Hairsprings are miniscule. Generally no more than one centimeter in overall diameter when coiled, they are roughly 50 microns thick and 150 microns wide. Tiny they may be, but insignificant they are not. In fact, they are so significant that Rolex refers to them as “the guardians of time.” But what do silicon hairsprings bring to the table? Watchmaker Ashton Tracy explains why he went from skeptic to fan.
Hamlet Paredes is one of the planet’s great cigar rollers and a great friend of Ken Gargett’s. Here Ken provides an abbreviated account of the life and times of Hamlet, all wrapped up in tobacco leaves and entertaining dialogue.
Yamazaki 12-Year-Old from Japan is a whisky that Ken Gargett has loved every time he has had the chance to try it. The bottle he sampled for this piece was actually one from the back of his cupboard, which he has been sitting on for far too long. When a mate saw it, he implored him not to open it. But Ken of course did and shares the experience with us here.
Elizabeth Doerr recently had the extraordinary opportunity to spend some time with the McLaren Speedtail hypercar and the Richard Mille RM 40-01 McLaren Speedtail watch, both of which are very rare. Her experience with these two cult objects was exhilarating!
After Colin Alexander Smith recently noticed John McLaughlin wearing an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak in live footage from the 1990s along with various other interesting timepieces, he somewhat cheekily asked him for an interview to discuss his watches rather than his music or his guitars, to which he kindly agreed. Not surprisingly they ended up discussing all three in this riveting interview spanning decades’ worth of music, stories, and timepieces.
Normally Ken Gargett would not highlight a retailer/supplier, but Dekanta offers special limited edition Japanese whiskies as well as many of the harder-to-find bottlings. And he does think this Asaka Aoi Edition Single Cask is a very fine whisky and definitely worth a look.
A generous friend offered GaryG the opportunity to shoot his white gold Kari Voutilainen Masterpiece Chronograph II so that Gary is able to share delightful photos of both his custom pink gold Chronograph II in comparison with his friend’s custom white gold version.
Cohiba Lancero is arguably the most famous cigar of all. It is, however, a cigar that is talked about far more than it is smoked. Why? With measurements of 7½ inches and a ring gauge of 38 (not to forget the little pigtail at the end), it falls smack in the center of what the old timers call the “long and skinnies.” Ken Gargett explains why it’s worth a puff.
The Louis Roederer NV champagne is to be discontinued and replaced by a new NV dubbed Collection 242. Ken Gargett thinks that this new Roederer is a joy to drink, immaculately balanced, and delightfully fresh. But that’s not all.
After nearly 20 years, Breitling and Bentley are parting ways. What started in 2002 when Breitling designed the dashboard clock of the Continental GT and was last renewed in 2018 is now coming to an end. Martin Green takes a look at the good and bad watches having emerged from this long partnership and speculates heavily on the future.