James Bond Watches

He doesn’t just have a license to kill; he also has a license to tell time. Bond’s creator Ian Fleming made sure to give the world’s most famous secret agent a wrist watch in his novels. In the eleventh volume (there are a total of 14 original editions), On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, which was published in 1963, Fleming offers the reader a very precise description of this watch. James sees a “heavy Rolex Oyster Perpetual on a metal watch bracelet as he awakes in the middle of the night. And Fleming remained with this watch brand in all future Bond adventures.

When 007 finally made it onto the silver screen in 1962, he made sure to wear his watch. In Doctor No, Bond, played by Sean Connery, wears a Rolex Submariner.

At that time he still had to do without any of Q’s additional features that would later rescue the clever daredevil with a fondness for martinis (shaken, not stirred) from many life-threatening situations.
James Bond would receive his first watch gadget in 1965’s Thunderball. His watch featured a built-in Geiger counter that he can use to measure radioactivity levels in his surroundings. The watch was made by Q and does not bear a manufacturer’s name.
In later 007 films the MI6 agent frequently moved on from one watch brand to the next – but not quite as often as he found a new woman.
In Live and Let Die, the Bond watch features a buzz saw with which 007 is able to free himself from his shackles. An integrated magnet also diverts bullets. The watchmaker is not named, but Rolex is thanked in the credits, so it can be assumed that the watch came from the Swiss manufacturer.

From then on Bond routinely received chronographs from Q that featured diverse gadgets. Some were made by Rolex, some came without a brand name, and several were made by Seiko (The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, A View to a Kill).

James Bond has worn cheap watches by Omega since 1995’s Goldeneye. The agent, played by Pierce Brosnan, wears a watch with a remote detonator for bombs and a laser beam to help him escape from an armored train. The Omega Seamaster Professional features a blue dial and quartz caliber. The watch was launched by the Swatch Group in 1993 as a professional diving watch that was water-resistant up to 300 meters.

One secret agent episode and two years later Bond wore the chronometer version of the Goldeneye Seamaster. In Tomorrow Never Dies, Bond opts for a Seamaster Professional with automatic caliber that saves his life with an integrated detonator.

The silver screen hero also saves the world with an Omega Seamaster Professional on his wrist in The World Is Not Enough (1999) and Die Another Day (2002). In the former, Bond once again finds himself in deep trouble. Literally. He is buried under 30 feet of snow by an avalanche. But Bond has his Omega. In the bezel hides a wire with a grappling hook. Bond takes aim for a secure target. With the press of a button the hook flies from the crown and the bezel whirls at lightning speed. Once the grappling hook is firmly anchored, the bezel begins turning in the opposite direction, lifting 007 out of the avalanche.
In Die Another Day, Bond must face off against industrial giant Gustav Graves, a villain working on a satellite weapon. James’ watch features a remote detonator in the place of the helium valve, which is operated by turning the bezel. The secret agent can also activate a laser from the crown of the watch.

Bond fans love these technical gadgets and have been known to ask their watchmakers if they have any Bond watches.
2006’s Casino Royale not only introduces us to a new Bond actor – Pierce Brosnan left the franchise and was replaced by a new, harder Daniel Craig, who has been thrilling us on the silver screen ever since – it is also the first film in which 007 wears two different watches. The 00 agent received an Omega Seamaster Professional with a coaxial escapement. With its blue dial, unidirectional rotating bezel, screw-down crown, helium escape valve and 300 m water resistance, the James Bond watch looked just as good as the star actor.

The second watch the MI6 agent wears in Casino Royale is a Seamaster Planet Ocean measuring 45.5 mm in diameter. It is also an Omega caliber 2500 with coaxial escapement. Water-resistant up to 600 m, it allows Bond to get into even more dangerous situations – under water, too, of course – and get out again. It can be seen in the first part of the movie before making way for the Seamaster Diver.

Omega launched both of these watches as limited versions when the film was released. Both models had several Bond features like the 007 logo at the tip of the seconds hand and on the case back and clasp.
Bond ceased wearing a blue Omega Seamaster Professional in 2008 when A Quantum of Solace hit theaters.

The agent wore a Seamaster Planet Ocean  instead. This 42 mm watch is somewhat smaller than the Planet Ocean seen in Casino Royale. The watch’s design is reminiscent of the Seamaster watches from the 1950s. Omega introduced a similar model prior to the release of the film. It featured the 007 logo on the seconds hand, a special case back and the film title on the dial.

Omega then also launched a Seamaster Professional to coincide with the movie’s release: the Seamaster Diver 300 m James Bond 007 Collector’s Piece. The dial on this limited James Bond edition is black. The 41 mm watch also features the 007 logo at the tip of the seconds hand. This Omega caliber 2500 Seamaster with coaxial escapement is water-resistant up to 300 m.

The watch brand from Biel, Switzerland launched a special edition of the Seamaster to celebrate 50 years of James Bond movies. The limited Classic Seamaster Professional coaxial 300 m has a diameter of 41 mm and is powered by a certified chronometer, automatic caliber 2507 with coaxial escapement.

In addition to the 007 logo on the dial, this James Bond watch also features an opening on the back of the case that allows an open view of the rotor. This, together with the design of the case back, creates a stylish pistol barrel appearance.

And Omega released a limited Planet Ocean  just in time for the latest Bond film, Skyfall, which hit theaters in November 2012. It is water-resistant up to 600 m, features a helium outlet valve and a unidirectional rotating ceramic bezel. The 007 logo sits atop the dial at the seven o’clock position and on the stainless steel clasp. The Bond watch is powered by a caliber 8507 with coaxial escapement, silicon spirals and a certified chronometer.  A sapphire glass bottom offers a view of both the movement and the rotor, which features a “Skyfall 007” engraving.

Christie’s put the watch worn by Daniel Craig during filming “Skyfall” on auction on October 5. It was a titanium Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M – a one-of-a-kind model that is otherwise only offered in stainless steel. The 42 mm titanium watch sold for 194,000 EUR (based on the conversion rate at the time). The watch features the chronograph caliber 8500 with 60 hours of reserve power.  745TDBanty 130927

How to fix your broken watch?

If you ever considered fixing a broken watch, it can be quite a complicated issue. Since there are many different kinds of cheap watches, it will be difficult to apply just one single method to fixing all of them. Different watches demand various techniques because some watches are more completed than others. While watches may differ, the problems these watches will encounter will generally be the same. If your watch is broken, it usually means that it has stopped displaying the correct time or a piece from the watch is broken. Here are some steps that you can take to fix your watch.

If you find that your watch has simply just stopped working, the problem might just be as simple as a dead battery. If you see that your watch is broken because of a dead battery, all you simply have to do is replace the dead battery. Remember to check the size of your battery before you go out to purchase a new one. All watches do not use the same battery. Your watch could also have stopped working because it was contaminated with water or fluid. Water or fluid can damage the inner part of your watch. If that is the case, your best bet would be to see a qualified watch repairer.

If the face of your watch has been cracked, you can possibly get a replacement. Some replacement come in the form of plastic cover if you decide not to go with a glass cover. Some watches can be extremely difficult finding a replacement. Sometimes the replacement parts might be more expensive than the actual watch. If that is the case with you, you might just have to consider getting a new watch.
The band of a watch is the easiest part to replace. Most repairers or shops have an assortment of band for you to choose from. They might also be able to fix your broken band. The band is much easier to replace since it does not have any mechanical part attached to it.
I only recommend self repair if you know what you are doing. If you have an expensive watch, I would advice you to take it to the watch repairer. You don't want to take your expensive watch apart and then not have a clue on how to put it back together. It is much better for you to spend the extra money on a watch repairer than going out and getting a brand new watch.  745TDBanty 130925

