Star man June 23, 2014 This impossibly complicated piece is coming to a store near you There’s a flurry of London watch shop openings in the offing this summer: Richard Mille’s coming to Mount Street, Blancpain to Bond Street and Harrods is opening a second branch of its Fine Watch Room in Heathrow’s re-opened T2. But the most exciting new [...]
We take the Aston Martin Vanquish to Dartmoor June 23, 2014 It’s the tail-end of dusk in Devon and silence is broken. Thundering down the twisting A382 from Exeter to Chagford, an ancient tin-mining town set on the upper reaches of southern England’s most rugged terrain, Dartmoor, the Aston Martin darts into a private road. Its V12 echoes through a dark tunnel of trees, skimming the [...]
Viva Britannia June 23, 2014 Why London’s menswear showcase is proof our fashion industry is in rude health London is unquestionably the world’s most fashionable city. It is also the spiritual home of fine tailoring, so it was a strange state of affairs that, until two years ago, we didn’t have our own dedicated men’s fashion week. Now we have [...]
Review: Dirty Burger/Chicken Shop Stepney June 20, 2014 Food: ★★★★☆ | Value: ★★★★★ | Atmosphere: ★★★☆☆ A few months ago I swore to myself I was going to stop reviewing anywhere that’s part of a trendy chain; Dirty Burger and Honest Burger and Burger and Lobster and Patty and Bun. Not because I don’t like them – I slum it with the rest of the plebs [...]
30 Years of Cartier and Polo June 18, 2014 It’s only right that the king of sports has a close association with the “jeweller of kings and the king of jewellers” (as King Edward VII of England put it). Cartier’s relationship with polo began 30 years ago when it sponsored International Day for the first time. As the Cartier International Day, the event at [...]
Piña colada cocktail recipe June 17, 2014 NOW is the time to stand athwart history. Now is the time for a band of brothers to unite against the barbarian at the gates; now is the time to take up arms, to stand up (provided you’ve not drunk too much) against the skinny cocktail. There's something to the slippery slope theory of [...]
Fitness challenge: the results after 10 weeks June 16, 2014 Everything I thought I knew about getting fit was wrong. Go running, avoid fat. Wrong, wrong, according to my trainer. And after my 10 week programme (eleven and a half factoring in holidays), I’m not inclined to argue. The results of my “total body transformation” were more impressive than I’d thought possible three months ago. [...]
Florence’s four best boutique hotels June 13, 2014 Frequent flyers, particularly those travelling on business, see a lot of forgettable hotel rooms. Even if the corporate purse stretches to a five star offering, it’s normally a last-minute, practical booking in the centre of town. The global hotel franchises that cater to the busy and perpetually tired are experts at creating welcoming yet efficient [...]
Rolex unveils two 1,000mph timepieces June 12, 2014 What you see on the right has been unveiled today as the first detailed glimpse of Wing Commander Andy Green’s tiny cockpit inside Bloodhound SSC – the first land-speed record bid since Green reached 763mph with Thrust SSC 17 years ago. In his attempt to set a new record of 1,000mph in South Africa in [...]
Upside-Down watch comes to London town June 12, 2014 While William & Son’s vast new emporium and headquarters takes shape on Bruton Street, the gunmaker’s existing showroom on Mount Street is adding yet another independent auteur of watchmaking to its enviable portfolio: Ludovic Ballouard. Having spent seven years assembling fellow William & Son brand FP Journe’s Grande Sonnerie, the visionary Swiss is now forging [...]