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TAG Heuer Unveils Its Official Luxury Phone Website

PARIS, March 23, 2009 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ —-The MERIDIIST, the first luxury phone created by watchmaker TAG Heuer, enters a completely new dimension with the worldwide launch of its official website: www.tagheuer.com/meridiist.

The global launch of the website www.tagheuer.com/meridiist precedes BASELWORLD, the World Watch and Jewellery Show that starts March 26th 2009 and during which the most recent MERIDIIST collections are to be presented as a preview.

Truly representing the performance of the MERIDIIST, the website highlights the sleek design and key features of this exceptional luxury phone through images and animated content intended to reflect the TAG Heuer universe of luxury, sports and masculinity.

Following an exclusive two month presentation for VIP clients, the website www.tagheuer.com/meridiist now enables the general public to discover the MERIDIIST as well as other available collections and allows customers to find the closest retail location by country. One section of the website is specially dedicated to preorders and enables customers to reserve the model of their choice without any financial obligation by completing a simple form that is automatically forwarded to the appropriate store.

The showcased MERIDIIST collection consists of seven models, all made of 316L stainless steel yet offering different kinds of keyboard finishing. A range of colors and materials (genuine calfskin leather, rubber and alligator skin) is available to customize the back of the phone and provides clients with the ultimate opportunity to design their phones according to their most luxurious tastes. Prices range from euro 3400 to euro 4500, although some diamond-finished models with prices starting at euro 8500 are already on the horizon.

The successive MERIDIIST launches that have started last August within a selected international distribution network in London, Paris, Geneva, New York, Los Angeles, Dubai, Hong Kong and Singapore have been particularly impressive and herald a true success story for the Swiss brand that is the world leader in prestigious chronograph timepieces.

“The success of MERIDIIST surpasses our keenest expectations and manifests itself in the rapidly growing luxury telephone category. This bears witness to the phone’s incredible attractiveness: a subtle combination of performance with its autonomy of 28 days of stand-by time and attractive design based on precious materials such as stainless steel and sapphire crystal. Customers are in search of an object of differentiation and the MERIDIIST perfectly fits that mindset,” says Steve Amstutz, TAG Heuer’s Managing Director of Communications.

“With a Web presence, we are now hoping to attract an international client base that appreciates the quality of the services we provide as well as our responsiveness,” adds Steve Amstutz.

About TAG Heuer

TAG Heuer, the world leader in prestigious sports watches and chronographs since 1860, is currently the flagship brand of timepieces of the world leader in luxury goods: the LVMH group. The Swiss watchmaking legend draws upon its active engagement in the world of sports to create the most accurate measuring instruments and sports watches in the world. TAG Heuer is today the first watchmaker ever to master luxurious Chronographs with an unsurpassed precision of 1/10th, 1/100th and 1/1,000th of a second. TAG Heuer more than ever epitomizes Prestige and Performance! http://www.tagheuer.com

Antique Watch Repair & Restoration

Renaissance Watch Repair is dedicated to the repair and restoration of vintage and antique pocket watches and wristwatches. We specialize in the repair and restoration of railroad pocketwatches, but we take great pride in bringing any high-quality vintage mechanical watch (wind-up watch) back to life.

We repair most watch brands, including: American Waltham, Elgin, Hamilton, Illinois, Ball, Omega, Bulova, Gruen, Howard, Hampden, Keystone, Longines, South Bend, Rockford and Wittnauer. We also repair and restore mechanical aircraft clocks. Click here for a more complete list of the brands we repair.

With each vintage watch we restore or repair, the goal of our expert watchmaker remains the same: To return your watch to the best possible condition. We want your watch to look and work like new, and we fully guarantee our work.

We are located near Seattle, Washington but we’re as close as your mailbox! We conduct business exclusively through the Internet and US Mail, and we have a long list of satisfied customers throughout the United States and Canada.