Beijing Watch Factory Wu Ji Infinite Universe Bi-Axial Tourbillon Watch

Chinese watchmaking is nothing new, nor is it unsophisticated. All of this is evidenced by the 2013 Wu Ji watch by the Beijing Watch Factory. "Wu Ji" apparently translates from Mandarin to "Infinite Universe" in English, a lofty title typical of Chinese naming practices. That said, the Beijing Watch Factory should be proud. Once again they've broken ground for their country by producing what they claim is the most complicated watch produced on mainland China. What impresses me more is the brand itself, and their rather atypically refined sense of composure.
China isn't known for creative watch design. China is known for production, copying, and diligence - which applies to their own watch industry as well. From a production and consumption standpoint, China is the most important place in the world for cheap watches. All but the most exclusive of Swiss watch brands rely heavily on China for the production of watch parts - such as cases and straps - even when they contain "Swiss Made" movements. Native Chinese brands are nevertheless marred by national qualities which oppose many of the qualities that allow for beautiful watchmaking. Ask the Swiss how they make watches and they use the term "slow" and "careful" a lot. China's industrial power comes from the fact that they aren't slow and often not careful. So why do we expect them to make good watches the Swiss way? The simple answer is that they don't.

Although, these generalities aren't rules. Not all Chinese watches exhibit confusing and awkward designs that that woefully seek to emulate European aesthetics. There are, however, excellent examples of Chinese watchmakers who emulate the Swiss rather well. This is both the strength and weakness of the Chinese watch industry. To be considered "good" by traditional standards, they need to still copy the West. To be bad, they need only to copy poorly. No matter what China is still copying, my hope at least - and there are positive signs of this - is that with China's serious and sincere love of watches we will eventually see unique design in both the outside and inside of their domestically made watches.
While there are many elements of Swiss watch design seen in the Wu Ji, it is a pleasantly original and interesting timepiece. While elements such as overall aesthetic in many of Beijing Watch Factory's designs are inherently European, they do however take many artistic liberties in producing unique products. The Wu Ji is a glowing and ambitious example of what they can produce. Even though Chinese watch manufacturing is huge, those that can produce credible mechanical watches are still limited and few watch lovers would claim that Chinese-made mechanical movements are excellent. I am not an expert on all Chinese movements, but I do know that most of them are copies of Swiss movements. The mechanism in the Infinite Universe clearly isn't. While an inspection of the movement makes it clear that this is a Chinese creation, I found many of the unique elements quite interesting. What I love about this watch is how the complications are much more than skin deep. What you see is only half of what you get. First and foremost, I'll explain how you even tell the time.

It would be wrong to look at this watch dial and assume you can read the time as you would on most other round-dialed watches. In fact only the upper half of the dial is used to read the time. A shortened scale for all 12 hours is placed on the top half of the dial, and both the hour and minute hand have retrograde mechanisms that have them jump back to the starting point when necessary. This makes the dial extremely confusing at first if you don't know what you are looking at. I was playing with it to set the time and noticed the hands were jumping around wildly. "Is the watch broken?" I wondered until I realized what I was seeing. The large bi-axial tourbillon at the bottom of the dial is so tall that the watch maker decided he never wanted the hands to go over it. The double retrograde system for the hour and minute hand is designed to prevent the hands from ever accidentally touching it. The benefit is a watch with such a tourbillon system that does not require a "bubble" in the crystal. At 17.2mm thick, the watch could certainly have been thicker.
The tourbillon element of the Wu Ji is quite amusing. What you have is a bi-axial tourbillon that is basically a smaller tourbillon inside of a larger tourbillon. Then you have a traditional flying tourbillon as a separate element on the dial. I've never before seen a watch with two different types of tourbillons on the dial. It is interesting, to say the least. The traditional tourbillon has a pleasant bird-shaped bridge which I enjoy. In addition to the tourbillons and the unique time telling system, the Wu Ji watch also contains a retrograde date indicator as well as a power reserve indicator. The manually wound movement holds just over 50 hours of power reserve. On the rear of the watch is an additional complication; a moon phase indicator, with a blue enameled disc.

Claimed accuracy for the caliber TB09 movement isn't bad. Beijing Watch Factory says the Wu Ji is accurate to about plus or minus 10 seconds a day. That isn't quite chronometric standards, but probably in line with many Swiss tourbillons. Other Chinese movements can often be off by as much as a minute a day. So all things being considered, 10 seconds a day for this type of complex movement is pretty good.
What the watch cannot escape from is China's ubiquitous use of machine-decorated parts. Timepieces of this quality in Switzerland exhibit a high level of hands-on attention. Of course the Wu Ji was hand-assembled, but like its lower-priced brethren, it uses parts that have machine polishes. Skilled watch lovers, for example, can always spot "Chinese Geneva stripes" as oppose to the more refined Cotes de Geneve lines on Swiss watches. The Chinese watch industry has all the money and motivation to up their ante a bit when it comes to decoration, but it is possible it just isn't in their DNA. Traditional Swiss watch making goes to great and careful lengths to ensure that movement aesthetics are perfect. They use special woods to polish metals and age-old techniques that perhaps never quite made their way over to China. The real culprit however is probably sheer time. Watch movement decoration is the most time consuming part of high-end watch making. To keep prices and production schedules reasonable, I simply don't think that China can handle the intense slowness of the Swiss.

