Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Best in Show


I have always been a huge fan of watches--it must be the accessory lover in me. I think it's also the appeal of taking something utilitarian and making it beautiful. It's very cool to be able to express a little bit about yourself with something you wear every day. 

This week's Portero spotlight is on our best selling watches, so I thought I'd bring you a little bit of background or interesting facts about some of the styles featured. Let's start with the Rolex Submariner (above). You might know that it was introduced in 1954, and was intended for diving. But did you know that this model has also appeared in 11 James Bond movies? Ian Fleming, the character's creator, actually wrote the watch into the series of spy novels, and Sean Connery, Roger Moore, George Lazenby and Timothy Dalton all wore Submariners when in character.  


If you're a fan of the bold design of the Cartier Pasha, you might also be interested to know that Cartier has created a range of accessories in this line that includes pens, money clips, travel clocks and even a USB stick. To watch a close-up film of the details of the Pasha, click right here


Here's an interesting tidbit: The idea for the signature face on the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso came from a game. The year was 1931 and the game was polo: It was in British India that players found they needed a watch with a face that could turn downward to stay out of harm's way during play. 

This innovation left room for initials or a crest to be engraved on the reverse side, which immediately became a hit with high society. The basic design hasn't changed in 65 years. 

To see the other best-selling watches featured this week, click below: