timepiece Trends
Steve McQueen’s Iconic Tag Heuer Watch Sells for $800,000 At Auction
Aug 9th
A Tag Heuer watch worn by Steve McQueen in the film ‘Le Mans’ had sold for nearly $800,000 at an auction of film memorabilia.
The movie star sported the timepiece in the 1971 action movie set in Monaco about the 24 hours of Le Mans car race.
The Tag Heuer Monaco has a black alligator skin strap and a stylish retro 60s style blue face. It was the first ever automatic and square cased chronograph watch.
The star wearing the wristwatch helped the brand to become a favourite of motor racing drivers and fans around the world
Auctioneers had been expecting it to fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars but the sale surpassed expectations when the hammer came down at a staggering $799,500.
McQueen starred in Le Mans eight years after his most famous movie, The Great Escape.
He was arguably at the height of his fame and appeal when he appeared in the film. It is considered by some fans to be one of the greatest motor sports movies of all time for its portrayal of the iconic 24 hours race around the streets of Le Mans in Monaco, France. However, it did relatively badly in the U.S. as audiences were unfamiliar with the race.
Tag Heuer was founded in 1860 but after McQueen wore the watch in the film the brand became even more popular among motor sports fans and drivers.
The watch is one of several automatic Heuer chronographs that run on the Caliber 11 series of movements.
They were introduced in 1969 as a series of wrist watches made in honour of the Monaco Grand Prix.
| Print article | This entry was posted by maddaloni on August 9, 2012 at 5:55 pm, and is filed under 2012 Trends, TAG Heuer, Timepiece Collectors, celebrity watches, new york watch store, timepiece Trends, watch collectors. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site. |
Ulysse Nardin’s The Freak Diavolo
Sep 4th
An evolution of the iconic Freak – a game changer in haute horology – the Freak Diavolo follows in its predecessor’s footsteps, showcasing unrivaledadvancements in technology, materials and design.Ulysse Nardin, the Swiss watchmaker acclaimed for its thousands of “firsts” in watchmaking, takes the lead in ingenuity, once again with the new Freak Diavolo, a progression of the groundbreaking 2001 Freak.®, Freak Diamond Heart and Freak Blue Phantom – the Freak Diavolo pays tribute to the original Freak’s pioneering spirit by expanding its use of silicium and taking its tourbillon to new heights. Named after its devilish-in-appearance power-reserve backing, with its red “horns” and black cloak-like backdrop, the Freak Diavolo is the cleverest of timepiece creations. Case in point, silicium is used in its hairspring (Si 1.1.1. patent pending) and throughout the majority of its escapement – the heart and most delicate part of the watch. Through the introduction of silicium in the original Freak, Ulysse Nardin transformed haute horology manufacturing and continues to perfect the use of this technologically advanced material with the Freak Diavolo. Performance is further amplified through its application of cutting-edge technology, such as photolithography. And, the Freak Diavolo reveals another development in the Freak family — a flying tourbillon that indicates the seconds, as well as two new ball-bearing systems and a balance-wheel concept and design.
The Freak Diavolo’s frequenc y of 4 Hz (28’800 A/h) in association with its 8 mg*cm2 inertia balance wheel make this instrument exceptional, as no other tourbillon is regulated by such a powerful oscillator and benefits from such a long power reserve (more than eight days). This enables the Freak Diavolo’s tourbillon carrousel to provide a superior level of accuracy akin to a mechanical chronometer. Its outstanding performance is the result of the perfect application of new technologies, such as photolithography, and the use of the best and latest-developed materials, like silicium and LIGA nickel, at core locations. 2
Power Reserve more than 8 days, slip-springIts tourbillon carrousel (developed entirely in-house) does one complete rotation around the center in 60 minutes.
Ulysse Nardin’s expertise in watchmaking is further exemplified by the Freak Diavolo’s seconds indicator, which is nothing else than a flying tourbillon replacing the usual oscillator of the other members of the Freak family. Its cage is equipped with an arrow indicating the seconds on a transparent half-circle, rotating in one minute on itself, with the zero position holding steady on the axis of the minute indicator.
The two specially conceived ball bearing systems enable the “flying” function of the minute movement and of the seconds-indicator tourbillon without the need for a supporting bridge.
