SIHH 2015: Vacheron Constantin had everyone swooning at Geneva watch fair January 28, 2015 Every dreary January, the luxury watch world and its dog enjoys brief respite from the month’s enforced abstinence inside a vast exhibition complex next to Geneva airport. Here, for the past 25 years, the Richemont Group has provided its own alternative to the chaotic jamboree that is spring’s watch and jewellery fair in Basel, staging [...]
British watchmaker’s kick-ass cameo January 28, 2015 On general release today, Kingsman: The Secret Service sees the cream of British screen talent toting some hardcore British wrist-gadgetry from youthful aviator brand Bremont. Matthew Vaughn’s follow-up to Kick Ass – another comic-book co-adaptation with Jonathan Ross’s wife Jane Goldman – sees Colin Firth, Mark Strong and Michael Caine pairing their spivvy suits and [...]
2015 ticks off to a good start January 28, 2015 Richemont’s finest came to SIHH with some horological humdingers Wandering the lofty, beige halls of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) inside Geneva Airport’s cavernous Palexpo complex – “probably the most luxurious trade fair in the world” – the seeming neutrality of its colour-scheme belies the horological hierarchy at play here. Unlike the [...]
Hands on heart January 28, 2015 Yes chaps, it’s time to think about Valentine’s again – and we have the perfect gift to set her ticking If you wear a wristwatch, a recent statistic puts the number of times you check the time at 88 times a day. So if you think about it, that could be 88 times a day [...]
Peak performance January 28, 2015 Named after the highest point reached by a star in the night sky, Zenith has certainly scaled the heights of modern watchmaking throughout its 150 years of continuous innovation – an anniversary being marked with aplomb in 2015. 1865 At just 22, the founder of Zenith, Georges Favre-Jacot, revolutionises watchmaking by uniting all its professions [...]
Let them eat steak: Martin Williams is the man behind the City’s newest brand – M January 27, 2015 Martin Williams, owner of the new M complex on Threadneedle Street, shares his vision for the brand WHAT WAS YOUR VISION FOR M? A multifaceted venue with a private members’ club feel. A home from home that you can use for breakfast, wine tastings, cocktails, live music and a quick (or epic) lunch or dinner. [...]
Restaurant review: M by Martin Williams on Threadneedle Walk January 27, 2015 It’s a brave man who first ate an oyster, they say, but it’s a braver man who opens a restaurant in the Square Mile. The normal laws of gastronomic physics don’t apply here. The food scene moves slowly, governed by ritual, force of habit and sheer bloody-mindedness. The trends and fads of Shoreditch and Mayfair [...]
Mix it up: Don’t let your cocktail go out stark naked January 27, 2015 @philip_salter Just as clothes might maketh the man, garnishes maketh the cocktail. Once upon a time, the fashion was for mixed drinks stuffed with cocktail umbrellas and enough fruit to hit your five a day. These days, cocktail garnishes have been toned down, but there are notable exceptions. The tiki trend, inspired by the drinks [...]
Car review: Why the Mercedes-Maybach S600 is far more than a car January 26, 2015 Luxury is a word bandied around for just about every new car launch these days. Mercedes is the real deal. When is a car not a car? The primary purpose of the humble automobile is to mobilise people; to allow them to transport themselves to their destinations. But some cars leave that idea so far [...]
Not convinced? January 26, 2015 CHECK OUT THESE ALTERNATIVES… ROLLS-ROYCE GHOST PRICE: £216,864 0-62MPH: 4.9 secs TOP SPEED: 155mph CO2 G/KM: 327g/km MPG COMBINED: 20.8mpg THE VERDICT: DESIGN Five Stars PERFORMANCE Five Stars PRACTICALITY Four Stars VALUE FOR MONEY Four Stars BENTLEY FLYING SPUR W12 PRICE: £153,300 0-62MPH: 4.6 secs TOP SPEED: 199mph CO2 G/KM: 343g/km MPG COMBINED: 19mpg THE VERDICT: DESIGN Four Stars [...]