Jewelry & Watch News

  On eBay, a watch is sold every five seconds, and a diamond ring is sold every minute. With more than 182 million buyers, eBay is one of the world’s leading online marketplaces for sellers of all sizes to share their unique inventory. You won’t find lower fees with any other competitor, including Poshmark and The RealReal. EBay’s wide selection of luxury goods includes an unparalleled collection of brands, styles, new and pre-owned inventory, rare and designer—including fine jewelry, watches, and morel Have some jewelry or a watch you’d like to sell but unsure of how to begin? Compiled by eBay experts, here are six tips to get you started today. 1. See What’s Trending   Get a pulse on which items are currently in demand by exploring eBay’s Trending search tool. This resource includes information on best-selling items and what buyers are searching for. Some of the most popular gemstones sold on eBay include diamonds, sapphires, and aquamarines. Interna...

Capturing one incredible piece in the middle of its creation. This month: a collar meant to resemble an exploding nebula. The making of a one-of-kind high jewelry piece often begins with a hunt for extraordinary stones. In the case of this recently completed elaborate collar by the Paris-based Cartier, that expedition began and ended at the annual gem show in Tucson, Ariz. While there are other such trade events throughout the world — Hong Kong, Basel, Switzerland, and Las Vegas also host prominent events — the Tucson show is the most idiosyncratic, with dealers bringing crystals, minerals and fossils in addition to precious and semiprecious stones. The six-person Cartier team spotted the more-than-15-carat octagonal yellow sapphire at a booth on the first day and a few hours later connected with a dealer who had a cache of brilliant blue lapis lazuli beads. Though purchases from a particular trip don’t always end up in the same piece, in this instance, the jewelers w...

We all seem to have a little too much clutter. Maybe we have old accessories, jewelry or watches that are taking up space. We don’t wear them anymore either because our tastes changed, or maybe even because they’re from an ex. Today, buying and selling watches and jewelry has become an “in” thing, and if you have pieces you don’t wear, it may be a good idea to lighten the load a little. Before you jump right in and start selling, though, here are five things you may need to consider before selling that watch (or watches). 1. Be Sure Before selling, you need to be sure you want to.  The last thing you want to experience is “seller’s remorse.”  If the watch has a special history that is personal, you may want to think again. On the other hand, if your ex gave it to you – letting it go can give you another burst of independence and freedom. There is a rule of thumb that when you touch it if you feel nothing, it’s time to let it go.  2. Determine if the b...

Patek Philippe luxury watches were introduced more than 100 years ago, in 1851. Today, the company offers some of the most desirable watches on the market, including unique timepieces with fascinating complications, sleek dress watches, and a wide range of sophisticated designs that appeal to a worldwide audience of horologists and watch enthusiasts. The Patek Philippe Calatrava is one of the manufacturer’s most popular designs. Let’s take a closer look. Patek Philippe Calatrava Review & History First introduced in 1932, the Patek Philippe Calatrava line features dress watches inspired by the Bauhaus principle, which states that form should follow function. Elegant, streamlined profiles, sleek finishes, and beautiful details give these watches an air of timeless distinction. The first Patek Philippe Calatrava watch was meant for affordability, with the goal of helping the company (then known as Patek, Philippe & Cie) transition through the Great Depressi...

Notable Watch Index Styles Watches are comprised of so many intricate details from the inside out, some you may not even think of. From an aesthetic perspective, you might prefer a particular case material, dial color, or bracelet style. One element you might overlook is the watch’s indices. Indices are another way to refer to the watch’s hour markers. You may be surprised at how much different types of watch indices can impact the look of the dial. Here, we’ve compiled some common types of indices for you to consider. Arabic Numerals Arabic numerals are the most common symbols for numbers today, replacing Roman numerals. They can appear in watches in different forms. Sometimes, Arabic numerals may number each hour marker from one to twelve. Other watch designs use Arabic numerals at the three, six, nine, and twelve-o’clock positions. Occasionally, you’ll see only a single twelve-o’clock Arabic numeral marker.  In some watches, elements like a date window or...

For awhile, it seemed watches may go the way of the stocking suspender: once considered an essential part of dressing, they were on their way out, made obsolete by technology. But the truth is, it seems there’s something quite satisfying – and stylish – for many to check the time on their wrist, rather than on their phone. What’s more, watches are a visible accessory that can complement any outfit, and they also speak volumes about the wearer. Men often sport them as a prestige item, for example. Others wear watches as an heirloom piece. And still others make a statement about the environment by proudly wearing a vegan watch. Whilst there are several vegan watch brands that have made their debut on the sustainable jewellery market lately, many of them are using plasticky materials for their straps. A more eco-friendly option – and one that does no harm to the skin, as some metals can – is the wood watch. Why Wear Wood Watches Wood holds a primal appeal. Not only i...

