Patek Philippe rolls into London town April 8, 2015 Should you be embarrassingly ignorant about Geneva’s pre-eminent watchmaker, despite the ubiquitous ads reminding you of their precious wares being worthy of several generations, not just yours, then a visit to its forthcoming mega-exhibition this May should change that for good. From 27 May, Patek Philippe will be taking over Chelsea’s Saatchi Gallery as part [...]
What’s ticking? Watch News April 8, 2015 New brand at Harrods gets hearts ticking IT’S been a long road, but independent watchmaker Peter Speake-Marin is finally selling his own brand of exquisitely crafted, classically styled dress watches back in his homeland. Made on the outskirts of Geneva in his Swiss atelier, which he founded in 2002, Speake-Marin watches are, as of this [...]
Dashing chaps: Jaguar’s design guru, Ian Callum has teamed up with the boys from Bremont April 8, 2015 As a watch enthusiast who’s also lucky enough to be a watch-industry insider, one tends to get blasé about meeting the legends of the trade – something that’s par for the course when it comes to doing the rounds at that annual extravaganza of all things horological, the Baselworld watch and jewellery trade fair. So, [...]
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service April 8, 2015 Bond is back for the 24th time this winter in the hotly anticipated SPECTRE – directed by Skyfall’s helmsman Sam Mendes, the ever-craggier Daniel Craig reprising the lead role, and Omega duly donned; a bang-on-target product placement commemorated by a new Aqua Terra Seamaster, limited to 10,007 pieces (left; £4,630). After all, as our timeline [...]
Apple Watch beware: Switzerland is unleashing a wave of smart tech at the high end April 8, 2015 “An expensive watch is a piece of art, part of eternity,” professed LVMH’s bumptious watch chief and erstwhile industry spokesman Jean-Claude Biver on CNN in February. “Because,” he explained, “a watch that is made by hand can be repaired in a thousand years. A technological watch will be obsolete in probably five.” That may be, [...]
The basel curveball April 8, 2015 Smartwatches were inevitable; it’s Patek’s pilot watch that surprised EVERY year at the Baselworld trade fair, there is something – usually controversial – on everyone’s lips. The fact it was Patek Philippe this March is controversy enough, before you even consider the watch in question. For while Patek is far from predictable, this ultra-classical grande [...]
Three’s a trend April 8, 2015 The Baselworld watch and jewellery fair was bigger than ever this March, with over 150,000 visitors thronging this indoor city of gleaming brand pavilions, conducting billions of euros of business in 10 short days and setting the watch trends for the year to come. But in among the pizzazz, there was some rare subtlety and [...]
2015 London Marathon: The gear you need, from trainers to shades April 8, 2015 The London Marathon: 26.2 miles of physical and mental agony. And yet, come Sunday 26 April, nearly 40,000 of us will line up to compete, including hundreds of City workers. The pain, of course, can be mitigated by proper training and making sure you have the right gear. The training is up to you: we’re [...]
Beautiful Things: a perfect scarf for spring April 8, 2015 This light cotton/silk blend scarf is ideal for the blustery spring months ahead. It’s made by Krystall-Soamas, a german brand that incorporates elements of Eastern and Western design in its collections of shawls and clutches, all of which are handcrafted using the most intricate and luxurious fabrics and environmentally friendly natural fibres. €55, krystall-soamas.com [...]
Top London restaurant openings: Our favourite new dining spots so far this year April 7, 2015 THE IVY CHELSEA GARDEN 195-197 King's Road, SW3 5EDtheivychelseagarden.com, 020 3301 0300 It’s not long until The Ivy’s flagship restaurant re-opens – until then you can dine in its new, more informal cousin on The King’s Road. BAO Lexington St Soho, W1F 9ASbaolondon.com, 020 7287 5724 “Bao” is a type of fluffy [...]