Fans of Japanese whisky will be all too aware that the better offerings are extremely hard to find. Once a curiosity, then mainstream, and more recently highly awarded and much sought after (okay, now subject to a feeding frenzy), the stuff is as rare as an honest politician. So grab whatever you can whenever you can!
The mechanical watch works just like a metronome, with its isochronic balance maintaining a steady rhythm and the delicate tick-tock of its pallet jewels providing a rhythmic beat to our oft-frantic lives. If we ramp up the power and swap the metronome for a drum kit and a few electric guitars we have rock and roll! But which watches do rock-and-roll icons wear?
There was a time when the words “Penfolds champagnes” would have sent the Champenois into a frenzy far frothier than any of their fizz. No wine region on the planet has been more vigilant than Champagne in protecting its name (and reputation). Ken Gargett explains how the big Aussie wine producer pulled off the trick of making genuine French champagne and if it’s more than hype and bubbles.
If you have followed Joshua Munchow’s writing over the last five years, you will know that he genuinely loves the moon phase complication. Here he looks at the most accurate moon phase watches in existence. And their precision is out of this world!
Lagavulin is from the Scottish island of Islay. Malt lovers immediately fall into one of two camps: one does not enjoy the peaty, smoky, seaweed notes that whisky from this island usually offers. The second group loves those characteristics. No prize for guessing where Ken Gargett falls. But what about Ron Swanson?
Rolex has been described as a blue-chip brand built on blue-collar movements. That’s true no longer: recent developments at the patent office suggest that the future of Rolex watchmaking may yield dramatic breaks with its conservative past. Atomic oscillators, advanced mechanical escapements, and new complications could remodel Rolex in the image of avant-garde independent and boutique brands as Tim Mosso reports.
The watches Breguet has created using the exquisitely rare and beautiful cameo carving technique for its Cammea collection should remain heirlooms for the ages. Elizabeth Doerr explains why.
A blend of rare single malts – the youngest of which was filled in December 1967 – The Glenlivet Winchester Collection Vintage 1967 is non-chill filtered at cask strength. It offers drinkers a rich and fruity nose with notes of apricot jam, sweet ripe peaches, and a touch of toasted almonds. And it costs $25,000 per bottle. Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle explains why.
Today many premium watch brands look for that certain “extra element” to get ahead of the competition, and one hot item now is straps. If it is true that shoes make the man, then the strap must make the watch. Jan Lidmaňský shares a selection of interesting partnerships between the worlds of watches and leather.
A question often asked is whether a wine three or four times the price of another can be three or four times as good. In reality, people pay high prices for special wines for all manner of reason, so that is very rarely the case. And for Ken Gargett, in the case of the Henschke Hill of Grace 2014 & Henschke Mount Edelstone 2015 definitely not.