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New York--Classic touches continue to dominate the watch market, with both Girard-Perregaux and IWC Schaffhausen turning to the 1960s for their latest inspirations.

In celebration of its 220th anniversary, Girard-Perregaux announced recently that it had updated the white gold chronograph from its 1966 collection with a touch of blue (below).

The 40 mm column-wheel chronograph features a 30-minute counter, central second hand and tachymeter with an exhibition case back for viewing the GP030C0 movement, which was developed and produced entirely by Girard-Perregaux.

In late April, a celebrity crowd was on hand in Culver City, Calif. as IWC Schaffhausen unveiled “Peter Lindbergh’s Portofino.” The exhibition includes black-and-white shots of IWC Friends of the Brand taken by Lindbergh in Portofino, Italy in 2010. The photos are for IWC’s new “Portofino” timepiece collection and are meant to capture the spirit of the popular tourist town in the 1960s.

Cate Blanchett and Kevin Spacey are among the celebrities who were photographed and are included in the exhibition, which will travel to major cities in Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Select images from the campaign also appeared in the May 2011 issues of 12 magazines produced by luxury lifestyle publisher Modern Luxury.

In other watch news, American watch brand Jorg Gray is releasing a limited edition timepiece in honor of brand ambassador and IndyCar driver Alex Tagliani. The Jorg Gray 9100-77 (below) features a Swiss ISA chronograph movement, black case with silver bezel, black dial with red chronograph rings and applied luminous index.

The Alex Tagliani “AT” logo will be emblazoned on the left-hand side under domed sapphire crystal, and Jorg Gray is making exactly 226 of the chronograph, a nod to Tagliani’s qualifying speed for the 2010 Indianapolis 500.

The 9100-77 retails for $995. It will be available later this month. Fans also can visit Jorg Gray on Facebook for a chance to win one of the timepieces.

Meanwhile, two Richard Mille brand ambassadors have been on winning streaks, the watchmaker noted recently.

On April 17, tennis champion Rafael Nadal beat David Ferrer of Spain in two sets to claim victory in the Tournoi de Monte Carlo. Nadal wears a RM 027 Tourbillon crafted exclusively for him.

Earlier this month, American golfer Bubba Watson (below) won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans while wearing his RM 038 Tourbillon. It was his third PGA Tour title in 10 months and pushed him to No. 1 in the FedEx Cup rankings.

On a charitable note, watch and jewelry brand Piaget announced that, for the second year in a row, it was a supporter of amfAR’s Inspiration Gala, which was held in Sao Paulo, Brazil this year.

The black tie-affair honored Calvin Klein’s Francisco Costa with the Piaget Award of Inspiration for his commitment to raising awareness and advancing research into HIV/AIDS. Actress Claire Danes was on hand to present Costa with his award (below).

Other celebrities in attendance included Brazilian supermodels Alessandra Ambrosio, Ana Beatriz Barros, Isabeli Fontana and Mariana Weckert.