breguet’s craftsmanship.

Each Breguet watch is a mobile sculpture, created according to the eternal laws of time. Each dial is signed and each movement numbered, as is fitting for a masterpiece. And as with every work of art, the ingredients are patience, devotion and skill. Production is limited, because all the parts of every watch are finished and assembled by hand in the same way as they were made in the golden age of craftsmanship.

Bovet Watches

 

Bovet watches are magnificent works of art, whose origins date back to 1822, the year in which Edouard and Alphonse Bovet founded their workshop in the picturesque Val-de-Travers region of Switzerland.  Today, under the guidance of Pascal Raffy, an entrepreneur with a passion for haute horlogerie, the Manufacturer Bovet is thriving, producing exquisite and unique timepieces distinguished by their elegant pocket watch-inspired form, sumptuous details, and rare specialties.  From charming and extraordinary complications such as tourbillons and minute repeaters, to rare artisan crafts such as enamel painting and fleurisanne engraving, each Bovet timepiece is brought patiently to life under the practiced hand of the master watchmaker.  With a highly limited production of approximately 2,000 watches annually, Bovet seeks to preserve and cultivate the art and craft of traditional watchmaking, while delighting the most discriminating of connoisseurs and collectors. 

Boucheron Watches

Boucheron proclaims itself “the Jeweler of Time”. Creator of the first jewelery watch bracelets, inventor of the interchangeable invisible clasp bracelet, Boucheron defines the watch as the most beautiful and useful of jewels.  A luxury made of discretion and delicacy, of which the most apparent sign is the richness of the emotion it releases, Boucheron has captured the French spirit and given it a Swiss soul.  Whether rectangular or round, the Boucheron watch can be recognized for its strikingly simple lines, its balanced proportions and perfect workmanship.

For over 140 years, four generations at the House of Boucheron have created prestigious jewellery, refined watches and other objects d’art. Designing for those who love beauty, authenticity and excellence, Boucheron has composed a world of harmony and rare objects designed to give the senses maximum delight.   With platinum, gold, steel, precious gems, pearls and the passion to create, Boucheron is developing a timeless value – emotion.

Blancpain Watches

Discover the aesthetic and technological know-how for which Blancpain has been renowned since its creation in 1735.Individuals devoted to their craft who over the centuries have refined their skills and brought their art to the peak of perfection. Their passion for watchmaking has carried them through the setbacks of their trade to finally achieve the excellence in traditional craftsmanship enjoyed by Blancpain today.In the 21st century, Blancpain’s philosophy remains rooted in a deep respect for tradition and contempary values.
By mastering every complication, by refusing ever to manufacture a quartz watch, and by expressing time only in the shape of a circle, Blancpain remains the standard by which the art of traditional watchmaking is measured. Shunning compromise and unreservedly committed to excellence, its convictions are as relevant as ever.

Bertolucci Watches

The association of two strong and distinctive cultures is one of the key foundations of the brand, unique specificity and Bertolucci’s signature.
When Remo Bertolucci moved to Switzerland to join his Swiss wife and in-laws’ watch manufacturing business, the die is cast making Bertolucci the most Italian of the Swiss watch brands.
At the heart of the fabulous Bertolucci love story is the Italian Riviera, a provider of ceaseless inspiration and Switzerland, the technical expert. In Switzerland, Remo lets his Mediterranean influence shape and sharpen his inspiration while he completely embraces, integrates and continually perfects his in-laws’ tradition of quality and technological know-how.

Bell & Ross Watches

Bell & Ross is a Swiss watch company headed by French designers Bruno Belamich and Carlos A. Rosillo. The brand was launched in 1992, and the first watches were designed by Belamich and Rosillo and made by a German watchmaker, Sinn. They comprised a group of designers and specialists of aircraft and space controls joined with a set project: to create watches perfectly suiting a professional use. Their stated aim was to be part of the great Swiss watchmaking tradition while meeting the demands of men facing extreme situations.
Typically Bell & Ross caters for ‘professionals’ within the armed forces and members of elite security organizations. Watches such as the BR Instrument have been designed to replicate the shape of a cockpit instrument taken from an aircraft.
Bell & Ross’s first watches were virtual re-issues of Sinn models and carried the Bell & Ross logo as well as Sinn’s. The partnership ended in 2002, when Bell & Ross began its own independent production in their facilities La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.

Prada

Milan-based Prada was founded as a leather goods company in 1913 by Mario Prada. His granddaughter Miuccia inherited the company in 1978 and grew the business into a fashion apparel company. Her claim to fame was the signature Prada nylon handbag, which helped turn the family company into a billion-dollar business.

Ralph Lauren

After a stint as a Brooks Brothers tie salesman, Ralph Lauren, 69, started his powerhouse brand 42 years ago with a collection of ties. Today there are over 35 boutiques in the United States. The company offers three collections: Polo is the fast-fashion-fix line for the young metropolitan male; Black Label is a more upscale, edgier version of city dressing; and Purple Label is the ultimate deluxe line. The designer has a personal fortune of $4.2 billion.

