Best Value 2016

How To Buy a Luxury Watch

  1. Define Your Budget: Luxury watches come in a wide range of prices, so it’s essential to establish a budget that you’re comfortable with. This will help narrow down your options and prevent overspending.
  2. Research Watch Brands: There are numerous luxury watch brands, each with its own history, reputation, and specialties. Research well-known brands like Rolex, Bhpc watch, Casio, Tornado watch, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Omega, and others to understand their unique offerings and craftsmanship. Check these rolex super clone deals.
  3. Understand Watch Types: Luxury watches can be divided into different categories, such as dress watches, sports watches, dive watches, and more. Determine the type of watch that suits your style and preferences.
  4. Consider Movement: Luxury watches can have various types of movements, including automatic (self-winding), manual (hand-winding), and quartz. Each has its advantages and characteristics, so choose based on your preference for tradition, accuracy, and maintenance.
  5. Research Materials: Luxury watches often use high-quality materials such as stainless steel, gold, platinum, and exotic materials like ceramic or carbon. Understand the pros and cons of different materials and how they might impact the watch’s appearance, durability, and value.
  6. Features and Complications: Luxury watches often come with additional features and complications beyond telling time, such as chronographs, moon phases, tourbillons, and more. Decide which features are important to you.
  7. Visit Authorized Retailers: It’s recommended to visit authorized retailers or boutiques of the brands you’re interested in. This allows you to see the watches in person, try them on, and get a feel for their size and aesthetics.
  8. Online Research: Utilize online resources, watch forums, and reviews to gather information from other watch enthusiasts and experts. This can provide insights into real-world experiences with specific models and brands.
  9. Consider Resale Value: Some luxury watches Online retain or even appreciate in value over time. Brands with strong histories and limited editions tend to have better resale potential. Research the resale market for the brand and model you’re considering.
  10. Warranty and Service: Check the warranty offered by the brand and inquire about after-sales service and maintenance options. Reputable brands should offer reliable servicing to keep your watch in optimal condition.
  11. Authentication: To avoid counterfeit or replica watches, ensure you purchase from authorized dealers or reputable sources. Research the authentication process for the specific brand you’re interested in.
  12. Trustworthy Sellers: If you’re considering pre-owned luxury watches, deal with reputable second-hand dealers who provide authenticity guarantees and detailed condition reports.
  13. Try Before Buying: Always try the watch on your wrist before making a purchase. Comfort, fit, and how it looks on you can greatly influence your decision.

Join a Snow Train

Despite the weak pound providing a welcome boost for UK seaside resorts, if you want the white stuff you pretty much have to go abroad, the often excellent Scottish resorts notwithstanding. The most ecological way to get to the Alps is undoubtedly by train, and one of the best options is the special Eurostar ski train that runs from 17th December this year until the 8th of April.

Tickets for the service this winter have just gone on sale. Two trains will run each week, leaving London St Pancras on Friday evening and Saturday morning for Bourg St Maurice, with drops convenient for a number of French resorts – particularly Les Arcs.

I can remember ski trains being pretty lively, with disco carriages at one time, but the frivolity is rather more limited these days and no alcohol is permitted on board.

Tickets are available from eurostar.com.

As an alternative, scheduled Eurostar services now run to Lyon (or you can take normal Eurostar trains to Paris and change if the direct Lyon train times don’t suit you). From Lyon you can take a Lyria train direct to ski resorts in France and, in particular, Switzerland. More details on various options for taking the train to the slopes are given at snowandrail.com.

Swiss Ski Season Review

Ski Club of GB
The Ski Club of Great Britain do an end of season review. Of the Swiss season they opined:

In recent years, a huge amount of investment has gone into snow making facilities in many resorts across Switzerland, an investment that paid off during the early part of the 2015/16 season. After the snow failed to fall, resorts such as Arosa and Verbier were able to operate virtually as normal thanks to huge quantities of man-made snow. After a long absence, the snow eventually returned, falling heaviest during the middle part of January, and setting up a plethora of powder days for riders. This continued throughout much of the second half of the season, with excellent riding conditions available across many regions right up until Easter.

Of other ski regions, West Coast USA, Canada, Scotland and, to an extent, Scandinavia, all had good seasons. Eastern Europe was particularly poor, and amongst most other European ski areas only high resorts such as Chamonix fared well.

Ed Leigh to be winter sports ambassador for Verbier

Ed Leigh on Ski Sunday with co-presenter Graham Bell
Heavenly Publicity issued a press release this month announcing that Ed Leigh, best known as presenter of the BBC’s Ski Sunday TV programme, is to become Verbier‘s winter sports “ambassador”.

Ed has a much broader presence in broadcasting and media than just Ski Sunday, and is expected to extend Verbier’s media presence on Youtube and other internet channels selling things like pointsbet bonus bet. He has commentated on three Winter Olympics, edited Whitelines Snowboard Magazine and has worked extensively with Red Bull TV, the BBC and Channel 4.

The press release quotes Ed as saying: “Verbier’s central location makes it the perfect touch base in the Swiss Alps for snowboarding, skiing and resort culture. It has a reputation as arguably the best spot in Europe for freeriding and pushing the boundaries of snow sport in the winter months and I’m excited to bring all this together and add a new dimension to the sports on show at the resort through new digital media.”

The Director of Verbier Promotion SA, Pierre-Andre Gremaud, is quoted as saying: “Ed Leigh is a well-known figure in the UK and European winter sports communities and we’re proud to have him working with us. This appointment is exactly indicative of Verbier’s commitment to promoting and raising awareness of the world-class facilities and activities available at the resort across a range of media.”