Preview: NFL Week 4

Three teams stand undefeated.

The Atlanta Falcons...

The Houston Texans...

The Arizona Cardinals...

This week, in Week 4 of the 2012 season, they will face the Carolina Panthers, The Tennessee Titans and the Miami Dolphins respectively. All of their opponents have 1-2 records, but which, if any, has a chance of upsetting those hallowed few with an unblemished L column?

Despite many experts ranking the Texans as the top team in the NFL - an assignation they have earned and look worthy of - I actually think the Falcons are playing better ball right now. I also think that the Texans have a VERY stiff test coming up in the form of Mike Munchak's Tennessee Titans. In Week 3, the Titans looked like a really solid football team. This game means a hell of a lot in the race for the AFC South. Wild Cards are gong to be available for pretty much anyone at this rate, but winning a division with 2 soft teams is a far more attractive option and the Titans will give it their best shot.

As good as the Panthers are, I fancy the Falcons to beat them with ease through the air, with Boston College's Matt Ryan using the best receiving tandem in the NFL to great effect.

The Dolphins almost beat the Jets last week, but who knows what that means! Arizona;s strength is their defence. It will smother Ryan Tannehill. I predict 3 interceptions and a comfortable, though not stratospheric win for the Cards to put them at 4-0.

OTHER NEWS:
Horrible fixture for the Packers and Saints. I fancy the Cheeseheads to recover from the injustice of Week 3 and beat the team from whom they inherited the World Title. I feel for the Saints, who will be one of only 2 teams, along with the hapless Browns, who will be winless by the end of Week 4.

Review: NFL Week 3

THE ARIZONA CARDINALS ARE TOP OF THE NFC WEST.

But they only have a one game lead from 2 teams. The 49ers lost a head-scratcher to the Vikings, who, on the back of some quietly impressive displays from Christian Ponder, are becoming a consideration in the NFC North, and, at 2-1 now share the lead of that highly thought of division.

The Seahawks 'won' against the Packers thanks to a rascal call by the officials. The furore surrounding the interception/offensive pass interference which was called a TD catch by Seahawks receiver Golden Tate is all over the web so I won't go over it again here. Rest assured: it's a farce.

The Raiders somehow beat the Steelers, who are as up and down as the Jets, who they beat last week. Meanwhile, gang green 'recovered' by beating the Dolphins in overtime.

As for undefeated teams, the Texans did the job against the Broncos, who, for the second week in a row, dug themselves into a deep, deep hole, from which there proved no escape; the Falcons smashed the Chargers and won me a few quid in the process; and the Cardinals upset the Eagles.

That's it. 3 weeks in; 3 teams at 3-0. How many will remain after Week 4?

Tune in tomorrow at 10am for my predictions.

Preview: NFL Week 3

Oh, ho, ho. Week 3 is going to throw up MORE Surprises! What are my thoughts? Well, we'll start with the more middling predictions before I get crazy.

Firstly, the Falcons will beat the Chargers in California. Both teams are 2-0 but the Falcons have beaten significantly better teams that the Chargers and have looked in second gear in doing so. I checked them on Betfair: they are 2.65 to win. Needless to say I dumped my whole account balance on it. The bookies actually have them as UNDERDOGS! Sure, the Chargers are at home, but they will lose. And probably quite heavily.

The Pats Ravens clash is a real tough one to call. I feel that the Pats SHOULD win, but I know they haven't got enough to contend with the Ravens if they are firing on all cylinders. I think the Ravens have a lot to prove in this game, which will leave the loser 1-2, so I'm going with the Maryland outfit to win a close one.

The Texans should smash the Broncos and Cruise to 3-0. I expect the 49ers to beat the Vikings and join them and the Falcons as undefeated. Along with...

SHOCK WINNERS OF WEEK 3:

Arizona Cardinals
Yeah, I am going there. The Cards will dominate Philadelphia's generous offence. The offence will do enough. The Cards will be 3-0 and tied at the top of the NFC West.