On the wrist, the Beijing Watch Factory Wu Ji is 44mm wide and sits large thanks to its wide lugs. The case comes in either 18k rose gold or platinum. The inspiration for the design is clearly Greubel Forsey-ish, but it looks decent and I am happy that it isn't just something simple and round. Nothing like a boring perfectly round case to destroy an otherwise unique wearing experience. The Infinite Universe is conservative, but has learned that boring isn't the same thing. The level of uniqueness mixed with traditional looks is an art that Europeans have learned well, and the Wu Ji is the latest to replicate that. Does it succeed? It really depends on who you ask.
Beijing Watch Factory has succeeded in impressing me - a lot. It has also succeeding in producing something that is both unique and interesting, but is also the type of thing that even the most snobbish watch lovers will take notice of. Complex Chinese watches are here and here to stay, and they are getting better each year. Are they alternatives to the more expensive Swiss stock? Yes, but they aren't outright replacements. Swiss watches will probably always beat Chinese watches when it comes to sheer refinement and attention to detail. More and more I am convinced that this is caused by a fundamental difference in culture and values. It isn't a matter of better or worse, but what goes into the production of tiny mechanical art. Having said that, the Chinese will always beat the Swiss when it comes to price.
What makes the high-end Chinese watch industry unique is that they are trying to provide something that the current culture is not set up to do as well as the Europeans, and to me that is an admirable feat. In a huge way it is ironic as the Chinese are the post ardent appreciators of Swiss watch making craftsmanship. Perhaps because it is so counter to their own culture's production values. Pride however is strong in both cultures, and brands like the Beijing Watch Factory thrive on being able to be Chinese and be the best at what they do. As it stands we will continue to watch as the Chinese develop new and interesting movements, and no longer consider them as a a mere novelty not worth the investment of real watch lover money. And an investment the Wu Ji is. Given the complexity the watch it is arguably well priced, but still lofty, going for between 460,000 - 520,000 Chinese Yuan. That is about $75,000 - $85,000.   745TDBanty 130922

iPhone 5S Review

For much of the iPhone's life Apple has enjoyed a first-mover advantage. At the launch of the first iPhone, Steve Jobs expected the device and OS would give it a multi-year head start over the competition. Indeed that's how the market played out. Although Android was met with some early success, it wasn't until well after the launch of the first Android devices that we started seeing broad, mainstream acceptance of the platform. The iPhone bought Apple time, and together with the iPad it brought Apple a tremendous amount of profit over the years. The trick of course is turning a first-mover advantage into an indefinitely dominant market position, a difficult task when you're only making one device a year.
Today we find Apple in a very different position. The iPhone is still loved by a very loyal customer base, but the competition is much stronger than it was back in 2007. The modern smartphone market has also evolved. When Apple introduced the original iPhone with its 3.5" display, Steve called it "giant" on stage. Today even HTC's One mini ships with a 4.3" display.
Last year we saw Apple begin to address the changing landscape with the iPhone 5. The 5 saw Apple moving to a thinner, lighter chassis with much better internals and a significantly larger display. While there is market demand for Apple to do the same again, and move to an even larger display, there are some traditions Apple is sticking to. In this case, it's the tradition of the S-update.
The iPhone 5s continues Apple’s tradition of introducing a performance focused upgrade for the last year of any new chassis design. The first time we encountered an S-update was with the 3GS, which took the iPhone away from its sluggish ARM11 roots and into the world of the Cortex A8.
The next S-upgrade came with the iPhone 4S: Apple’s first smartphone to use a dual-core SoC. At the time I remember debate over whether or not a performance upgrade alone was enough to sell a new device, especially one that didn’t look any different. I’m pretty much never happy with the performance I have, so I eagerly welcomed the new platform. Looking back at the iPhone 4 vs. 4S today, I’d say the investment was probably worth it. In preparation for this review I threw iOS 7 on every iPhone that would support it, dating back to the iPhone 4. In my experience, the 4 is a bit too slow running iOS 7 - the 4S really should be the minimum requirement from a performance standpoint.
That brings us to the iPhone 5s, the third in a list of S-upgrades to the iPhone platform. Like the S-devices that came before it, the iPhone 5s is left in the unfortunate position of not being able to significantly differentiate itself visually from its predecessor. This time around Apple has tried to make things a bit better by offering the 5s in new finishes. While the iPhone 5 launched in silver and black options, the 5s retains silver, replaces black with a new space grey and adds a third, gold finish.

