Market Report

Montegrappa launches Nelson Mandela Set

Montegrappa announces that an agreement has been signed with the Mandela family and the Long Walk to Freedom for the rights to produce collections of pens, watches and cufflinks using the Nelson Mandela name. The Nelson Mandela Limited Edition includes customised versions of NeroUno pens, watches and cufflinks, distinguishing from the production NeroUno edition with a motif of triangles in a tribal pattern in rose gold plated trim on the pen cap’s band, the surround of the cufflinks and the watch’s case. The top of the pen’s cap is engraved with the map of South Africa, while the side of the cap features a metal plaque engraved with Mandela signature. The collection will be offered as a limited edition composed of 500 sets including pen, watch and cufflinks.

Market News

Kingdom of Bahrain arrests cross dressing Rolex thieves

Bahraini authorities working alongside Interpol have arrested recently a gang of three men who took part in a heist on a Rolex shop in the Kingdom of Bahrain while dressed as Saudi women. Six thieves broke into the outlet at a city centre mall after closing time, where they attacked a security guard before making off with 79 watches valued at $1.4m. The men were wearing Islamic abayas throughout the burglary. Following the incident, law enforcement agencies in Bahrain requested the issue of red notices through Interpol, which were circulated to 190 member countries. One week after the robbery, 35-year old Kosovan Ekrem Gashi was arrested at the Albanian border. He is now awaiting extradition.

Mall of Qatar comes with super-sized intent

Qatar has an eye on 2022, when the football World Cup commences. The senior management team at The Mall of Qatar a super-regional retail destination in the making has set sights on a much earlier timeline: the second-half of 2015. That will be when the early openings and the big fit-outs would have attained a certain momentum for the full opening in the early months of 2016. And there will be quite a lot of space to fill all of 195,000 square meters for lease alone. The Mall is located in the Al Rayyan area and close to the 45,000-seater Al Rayyan FIFA 2022 World Cup stadium, has firm eye on 2015 opening date and for traction with high-spending shoppers.

Company News

Audemars Piguet celebrated brand ambassador LeBron James on the launch of his new watch

Audemars Piguet announced the appointment of LeBron James as the global brand ambassador in 2011. Audemars Piguet still in the hands of its founding families chose LeBron for his commitment to excellence, skilled technique and unwavering generosity - values shared by these two legends. Today marks the official launch and unveiling of his namesake timepiece.

Blancpain presents the Bathyscaphe version

The Fifty Fathoms by Blancpain has been the archetypal modern diver’s watch. The vintage-inspired Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe presented in a 2013 men’s and women’s version. The contours are as sharply defined as those of their predecessors. The hands feature the traditional look of the vintage watches and the date appears through a dedicated aperture. Loyal to the original Bathyscaphe version, the luminescent dot on the bezel serves to ensure the permanent readability of diving times. The new Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe is naturally water-resistant to 30 bar, equivalent to around 300 metres.

Gc opens its largest boutique in the world in Abu Dhabi

Gc opens its largest boutique in the world in Abu Dhabi and unveils exclusive diamond retail area Precious Corner”. Gc continues to grow its retail footprint across the world, and has chosen Abu Dhabi as the location for its largest store in the world. Covering nearly 100 square meters, it is also the first boutique with a dedicated diamond area, in the exquisite Galleria mall at Sowwah Square in Abu Dhabi. In addition to being the largest in the world, it is also the first to offer a dedicated diamond corner to present the Gc Precious Collection with its wide diamond timepiece collection, ranging from elegant diamond set dials to full diamond bezels.

TAG Heuer partners with the makers of the movie Rush

The 70s the golden age of Formula One every Ferrari driver wore a Heuer chronograph with his name and blood group engraved on the case. In the movie Rush, Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl) wears a Heuer Silverstone, the iconic chronograph of the 70s, named after the British motor racing circuit. James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) wears the full gold Heuer Carrera chronograph. The bold Carrera design is celebrating this year its 50th anniversary and now houses’s the brand’s new Calibre 1887 movement.

Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons adds Messika Paris to their portfolio

Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons welcomes Messika Paris and unveils latest haute diamond collection. Messika showcases premiere diamond jewellery for UAE. Showcasing ranges of diamond jewellery lines, four popular collections will form the crux of the UAE selection including Promess, Eden, Move and Butterfly, along with additional pieces that have been specially selected to cater to Middle Eastern tastes and aesthetics.

White diamond sold for record $30.6 million at Hong Kong auction

A white diamond the size of a small egg has fetched a record $30.6 million (£19.3m) at a Sotheby's auction in Hong Kong. The 118.28 carat oval white diamond is the largest and most significant such stone graded by the Gemological Institute of America. The gem was discovered in South Africa and weighed 299 carats before cutting two years ago.

