In 1904, Alberto Santos Dumont , a Brazilian pioneer in aviation, asked his friend Louis Cartier to design a timepiece that would be more convenient than a pocket watch during his flights.Thus, the Cartier Santos was born as the first wristwatch made for men. Though Patek Philippe was responsible for creating the first wristwatch, it was Cartier who can be credited for its popularity over pocket watches.

After more than 100 years, the Cartier Santos has evolved into a work of art worn by those who embrace elegance and fashion along with reliability and luxury. On the 100^th anniversary of the Santos de Cartier watch, the famous watchmaker launched the Cartier Santos 100 Carbon watches to commemorate the birth of a true classic. Among the models launched for the celebration is the medium-sized Cartier Santos 100 Carbon timepiece (W2020008) crafted in a 32 mm steel casing coated with black ADLC (Amorphous Diamond Like Carbon) and a titanium satined bezel. The black dial with Roman numeral hour markers under a sapphire crystal add more strength to its character.

This Santos 100 is driven by a the Cartier caliber 049 mechanical movement with automatic winding with a water resistance of up to 100 meters. It sports a black toile de voile fabric strap which is secured to the wrist by a matching ADLC-coated titanium and steel triple safety deployant buckle.

Here is another masterpiece sure to make a mark in the horological world with its predominantly black façade and sturdy features. The Cartier Santos 100 Carbon watch is definitely one of the most versatile models in the Cartier collection as it is fit to be worn on a casual occasion or a prestigious meeting, yet elegant enough for any formal event. Whatever the occasion, one thing is certain – it provides the wearer respect and admiration for having such exquisite taste.

The art of measuring time has never been as accurate and elegant as it has been after more than two centuries of evolution and innovation. At the forefront of such dynamic evolution is Montres Breguet, a luxury watchmaker founded in 1775 by Abraham Louis Breguet in Paris.

Considered one of the oldest surviving watchmaker, Breguet has earned the reputation of being a pioneer in the art of watch-making with the invention of various watch mechanisms, the most notable of which is the tourbillon. Since its inception, the brand’s loyal patrons included royalties and powerful figures in history such as Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Sir Winston Churchill, to name only a few.

Breguet’s reliability is likewise proven to be the best in the industry when it was commissioned by the French government to supply the Type XX flyback chronograph to the Air Force, the Navy, and the CEV. This legendary model is known to be the most valuable to collectors of all the French military chronographs ever produced.

Another Breguet model hailed by watch connoisseurs is the watch commissioned by Queen Marie Antoinnette, The Breguet No. 160 which contained all the 23 complications possible at that time. The infamous queen never lived to see the watch, having been completed 34 years after her execution.  It is recognized by experts to be the most important watch ever made and is identified as Breguet No. 160 ‘The Queen’, a testament to the extraordinary horological skills of the 18^th century.

In 1999, Montres Breguet was acquired by the Swatch Group with Nicolas G. Hayek at its helm. At present, the brand has maintained its reputation for horological innovation and ingenuity. The company still plays a dominant role in the development of watch mechanisms. It has since expanded to produce exquisite jewelry and writing instruments. As it constantly evolved over the centuries, it has remained dynamic, yet never compromising the traditions of excellence and elegance it has inherited from its legendary founder.

The Breguet 5335 Tourbillon Messidor was named in honor of the brand founder Abraham Louis Breguet in tribute to the master’s ingenious Tourbillon invention, which was patented, according to the French revolutionary calendar, on 7 Messidor of the year IX (June 26, 1801). This classic Tourbillon Messidor timepiece in 41mm platinum case belongs to the Grand Complication Collection.

Powered by a hand-wound movement and seemingly suspended in space at 12 o’clock, this uncluttered tourbillon design adds its unique character to the watch’s already fascinating appearance. The trim yet aesthetically elegant design features fine brush-finished, rotating bridges and gears giving a mystical look to the skeleton dial composition, providing a transparent background for the blued Breguet style hands.

Running seconds at 6 o’clock, its 18 carat Rose Gold tourbillon cage with finely fluted case band and its discreet sapphire crystal stresses the entire design’s airy construction giving the impression that the cage is not connected to the movement. The overall effect is one of transparency, enabling the tourbillon to weave its magic from the center stage as it reveals parallel decorative strokes all done by the human hand.

A pillar and authoritative reference in luxury watch making tradition, Breguet possesses an exceptional know-how in mastering movements and complications, like the Tourbillon invented by the founder, Abraham Louis Breguet.  It is because of work like this that Abraham Louis Breguet is considered by many as the father of watch making and one of the greatest horologists of all time.