Nestled in the bustle of Grand Central Station is a hole-in-the-wall dedicated to the one thing that New Yorkers can’t seem to get enough of – time. Grand Central Watch is a third-generation family business dedicated to the repair, servicing, and restoration of watches. Steve Kivel, the owner, is a family man dedicated to his customers and the legacy built by his father and grandfather. Finding Grand Central Watch is little like trying to find Narnia. You have to know where to look. First, one must navigate the terminal of the station without getting distracted by the ornate decorations at every glance. There are soaring arches, marble facades, and an impossibly blue ceiling featuring constellations of the night sky. From there, you have to locate Track 38 and head down the long hall. However, you can’t walk too fast because in the sea of people around you, you may miss the window. Yes, there is a cutout on your left surrounded by glass and wood display windows fill...

Reinventing the Old with the New Vintage reissues have become an increasingly popular offering in the modern market. Whether commemorating an anniversary or reviving a beloved edition, brands are making vintage reissues a regular part of their catalogs. For some vintage purists, these reeditions can be polarizing. However, many would argue that reissues combine the best of both worlds. They have the charm of the past with the best new materials and technical advancements the market has to offer. Every so often, there’s a reedition that pleases both sides of the fence – a model that hits that sweet spot. It truly captures the essence of its vintage predecessor. It also has just enough modern touches to appeal to the contemporary collector. One such example is the Longines Legend Diver. The Original Longines Legend Diver The roots of the Longines Legend Diver date back to the 1960s during the heyday of amateur and professional diving. The brand’s dive watch efforts b...

Why could a watch with a Hesalite glass be the right choice? This article briefly highlights the properties of this plastic and sheds light on how it differs from glasses made of mineral and sapphire glass. One plastic - many names: Acrylic, Plexi, Hesalite Watch glasses based on the plastic “polymethyl methacrylate” (PMMA) has been produced since the late 1920s. These days, this material is still used under the name acrylic in industry, crafts, medicine and art. Acrylic has also been used in the watch industry for many decades to manufacture watch glasses. Other terms for the same material are Plexi or Hesalite. Subsequently, the term "Hesalite glass", which was first coined by Omega, is used synonymously for all glasses made of polymethyl methacrylate. What are the characteristics of Hesalite? Hesalite glass is much softer than mineral or sapphire glass and therefore much more sensitive to scratches. At first glance, this may look like a disadvantage, ...

Timepieces that are fashioned after aviation instruments and gauges date back to the early and mid-20th century. Manufacturers like Hanhart, LACO, IWC, and Tutima presented the market with instrumental timepieces with elements from a pilot's instrument panel. Pilots and navigators wore aviation watches not just as timepieces but also to complement and verify onboard instruments in the determination of flight time and position. To this day pilot watches represent these panel gauges. For optimal readability in all lighting conditions, the early models had oversized fluorescent indexes. They were equipped and designed so that they could be operated even with gloves. Some had extra-large housing dimensions with a diameter of 50 mm or more. Today, watches find little use in the navigational tasks of aviation, but watch enthusiasts continue to enjoy a great range of beautiful pilot watches. The prices vary depending on the manufacturer and model. They range from several ...

When I am writing, I tend to forget that not everyone is a watch nut or has an in-depth knowledge about watches or watch manufacturers. Of course, this is not mandatory when buying a new watch, but let me at least give you some hints and tips when you are buying a new watch for the first time. Feel free to contribute your own tips and experiences in the comments section. Let’s assume that you already have set your mind on a certain brand and model and are ready to buy. Keep the next five tips in your mind when you are about to purchase that beautiful timekeeper. 1. Ask about After Sales Service     Like a car, a watch needs maintenance. Or – also like a car – a watch can break. Mechanical watches are (partly) made and assembled by human hands, so things might have gone wrong in the process. Also, dropping a watch or bumping it into a door effects a mechanical watch more than it does a quartz watch. So at some point you will need to have the watch servic...

If you have more than one watch, you essentially have a watch collection. So what do you do with your other watch (or watches) when you are leaving home or will be out of town for a couple of days (or weeks)? Allow me to offer a few options for safe storage of any watches you’re not currently wearing, to ensure that your precious collection is not subject to burglary, fire, or other loss. 1. Bank Deposit Box Most banks offer a service in which you can rent a deposit box from them. For a small annual fee, you can store your precious watches, jewelery or important documents in a metal box that will go into a safe room. Normally, these deposit boxes are insured for a certain amount of money (ask for this!). This is perhaps the safest way to tuck away your watches when you’re planning to leave for an extended trip. However, if you’re someone who likes to regularly rotate the watches you wear, it might become annoying to go to the bank, go through the whole safe-visit p...