Giorgio Armani

Giorgio Armani, 74, is the sole shareholder, president and chief executive of the designer brand. The fashion and luxury goods group manufactures, distributes and sells everything from apparel to cosmetics to home interiors under a range of seven brand names, but it is best known for its menswear.

Versace

Gianni Versace founded the Milan-based company in 1978. After his 1997 death, his sister Donatella Versace, formerly vice president, stepped in as creative director and his older brother Santo Versace became CEO. Today, despite talks of going public, the company is still entirely owned by the Versace family. While the collection is known for its flashy, embellished style, this spring the looks that came down the runway put more emphasis on cut and volume than shimmer and bling.

Christian Dior

The designer founded the company in 1945 and quickly became famous for the "New Look," a fitted jacket with a nipped-in waist and full calf-length skirt. After the rationing of fabric during the World War II, Dior's lavish use of material was bold and shocking. Since 1996, chief designer John Galliano has been at the creative helm of the French fashion house, owned by the LVMH luxury goods group.

Louis Vuitton

The French luxury fashion and leather goods brand, now a main division of the French holding company LVMH, was founded in 1854 as a luggage retailer. The company is now known for its monogrammed leather handbags and employs designer Marc Jacobs as its creative director. Keeping up with the demand for exclusive luxury, the company is collaborating with a series of artists for limited-edition handbag collections.

Calvin Klein 

In 1968, Calvin Klein and an investor started the company as Calvin Klein Limited with a small line of men and women's coats. In the '70s, Klein won two Coty Awards for his minimalist styles, and by the middle of the decade he had created a designer-jeans craze by putting his name on each pair's back pocket. Advertisements featured a 15-year-old Brooke Shields who famously said, "Nothing comes between me and my Calvins." In 2003 Phillips Van Heusen acquired the brand, and today there are three tiers within the collection ranging from high-end pieces to moderately priced casualwear.

Bedat & Co. Watches

Bedat & Co.Watches is a relative newcomer in the world of luxury watches. It was founded in 1996 by Simone Bedat and her son Christian, and they have spent a lifetime in the watch industry and the company is part of the Gucci family.
Bedat & Co. create elegant, refined, timeless and prestigious watches capitalizing on traditional shapes. Regardless of collection, every Bedat & Co. watch is a stunning creation of luxury that will delight its wearer.

Chanel

Chanel is one of today's best-known fashion brands, and has been practically since it was founded by Coco (Gabrielle) Chanel in 1909. Coco Chanel established herself as the 20th century's single most important arbiter of fashion by offering women no-nonsense, elegant, relaxed and functional clothes. Today, the tweed Chanel suit with a nipped-at-the-waist cardigan jacket remains one of the most popular--and most copied--fashion staples. In 1983, Karl Lagerfeld reinvigorated the brand with a dose of sexiness. He's been designing the collection ever since.

Baume et Mercier Watches

In 1912, when William Baume met Paul Mercier (née Tchereditchenko), the son of a Czarist officer and the head of a well-known Geneva firm of watchmakers, one of the greatest collaborations of technology and design was born. Already the proud recipient of numerous awards, by 1921 Baume & Mercier had been awarded the coveted Poinçon de Genéve, the highest honor given master watchmakers by the Republic and Canton of Geneva.

The “phi” symbol, representing “the Golden Number” — a theory of proportion and balance, began appearing on the clasps and dials of all Baume & Mercier timepieces in 1964. Today, you will find it on every Baume & Mercier you consider, symbolizing the watchmaker’s fundamental values of expertise, the highest standards of workmanship, attention to detail and a commitment to quality.

Alain Silberstein Watches

Exceptional timepieces like the tourbillon, perpetual calendar, sports chronograph watches, jewelry watches with diamonds and art watches with cloisonned dials, have again become part of the former capital of French watchmaking.

Alain Silberstein creates watches for everyday wear that are resolutely contemporary and genuine works of art. The movements are visible through the transparent back so that the exceptional finish of the piece can be admired.

In 20 years, Alain Silberstein has been able to demonstrate that innovation, quality and service can enable a French brandname to take its place beside the famous Swiss watchmaking names.

Yves Saint Laurent

Founded in 1961, Yves Saint Laurent was the first fashion house to launch women's ready-to-wear. He opened Rive Gauche boutiques for women in 1966 and added men's ready-to-wear in 1974, which helped make designer luxury labels more accessible to the wider public. The Gucci Group acquired Yves Saint Laurent in 1999.

Audemars Piguet Watches

Audemars Piguet watches prove to be excellent in time keeping as well as beauty. These watches have a unique stylish look to them and please their owners all around the world . Having over 100 years of experience, these watches are sure to please those who purchase them.

