Tempus 13

/ Mclaren P1 / Seven Ages of Watches / Ewa n M c G r eg o r / The Watch Snob Roberto Coin / M o n ta n a / Vintage Watch Guide / Ferrari FF / S u p eryac h ts

S n y p er

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- fo r ewo r d -

issue

thirteen Contributors

From the editor Editor

Scott Manson

scott.manson@astongreenlake.com 020 3617 4693 Art Director

Ross Trigg

ross.trigg@astongreenlake.com 020 3006 2122 Writer

Hannah Silver

hannah.silver@astongreenlake.com Business Development Director

Mark Edwards

mark.edwards@astongreenlake.com 020 3617 4688 Senior Account Manager

Tom Pettit

t.pettit@astongreenlake.com Senior Account Manager

Maxime Mendelewitsch

maxime@astongreenlake.com Managing Director

Jay Boisvert

If you’re looking for a reliable marker of maturity, then a trawl through old pictures of yourself – with questionable sartorial choices on display – serves as a robust reminder that age, guile and a sense of style beats youth, innocence and a bad haircut.

Yet there is one thing you can wear, from your teenage years until retirement, of which you can always be proud. Provided you choose wisely, that is. I speak, of course, of a watch. From my first Timex to a Swatch, a (now vintage) Omega Seamaster and my current collection, every timepiece defines an era of my life. And all are, in their own way, still fine watches. We’ll draw a veil over a brief flirtation with digital watches, though. Hey, I was 12, you could play Donkey Kong on the screen – it felt like the future was in my hands.

With that in mind, if you want to find out the essential timepieces to tick off your years, turn to page 59 where we reveal the seven ages of watches.

Elsewhere, we investigate the vintage watch market, providing some sage advice for those who are looking to invest in a ‘new to you’ timepiece, take a drive through Switzerland in the incredible McLaren MP4-12c and a jaunt around Britain in a Ferrari FF. Oh, and writer Frank Broughton enjoys some city slicker action at a magnificent ranch in Montana, USA. Meanwhile, those looking for somewhere to keep their watch collection should turn to our accessories feature on page 89, plus there’s a celebration of British luxury goods on page 98. From shirtmakers to prestige fragrances to high-end homeware and, of course, watches – it’s a greatest hits collection of luxe Britannia.

Alex Doak

Alex contributes timepiece features to a number of high-profile publications and, on page 59, reveals his Seven Ages of Watches, highlighting the perfect wristwear from childhood to retirement.

Ken Kessler

A renowned watch writer (and former vintage watch dealer), Ken turns his expert eye to the fascinating world of ‘pre-loved’ timepieces, on page 107.

Enjoy the issue.

Adam Hay-Nicholls

Tempus is published monthly

by Aston Greenlake publishing Ltd, 8th floor, 6 mitre passage, london se10 0er.

TEL: 020 3617 4688

As the F1 correspondent for Metro and the editor of GP Week, Adam spends his life surrounded by fast cars. Little wonder, then, that he jumped at the chance to witness the launch of the brand’s mighty P1 in Geneva. Find out more on page 75.

Scott Manson Editor - 11 -

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108 New Bond Street, London, W1S 1EF Tel: 020 3372 0108 - www.frostoflondon.co.uk

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- c o n t en ts -

Inside issue thirteen

- 14 Take Me There This month,

- 68 Romance and the Stone

experience the colourful Gangaur Festival in Jaipur, India

The beautiful creations of Roberto Coin - 75 The Power and the Glory

- 17 Luxury Briefing Because, it turns

The new McLaren P1 and the Ferrari FF go head to head

out, the best things in life aren’t free, after all

- 89 -

- 27 Food and Drink Where to eat, drink

A cherrypicked selection of the best watch accessories

Extra Time

and be merry

- 98 Luxe Britannia Discover the best

- 31 The Word Mark Upton on buying a superyacht; Mark Davison on interior design - 35 The Watch Snob The cold hard

truth about your favourite watches

of Britain’s prestige products

75

- 36 Auction Watch The best pieces going

- 117 Regatta Fever Why this summer’s - 120 Wagons Roll We put a brilliantly

- 38 Trendwatching Frost of London

modified Land Rover Defender through its paces

director, Joseph Banin, reveals what’s rocking his world Exclusive adornments

a vintage watch

hottest parties are a nautical affair

under the hammer this month

- 40 Fashion and Accessories

- 107 Old School Cool How to buy

- 122 Tokyo with a Twist Fun in the Cover: Snyper Ironclad

- 42 Object of Desire All eyes are on new

land of the rising sun

- 124 Magnificent Magnification

Scoping out the world’s coolest binoculars

jewellery brand Noudar

- 45 Good Times In conversation with

- 127 Spring Clean Your Skin How to

- 52 Shooting star Snyper, the toughest

- 131 Once Upon a Time in the West

shake off that post-winter torpor

Ewan McGregor

watch brand on the market, is going from strength to strength

- 59 The Time of Your Life The seven

ages of watches revealed

Special thanks: Charlotte Johnson @ThePressOffice Edward Lawrenson

The Ranch at Rock Creek in Montana is made for wild-west-style adventures - 138 Moments in Time Yannick Noah

and his Ebel Sport Classic

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- ta k e m e t h er e -

Jaipur, also known as the Pink City after the whole place was painted pink to welcome the Prince of Wales in 1853, is a favourite of filmmakers.

This is thanks in part to its riot of colour and beautiful landmarks such as the Jal Mahal palace (pictured), located in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake. To see the city in all its glory, visit in April when the Gangaur Festival takes place (throughout all Rajasthan). Held in honour of the goddess Parvati, it comprises stunning celebrations that only end when the decorated idols of Gan and Gauri are immersed in a lake.

Photography - Rolf_52 / Shutterstock.com

mrandmrssmith.com

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Cristiano Ronaldo

108 New Bond Street London, W1S 1EF www.frostoflondon.co.uk

G H

O

S T

Multi Time Zone GPS Timepiece, Black PVD Stainless Steel, Interchangeable Cage N e w Yo r k C i t y

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B ecau s e t h e b est t h i n g s i n li fe a r en't fr ee

Listen in style

- D o lc e & Ga bba n a

Before high fashion became interested in cutting-edge technology, the world was surely a duller place. Take these luxury mahogany wood-crafted headphones from Dolce & Gabbana. Produced in collaboration with award-winning audio company Grado, the headphones boast impeccable tech credentials, with great sound quality thanks to ‘open-air’ technology that makes for incredibly clear audio reproduction for both high and low frequency bands.

dolceandgabbana.com

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Limited edition

- C h o pa r d

To commemorate the opening of its new boutique in Geneva, Chopard is releasing a fresh interpretation of the popular L.U.C. XPS watch. Made from platinum and featuring a midnightblue dial, the slick ultra-thin model is available in a limited edition of 25 pieces.

chopard.com

Air apparent

- W ryst

The Wryst Airborne is one tough cookie.

Fully adapted to water sports, the watch has a DLC coating to protect it from knocks while the glass is made from K1 mineral crystal, which is even more durable than sapphire crystal.

wryst-timepieces.com

Jewellery with bite

- Tat eo ss i a n

Tateossian is loved for its low-key leather and silver men’s bracelets, but the brand’s other ranges shouldn’t be overlooked. Its newest collection of cufflinks and pins celebrates the Chinese Year of the Snake with chic, quirky touches. Snakes are crafted from Swarovski elements and finished with a dark black fibre optic glass ball for a fittingly toxic touch.

tateossian.com

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Marvellous mods

- T ec h 9

Tech 9’s modified Porsches are truly unique creations. TECHART, the company’s specialist Porsche tuner service, combines groundbreaking design with the highest quality materials in the manufacturing process to ensure suspension development, aerodynamics and Formula wheels and accessories come together to create the car of your dreams. Its latest release, the high-torque SUV Cayenne S diesel, has been given an aerodynamic kit and slick new design to create an extravagant yet efficient motor.

tech9.ms

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- lu x u ry b r i efi n g -

Golden moments

- O m ega

Sedna gold is the name that Omega has chosen for its new alloy: a blend of gold, copper and palladium, with a minimum gold content of 75%. The Omega Constellation Sedna is crafted from this beautifully warm metal which will keep a reddish hue thanks to its palladium content. A silvery ‘pie-pan’ dial that was used on the first Constellation timepiece in 1952 provides a clean contrast to the Sedna elements as well as nodding to the brand’s illustrious history.

omegawatches.com

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Snake collection, gold and diamonds - www.messika-paris.com

108 New Bond Street, London W1S 1EF Tel : 020 3372 0108

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- lu x u ry b r i efi n g -

Hip homeware

Classic beauty

- Ko k et

- B u lga r i

Specialising in stylish homeware created by master artisans and jewellers, Koket brings together the best Portuguese product designers to create luxe looks that are fast becoming a favourite of interiors specialists. This Vivre chandelier is a modern piece given a pleasingly vintage touch thanks to agate stones set in gold metal.

Inspired by the ancient Roman tradition which saw emperors choose a currency to assert their sovereignty, Bulgari’s preBasel release, the Roma, is a contemporary take on the 1975 version (a watershed moment in Bulgari watchmaking). It’s equally impressive today and features a bezel with the name of the house and a slick design that works round the geometrical cylinder.

bykoket.com

bulgari.com

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108 New Bond Street, London, W1S 1EF Tel: 020 3372 0108 www.frostoflondon.co.uk

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Outermost beauty meets intrinsic value!

What is it that makes safes by DÜttling so unique? For one thing, it’s their unparalleled quality, which is the result of the refined locksmith craftsmanship now in its fourth generation. Another thing is their incomparable beauty of which you are the source: your wishes combined with an almost unlimited selection of materials and fitments make each piece a one-of-a-kind eye-catcher.

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- lu x u ry b r i efi n g -

In vino veritas

- O r n ella i a

To celebrate its 25th anniversary, Ornellaia is releasing special editions of its exquisite wine to auction at a gala dinner at London’s Royal Opera House on May 16th. The extremely limited number of large-size bottles of Ornellaia 2010 – including double magnums (3 litres), imperials (6 litres) and a unique salmanazar (9 litres) – are decorated by Michelangelo Pistoletto and feature a special logo silk-screened in gold and ivory.

25anni.ornellaia.com

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Your private world

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- fo o d & d r i n k -

Trends and news from the best bars and kitchens Peter at the Peninsula Tokyo

We are all Japanese diners now. Every UK city offers exclusive sushi restaurants and casual ramen stop-offs, from the ubiquitous Wagamama to London’s hipster hangout Bone Daddies.

For the real deal, though, a week in Tokyo fulfilled all my Japanese dining dreams. But, you know, after five days of miso soup, tempura and sashimi – amazing though it was – one of my most highly anticipated meals was at Peter at the Peninsula. So exclusive even the entrance

has its own sleek black private elevator from the Peninsula hotel’s lobby that whisks you straight up to the 24th floor, and into Tokyo’s coolest hotel bar.

The restaurant itself offers amazing views from its floor-to-ceiling windows, while the avant-garde design uses interactive technology to form a backdrop of ever-changing images and colours.

The food is just as theatrical, from the smoked potato velouté with black truffle oil to sautéed snapper, which came fresh from the city’s legendary Tsukiji fish market, situated just a stone’s throw away. A dining dilemma saw us unable to choose between cheese and dessert, so our helpful French waiter recommended both, and the cheese – imported from France and Italy – was some of the best we’d ever tasted.

A chocolate mille-feuille with milk chocolate jelly was an appropriate ending

Reviewed by Hannah Silver

– like the restaurant it was beautifully designed and demanded repeat tasting.

Peter, let’s not leave it too long until we see each other again.

peninsula.com/tokyo

Foodies Unite

Gastronomes take note - the best chefs from around the world are set to gather in London on 22 April. The Relais & Châteaux Dîner des Grands Chefs, previously held in Versailles and New York, is themed ‘The World’s Kitchen by the Thames’, with proceeds going to Action Against Hunger. Six hundred guests will descend on Old Billingsgate Market for menus created by the Grands Chefs, who include Raymond Blanc and Claude Bosi. dinerdesgrandschefs.com - 27 -

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Corks and shares

bluebird chelsea As iconic London dining destinations go, Bluebird is up there with the best. Situated on the shopper’s paradise that is London’s King’s Road, it’s the quintessential ‘ladies who lunch’ restaurant. Does this venerable institution still have what it takes in the prestige dining stakes though?

It’s a massive operation, comprising ground-floor café, a shop, a courtyard, a deli and the first-floor restaurant.

The restaurant itself is a large open-plan space, divided into sections, including a fantastic bar area, which helps to bring intimacy to this big room.

2013 has seen the recruitment of a new head chef, Matthew Robinson, who I’m guessing hasn’t had long enough to put his stamp on the kitchen yet. The menu, although essentially modern British, still seems a little confused. It feels as if they’re trying to cover all bases with a selection

Reviewed by Ross Trigg of crowdpleasers – some French brasserie dishes (steak tartare, escargots à la bourguignonne); a few British classics (fish and chips) and a handful of international offerings, including monkfish curry – and as such seems to lack focus.

That said, the monkfish curry was a zingy, beautifully cooked affair and my roast suckling pig was a tasty hunk of meat.

The starters were similarly impressive – potted salt beef with cucumber, fennel and mustard was a clever twist on an East End favourite, and my partner’s foie gras confit benefited from a spicy hit of the powdered gingerbread dusting.

A packed room is testament to Bluebird’s enduring popularity. I’d recommend visiting in a month or two, though, when the new head chef has put his signature on this Chelsea institution.

bluebird-restaurant.co.uk

Wine investments hit a rock in 2012 as the market underwent a 30% correction. With portfolios rising 10% in 2013, however, there are encouraging signs that last year was a cork in a storm. Wine expert Robert Parker’s rescoring of the Bordeaux 2010 vintage – an adjustment that takes place two years after the wines were first tasted – provides a more accurate picture of what the wines are like. Ten wines got Parker’s perfect score of 100 and prices shot up, with some doubling their money overnight.

by Peter Dean Three great investments

Pape Clément 2010

One of my wine suppliers sold 40 cases of this sublime Graves 30 minutes after the scores came out and the prices have been rising steadily since. Because 2010 is an ‘historic’ vintage which will keep for 40 years, this is a solid banker.

£125 a bottle, frw.co.uk Château Latour 2010

Some may argue that there is nowhere price-wise for the wine to go. Wrong.

This is arguably one of the best wines ever made – every wine critic in the world gave it maximum points and Latour’s president apparently challenged Parker that the 100 points didn’t accurately reflect how good it was. With the 1961 100-pointer now fetching £2500 for a damaged bottle, this is one for inheritance purposes, but leave it in a bonded warehouse of some repute.

£1000+ a bottle, farrvintners.com Château Beauséjour (Duffau Lagarrosse) 2010

The wine-making team of Nicolas Thienpont and Stéphane Derenoncourt have been making waves in Saint-Emilion. The 1990 and the 2009 both scored 100 Parker points and the prices have risen steadily since then.

£233 a bottle, bordeauxindex.com - 28 -

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108 NEW BOND STREET LONDON W1S 1EF TEL: 020 3372 0108

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- t h e wo r d -

How to buy a superyacht Mark Upton Mark Upton is Director of MGMT Yacht, the Londonbased independent superyacht advisory service.

“The last word in luxury”. This is what chartering, buying or having your own yacht built has always been referred to. After all, how better to show the world that you have made it than to have your yacht trackside for the Monaco Grand Prix? All of us will make a high-value purchase in our life but before we do, we usually undertake a process of research, market comparison, negotiation and loan applications.

For years, though, this simply wasn’t the case in the superyacht market. There was generally only one route to owning a yacht and that was through a broker. They controlled the market and, if you were in the fortunate position of being able to afford to join the exclusive superyacht owners’ ‘club’, then you needed to talk to them directly.

Flash forward to today and the world is a different place. The economic downturn means that the lucky few who are still able to purchase a superyacht have the buyer’s advantage in a market where many are keen to sell, making for a much wider choice at more appealing prices. We recently found a yacht for a client which, due to the slow market, had been for sale for a year and the price had reduced from $52m to $26m. After looking at the spec and agreeing it was potentially the right yacht, we

made the call to the broker and managed to save a further $7m because the owner was highly motivated to sell.

The smart buyer will now ask more questions, understand the market, and look at things from different angles. Not all yachts are the same; the variables that need to be understood when buying are considerable. A small oversight in the review stages could mean £1 million per year difference in running costs. A client recently approached me after a purchase cost him £500,000, due to the fact that the yacht broke down and needed to go into a shipyard for a substantial amount of work immediately.

This kind of problem is easily avoided during the buying process and can become a strong bargaining tool, rather than the sort of thing that sours your experience.

In addition to the purchase price, it’s essential to know what your yacht is going to cost you for the next few years. Some hard questions need to be asked.

How much is fuel? A 35m sailing yacht would use somewhere in the region of £100,000 in fuel per year but a 100m motor yacht could easily use £2.5m. What do I pay my crew? This again depends on crew numbers and levels of experience and qualification but a 35m sailing yacht would cost approximately £30,000 per month whereas a 100m motor yacht could easily exceed £200,000. These are all perfectly sensible budgeting questions for a purchase of, say, a car but, until recently, very few yacht buyers asked them.

Superyachts are the ultimate expression of success and the last word in luxury and relaxation. They’ll always be one of the most expensive things in your life but, approached correctly, the costs will be acceptable rather than surprising. Perhaps it’s time you enjoyed the life on the ocean wave…?

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- t h e wo r d -

The art of living Mark Davison Mark Davison is the head of design for Yoo, the award-winning interior design and property brand.

It’s a thrilling time to work in property design.

Now, more than ever, architects, artists and designers are pushing the envelope and producing brilliantly inventive additions to our built environment. My inspiration comes in many forms – from Jean Nouvel’s Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi to David Chipperfield’s Neues Museum in Berlin or, in terms of art installations, Anthony McCall’s groundbreaking ‘solid light’ films and, frankly, almost anything by the light and space artist James Turrell.

It’s often the smaller details of projects that intrigue me, something that may not appear initially important but which, when it catches the eye, can be more memorable than the ‘big idea’. Details done with wit and humour are what resonate and, of course, this where our star Creative Directors at Yoo excel. These include world-renowned designers such as Philippe Starck, Marcel Wanders, Jade Jagger, Kelly Hoppen and Anouska Hempel.

In terms of trends, there’s definitely an increased focus on values in design. This means there will be a continued integration of technology and environmentally sustainable design, reflecting the desire of people looking for a more ethical, harmonious relationship with their surroundings. The demand for unique design will grow as we become increasingly

aware of how modern floorplans and aesthetics affect the way we live. This is about much more than just colours or materials – it’s a fundamental shift in how people understand and enjoy design in the home. The belief that original design is life-enhancing will become widely embraced.

Good design doesn’t necessary mean spending money on beautiful materials or exclusive furniture, but paying attention to detail and taking care in construction. Our approach at Yoo is about the human experience and building a sense of community, whether it’s in a vertical village or a countryside retreat.

We also champion living in environmentally conscientious ways too, installing wind turbines on projects and sourcing local products and local intelligence for our developments.

Some of my recent favourite Yoo projects are The Lakes (an estate in the Cotswolds), Lodha Evoq (residences in Mumbai), and the recently opened Sans Souci hotel in Vienna.

The intelligence we gain from working internationally can include developing ingenious ways of dealing with environmental issues, from retaining heat and expelling it to water conservation and collection. We are like seed collectors and we redistribute these ideas into new projects.

I’d encourage everyone to try to incorporate a little of our philosophy into their home, and think about how sustainable and eco-friendly designs can help in daily life. Beyond the private space, it’s just as important to think about how you can contribute to your community.

Your living environment is so crucial – it’s where you raise your children, entertain your friends and build a life. As such, a home should cater to the life you’ve made for yourself. I call this ‘human luxury’ – a concept that reflects an understanding of the complexities of the human condition. It’s all about designing and creating spaces, communities and facilities that allow you to be who you are.

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108 New Bond Street, London, W1S 1EF Tel: 020 3372 0108 - www.frostoflondon.co.uk

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ANNAPURNA

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The

- watc h s n o b Got a question about timepieces? Put it to AskMen.com’s Watch Snob. Be warned, you may not like what he has to say…

Gun-Toting Chef Dear Snob, I had a Rolex Air King that was stolen from me at gunpoint, and I have since been wearing a Victorinox because of the fear of getting robbed again. You can laugh, you can hate, but, hey, I was scared. The city is safer now, and I think it’s time for me to get a proper watch again. My first option was another Air King, but I also considered a Baume & Mercier Hampton (only one with a leather strap).

Which would you buy in my position? I’m a chef and during the weekends I go to the shooting range, which is why I chose watches with metal straps.

There is some irony that you go to the shooting range on the weekends but you were robbed at gunpoint. Let me guess, you live in the United States of Artillery. But I won’t go any farther with that thread, I’m just happy to hear that your lawless city is again safe enough for you to wear a wristwatch.

The Air King is a lazy choice. It is the poor man’s Rolex, and, while it uses the same movement as its Oyster Perpetual siblings, every time I see one, I always assume its owner was just desperate to own a Rolex and saved every last penny to get the cheapest one. Besides, you’ve already owned one and it seemed to be a magnet to marauding ne’erdo-wells.

Baume & Mercier is becoming a more interesting brand, but try the new Clifton.

It’s like a fine watch, especially the limited hand-wound version. But its elegance just won’t fit with your gun-toting chef lifestyle.

The Snob on Design 'Flaws' What are your thoughts on Zenith’s Striking 10th? I have been seriously considering buying one until I noticed the following design flaw: the 60-second counter at 6:00 overlaps the 60-minute counter at 3:00. How, then, can you tell the difference between 35 or 36 minutes in your chronograph?

Really? This “design flaw” would keep you from buying one of the most iconic chronographs in history? Sure, you may have to wing it for that 35th minute you’re timing, but the overlapping subdials are a Zenith trademark and hardly worth quibbling over unless you’re timing something like labour contractions or a soufflé. But even if that’s the case, one minute of uncertainty probably won’t make that big a difference.

What Do Watch Ratings Mean?

Dear Snob, I was recently looking at watches at Sotheby’s and noticed some watches were referred to as “fine,” “very fine” or “rare.” What do these terms mean?

To simplify the typical ratings used to grade wristwatches at auction, the terms, “fine,” “very fine” and “rare” directly correlate to how much money you can expect to part with.

A “fine” grade typically means a watch that shows some wear but is still in good condition, whereas a “very fine” watch is one that is as close to pristine as can be expected for a vintage timepiece. I hope “rare” speaks for itself, at least for native English-speaking readers. If the appraisers are feeling particularly hyperbolic, I’ve also seen “exceptionally rare” and “exceedingly important” which, of course, translates into hammer prices approaching the GDP of small countries.

Grading a wristwatch and assigning terminology to every flaw approaches a black art. Having said that, maintaining some standards of decorum is a noble pursuit, and these grades justify old watches costing tens of thousands of dollars.

To read more from the Watch Snob, head to askmen.com

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- au ct i o n watc h -

Underthe hammer Two classy motorsport-themed items and art aplenty… Here’s the best auctioneers have on offer

Bonhams

Fellows

Originally won in a raffle for five pence, this fully-restored 1931 Brough Superior SS80 could now make a million times that sum. The motorcycle began life as an Ipswich Police sidecar vehicle, but after being converted to solo trim it was raced for several years before an owner realised its value.

Produced to celebrate Chopard’s 150th anniversary, the Engine One Tourbillon continues a rich motorsport association for the brand. The movement is engraved in an ‘engine block’ style with the power reserve designed as a fuel gauge. The watch is cased in titanium with an alligator strap inspired by vintage sports car seats.

Estimated at £50,000.

The Bonhams auction at the International Classic Motorcycle show is on Sunday 28 April. bonhams.com

Estimated at £25,000£35,000. The Fellows’ Vintage & Modern Wrist Watches auction on Monday 15 April. www.fellows.co.uk

Chelsea Art Fair

This year’s relaunched Chelsea Art Fair is set to feature many exciting artists.

One of the highlights is the piece above: ‘Red Flowers’ (2000) by Mary Fedden.

Trained at Slade art school, Fedden went on to teach luminaries such as David Hockney and Allen Jones as well as carving out a successful career of her own.

Estimate TBC. The Chelsea Art Fair is 11 to 14 April. chelseaartfair.org

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An auction of Vintage & Modern Wrist Watches

Monday 15th April at 11am

For a complimentary catalogue please email watches@fellows.co.uk Fellows Auctioneers | 19 Augusta Street | Birmingham B18 6JA | 0121 212 2131 ! ! ) & % ! $ ' ""! % % ' ( !!# ( & %# % ( ! ! (

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26/03/2013 10:58

- t h e h ot li st -

Trendwatching Frost of London director Joseph Banin

Cvsto s I’m delighted that we have finally managed to get a range of beautiful Cvstos watches in store.

The firm is young – the brand only launched in 2005 – but it has quickly achieved superwatch status. The founder and designer have a great track record, working at Franck Muller, among others.

We first met Sassoun, the CEO, at Baselworld two years ago and it’s taken this long for us to get them on board. It was worth the wait though.

There’s been an amazing response – we sold two of the watches immediately, just on the strength of the pictures.

They are seriously stunning pieces.

V ert u The new Vertu Ti phone is massively in demand. So much so, in fact, that we sold out of our first batch within days. Starting at around £6,700 and going up to £13,900, it’s the most luxurious smartphone on the market.

reveals what’s on his radar this month

Sto n es & s i z e We’ve noticed more and more male customers asking for yellow diamonds. We’re talking seriously vivid, intense yellows, which they then set into diamonds or chains. On the flipside, the demand for big, ostentatious watches seems to be decreasing.

The ‘stealth wealth’ appeal of black diamonds on cases, together with a smaller case size, is the order of the day.

N ew sto r e o p en i n g We’ve kept it under wraps but I’m delighted to say that Frost of London’s Vietnam store is now open. Situated inside the luxurious Sofitel hotel in Hanoi, its opening was attended by a host of local dignitaries and, of course, my business partners and me. There’s a real buzz about this country and plenty of prestige brands have opened there in recent years.

I expect customer preferences to differ slightly from London.

Vietnamese men generally have smaller wrists, for example, so watch sizes will reflect that. In terms of jewellery, local women prefer a more traditional style to some of the more outlandish items in the London store, and I predict that big stones will prove popular. It’s a thrilling time for the growing Frost empire.

A qu est i o n o f tast e A lot of Premiership footballers shop at our store and it’s fascinating to see how their tastes have changed over the years. Previously, they asked for very ‘bling’ watches but they are now much more clued-up. The big demand is for highquality high complication watches – I’d like to think that Frost has helped turn many of them into true timepiece aficionados!

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- fas h i o n & ac c ess o r i es -

frostoflondon.co.uk

Spring sparklers The latest in cutting edge luxury from Frost of London

01

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01 Theo Fennell

02 Jacob & Co

03 Stempovsky

04 Shamballa

There’s a real buzz about this stunning little gem.

Theo Fennell 18ct white and yellow gold, amethyst bee and blossom ring.

Emeralds are believed to enhance well-being, so give your mind, body and soul a boost with these lavish Jacob & Co emerald briolette earrings. In 18ct white gold with diamonds.

For show-stopping cufflinks, look no further than Stempovsky’s white gold pair, teamed with sapphires and diamonds.

Shamballa Jewels is always at the top of our luxe list and the brand’s Precious Collection bracelets in white gold, paveset sapphire, ruby or tsavorite are the perfect arm-candy for spring.

£4,500

POA

02

POA

From £32,874

03

04

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- o bj ects o f d es i r e -

Noudar Inspired by Islamic culture, Noudar – derived from the ancient Arabic word for gold – began life after Qatari jewellery designer Noor Al Fardan created an exclusive one-off piece for Lady Gaga in 2011. Since then, Noudar has developed into a fully-fledged luxury jewellery brand focusing on rings, earrings and beautiful white gold fingerless gloves, the latter a nod to an Islamic tradition which dictates that only a woman’s hands and eyes are visible to the public. Noudar’s marriage of Arabic culture with western accents makes for an edgy style that’s fast becoming a favourite for those in the know.

frostoflondon.co.uk

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25/03/2013 17:29

Innovation. Motivation.

The new Cross Personal takes total body training to new levels of performance and style. The flowing, elliptical movement, sleek aesthetics and VISIOWEB multimedia 15.6" touch-screen offer a premium interactive experience to all users of all abilities.

Designed by Antonio Citterio

Take the first step and discover our complete range of cardiovascular, strength and movement products on line.

Visit www.technogym.com or call free on 0800 316 2496 to speak to one of our consultants.

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25/03/2013 16:48

- g o o d t i m es -

Words – Frank Grice

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- g o o d t i m es -

From his pilot’s watch to an insatiable appetite for motorbike odysseys, actor Ewan McGregor is every inch the intrepid adventurer. Here he talks timepieces, family and working with Danny Boyle You seem like quite an intrepid type. Is that why you went on your famous bike rides that took you away for months?

I did it because I wanted adventure and to go and see parts of the world you wouldn’t normally see, like small rural towns in Siberia or Sudan. It’s fascinating to me how people survive out there in some of those towns we saw.

I went with my wife’s blessing. She came on the second trip; she rode with us through Malawi and Zambia – on her own bike. She decided she wanted to come and she learned how to ride a bike, and she came through really well.

Speaking of the skies, you’ve been a ‘Friend of the Brand’ for IWC Schaffhausen for some time now.

Should we assume the Pilot’s Watch is your preferred timepiece?

Would you consider yourself a risk taker?

I am not an adrenaline junkie, because I don’t really like the experience of being adrenalised. If I am on my motorbike and I get into trouble on a corner or something, the wave of adrenaline... well, I don’t like it. I couldn’t bungee jump. I am not a thrill-seeker in that respect, but I do like the idea of flight; my brother is a pilot and my father flies small planes. So I learned to fly a little bit. I like watching paragliders too. I’m not a paraglider though. It’s ultimately not for me. I had a go, but I like watching them from the ground.

Yes, it is! I do like the big Pilot’s Watch. It’s beautiful and simple. The face reminds me of an instrument in the cockpit of an aircraft. It’s crafted with practicality as well as style. For instance, it has a beautiful big knob on the side because pilots had to wear leather gloves, so you could change the time as you were flying along. It’s a lovely watch and it carries with it appearance and practicality.

Any others?

I like the Miramar watches very much as they look like the real deal – with its green canvas strap – and they’re beautiful. The Double Chronograph is similar but has more toys on it!

How does a good wristwatch make you feel?

Are you a one-brand man when it comes to wristwatches?

No, I’ve had a few different watches over the years. I think you get a feel for what you like quite quickly, but I don’t think you’ll ever just settle on one wristwatch, and nor should you.

I’ve had four or five Panerai watches over the years – a 196, 187, 177T and more. I used to buy them in Scotland but am obviously not there as much now, and of course your taste changes as the years go by.

I guess it makes you feel complete. You want to show it off but at the same time there’s nothing worse than someone flaunting a timepiece in your face. But it’s the weight of the object that offers that sense of power and security.

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T h e fly i n g S c o ts m a n

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- g o o d t i m es -

Would you say you are as flexible with your film choices as you are with your wristwatches?

Is there any rivalry between film stars in terms of what wristwatches are being worn?

Not to the extent it interrupts our work!

Charley Boorman and I wore Bremont watches on our motorbike adventures, and were really impressed with their durability. They’re made to be tough and almost unbreakable, and certainly stood up to the challenge, particularly where Charley’s driving skills were concerned!

I think, as a rule, I don’t have any rules for myself when I choose things. I have no decision-making factor other than if I like the story and the character. There are a lot of factors when you get sent a script.

And I am fortunate in that I don’t have to work for money. I am quite comfortably off, and the education of my kids is probably alright – I can cover the school fees.

In that respect I have no financial confines to my choice making, and I don’t worry about my standing in the business.

I am confident that I’m a good actor and people might want to work with me. Rather arrogantly I say that. And therefore I don’t worry about being seen in certain kinds of films.

When it comes to your career, there have been several defining moments. Certainly one of them would be your character Renton in Trainspotting?

It was a huge moment for me although I don’t spend very much time looking back on my past work. I love that film very much, and I think it’s a brilliant movie and a very important thing for me.

It was, in fact, my third movie, so it wasn’t the very beginning for me, but it certainly was the one that put me in the public eye more than any of the others.

I love the film, and I love the character of Renton. I think he was brilliant. It was brilliant to play among those other great actors and with Danny Boyle at the helm. It was pretty spectacular. It was good filmmaking. It was really smooth and we shot the whole thing in a very short time – six or seven weeks.

Where next for Ewan McGregor?

I’d just like to carry on.

If it’s a dream about my career, it would be carrying on doing different kinds of films. I’d like to direct something. At one point I could have pursued a book that I really liked and thought I wanted to direct it, but then I got the fear and didn’t do it – and funnily enough I got sent it sometime later to act in. And I’ve got lots of silly, crazy dreams, involving old vehicles and long distances…

Ewan McGregor wears an IWC Big Pilot watch for Father and Son (Father model).

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25/03/2013 10:19

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17/09/2012 11:28

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- s n y p er -

Words – Scott Manson

Inspired by army hardware, handcrafted in Switzerland, Snyper watches are built for action and accuracy

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- s n y p er -

www.frostoflondon.co.uk

tealth fighters, rifles and cool concept cars. It may sound like the makings of the latest firstperson shooter video game but, incredibly, these comprise the visual reference ‘mood board’ for the designers of Snyper watches, one of the more unusual Swiss timepiece brands to emerge in recent years.

Founded by celebrated watchmaker JeanFrancois Ruchonnet in 2008, this ‘wrist armour’ takes its aesthetic cues from weaponry – Ruchonnet is a former sniper – and even offers a quirky laser pointer as an added extra that can be attached to the watch strap.

All of this would feel a little gimmicky were it not for the fact that the watches offer highgrade Swiss workmanship, with the latest models boasting in-house movements. Given that it’s much simpler, and considerably cheaper, to buy ready-made movements, this recent initiative is a real statement of intent from JeanDenis Delétraz, the 49-year-old CEO who took over the running of the brand in 2011.

“I didn’t want to be controlled by, say, the Swatch group,” he says. “If we bought

movements from them, then they could dictate our business to an extent. Building our own movements was a big but necessary step.

“It’s a slow process – our watches are handmade in Switzerland – and it can take 18 months from the first idea to the finished article being in store.”

While all the models have a sporty feel, they vary in style from a ‘tool’ aesthetic in stealthy black to more iced-out affairs, such as the limited edition Snyper One Pure 120, with diamond-studded case. There are also versions with sapphires and rubies. Many of the models also take design references straight from guns, such as the crosshairs on the dial and chronograph pushers shaped to look like triggers.

More recently, the brand’s Iron Clad range, a tough, chunky collection boasting a chronograph, a cool customised rotor and classic decoration such as blue screws, circular graining and beautiful Cotes de Geneve ‘waves’, showcases the more serious, refined style that’s starting to emerge from this forward-thinking brand.

The Snyper One Red, top, boasts a military-style design, and a high quality movement, above; as does the Snyper One Pure Steel, right

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“It’s a slow process – our watches are handmade in Switzerland – and it can take 18 months from the f irst idea to the f inished article being in store”

- s n y p er -

The brand has enjoyed steady growth, with the introduction of in-house movements and, impressively, a tourbillon model, sparking the interest of watch collectors worldwide.

“Our distribution net is spreading,” says Delétraz. “Partnering with Frost of London has been great, as their store offers some the most impressive timepieces in the capital.

Plus I like the owners, Joe and Dino, they are clever businessmen.”

Like every canny watchmaker, Snyper’s CEO is keeping his launch plans for Baselworld under wraps at the moment.

He does reveal, however, that he is planning to introduce smaller models, aimed at the Asian market, later this year. Watch fans whose pockets aren’t quite deep enough to cover the brand’s current pieces can also look forward to the imminent release of an exciting entry-level Snyper collection.

Something for every budding soldier, then: from private to five-star general. snyperwatches.com

“This is a key concept. A sniper is mentally tough and focused. We build watches with that aesthetic”

“I am involved in every stage of the design,” says Delétraz. “We will always be at the sportier end of the market – we’re not trying to compete with, say, Patek and coming up with a host of complications. We will, though, always be a high-end brand with strong design.”

Strength is a recurring theme with Snyper.

From the robust casing of the watches themselves to the army connection, they are built for action.

“This is a key concept. A sniper is mentally tough and focused. We build watches with that aesthetic – they are strong and don’t crack under pressure.”

Delétraz is well-placed to talk about mental strength. A former Formula One and Le Mans racing driver, he admits that many of the watches are designed with drivers in mind.

“I would love to see F1 drivers wearing my watches,” he says. “Like snipers, they also have a strong mental attitude. Fernando Alonso would be the dream. He can win while driving a bad car – an incredible driver.”

The Snyper Ironclad, left, model is available in a range of highly durable materials

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Domino collection

www.robertodemeglio.it www.fattoamanoinitalia.it

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108 New Bond Street, London - 020 3372 0108 - www.frostoflondon.co.uk

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06/03/2013 15:04

- S ev en Ag es -

Words – Alex Doak

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The watch you wear is worth a thousand words. And when you wear it matters as much as how you wear it. So here’s our guide to the Seven Ages of Watches – timepieces to tick off your years, boy and man Mondaine Classic

Beloved of hipsters, aesthetes, the short-sighted and trainspotters alike, the Mondaine watch brings an iconic piece of Bauhaus design – Hans Hilfiker’s 1944 Swiss Railway platform clock – onto the wrist. It’s fun, Swiss-made, small (33mm diameter) with an even smaller price tag and therefore perfect for kicking off your kid’s life in watches. The majority of the range is driven by battery-powered quartz movements, but if Junior is already fussy about his or her horological integrity, you could spend just a couple of hundred more and get an automatic mechanical movement inside instead.

Always judge a man by his accessories, so goes the old saying.

It’s an old saying for a reason; it happens to be true. So beyond the small leather goods dotted about your person – shoes, belt, wallet – you should be paying particular attention to your man jewellery. A wedding ring perhaps, cufflinks occasionally, maybe even a necklace (careful now) – and on practically every man’s wrist? Yes, a watch.

Despite, or perhaps because of our digital age, the ‘proper’ watch has firmly re-established itself in the past 20 years, which means a new generation of men are reaping the benefits of their father’s passion. We can’t tinker with our cars anymore (pop the bonnet and you’re faced with an impermeable plastic cowl and a USB socket) but turn over a decent mechanical watch and the face of any child will light up at the sight of hundreds of tiny parts whirring away. If they stare long enough, they’ll even start to work out how it works. You don’t get that with a disassembled iPhone.

That wonder never abates; your next watch can never come soon enough; and you can never have enough watches. But if you manage to restrict yourself to seven, you won’t go far wrong with these particular pieces – a ‘This Is Your Life’ of wristwatches if you like. Start your son or daughter on the right foot with the right watch, and they’ll have a wonderful interest for life…

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Swatch Watch

The 1983 classic isn’t just a great collectable – it’s the product that saved the Swiss watch industry from the onslaught of cheap Far East imports.

Educational, see?

Luminox 38mm Colormark Endorsed by Navy SEALs, Luminox’s polycarbonate case is almost indestructible – ideal for budding soldiers with sticks for guns.

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- S ev en Ag es -

Frédérique Constant Junior

Remarkably, Frédérique Constant seems to be the only brand out there with a dedicated ‘Junior’ range for both boys and girls, capitalising on the emerging generation of teenagers with watch-mad fathers eager to pass on their habit, be it for a birthday, graduation or Bar Mitzvah. These are no Flik Flaks though – they’re up there with the adult range (one of the best value brands going) and driven by Swiss movements, but proportioned for smaller wrists. Cleverly, the caseback is made as a separate module, to allow personalised engravings.

Seiko Sportura Alarm Chronograph

Victorinox Summit XLT

Teens love a good gadget, and the chronograph on this tough but elegant sports watch from Seiko will certainly push their buttons.

With penknives now seen as contraband at airports, Victorinox have had to step up their watch game of late. And like the knives themselves, their timepieces are ruggedly engineered but still incredible value for money.

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Omega Seamaster 300M

It’s the big 2-1, and the need for one’s first heirloom watch (not to mention something decent for that first job interview) invariably leaves an obvious choice between Rolex, Breitling or Omega. Opt for the latter, and not only do you get one step closer to fulfilling your dream of being James Bond (he’s worn a Seamaster since Brosnan took on double-O status) but you also get a watch that’s perfect for negligent youngsters. Like a car, all mechanical watches require regular servicing and oiling – ideally every 3 years – but Omega’s ‘Co-Axial’ mechanism does away with the need for oil, extending that service period to at least 10 years. The case is also water resistant to 300m. A robust, handsome classic that’ll impress every prospective employer.

U-Boat Classico 45 CAS 2

There’s a dash of flash about this oversized watch, but it’s surprisingly wearable, with serious brand cachet and a WWII backstory to make any chap’s ears prick.

Giuliano Mazzuoli Manometro

An eccentric but cool choice for any youngster who has finally grown into his individuality.

Inspired by the pressure gauge of a sphygmomanometer (a blood pressure meter) and driven by a Swiss automatic movement.

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Zenith El Primero Striking Tenth

Four decades under the belt, and it’s time to start thinking on a connoisseur level. Every enthusiast has (or should have) Zenith’s El Primero chronograph on their dream-watch wish list, for three good reasons. Firstly, Zenith pioneered the very first ‘manufacture’, bringing every trade that comprises the Swiss cottage industry beneath one roof.

Secondly, when launched in 1969, the El Primero movement was the first automatic chronograph. Finally, the movement is so perfectly designed, they’ve barely touched it in 42 years.

The same goes for the overall design – deliciously retro, but still businesslike.

Meccaniche Veloci Quattro Valvole CCM Black

Keen thirtysomething petrolheads will love this watch’s clever reference to a cylinder head’s four-valve configuration, as well as the carbonceramic brake material used for the dial.

Bremont ALT1-WT Worldtimer Graham Chronofighter Oversize Black Sahara A bold choice of brand, named after Britain’s George Graham, who pioneered the chronograph function in the 18th century. It’s operated here by a trigger with a satisfying thumb action.

059-066_Time of your life.indd 63

Assuming you’re starting to earn a little more now you’re clear of your twenties – perhaps you’re even in line for the odd bonus – it’s time to feed your horological hunger with something a little less mainstream, with an intriguing story behind it, perhaps a touch of nerd appeal, and genuine collector appeal. British newcomer Bremont has all this in spades and its latest Worldtimer watch is a gorgeous progression of the brand’s rugged aviator provenance, being a civilian version of the piece used by the crews of C-17 Globemaster transporter craft.

The Roto-Click bezel lets you work out the global time-zones using the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) airfield identifiers, each of which represents a C-17 landing location in all 24 time-zones.

Corum Admiral’s Cup Chronograph 48

The eponymous regatta may have folded its sails and coiled its ropes long ago, but the lasting legacy is Corum’s halo collection, whose multi-faceted case has impressive presence on the wrist.

IWC Ingenieur Automatic

Enjoying a reboot this year, with a new engineering sponsorship of the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team, IWC’s antimagnetic Ingenieur is must for any no-nonsense alpha male.

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- S ev en Ag es -

Arnold & Son HMS1

By the time your innings hit the halfcentury, life has hopefully been kind and you deserve to buy yourself a special something. But nothing that screams or shouts about your success – the younger days of flashing the cash are long behind you. Instead, you want an elegant classic that’ll peek from your crisply ironed French cuffs and garner attention only from those in the know. Look no further than Arnold & Son, once the sister brand of aforementioned Graham, now wholly owned by movement maestros La JouxPerret, who in turn were bought by Japan’s behemoth watch group Citizen since last year. Named after another British horological legend, Arnold is nonetheless Swiss watchmaking through and through, and indeed watchmaking at its finest: the HMS1 features an exquisitely finished, in-housemanufactured movement.

Piaget Altiplano The elder statesman’s classic choice, Altiplano is a crisp sliver of a watch, whose expansive, spotless dial calls to mind the eponymous Andean plateau.

Laurent Ferrier Galet MicroRotor

At £30,000, it’s a big investment – but an investment it may well turn out to be, as Mr Ferrier himself was Patek Philippe’s top watchmaker for 37 years before striking out in 2010.

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Turbine Xl, A1050/1 Technology of the Double Rotor.

Made by movement

www.perrelet.com

108 New Bond Street, London, W1S 1EF Tel: 020 3372 0108 www.frostoflondon.co.uk

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- S ev en Ag es -

Roger W Smith Series 2

Maîtres du Temps Chapter Two

Roger Smith’s waiting list may clock in at around 18 months, and the price tag may start at £87,000, but it’s well worth it: a watch made entirely by hand by George Daniels’ only-ever apprentice, on the Isle of Man, in the traditional English style. Simply stunning.

While you’re hitting retirement, the Americanowned ‘Masters of Time’ brought a living legend of watchmaking out of his retirement to conceive this clever rollerindicator timepiece: none other than Daniel Roth.

A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Up/Down

Patek Philippe may be the no-brainer choice as most men’s ‘ultimate watch’ – the one you spend your life aspiring to – but there are contenders to its crown. Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, Girard-Perregaux, JaegerLeCoultre… All venerable names steeped in the finest Swiss tradition.

But what about a German watch instead? Since the Wall fell, the tiny village of Glashutte near Dresden has re-established itself as Germany’s very own mini Switzerland, led by a rebooted A Lange & Söhne. Lange’s craftsmanship has even been said to surpass that of Patek, and no better is that argued than by their Datograph flyback chronograph. Truly a watchmaker’s watch, with a lavishly decorated movement to pore over in your retirement.

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25/03/2013 11:09

- Ro b erto c o i n -

Words – Hannah Silver

Romance & the Stone

A classical and feminine approach to jewellery designs underpins Roberto Coin's huge success In a world of well-crafted jewellery, Roberto Coin stands out. He has a sincere focus on a traditional style for women, making a refreshing change from other, deliberately contrary, brands in the market.

Coin enjoys creating feminine pieces. "It's true a lot of our pieces are incredibly delicate," Coin says. "It's essential that our pieces are feminine, as it should be for a woman." It's this strategy that has stood Coin in good stead from his beginnings as a jewellery design student, through to his position leading the seventh

best-known jewellery brand in the US. "I'm extremely proud of what we've achieved.

It has been the biggest challenge in my life, but I always knew I wanted to be different from all the others by expressing my own style."

Born near Venice, he was highly focused from an early age, with his Italian heritage expressing itself creatively and growing into a love for art and beauty, something he believes to be innate.

"I spent my youth in England working in the hotel business but I decided to follow

my dream, taking on the hard challenge of becoming a jewellery designer. I studied for seven years, learning from Italian maestros and I knew I wanted to express my own way of creating art – my art is being different."

After producing high-end pieces for jewellery brands worldwide, he knew the time had come to give his name to his own unique creations.

He has a passion for gold, and while platinum and palladium have been used – and very occasionally, silver and ebony wood – he

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- Ro b erto c o i n -

“It's a diamond of the highest quality, cut by hand in 100 facets instead of the traditional 57/58 facets� prefers to return to the warmer hues that only gold can offer.

His other trademark, a hidden ruby, makes a fierier statement. After reading a book about the legend of the Egyptian Pharaohs, who considered the ruby a magical stone able to provide health and happiness to those that kept it next to their skin, he was inspired to do the same. All his pieces feature a discreet ruby, hidden so as to remain a secret gift to the wearer. While attracted to this more mythical side of the business, Coin still can't resist the

cold hard allure of a diamond.

"My favourite stone is my Cento diamond," he says. "It's a diamond of the highest quality, cut by hand in 100 facets instead of the traditional 57/58 facets."

While some beautifully simple pieces let the stones speak for themselves, others are more experimental. Creatures such as dragons and bulls are depicted in precious, brightly coloured stones and warm gold. These quirkier pieces are more fun than the classically beautiful ranges, but, as Coin points out, they are still

in keeping with the brand's ethos. "Sometimes innovation in design can be ironic, and a touch of irony can be extremely feminine."

It's a big business: Coin creates 400 to 600 new models every year, keeping even the most demanding customers happy with a wealth of choice. Every company craftsman creates a new piece every week, although the important pieces can take four months from idea to realisation.

Coin himself is inspired by nature, the world around him, his travelling and the culture and

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30/11/2012 11:48

- Ro b erto c o i n -

“I love London very much, it has a high standard of clientele as well as the high-end tourism visiting the city” traditions of the people he meets. It's a strategy that works – the brand has 800 points of sale in 53 different countries, including Rome, Venice, Moscow, Baku and Dubai. In London, the pieces can be found in Frost of London.

"We wanted to be in there because of its great reputation," Coin says. "I love London very much, it has a high standard of clientele as well as the high-end tourism visiting the city."

His customers are certainly from the upper end of the market. Celebrities love the brand and are frequently snapped wearing his pieces,

on everywhere from the red carpet to the school run. Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Jessica Parker, Madonna and Hillary Clinton are just some of the notable figures spotted in his pieces, but Coin's ambitions go further.

"I'd die to have the chance to create something for the most beautiful young couple worldwide, William and Kate," he enthuses.

While his brand is a clear success, Coin isn't slowing down. "I thrive off challenges – I always tell myself if something seems

impossible, then I have to face it. I'm happy with what we've done so far, but we haven't reached the highest level of what I interpret to be success yet. We still have to work."

Aiming high has worked for Coin, although he remains philosophical about what's coming.

"I just want to surprise myself. I always think the future belongs to those still able to believe in the beauty of their own dreams."

It's a romantic principle, but one that works: an aspirational Italian fairytale that will keeps customers enchanted for years to come.

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20/11/2012 11:24

- M c la r en P1 -

Words – Adam Haye-Nicholls

The power

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Innovation, exclusivity and speed – a whole load of speed – are the watchwords behind McLaren’s new supercar.: the P1. Unveiled at the Geneva Motorshow, it’s a seriously impressive set of wheels that has all the makings of a future classic

It makes sense that the Geneva Motor Show at Palexpo is situated roughly on top of the world’s biggest and most powerful particle accelerator, CERN’s $6 billion Large Hadron Collider. Speed and power count here: for a couple of weeks in March, Palexpo played host to some of the fastest, maddest, most expensive supercars ever built.

There was the €1 million Ferrari LaFerrari (was there ever a dafter name?) and the €3 million Lamborghini Veneno, of which only three will be built (and are already sold, so hard cheese).

On a smaller stand, though, in tangy yellow and with its carbon weave glinting under spotlights was a British car with heritage to match the showy Italians, and even bigger brains: the McLaren P1.

Having debuted the original design study at the Paris show last year, McLaren used

Geneva to roll out the first production version.

But before that it was off to CERN to learn a little about particle physics. Innovation was the theme, and the P1 is so fast that if you were to thrash two of them around a 27km loop in opposite directions and smash them into each other the result would be a supermassive black hole.

OK, there was a lot of science to digest but I’m pretty sure that was the message.

McLaren chairman Ron Dennis is en route to discovering his very own boson (take that Peter Higgs).

The P1 not only hits 217mph (and that’s electronically limited – it’s capable of 239mph) and 0-60 sub 3 seconds, it has the best aero performance of any road car and a very clever hybrid powertrain.

“This car captures more technology than we have ever brought to any of our production cars,” explained Ron, who has stepped down from the Formula One pitwall to concentrate on making McLaren a rival to Maranello’s finest on the public roads.

In 1992 McLaren unleashed the F1, the Gordon Murray-designed 241mph road car that rewrote the supercar handbook.

Then there was the SLR, a Mercedes-led project which was pretty but frustratingly compromised. Next, the MP4-12c reflected McLaren’s new found independence, packing

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- M c la r en P1 -

To celebrate the launch of the P1, top Swiss chef Denis Martin, below right, prepared his celebrated 26-course taster menu for invited guests, including your humble correspondent

A trip to Tag Heuer

Never having driven a McLaren, I was tossed the keys to the MP4-12c Spider on my visit to Geneva: a beautiful blue machine sat on striking five-spokes with orange brake calipers, and orange stitching on the grey leather inside its carbon-lined cockpit.

I took the two-hour trip to Tag Heuer’s headquarters in snowy La Chaux-de-Fonds for lunch with the CEO. There, I was shown the very timepiece worn by Steve McQueen in Le Mans (estimated to be worth around €1 million) and a special watch, limited to 1000, for the MP412c that’s based on the gorgeous (and now 50-year-old) Carrera chronograph. Using carbon fibre – the DNA of McLaren – and the same font for the face numerals as the 12c’s speedo, it was co-designed by the 12c and P1’s own stylist, Frank Stephenson. It’s sold only in McLaren showrooms and retails at 14,000CHF. Tag Heuer is currently in talks with McLaren to produce a watch for the P1.

a 616hp in-house V8. Now, the P1 ups the stakes with 903hp and goes head-to-head with the Bugatti Veyron and Ferrari’s forthcoming range topper.

The McLaren should be stickier. At 150mph it generates in excess of 600kg of downforce, and that means your neck’s going to give out through the corners. You’ll be pulling 2G over roundabouts. You’ve got KERS and a 170hp electric motor designed to speed up gearshifts and eliminate turbo lag, but which also allows you to cruise fuel-free at 30mph for short-range city driving. There’s an active rear wing which can be DRS enabled, unique Pirelli Pzero Corsa tyres designed to cope with

extreme downforce, and advanced new carbon silicone brakes, because even the biggest speed freak needs to stop.

Ron was bullish, claiming to have personally sliced 10 seconds off the lap record at Top Gear’s test track. “It’s going to break all the records. It’ll be the fastest car in the world.

We’re confident no one’s going to get anywhere near this car.”

Dinner to celebrate and, again, the theme was innovation. Denis Martin is Switzerland’s answer to Heston Blumenthal. His eponymous restaurant in Vevey, an hour from Geneva past Lausanne and whipped by harsh winds off the lake, is actually a laboratory. After showing us his tools – the focus of which was a large vat of liquid nitrogen – we learned how to bake a cake in 10 seconds. You can tell why a place like this would appeal to McLaren’s engineers.

The fixed menu is 26 courses of culinary degustation. Yes, 26 courses! They were tiny, certainly, and like some sort of gastronomic lap dance I was left wanting more. Also, someone had to part with a large amount of money – 360CHF to be exact – but it was wholeheartedly worth it. Memorable courses included something that looked like a cup cake but tasted of Peking duck, and a pigeon served in an airmail envelope. At the end,

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coffee arrived and it was just coffee. That completely threw me.

A very special restaurant, then, to toast a very special product, the P1. Exclusivity was the message Ron wanted to ram home. McLaren will build 375 units, and customers have to meet certain entry requirements. F1 owners will get priority – although Rowan Atkinson has not placed an order yet. They’ve had over 200 serious enquiries. The main issue will be people who might trade the car on. That’s been a problem with the sister car, the MP412c, I’m told.

Right now McLaren have 38 showrooms around the world and are selling 1400 units a year. The plan is to increase dealers to an ambitious 100 in the next couple of years, but manufacturing will remain below 2000. As McLaren Automotive’s PR chief Wayne Bruce (aka Manbat) told me: “Our customers want to know how many [cars we’re producing],

and they want it to be limited. It’s got to be rare. They see all these Bugatti Veyrons parked outside The Dorchester and they hate that.”

It was worth noting that sharing the stand with the P1 was Ron’s own McLaren F1 LM, the Le Mans-derived orange road car of which only five were produced back in 1995. This car cost £800,000 back then. Today, it could fetch £10 million. Even regular F1’s have quadrupled in value. That, to McLaren’s salivating audience of collectors, is the selling point.

The P1 will hit the highways in September, priced at £866,000.

McLaren’s latest F1 driver

McLaren’s newest recruit, Sergio Pérez, was at the Geneva Motor Show to give the P1 his blessing. The Mexican Grand Prix star had already got his hands on a prototype. “It was amazing,” he gushed. “The way it looks is beautiful, the way it brakes and handles is the closest I have found to an F1 car”.

Pérez lines up this season alongside the experienced Jenson Button, and says he expects to start cautiously but soon be winning. “I think there will [be a lot of pressure] because when you come to McLaren you expect to win, that’s my expectation. But that pressure comes from me.”

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18/03/2013 16:47

000_Ad.indd 1

18/03/2013 16:54

- Fer r a R I FF -

Words – Jay Boivert

The Factor

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- Fer r a R I FF -

The Ferrari FF offers an unimprovable combination of comfort, handling and speed. It’s the perfect car for a weekend in the Lake District

icture your perfect weekend. If you’re any sort of car enthusiast, it might go a little something like this. Fly to Scotland to pick up a new Ferrari FF and then drive it back to London, on the way enjoying a two night stay in the Lake District at a beautiful waterside hotel. I know, tough gig right?

After what felt like the longest 50 minute flight of my life from Heathrow to Edinburgh, I arrived at the dealership and was led to the gleaming red Ferrari FF on the forecourt.

Frankly, at the tender age of 33, there is little that gets me hotter under the collar than stepping into a supercar, And not just any supercar, this is my childhood sweetheart, a £230,000 Ferrari.

After familiarising myself with the controls, I pump the hotel address in the sat nav – 198 miles – and tell the wife: “I’ll eat those up in no time.” She gives me the sort of smile that mothers reserve for small boys who’ve managed to tie their shoelaces for the first time.

I think I had completed 1.6 of those miles when I heard the first “slow down” coming from my left. I then spent the next 15 minutes trying fruitlessly to persuade her that there were no speed limits in Scotland: “It’s like the autobahn darling.”

She wasn’t buying it, so I changed tack and tried to impress her my technical knowledge of the car instead, reasoning that if I just blinded

her with science then she’d ignore the fact that I was edging up the speed.

I started with the engine: a 6.3l V12 that does 0-60 in 3.7 seconds and delivers over 650bhp. Her response: “What has a horse got to do with a car?” Hmm, time for a plan B. To be fair, she did come up with a good gag.

On being asked what the name FF means, I was all set to fill her in on how it refers to both the four seats and four wheel drive – hence ‘Ferrari Four’. She, however, came up with the far more catchy ‘f***ing fast’. Ferrari PR team, you can use that one if you like – just send the cheque in the post.

The journey wound through some beautiful countryside, with the crags and peaks of Scotland slowly softening as we headed further south. It’s a car made for country lanes because, unlike most supercars, the FF is at home on pretty much any surface. It glides around single lane A roads as comfortably as it cruises down the tarmac of the M6.

It’s mostly down to the new 4RM system – a lighter four-wheel drive set-up that Ferrari patented which delivers torque to all four wheels. Simply point the FF in the direction you want to travel and it will get you there without fuss or wobble. I’ve been lucky enough

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- Fer r a R I FF -

to drive a number of supercars, yet none felt so connected to the road. In others, I always get the feeling that it’s just a matter of time before I end up skidding on the roof into a farmer’s field. This isn’t a thought I’ve shared with my wife (until she reads this obviously).

Pulling into our hotel, the sound of the V12 announced my arrival which handily resulted in Jonathan, the manager of the Lakeside Hotel, coming out to greet me.

As the name suggests, this grand place sits on the edge of the stunning expanse of water that is Lake Windermere. The hotel is a delightful combination of the modern and the traditional, and it wasn’t long before we were relaxing in the conservatory enjoying afternoon tea, to the soothing hiss and crackle of a log fire.

There was, however, one slight flaw in this blissful scene. I could see the car park from the conservatory and, obviously, I wanted to go out in the car. On my own, that is, away from my delightful yet frustratingly speed-shy wife.

Thankfully, my suggestion that she go and see what the spa has to offer “and hang the expense” gave me the opening I needed.

Jonathan had told me that it takes at least an hour to drive around Lake Windermere and, perhaps foolishly, I had taken this as a challenge. Turns out he was wrong. I clocked that lap in 24 minutes. God, I love this car.

Such an accomplishment requires a feast of man food so that night I dined on a splendid chateaubriand steak, accompanied by seasonal vegetables and a bottle of crisp sauvignon blanc. My grin throughout dinner was almost as big as the hunk of meat on my plate.

The next morning I woke with a heavy heart as I had to drive this beast back to London.

That said, driving a Ferrari is never a chore.

The 300-mile journey on the M6 was a nonstop joy, which is surely the first time anyone has ever said that about this stretch of road.

Oh, and for those who do like to goose the accelerator a little, I can highly recommend the camera-free stretch of the M6 toll road.

Just saying.

Perfect is a word I rarely use when talking about a car, because there is always something I would change.

Not with the FF though. It has everything – comfort, handling, ridiculous speed. Hell, it even has room for enough luggage for a family ski trip. And that four wheel drive will get you up the mountain far faster than any Chelsea tractor, and it’ll do it in fabulous style.

How to do it

Lakeside Hotel has rooms available from £179 per night, based on two sharing on a bed and breakfast basis.

Until October 31st 2013, they are offering 4 nights for the price of 3 from £298 per person on a bed and breakfast basis.

To book: call - 015395 30001 or visit - www.lakesidehotel.co.uk

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AUTOMOBILES AUTOMOBILES VEHICLE PRICE

VEHICLE PRICE £43,875.00 CHELSEA WIDE TRACK £43,875.00 CHELSEA WIDE TRACK

T: +44 (0) 1274 749 999 All Vehicles are UK Cars T: +44 (0) 1274 749 999 All Vehicles are UK Cars

CHELSEA TRUCK COMPANY CHELSEA COMPANY

2013 LAND ROVER DEFENDER XS90 2.2 TDCI MANUAL | CHELSEA WIDE TRACK | £43,875.00 2013 LAND ROVER DEFENDER XS90 2.2 TDCI MANUAL | CHELSEA WIDE TRACK | £43,875.00 Factory Specification: Dual Range Six Speed Manual Transmission, All Wheel Drive, Anti-Lock Braking System, Audio System with Single Slot CD & Radio MP3/AUX & Bluetooth, Cold Climate Pack,

Diesel Particulate Filter, Driver & Front Passenger Sun Visors, Electronic Traction Control, Electric Front Windows, Front Centre Console Storage Compartment, Heated Front Seats, Heated Rear Screen Factory Specification: Dual RangeWheel Six Speed Manual Adjustable Transmission, All Wheel Drive, Anti-Lock Audio System with Single Slot CD & Radio MP3/AUX & Bluetooth, Cold Climate Pack, Glass, Heated Screen, Locking Nuts, Manual Exterior Mirrors, Manual DippingBraking InteriorSystem, Rear View Mirror, Perimetric & Volumetric Sensing Alarm with Immobilisation, Power Assisted Diesel Particulate Driver & Front Passenger Visors, Electronic Front Centre Console Storage Compartment, Front Seats,Duty Heated Rear Screen Steering, Rear Filter, Door Stowage Net, Rear FoldingSun Step, Rear Wash Wipe,Traction RemoteControl, Central Electric Locking,Front Rear Windows, Wash Wipe, Rubber Floor Trim, Side Runners, Sliding SideHeated Window, Standard Suspension, Glass, Heated Screen, Locking Wheel Nuts, Manual Adjustable Two Exterior Mirrors,&Manual Dipping Interior Rear View Mirror, Perimetric Cupholders Windscreen Wash/Wipe System (Intermittent Function).& Volumetric Sensing Alarm with Immobilisation, Power Assisted Steering, Rear Door Stowage Net, Rear Folding Step, Rear Wash Wipe, Remote Central Locking, Rear Wash Wipe, Rubber Floor Trim, Side Runners, Sliding Side Window, Standard Duty Suspension, TwoinCupholders Windscreen Wash/Wipe System Function).

KAHN Conversion Consists of: 1948 Defend 8x16” Alloy Wheels Satin Black & Fitted with 235x85x16” Tyres, Front &(Intermittent Rear Wide Wings with Integrated Vents in Satin Black with Silver Bolt Apertures, Front & Rear Wing Vent Mesh Inserts, Front Grille with Embossed KAHN Branding & Mesh, Side Vents with Mesh, Bonnet Vents with Mesh, Hard Wearing Mud Flaps, Xenon Crosshair Headlamps, Interior Entry KAHN Consists 1948 Defend 8x16” Alloy Wheels SatinBrake BlackCalipers Fitted with 235x85x16” Front RearBlack, WideFront Wings with Integrated with Silver Bolt Apertures, Front LEDConversion Lights for Rear Cabin, of: Undercar KAHN Logo Projection Floorin Light, Finished in Liquid Tyres, Red, Roof in &Satin Sports GTB RacingVents Seatsin+Satin Rear Black Folding Seats in Black Leather with & Rear Wing Vent KAHN Mesh Single Inserts,Spoke FrontLeather Grille with Embossed Branding & Mesh, Side Vents with Mesh,Facia Bonnet Vents with Mesh, Hard Wearing MudAluminium, Flaps, Xenon Headlamps, Entry Harris Tweed, Steering Wheel,KAHN Churchill Time Clock Facia in Red, Rev Counter in Red, Vented Foot Pedals in Machined KahnCrosshair Fire Extinguisher, HardInterior Wearing LED Lights for Rear Cabin, Undercar KAHN Logo Projection Floor Light, Brake Calipers in LiquidSpare Red, Roof Satin & Black, Front Sports GTB Racing Seats + Rear Folding Seats in Black Leather with Front & Rear Cabin Floor Mats, ChelseaFinished Truck Company WheelinCover Exterior Enamel Wing Badges.

Harris Tweed, KAHN Single Spoke Leather Steering Wheel, Churchill Time Clock Facia in Red, Rev Counter Facia in Red, Vented Foot Pedals in Machined Aluminium, Kahn Fire Extinguisher, Hard Wearing Images shown with optional extras: 1983 RS Defend 8x18”&Alloy Satin Mats, Black, Twin Crosshair Exhaust System inc. Exhaust Privacy Tinted Glass, Wing Dashboard & Instrument Binnacle in Alcantara, Centre Glove Box in Front RearWheels CabininFloor Chelsea Truck Company Spare WheelShields, Cover & Exterior Enamel Badges.

Quilted & Perforated Leather & Interior Facia Trim in Piano Black Wood. prices1983 exclude Road Fund Licence a First at Crosshair the currentExhaust rate. Government Charge.

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2013_03_20 - Tempus - Defender.indd 1

2013_03_20 - 1 Tempus - Defender.indd 1 000_Ad.indd

3/22/2013 11:03:06 AM

3/22/2013 11:03:06 AM 22/03/2013 11:19

000_Ad.indd 1

25/03/2013 10:20

- Ac c ess o r i es -

Words – Hannah Silver

extra ti m e

Every watch aficionado knows that building a timepiece collection is a true labour of love, but once you have a carefully curated selection of beautiful watches, where do you go from there? Since most watches need to be well maintained, and stored properly, you need to think about where these timepieces will live when not on your wrist. There's a bewildering selection of watch safes, winders and other accessories out there so we have selected the most technically impressive and visually stunning items that will elegantly ensure every watch finds the home it deserves.

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- Ac c ess o r i es -

Scato la d el Tem po Always ahead of the game, Scatola del Tempo was the first company to produce watch winders with pen-operated locks, fingerprint sensors and – sensing where the market was heading – oversized watch winders. Its limited edition Timesafes, launched in 2007, are particularly impressive custom-built pieces, striking that tricky balance between a client's needs and technical feasibility.

scatoladeltempo.com

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D o m R ei lly For its range of luxury travel accessories, Dom Reilly has collaborated with technicians from the Williams F1 Team, incorporating the unique high-density foam that is normally only used in the cockpit surrounds of Grand Prix cars. This ensures up to 97% of the energy from an impact is absorbed, thus keeping timepieces fully protected. The watch roll itself looks smart thanks to a supple, full-grain leather exterior and a soft antenna lining that keeps timepieces snug.

domreilly.com

Ku nstwi n d er An intricate mechanical movement makes Kunstwinder's Oil Baron watch winder a striking piece. The movement replicates the action of the horse head liquid pump that is usually used for pumping crude oil. This impressive piece of engineering lends the winder a stark, futuristic look that will provide a delightful contrast to a collection of classic watches.

kunstwinder.com

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- Ac c ess o r i es -

Ra ppo rt

Wo o d ra ph

For watch fans, Rapport's Commander series is a welcome addition to their watch collection. These incredibly advanced watch winders give total control over every part of the winding cycle, and include features such as multi-directional rotation, quick-wind mode, turns per day and a timer. They look smart too, thanks to a piano-finish ebony case, thick polished glass and bright chrome fittings.

A relatively new company, Woodraph specialises in the design of safes and beautifully crafted wooden trunks to house different collections. Its standout product is the Astoria Duetto Watch Case. It comes with integrated winders for automatic mechanical watches and is compartmentalised to allow for the differing storage needs of your timepieces. The wood itself can be classic, warm walnut, maple or cherry, or for a more exotic touch try maple tiger, sapele or hickory.

rapportlondon.com

woodraph.fr

Sto cki n g er The Arnage from Stockinger is one of the more elaborate watch safes on the market.

Equipped with state-of-the-art watch winders, it has an impressive finish that uses Bentley paints for a luxurious appearance. The safe's warm wood veneer panels – choose from birds eye maple, burr walnut or dark stained burr walnut – make this a gorgeous item of homeware as well as a secure place to store your watches.

stockinger.com

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- Ac c ess o r i es -

Ag r esti Agresti's watch winders and boxes are examples of craftsmaship at its most consummate. Their unique cabinetry is produced in the traditional Florentine style but the method is resolutely modern. It's the details that make the difference here: the sealing, lacquer application and assembly are still done by hand to ensure high-quality watch boxes that are works of art in their own right.

agresti.com

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WOODRAPH

Lyon, FRANCE

M a l le h o rl o g è re " As t or ia Du e t t o "

www.woodraph.fr contact@woodraph.fr - Tél. +33 (0)9 61 68 36 18

motorisé par

000_Ad.indd 1

25/02/2013 17:35

- Ac c ess o r i es -

Swiss Ku b i k Swiss Kubik watch winders are entirely conceived and produced in Geneva, fully satisfying the exacting standards of Swiss watch manufacturers. Housed in a compact square cube, they look sleekly modern and come in a range of heavy-duty material, from anodised aluminium to granite stone and carbon fibre.

swisskubik.com

Ca m i lle Fo u r n et

Wo lf D esi g ns

Camille Fournet, a trained leatherworker, opened his first leather goods workshop in France in 1945, establishing his reputation with beautifully crafted watch straps. Made by hand – including the renowned saddle stitching – the straps require over 50 processes before reaching perfection. They are completely bespoke and include glamorous designs, such as diamonds set on gold.

Wolf Designs is one company that understands the importance of presentation. The brand has a large selection of watch winders and boxes which should keep even the most demanding customer happy. Storage boxes come in many varieties, holding virtually any number of watches, and are satisfyingly sturdy thanks to a solid wood construction.

camillefournet.com

wolfdesigns.com

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Rapport Watch Winders The Ultimate Winder for Prestige Automatic Watches

www.rapportlondon.com

000_Ad.indd 1

20/03/2013 09:21

Our rundown of the pride of British brands

- b r i t i s h lu x u ry -

Words - Hannah Silver

- b r ita n n ia There’s never been a better time to buy British. Although as an empire it may be a shadow of its former self, Britain is fighting back with beautifully made luxury products that are the envy of the world. Hundreds of years of artisan skills and an eye for great design has resulted in a wealth of companies producing exciting pieces that are destined to become classics. We highlight the leading companies, new and established, offering the best of British.

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Dunhill This iconic brand needs no introduction – Dunhill’s range of leather bags is still the most stylish around, and its London Traditional Holdall is one of the finest pieces in the collection. Hand-made in Alfred Dunhill’s workshop using techniques refined over 100 years, the brown chestnut leather bag with mustard grained cowhide is roomy enough for the weekend while still being sufficiently smart for the boardroom.

Daines and Hathaway Daines and Hathaway has made luxury leather products in the heart of England since 1922, using experienced craftsmen who work with a variety of beautiful leathers.

Our standout choices, though, are the cufflink boxes and travel accessories.

dainesandhathaway.com

dunhill.co.uk

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Ettinger Originally designed to hold the Blackberry Playbook, this Ettinger leather clutch is also a useful place to store business cards and documents. Ettinger began creating luxury leather gifts in the 1930s and has since garnered a reputation for high-quality leather goods that stand the test of time.

ettinger.co.uk

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Christopher Ward It’s safe to say that Christopher Ward caused a revolution in watchmaking when it was founded in 2004.

Dubbed the ‘cheapest most expensive watches in the world’, the brand combines great Swiss movements with British design flair. The resulting watches are sharp, well made and offer incredible value for money.

christopherward.co.uk

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Backes and Strauss Backes and Strauss is the world’s oldest diamond dealer, specialising in the precious gems since 1789.

It also launched an exclusive luxury watch brand, creating beautiful timepieces in Franck Muller’s Swiss workshops.

Three watch collections – The Berkeley, The Piccadilly and The Regent – take inspiration from London’s architecture; the classical proportions and bold symmetry of John Nash’s work for the Prince Regent in the nineteenth century are used to great effect.

backesandstrauss.com

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Linley Linley’s incredibly well made, elegant pieces still manage to retain an edge of fun. Take this classic games table – carved from walnut with Macassar ebony inlays with aluminium and ebony stringings – that’s equipped for chess, cards, backgammon, dominoes and bridge. It’s the little touches that make it so desirable, such as the drawers below that hold dice shakers, playing cards, score pads and Linley pencils.

Ideal for those who take their games seriously.

davidlinley.com

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Asprey No home bar is complete without a quirky piece of crystal from Asprey, one of Britain’s finest purveyors of luxe design. Its square decanters with sterling silver animal head stoppers – including badgers and foxes – will make a great talking point.

asprey.com

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Bamford Rose Extending that important design touch to every aspect of your life is Bamford Rose, who specialise in tailoring Aston Martin vehicles to the owner’s individual taste. The company launched in 1913 when Robert Bamford and Lionel Martin fitted a fourcylinder engine to a 1908 Bugatti-designed racing car.