old black iPhone 5 (left) vs. new space grey iPhone 5s (right)

I was sampled a space grey iPhone 5s, which worked out well given my iPhone 5 was black. The new space grey finish is lighter in color (truly a grey rather than a black) and has more prominently colored chamfers. The move to a lighter color is likely to not only offer a little bit of visual differentiation, but also to minimize the appearance of scuffs/scratches on the device. My black iPhone 5 held up reasonably well considering I carry it without a case, but there’s no denying the fact that it looks aged. Interestingly enough, I never really got any scratches on the back of my 5 - it’s the chamfers that took the biggest beating. I have a feeling the new space grey finish will hold up a lot better in that regard as well.

The addition of a gold option is an interesting choice. Brian and I saw the gold iPhone up close at Apple’s Town Hall event and it really doesn’t look bad at all. It’s a very subtle gold finish rather than a gaudy gold brick effect. I think gold is likely the phone I’d opt for simply because it’d be very different than everything else I have, but otherwise space grey is probably the best looking of the three devices to me.

Along with the new finishes come new leather cases to protect the 5s. These cases are designed and sold by Apple, and they are backwards compatible with the iPhone 5 as well. Apple calls them leather cases but I'm not entirely sure if we're talking about real leather here or something synthetic. Either way, the new cases feel great. They've got a very smooth, soft texture to them, and are lined with a suede like material.

The new cases don't add a tremendous amount of bulk to the device either. The cases are available in 5 different colors and retail for $39:

I was sampled a beige case and have been using it non-stop for the past week. I really like the case a lot and it did a great job protecting the 5s over the past week while I was traveling. I took all of the photos of the review device after I returned home from traveling, but thanks to the case the device still looked as good as new. If you're considering one of these cases you might want to opt for a darker color as the edges of my case started to wear from constantly pulling the phone out of my pockets:

If you're fine with the distressed leather look then it's not a concern, but if you're hoping to keep your case pristine you may want to look at other cases. If you want a more affordable & more rugged option, Brian turned me on to the Magpul Field case which should work perfectly with the iPhone 5s.
Since the 5s is an S-upgrade, the chassis remains unchanged compared to the iPhone 5. The 5s’ dimensions are identical to that of the iPhone 5, down to the last millimeter of size and gram of weight. Construction, build quality and in-hand feel continue to be excellent for the iPhone 5s. Despite the diet the iPhone went on last year, the 5/5s chassis is still substantial enough to feel like a quality product. I remember criticisms of the iPhone 5 at launch, saying that it felt too light. Now going back and holding an iPhone 4S, it feels like the very opposite is true - the 4S was too heavy