Watches

Luxury watches are an important part of you. Very exclusive in design and craftsmanship, produced in small numbers, available through only very specialized dealers. In short, these are the Rolls Royce class of timepieces.

Luxury watch manufacturers strive to create timepieces that are as useful as they are beautiful.

These magnificent watches are highly collectible, of superb quality and durability that can be passed down to your children.

For thousands of years, devices have been used to measure and keep track of time. The Ancient Egyptians divided the day into two 12-hour periods, and used large obelisks to track the movement of the Sun. The earliest clocks relied on shadows cast by the sun, so they were not useful in cloudy weather or at night, and required recalibration as the seasons changed if the gnomon was not aligned with the Earth’s axis. The first clock with an escapement mechanism, which transferred rotational energy into intermittent motions, dates back to 3rd century BC ancient Greece, while Arabic engineers invented water clocks driven by gears and weights in the 11th century. Mechanical clocks employing the verge escapement mechanism were invented in Europe at the turn of the 14th century, and became the standard timekeeping device until the spring-powered clock and pocket watch in the 16th century, followed by the pendulum clock in the 18th century. During the 20th century, quartz oscillators were invented, followed by atomic clocks. Although first used in laboratories, quartz oscillators were both easy to produce and accurate, leading to their use in wristwatches.

Gucci

Guccio Gucci founded the House of Gucci as a saddlery shop in Florence in 1906. A century later, the company's horse bit and stirrup motif is an enduring symbol of luxury. He started out selling leather bags to horsemen in the 1920s and progressed to luxury luggage as his clients graduated from equine transportation to horseless carriages. Today, with Frida Giannini at the creative helm, handbags with the interlocking double-G logo are among the company's biggest money makers.

Luxury goods market back on track

The outlook for the luxury goods market has improved significantly in recent months, boosted by a stronger-than-expected US and Europe rebound and surging demand in China, consultancy Bain & Co said. Bain raised its 2011 growth forecast for luxury sales to 8% after recent sales data from groups such as LVMH and Burberry comfortably beat market expectations. "The surprise was mainly in the US and Europe," commented Claudia d'Arpizio, a Bain partner in Milan. "Luxury shame is now over," d'Arpizio added, saying that customers were becoming less hesitant to pay full price. Strong tourist flows in Europe, coupled with a pick-up in sales at US department stores, contributed to the recovery, Tuesday's report said.

If customers tightened their purse strings in 2009, spooked by the financial crisis, and 2010 was the year they started loosening them again, 2011 should see a return to normal luxury-goods consumption, in line with historical trends.

Bain also said it believes luxury sales rose 8% last year at constant currencies, up from a previous 6% estimate. In nominal terms, global luxury goods sales grew 12% last year, against a previous 10%.

Bain's findings mean that global luxury sales growth will not slow in 2011, as previously thought, in spite of Japan's earthquakes and nuclear crisis and the tough comparative basis of 2010, which was a catch-up year for many luxury brands.

The consultancy estimated luxury sales would grow 5-6% in 2012 and 2013, led by emerging markets buyers and resilient demand in Europe and the United States.

But China, poised to become the biggest luxury goods consumer within five years, will be the top contributor to growth.

Buyers from mainland and greater China, when counting those at home and abroad, are already the world's number 2 luxury customers behind the Americans, Bain said.

Luxury sales in mainland China rose 30% in 2010 and are forecast to grow 25% at constant currencies this year to €11.5bn, while US luxury sales are set to grow 8% to €52bn in 2011, after rising 10% at constant currency terms in 2010 to €48.1bn, it said.

Japan, which used to be the world's biggest luxury goods buyer and is now in third place behind mainland and greater China combined, is expected to see luxury sales fall 5% this year at constant exchange rates to €17bn.

LVMH sales in Japan fell 9% in the first quarter and 25% in March alone, though Dior (LVMH.PA) (DIOR.PA) chief executive Sidney Toledano last week said sales in Japan were on the mend..

D'Arpizio favoured Brazil over India as the next big source of growth after China, as India's lack of retail space and preference for traditional dress and home-made jewellery made it tough for European brands to penetrate.

"We see Brazil being a major engine of growth going forward, but of course not of the same magnitude as China," d'Arpizio told Reuters in an interview.

Brazil's luxury sales totalled €1.8bn in 2010 and are set to grow 10-15% between 2010 and 2013, Bain estimated. In Russia, Bain sees sales of €4.8bn in 2010, growing 5-10% by 2013.

The Middle Eastern market, worth €4.1bn in 2010, is likely to grow 10-12% over the same time-span.

Overall, Bain said global luxury goods sales were set to reach a record €185bn this year compared, with €172bn in 2010.

In 2009, the worst year on record for the industry, global luxury sales fell 8% at constant exchange rates and 11% in nominal terms, with much of the decline concentrated in the United States and Southern Europe.