I came across an interesting site recently called timeanddate.com which has answers to pretty much any and all time/date related questions. Among their many articles and resources, I found an extremely thorough explanation of Swatch Internet Time, including a tool for converting Internet Time to "standard" time in about 130 different time zones.

I wrote about Internet Time in my review of the Swatch Paparazzi (watch pictured at right). Internet Time is to time what the metric system is to measurement. It was invented by Swatch, and as far as I know, isn't much more than a marketing gimmick at this point, although I personally think it's a pretty interesting concept. Internet Time does away with time zones, and with the basically arbitrary units of 60 and 24. The day is divided into 1000 "beats" with each beat equaling 1 minute and 26.4 seconds. Since there are no time zones in Internet Time, the time is the same all over the world with the reference point being Biel, Switzerland, the location of Swatch Group's headquarters. This "new meridian" is referred to as BMT, or Biel Mean Time. Internet Time is expressed by the number of beats proceeded by an "at" (@) symbol. For instance, 2:27 PM in San Francisco is expressed as @997.

I really like the concept of Internet Time for two primary reasons:

1. It has the same kind of intuitive logic as the metric system.
2. You don't have to worry about time zones. I often work with people all over the world, and doing the conversions can be a pain.

Of course, time zones do serve a very valuable purpose. They allow us to relate more easily to other parts of the world. For instance, if I schedule a meeting at @997, and I'm expecting people from all over the world to join, I have no way of knowing if @997 is in the middle of the night, early in the morning, or right smack in the middle of the day for the other attendees. Time zones, on the other hand, allow me to get a relative sense of time so I can schedule meetings at times that are convenient for all parties.

Check out the article on timeanddate.com for a much more thorough analysis of Internet Time.

Of course, the Casio Overland only appears to be available in Japan (aren't all the coolest Japanese watches?), but if you have some strings over there, they might be worth pulling to get your hands on one of these. In my opinion, the Casio Overland is the nicest looking solar Waveceptor to date. Here's the skinny:

• Tough Solar. Solar cells in the dial keep the watch's battery charged. I have a couple Casio Tough Solar watches, and I've found that this system works remarkably well.
• Waveceptor. That's Casio's way of saying that this watch is automatically calibrated through radio waves transmitted by atomic clocks. The Casio Overland works with 40kHz and 60kHz signals which are intended for use in Japan, however the atomic clock in Fort Collins, Colorado broadcasts at 60kHz, so it will work in the US. (Watch Report reader Victor Shiff has pointed out that although the frequency is the same, the time code is different, so this watch will not work in the US. Bummer. Thanks, Victor.)
• Alarm.
• Water resistant to 100 meters (330 feet).
• Battery charge warning function. I'm not sure how this works, but I'm guessing the second hand starts jumping in two-second increments to indicate that the watch's power is low.
• Power saving function. If the watch detects that it is in the dark for an extended period of time, it will stop to conserve power.
• LED illumination. That means it uses a small LED (probably bluish) to illuminate the dial. LED illumination is much brighter than electroluminescent, and is what Casio is using now for analog watches.
• Perpetual date, meaning it doesn't need to be reset after months with fewer than 31 days.
• Metal case. Available with metal bracelets or nylon straps.
• Retail is approximately between $165 and $250.

Thanks to the magic of Google, here's an English version of the Casio Overland product page.

Over the last three weeks, I have been in the process of moving from Washington D.C. to San Francisco. Although I've been very busy with housing, hotels, commuting, working, and coordinating my relocation, I'm never too busy to do a little watch shopping.

I picked up a Tissot T-Touch primarily for the compass function to help me get oriented in the city. I've been to San Francisco dozens of times, but I've always taken cabs, so now I'm having to adjust to finding my own way. I have a terrible sense of direction, but fortunately, the T-Touch has a pretty good one. I wrote a very thorough review of the Tissot T-Touch a few months ago, but I wasn't able to keep the watch I reviewed, so I ordered a new one with a black rubber strap. I typically go for watches with stainless steel or titanium bracelets, but the black rubber strap and the black dial of the T-Touch make a great combination.

I stayed in a hotel right on Union Square (the historic Westin St. Francis, for those of you familiar with the area) for about a week while I waited for my household goods to arrive, and I found a little watch store nearby that had a Seiko Sportura SLQ017 in the window. The SLQ017 is a limited edition Kinetic chronograph which is one of the most unusual and striking chronographs I've ever seen. Seiko only made 1,500 of them, and only 400 of those made their way to the US, so I was thrilled to come across one in person. I visited the SLQ017 a few times during my stay on Union Square, tried it on a few times, and even started negotiating on the price, but in the end, in the spirit of trying to control moving costs, I ended up not buying it. I hope I don't regret it, but I probably will.

I found a Tourneau watch store in a mall on Market Street that had a decent selection of Rolexes, among other brands. In the used watch case was an 8-year-old white-dial Rolex Daytona for almost $14,000. I learned that the movements in the older Daytonas were actually made by the Swiss watchmaker Zenith which surprised me because Rolex is known for making their own movements (the newer Daytonas have Rolex movements). It was an extremely beautiful watch, though overpriced. New Daytonas go for about $7,000, but they are in such high demand that when retailers are not bound by Rolex's pricing policies (as in the case of used watches), they often can't help but partake in a little price gouging. I asked the manager about putting my name on a waiting list for a new stainless steel Daytona, but I was told in a very snobby tone that only customers with excellent purchase histories could be put on the list (meaning customers who had bought Rolexes for Tourneau before). Apparently, Daytonas are in such high demand that poor slobs like me aren't even allowed to wait for them. Maybe if I'd been wearing something more respectable than jeans and a t-shirt, and if I'd bothered to shave sometime that week, I would have gotten different results.