The iPhone 5s design remains one of the most compact flagship smartphones available. The move to a 4-inch display last year was very necessary, but some will undoubtedly be disappointed by the lack of any further progress on the screen dimension front. A larger display obviously wasn’t in the cards this generation, but I have a strong suspicion Apple has already reconsidered its position on building an even larger iPhone. Part of the problem is the iPhone’s usable display area is very much governed by the physical home button and large earpiece/camera area at the top of the device. Building a larger iPhone that isn’t unwieldy likely requires revisiting both of these design decisions. It’s just too tall of an order for a refresh on the same chassis.
Brian often talks about smartphone size very much being a personal preference, and for many the iPhone 5 continues to be a good target. If you fall into that category, the 5s obviously won’t disappoint. Personally, I would’ve appreciated something a bit larger that made better use of the front facing real estate. The 5s’ width is almost perfect for my hands. I could deal with the device being a little larger, with the ideal size for me landing somewhere between the iPhone 5 and the Moto X.
It remains to be seen the impact display size has on iPhone sales. Anecdotally I know a number of die hard iPhone users who simply want a larger display and are willing to consider Android as a result. I still believe that users don’t really cross shop between Android and iOS, but if Apple doesn’t offer a larger display option soon then I believe it will lose some users not because of cross shopping, but out of frustration.
As a refreshed design, the iPhone 5s carries over all of the innovations we saw in the 5 last year. The iPhone 5s features the same Lightning connector that debuted on the iPhone 5, and has since been extended to the iPad lineup as well as the new iPods.
As with all other S-upgrades, the biggest changes to the iPhone 5s are beneath the aluminum and glass exterior. The 5s’ flagship feature? Apple’s new A7 SoC. The A7 is the world's first 64-bit smartphone SoC, and the first 64-bit mobile SoC shipping in a product (Intel’s Bay Trail is 64-bit but it won’t ship as such, and has yet to ship regardless). In addition to the new 64-bit SoC Apple upgraded both cameras in the iPhone 5s and added a brand new fingerprint sensor called Touch ID. Of course the iPhone 5s is one of the first new iPhones to ship with iOS 7 from the factory.

	Apple iPhone 5	Apple iPhone 5c	Apple iPhone 5s
SoC	Apple A6	Apple A6	Apple A7
Display	4-inch 1136 x 640 LCD sRGB coverage with in-cell touch
RAM	1GB LPDDR2		1GB LPDDR3
WiFi	2.4/5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n, BT 4.0
Storage	16GB/32GB/64GB	16GB/32GB	16GB/32GB/64GB
I/O	Lightning connector, 3.5mm headphone
Current OS	iOS 7
Battery	1440 mAh, 3.8V, 5.45 Whr	1507 mAh, 3.8V, 5.73 Whr	1570 mAh, 3.8V, 5.96 Whr
Size / Mass	123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm, 112 grams	124.4 x 59.2 x 8.97 mm, 132 grams	123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm, 112 grams
Camera	8MP iSight with 1.4µm pixels Rear Facing 1.2MP with 1.75µm pixels Front Facing	8MP iSight with 1.4µm pixels Rear Facing 1.2MP with 1.9µm pixels Front Facing	8MP iSight with 1.5µm pixels Rear Facing + True Tone Flash 1.2MP with 1.9µm pixels Front Facing
Price	$199 (16GB), $299 (32GB), $399 (64GB) on 2 year contract	$99 (16GB), $199 (32GB) on 2 year contract	$199 (16GB), $299 (32GB), $399 (64GB) on 2 year contract

The iPhone 5s also breaks with tradition in a couple of ways. The 5s is the first iPhone in recent history to not be offered up for pre-order. Apple expects demand for the iPhone 5s to severely outstrip supply, and as a result won't be accepting pre-orders on the 5s.
The other big change is what happens to the previous generation iPhone. In the past, Apple would discount the previous generation iPhone by $100 on-contract and continue to sell those devices at low capacity points. A two-generation old iPhone was often offered for free on-contract as well. This time, the iPhone 5s replaces the iPhone 5 at the high end, but the iPhone 5 ceases production. Instead, the 5 is replaced with a cost reduced version (the iPhone 5c). As the glass & aluminum iPhone 5/5s chassis likely doesn't scale well in price, coming up with a new polycarbonate design for slightly lower price points makes sense. I have written a separate piece on the iPhone 5c as I have more than enough to talk about with the iPhone 5s in this review.  iphone 5 cases iphone 5s cases iphone 5c cases iphone 5 skins iphone 5s skins iphone 5c skins iphone 5 screen protectors iphone 5s screen protectors iphone 5c screen protector
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iPhone 5S, 5C score 100,000 reservations at China

 

 

Apple's latest iPhones have already snagged a healthy number of consumers in China.
China Unicom, the country's second biggest mobile provider, has seen more than 100,000 reservations for the two new phones since they took Apple's stage early last week, Bloomberg said on Monday. Reservations hit that level even though the carrier has yet to reveal its pricing for the new lineup.

