Did this couple really just use a six-year-old to steal an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore?
Look, we get it. Waitlists are frustrating, and watches are commanding higher values and premiums than ever before. But this has to be a new low. A Romanian couple has been caught red-handed, or rose-gold handed, attempting to steal a Royal Oak Offshore in rose gold from Audemars Piguet worth £67,000 GBP from venerated department store Harrods in the United Kingdom. According to the report, Ilie Para and Marta Para-Bloj, both 33, scoped out a particular model to steal from the Knightsbridge retailer, going so far as to take extensive photos of the watch to help them source a faithful enough replica to attempt to swap during a showing from a sales representative. Like Indiana Jones placing stone in place of the temple idol, the duo felt that with an ultra-realistic replica they would be able to fool the sales clerk long enough to escape the store and country to return home with the watch. So, how did they pull it off? According to the Metro.co.uk report, “When the sales assistant turned her back to them, Para swapped the £67,400 timepiece with a ‘convincing’ replica hidden in the child’s hood, Southwark Crown Court heard.” Under the guise of returning to…
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As times change, the perception of the perfect fit evolves. When wristwatches were created, they were lauded for finally miniaturising the timepiece and making it a compact wearable object versus a large item that had to rest in a pocket. Now it seems, like American politics, the watch community is split in two: one party wants to upscale watches to larger sizes while another wants to bring back the classic sizes of yesteryear. I’ve heard and read people call for larger Submariners and Daytonas, or even bringing watches into the stratosphere of Panerai and Invicta sizing. I wonder who this really benefits; are the average wrists really much larger than the average wrists a century ago? Why are dress watches suddenly sharing equal lug-to-lug measurements of their sportier peers? Who does this really benefit? Are wrists really larger or has the perception of the perfect fit been warped? So, what do I believe is a perfect fit? In my own personal taste, which I would consider more tailored and classic versus modern and bulky, I find that a watch should situate itself in the middle of one’s wrist in a way that the strap or bracelet does not flare down…
If, like me, you love the svelte lines and sharp details of the vintage Heuer Carrera, the new TAG Heuer Carrera Collection blue dial chronograph (available for purchase here) is a reliable, sleek modern rendition. This is faithful to the lineage, in a contemporary 42mm. The deep blue dial blends formality with the clear motorsports lineage of the range, and is yet another strong contender from La Chaux-de-Fonds. There is no doubt that you are wearing a Carrera, yet this shows just how much a new rich colour brings to the resilient DNA. A sleek, suit-ready take on one of the most important chronographs of the last 50 years is no mean feat. The recognisable case is well proportioned, rendered in a vintage-inspired aesthetic, with a dynamic between dial, bezel and case body. The dial emanates a sporty vibe, and should you catch the right angle, you’ll have it winking at you with a delicious hint of purple. The delicate blue sunray scene is complete with sharp polished indices, register pointers and those classic baton hands. Under the caseback sits the Heuer 02 caliber, with its proven track record and weekend-safe 80-hour power reserve, yet another reason why this take…