Elements Watches & Accessories opens its boutique at the Avenues Mall

Elements Watches & Accessories 6th branch held a unique opening ceremony at the Avenues Mall (phase 3) on Monday the 7th of October in the presence of Mr. Mohamad SalehAlkhannah, Mr. AbdulrahmanAlkhannah and Mr. Osama Al Faleh and a lot of VIP personalities and brand representatives from Italy and France. Through the past years, Elements Collections and designs matched everyone’s taste and occasions. Elements Watches & Accessories goal is always to gain customers loyalty and trust and ambition to keep it up to high end standards for more years to come.

Product Launch

Faberge to launch exclusive UAE Pendant

Fabergé is the sponsor of the 2013 Coutts Polo at the Palace, a prestigious two-day social and sporting event to be hosted by the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi on November 22- 23rd 2013. Under the official Royal Patronage of H.H. Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the event is also sponsored by Coutts, Maserati and La Martina. As part of this initiative and to commemorate National Day, Fabergé has created a special egg pendant set with precious gemstones in the colours of the United Arab Emirates flag, in a limited edition of only seven pendants, to represent the seven Emirates. The exclusive design features rubies, emeralds, diamonds and black spinels.

Girard-Perregaux presents Tourbillon with three gold Bridges

The design of Girard-Perregaux Tourbillon with three gold Bridges is available in a pink or white gold case the mainplate is now sanded to enhance the three gold Bridges and the open worked barrel drum opens onto the micro-rotor. Within a 41 millimeter diameter, which fits the wrist perfectly, the three, arrow-shaped parallel Bridges form the perfect balance. The Bridges are “rounded-off”: the chamfering gives them a domed shape, along their entire length, a perfect curve. Light glides and reflects off their “mirror polish” finishing, offering a captivating contrast with the matt mainplate. The three gold Bridges leather strap is in Black and it has Pink gold folding buckle and White gold folding buckle.

Hermes introduces Arceau Lift tourbillon watch

The 176-piece limited edition Arceau Lift flying tourbillon watch is inspired by the historical premises of Hermes at 24, Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore in Paris. The double H topping the tourbillon carriage and the barrel bridge of the Arceau Lift reproduces one of the emblematic motifs featured in the interior design of the boutique and in specific, above the door of the Lift installed in 1923 and after which it is named. Arceau Lift represents an authentic technical feat driven by Calibre H1923. The dial side and is also revealed through an opening carved out in the back of the gold case. Arceau Lift is fitted with an alligator strap.

Vacheron Constantin presents Métiers d’Art Les Univers Infinis

The new Métiers d’Art Les Univers Infinis creations, inspired by the work of Dutch artist Cornelis Escher, pursue this glowing tribute to the graphic art of tessellation. Vacheron Constantin, gold and mother-of-pearl marquetry, is associated with those of engraving, enamelling, gemsetting and guilloché work to create trompe l’oeil dials. The space on the dials is filled with perfectly interlocking repetitive motifs, beautifully framed by a white gold case. The slender bezel ensures a maximum dial opening, while the elegant hands are hollowed so as to provide full expressive scope for the art of tessellation. The polished angles, hand-drawn flanks, circular-grained mainplate, bridges adorned with a Côtes de Genève motif and the gold oscillating weight featuring the elegant cross weave guilloché pattern, are all clearly visible through the sapphire crystal case-back.

Eberhard presents Eberhard Scafodat 500

Eberhard & Co presented Eberhard Scafodat 500 a diving watch which looks capable of withstanding many perils below the sea. The dial Hours and minutes are conveyed with large white, rhodium-plated hands lined with luminescent material. They proffer good legibility, a prerequisite for underwater use. The stainless steel case measures 44 mm in diameter. It successfully blends satin-brushed and polished surfaces. The Scafodat 500 is suitable for professional use and includes a helium escape valve on its left hand flank. The Scafodat 500 houses a calibre ETA 2824-2, self-winding movement. The Scafodat 500 is available with either an ergonomic rubber strap or a special Chicane steel bracelet, with a patented expandable system and patented Dèclic deployant.

De Bethune revealed its DB28 Skybridge MC Platinum

De Bethune unveiled its DB28 Skybridge MC Platinum timepiece For Only Watch 2013. DB28 Skybridge MC in platinum with De Bethune star-studded sky in blued mirror-polished titanium encrusted with white gold and diamond stars. The case is in platinum diameter with platinum bezel. The strap has extra- supple alligator leather strap with pin buckle. Self-regulating twin barrel, Silicon/ palladium balance wheel- balance spring with flat terminal curve and Spherical moon-phase indication. The DB28 Skybridge is entirely mirror polished and blued steel parts.

Celebrity News

Olivia Palermo Wears Montblanc Star Classique Automatic watch at Paris Fashion Week

Olivia Palermo wore the Montblanc Star Classique Automatic during Paris Fashion Week.

Cate Blanchett wears Van Cleef & Arpels at The 51st Annual New York Film Festival.

Cate Blanchett wore a pair of Van Cleef & Arpels earrings for her appearance at the Gala Tribute held in her honor at The 51st Annual New York Film Festival. Donning a pair of “Fleurette” earrings.

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