So simple and user-friendly, the Freak Diavolo can be wound by turning the lower bezel, and the time can be adjusted by turning the upper bezel; while the direct gear link crafted between the three “hands” averts dephasing, or the throwing of hours, minutes and seconds out of step when adjusting or readjusting time.
Not only brilliant in function, the Freak Diavolo is also stunning in aesthetic with its clean lines, robust black and charcoal tones, accents of vibrant color, 18-karat, white gold case and elegant crocodile strap. The Freak Diavolo is the ultimate symbol of unwavering imagination and unusual style, staying true to the inventive character that defines the Freak timepiece collection.
Technical data.
Frequency 4Hz (28’800 A/h)
Moment of inertia 8 mg*cm2, adjusting over 4 screws.
Hairspring Silicium, exclusive Ulysse Nardin design.
Escapement right-angle lever, silicium, non lubricated.
Tourbillon 1 revolution in 1minute.
Orbite 1 revolution in one hour.
Winding Manual winding over the bezel on the back of the case. 1 full rotation is equivalent to 12 hours of power reserve. Time setting forward and backward over the bezel. Case 18-karat white gold, water-resistant.
| Print article | This entry was posted by maddaloni on September 4, 2011 at 11:00 am, and is filed under 2010 new trends, Long Island Timepieces, Long Island Watches, Timepiece collectors, Ulysse Nardin, Watches, fine timepieces, long island jewelers, maddaloni, new trends, new york watch store, timepiece Trends, watch, watch collectors. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site. |
JCK Interview With Mr. Maddaloni
Jan 18th
By Jennifer Heebner
This story appears in the JCK Magazine.
Retail Details: Maddaloni Jewelers’ Lou Maddaloni
The watch man on Swiss tourbillons, Florida sushi, and Long Island guys’ nights out
1. What’s your most memorable sale and why?
A few months back, a client of mine expressed interest in buying a very special timepiece by Ulysse Nardin. So I arranged a visit to its U.S. head quarters in Boca Raton, Fla. The customer suggested we fly down on his private jet. Then, Ulysse Nardin was nice enough to welcome us with a sushi lunch and a private viewing of their spectacular timepieces. It was during that visit that my client purchased a limited edition royal blue tourbillon set with round diamonds and blue baguette-cut sapphires for $400,000, as well as a few others.
2. What’s the best idea you’ve come up with for your store?
We recently instituted a watch collectors club that meets two to three times per year. At the meetings, we host a five-course dinner in the store—with tablecloths and silverware—and have [representatives of ] a featured watch brand come and speak, bring in their newest products, and talk about limited editions and introductions for the year ahead. It’s kind of a guys’ night (we have cigars). The club fosters the interests of watch collectors and connects them to others who share their passion.
3. When you walk through your front door, what do you like most about your store?
I have to say that when I come into the store every morning, I look forward to the people I work with. The Mad daloni team is dedicated to giving each customer a positive experience. Customer retention has been a key to the success of my business.
4. How do you differentiate your store from the competition?
We are passionate about watches. Maddaloni can converse about the finer points—like swan-neck gaskets underneath screw heads—of models we don’t even stock. Sometimes we know more about models than the brand representatives or stores that do carry them. We also write down everything—any and all information the customer gives, from their pets to the type of car they drive—on a job envelope. Even the most mundane information can be a tool to use in a future sale.
5. What was your finest hour in customer service?
We had a customer buying a particularly complicated platinum limited-edition perpetual-calendar pocket watch, which also happened to be the last one available in the world! In the midst of the sale, it became evident there was a screw loose inside the watch; the head of the screw had actually broken off inside. Since we have a Swiss-trained timepiece technician on premises, we were able—in the span of a few short hours—to disassemble the watch, remove the screw, and fabricate a new one from scratch, right there in the store. The watchmaker then reassembled the watch, and Maddaloni delivered the piece, a $102,000 sale, in time for the owner’s dinner plans that night. If that watch had had to go back to the manufacturer, it would have been sent back to Switzerland and would have taken four to six months to repair.
| Print article | This entry was posted by maddaloni on January 18, 2011 at 2:53 am, and is filed under 2011 Trends, Diamonds, Long Island Jewelry, Long Island NY, Long Island Timepieces, Timepiece Collectors, Timepiece collectors, Uncategorized, long island jewelers, long island watch repair, maddaloni, timepiece Trends, watch, watch collectors. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site. |
