I recently had the chance to spend two nights at the Hôtel de Vendôme, which is situated as the gateway to Paris’ swankiest shopping square: Place Vendôme. I stayed there as a guest of Chopard on the way to Le Mans, and this is when I learned a very interesting fact: the beautifully appointed hotel housed within an eighteenth-century mansion now belongs to the Swiss brand.
When you think of fantasy and science fiction, what do you think of? I sometimes allow my imagination to drift into the paranormal and early twentieth-century years of discovery. This is the world that inspired the creation of Frank Buchwald’s latest creation for the M.A.D. Gallery, which is, of course, the Nixie Machine, a fantabulous clock featuring rare and giant Nixie tubes produced in the 1960s by the state-owned RFT in East Germany. I can imagine this clock in a variety of fictional settings from the worlds of Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, and even Isaac Asimov.
Dante Del Vecchio’s love of culture and innovation led him to found Visconti, an Italian brand with a remarkable assortment of pens, watches and accessories. Each of the collections tells a story – about art, archaeology, philosophy, literature or history – through the eyes the founder and, of course, his chosen city: Florence. Historically used as the material for creating sculpture, architecture, and objets d’art, Visconti is now using marble for its latest pen collection, Millionaire. Crafting a marble pen, however, is not simple.
Security breaches of company databases have been in the news recently, but what if there was a spy who knew everything you were doing, including when you slept, ate, had sex, exercised, and worked – at what and for how long. A spy that monitored not just what you were doing, but how you were doing it, for how long, and how well. Have you really thought about what your fitness bracelet knows?
Even the sweet taste of the nectar of Zeus pure mortals call Marsala wine that I was sipping on a terrace in the middle of the Piazza del Duomo in Syracuse, Sicily, and even the sensational view of that grandiose rococo church in front of me could not erase the horrible image from my mind. Caressing my arm, Mrs. What Makes Me Tick was doing her best to shake me out of my shock by trying to persuade me that it wasn’t all that bad and that things could have been worse. Worse?
Krone, founded in the United States in 1997, has made its name by producing commemorative limited edition pens as a tribute to people, events, and things that helped shape history. Editions have included such topics as Thomas Edison, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Duke Ellington. The most recent honors Vincent Van Gogh, featuring a beautiful hand-painted representation of his famous work Starry Night in miniature on the barrel.
The Goodwood Festival of Speed is an automotive pilgrimage; it is to cars what Glastonbury is to music. My father and I have often made the journey from our respective homes in Sussex and Oxfordshire to meet on the Friday, the opening day of the festival, to see the amazing spectacle that takes place at this hill climb. And, of course, what watches did I see at the event?
Ah, Paris! City of Lights, Paname, Babylon on the Seine – no matter how one refers to it, there is nothing remotely like it. For the watch collector, it’s a great place to visit as well with boutiques aplenty, some owned and operated by the major brands; high-end mega-stores like Bucherer; and smaller independent retailers like Chronopassion and Dubail. Recently, I took a quick weekend trip to Paris and while there I took the opportunity to pack in as much fun as possible. Come along with me and join in!
“It’s wonderful that Rolex and Wimbledon have been partners for so long,” says Roger Federer, the greatest tennis player of all time and a Rolex ambassador. “They are both the perfect embodiment of grace and excellence.” Rolex And Wimbledon: there are few brands that fit so well together, emulating each other in a way – though a fully unplanned way – with their staunch holds on traditionalism and domination of their respective fields. Since 1978 they have transcended social, cultural, language, and even ideological barriers together.
Fans attending Wimbledon are ardent about the most important tennis tournament on earth. But aside from wearing a boring old tennis shirt – Wimbledon only allows white tennis clothes on court – how can you display your passionate spirit for others to see and engage with? A Wimbledon-themed NATO strap on a Rolex might be just perfect.