We are members in good standing of the Washington Watchmakers - Clockmakers Association, the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC), and the American Watchmakers - Clockmakers Institute (AWCI) where our watchmaker has served on the national Board of Directors.

Visit Renaissance Watch Repair

Slowdown in switzerland luxury watches

The slowdown in demand for new expensive luxury watches is causing a panic in Switzerland, where 2009 is threatening to be the worst year for the Swiss industry since the “quartz crisis” of the 1970s and 1980s, which made mechanical luxury watches technologically obsolete and reduced industry employment to 30,000 from 90,000.

In the article “Luxury watch gut panics Switzerland”, http://network.nationalpost.com the article states, “Switzerland exported 17-billion Swiss francs worth of watches in 2008, a 1-billion franc increase from 2007. Yet exports dropped dramatically at the end of the year, reports the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry. Exports were 1.3-billion francs in December, 2009, a 7.6% drop from December 2007.” Given such negative statistics, this year could prove to be one of the worst years the luxury watch industry has seen in recent history.

Understanding the luxury watch enthusiast

I myself personally am not into luxury watches and I can think of a lot of better things to spend my money on or invest my money in. But lately I’ve come across several luxury watch enthusiasts. I will admit, luxury watches are very attractive and seem to be a status thing in our society, but for me a watch was made to tell the time. But for all of you that do appreciate the quality and beauty of a fine luxury watch I do believe that where you purchase the watch is almost as important as the luxury watch you purchase. Using a very reputable dealer is essential and will be appreciated when or if you go to sell your watch.  From what I’ve read I reccomend Melrose Jewlers, here’s a direct qoute on them from the MSNBC website, “Melrose Jewelers now carries fine luxury Rolex watches including the Rolex Datejust Royal Black with 18k white gold case, 60 baguette sapphires, bezel edge and end pieces with diamonds, black and diamond zebra dial and black and rubber and galuchet strap with 10 diamonds. The Rolex Datejust Royal Black is available in a unisex size in both mens and ladies luxury watches. Melrose Jewelers also carries the 18K Gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner with Black Dial, the 18K Gold ladies Rolex Submariner with Blue Dial, the Stainless Steel Baguette Diamond Black Dial Rolex Submariner, the 50th Anniversary Green Bezel Rolex Submariner, and the Mens Two Tone Rolex Submariner.”

If you’re going to purchase a luxury watch I suggest you check out the article for yourself at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29232076/ .

Safe Gaurding Your Luxury Watch

Did anyone read in the news today about the $45,000 luxury Rolex watch that was stolen at a mall in I believe Florida. Check out the article http://www.orlandosentinel.com . That’s why I’m cautious about owning a luxury watch, especially a Rolex, they are worth so much and so small it makes them easy to steal.

This watch was described as “The Rolex is a self-winding Swiss watch that is waterproof to a depth of 330 feet. The special edition model features a diamond-encrusted bezel and bracelet, according to Rolex’s Web site. Sates tax on the watch would add about $3,000 to its price.” Isn’t that crazy? If your’re going to own a luxury watch such as this you better make sure you get some serious insurance.

The Price of a Luxury Watch

When I bought a new luxury watch I never realized how much it can cost to fix a nice luxury watch. I’ve always wanted a nice luxury watch to wear when I go out to a nice place or something but I didn’t realize the costs that add up for a luxury watches maintanance. Even in an article I read on luxury watched I read titled “You Never Stop Paying for a Luxury Watch as Repair Costs Mount” it directly states “Some 127 million Swiss watches will be due for maintenance as a five-year export boom that tapped newly rich status-seekers from China to Wall Street ends. The costs may both surprise owners and burden producers, including market leaders Swatch Group AG and Cie. Financiere Richemont SA, as they try to please customers in a recession. Expenses from filling repair orders helped push Montres Villemont SA into bankruptcy this year.” Check the article out for yourself at http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601102&sid=aY73d5h8j7XY&refer=uk .