Since the 18^th century, Breguet clients have included historical figures such as Napoleon Bonaparte, Marie-Antoinette, Winston Churchill, and Alexander Dumas.

The signatures in Breguet styling are evident even in today’s masterpieces: the blue steel hands, guilloche engraving, and the fluted case band. Master-engraver working on Breguet movements displays extreme precision which requires a high level of concentration and dexterity.

Probably most important, the engraving of a;;  Breguet movements and all decorations are done by the most versatile of all instruments, the human hand.

Baselworld 2010, the Annual Watch Festival in Switzerland marks the 275th anniversary of Blancpain since its founder, Jehan-Jacques Blancpain, declared in 1735 he was dedicating his life to watch making.

Jehan-Jacques started small, making watch parts, then once he’d perfected the process of creating every single piece flawlessly, he moved on to design and build complete pocket watches. Over the succeeding centuries, generations of the Blancpain family have taken their turn at the helm of this successful family owned Swiss Watch manufacturer.

As it’s founder did back way back then, today Blancpain still prides itself on producing each watch with a single watchmaker from beginning to end, hence, only producing less than 10,000 pieces per year.

Blancpain also continues to adhere to another of its long time traditions,  Blancpain Watch-Makers will  never produce quartz watches; unlike Rolex which makes about 2,000 watches per day in their assembly line.

Blancpain is also held in high esteem for being the maker of one of the most complicated mechanical watches ever made, The Blancpain 1735, which combines the six grand complications (split-second chronograph, tourbillion, minute repeater, and perpetual calendar with phases of the moon) into one watch.  This timepiece is so special that it was made in a limited edition of 30 pieces only, production of just one piece a year which is truly a masterpiece that is a fitting tribute to the company’s founder.

Blancpain is also known for its Fifty-Fathoms, circa 1953, which is water resistant to 200 meters. It is the watch used by the United States Navy and is also the watch worn by Jacques-Yves Cousteau in his award winning film, “The World of Silence”.

Despite its numerous accolades over the years, Blancpain was nearly doomed to extinction with the influx of inexpensive quartz watches from Japan and China during the early 1970s. Thanks to the intervention of  Modern Swiss Watchmakers Jean-Claude Biver and Jacques Piguet that the company was reestablished in 1983 and put on the path to recovery.

In 1984, Blancpain launched the world’s smallest movement, followed in 1989 by the launch of the world’s thinnest movement and in 992 the company was acquired by Swatch Group wherein Biver headed the board. His strategy was a success as Blancpain’s credo remains rooted in a deep respect for tradition and contemporary values.

Shunning compromise — by mastering every complication and by refusing ever to manufacture a quartz watch, Blancpain remains and by expressing time only in the shape of a circle — and being totally committed to the essential-watch excellence, Blancpain’s philosophy and convictions are as relevant as ever as it remains the standard by which the art of traditional watch making is measured.

Yes, even today at Blancpain’s 275th Birthday, recently celebrated at Baselworld 2010.

For over 250 years Blancpain has been developing and manufacturing high class Swiss Watches that have been tested and proved to encompass time and space. That is why every Blancpain watch is embedded with rich heritage and tradition that is passed on to future generations of watch connoisseurs. As time passes by, Blancpain never ceases to create avant-garde styles that will match the taste of the modern times. Thus the release of the Blancpain Speed Command Chronograph proved that Blancpain has evolved not only into better watch making techniques but also adapted to the trends of sport utility watches

The Blancpain Speed Command Chronograph with reference number 5785F.11D03.63 is made up of brushed steel with Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) coating that matches perfectly with its carbon fiber dial. The Blancpain Speed Command Chronograph is the first among Blancpain chronographs to utilize a tachymeter scale. The sporty appearance of the Blancpain Speed Command Chronograph is further enhanced by its stealthy black design. The monotony is broken by its illuminated orange roman Arabic numeral hour indicators and rotating bezel that are also matched with the orange stitches on its stealthy black strap.

This Blancpain Speed Command Chronograph houses a self-winding F185 movement that is comprised of 308 handmade components that were perfected by the tradition and expertise of Blancpain watchmakers. This Caliber F185 when fully wound, will be able to run for approximately 40 hours. Blancpain Speed Command Chronograph is boasting a flyback function that allows non-stop rapid timing sequences. The chronograph function has a 12 & 30 minute hour counter and a continuously running small second display.

A perfectly crafted mechanical interior is not the only reason why the Blancpain Speed Command Chronograph with reference number 5785F.11D03.63 should be an essential-watch for any serious watch aficionado’s collection. The mixture of both magnificent engineering and work of art makes the Blancpain Speed Command Chronograph an astonishing luxury piece for any lucky owner’s wrist.