So what am I wearing on this particular rainy San Francisco Saturday morning? None other than a Casio Atomic Solar G-Shock. I'm about to head over to a friend's place to help him paint his new house, and an inexpensive but tough plastic G-Shock is the perfect watch for the occasion.

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual is, by any measure, a timeless classic. The one pictured on the right was my first Rolex, given to me by my father, and given to him by his father in 1965 as a high school graduation present. I wore it in high school myself, unaware at the time of the social connotations associated with Rolex watches. I knew Rolexes were considered good watches, and I knew I got a lot of comments on it, but to me, it was simply an unobtrusive, simple, accurate, dependable, and very tough watch with a little bit of family history.

I think I can safely attribute my obsession with automatic watches (as opposed to digital quartz watches, which are an entirely different obsession of mine) to this particular Rolex. It doesn't get a lot of wrist time anymore primarily because it's a little on the small side for a men's watch these days, but I still throw it on occasionally, and after a little bit of winding, it keeps time every bit as well as my much newer Rolex GMT Master II. The bracelet could stand to be replaced, and the acrylic crystal is plenty banged up from the all the punishment I threw at it in high school, but mechanically, it's perfectly sound.

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual sold for all of $125 in 1965, or at least, that's what my grandfather paid for it. That's about $750 in today's dollars. A new comparable model (another Oyster Perpetual or a Rolex Air-King) would sell for about $3,000 today. Despite steady price increases, Rolex watches are in such demand now that you're likely to pay full retail for a new one, and you may even have to order the exact watch you want.

So why do I use the cliche "timeless classic" to describe the Rolex Oyster Perpetual? There are three things about Rolexes that make them timeless.

• Quality. Rolexes are one of the highest quality watches in the world. Although there are plenty of comparable and probably even a few superior brands out there, in a fair fight, a Rolex can hold its own against just about anything.
• Design. Other than the size of the Oyster Perpetual, I'd say it's just about as fashionable today as it was in 1965. The look of Rolex watches doesn't change much over time which means they will not only function for additional generations, but they will still look like relative modern automatic watches rather than ancient family heirlooms.
• Brand. Whether you like Rolexes or not, there is no denying their popularity. Rolex is one of the most recognized and sought after brands in the world. Although their demand is what makes them expensive and often difficult to get, it is also what makes them sound investments.

Although I'm an obvious Rolex fan, I always encourage people who are considering purchasing one to consider other brands, as well. There are several other comparable brands out there which are much less expensive and that will serve precisely the same purpose (unless you're shopping purely for the Rolex brand). In the end, though, if you are sure you want quality, craftsmanship, tradition, beauty, and brand, you can't go wrong with a Rolex.

Swiss watchmaker Rado has been obsessing over highly scratch resistant watches for over 40 years, and now it looks like they have truly outdone themselves with the Rado V10K. The name "V10K" comes from 10,000 Vickers. Vickers are a measurement of hardness and resistance, and 10,000 is the top of the scale -- achieved only by diamonds, and now, by the Rado V10K.

Some of the materials that go into the Rado V10K are fairly standard: titanium caseback and clasp (extremely strong and lightweight), sapphire crystal, and a rubber strap (available in black, orange, red, and blue). The rest of the watch, however, is decidedly non-standard. Using a furnace capable of recreating the atmospheric pressure of Jupiter, Rado actually coats the case of the V10K with synthetic diamonds. If diamonds are the hardest substance in the world, the only way to build a truly scratch-proof watch is to actually use diamonds to coat it.

It's nice to see that Rado did not sacrifice aesthetics to achieve this amazing feat. While the V10K is certainly an unconventional watch, it is also simple, stark, and stunning. It's so simple and stark, in fact, that it doesn't even have a crown to interrupt the flow of its form. Rather, the watch is adjusted by placing a magnetic device which is integrated into the strap against the caseback -- at once, both high-tech and retro (remember the Pulsar LEDs of the 70's?).

The Rado V10K contains a Swiss quartz movement. It's is water resistant, and comes with a 2-year guarantee. Pricing is available upon request.

I know from reading my server logs that a lot of people come to Watch Report to read the post on the new Tissot Navigator 3000. For all you Tissot fans out there, here's the rest of the story:

According to a supplier for Jared, the Tissot Navigator 3000 will be available in late April of this year. It will retail for $695, though it should be available at a 10-30% discount, putting the actual price of the watch anywhere from $486.50 to $625.50 (I'm guessing it will actually go for around $500). I was also told that Jared would be the first in the US to sell the Tissot Navigator 3000. On the one hand, I'm skeptical since I was told this by a Jared supplier, however on the other hand, they have the best selection of Tissot that I know of, so it sounds plausible.

For more information on the Tissot Navigator 3000, see Tissot Announces New Tactile Watch: The Navigator 3000.

Casio recently had their brush with terrorism -- now it's Rolex's turn. According to this Reuters article, items like fake Rolexes and counterfeit designer handbags (in other words, things you buy on the street rather than in stores) may fund terrorism.

Apparently there is evidence that counterfeiters in New York have sent money to Hamas and Hezbollah, groups considered by the US government to be terrorist organizations. So far, there have not been any direct links to al-Qaeda, but don't let that sooth your conscience. That money is very difficult to track, so there's no telling where it actually ends up.

The article outlines several reasons why buying items like fake Rolexes is a really bad idea: