Two weeks ago we brought you details of the most precise chronometer ever certified by the Besançon Observatory since 2006, and it wasn’t an outwardly flamboyant timepiece neither was it flashy.  It was the classically understated, plain almost, Laurent Ferrier Galet Classic.  Now it’s back in the news with an ivory Grand Feu enamel dial and we are pleased to report to you – precision just got purer. Grand Feu enamelling is one of the most traditional master dial-making crafts, created by using fine powders which are applied then fired using high temperatures resulting in a dial appearance of the utmost purity, it requires meticulous skillful attention to detail which is perfectly in keeping with the characteristics of the very special Galet Classic collection. More»

Recently I read on another watch blog that the “DLC Thing” was over, out of date, and so last year.  That maybe so, but watches with pitch black cases, shadowy dials and inky inner workings just keep on coming. As far as blacked-out watches go, the Richard Mille RM 016 Black Night is just about as fly as they get – big, yet flat on the wrist, superbly technical with a skeletonized movement and with the intensity of a vivid red flange just the right touch of drama. More»

Early musical training can help the brain development of children even before they become able to walk or talk, according to the first-ever study of its kind. Researchers of the McMaster University in Ontario, Canada demonstrated that one-year old children who participated in interactive music classes with their parents smiled more, communicated better and showed earlier and more sophisticated brain responses to music.  The trail which its results appeared in the journals Developmental Science and Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, involved a group of babies and their parents who spent six months participating in one of two types of weekly music instruction.  More»

This is the Jaeger-LeCoultre Deep Sea Auto Chronograph which continues the brand’s retrospective into their rich historical portfolio. Perhaps there should be a new category of Dive watches, which are perfectly capable of safely timing a dive but do so quietly.  Without jagged edges, with bezels which conform and remain in proportion with the dial instead of squabbling for domination and which are slightly understated.  So far this year there have been a few such pieces – Maurice Lacroix nailed it with their  Pontos Diving Chronograph – clean dial and sleek lines, and Stepan Saepaneva’s Korona K0 Stepan Sarpaneva’s Korona K0 is one of the most undiver-like divers watches – ever.  If there were such a category, then this is where JLC’s Deep Sea Auto Chronograph would be placed.  It is a bona fide Divers watch, but it keeps its life-saving features firmly under wraps and remains unruffled, nostalgic and refined. More»

This is the Chopard Grand Prix de Monaco Historique Chronograph for 2012. It is a formula that works – a prestigious Motorsport event + a renowned watch brand = a desirable chronograph with mandatory automobile-inspired styling, usually produced in a limited edition.  The brand in this equation is Chopard and the event is Monaco …. but not that one. This is the altogether more understated Grand Prix de Monaco Historique, a biennial event staged by the Automobile Club of Monaco.  Do not be fooled by the “vintage” nature of the racing, this is no Sunday afternoon tootle around the Monaco Grand Prix street circuit – quite the opposite, the vehicles may be classic but they are ex-F1, ex-F3 and pre-raced classic sports cars and each driver in each class has their eyes on the big prize – it doesn’t matter that there are few run-offs and some irreplaceable panels and paintwork just might get obliterated, this is serious racing.  This year’s event runs from Friday 11th to Sunday 13th May. More»

Researchers have found that people who eat fast are at a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to their slow eater counterparts. A team at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences recruited 702 people, including 234 who had recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and 468 healthy people.  When researchers asked participants about their eating habits, they found that people who ate their food faster than others were 2.5 times more likely to be diabetic.  More»

US researchers say people who suffer from clinical depression in middle age are more likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer’s disease later in life.Previous findings had tied depression to dementia, but couldn’t clearly define which of them might develop first.  More»

This is the Hublot Skull Bang developed by Hublot for Laurent Picciotto – and in an almost “guilty pleasure” kind of way it is strangely appealing.  Laurent Picciotto is the founder of Chronopassion, but he is not just a retailer – he is a vanguard for the industry, unafraid to offer patronage to the avant garde, the radical and the unpredictable, as well as the traditional stuff. Unusually in this business, his company aims to please the eclectic and the esoteric and does so successfully.  He portrays himself as a playful character, but his expertise and his influence on the watch industry is incalculable. More»

Consuming zinc supplements can shorten the duration of common cold symptoms in adults with small side effects such as nausea and an unpleasant mouth taste. "Based on an evaluation of 17 trials, people who received zinc had a shorter duration of cold symptoms compared with patients given placebo,” wrote Dr. Michelle Science and colleagues of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.  Zinc is an important mineral that body uses in a variety of processes such as the function of the immune system. Since the nutrient is commonly deficient in the diet of many people, there has been a debate over the benefits of taking zinc supplements for conditions involving the immune system such as infections and cancer.  More»

A chemical found in curry is to be tested for its ability to kill bowel cancer tumours in patients. Curcumin, which is found in the spice turmeric, has been linked to a range of health benefits. Studies have already shown that it can beat cancer cells grown in a laboratory and benefits have been suggested in stroke and dementia patients as well. More»