Kansas City Chiefs
Remember when the Packers were heading for perfection last season and the Chiefs came along and beat a much better team thanks to a superb secondary? Look for that to happen again as the Saints' woes continue with Payton's absence.

Review: NFL Week 2

3 out of 3; not bad.

As predicted, the Cardinals sneaked a win against the Patriots, but suffered an injury at QB in the process (Skelton went down and was replaced by the higher profile, higher paid Kevin Kolb, who did a nice job of winning the game for Arizona).

The Panthers beat the Saints in a close one to leave New Orleans at 0-2. 20 teams are currently at 1-1. That is remarkable. With only six undefeated teams, will ANY remain by the end of Week 3 (well, yeah, because the the 2-0 Chargers host the 2-0 Falcons, but we'll get to that tomorrow).

Back to the review of Week 2. My third prediction of a Steelers win also prevailed. By winning by 17 points, the Steelers made the Jets look positively average. After a blow out performance in Week 1 this could be a worrying nod towards the inconsistency that has plagued the Jets in recent years.

There were even more shocks than I anticipated. Most surprising for me, was Seattle's dominance of Dallas. They held the Cowboys to just 7 points after America's team knocked off the Super Bowl Champ Giants (who got off the mark in Week 2 in a high scorer with the Buccaneers).

The Falcons looked strong in beating the Broncos, as did the 49ers in gliding past the Lions. Week 3 is going to be wild.

Preview: NFL Week 2

After a wild and wacky Week 1, can we expect more of the same as the NFL enters the second week of the 2012 season?

I'm going to go with YES! There was something about last week's 'shocks' that sat a little uneasily with me. Sure, the results were shocking, but none of the winning teams in those contests got away with it: they earned their notch in the W column. It looks to me as if this season will be an odd one, further compounded by the continued absence of Pro Officials. Nothing drastic has come of the lock-out situation as yet, but Goodell needs to get this sorted swiftly before something does.

So my theme of week - and for every subsequent week while the madness continues - will be shocks.

Shock winners of week 2:
Arizona Cardinals
I am, as you will know if you read this blog at all regularly, a Cardinals fan and I may be looking at this team through rose tinted glasses, but the Cards have been hot for a while. They have won 8 of their last ten games. No team finished stronger last year. They travel to a hostile Foxboro, but will be facing off against a team that is yet to find its rhythm. They will win and remain in a first place tie with San Fran for the West.

Carolina Panthers
I hate to say it, but the Saints really looked like they missed Payton. The sooner their coach gets back on the sidelines, the better. Until then, Brees and co will be competitive, but lack the edge that sharp coaching gives a team.

Pittsburgh Steelers
It's always hard to call a Steelers' win a shock, but they will be facing the score-happy Jets in Week 2, and are coming off a Week 1 loss. Todd Haley - the offensive guru who led Arizona to the Super Bowl, only to see his team fall to the black and gold machine that now writes his pay cheque - and Big Ben Roethlisberger are not yet on the same page, but when they DO click (which they will soon) beware. This Steelers offence could be threatening. It will be enough to get past the cocky Jets, who will be green with envy by the end of the game.

Quality in Watches

How do we define the term ‘quality’ in terms of watches?

Well, quality can relate to many things. Here a few to bear in mind. The number of jewels, the fact that watch is Swiss made, the quality of the finish (especially if hand finished), the rarity of the materials used (precious metals/stones), the number of complications, the attainment of a chronometer certificate, are all signs of a quality wristwatch.

Shocks Aplenty in Week One of the 2012 NFL Season

You'd think that a late kick off would give the Gods of Football time enough to deliver the memo to the 49ers, Cardinals, Buccaneers and Broncos that they were supposed to lose to the Packers, Seahawks, Panthers and Steelers respectively.

Obviously, they were too busy jawing over the Jets offensive explosion that saw the unit that managed just one preseason touchdown rack-up 48 points against a Bills team that was, in all honesty, lucky not to lose by a wider margin.

