Wanted | Watches, Jewels and Luxury 2022/23 special edition

Oyster Perpetual Datejust 36 watch in Oystersteel and Everose gold, Rolex; Pent boxing glove, IL Lusso

Pomellato Nudo pendant earrings & Pomellato Brera choker, both Architects of Time; wrap dress, Erre

Necklaces, all Gi! Collection at Elegance Jewellers; shirt & jacket, both Burberry

ometimes you luck out in life. I was thinking about it this morning. You might not realise it as it is happening, because you are caught up in the relentless grip of the daily. And by daily, I mean all the Sisyphean tasks that make up your life. The same-same. The pushing of the rocks up the grinding slope of stuff you just have to do. The stuff that is not what dreams are made of. The deadlines, the meetings, the gnashing of the teeth against the tedium and the toil. But the luck is always working away in the background. You just have to recognise it for what it is. A little beacon of joy and pleasure and delight. Luck in all its sparkling, happy, unexpected pop-uppiness, generative and warm and bountiful — poking up its gloriously silly head just where you least expect it. But always making itself known, if only you’d care to notice. Mine has been like a little diamond stone in my shoe (as opposed to on the sole), a niggling, abundant, sweet feeling tap-tapping me on the shoulder and demanding that I just pause and acknowledge it.

My luck came years ago in the form of this bunch of maverick, creative, glorious people I have been working with for a very, very long time. Please forgive me if I don’t tell you precisely how long, because the luck will run out when they kill me for giving away our collective years in actual numbers. My work family is like any family you might have witnessed in your own life. We are all here, with our marvels and our quirks and our warts in equal numbers. But, my god, do I count my blessings when I step into the office after these past few years when I wasn’t sure if we would

“LUCK

SIN ALL ITS SPARKLING,HAPPY, UNEXPECTED POP-UPPINESS... ALWAYS MAKING ITSELF KNOWN”

be back here in the flesh or at all, and find these clever humans making beauty every day with grace and talent and a skilful verve that is second to none.

This book is about watches and jewels — in the making of it we have come close to the essence of what makes something excellent and timeless and valuable. I can tell you without a doubt what that is for me: you can read every one of their names on the masthead. So, just saying — I count my lucky stars that I get to play with this glorious bunch of sparkling people every day. Your movements are spectacular.

Thank you x Aspasia

text Debbie Hathway

1. Chopard

We had a sneak preview of the Chopard Red Carpet Collection at Watches and Wonders Geneva ahead of the 75th Cannes Film Festival. The haute joaillerie themed collection naturally includes jewellery watches, with this watch created with Fairmined-certified ethical 18kt white gold, entirely set with diamonds (32.82ct) and multicoloured sapphires (17.48ct).

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The Pear Shape and Marquise Diamond Watch by Graff features an asymmetric cluster of pear-shaped and marquise-cut diamonds totalling more than 13ct. The house classifies it as an abstract jewellery watch, the epitome of restrained elegance. The diamonds frame a pavé-diamond dial to add delicate volume to the design. The result? A cascade of sparkle.

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A one-of-a-kind jewel, La D de Dior Précieuse à Secret is adorned with a delicate white-opal cabochon. Its outward appearance as a bejewelled bracelet is achieved by a cover that can be gently moved aside to see the time. Here, the middle case, dial, crown, and bracelet are pavéd with snow-set diamonds. With pink gold and sparkling diamonds, it is both feminine and timeless.

4. Cartier

The Indomptables collection of tête-à-tête-inspired jewellery contrasts two animals from the maison’s menagerie. The collection, launched at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2022, includes five bracelets and two torque necklaces, as well as three watches with shagreen-set diamond dials framed by two bars, one side bitten by a panther and the other by a crocodile, zebra, or tiger (seen here), all with movable heads.

From breathtaking secrets to spirited interpretations of the animal kingdom, this is the height of savoir-fairejewellery-making

BIG BANG INTEGRATED

Grey ceramic case with integrated bracelet. In-house UNICO chronograph movement.

Spirit Radiance cuff, POR, Louis Vuitton

text Suzy Josephson

1. Cartier

If you’re after a bit of drama, the La Panthère ring is a piece that will definitely appeal to your wilder sensibilities. Part of the Panthère de Cartier collection, the ring is 18kt yellow gold with tsavorite garnets, onyx, and 242 brilliant-cut diamonds totalling 2.21ct. POR, Cartier.com

2. Messika

This is the yellow-gold version of the Messika Move Noa cuff, R178 000, which displays the same design of diamonds for which Messika is known. The streamlined band gives it its elegant simplicity, while the intricacy of the diamond layout lends the piece a bit more wow factor. bhhboutique.co.za

3. Chopard

These Chopard Happy Hearts earrings, R108 450, from the James Bond Limited Edition collection, are the epitome of oldworld, 007 glamour. They feature 52 diamonds with an additional two floating diamonds and, of course, happy, sunny yellow gold. Available to order, bhhboutique.co.za

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4. Louis Vuitton

While her sister Rose has been given all the limelight of late, it is plain to see that Yellow Gold is just as deserving of love and attention

The all star squad Giannis Antetokounmpo Chloe Kim Erling Haaland

ALSO KNOWN AS NACRE , mother-of-pearl is the iridescent substance that forms the inner layer of the shell of some molluscs and is poetically named as such for being the belly in which the pearl is made. Evidence of its use has been found in early Native-American cultures, and it was also employed by the ancient Egyptians to honour royalty and was popular in China during the Shang and Ming dynasties in creating furniture, jewellery, and clothing.

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Chopard Happy Hearts pendant with diamonds and motherof-pearl inlay, R78 600 bhhboutique.co.za

2. Bulgari Divas’ Dream bracelet, 18kt rose gold with mother-of-pearl element and pavé diamonds, R84 500 picotandmoss.co.za

3. Messika Lucky Move ring with diamonds and mother-ofpearl inlay, R44 400 (available to order) bhhboutique.co.za

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It’s not just the string of clutchable pearls that’s having a revival, so too are mother- of-pearl inlays in all sorts of prettyexpressions

do a deep dive into their lustrous world pearls

PEARLS ARE HAVING a bit of a fashion renaissance. The “dewdrops of the gods”, as the Persians styled them, were served up by Cleopatra, crushed in wine, as the ultimate luxurious gesture. This regal adornment graced the necks and earlobes of Persian, Chinese, and Roman aristocracy, saved medieval knights from certain death when worn as a talisman, helped Holly Golightly digest her breakfast at Tiffany’s, and, most recently, accompanied Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II to her final resting place. Her beloved pearl earrings had been gifted to her by her parents and her ever-present string of pearls is now making showstopping appearances around the Princess of Wales’s neck. The more fashionforward are wearing them with everything. Take your cue from the catwalk.

Fendi

Tom Ford

Versace

IMAGES GETTY IMAGES/ DOMINIQUE CHARRIAU/ ESTROP / JP YIM/ PASCAL LE SEGRETAIN / PETER WHITE/ STAFF / STRINGER/ TRISTAN FEWINGS / VITTORIO ZUNINO CELOTTO

Erdem

The Streamliner

by H. Moser & Cie.

Gianni Angnelli

cuff it

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Lapo Elkann

ianni Agnelli, the erstwhile richest man in Italy, nicknamed l’Avvocato (the Lawyer) and known in certain circles as the “Rake of the Riviera” and the true “King of Italy”, was once named by Esquire magazine as one of the five best-dressed men in the history of the world. An industrialist, playboy, man of mystery, and bon vivant, the capo of Fiat, Scuderia Ferrari, Ferrari, and Juventus was the sartorial embodiment of the Italian art of sprezzatura — making the difficult look easy. His bench-bespoke Sartoria A Caraceni suits (also favoured by King Charles of England, Prince Rainier of Monaco, Aristotle Onassis, Karl Lagerfeld, Humphrey Bogart, Yves Saint Laurent, and Valentino Garavani) underscored his deserved reputation as a tastemaker of note. But it was his idiosyncratic habit of wearing his wristwatch over his cuff for ease of access and his sheer inventive genius that settled his reputation as a dapper frontrunner in the global style stakes in the 20th century’s best-dressed lists. His grandson Lapo Elkann, brand director at Fiat, has had a hand in the clever marketing of the Fiat 500 reinvention and channels his grandfather’s reputation both for liaisons and style. He has also inherited his grandfather’s A Caraceni suits, tailored to fit him like a glove, and continues the tradition of wearing a wristwatch per cuff.IMAGES DAVID LEES/CORBIS/VCG VIA GETTY

text Debbie Hathway

1. Czapek & Cie

At Czapek & Cie, blue is the new black. The Geneva-based maison is known for its original dial colours and modern metal-colouring techniques, which enrich the Faubourg de Cracovie family of chronographs. The California Blue originated from a bespoke request from a collector, which resulted in an ultra-limited edition of 18 pieces. The watch features a deep-blue grainé dial and echoes the “Californian” numbering used for the Faubourg de Cracovie California Dreamin’ model. The chronograph is powered by the Czapek SXH3 calibre, made for the brand by Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier.

2. H. Moser & Cie.

Seven years after the release of H. Moser & Cie.’s original Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Funky Blue, the brand has launched a design evolution. Hours and minutes are easily read with the central hands, and the flash calendar function instantly changes the date at midnight. A small centre hand points to the month, and an indicator on the movement side points out leap years. The original model is widely considered the most straightforward perpetual calendar in the market to set and read, thanks to its ingenious mechanism, which allows the time/date to be set forward and backward at any time of the day.

Classic wristwatches with complications,such as the tourbillon and perpetualcalendar,arealwayswanted

4. Vacheron Constantin

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3. Chopard

Chopard’s Alpine Eagle Flying

Vacheron Constantin describes its Overseas Tourbillon Skeleton as “a breath of fresh air”, in keeping with the spirit of travel. This model is the first in the Overseas collection to be equipped with a tourbillon movement in a skeletonised version and the first to be made entirely of Grade 5 titanium. It is also available in 18kt 5N pink gold. The new Manufacture Calibre 2160 SQ is ultra-slim at 5.65mm and features handcrafted finishes characteristic yet in a contemporary spirit. The openwork of the barrel reveals a cover shaped like a compass rose. It is easily personalised with three interchangeable straps: grade-5 titanium, leather, and rubber. 02.

Tourbillon in stainless steel is one of a handful of flying tourbillon watches to bear chronometer and Poinçon de Genève certification. Entirely developed, produced, and assembled in Chopard’s workshops and chronometer-certified by the COSC, the L.U.C 96.24-L mechanical selfwinding movement is the first automatic flying tourbillon calibre developed by the manufacture. It beats at a frequency of 25 200 vibrations per hour (3.5Hz) and has a 65-hour power reserve.

text Gary Cotterell

uring Watches & Wonders in Geneva this year, I met Teddy Florent, TAG Heuer’s new MD of its Connected Watch division, who is in charge of growing the business unit from its offices in Paris. Florent is one of the most charismatic people you’ll meet in the industry. His enthusiasm for new tech is infectious and his insights into our future engagement with it reassuring.

TAG Heuer introduced its Connected watch in November 2015. Presented in a Carrera-style case, it was the first smartwatch from a Swiss luxury watchmaker. Others followed, partly as a kneejerk reaction to the arrival of the Apple Watch, and with varying degrees of success. Five years and two editions later, my first encounter with one of these wearables came in 2020, when the South African agents introduced me to the Connected Calibre E3. It became my running partner for the better part of a month. But, as is the case with new tech, there is always something even newer just around the corner. During Florent’s presentation to me on the Calibre E4, we discussed the evolution of the device and the role of the metaverse in our future and that of the traditional watch industry.

“The Connected was launched at the same time as the Apple Watch, with the vision that three things would happen. First, there was a strong appetite among consumers to always be connected to their daily emails, notifications, and apps at a time when the phone was already quite developed. And that would happen through a device on the wrist: the birth of the smartwatch. The second belief was that something you wear every day would need to match your style and your elegance and not only be about technology. This is where our 160-year heritage in watchmaking applies. And third, something that came a little bit later was the belief that the watch was the best companion to help you achieve your goals. Health and wellness have now also become important, which is why we introduced the wellness app to help our customers track their steps and calories and achieve 100% of their goals. Our stats from our customers prove that we are right,” says Florent. The original Connected watch was mainly design focused. The Modular edition, launched in 2017, allowed the wearer to switch the smartwatch module to an automatic watch module. With the arrival of new CEO Frédéric Arnault in 2020 came a new vision and the addition of the second pillar: sports.

“So, we have the [design] elegance with our first pillar and the second pillar adds sport, which is also in the DNA of TAG Heuer. This is where we enrich the watch with a good design and a good

fit on the wrist, as well as [apps for] traditional sports such as running, cycling, and swimming. We also have a strong value proposition by adding golf as a premium sport that resonates well with our customer base.

“After the confinement people endured during Covid, golf was one of the first activities that they could do because of the natural social distancing. This boosted the sport quite a lot. But regardless of that, it’s still high on the agenda for our audience,” he says, highlighting how the golf app has become the “best partner on the green”.

A seasoned athlete himself, Florent introduced the third pillar of health and wellness “because we understand that our customers are willing to challenge themselves not only around sports but also [around] their wellbeing. We’ve seen 60% of our customers tracking their wellness daily — activities, heart rate, and calories.”

Something that will likely go unnoticed by users yet offers further proof that the Connected watch is best-in-class is related to the fourth pillar: seamless user experience. “We believe that technology should not be at the front but be a simple enabler of a premium luxury experience.” This happens effortlessly, from the watch interface to the new charging stand.

Compared to the E3, the vision for the Calibre E4 was to add “more modernity” with softer, curved lines introduced through its case design and shape, adding to comfort on the wrist.

“We also have two sizes in the E4: the 45mm is for people who have more passion for action sports and outdoor activities but who also like to be elegant and maybe wear the watch with a suit.” With the quick-release mechanism, you can change from a leather to a rubber strap in “two seconds”. The 45mm E4 is available in steel or titanium with rubber added around the crown for easier use while engaged in sweaty activities. The 42mm model has an even more elegant and chic positioning, with a much thinner bezel, but is only available in steel. Another welcome upgrade is that Spotify has implemented an offline version of its app, so you can download your music and store it on the E4 before heading out on a run.

I think it’s safe to say that the Connected watch is in a league of its own. So, what did TAG Heuer do right from the start? “We identified that we can’t be about design only, there needs to be a value beyond that and a vision beyond that. It is not simply about replicating the design from mechanical to connected. There are plenty of examples where the mix of luxury and tech didn’t work. Just look at the smartphone segments. Design is key and people react to it positively, but you need to address your technology value proposition. From day one we outsourced the development because we were not a tech company [at the time] and so we had to learn from that. Today we have in-house expertise, with more than 60 engineers dedicated to the development of Connected hardware and software. We are now invested in technology and

that investment was key for the differentiation and to be credible in the ecosystem.” While there was some fear at first that the Apple Watch would attract sales away from the traditional watch industry, it instead sparked a renewed interest in mechanical watchmaking, particularly among the younger generation, as Florent highlights.

“The two segments of watchmaking don’t cannibalise each other. From our stats, we see that when some of the younger generation go to buy a watch, they generally buy a mechanical watch first. We’re also seeing our traditional customers going after mechanical watches first, because it’s either something the parents give to their kids for graduation or a gift to themselves. Then they are also looking at the advantages of Connected, which they will use in different situations. They might use Connected during the day to track their steps and calories while being connected to their work agenda and notifications. When they go out with friends or to business meetings, they wear their mechanical watch. And it is also working for us the other way around, where we see the Connected in the premium offering in the smartwatch segment being a gateway to our mechanical collection. So, they complement each other.”

Florent says the vision for the future of Connected is twofold. “Remember the positioning of GoPro in sport? They were very focused on extreme sports or extreme adventure. What we want to do with the smartwatch is something comparable in the sense of premium ‘passion’ sports. We started with golf, at which we have been successful, and we plan to replicate this. In terms of identity, we believe that TAG Heuer customers are passionate about things, about watchmaking and about some sports. That is the common denominator in the brand DNA and our customers. They also want to stand out from the crowd and expect a high standard, so we are bringing a value proposition, meaning it’s not just a technological device, it’s [also] a high-end watch.”

With TAG Heuer as one of the headline partners of Formula E, and the popularity of motorsports, is there a motor-racing programme in the pipeline for Connected? The answer is “not yet”, but there is an Aston Martin Red Bull Racing-themed watch face. Besides the highly praised golf app, you can also track your running, cycling, swimming, indoor running, and indoor cycling. “And then you have the fitness programme, of course. This one is amazing. You can take a break with an intensive seven-minute workout.” Something I wished I’d discovered earlier at the fair, given the spread of deliciously rich fine dining on offer.

There is much talk about the use of digital technology, particularly NFTs and blockchain, for the certification of new and secondary-market sales. With sustainability a major concern in the industry, this would also be useful for transparency and chain of custody. I’m aware of initiatives within the LVMH group, but what is happening at TAG Heuer? “Last year, LVMH announced the Aura Blockchain Consortium [together with Prada and Cartier], which unites multiple luxury companies with the vision to provide consumers with a high level of transparency and traceability throughout the life cycle of a product. And, of course, we inherited this vision. There is also the infrastructure associated with that, because doing things on the blockchain requires technical aspects. We are serious about NFTs at TAG Heuer but, as with all technological revolutions, there is a lot of hype.

“Yet we believe that there are some structural things that are super-beneficial. With this technology, it is the first time on the internet that you can distinguish a fake from the original. Secondly, you can [assign] a value to multiple variants of the same work of art and, thirdly, you can [assign] a resale value, and the creator of the original content can also benefit from the resale. Those things have real, concrete value. We don’t want to be seen as opportunistic, but rather [as] being prepared to contribute to our vision of how we see the world eight years from now. This can add a strong value proposition for our customers,” says Florent. TAG Heuer has demonstrated its commitment to the environment through its Connected trade-in programme, which sees older models and accessories being dismantled to reuse the materials.

Florent’s stellar career in new tech spans over 20 years and includes being head of product for Amazon Alexa and the development of “a lot of connected smart devices” for the home. Having also worked in telecoms and virtual and augmented reality, Florent was the right choice to assemble and lead the Connected team into the future.

“We have people dedicated to software and hardware, but when it comes to the design of the Connected watch, we have included some staff from the traditional watch division. We believe that a hybrid team gives the best results.”

What does the metaverse of our future mean to Florent? “People wanted to be immersed in something that offered them escapism. In our modern society, this is important, and it’s not only through music or movies. It’s a profound thing. When you travel, it’s escapism. When you’re entering the virtual world, it’s escapism. Of course, we have to acknowledge the fear that people will lose themselves in all the pixels, but there is a strong need for people to escape their daily lives. And I think that makes sense. Now, we have the responsibility to make it right, through the way in which we create that multiverse, so that it is not chaotic, where we escaped into a digital world with no sense [of reality],” says Florent. As with anything, though, for health and wellbeing, there needs to be a good balance.

HEUER’S TEDDY FLORENT ON THE EVOLUTION OF THE BRAND’S SMARTWATCH OFFERINGS AND THEIR UNEXPECTED IMPACT ON TRADITIONAL TIMEPIECES

It's been six months since a privileged group of retailers, journalists, and collectors descended on Geneva for the physical Watches and Wonders trade fair that we’d been deprived of during the pandemic. And yet it feels like yesterday that we buzzed around the booths, getting up close and personal with the latest launches. This is practically the only time we get our hands on limited editions (which often sell out by the time the week-long event wraps up), prototypes for innovations, and high-jewellery watches that may never reach the South African market. And it’s also the event that sets the trends for the year. This year, sustainability was the biggest conversation starter. The State of Fashion Watches & Jewellery 2021 report by The Business of Fashion and McKinsey & Company highlights

text Debbie Hathway

the potential for executives to embrace sustainability as a brandbuilding exercise while pursuing responsible business practices. It’s a big issue for Gen Z, with 58% of younger consumers of luxury goods in 2019 saying that sustainability was an essential consideration in their purchase. “If a brand claims to be sustainable, it will need to show that this indeed is true in the court of public opinion,” says Gaetano Cavalieri, president of CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation. “Those brands that can convince their consumers that they are honest, above-board, and ready to change will be the ones that win consumer confidence and loyalty.”

Lelio Gavazza, Bulgari’s executive vice president of sales and retail, agrees in an interview. “We [aim] to trace as much as possible; when we do not do that, we are out of business,” he says. Bulgari sources gold certified against the Chain-of-Custody Standard of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) and, in 2019, the company exclusively sourced recycled gold.

Collaborative action

Chopard has been committed to 100% responsibly sourced gold since 2018, but now intends to increase the proportion of gold sourced from its artisanal mining partners from 40% to 60%. Patricia Evequoz, Chopard’s head of corporate sustainability, tells the report’s authors: “It’s not just philanthropy. Of course, we pay the premium [to the gold miners] because it is part of the game, but the point is really to incorporate that in the core business, in the strategy of the company. That makes it very powerful, that makes it sustainable. It’s crucial for us that this project continues.”

There have been various relevant industry-led initiatives. In 2005, the RJC was founded to determine standards for social and environmentally sustainable practices in jewellery supply chains. In 2013, the Swiss government developed the Better Gold Initiative with the Swiss Better Gold Association to build responsibility and transparency in the gold supply chain and so prevent conflicts around gold and minimise mercury emissions from mining. In 2021, the official standardsdevelopment body SCS Standards released the Certification Standard for Sustainable Diamonds to present a unified transparency framework for assessing and certifying mined, lab-grown, and recycled diamonds. And Cartier and Kering launched the Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030, which aligns with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development and encourages industry collaboration towards achieving best practices in this arena.

“If you really want to talk about a responsible supply chain, you need everyone along that chain to join hands [instead of] a lot of isolated efforts. [Going forward, the] movement needs to accelerate, [which is why] we call this the decade of action,” says RJC executive director Iris Van der Veken.

Environmental impact

By 2025, around 20-30% of global fine-jewellery sales (equivalent to $70-$110 billion) will be influenced by sustainability considerations, ranging from environmental impact to ethical sourcing practices. The report puts things in perspective. “An estimated 250 tonnes of earth are shifted for every carat of diamond extracted — which will equate to 1.5 times the weight of Mount Everest over the next five years — by miners who make as little as $3 a day in some regions. Meanwhile, diamond polishing emits 160kg of CO2 per carat. Unmitigated, this would translate to 160 to 170 megatonnes of CO2 emissions in the next five years — the equivalent of the yearly emissions from Singapore.”

Gold is also an issue, adds Damian Oettli, head of markets at the independent conservation organisation WWF. “In the Amazon and African regions, really large stretches of ecological systems are being destroyed through… gold mining activities, both industrial and artisanal.”

For every nine grams of gold mined, 20 tonnes of waste are generated. And mining companies are dumping 180

million tonnes of hazardous waste into water streams annually. That’s more than 1.5 times the waste US cities send to landfill each year, the report states.

Oris achieved carbon-neutral certified status in 2021 and plans to reduce emissions by 10% annually. While several brands showcased environmentally friendly options for their timepieces at the fair, such as straps made from recycled plastic or plant-based leather alternatives, Oris co-CEO Rolf Studer says these initiatives are not enough. “You don’t get there by using recycled materials with watches,” he says. “The biggest factors for us, for example, are flights, people commuting, packaging, weight, and freight. These are the things we need to look at.”

For every nine grams of gold mined, 20 tonnes of waste are generated

01. Rolex and Blancpain both support initiatives aimed at restoring the world’s oceans 02 + 03.

A portion of sales of Chopard’s Alpine Eagle collection goes to the Alpine Eagle Foundation

Top 10 watch brands with sustainability in mind

Portugal’s Azores Archipelago, an oasis in the Atlantic Ocean known for its rare and valuable ecological and biological qualities, is a new Mission Blue Hope Spot. Mission Blue is one of the pillars of 01. Rolex’s Perpetual Planet initiative, aimed at exploring, restoring, reviving, and guarding the world’s oceans. Legendary oceanographer and explorer Sylvia Earle, founder of Mission Blue, says, “The Azores Archipelago is a magnet for life. It really is a magical place. Launching the Azores as a Hope Spot is so logical — just ask the whales.”

02. Sustainability drives everything at IWC. It began this journey more than 10 years ago, starting with its supply chain.

It was the first watchmaking brand to publish a sustainability report, and is now on its fourth. The company focuses on transparency (showing what it does and how it does it), circularity (ensuring that its watches are built to last multiple lifetimes), and responsibility (such as adapting its internal processes in line with certified codes of good practices).

03. Chopard’s Alpine Eagle collection of sporty-chic timepieces now includes two 41mm models with a dial in an original “Pine Green” colour and available in Chopard’s exclusive ultra-resistant and highly luminous Lucent Steel A223 or ethical 18kt rose gold. A portion of sales of these models will be donated to the Alpine Eagle Foundation, whose programmes have enabled the reintroduction of the whitetailed eagle in the Lake Geneva region.

04. Blancpain works closely with divers, scientists, underwater explorers, environmentalists, and photographers dedicated to preserving the world’s oceans. This happens under the Blancpain Ocean Commitment banner and is linked to the brand’s legendary Fifty Fathoms watch.

05. Omega supports a critical mission to track satellites and debris that pose hazards to human activity in space by collaborating with Privateer as it maps space objects in orbit with unprecedented accuracy and transparency. Omega’s Speedmaster ’57 returns this year with a Master Chronometer upgrade and a slimmer profile.

06. Breitling’s sporty sea watch, the SuperOcean, is now an essential accessory for diving, surfing, swimming, or hitting the beach bar. All Breitling watches are presented in an eco-friendly, foldable, and reusable watch box made from 100% upcycled plastic bottles.

07. The Aquis Date Upcycle, a version of Oris’s high-performance diver’s watch, has a colourful dial made of recycled PET plastic.

08. Ulysse Nardin launched the Diver collection with straps upcycled from fishing nets. The Ocean Race Diver is the official timekeeper for the open-sea sailing race scheduled to start from Alicante, Spain, on January 15, 2023.

09. This year, Panerai released a new 44mm line of watches in steel, recycled eSteel, and Carbotech. The Submersible QuarantaQuattro eSteel is made of Panerai eSteel, comprising 95% recycled steel.

10. Bulgari set an eighth consecutive world record for the Octo collection when it created the thinnest mechanical watch yet at 1.8mm thick. All 10 of the limited-edition Octo Finissimo Ultra pieces have an engraved unique QR code that links to an exclusive NFT artwork. They sold out almost immediately.

Clash de Cartier single earring, R49 200; Clash de Cartier necklace in diamonds, R117 000, both Cartier; corset, R29 295, Versace

From top: Necklace with 186ct Rose de France amethyst, R170 000; necklace with 191.51ct prasiolites, R151 000; necklace with 163.75ct multicolour chequer-cut quartz, R149 000; necklace with 175ct dark amethyst, R203 000; necklace with 255.5ct white topaz, R154 000; necklace with 191ct lemon quartz, R141 600, all Gi! Collection at Elegance Jewellers; shirt, R9 150; jacket, R29 995, both Burberry

From top: Necklace with 186ct Rose de France amethyst, R170 000; necklace with 191.51ct prasiolites, R151 000; necklace with 163.75ct multicolour chequer-cut quartz, R149 000; necklace with 175ct dark amethyst, R203 000; necklace with 255.5ct white topaz, R154 000; necklace with 191ct lemon quartz, R141 600, all Gi! Collection at Elegance Jewellers; shirt, R9 150; jacket, R29 995, both Burberry

Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Dazzling Night & Day watch, POR, Elegance Jewellers

LV Volt studs in yellow gold, R29 400 each, Louis Vuitton; nose ring, model’s own; LV Volt pendant in yellow gold, R54 500; LV Volt pendant in pink gold, R45 000; double-breasted blazer, R68 500, all Louis Vuitton

Tilda’s Bow diamond watch on black satin strap (total diamond weight of 5.5ct), R1 200 000, Graff

Devotion earrings, R106 000; Devotion necklace, R57 000; Devotion bracelet, R99 000; Devotion ring, R67 000; dress, R45 000, all Dolce & Gabbana

Big Bang One Click watch on black strap, POR, Hublot

Divas’ Dream earrings, R440 000; Divas’ Dream necklace, R324 500; Divas’ Dream bracelet, R118 000; Divas’ Dream ring, R416 000; Divas’ Dream ring, R80 000; Divas’ Dream ring, R305 000, all Bulgari; crop top, R22 495, Versace

Serpenti Misteriosi High Jewellery secret watch, 40mm black-lacquered 18kt rose-gold case and bracelet set with two pear-cut diamonds and mother-of-pearl dial, POR, Bulgari

From top: Mabe-pearl and silver-topaz cluster earrings; rivière collar in mint amethyst, green tourmaline, and lemon quartz; three-strand ribbon ring edged in diamonds; pair of diamond cuff bangles; band, invisibly set with princess-cut diamonds; amethyst dress ring set with diamond bumble bee, all POR, Charles Greig; blouse, R30 595, Alexander McQueen

Tourbillon Co-Axial Master Chronometer watch, R3 570 000, Omega

Earring and nose ring, models own; Messika Lucky Move white-gold diamond-pavé necklace, R139 600, Boutique Haute Horlogerie; golfer, R12 795; metallic top, R11 695; cardigan, R30 105, all Versace; B.Zero1 bangle in 18kt white gold and pavé diamonds, R356 000;B.Zero1 bangle in 18kt white gold, R98 000, both Bulgari; Messika Move Titanium diamond ring, R17 400; Messika Move Titanium PM For Him diamond ring, R13,800, both Boutique Haute Horlogerie

Carrera Plasma Tourbillon Nanograph watch with 10ct lab-grown diamonds, POR, TAG Heuer

Shirt, R10 995, Alexander McQueen; bow, stylist’s own; jacket, R41 650, Giorgio Armani; gloves, R1 990, Karl Lagerfeld; Chopardissimo ring, R66 000; Chopard Mille Miglia bracelet, R10 850; Chopard Mille Miglia Chronograph watch, R121 700, Architects of Time

Chopard Red Carpet Collection watch in Fairmined-certified ethical 18kt white gold, full-set with 27.21ct diamonds and 8.4ct rubies, POR, Architects of Time

Pomellato Nudo pendant earrings in 18kt rose gold, rose quartz, chalcedony and diamonds, R148 000; Pomellato Brera choker in 18kt rose gold, R240 000; Pomellato Nudo bracelet in 18kt rose gold, white topaz mother-of-pearl, and diamonds, R180 000; Pomellato Brera bracelet in 18kt rose gold and brown diamonds, R142 000, all Architects of Time; wrap dress, R2 800, Erre

Pomellato Nudo pendant earrings in 18kt rose gold, rose quartz, chalcedony and diamonds, R148 000; Pomellato Brera choker in 18kt rose gold, R240 000; Pomellato Nudo bracelet in 18kt rose gold, white topaz mother-of-pearl, and diamonds, R180 000; Pomellato Brera bracelet in 18kt rose gold and brown diamonds, R142 000, all Architects of Time; wrap dress, R2 800, Erre

Star Legacy watch, R72 100, Montblanc

Happy Hoop earrings, R34 999; graduated diamond necklace, R500 000; Oval Halo ring, R79 999; solitaire ring, R49 999; diamond bracelet, R119 999; Baguette Trilogy ring, R69 999, all American Swiss; blouse, R16 195, Alexander McQueen

romancing the stone

hape, as understood by Pierre Rainero, the director of image, heritage, and style at Cartier, is the holistic term for the line, form, and colour that Cartier embraces through nature. Cartier’s high-jewellery collection, Beautés du Monde, has been created by exploring and observing the various shapes that the world holds. The uniqueness is found in balancing the way a piece is articulated with “the specific emotion that is linked to the way you want to touch it”. That emotion is what Rainero looks for when designing a piece, because that is what allows the magic to be seen.

The principle of creativity and the power of philosophy work together to constitute the golden thread running through the collection. “We look for surprises that come from the entire world — nature and culture both,” says Rainero. With each piece inspired by nature, this new collection uses light and architecture to express the beauty of diversity that is at the heart of Cartier’s designs.

One might ask how this high-jewellery collection came about. Rainero explains, “At Cartier, everything starts with the stone; it is the spirit of the piece and of the collection. Stones are always at the heart of our creations and collections. We consider all of them as the key to spreading emotions through our highjewellery pieces.”

It is the stone itself that is the muse for the design. The difficulty lies in finding a stone that meets Cartier’s criteria for quality and beauty. It must be natural, untreated, and found to constitute a “cabinet of curiosité ”. “A cabinet of curiosité is a collection of many things you collect everywhere — that’s the spirit of the collection.”

As the pieces are designed around the expression of Cartier’s stones, the profile of who will eventually wear or own the piece comes very naturally.

The collection comprises nine necklaces, seven rings, and four brooches, all drawing inspiration from what is beautiful in the world. These pieces are created to be more than just beautiful objects; they are created as “beautiful objects to be worn”. The fierceness and delicacy of nature is embodied in the arrangement of diamonds with other precious and semi-precious stones.

The necklaces take inspiration from animals, insects, and ornamental pieces. The butterfly, a naturalist motif, encouraged the creation of the Cymbale, Aporia, and Apatura necklaces, all with differing focal observations of the butterfly’s form and character. Reptiles, too, have had considerable influence in the curation of the Beautés du Monde necklaces. The Ryu necklace suggests the scales of a dragon, forming a link between earth and sky, visualised as a geometric mesh of white gold and yellow diamonds. The green skin of an iguana is represented in the Iwana necklace, through an abstract composition of emeralds and diamonds.

Rainero emphasises that “the snake is a permanent object of interest for Cartier”, which makes it a fitting inspiration for the Récif and Water Aspis necklaces. The Récif has vivid coral beads and emerald stones that snake along a band of clustered diamonds, while the design of the Water Aspis was prompted by the hypnotic movement of a sea serpent and the foamy shores it inhabits.

The Nouchali necklace drew inspiration from an aquatic flower, centred by a rubellite stone and petalled outward in diamonds. The Rituel necklace focused on more traditional Mesoamerican jewellery, with a bib of azure chalcedony beads, rubies, and diamonds that rests on the collarbone of the wearer.

The rings in the Beautés du Monde collection were a first for Cartier, “designed as sculptures, to form a family of styles, covering the maison’s areas of expression: geometry, movement, colour contrasts, and flora and fauna”.

The brooches complete the collection. From the elephant to the flamingo, the sophisticated attention used to place each stone allows their beauty to be

appreciated. Rainero was very connected to the process of creating the Beautés du Monde collection and he shares his favourite piece — the Récif necklace. “I am very sensitive, personally, to pieces that I want to touch,” he explains. This desire to touch is heightened by “the mix of colours and the intricate construction” of the piece. In this necklace, there is “a joyfulness of colours” that resonates with him. “It is very Cartier [in that it combines] small stones with the beads,” as Rainero points out when admiring the rhythm of the gems in this necklace.

THE WORLD OF NONPHYSICAL ARTWORKS (AND

THEY KEEP)

We’ve been here before. Scarcely a year after a global hype wave around non-fungible tokens (NFTs) saw Christie’s in New York auction off a digital collage by an artist named Beeple for $69.4-million in a groundbreaking sale of a non-physical artwork, the NFT market has collapsed, losing 97% of its market value since January this year. So, are NFTs the dotcom bubble of the millennial generation?

The price paid for Beeple’s artwork, titled Everydays: The First 5000 Days, in 2021, made him (real name Mike Winkelmann) one of the top-three most valuable living artists, along with more household contemporary-art names Jeff Koons and David Hockney. The furore also meant that the NFT boom became associated with digital certification for “artworks”. But what exactly is an NFT, how did they become so expensive, and why are they now losing their market lustre?

The acronym itself simply denotes a certification, or token, that guarantees that the associated digital object (for example, an artwork) is not replaceable by an exact copy. Both physical and cryptocurrencies are fungible, which essentially means they are tradable or exchangeable for one another at agreed values. But each NFT has a digital signature designed to make it a unique object, thus “nonfungible”, and is subject to a speculative setting of value.

It was the NFT, said Beeple after his record-breaking sale, that ushered in “the beginning of the next chapter in art history”. Since digital art was among the first assets certified by NFTs, a lot of attention in the market has focused on artworks, though NFTs have a much wider set of applications, including music, in-game items, and videos. Recently the hype wave has seen NFTs floated for designer sneakers — Gucci, since you ask — music, even tweets. In the kind of tech-bro postmodern joke that infuriates traditionalist art lovers, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey sold his first-ever tweet as an NFT for just shy of $3-million.

text James Sey

THE LESS-THANSALUBRIOUS COMPANY

On the plus side, the disruptive influence of the technology does put power back in the hands of artists. Theoretically, artists can bypass galleries and auction houses and sell directly to buyers in the form of an NFT. Also, royalties can be programmed into the file, so that artists receive a percentage of sales whenever their art is sold to a new owner.

But the real issue with NFTs and their relation to the conventional art world is the nature of the objects, digital or otherwise, that attract value in the virtual realm. Various pixelated gaming figures, among them the famous “CryptoPunk” portraits (an NFT project that displays special pixel image characters), change hands for six- and seven-figure sums. Nyan Cat, a 2011-era GIF of a cat with a Pop-Tart body, sold for nearly $600 000 in February this year. Clearly the idea of what constitutes an art object is different for NFT and crypto aficionados.

Driven mostly by NFTs for these kinds of artworks, the niche market was worth a staggering $41-billion in 2021 alone. This was getting close to the total value of the global market of physical fine art, and, of course, led many to question whether we were witnessing a speculative bubble in the tech market.

THE BUBBLE BURSTS

While the jury is still out for now, the bubble has, for the time being, well and truly burst. And the plunge in the value of NFTs is not, strictly speaking, to do with the technology itself.

Opensea is the largest cryptocurrency-trading market for NFTs, and the chart shows the precipitous decline in value and sales volumes over the past few months — a total decline of almost 96% in value from its highest point. Partly, the decline reflects the general trend of a correction in the speculative inflation of value in the cryptocurrency market at large. But, for NFTs specifically, as a recent US survey shows, most purchasers of the tokens bought them simply so they could sell them on at a profit — very far from the ethos of most real-world art collectors. The survey revealed that only 12% of buyers of NFTs were interested in them as artworks.

The other side of this coin is that the digital realm of NFTs is too volatile to immediately replace the traditional value mechanisms of the analogue artworld. This is mainly owing to the massive currency fluctuations undergone by the cryptocurrencies used to buy and sell most digital artworks. Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum have plunged in value in recent months, taking NFTs down with them.

Apart from the common volatility that goes along with a new technology-investment vehicle, the NFT space is also subject to the same scams that bedevil the rest of the online world. Earlier this year, the Bored Ape Yacht Club, a popular purveyor of NFTs, had its Instagram account hacked and millions of dollars’ worth of NFTs were stolen. The hack revealed one of the main issues for the stability of the market — it is concentrated in the hands of a few hundred individuals, usually wealthy tech speculators. That this new hype crowd can also be socially and politically regressive was revealed by a closer inspection of Beeple’s artwork. Everydays: The First 5000 Days is a digital collage, comprising one digital image saved each day by Beeple since 2007. ArtNet spotted a number of homophobic, racist, and sexist images among the plethora, possibly making Beeple just another regressive US frat-boy tech-head rather than the standard bearer for new digital art. And the frat-boy tech-head influence extends beyond the art world, into the altogether less savoury realms of financial ruin and the global climate crisis.

NFTs and geopolitics

Despite claims of their providing forward-thinking, decentralised alternatives to physical artworks and the economy around them, NFTs still require actual electrical energy to exist, even in the virtual realm of blockchain ledgers and cryptocurrencies. They require quite a lot of energy, in fact — in the form of coal, copper, rare-earth metals, and plastic, among others. The energy demands of crypto have led to its banning in China, amid concerns about the country’s ability to control energy expenditure and currency flows.

The banned crypto miners set up shop in Kazakhstan last year, using up to 8% of the country’s energy capacity and threatening to disrupt its national grid. This led to riots over escalating energy prices and unreliable supply (which only goes to show how patient South Africans are with Eskom).

In another grim turn, the Ukrainian government has issued NFTs to generate revenue to buy arms in its war with Russia — and Russia has taken to the crypto markets in a bid to subvert international financial sanctions resulting from its hostilities in Ukraine.

These less-than-innocent pursuits further explain the volatility of the crypto/NFT market, and its often unscrupulous nature. It’s a long way from overpriced digital art, and something from which its alternative-investment approach may never recover.

Julian Assange x Pak, Clock

Nyan Cat

production Sahil Harilal

photography

Superocean Automatic 44 watch, R112 300, Breitling; Pent exercise equipment, IL Lusso

H. Moser & Cie. Heritage Centre Seconds watch in steel with Funky-Blue fumé dial, pocket-watch-inspired case, and 3D Globolight indexes, R274 000, Architects of Time; Giorgetti 90 Minuto football table, IL Lusso

H. Moser & Cie. Heritage Centre Seconds watch in steel with Funky-Blue fumé dial, pocket-watch-inspired case, and 3D Globolight indexes, R274 000, Architects of Time; Giorgetti 90 Minuto football table, IL Lusso

Ulysse Nardin Diver 42mm watch in grey and rose gold with stainless, shark-grey PVD satin-finish and polished case, rose-gold 5N and grey rubberised, unidirectional rotating bezel on grey alligator strap, R178 200, Architects of Time; Pent exercise equipment, IL Lusso

Omega Moonwatch Professional Co-Axial Master Chronometer Chronograph 42mm, R767 000, Elegance Jewellers; Pent exercise equipment, IL Lusso

Omega Moonwatch Professional Co-Axial Master Chronometer Chronograph 42mm, R767 000, Elegance Jewellers; Pent exercise equipment, IL Lusso

Black Bay Pro watch, R67 750, Tudor; Pent exercise equipment, IL Lusso

Carrera Automatic Chronograph with red dial, 39mm diameter, on a black alligator strap, R122 500, TAG Heuer (limited to 600 pieces worldwide); Pent exercise equipment, IL Lusso

text Gary Cotterell

serial explorer, aviator, pioneer thinker in sustainable development, and Explorer Squad member, Bertrand Piccard spoke to Gary Cotterell at the launch of the new Breitling Navitimer about 1 400 economically profitable ways to preserve the environment, the strategy of a wasp and his favourite tool watch, which remains a symbol of his undying curiosity about the world he’s on a journey to save.

Breitling creative director Sylvain Berneron has given the most iconic aviator watch a refreshing modern update. What are your initial thoughts on the new Navitimer? I admire that Breitling dared to do something so audacious, especially with the different dial colours. They’ve taken an icon, something really traditional, and adapted it to our time. They’ve added something that was maybe missing before and at the same time what I love is that they are not just selling a watch, they’re promoting a message of the journey. It’s so important, because everyone on Earth is on a journey and the goal

Ais to succeed as well as we can. We just need to look at the new campaign with basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo and ballet dancer Misty Copeland to know that there can be opportunities for all to fulfil our dreams or make something out of the journey while we find our way in life. There is also the nostalgic aspect, looking back to the halcyon days of travel and commercial flight. The origin of the Navitimer is in the 1950s, which was an incredible time for innovation. It was a time when people still had the capacity to be astonished by what was new. In the 1950s and 1960s, people were just discovering airplanes, cars, going to space, new machines for industry, new types of engines. All the world exhibitions were visited by people who saw what “modernity” looked like for the first time. This watch comes from this period. It’s a period that I loved as a child, discovering the first technologies that were becoming available to the average person. I remember in 1964, in Switzerland, there was a national exhibition with the first 360-degree movie theatre. This was something completely

new. Today, everything seems “normal”. I was living in the US in the 1960s, watching the first Apollo missions at Cape Kennedy. So everything that comes from that period of time has a big meaning for me.

Do you think there are any comparisons to be drawn between that post-war period and our post-Covid world of today? People do not have the same sense of astonishment as they had after the Second World War. People were relieved and excited to finally have peace and peaceful development. I think now, after Covid, people have seen what is wrong [with much of that development] and realised there is way too much of everything. It’s no longer about more development but finding a way to be more reasonable, efficient, and less wasteful. We need to consume more locally, instead of bringing foods from the other side of the world. We need to make our own energy with renewable sources. Exploration is about discovery and learning, as well as goals and challenges. In the traditional sense, it’s also about conquering and empire building. What does being an explorer today mean to you?

Exploration today is not about discovering new territories; it’s about finding new ways to think and new ways to improve the quality of life on Earth. It’s a return to nature, working with nature. It’s back to common-sense technologies that protect the environment. Like Breitling’s involvement in the recovery and recycling of fishing nets from the oceans to produce their Econyl watch straps. This is what humans have to do now. This is the exploration of the 21st century.

A small luxury-watch company can’t single-handedly save the planet, but can lead by example and change the mindset of consumers. Absolutely. A popular luxury brand has more leverage with consumers than a green activist who says you need to use more sustainable materials. If a luxury watchmaker says, “We need to use recycled boxes,” then the customer takes note. You make sustainability fashionable, exciting, and respectful. If other brands follow, that’s going to have an impact.

AT THE LAUNCH OF THE BREITLING NAVITIMER, THE ADVENTURER AND AVIATOR SPEAKS ABOUT THE VALUE OF FAILURE, WHAT EXPLORATION MEANS IN THE 21ST CENTURY, AND HOW SAVING THE EARTH IS A PROFITABLE VENTURE

On making things fashionable, let’s return to the new Navitimer and your favourite dial colour. You are wearing the 43mm steel B01 Chronograph with a light-green dial, but will no doubt wear them all. They haven’t made life easier with all these wonderful colour choices. The Navitimer is an evolution of the aviation watch and it is not typical for such a watch to have these colours. This introduces the aviation watch to fashion with a story that’s aviation-inspired but also so much more. You take them out of the cockpit but they still retain the symbolism.

You obviously rely on tools and your own squads during solo flights. But do you keep a backup mechanical watch? Of course. But the difference between the balloon and the solar plane is that for the balloon you look mainly at the hours and with the airplane the minutes are crucial. Explain? Because you have to be very, very precise with a solar airplane. There are moments when you have to descend really slowly, so you have to be very precise. The way you fly with a balloon is a bit more romantic. You go with the wind and don’t have to be as precise. So, working closely with the natural elements? Precisely. The atmosphere has different layers of wind and each layer has another direction and another speed. So, even for Solar Impulse [the solar-powered plane in which Bertrand completed the first circumnavigation of the globe with no fuel in 2016], it was important. But, of course, for the balloon, it was crucial, because it’s your only propulsion. The weatherman is always communicating with me to help me find the altitude that has that desired wind direction and then [I] decide whether to go up or down at that moment. How precise is this? It can be a few metres. You really are at the mercy of the elements. Yes, but you use the elements. With Solar Impulse, there was a moment when I was in a jet stream. My normal speed was 45km/h but I was going 230km/h because of the jet stream pushing me very, very fast. That was over Bangladesh.

Are any new adventures on the cards? There are two ideas that are only now made possible because related technology has evolved. It’s flying around the world in an airship powered purely by solar that can transport several people and do it non-stop. This has never been done before. Renewable energies have never allowed something to go around the world nonstop. And it would be a fantastic platform to speak to children, schools, universities, and governments to promote solutions to protect the environment. How long would such a journey take? We are busy making the simulations. Probably, if we go east, we‘ll do it in 25 days and if we go west we’ll do it in 40 days.

What renewable energies are you planning to use? Solar, and you store the solar energy in batteries and hydrogen.

So, hybrid? Yes, but this is pure energy from the sun and then hybrid storage.

How big is your team? With the Solar Impulse Foundation, there are 49 people. When I was flying Solar Impulse, there were 150 people, including engineers, technicians, and mission controllers. That was a really big thing. I did not know it would be so difficult. Doing

01. Navitimer BO1 Chronograph 41

02. Breitling Navitimer Chronograph 46

03. Navitimer BO1 Chronograph 43

04. Navitimer BO1 Chronograph 43

05. Navitimer BO1 Chronograph 46

01.

failure was the Breitling Orbiter 1, the first attempt at a nonstop flight around the world by balloon. Richard Branson had failed. Steve Fossett had failed. And I was taking off from Switzerland and explained that I was going to succeed, that it would be just three weeks in the jet stream. Six hours after take-off, I was down in the Mediterranean Sea because we had a fuel leak. That was miserable. I returned with one square metre of the balloon’s envelope as a souvenir before it sank. The press conference was right there. I was wet, with bare feet, and crying. But the owner of Breitling was there and he said: “We’re going to try it again. I’m there with you.”

With this failure, we learnt a lot. I changed a lot of things for the second attempt. That was the flight to Myanmar. We had no permission to cross China. So we had to stop in Myanmar. For each

02.

something that has never been done takes more time and is more difficult than doing the obvious. But what was fantastic was the quality of the team. Because it was difficult, because people thought it was impossible, we had brilliant talents, really skilled people. This is because they came to us knowing it would be difficult, knowing there were challenges, and they came because they wanted to find a solution. That was really great. I have a lot of respect for the people in the team. Our former president, Nelson Mandela, said: “Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” Today there is growing recognition of the value of failure, which is being taught to kids at schools and even in business studies. Please share some of your greatest lessons from failure, which have ultimately led to remarkable success.

Wasps are able to change altitude and strategy, but not bees… we have to distinguish between doggedness and perseverance. I had the strategy of the wasp… My competitors were like the bee

Has Breitling been a partner of yours right from the beginning? It started in 1992, that’s 30 years ago, when I was invited to participate in the first race across the Atlantic by balloon. Breitling supported me and my balloon won the race.

So this is a special anniversary year? Yes. And then, of course, there is the Breitling Orbiter and the Solar Impulse Foundation, so it’s a long relationship. It’s a beautiful relationship of trust, friendship, respect, and mutual admiration.

Are your three daughters following in your footsteps? Well, you know, in my family, as youngsters we all do something different, then we come back. My father first studied political economy. I studied medicine and became a psychiatrist and psychotherapist and I treated patients for 20 years in parallel to being

There are also many simple B2C examples to benefit individual households, such as water-filtration systems. Breitling’s innovative, reduced-packaging solution is also one of the projects.

One of the biggest challenges I guess in getting people to change their worldview, particularly large corporations, must be convincing them that these environmentally friendly solutions can also be profitable. If you make a product that you can sell from something that people don’t want — waste — you make money and you save the environment. Recovering the heat from factory chimneys has value because you save energy and reduce the energy bill in the factory by 20%. If you insulate your house, you save money on the heating bills. LED lamps are 95% efficient whereas normal incandescent light bulbs are only 5% efficient. We have really practical examples, which I can present to big organisations, factories, industries, and governments that say they want to be carbon neutral by 2050 but don’t know how to get there. We bring the toolkits to help them get there in every field — water, waste, mobility, construction, energy, and agriculture. Can we become totally carbon-neutral? Threequarters of the energy that is produced is wasted by inefficient processes. So you need to become efficient, and then you need to produce the rest with renewable sources. You need to go into the circular economy. So, we can absolutely be carbon-neutral and profitable because so much energy and resources today are just wasted. There are many counterarguments against renewable energies related to the high cost

There is a lot of counter-publicity from people who don’t want to change. I heard someone saying that it takes 30 years to compensate for the energy to build a solar panel. This is completely wrong. It’s less than one year. If you look at southern Europe or South Africa, it’s only six months to reimpose the energy that was used to produce solar panels and then for 29.5 years, you have free energy. With wind, it’s the same. There are many fake studies that are clearly funded by industries that don’t want

new take on coloured ceramics in watchmaking was revealed at Watches and Wonders Geneva this year when IWC Schaffhausen launched additional Top Gun models in its Pilot’s Watch collection. Continuing its pioneering development of coloured ceramic watches since the 1980s, IWC revealed fresh ceramic colours “IWC Woodland” and “IWC Lake Tahoe”, created in conjunction with the Pantone Color Institute, at the annual watch fair.

IWC CEO Christoph GraingerHerr set the tone on the first day, dressed head to toe in the new darkgreen shade reminiscent of the vast forest landscapes that elite pilots in the US Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor programme (the real Top Gun flight school) fly over. The purity and clarity of the IWC Lake Tahoe edition are inspired by snowy winter landscapes. Every day was marked by a new colour theme, engineered to the finest detail, from the clothing worn by staff to the healthy smoothies served at the IWC bar.

It’s all tied into Pantone’s language of colour, designed to achieve consistent reproduction of colour anywhere in the world. Laurie Pressman, vice-president of the Pantone Color Institute, says the colours we wear and surround ourselves with reflect who we are and how we want others to perceive us. “Colour is the first thing we see

ASHADES OF

SHADES OF

text Debbie Hathway

TOP GUN

and the first thing we connect to, influencing up to 85% of productpurchasing decisions, which is why the use of colour for product and how brands put their colour themes and stories together are so important,” she says.

Stefan Ihnen, associate director of Research & Development at IWC, smiles when he comments on the precise development of the Pantone code. “We are very German in our way. On the one hand, it looks special, but on the other, it helps us because it’s a nightmare to match the colour of the dials, hands, and straps. It’s also difficult to get all the components the same because you have other materials, textures, and surfaces on the dial.

“And the colour looks different when you have it brushed or polished or sandblasted.”

The engineering ceramic used to produce watch cases consists of zirconium oxide, which is mixed with other metallic oxides, shaped, and then sintered at high temperatures in a kiln. This hi-tech material, characterised by its extreme hardness and scratch resistance, is one of the most durable and long-lasting materials on Earth. Finding the right mixture of raw materials and finetuning the manufacturing process to achieve perfect quality and colour consistency is no mean feat.

What excites Ihnen about this year’s launch? “What makes me happy is to be here right now. The theme of this fair is the work done in the last decade in ceramics, titanium, and Ceratanium. This is a fantastic story, and it’s cool to see this technical content within the booth. Materials are anchored in the heritage of IWC, and we started to refocus on them around 10 or 12 years ago. Our proprietary material, Ceratanium — a special titanium alloy as light and rigid as titanium and almost as hard and scratch-resistant as ceramic — is the result of that.”

AExclusive NFT collection:

space dedicated to exhibiting brands interested in showcasing inventive manufacturing solutions and sustainability initiatives — The LAB — put innovation in the spotlight at Watches and Wonders Geneva. Says Guido Terreni, CEO of Parmigiani Fleurier: “We are on the verge of a decade that will surprise us with a lot of innovation in science and ways of interpreting a timepiece, probably at the level of the seventies.”

Coloured carbon:

Rebellion Timepieces launched its latest hi-tech case-material evolution in the Re-Volt 3 Hands coloured carbon series. The camouflage pattern takes on colours and enhances the multiple grey tones of the carbon by mixing a carbon base, in fibre or powder, with an epoxy-type resin. Tinted pigments are then added, making the material more fragile. To counter this risk, carbon roving — a coil composed of carbon threads — is used to build the base carbon block. Meanwhile, at The LAB, Michel Glowinski, automation project leader for the independent Swiss watch brand, revealed another innovation — combining new technology in a robot that can replicate human actions alongside the intricacies of handmade watch manufacture.

Louis Moinet, the independent Swiss watch brand founded in 1806, makes exclusive limited editions or unique high-end timepieces featuring exotic materials and innovative technology. Claiming the title of “Inventor of the Chronograph” following the recent discovery of a watch that founder Louis Moinet called Compteur de Tierces and completed in 1816, the atelier collaborated with 3D digital creator Tafi to design and launch a collection of Space Revolution watchthemed NFTs earlier this year. Available only through the luxury NFT marketplace Exclusible and drawing on the unique characteristics of the Space Revolution super watch, the companies will each release 1 000 original, limitededition digital timepieces with spectacular 3D artwork and one-of-a-kind experiential utility. All the NFT timepieces in this collection maintain full working functionality in their virtual form, staying true to the original vision of Louis Moinet and bringing watchmaking into the new age of web 3.0.

Sustainable solutions:

IWC Schaffhausen has developed low-impact, paper-based watch straps with TimberTex, an innovative material made from rubber, cork, and metallic materials. Soft and supple, it comprises 80% natural plant fibres. The cellulose comes from Forest Stewardship Council-certified trees grown in sustainably and responsibly managed European forests. The straps are manufactured in Italy using traditional papermaking techniques and coloured with natural plantbased dyes. The TimberTex straps are currently available on four models: the Portugieser Chronograph, Portugieser Automatic 40, Portofino Automatic, and Portofino Chronograph, and are available in blue, brown, and black. IWC also created the cyberloupe — a digitalised loupe that allows watchmakers to share their view with others worldwide via livestreaming. The latest iteration, the Cyberloupe 2.0, features ergonomic improvements and enhanced picture quality.

04.

Smart movement:

Felix Obschonka, category director of new technologies at Montblanc, demonstrated the latest evolution in the brand’s Summit smartwatch.

The Montblanc Summit 3 expresses elevated luxury with a hand-crafted lightweight titanium watch case, configurable watch faces inspired by Montblanc’s watchmaking heritage, and handmade calf-leather and rubber straps. It is delivered in sustainable paper packaging.

The Montblanc Summit 3 smartwatch enables step tracking, sleep monitoring, and blood oxygen measurement. In addition, the fitness app has evolved to feature a variety of workouts that can be tracked to maximise their impact over time. “The Montblanc Summit 3 smartwatch takes luxury smartwatchmaking to new heights, pairing premium materials with all the functionalities our clients need as they navigate their day more seamlessly and effectively.

The personalisation options are also extensive to reflect different style identities,” says Nicolas Baretzki, Montblanc CEO.

01. Rebellion Timepieces Re-Volt 3 Hands coloured carbon series

02. Louis Moinet NFT digital watch 03. IWC Portugieser Chronograph with TimberTex strap

04. Montblanc Summit 3 smartwatch in black titanium

ON A RECENT BALMY AFTERNOON IN BROOKLYN, New York, I sit down for lunch in the achingly cool mid-century-modern restaurant of the Ace Hotel with three rather fascinating lunch companions — artists Bronwyn Katz and Mateo Lopez and theatremaker Lara Foot Newton. We have just emerged from a weekend of sensory overload — a festival of ideas, exhibitions, screenings, musical interventions, conversations, and one splendid party on the stage of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, which hosted the 2022 Rolex Arts Weekend in its various beautiful spaces in downtown Brooklyn.

01. 02. ROLEX WEEKEND

This biannual celebration and culmination of the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative has been paying it forward for more than two decades. The idea is that Rolex, through the structured, nuanced, and inspired programme, facilitates and supports the transfer of knowledge from established mentors to emerging younger practitioners in the creative fields of visual arts, music, dance, architecture, cinema, literature, and theatre. Along the path of the two-year mentorship strong connections are forged and magic is made, showcased at the weekend festival of ideas. Rolex runs a rigorous process. Every two years it

ROLEX’S ARTS INITIATIVE CREATES BONDS OF INSPIRATION

03. 04. 74. WWJL / 2022/23

01. Spirits, a film by Kyle Bell 02. BAM president Gina Duncan and panellists Lin-Manuel Miranda, Spike Lee, Phyllida Lloyd, and Carrie Mae Weems 03. Agustina San Martín’s film Childhood Echoes 04. Bronwyn Katz 05. El Anatsui and Bronwyn Katz 06 & 07.

text Aspasia Karras

creates a highly regarded advisory committee packed with distinguished practitioners in their fields, who choose the four mentors who will take up the mantle. They also propose a selection of potential protégés, who then engage with the mentors in order to find synergies and potential for collaboration. Each mentor chooses a protégé from the shortlist with whom they believe they can find creative synergy and open dialogue for the following two years. The culmination is this joyous celebratory weekend where the ever-widening cohort of alumni meet to ferment relationships again and to see the work that has emerged from the most recent cycle.

We have just revelled in the fascinating work that emerged from the last pairing — of filmmaker Spike Lee with filmmaker Kyle Bell, film director Phyllida Lloyd with theatre-maker Whitney White, actor and theatre-maker Lin-Manuel Miranda with filmmaker Agustina San Martín, and visual artist Carrie Mae Weems with Camila Rodríguez Triana.

In our little South African and South Africanadjacent group meeting for lunch are two alumni of the programme — Foot Newton, CEO of the Baxter Theatre, who was mentored by the great director Sir Peter Hall; and Colombian visual artist Lopez,

mentored by celebrated artist William Kentridge. Bronwyn Katz has just joined this group, as she is about to embark on the journey with the 2023-2024 group. Her mentor is the Ghanaian artist El Anatsui. The world-renowned sculptor of monumental installations that redefine our relationship with the continent and nature had casually introduced himself to me over the weekend as El and kept the fact of his mentorship secret until the announcement of the new round.

Katz’s work is multidisciplinary and socially engaged, as the Michaelis graduate was profoundly affected by the #RhodesMustFall movement as a student at UCT. She was born and raised in Kimberley, home to many of the fault lines in South African society, which have influenced the subjects she tackles in her practice.

“I am informed by my family, Kimberley, the history of the space, the colonial scars, language — I tackle my work in Kora, which is my ancestral language,” she tells me. The conversation turns to the uniqueness of each mentorship, with many of the lessons learnt often brewing and only culminating years later.

“It was a disruption; it took me out of my comfort zone. It was pretty intense to see yourself next to someone with an amazing career and to think, ‘There are the possibilities.’ For example, I have a very slow process — it took me 10 years after the mentorship with William to feel that jump and to start exploring other formats in my practice, such as working with dancers and exploring performance. But I guess it’s important to have those moments that take you out of your comfort zone. It’s something I remember talking to William about a lot,” explains Lopez.

Foot Newton elaborates that the process is immensely generative. “People are saying, ‘Wow, you won this award, it’s fantastic, you are so lucky,’ but it’s not only about that, it is like a deep searching time and afterwards I was not quite on my feet, I was a little disrupted, which is good in the long term. It is a process.” I ask Katz if she is ready to be disrupted. “I think, being an artist, disruption is always good. You need to change to grow — I would not have agreed if I wanted to remain unchanged.”

Some of the most fertile ground created in this project is the synergies and engagements with such a diverse cast of alumni. Foot Newton tells me, “You become vastly aware of the Western world and the opportunities in New York, London, Paris, while a number of the protégés come from countries that are in conflict, or countries that have enormous poverty where they are not treated well at all. And this contrast and imbalance is something you have to get your head around and think a lot about. I was chatting with an Australian artist, where the state gave artists A$750 a week during Covid. A week. In South Africa we might have got the equivalent of US$300 for two years of Covid. There is a huge disparity to navigate, but it is also wonderful because there is so much generosity around you.”

After a weekend thinking about the mentor/protégé relationship, perhaps the heart of  the experience for Lopez was to gain the opportunity to learn. “[This is about] how you stand in the world and what you want to do and the real meaning of what you want to do, and maybe replicating what you learnt from the mentoring experience and doing it for the next generation — engage, just engage.”

The fragrance industry is booming, and we have the pandemic to thank for it. The global beauty industry as a whole saw an uptick in sales with more people investing in skincare, bath, and body products and stockpiling lipstick for a mask-free future. In this context, fragrance served not only a necessary cosmetic purpose but also an emotional one. In an initial response to the pandemic’s travel bans and stay-at-home rules, perfumers leaned into creating wanderlust-triggering scent profiles for us to cling to. Since physical travel was not an option, armchair travel and virtual stimuli became ways to rediscover our world, birthing the “escapist fragrance” trend, which saw brands creating scents that allowed us to dream and travel with our senses.

With just one sniff, you could find yourself on a yacht in the azure waters off Capri, in a country manor in the Scottish Highlands, in a swanky 1920s New York jazz club, or amid the vastness of the Kalahari with a campfire at your feet and Orion’s Belt glinting overhead. According to the Independent UK, the correlation between scent and unprecedented global events is not a strange one, as “traumatic events can cause us to engage in nostalgia, where we transport ourselves to happier times”. For Steyn Grobler, founder of luxury fragrance brand Aqualis, the pandemic was a blessing in disguise.

“When people couldn’t travel it was quite good for us to have these names and to create a narrative to get people to transcend [lockdowns] with a fragrance. The brand is all about how you experience perfume. That’s at the centre of everything we do, because we’re trying to tie memories to fragrance. Let’s say a tourist visits the Kruger [National Park], and then comes to Skins and buys the Aqualis Kruger scent — their connotations to that perfume are going to be their memories of the Kruger. So, it’s always been about tying memories to fragrance and reinforcing it to make it mean something for that person,” says Grobler.

text Nokubonga Thusi

Following your nose

Craving a trip to the Italian coast? You could get your travel agent to book you a Mediterraneanbound itinerary, or you could reach for fragrances from brands such as Acqua Di Parma and Dolce & Gabbana that are the perfect vehicles for an olfactory escape to the Mediterranean. Taking us on a sensory journey that celebrates emotions, Acqua Di Parma’s Colonia C.L.U.B. is inspired by the deep connections and joy found in authentic Italian moments. With an exciting, light-hearted and genderless scent profile, this is an aromatic, woody musk with a spicy freshness in the opening thanks to notes of bergamot, lemon, pink pepper, and black pepper.

Brands such as Memo Paris, Maison Crivelli, Chanel, and Maison Francis Kurkdjian are synonymous with the ability to transport you to exotic destinations. Memo Paris Madurai is an olfactory masterpiece that takes you to the sacred city of Madurai in southern India. The bottle design takes inspiration from the motifs found on temple ceilings, while the rich, fragrant air of India is captured in a scent profile comprising notes of turmeric essence, jasmine sambac, Indian tuberose absolute, and peach absolute. The enigmatic northern lights have to be on just about everyone’s bucket list, and the aromatic musk scent of Maison Crivelli’s Absinthe Boréale only fuels the desire to escape to the icy north with contrasting frosty and soft musky notes of juniper berries, artemisia, eucalyptus oil, and lavender.

Though exotic destinations are a no-brainer when craving an escape, sometimes just breathing the air of a new city is enough to inspire you. Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s latest launch takes us to the bustling energy of New York City with a vibrantly addictive musky-floral creation — 724 — that captures the clean freshness of New York laundries at the break of day with notes of Italian bergamot and aldehydes in the top notes, continuing into jasmine absolute, sweet pea, sandalwood, and musk.

Chanel’s Les Eaux De Chanel collection is the ultimate time capsule for the cities that Gabrielle Chanel held dear. Each fragrance is dedicated to a city that held great significance in Chanel’s life and the maison’s history — Venice, Deauville, Biarritz, Edinburgh, and, of course, Paris. The scents not only tell the story of her life but also transport you to these cities with every sniff.

At Louis Vuitton, a long-standing collaboration between master perfumer Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud and acclaimed artist Alex Israel gives us an olfactory passport to the US west coast to discover an evening cologne, City of Stars, inspired by Los Angeles. The fragrance is a juxtaposition of light and shadow and a dream for lovers of citrus-scent profiles, with an opening of blood orange, lemon, red mandarin, bergamot, and lime.

Take me away

One surprising result of the escapist-fragrance boom has been the introduction of augmented reality, virtual reality, and interactive experiences. Ralph Lauren’s Ralph’s Club is an olfactory VIP admission for one to a jazz club mixing modern-day, quintessential New York night life with the flair of the 1920s. Using technology linked to the movement of your phone, stepping into Ralph’s Club feels impressively real, with a virtual experience that allows you to navigate the club, access VIP lounge rooms, discover the scent, watch a club performance, and even have fun at the photo booth using selfie filters.

Paco Rabanne is another brand that has made use of technology to aid the escapist elements of a scent with the creation of its first connected bottle, for the Phantom fragrance. The tech-inspired robot-shaped flacon allows you to wirelessly connect your phone to it and bring the Paco Rabanne Phantom robot to life within the Paco Rabanne universe by tapping the bottle cap.

Technology is an innovative tool to transform iconic fragrances that do not have an overt escapist quality into ones that introduce us to their heritage. The House of Chanel has celebrated the centenary of its iconic Chanel No. 5 by immersing people in the world of the scent through virtual reality, in collaboration with Oculus. With the touch of a button on an Oculus headset you are transported to the world of Chanel, reading up on the fragrance in your Parisian apartment overlooking the Eiffel Tower, picking roses in Grasse with perfumers, and learning about the history of Chanel No. 5 at a museum exhibition that feels entirely real, complete with fragrance and fashion items from the maison’s archives. You can even take photos and videos of the virtual scenarios and email them to yourself as a souvenir of your olfactory journey.

Despite travel bans being lifted, the creation of escapist scents shows no sign of slowing down, as people still feel the need to dream, transform, and escape everyday life. Whether you want to be transported to a dreamy destination for a minute or two or relive a precious moment, scents tied to memories and the places that birthed them will always remain a big part of our human experience.

A 4-BEDROOM, DOUBLE-STOREY FAMILY HOME ON THE FOURTH FLOOR.

Introducing a new concept in family living. One where everyday family life is made extraordinary. Imagine Sunday morning pancakes cooked on a state-of-the-art Gaggeneau stove and enjoyed with a view of a parkland paradise. Imagine dinner parties downstairs in the sprawling entertainment area while the kids have pillow fights in one of the four bedrooms upstairs. Imagine a pristine 300m lagoon as your swimming pool. One where your kids can paddleboard and kayak and more importantly, one you never have to clean.

City Centre’s Luxury Family Residences, now available from R2.6 million. Rentals from R15 000 PM.

JOHANNESBURG

steyncity.co.za

DESIGN GONE WILD

text Steve Steinfeld

57 Waterberg is luxe life gone wild. Situated in Welgevonden Game Reserve, a 3-4 hour drive from Joburg, the property combines the classic safari experience with a contemporary take on accommodation.

The four luxury suites are the latest addition to the five-star lodge. These ultramodern, mostly steel-and-glass structures create the most opulent of sanctuaries for rest and relaxation, with floor-to-ceiling windows allowing unrestricted views of the bushveld.

The modular design makes for a seamless open-plan layout flowing from one functional space to another — from desk to coffee station to bedroom to lounge to en-suite bathroom and dressing room. Grounding the contemporary design in its surroundings are statement rock walls, wooden ceiling slats and wooden flooring, along with wildlife-inspired art. A brushedsteel floating fireplace is suspended in the middle of the room, introducing yet another element to the harmonious mix.

These suites combine all the glam of a luxury penthouse — complete with solarheated private pools — with the unrivalled hospitality of a traditional safari experience in this malaria-free area.

A visit to 57 Waterberg is effortless and the rooms are sensational, each one offering peace, privacy, and some very Instagramable moments.

57waterberg.com

where the heavens meet the Earth and elephants walk on rooftops — this is the flagship of the group’s prestigious offering, with few hotels, let alone lodges, more breathtaking in design.

It begins on arrival, with the passageway into this luxurious safari space — an architectural masterpiece designed to seem sculpted into the very Earth — descending before suddenly and spectacularly opening up to a panoramic view of dazzling blue skies and the great, wild, African bush.

The almost Brutalist design, with its clean lines and expanses of concrete, contrasts magnificently with the verdant natural beauty within which it sits. At the same time, the very same design allows Earth Lodge to merge seamlessly with its surroundings — a contradiction worth experiencing.

The concept, inspired by ancient “earthshelter architecture”, sees the structure almost carved into a series of slopes and small hills, blending into the bush. It is so at one with nature that it is a common sight to see elephants walking along the rooftops — set flush with the surroundings — to forage in nearby treetops. The 13 suites are likewise set into the Earth, with the layout ensuring that each offers guests the utmost privacy, peace, and tranquillity.

Wonderfully textural walls are coated with the same combination of concrete and buffalo grass seen throughout the lodge. The spacious rooms with their minimalist custom furnishings draw from a palette of neutral tones and use elements of natural wood, slate, leather, and stainless steel to great effect. Their marble-clad en-suite bathrooms have uninterrupted views from both bathtub and rain shower, along with private plunge pools and outdoor showers.

This is opulence delivered through a hyper focus on the environment with as little impact on the unspoilt surroundings as possible. sabisabi.com/lodges/earthlodge/

Eco Pods

Sweet, sweet isolation. Situated an hour’s drive from the historic Karoo town of Graaff-Reinet is Mount Camdeboo Private Reserve. What once was farmland has slowly been rewilded by owner and conservationist Iain Buchanan, and is now home to a host of wildlife again. This private reserve is also where you’ll find the two Mount Camdeboo Eco Pods: the Eagle’s Flight Pod and the Camdeboo Plains Pod. Scandinavian in aesthetic, the steel, glass, and wood pods — each a mere 26m² — have been cleverly designed to maximise both views and space.

The bedroom, with its queen-size bed and nature-inspired furnishings — together with 180-degree vistas — takes up most of the cabin space, with a kitchenette and bathroom cleverly incorporated behind it. Outside, there is a private boma and fire pit, where a potjie can be arranged for dinner, along with a wood-burning hot tub.

These compact units offer guests a uniquely private and intimate experience, secluded yet well-equipped enough to allow one to brave the elements, with a fair share of luxury to boot — and are just a short drive from the main lodge, should anything else be required.

The unique accommodation, located in as remote an area as possible with views of valley floors and rolling plains, has been designed with a light footprint, in line with Mount Camdeboo’s conservation ethos. As such, each pod is solar powered, though nighttime may call for the lighting of paraffin lamps outside, which create a most magical ambience, perfect for star gazing, taking in the sounds of the bush, or simply revelling in the magnificent isolation. newmarkhotels.com/accommodation/ mount-camdeboo-private-game-reserve

AS Madame Clicquot’s maison

celebrates its 250th anniversary, its head of wine innovation, Bruno Dagnée, visits South Africa, where for the first time the limitededition Veuve Clicquot Extra Brut Extra Old is now available. The winemaker oversees new product development and improved winemaking and production techniques. While a lot of this innovation is naturally kept under wraps, he does share that, while quality is always of the utmost importance, part of his job is to ensure maximum efficiency to achieve this level of quality. The team constantly explore methods to ensure they are taking a future-forward approach, with sustainability playing a big role.

The maison’s 250th anniversary celebrations involve exhibitions around the world featuring a mix of its pillars of history, art, and wine. Dagnée believes it’s important to showcase this legacy: “250 years! You can imagine the vineyards, cellars, products, and collaborations there have been — there’s a lot to showcase.”

The celebration also includes the launch of a new “250-year anniversary” addition to the neck of the Yellow Label’s bottle.

On the local front, South Africa, for the first time, will receive an allocation of Veuve Clicquot Extra Brut Extra Old, and the reason for Dagnée’s visit is to launch this to market.

The third edition of this unique bottling sees the winemaking team play with 24 vintages of reserve wine, eventually selecting vats from eight superlative vintages to create this special cuvée. The current release consists of wine from 1990, 1998, 1999, 2008, 2009, 2013, and 2014, with the idea being to highlight the delicate and beautiful aromas of the champagne and its evolution through the effects of aging. It’s also a remarkable display of Veuve Clicquot’s passion for and dedication to its reserve wines — currently, the oldest of its reserves is a 1988 chardonnay.

“Extra Brut Extra Old is about understanding reserve wine and the effects of age on champagne,” says Dagnée.

While Extra Old naturally refers to the blend of vintages used, Extra Brut refers to the sugar dosage, with Extra Brut Extra Old requiring a very low dosage (3g/l) owing to the intensity and richness of the reserve wine.

WANTED SITS DOWN WITH BRUNO DAGNÉE, VEUVE CLICQUOT’SWINEMAKER, TO DISCUSS THE MAISON’S ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS AND THE THIRD EDITION OF VEUVE CLICQUOT EXTRA BRUT EXTRA OLD

FOR THE

CONNOISSEUR…

It’s a wine of complexity and character. The golden hue and ultra-fine mousse hint at the nose of citrus blossoms, lemon zest, and rich notes of freshly baked pastry. A savoury palate follows, almost creamy, offering subtle fruit, confected lemon, orange rind, toasted brioche, and flaky croissant, along with a phenomenal freshness and balancing acidity, leading to a long savoury finish.

This is a champagne for the connoisseur and wine geek; those who will revel in the stunningly developed notes, the contrasting freshness, the harmony, and the balance.

Veuve Clicquot Extra Brut Extra Old 3 is available in limited quantities at select retailers.

text Steve Steinfeld

text Mandy Allen production Sven Alberding photography Greg Cox

03.

The science of styling

is a curious thing: an alchemy of practical know-how, an astute understanding of visual balance, a knowledge of design both past and present, an ability to interpret future trends and, of course, an indefinable touch of magic. It seems portentous then, when speaking to this maker of modern fantasies, to discover that JeanChristophe Aumas’s apartment was once inhabited (in the early 19th century) by a “famous Parisian sorcerer, fortune teller, and magician”.

Prolific as well as passionate and with a reputation as one of the most genial people in the industry, Aumas is considered among the best in his field. Before launching his agency, Singular, he headed the visualidentity department at Louis Vuitton under the helm of Marc Jacobs. Now his original touch is coveted by a client list that reads like the pages of Vogue: brands such as Celine, Dior, Boucheron, Nina Ricci, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Kenzo, and Cacharel; children’s clothing labels Bonpoint and Petit Bateau; fragrance house Diptyque; and iconic French department stores such as Galeries Lafayette and Printemps, for whom he creates mesmerising window displays.

While the fantasy factor that Aumas applies to his store windows, set designs, and special-event launches is dialled down in his personal space, the elements of surprise and wonderment are ever present. There is the apartment itself: a magnificent grande dame in Paris’s buzzy Pigalle neighbourhood “not too far from the Moulin Rouge” in the basement of a former hôtel particulier (grand townhouse) dating from the 18th century. Many of the building’s original features, such as ornate architectural mouldings, cathedral-like ceilings, parquet floors, and beautiful stained-glass windows, remain intact — elements that captivated Aumas when he first saw the place two years ago. “I fell in love immediately,” he says. “It was so different to my previous home, which was a small loft. From the street you could never imagine that there would be something like this inside. The atmosphere was also wonderful. And I liked the idea of a change, of having a new space to decorate.”

During a sensitive but necessary renovation, a skylight was installed in the living room along with floor-to-ceiling glass doors, both of which now ensure that the interior is light-filled and airy. The purpose of the glass doors was also to invite the outdoors in, “to create the idea that nature is entering the living room”, explains Aumas. And it certainly does: the “deliberately chaotic” plant-filled terrace is a virtual urban jungle, providing a meditative view from both the living room

and kitchen. Other updates included extensive kitchen and bathroom renewals, as well as the installation of bespoke wardrobe units, library shelving, and a cubelike structure in the study that niftily incorporates a mezzanine bunk bed and additional washroom.