The iPhone 5C is up for preorder around the world, while the 5S won't be available at all until September 20. But reservations are different from preorders.
An online reservation doesn't require money upfront but promises the consumer the reserved phone from available stock come September 20. On that date, customers can visit an Apple Store in China or Hong Kong where employees will help them pick the right mobile plan, set up e-mail, and transfer contacts.
China Telecom subscribers who buy one of the new iPhones will have to contend with a slightly lower subsidy. A monthly plan that costs 289 yuan ($47) for the iPhone 5S carries a subsidy of 2,890 yuan ($472), 15 percent less than the 3,400 yuan ($555) for the iPhone 5 under the same plan, Hong Kong-based analyst Eva Yip told Bloomberg.
Fellow carrier China Telecom will offer the 5C and 5S with downpayments of 4,488 yuan ($733) and 5,288 yuan ($864), respectively. The phones are free for subscribers who opt for a two-year contract with a minimum monthly plan costing 329 yuan ($53) for the 5C and 389 yuan ($63) for the 5S, Bloomberg added.
China Mobile still doesn't offer the iPhone. But the latest reports say Apple may be close to reaching a deal with the country's largest carrier. 745TDBanty 130916 iphone 5 cases iphone 5s cases iphone 5c cases iphone 5 skins iphone 5s skins iphone 5c skins iphone 5 screen protectors iphone 5s screen protectors iphone 5c screen protectors

Cars Change, Watches Don’t: Looking At Cadillacs & Rolex Over The Years

I'll admit it. I love watches and I love cars. To me, they both represent a higher state of where design and machinery intersect. And being in the watch business for all of my life (I’m a 4th generation watchmaker, and founder of TimeZone.com), I always seem to find a correlation between people who own fine luxury cars, and those who own fine cheap watches. Having said that, the world of watches is amusingly different than that of cars.
I’ve always played a little game in my head as to what car corresponds to which watch - like those matching games you’d play in the newspaper. So match the car with the watch... Here are a few of my matches: Panerai and BMW, Lange and Maybach, Patek and Mercedes, Jaeger and Lexus, IWC and Audi, and the quintessential American luxury car: Cadillac and Rolex. The luxury car and watch for the masses.

I was brought up in the 1960’s and 1970’s, and I remember so vividly the anticipation of the new car design lineups each September when the car companies released the next year’s models. What shape would the car be?…how would the taillights look? Would the grill be redesigned? What colors would be available? What horsepower would the engines have? It was a veritable cornucopia of new head spinning stuff. In the same vein, when I became an authorized dealer for luxury watches, I couldn’t wait to go to the Las Vegas Jewelry and watch show each June and see what tasty morsels the gremlins from Switzerland had in store for us. What shape design would the watches be, how would the case back show, what color dials would be available, what would the crown look like, and how many jewels would the movement have? It was a veritable cornucopia of new head spinning stuff (again).
But, I always seemed to scratch my head when I saw what new stuff Rolex would come out with… nothing really seemed to change for the most well-known models.
Rolex introduced their quintessential model, the Oyster Perpetual Datejust, sometime in the mid 1950’s. And it slowly evolved into the traditional model of today around 1957. Most of the models from this time were produced in yellow gold, although they did produce some in rose gold for the South American market. Rolex made the radical decision to release this watch in steel in the late 1950’s, and the watch took off. In fact, to Rolex’s surprise, the steel versions started to far outsell the gold models so much, that they decided to release the “two-tone” version in 1962 to fill in the marketing gap. And the rest is history. The Rolex “two-tone” Datejust became the quintessential Rolex watch.

However, to Rolex’s chagrin... this watch also became the most copied watch in the world… everyone made a Rolex “two-tone” Datejust: Seiko, Benrus, Invicta, Bulova, Citizen, etc., etc...
If everyone made this watch, why didn’t Rolex evolve the design to stay ahead of the pack… as the car manufacturers did? The Rolex from the early 1960’s pretty much looks like the Rolex of the current year. Can a watch company rest on its design laurels forever? Some would say yes and some would say the competition is very healthy.
Certainly, the car companies didn’t rest on their design winners, and each year they strove to refine and expand their design concepts for each model, and the same models from the 1960’s don’t even remotely resemble the models of their current lineups.
Taking my car match from above, let’s take a ride through history on the design evolution of the quintessential American car, the Cadillac, and the quintessential Rolex watch, the “two-tone” Datejust. Both Classics.