The unexpected results of the late games saw the 49ers confound those critics who dared suggest the successes of 2011 were a fluke, and installed them as serious contenders to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl after just one game. We also saw the Cardinals tandem of questionable quarterbacks perform admirably in defeating a hot Seahawks team, who were led out of the gate by rookie sensation, Russell Wilson. Wilson struggled in his first start, but still did enough to keep Pete Carroll happy, and bolster his confidence in his choice of signal caller for the season opener.

Many suggested the Panthers could challenge the Saints and Falcons for the top spot in the NFC South. I thought the suggestion was a bit of a leap as I see the Panthers as an exciting, but inconsistent 8-8 calibre team (Cam Newton and their running game is sensational, and their defence is coming along nicely, but I still don't see them putting a whole game together often enough to challenge seriously). Their loss to the Bucs, who were supposed to suffer at the hands of their three division rivals, really turns things on their head.

One game in is pretty early to be elevating teams to the level of contender and damning under-performers to a January in bed, and in the cases of the Cardinals and Buccaneers, caution should be exercised.

However, the 49ers and Broncos faced tests of which there are few stiffer. The Packers are expected to glide into the playoffs and the Steelers are expected the thump and bruise their way to a Wild Card at worst. The Bay team that fell agonisingly short against the eventual Super Bowl champion Giants, were supposed to get a wake up call, but now, after crushing their toughest scheduled opponent in Week One, who would bet against them notching up another 13+ win season? And the Broncos - an even less known quantity with a rehabilitated, but unconvincing Hall of Fame lock under centre - were expected to bow to the might of one of the NFL's most physical teams.

They didn't. They smashed the smash mouth pioneers right in the chops and move to 1-0, which, in the record-light AFC West, is probably one ninth of the way to a convincing division crown.

Sure, the Raiders and Chiefs are much improved and the Chargers will forever be the nearly team, but these Broncos, who aside from the tremendous upgrade at QB, are largely unchanged from the team that showed flashes of true guile and grit at points during 2011. With Manning finding his groove, they could run away with the West.

If Week One is a sign of things to come, the things to come will be very entertaining indeed.

Union Glashutte

Professional Watchmaking «Made in Germany»

Union Glashütte, synonymous with competence and passion, stands for fine German watchmaking at the highest level and an excellent price-performance ratio.

Right from the start, when Johannes Dürrstein founded the brand in Glashütte in 1893, his aim was to make Glashütte-quality watches at a reasonable price. His motto «Watches should have everything needed to make them accurate and beautiful but nothing that makes them expensive» was the basic idea when this traditional German watch brand was founded and has remained so to the present day. This pioneering spirit characterizes the Union Glashütte brand and its products even today.

The collection comprises three product lines for men (Belisar, Averin and Viro), one for women (Seris) and a collection of thoroughly classic ladies’ and men’s models (Noramis). Fitted with ETA mechanical movements that have been manufactured and refined in Glashütte, Union Glashütte brand watches are elegant timepieces of the highest quality. Their sophistication and exceptional design are an homage to Johannes Dürrstein, a man of fine aesthetic sensibility and devotion to detail.

Both connoisseurs and those new to the world of fine mechanical watches will find their favourite model at Union Glashütte.

Tissot

Innovators by tradition

Founded in 1853 at Le Locle, the birthplace of Swiss watchmaking, the Tissot brand is proud to have developed a strong tradition of quality and innovation.

Over the years, Tissot innovations have been acclaimed throughout the entire world: the first anti-magnetic watch in 1930; Astrolon, the first watch with a plastic casing in 1971; Rock watch, the first watch with a casing made of alpine granite in 1985, followed by Pearl watch, the first watch with a mother-of-pearl casing in 1986, then Wood watch, the first watch with a casing made of wood in 1987. In 1996, Tissot launched its first autoquartz models with 6-day autonomy and then, in 2001, its famous T-Touch models with seven additional functions activated by touching the watch’s crystal thanks to the extraordinary tactile technology developed with and by Swatch Group companies.

