Acceptation that Rolex
is more than an elite maker of timepieces is commonplace.
Its nomenclature is oft used as a synonym to describe
excellence, brilliance, first-rate, superiority,
distinction, or quality. The world of Rolex extends beyond
its products, as the organization is actively involved in
sponsoring major events in both arts and sports. The U.S.
Open Classic, the Kentucky Derby, the Daytona 500, and the
Sardina and Giraglia Rolex Cups are a few of the sports
outings. The firm also is a patron to the arts, supporting
musical efforts and museum tours.
The Net Effect
The Web site is
straightforward and tasteful. The videos and photo galleries
are intriguing. The site's content is tight, offering info
on products, history, philosophy, and procurement. The
site's navigation is smooth. Rolex's philanthropic awards
are centered on achievement in science, technology,
exploration, environmental, or cultural heritage. This
outfit wears its success well.
There is luxury and
then there is luxury-luxury. Generally, when something comes
our way that is viewed as an upper-echelon item, we report
it to our luxury-loving readers and that's that.
Sticker-shock rarely affects anyone here. However, these
wristwatches by Roger Dubuis, priced as high as $250,000,
definitely piqued our attention. . The high-end list price
of the AcquaMare Automatics is $100,000, and the
GoldenSquare Tourbillons are priced from $100,000 to
$250,000.
The Net Effect
The Web site greets
visitors with jazz music. It is quite entertaining. Now that
something nice has been said. It's time to get to work. The
Web site works more like a cyber display showcase than a
functional information disseminator. Navigating through the
site is a tad choppy and slow. If you are looking to find
out where to go to buy one, it may take a while longer than
expected. Even very wealthy people prefer efficiency when
surfing the Net. The site looks nice but it does not perform
very well.
Carl F. Bucherer's
single-copy Queen's Watch is a splashy testimony to his
firm's exquisite craftsmanship and outrageously divine
opulence. However, the Patravi collection shows that
Bucherer's masculine side is equally impressive. After all,
kings have needs too. The Patravi Chronograph GMT series
consists of six variants.
The Net Effect
CFB's Web site is
simple and direct. Navigation is easy. Finding important
info, such as dealers and service centers, is simple to
access. It also is easy to download product info or to email
it. Although there are no videos, there are plenty of
photographs that represent the collections well. This
utilitarian Web site is designed quite well.
Blancpain has produced
haute timepieces for men and women since 1735. Yearly the
prominent Switzerland-based watch manufacturer puts up a
one-off wristwatch for auction to benefit the Monaco
Association of Muscular Dystrophy (Association Monegasque
contre la Myopathie) during the Monaco Yacht Show. This
year's selected timepiece for the Only One auction was Le
Brassus. Its suggested retail price is $135,000. The
Villeret, Léman, Spécialités are other limited-edition
collections currently offered by Blancpain through its
boutiques and exclusive worldwide retailers.
The Net Effect
When I viewed the
videos on Blancpain's Web site, the sound and the picture
kept breaking up. The inconvenience of the steady
interference was a major obstacle. After two attempts on
three different videos, I gave up. The concepts are good but
the delivery needs work. The white text on a black
background makes reading a tedious task. News on the site is
somewhat current, as the latest entry was posted September
2007. It appears the company views its Web site as being
more fanciful than necessary. A company that has been in
business more than 270 years must be doing something right.
However, its Web site could be user "friendlier."
