The DB11 is a true old-school Gran Turismo, a car to travel with from London or Paris to the Cote d’Azur in comfort, luxury, and most certainly style. And there is something magical about a V12 engine: its distinct sound and the knowledge that there is a mythical beast under the hood.
A universe on the wrist: there is simply no other way to describe the Astronomia by Jacob & Co. This watch is a testimony to the development of watchmaking, not as a practical science, but as a form of art. Yes, the Astronomia tells time. But that becomes a mere detail lost in the visual impact that this watch provides.
Being Ferrari means that you have a significant challenge. Where each new generation of Porsche’s 911 is an evolution, each Ferrari has to be a revolution: superior to its predecessor in often radical ways. Not every revolution empowers the right forces, but when it does, you get something like the Ferrari 488 GTB, a thoroughbred sportscar that even dips a tire into the supercar arena.
What sells watches? This is the 20 billion Swiss franc question in today’s challenging economic climate.For at least part of the answer to what sells watches (and how to buy them in down markets), we can learn a lot from two of the steadiest performers in the watch industry.
In 1974 Dutch watchmaker Christiaan van der Klaauw founded his own workshop making astronomical clocks, then soon similar complications for wristwatches. He retired in 2009, passing his baton along to Daniel Reintjes, who is now in charge of the world’s only watch brand completely dedicated to astronomical watches. Quill & Pad’s Martin Green sat down with Reintjes to get a feel for where the brand is now.
Léon Hatot and Blancpain met in 1929 and Hatot revealed his prototype of a revolutionary movement with automatic winding: the inside of the Rolls case included a rail on which the whole movement moved up and down on ball bearings, powered by the motion of its owner and providing the name for this unique timepiece right out of the history books.
Italians have the gift of making even the most common object look great. They can even make a coffee grinder with enough sex appeal to make Tom Jones jealous! For a relatively small country, Italy still has quite a few fountain pen manufacturers. And I think that I have tried products from almost all of them!
The 750Li xDrive is a rolling Valhalla of luxury and refinement for you to enjoy in private. Often, people buying the 750Li can afford a Rolls-Royce but simply choose not to – for the same reason they don’t drive a Jaguar XJ, a Porsche Panamera, or a Maserati Quattroporte: too loud and too extroverted. If you think a Tesla is advanced, you haven’t seen what the 7 series can do. Read this to find out.
The Piaget Polo S shares none of the characteristics that usuallly make the Polo a Polo. It’s almost like when Daniel Craig was introduced as James Bond: he was definitely not the usual gentleman in a suit with a sense of humor, but rather more Jason Bourne’s better dressed cousin.
Cartier actually has quite a rich history when it comes to driver’s watches, but has never been very outspoken about it. Until the new Drive de Cartier came along.