As well as this constant quest for technological innovation, Tissot has also built its reputation on an incomparable style and elegance. People the world over recognize the dynamic that has presided over the brand’s destiny for more than 150 years. Its deep involvement in sport, its role as Official Chronometer at top-level national, trans-national and global events and its partnership with champions such as Indy car driver Danica Patrick, MotoGP biker Nicky Hayden, footballer Michael Owen but also with Barbie Xu, star of the Chinese artistic scene, demonstrate the commitment and excellence of the brand that is «More than just a watch».

Tiffany & Co.

Tiffany & Co.

In December 2007 Swatch Group and Tiffany & Co. announced a strategic alliance to further the development, production and worldwide distribution of Tiffany & Co. brand watches. Under the agreement, the new watch company, known as Tiffany Watch Co. Ltd and wholly owned by Swatch Group, will design and manufacture in Switzerland a complete range of high-end luxury watches.

The enormous prestige of the Tiffany & Co. brand and the Swatch Group’s watchmaking expertise and experience in the luxury segment form a powerful platform on which to build one of the world’s top luxury watchmakers.

Tiffany Watch Co. Ltd is a Swiss company. Its products are designed and manufactured in Switzerland and distributed selectively through Swatch Group and Tiffany & Co. retail distribution networks, including monobrand Tiffany & Co. watch boutiques in certain markets outside the United States.

Swatch

Revolution 51

The history of Swatch has already filled many miles of library shelves, as the fascination it exerts continues to sustain the chronicles of Swiss watchmaking. In the 1970s, the Swiss watchmaking industry was facing meltdown, undergoing the biggest crisis it had ever known. In 1979, Swiss watchmakers pulled off an amazing feat – they launched the «Delirium Tremens», the world’s thinnest wristwatch, made up of a limited number of components. This was soon to create a revolution in the world of watchmaking and lead to its renaissance: in 1983 Nicolas G. Hayek launched the Swatch, a plastic-cased watch consisting of only 51 components instead of the usual 91 or more, offering high quality at an affordable price. This wristwatch very soon spread its joy of life right across the globe. It was phenomenally successful – the most successful watch of all time – and its parent company, the Swatch Group, was to become the largest and most dynamic watchmaking company in the world.

Numerous watchmaking developments were to supplement the standard watch. Amongst others, the jewelry line Swatch Bijoux, the Metal Swatch Irony or the so called Swatch Specials, featuring products for special events like Christmas, Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day, were added to the two annual watch collections. Some amazing technological feats were unveiled, such as the Swatch Skin, the world’s slimmest watch, and the creation of Internet Time, a unique way of measuring time. Extraordinary qualities and milestones in the science and technology of sports event timing and data processing are regularly introduced at international events and competitions of fun sports such as beach volleyball and snowboarding.

Rado

A tangible interpretation of imagination

Innovative design and high-tech non-scratch materials are the essential distinguishing marks of the Rado brand. As a leader in the top-of-the-range market, Rado has become famous throughout the entire world for its research into materials science. It is the use of sapphire, ceramics, and even high-tech diamonds that affords the strong, unique character of the Rado watch.

Rado’s design concepts draw their inspiration from the intrinsic qualities of the materials used. For Rado, form is intimately linked to more intangible values, and the brand is as ever committed to the quest for outstanding new ideas. This philosophy of surpassing oneself and of tangible interpretations of the imagination has been rewarded with numerous international design prizes.

From 1957 to the present day, Rado’s story is marked by a prodigious number of pioneering innovations. One of the most sensational of these is without any doubt the creation of the «high-tech diamond » by the transformation of carbon into a nanocrystalline diamond with a Vickers hardness number of 10,000 ( V10K). This technological prowess has led to the hardest material in the world, with its own entry in the Guinness Book of Records