Bruguet announced their latest addition to the Marine line, the Royale 2009. Based on an original design from 1815, the Royale is a tourbillon equipped chronograph.

Intended as a dive watch, the Royale has an alarm, a one-way rotating bezel, and the standard luminous markers that most diver style watches use. The standard model has an 18k rose gold case with a black rhodium finish. The movement is a self-winding mechanical, with an 18k gold engine tuned rotor. Expect to pay out $42,000 for this timepiece from your favorite jeweler.

Ariel Adams and I just started a new podcast, HourTime. We’ll be running the show weekly for you good folks so take a listen.

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Holy WTF, Starchild!

While I’m not quite down with a lot of Watchismo’s aesthetic choices, you gotta respect his drive. This guy loves Swiss quartz, crazy designs, and even goes nuts over Hamilton Electrics, watches that are so odd that only one person in the world can fix them.

Dudes like Watchismo and ABlogToRead really took up the watch coverage torch and they’re doing some of the freshest watch reporting out there. Good on ‘em.

Man. I don’t know if I’m supposed to look at this watch or have sex with it. The man’s hands fondling this PVD encased beauty is a bit off-putting but the music sounds like what my roommate used to play to mask the sounds of his seductions.

That said, I wouldn’t kick a Kobold out of bed for eating crackers.

What Russian economy collapse? Apparently, despite the fact the people in Russia are starving and with out heat during the winters, government officials still find the funds to buy the little things that make life easier. Like $240,000 Patek Phillipe wristwatches. Everyone snickered a little bit over the Jorg Gray worn by President Obama, but these Russians really know their time pieces.

A russian newspaper (now missing, whereabouts unknown) started to notice a trend in the pictures of their elected officials. They were all wearing some very expensive watches. The gentleman in the picture at the top of this article is wearing a Greubel Forsey Double Tourbillion, worth approximately $425,000 for example. There’s also quite a few Breguet, Rolex, and even a Vacheron Constantin making an appearance. It’s kind of disturbing when you take a look at them all.

We’d like to say congratulations to our winner “Grad School Mommy”. We’ve forwarded your information on to the Orient Watch company representative, and he should be getting in touch with you.

Casio just rolled out two new Baby-G watches, and this time they added a little bling to make your wrist sparkle. While I like the G-Force line, I have to admit I’m not a huge fan of the ‘bling’ factor. My wife tells me that she likes them, so there ya go.

They must be selling though, because we’ve been seeing quite a few of this style coming out. Both sell for $99, with the pink version available in November, and the black version in December. Both style will be on sale at Macy’s.

from the press release:

DOVER, NJ, OCTOBER 23, 2009 – It’s your time to shine. Treat yourself to a watch that lets you stand out from the crowd! The newest Baby-G watch, Gemmy Baby-G boasts rhinestone accents around the face with chaton-style bezel protectors, adding sparkle and class to an otherwise simplistic wardrobe. The Gemmy Baby-G BG3000M-7 and the BG1300MB-1 join the Baby-G line of flirty, feisty and fashionable watches just in time for the holidays!

The Gemmy Baby-G is designed with today’s cool and confident fashionista in mind. The bold rhinestone accent on the dial adds a playful touch to a classic watch. Built with a shock-resistant case, this Baby-G can handle anything life dishes out!

“The Gemmy Baby-G is yet another eye-catching piece to add to the Baby-G collection,” said Shigenori Itoh, Vice President of Casio’s Timepiece Division. “The Baby-G Gemmy is a versatile watch that can be outfitted for a busy day at the office or a night out with friends.”

The Gemmy Baby-G is more than just a pretty face; it’s shock-resistant and water-resistant making it the ideal accessory for indoor and outdoor activities. The BG1300MB-1 is water-resistant up to 100 meters, while the BG3000M-7 is water-resistant up to 200 meters. The BG1300MB-1 has five daily alarms and the BG3000M-7 has four daily alarms plus one SNZ. Both models feature world time, countdown timer and 1/100th of a second stopwatch, making them both a perfect mix of fashion and function with a hint of chic styling.

The Gemmy Baby-G styles come in black with pink rhinestone accents (BG1300MB-1) and white with a pink face and clear rhinestones (BG3000M-7). Both styles will have an MSPR of $99 and will be available at select Macy’s stores, or at www.baby-g.com, with the BG300M-7 releasing in November and the BG1300MB-1 following in December.

This charming portrait of Cosimo I de Medici, Duke of Florence, shows a man about town holding his nice new fancy gold watch. Amazingly, however, this portrait was painted in 1574 which means German or northern watchmakers were plying their wares as far as Italy during this period.

The portrait shows the Duke holding up his single-handed watch – it is more like an alarm clock than a watch – in a pose that would signify his power and wealth.

“As Cosimo was a great patron of science and technology, it is entirely likely he would have owned a watch of this kind which he displays here with pride,” he said.
“The picture shows the close linkage between science and art, especially in those days.”

The painting is on display at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

Thanks, Lil Tommy!

Matt Waldman at Nooka has done it again. The Zaz is a see-through watch with an LCD sandwiched onto a transparent surface. You tell time by counting the blocks and reading the growing minutes bar and it comes with a black, silver, or white band.

At $380 it’s a bit pricier than some Nooka models but it’s still badass. Watchismo just started to sell them or you can check them out at Nooka.com. It seems they’re on pre-order right now.