Although he is the archetypal sophisticated Parisian, Aumas’s roots are in the south of France, with his childhood and formative years having been spent in Aix-en-Provence. Hence the telling presence of a vast collection of handmade ceramics that share an organic Mediterranean heritage, including a Spanish bull figurine and vibrant Portuguese and Italian vases, sculptures, and vessels. The bathrooms too have a Mediterranean aesthetic: more pared-back Corsican villa than swanky city apartment. There is also his affinity for whimsical handmade objects, many of which hold sentimental value. In Aumas’s study, for example, a handcrafted boat bought on a holiday to Menorca sits on an original mid-century Verner Panton-designed desk. Hand-carved wooden stools lend an air of rusticity. And on a table, a small white ceramic object that Aumas bought on his first trip to Syracuse, Sicily, takes pride of place. “It’s funny,” he says. “I have lots of collectible furniture and art pieces, but that little ceramic piece is probably one of the first things I’d save in a fire. I like the things that remind me of certain happy moments in my life.”

04.

Q&A with JeanChristophe Aumas

Describe briefly what you do. I’m an art director based in Paris with my own company, Singular. My primary focus is windows and events decor for luxury brands such as Celine and Hermès, though I also create visual identities for clients integrating packaging, stands, and merchandising. At the moment I am working on a perfume launch for Barcelona-based fragrance house Puig. What’s an average day like? Most mornings I head to my studio for an early start. It’s in the 10th [arrondisement], so not too far from my home. I work on current projects and source ideas for future concepts. I usually head straight home and have friends over for dinner. When I’m not working, I’ll see the latest exhibitions and I’m often at flea markets, finding inspiration in objects or furniture for my clients and myself. I read a lot when I’m at home too, and surf the web.

Your recommendations for visitors to Paris?

One of my very favourite places to visit is the PalaisRoyal in the 1st arrondisement. The architecture is incredible, as are the gardens and shops surrounding it. My best restaurant is Septime. The décor is simple and the food amazing. The food and atmosphere at Déviant are also great. For drinks with friends, Le Mansart is very cool, or Chez Jeannette. For fashion, Dries Van Noten and A.P.C. I frequent many of the flea markets, and some of my most treasured finds have come from Porte de Vanves and Saint-Ouen markets.

IMAGE CAPTIONS

01. Page 88 / The magnificent entrance to the apartment features mouldings typical of its 18th-century architectural provenance.

02. Page 89 / The commanding blue mirror propped up above the fireplace in the living room was designed by Aumas, its edges intentionally irregular, reflecting his leanings towards objects that are characterful and unique in their imperfections. The small sculpture is by French artist Olivier Millagou.

03. Page 90 / The spectacular stained-glass windows infuse the dining room with an almost spiritual atmosphere. Perfectly preserved, these windows are original features dating to the 18th century. The light is a mid-century Danish design from a flea market, the bright-red Moroccan rug from Bleu de Fès.

The vintage 1970s leather-andbrass dining-room chairs are from Brussels, and the white server is a fixture in the apartment from a previous owner.

04. Page 92 / Jean-Christophe Aumas.

05. Page 93 / In the main bedroom, a vintage 1950s brass table from a Paris flea market displays various artworks and collectibles. The small artwork is by French artist Marc Turlan, while the ceramics were found at local and Italian markets. On the floor is a pink art piece by Aumas. The geometric wooden sculpture was brought back from a trip to Africa.

06. Page 94 / The intention in the bathroom was to create a tactile, visually engaging space.The shower was designed around the decorative flourish of the screen-like white panels that form a box and artfully contrast with the linear forms of the tiles, colour-blocked paint effect, and black grid.

07. Page 95 / Aumas’s bedroom, with its saturated hues and mix of vintage and travel finds. The oversized artwork is a pixelated photograph taken by Aumas of a TV screen, and the silver-hued canvas is by Swiss artist John Armleder. The stool was bought on a trip to Cape Town.

06.

When a regular supercar is just too ordinary, with one on every second corner in Monaco, it’s time to commission a bespoke car. The ultimate motorised status symbol is a one-off — a unicorn that only a handful of the most well-heeled people will ever experience.

All premium automakers offer a choice of personalisation options, so your Ferrari or Rolls-Royce doesn’t look exactly like the one next door, but nothing says “I’ve arrived” quite like a unique car that was personally built for you in collaboration with the brand’s design team. Here’s a look at some one-off specials built for billionaire moguls in recent years.

Ferrari SP51

The latest addition to the Prancing Horse’s one-off series, the Ferrari SP51 is a special commission for a Taiwanbased client who is one of the brand’s leading collectors.

The front-engined V12 spider is based on the seriesproduction Ferrari 812 GTS, from which it inherits its layout, chassis, and 588kW 6.5l engine, but it has a bespoke body that features extensive use of bare carbon fibre, including the wing profiles on the wheel spokes. Notably, it has no roof, so the owner — and that beautiful cabin — is at the mercy of the weather gods. The blue-and-white GT stripes running the length of the

body and through the interior are inspired by the 1955 Ferrari 410 S, and the rear flying buttresses are a nod to the 599 GTB. Inside, the Alcantara seats match the Rosso Passionale exterior colour, with the bright-red cabin offset by blue-and-white Kvadrat inserts and glossy carbon fibre.

Ferrari quotes no price or performance figures for the SP51, but the top speed should be similar to the 322km/h of the 812 GTS. The process of creating a one-off Ferrari takes about two years, during which time the client is closely involved in assessing the design and verification phases to achieve an exclusive car engineered to the same levels as other Ferraris.

McLaren X-1

One of the most controversial examples of giving wealthy customers free design rein, the X-1 was an extravagant oddity, to say the least. Thrilling and offending in equal measure, in 2012 it was the first bespoke car from McLaren Special Operations (MSO), the division that creates limited-edition and one-off specials for the British supercar brand.

This retro-futuristic styling mishmash was inspired by cars as diverse as a Facel Vega, the Chrysler D’Elegance Ghia, and a 1971 Citroën SM. Other design influences included a grand piano, a black-and-white photo of Audrey Hepburn, and an eggplant (yes, really).

MSO’s special creations typically take around 18 months to two years to become a production reality.

Lamborghini SC20

Apparently, the owner told Lamborghini “Just make it look cool,” and the one-of-a-kind SC20 was the result in 2020. The Italian carmaker describes it as the most extreme version of a road-legal supercar, and it followed the SC18 as only the second road car produced by Lamborghini’s Squadra Corse racing division.

Based on the series-produced Aventador SVJ, the SC20 uses the same naturally aspirated 574kW, 6.5l V12 engine, but the body draws inspiration from the brand’s experience in GT racing. The car is made entirely of lightweight carbon fibre and has aerodynamic features for minimised drag and optimised downforce in order to bring down those lap times. This includes a large carbon-fibre rear wing that can be set in three positions: low, medium, and high load. The open two-seater has no windscreen, for the ultimate wind-in-the-face experience.

Rolls-Royce Sweptail

Hand-built over four years, this one-off Rolls-Royce was inspired by the coachbuilding of the 1920s and 1930s and commissioned in 2013 by a super-yacht and aircraft specialist. The first coach-built Rolls-Royce of the modern era, the Sweptail drew inspiration from the customer’s admiration of his favourite cars of the early 20th century, as well as many classic and modern yachts. When it made its debut at the 2017 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Italy, it was the world’s most expensive new car at around £10-million (R205million). In 2021, Rolls-Royce followed up with the nautical-themed Boat Tail, rumoured to cost around £20-million (R408-million), though it was built in a notquite-as-exclusive run of three units.

Bugatti La Voiture Noire

Even in the hyper-exclusive world of French luxury brand Bugatti, some cars are more equal than others. Exhibit “A” is the La Voiture Noire, created as a one-of-a-kind motoring treasure for an unnamed enthusiast, inspired by the iconic Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic of the late 1930s.

The La Voiture Noire inherits its 16-cylinder 8 l  quad-turbo engine from the Bugatti Chiron and its outputs of 1 103kW and 1 600Nm are good for a 0-100km/h blast in under three seconds and a 420km/h top speed. At €11-million (R195-million), the La Voiture Noire is one of the world’s most expensive new cars.

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Featuring an innovative wooden strap with leather base, the I.N.O.X. Mechanical is an automatic watch like no other. It of fers an ultra-strong stainless steel case with anti-scratch coating on the bezel for extra durability.

FROM THE MAKERS OF THE ORIGINAL SWISS ARMY KNIFE ™ ESTABLISHED 1884

he most indelible interactions with my late maternal grandfather come to me in delightful vignettes. His roaring laugh; my first bicycle; his pride at my academic and sporting clean sweeps at prize giving; road trips down the south coast; and jazz. Loads of jazz. Dalton B Khanyile (or DBT to his contemporaries), the liquor salesman and music executive, was also a musician. Ask those in the know and they will regale you about an influence that far exceeded his recognition, in life and death. He partied with Ndaba Mhlongo, ran riot with Simon “Mabhunu” Sabela, played with Blythe Mbityana, and inspired Hugh Masekela. His craft took him from community and beer halls around the country to clubs on the rest of the continent and as far as the stages of the storied Montreux Jazz Festival.

In my recollections, his dark skin glistens, his hair and beard grow free and ungroomed, and his generous belly is covered in a Gilbey’s Gin t-shirt and a matching cap. But he also cleaned up well, speaking eloquently the language of tailored suit, polished Florsheim shoes, and slim moustache. He was, in the tradition of all considerable jazzmen, hip to the core.

Music would fill his home at the bottom of Mnyamana Road in Kwa-Mashu, Durban, whether through Oscar Petersen on the turntable or his own riffs in the garage. I recall with amusement now how, at barely six years old, I thought he was rubbish at his craft. I would sit in the front yard, just out of eyeshot, listening to him and getting frustrated. How was it that he sat for hours, playing what sounded like random notes, when other jazz musicians played entire songs? Surely his abilities did not warrant the level of respect he commanded, I pondered.

The stop-start flurries were, of course, part of

his composition process as he perfected various sequences. This became apparent months later when I heard him play full songs at a hotel gig I was far too young to attend. I fell asleep after the first set, but what I did hear — and the thrilling reception from all in attendance — was enough to convince me of his prowess on the tenor sax.

We lost DBT in 1994, and because of some cruel cunning from someone who purported to love him, everything of material value he had intended to leave to his family was usurped. Ancestral land, city house, lifeinsurance payouts, the lot. Miraculously, a saxophone survived. It was saved from the treachery that spirited away all he possessed by cultural giant Alfred Nokwe, my granddad’s old friend and neighbour, who bought it a while before his own death and entrusted it, with my mother’s blessing, to the culture.

The vintage Selmer tenor sax now stands proudly at Kwa Muhle Museum in Durban. It rests among other exhibits — photographs and historical accounts of Black life in that city from the perspective of ordinary people and those at the political forefront.

We have at times longed for that sax, to have in our midst an heirloom that would enhance our sense of proximity to an underappreciated embodiment of the vastness of our historical musical bad-assery. In more recent years we wanted it back for more pragmatic reasons, when my eldest son took up the instrument at school (along with the euphonium and drumline). On both occasions we abandoned the idea.

In the dark days, the museum was a place where “native” men would come to collect their passes, with the varied indignities that would accompany that. The significance of the instrument DBT used to bring joy to so many people living in bondage, now resting in a place that brutalised so many of his kin, is not lost on us and is perhaps a clue to why, with nothing of his beyond-time-worn photographs, we have opted to keep it there.

While I suspect that in time the Selmer may find its way back to us, for now, the best place to keep that heirloom is exactly where we hold DBT, in our hearts.

Siphiwe Mpye is the editor of Wanted