Snapshots From The 2014 Mille Miglia
The Mille Miglia is a ray of sunshine in your heart,” famous Belgian race car driver Jacky Ickx writes in Chopard’s commemorative book celebrating 25 years of being the race’s global sponsor. “The Mille Miglia is one of the last great adventures possible today,” concurs Karl-Friedrich Scheufele. Chopard’s co-president is racing his 25th Mille Miglia this year. Here are a few impressions from the last couple of days and nights on the strada italiana. . . .
The 2014 Mille Miglia Day-By-Day
The 2014 Mille Miglia runs for four days from 15 through 18 May 2014. Thursday, the 15th of May, 2014 is day one of the 2014 Mille Miglia. While there are regular checkpoints, marshals and police, it seems like anything goes; anyone can join in the race – while it’s called a time trial, the Mille Miglia is to all intents and purposes a Gumball Rally-type road race.
Quill & Pad At The Mythic Mille Miglia
Only a few sporting events are fortunate enough to transcend the confines of their sports. But for these special few, their name and reputation evoke powerful associations, even among those who care little for the sport itself.
And when it comes to endurance racing in historic cars, one name stands above all others: the Mille Miglia in Italy.
Cartier Stars In ‘Grace of Monaco’
The Cannes Film Festival is where Grace Kelly first met Prince Rainier in 1955. So the The opening film could therefore not be a more fitting one: Grace de Monaco, a new film by French director Olivier Dahan, is set to open the 67th edition of the glittering event and Cartier figures prominently into this 30-million-dollar feature film.
Rafael Nadal, The World’s No.1 Tennis Player; The Richard Mille RM 27-01, The World’s Most Expensive Sports Watch; And The Ion Tiriac Trophy, The World’s Most Complicated Tennis Trophy
The Mutua Madrid Open is a young tournament; it crowned just its thirteenth winner on May 11, 2014. This winner happens to be world number one Rafael Nadal. And Nadal was wearing an evolution of the ground-breakingly ultra-light RM 027. In lightness as in its $690,000 price tag, this watch breaks all kinds of records.
Heraldry, Coats Of Arms, And The Louis Vuitton Escale Worldtime
Before the turn of the last century, a famous travel goods company by the name of Louis Vuitton was working with elite clientele, which often encompassed world travelers. These clients wanted a way to mark their goods with a personal design that would represent them all over the world and distinguish them as wealthy and powerful business people.
Heartbeat: Vacheron Constantin And The Art Of Openworking
In honor of Mother’s Day we revisit four fantastic openwork watches that Vacheron Constantin presented earlier this year at the SIHH in Geneva. The idea with openwork, aka skeletonization, is to remove as much of the material as possible to reveal the mechanisms beneath the dial, while ensuring it remains looking elegant and is still structurally rigid enough for its purpose.
Weekly Roundup 9 May: Zenith, Seiko, A.H.C.I., Richard Mille, Audemars Piguet, Cartier
This week’s roundup: Richard Mille announces the RM 011 Automatic Flyback Chronograph White Demon; the Beyer Uhrenmuseum in Zurich is exhibiting the works of 16 members of the A.H.C.I.; Audemars Piguet partner NBA team the team Atlanta Hawks; New York luxury watch show Timecrafters takes place in May; Devon Works introduces the Tread 2 Godiva and much more.
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Incredible Chiming Machines: The Master Ultra Thin Minute Repeater Flying Tourbillon And The Duomètre à Grande Sonnerie
In 2009, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced a wristwatch so complicated in its premise and execution that it made my jaw drop: the Duomètre à Grande Sonnerie. Then earlier this year, the Le Sentier-based brand introduced the Master Ultra Thin Minute Repeater Flying Tourbillon.
The World’s Biggest Man-Made Calendar: El Castillo At Chichén Itzá
Contemplating the 30-meter-high ancient pyramid at Mayan archeological site Chichén Itzá in the blazing Yucatán sunlight, I was awestruck by the structure’s complexity. Not just because of the pure historical ramifications of the pyramid and temple , but also because of its timekeeping capabilities. Chichén Itzá’s most famous structure was actually built to be the world’s largest calendar And this at a time when calendars didn’t even exist!
