[ via Businessweek ]

Hermès may have only won about $30,000 in the recent counterfeit lawsuit against eBay, however the case sets a precedent for current and future cases. LVMH currently has a suit pending against eBay, that could cost eBay $57 million dollars. Google has already lost over $400,000 to LVMH in the past, for allowing counterfeiters to purchase keywords on their Adwords network.

Counterfeiting thrives online and I am glad the courts are finally cracking down on this illegal business. It is so unethical that companies such as eBay and Google just sit back and do nothing to prevent counterfeiters from running their illegal operations online.

How many lawsuits will it take before these companies realize that what they are allowing on their networks is inappropriate?

Posted by JP at 2:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Haute Horologerie has just launched a new "Jobs" section on their wristwatch website. I checked it out and they do not have lots of openings listed right now, but you can find jobs from California and New York all the way to Geneva. Great idea as industry specific jobs sites seem to be a growing trend, this helps companies better connect with the people who possess the exact skills they need.

Posted by JP at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

[ via YankoDesign ]

Designer John Pszeniczny has recently released these images of two very unique and desirable concept watches. The wristwatch (top picture) is called the F1 Carbon GMT watch and the one (pictured below) is called the Luna watch. These watches are very cool, but at this point they are still only "concepts". I hope they make it to the production stage, but only time will tell.

Posted by JP at 8:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As promised here are the survey results.

How did you find out about ProfessionalWatches.com?

50% (Referral/Link)
38.5% (Google Search)

What type of internet connection do you have?

88.5% of the readers that responded said they have a high-speed internet connection

What country do you live in?

62.7% U.S.
15.7% Europe
13.7% Canada

Do you subscribe to any watch publications?

26.9% of readers that responded said they do subscribe to a watch publication.
(WatchTime was #1)

What is your age?

74% of readers that responded said they are over 30.
(31-40 age group was 42%)

What is your income?

50% of the readers that responded said they make over $100k per year

What best describes your occupation?

29.4% of readers that responded say they work in Internet/Technology jobs
23.5% of the readers that responded said they are a Owner/CEO/President of a company

How much do you spend on watches per year?

25.5% of readers that responded said they spend $2000-$5000 per year on watches
55.2% of readers that responded said they spend under $2000 per year on watches
19.6% of readers said that responded they spend over $5000 per year on watches

How many watches do you purchase per year?

66.7% of readers that responded said they buy two or more watches per year.

"Thank You" to everyone who participated in this test survey.

Posted by JP at 12:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

[ via NationalJeweler ]

The War Veterans Watchmaker Initiative, in conjunction with the American Watch Guild, will be launching The Watchmaker and Technician Training Program for Disabled War Veterans and War Veterans.

With the number of practicing watchmakers at an all-time-low of 4,400, the goal of the program is to help replenish the shortage of watchmakers and watch technicians.

Read "War Veterans Watchmaking Technician Training Program" »

Posted by JP at 1:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Images courtesy of SwissTime.

Posted by JP at 12:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

[ via Gizmodo ]

The ZeroPointZero concept handcuffs wristwatch is a very cool design. It looks more like a bracelet than a watch, but I bet women will really like that. Luis Beruman is the designer and you can see this and other designs here.

Posted by JP at 1:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

[ via GearPatrol ]

I do not know much about EPMartin watches, but their new Limited Edition Sahara Chronograph is a pretty nice looking timepiece. It costs a hefty $1295, but $500 goes directly to H2O Charity in Africa.

Posted by JP at 12:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This Diesel watch looks like a stainless steel bracelet, but it actually has a flip-top case that hides the a black dial. The watch uses a quartz movement and is water resistant to 50 meters. Not sure this is my style, but it is definitely unique. Buy at Macy's for $170 here.

Posted by JP at 7:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

MGI Luxury Group (Movado watches) took over the Hugo Boss wristwatch license in 2004 and they re-launched the brand at BaselWorld 2006. They have come up with several collections: Boss Black, Boss Orange, Boss Green and Hugo. The "Hugo" line has not yet been introduced, although it sounds like they are planning a 2009 Baselworld intro. They have been able to combine some costs to provide a lower cost to consumers, which is definitely necessary when you are dealing with a watch brand with so little watch history. Overall they look nice, but I really wonder if they will ever have the same appeal as their fashion line.

Posted by JP at 6:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

[ via Engadget ]

Here is the new Garmin Forerunner 405 which has GPS, a speed, distance and heart rate monitoring and it can be controlled through a touch-sensitive bezel. It costs $299 if you are interested in GPS on your wrist.

Posted by JP at 1:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Thank You for the great year! PW currently receives over 50,000 visitors every month and that number just keeps on growing. You have made it a great year here at ProfessionalWatches.com and we wish you a Happy New Year! Please be safe and have a great New Year's Eve.

Posted by JP at 8:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Autoblog

Here is a Quattro Valvole wristwatch by Italian watchmaker Meccaniche Veloci. Meccaniche Veloci means "mechanical speed". This watch has four distinct faces for tracking time in four different time zones, each with its own Swiss mechanical movement. The case is made of aluminum with titanium fixtures. The Quattro Valvole comes is numerous colors and the asking price is $5,500.

Posted by JP at 9:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

[ via Tokyo Flash ]

I usually do not like this type of digital quartz watch, but in this case I think I will have to make an excpetion. The S-Mode Oberon will only set you back $135 at Tokyo Flash. The case and bracelet are made of stainless steel with a black ion plated treatment. This watch uses LED's to indicate the time. The outer ring indicates hours, the 2nd ring indicates minutes and the third ring indicates minutes in groups of ten. If you activate the pusher you can also display the date using dots. Not sure about quality, but for only 14,900 Yen you cannot go wrong.

Posted by JP at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

[ via The Watch Quote ]

Just over six months after childhood friends Marcello Binda (President of Wyler Genève’s parent company, the Binda Group) and Andrea Zagato (President of the eponymous company) first announced the partnership between exclusive atelier and luxury watch brand, the two companies are proud to present in record time a timepiece that perfectly combines the DNA of both brands. Read More.....

Posted by JP at 2:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

[ via Nauticfish ]

The Nauticfish One Thousand PVD Diver is German made with a Swiss mechanical movement ETA caliber 2824-2. The case and bracelet are made of stainless steel with a PVD treatment. The case is 45mm x 17mm with a 4mm sapphire crystal. It is water resistant to a respectable 1000m and costs $1,165.

Posted by JP at 12:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)