Thrill of the chase. Intellectual satisfaction. Investment. There are nearly as many reasons for collecting things as there are things to collect. But when it comes to watches and writing instruments, a variety of shared motivations, perhaps catalyzed by the obvious common characteristics of the objects themselves, make them conspicuous crossovers for collectors.
The rise of Brunello has been recent. And, arguably, the single most convincingly 100 percent Brunello example of fine wine is Soldera at Case Basse according to Ken Gargett and other wine experts. But Soldera and the region have a dramatic background, one that might not be common knowledge outside Tuscany. Read on for a Hollywood script-worthy story and mouthwatering descriptions of Tuscan wines you may not (yet) be acquainted with.
Ken Gargett has tasted several Louis Roederer Cristal vintages over recent years, but how did the recently disgorged wine fare in 2014? Could it match the 2012 or 2013? Read on to discover what Ken thinks of the Cristal 2014 and whether it can stand up to the hype.
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel Hidden Treasures collection consists of three Reverso watches featuring dials with exquisite miniature reproductions of lost paintings by three master painters: Gustave Courbet (1876), Vincent Van Gogh (1888), and Gustav Klimt (1917). Each piece’s painting has its own interesting story highlighting why it was considered a “hidden treasure.” Joshua Munchow shares those stories with us here.
Japanese whisky distillery Mars Shinshu is still working to establish its house style. “Searching for its soul,” distillery manager Koki Takehira calls it, and he is off to a wonderful start. At this stage, the whiskies appear to be from the elegant and complex end of the spectrum, and there is a gentle sweetness, more so than found in most Japanese whiskies. Ken Gargett takes us through the history of Mars Shinshu and shares tasting notes of a few of the whiskies.
A fountain pen’s nib is the source of its magic. Yes, there are many beautiful pens out there but without a great nib a pretty pen is just a pretty pen. A good pen point can transform an ordinary writing experience into a memorable melding of mind and hand. Montblanc’s new Meisterstück Calligraphy Solitaire Burgundy Lacquer is a desirable pen by any measure, not the least of which is contributed to by its 18-karat gold flexible nib.
It never fails: pull out a bottle of wine from a friend or family member’s birth year and the entire event becomes just that little bit more special. Of course, the older we get the harder that becomes, but it is far from impossible. And, of course, if you were so fortunate as to have arrived on earth during a great “vintage,” so much the better. Here, Ken Gargett makes some wine recommendations for celebrating a big anniversary or birthday in 2022.
Jacky Ickx and Chopard co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele have been friends for 27 years. In 1989 Scheufele and Ickx drove the Mille Miglia together for the first time. It is such shared events in addition to the legendary racecar driver’s achievements that have inspired Chopard to continue to dedicate timepieces to Ickx, honoring a man who can certainly be called one of the world’s very best drivers. Check out 6 watches dedicated to him here.
If you’ve been watching the 2022 Australian Open (as Elizabeth Doerr has), you may be wondering about the prominent watch seen on Rafael Nadal’s right wrist (he’s left-handed), which has been a constant companion no matter what he’s doing – even while playing his grueling matches on court. It’s a Richard Mille RM 27-04 with an innovative mesh tennis-string-style “plate” as Elizabeth explains here.
Vacheron Constantin has recently released a watch that crosses the bridge between the worlds of watches and wine: a single-piece edition called Les Cabinotiers Grande Complication Bacchus. Ken Gargett understands that watch people find this as exciting as wine lovers might find the new vintage of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti’s Romanée-Conti.