Here we see the 1959 Cadillac in all its glory. Long, with the beautiful and famous rear fins. Great colors and trademark grille. Also pictured is the early 1960’s Rolex “two-tone” Datejust in all its glory. A radical new design concept for the watch connoisseur.

Classic Cadillac from 1962, with more refined and streamlined fins. New colors. Classic Rolex “two-tone” Datejust . Continuation of a winning design.

1968 Cadillac with more refining on the body style. Elimination of the radical fender fins. New Colors. Classic Rolex “two-tone” Datejust . Continuation of a winning design.

1974 Cadillac with more refining and streamlining. New Colors and new appointments.. Classic Rolex “two-tone” Datejust . Continuation of a winning design.

1980 Cadillac. Exploring new design directions. Much more refined and aerodynamic. Interesting luxury colors. Classic Rolex “two-tone” Datejust . Continuation of a winning design.

1986 Cadillac, Still long and luxurious, but now refined for better gas mileage. Classic Rolex “two-tone” Datejust . Continuation of a winning design.

2006 Cadillac. Sportier and more European design looks. Classic Rolex “two-tone” Datejust . Continuation of a winning design.

2010 Cadillac. Design more futuristic and aerodynamic for better mileage and less drag. Classic Rolex “two-tone” Datejust . Continuation of a winning design (sic).

2013 Cadillac. Completely unrecognizable from its 1959 ancestor. Modern, sleek, futuristic. Classic Rolex “two-tone” Datejust . Waking up next to the same face.
Of course, many of you will say, “If it isn’t broken, then don’t fix it.” Why screw with a design that works and is still popular? The DateJust is king," etc... One thing that is interesting is how the Datejust watch looks relevant and tasteful next to each of these Cadillacs, but in a slightly different manner alongside each different car. Another response is that it is time to move on, look towards the future and let’s upgrade the design of the Datejust. Rolex could create a whole new quintessential Datejust (though they did increase the size with the Datejust II). Time marches on...   745TDBanty 130913

Sony: PS3 to PS4 upgrade pricing set

During Sony's Gamescom press keynote, president Andrew House revealed a program that would allow consumers to upgrade from select PS3 remote titles to their PS4 counterparts for a "significantly discounted price." UK managing director Fergal Gara told Digital Spy that the pricing will be dictated by publishers.

"What will happen is, the PS4 digital file will be made available on the PlayStation Store - as it would be anyway - at launch, and the PS3 discs will be sold through retail. What the consumer can then do, for a premium to be defined by the publisher, is access the PS4 digital game and then provided they still have the PS3 disc, they will be able to play the PS4 version when they decide to buy the next gen."

Call of Duty: Ghosts, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, Watch Dogs and Battlefield 4 are the first games eligible for this promotion. GameStop and Amazon both announced they will offer similar upgrade options for Xbox 360 to Xbox One games, though nothing has been announced from either retailer regarding PS3 to PS4 upgrades. 745TDBanty 130909

PlayStation 4 and PS3 controller comparison

Here are some interesting GIF animations that compare the PlayStation 4 DualShock 4 controller with the PS3 one. As you can see, the difference is noticeable in almost every aspect of the controller design.
The new DualShock 4 certainly looks larger and more “rounded” than the old PS3 controller. Although we have to admit, we’re not sure which one we prefer — we’ve gotten used to the old DualShock design which has been with us for over a decade.
The PlayStation 4 controller features several improvements, including a much more accurate accelerometer, digital buttons, and triggers with more pressure points. And it’s got the brand new touch pad and “share” button. We’ll have to wait and see how it fits in our hands. If you’re not sold on the DualShock 4, you’re out of luck — the PlayStation 4 won’t support the older PS3 controller.
Which one do you prefer? Let us know in the comments section!  745TDBanty 130904