Luxury watches fall in a number of categories including vintage watches, sports watch, diamond watches, and more.  But how about luxury watches so decadent that putting one on would change the way people look at you?  What about luxury watches so delectable that the a prince in Arabia would most likely own one?

That’s exactly what you would find in Angular Momentum’s Sculpture Collection, a collection of timepieces hand sculptured in silver and gold.

The watch above is entitled the Oriental Blossom Time Cushion and is hand sculptured and engraved using 18 karat gold.  All over the watch, 100 full cut diamonds add an amazing sparkle and a pear shaped padparadscha sitting proudly in the middle pointing at the digital time display.   The Oriental Blossom Time Cushion by Angular Movement is a mechanical self-winding  movement and a digital time display works through revolving disk.

One thing I was curious about was the Padparadscha.  The Padparadscha is described as one of the world’s most expensive and rarest gems… right along with the ruby or the emerald.  However, a natural Padparadscha is almost none existent its so rare that they start pricing at $5,000 per carat and can get up to $30,000 per carat depending on size, color, clarity, and tone.

The historical impact of timepieces is really intriguing me lately. Ever since I saw the blurb for the Presidential Timepiece exhibit being held at the National Watch and Clock Museum is holding I can’t stop wondering what types of watches former Presidents wore. I still want to know what George Washington wears.

I did find out something quite interesting this morning. It seems Mr. George Bush, the senior, prefers Timex. Now you’d think someone of his stature would go for a more up-scale watch, however even his simple tastes allow for the fact that the one he used to wear was special made for him by a former classmate that worked for Timex. Someone stole it. Can you imagine? Stealing the President’s watch? Now that’s a gutsy crook.

I also found out this morning in my wanderings, that I was wrong in my assumption the other day about what type of watch Bill Clinton would wear–but not by much. Although he started his term in office in a simple Timex, he soon graduated to more luxurious timepieces. It seems Mr. Clinton has a penchant for big watch faces, and have multiple dials, I did figure that, just had the wrong brand of preferenc. However, this Cartier is one of his ‘less expensive’ watches, still valued about $12,000.00 and he has quite a selection of many different brand names in his ‘watch wardrobe’.

Leave it to Bill to be stylin’ with the big boys.

Here’s an interesting blurb for you if you happen to live in the Pennsylvania area: Time in Office: An Exhibit of Presidential Timepieces opens Friday, April 18 at the National Watch and Clock Museum in Columbia. Through the inclusion of objects from many of America’s presidents, the exhibit explores presidents’ attitudes towards time and the significant events that occurred during their “time in office.” The exhibit consists of watches, clocks and other horological items as well as images, stories and objects from the presidents’ years in the White House.

If you happen to be in PA, check it out. It runs through December this year. It’s pretty cool, I think. It really got me to thinking about how important watches are now, and have been through history. Watches: in whatever form they have taken–from pocket watch to wristwatch, maybe even as far back as the sundial, keep us on track. They are the way we measure time, and the way we schedule our days. How lost do you feel when you realize you don’t know what time it is?

Have you ever woke up and not been able to decide if it were a.m. or p.m.? I have, and I know countless others have shared that experience. It’s incredibly disconcerting. Until you figure it out, you honestly do not know which way to turn. Of course, there’s that fear that you slept through work, school, or the latest episode of Desperate Housewives. That’s how important time is to us though. Without a way to track the time chaos exists in our lives.

Reading the above mention of the Presidential Timepiece display got me to wondering what type of watch Presidents have worn through the years. I’m sure I saw a picture somewhere of Benjamin Franklin with a watch fob hanging from his vest. That would indicate a pocket watch. When did wristwatches become the fashion style? That’s something to look up. I’d like to see that display. Hopefully it will come to Chicago so I can. While I can’t really imagine the types of watch George Washington, or Theodore Roosevelt might have worn, I can pretty much imagine the type Bill Clinton might wear. Something flashy, yet sophisticated like the Concord.

I think Barak Obama would be more conservative, in a liberal sort of way. Maybe choosing something along the lines of the Bulova Millennia. You can tell by my choices of President’s which way I lean right? Well, I’ve liked some Republicans, too. I don’t bother to think about what type of watch Bush - the younger wears though. Can he even tell time? Ah, I suppose. Even a five-year-old can grasp the ‘big hand, little hand’ concept. George - the elder however, would probably wear a very ultra-sophisticated timepiece. Maybe something like the Baume and Mercier Capeland.

Whatever they wear, you can sure bet they’re always going to be on-time.