Ludovic Ballouard Upside Down and F.P. Journe Vagabondage I Reviewed by Tim Mosso
If you dare to compare, make it apples to apples. Ludovic Ballouard (Brittany) and François-Paul Journe (Marseille) both hail from France. Most pertinent to this comparison though is that both men designed quirky jumping-hour watches.
Why I Bought It: Tudor Pelagos
Łukasz Doskocz bought a Tudor Pelagos because it is a superior tool watch; it is “form follows function” at its best, with every single bit of the watch designed for a practical and useful reason. But he loves and bought it for more than just that.
Long-Term Keepers: Three Watches I Can’t Bear to Sell
If GaryG wants to buy a watch of any significance it requires that he sells one or more other pieces. The bad news is that all of the watches he doesn’t really love were sold off a long time ago! As a result, the discipline of asking “What watch in his current collection do I love less than this potential new purchase?” has become tougher and tougher. Here he shares three watches that he feels are long term-keepers and why.
My Story of Buying a Pre-Owned Rolex Day-Date 36 in Platinum with “Glacier Blue Wave Arabic Dial”: a Caveat Emptor Scare but a Happy Ending
Niclas has arranged to meet the seller of a platinum Rolex Day-Date at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. If all goes well, the watch transaction should be completed within an hour the he would catch the next flightto Stockholm. What makes him nervous is that the deal is to be done in cryptocurrency. But that’s not what went wrong.
Why I Bought It: Hajime Asaoka Tsunami
This is the story of a daily-wear watch, the Tsunami by Japanese independent watchmaker Hajime Asaoka. It’s not a “beater” as it’s too beautifully made for that description, and some folks justifiably take offense at characterizing a five-figure expenditure in those terms. But it is a watch that GaryG suspects that he will be wearing a lot and in a variety of settings.
Bell Hill: Sensational Wines from the South Island of New Zealand
This is the third of our trio looking at some of the best wines from New Zealand. Ken Gargett confesses that Bell Hill, located in Waipara in the South Island of New Zealand (North Canterbury), is very much a personal favorite.
How To Spot a Fake Omega Wristwatch
Omega, founded in 1848, is one of the world’s oldest, most highly respected, and popular watch manufacturers, so it should come as no surprise that the brand is frequently the target of counterfeiters. If you are considering purchasing an Omega, here is some quick advice to help spot a possible counterfeit.
Girard-Perregaux Laureato: An Underappreciated Royal Oak Alternative?
It will surprise nobody that over the last 5 years certain steel sports watches have taken off in terms of popularity and become practically impossible to buy at an authorized retailer. However, fear not as there is still a unicorn out there that has not captured broader attention (yet): the Girard-Perregaux Laureato.
Quick Bite: Vintage Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Aqua Lung ‘No Radiation’
At the recent FHH Roadshow in Paris, Ian Skellern saw a rare vintage Blancpain Fifty Fathoms No Radiation on a wrist and was curious about why the watch had a ‘No Radiation’ symbol featuring so prominently on the dial.
Black Pudding: Cooking with Blood and Other Culinary Oddities (Warning: Not for the Squeamish)
If you do not know what black pudding is you may be thinking a decadent dessert, perhaps a very dark chocolate cake type of thing. If you do know what it is then you are either suddenly thinking of how delicious it is and how long before you can next enjoy one or you are running for the hills, thinking how utterly disgusting and how on earth could anyone even look at one, let alone eat it. Here is all you ever needed to know about black pudding.