Watches from the Eleven James collection

Where Amazon grew bored with just dominating the book market, and quickly became the Amazon of everything from web storage to diapers, Netflix has largely been content to remain the Netflix of movies and television. While the rental model hasn’t been foolproof in all industries, Rent the Runway has done well as the Netflix of dresses, and ZipCar is zipping along as the Netflix of cars. One new entrant to the rental market  is giving guys a suit-based Rent the Runway counterpart, and another is focusing on watches that probably cost as much as the last ZipCar you drove.

Eleven James is furthest along, with a collection of luxury watches from brands like Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Panerai and Vacheron Constantin available for rental anywhere for 2 months at a time.  {Business Insider}Watches available to rent range in value from $7,000 to $50,000. While there are collection levels and an application process in place, there’s no mention on the Eleven James website of what level of membership grants access to the top tier of watches – or even what the most basic of memberships will run. In the fashion and accessories space, rentals are typically 25-33% of the retail cost of an item, so using the lowest pricing tier and the lowest percentage, it’s safe to assume that even entry level membership hovers somewhere in the four-digit range.

Still, with the dearth of websites of any kind offering luxury watches, it will be interesting to see if Eleven James can prove to the last luxury holdouts that the web is indeed a sales channel for them too.

Next up is NextSuit, which is yet to launch, but promises to offer members access to a suit at a time for $100 per month. {TechCrunch} Using the 25% rental rate guideline, men can expect a new (to them) $400 suit for the daily grind, or special occasions. While $40o isn’t super cheap, it’s nowhere near the high end of an off-the-rack men’s suit. At Nordstrom, a Dolce & Gabbana suit will set you back more than $2500, while options from Armani, John Varvatos and Canali hover right at or just below the $2k mark. At Neiman Marcus, $800 is roughly entry level for a suit (Versace, on sale, if you’re curious), while a top of the line Brioni goes for more than $5,000 and Kiton suits are on offer for a hair under $8,000.

NextSuit will likely have to expand their options if they hope to achieve Rent the Runway status; there, dress rentals start at days, rather than months, but also include higher ticket items at 10% of the retail price. The shorter time frame likely allows for more rentals, which in turn allows for a larger – and yes, more expensive – range of choices.

Airlines are lobbying governments to pick up the tab for some of the lost revenue from days of grounded flights, passengers are lobbying airlines to cover expenses from days of unplanned hotel stays, and most people are generally trying to put it all behind them.

Except for watchmaker Romain Jerome. The Swiss watchmaker, whose previous special edition watches have included timepieces made from parts of the Titanic wreckage and moon dust from the Apollo 11 mission, is betting there’s at least one person who will want a memento of the difficult to pronounce molten event. Literally one person, because only one watch is being produced.

Considering the many collective hours spent watching the clock and waiting for travel conditions to improve, a watch actually seems like an appropriate commemoration. The watch is made of rock and ash from the volcano, and comes with a certificate stating the authenticity. Though it has to be said, volcanic ash and rock – especially right now – probably aren’t exactly rare. {DVICE}

There are two tiny planes at the tip of the hour and minute hands, and the left side of the face is illustrated with red hot flames, which are pretty striking against the rock face. While there’s been no announcement of the price, don’t expect it to be inexpensive; Romain Jerome’s watches can retail for as much as $500,000.

The stylish watches are deep burgundy with silver hardware and retail for $300,000 a piece.

According to the company, the bones were excavated in western North America and authenticated by a geologist. {StyleList}

Because it is legal to mine and move dinosaur bones, Moinet isn’t the first to include them in his accessory design. For individuality and timelessness, you can find anything from rings, pendants and earrings that include fossils.

A fossilized bone materializes after a bone’s cellular structure changes and is replaced by quartz, leaving the bone structure intact. Fossils usually range in colors of brown, black, red, blue, yellow and gold. {Bernadine} Incorporating million-year-old aspects in one-of-a-kind custom jewelry would certainly be in the category of gifts for the person who has everything. And if it really catches on, you may hear rappers bragging about T-rex and Pterodactyl instead of diamonds and platinum.

The wristwatch is a timeless accessory that comes in so many different styles it has the ability to compliment an outfit for any occasion. When we saw the new set of designer watches from Timex, it was clear the vibrant, chunky and durable pieces are for the sportier side of life. The Ironman collection is aptly named with a water and shock resistant casing, 30-lap memory and easy, quick lap recall features. Available in six colors, there’s sure to be one for every adventurous lifestyle – even if that adventure is just of the daily city variety.

Read the Full Story {High Snobiety}

Edifice and G-Shock have been collaborating on their newest men’s watch collection. The sleek, rugged monochromatic watches are modest and stylish. This all comes in celebration of Edifice’s 15 Anniversary. We like the idea of a Japanese and British-inspired timepiece, and from the looks of this pair, we have good reason.

Read the Full Story {Hypebeast}

For a watch that is fun and affordable Rumba Time has a good gig going. This new company started by 3 college buddies have created a colorful line of watches for the active wearer. Made of silicon in an array of colors, it’s strong for extreme sports but sleek enough to tuck under a Wall Street cuff, and all for 20 bucks!  These guys did something right when their comrades were at the frat party down the street.

Read the full story{refinery29}

If Rolex bores you and you prefer your watch to look like it could take a beating, take a peek at the tough, utilitarian-chic limited-edition collection from military watchmakers Bell & Ross.  No sissy diamond-encrusted bling here; although there is a model with a crystal-studded skull-and-crossbones on the watchface, it’s decidedly more Rocker than Investment Banker.

We love the rugged look of the collection, which would look great with relaxed-fit jeans, a campfire built from scratch, and this season’s “fashion beard.”

Read the full story {Hypebeast}