The resulting car, named Aston Martin, began a lifelong involvement in producing fine cars and enjoying racing success.

bamfordrose.com

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Budd Shirtmakers For over a hundred years, Budd has been creating bespoke shirts at its workshop in London’s Piccadilly Arcade.

All the shirts are made by hand and Budd is one of the few shirtmakers in the West End to still have its own cutting room on the premises.

Although best known for shirts, it also stocks other hard-to-find items such as waistcoat slips, detachable collars and butter-soft chamois gloves.

buddshirts.co.uk

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Hilditch & Key Hilditch & Key shirts are made by strictly traditional methods – flat sewing machines that have been in use for many years, a single needle used for seaming, a small, strong stitch length – to produce high-quality products that will last for years. All shirts are an excellent fit due to the yoke being split at the back and cut on the bias, making for a more svelte silhouette.

hilditchandkey.co.uk

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Clive Christian Clive Christian took over one of the oldest and most established British perfume houses, the Crown Perfumery, in 1999 and has since revived the original values of the house to create pure perfumes using only the most precious natural ingredients.

So much so, in fact, that its Original Collection of perfumes has been recognised as the world’s most expensive fragrances.

The perfumes for men are understated and use classic notes from around the globe, making for accomplished, distinctive scents.

clive.com

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Purdey Gun specialists since the nineteenth century, Purdey’s success was guaranteed when Queen Victoria commissioned a pair of the brand’s doublebarrelled pistols in 1838.

Today, the Mayfair-based business is still the best place for all your hunting needs, and it’s the attention to detail that sets them apart. When fitting your gun, Purdey’s experts will take you to a shooting ground and give you a ‘try-gun’ with a fully adjustable stock, allowing fine alterations to be made to ensure your own hand-crafted gun is totally bespoke.

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Swaine Adeney Brigg Still going strong after 250 years, Swaine Adeney Brigg makes accessories for the quintessential English gent.

One of its specialities is that bastion of British style: the umbrella, and the Brigg umbrella has been popular in rainy London since 1836.

It’s hand-crafted from a single piece of wood, and has a natural bark ash handle, black nylon or hand-woven silk canopy and gold or silver collar, complete with engraved Royal Warrant.

swaineadeney.co.uk

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The Merchant Fox The Merchant Fox is part of Fox Brothers, a renowned wool and worsted cloth mill.

The company launched its famous ‘Fox Flannel’ in 1772, and it’s since been worn by everyone from Sir Winston Churchill to Cary Grant. The pure new wool cloth scarfs, still woven at the Fox Brothers and Co. mill, are a great way to add a dash of heritage style to your ensemble.

themerchantfox.co.uk

purdey.com

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Swiss movement, English heart

Bespoke ETA 2824-2 Jumping Hour automatic modification by Master Watchmaker Johannes Jahnke / Each piece, of only 250, personally assembled by Johannes and his team in Switzerland / 43mm, surgical grade stainless steel case with sapphire crystal and transparent case back / CITES certified, premium grade, Louisiana alligator deployment strap / 5 year movement guarantee

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26/03/2013 26/03/2013 10:56 10:04

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26/03/2013 17:38

- v i n tag e watc h es -

Old

Words – K e n Kessler - 107 -

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Owning a vintage watch can be a statement of discerning individualism. But while old timepieces provide a striking and attractive alternative to current models, buying one requires knowledge and experience Watches have – for at least 25 years – enjoyed the kind of prestige previously reserved for fine sports cars. Even a low league footballer can now tell his Jaquet Droz from a Jacob, and no self-respecting mugger would steal anything less than a modern Rolex or Cartier. Which are but two reasons why vintage watches hold so much appeal for a certain kind of enthusiast.

Think about it in terms of a personal statement. Anyone with £1,000 can buy a current watch with a desirable name on its dial.

But I will never forget the evening I went to a dinner in Milan with a party of eight, and seven were wearing Panerais. I stood out thanks to my 1970s Universal Geneve Space-Compax, worth less than a third of the least expensive Panerai. It’s all about individualism.

However much vendors of new timepieces will hate this article, vintage watches present a tempting alternative to what is readily available from any official ‘agent’. Note that I am not referring to watches of recent vintage, what are euphemistically called ‘pre-owned’. That’s a whole other topic that deserves an article on its own, about how to save a bundle if you have your eye on a current model but lack the funds. Here we’re discussing watches at least 20-25 years old, the stuff that makes collectors’ eyes mist up. And which fashionistas would kill for because they’re as cool as Don Draper.

Way back when, you could find old watches in flea markets and general antique fairs, literally for pennies. The watch boom (and Antiques Roadshow) put paid to that, and most people now recognise that old watches other than Rolexes, Patek Philippes and Cartiers are much sought after. The vintage watch market encompasses shops such as Somlo Antiques, The Watch Club and David Duggan, auction houses like Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Antiquorum, and countless websites.

Their selection is enormous, the prices often attractive. But, unlike new watches, there are two major downsides. The first is that you are buying something old, and gauging its condition requires knowledge and experience.

If, however, you stick with reputable dealers

or auction houses, the risks are minimised.

The other ‘negative’ is availability, both of the watches themselves and spare parts.

In terms of getting hold of the actual watches, specific models can only be found by being in the right place at the right time.

However much your heart is set on owning a Glycine from the year you were born, you simply cannot go to your nearest dealer and order one as you would a brand-new Airman.

You could leave your name with dealers, or pore over auction catalogues, but that might take years before your watch comes up for sale.

And the spares and servicing? Don’t even consider a vintage watch if you lack access to a master watchmaker and ample funds. If your watch needs a spare part which cannot be ordered, then it will have to be made from scratch. And that means an expensive repair.

The reason why specialist retailers charge more for their pieces is simple: they have serviced the watches and provide a warranty. Do not accept any that is less than six months.

Buying at auction differs from buying from a specialist in two ways. The first is that price is only known when the bidding ends. The second is that auction houses are liable only for what is described, and that the watch is not a fake – they do not offer warranties or the promise that the watch has been serviced.

When bidding, know your financial limits.

If you’ve checked out the watch and seen a condition report before the auction, you might find yourself bidding for a watch with little competition. There are bargains to be had, but don’t count on it. Antiquorum’s auctions are particularly attractive because of the comprehensive grading system the house applies to its lots.

There are no substitutes for knowledge and experience, so seek out the services of an expert: a watchmaker, an enthusiast, an honest retailer.

Expect to pay more for the obvious brands, and to find bargains among the less familiar. My Space-Compax has the same movement as a Rolex ‘Paul Newman’ – but it can be purchased for a thirtieth of the price.

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Three Investors’ Favourites

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Rolex ‘Paul Newman’ Daytona (from £30,000) This chronograph – so named because the legendary actor wore one in the film Winning – is nothing more than a Daytona with a particularly ugly dial. But collectors have succumbed to an obsession with the watch (especially from Italian buyers), so prices spiral ever upward.

Box and papers a must, as fakes are common.

Any pre-1990 Panerai (from £10,000) More rare than rocking horse poo, early Panerais were produced in low numbers solely for naval saboteur use (with predictably poor survival rates).

Moreover, Panerai buys up most that appear in auction.

Ironically, the priciest Panerai of all is 1997’s 60-pieces-only, Rolex-powered platinum Radiomir PAM21. Expect to pay at least £100,000.

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Any Patek Philippe complication (the sky’s the limit) Whenever vintage watch sales records are published, at least eight out of the top 10 will be Patek Philippes. For their world timers, minute repeaters or perpetual calendars or pieces produced in small numbers, expect to pay from £100,000 to a few million.

Yes, million. Patek is the Pétrus of watches. Or is Pétrus the Patek of wine?

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LePassionneur Exper t

www.lepassionneur.com Aix En Provence – Monaco – Paris

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Ken Kessler’s Three Favourite Vintage Watches

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Patek Philippe 1463 Chronograph My Patek lust is based more on respect than emotion, but this manual-wind chronograph from the 1940s-1960s is so perfect in every way that I fell in love the first time I saw one.

Unfortunately, it is the province of collectors like Eric Clapton: you’ll pay £150,000-and-up.

Why? Only 750 or so are said to have been produced.

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1950s Blancpain Fifty Fathoms (from £8000) Confession: I love this for its looks, rather than its horological worth – the new versions are superior in every way. But, just as a Triumph TR3 is a mechanical nightmare compared to a Mazda MX-5, I’d rather own the former. Along with the Rolex Submariner, it defined the modern diving watch.

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1950s Breguet Type XX chronographs (from £8000) Again, I confess to loving something for its style, but then the Breguet Type XX also has true horological validity.

An early example of the flyback chronograph, it also exhibited legibility on a par with the IWC nonchronograph pilots’ watches of the era.

I love it so much that I’m even prepared to overlook its Frenchness.

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Hannah Silver profiles two of the best vintage watch dealers Montre Monaco Montre Monaco, on the French Riviera, has an incredible range of luxury vintage timepieces and stocks every brand from Piaget and Blancpain to Richard Mille and Rolex.

Most importantly, all timepieces undergo maintenance serving and come with a certificate of authenticity and one year’s warranty, and they’re happy to provide a repair and maintenance service for watches that need a little extra care. They have just taken delivery of a stunning Rolex Yacht Master II in white gold and a Franck Muller Endurance 24 in pink gold with a crocodile wristband, but be quick – no watch stays here for very long.

Le Passionneur Le Passionneur in the Aix-en-Provence offers a personal service for those on the hunt for a very special vintage piece. Owner Jean Garcia is a consummate watch collector, amassing more than 600 vintage pocket watches by the age of 20. He worked in the fashion industry for 21 years before opening Le Passionneur in 2003, which literally translates as ‘the one who will make you passionate.’ He offers a carefully selected collection including pieces by Omega, Jaeger LeCoultre, Patek Philippe and Breguet, and his current star pieces include a Rolex Explorer and a Jaeger LeCoultre Quantieme Perpetuel 8 Jours in pink gold.

Rolex Explorer, POA. Jaeger LeCoultre Quantieme Perpetuel 8 Jours, POA.

lepassionneur.com

Rolex Yacht Master II, £20,000 approx.

Franck Muller Endurance 24, £5,800 approx.

montres-monaco.com

Other dealers of note Antiquorum / www.antiquorum.com Bonhams / www.bonhams.com Christie’s / www.christies.com David Duggan / www.daviddugganwatches.co.uk Somlo Antiques / www.somlo.com The Watch Club / www.watchclub.com

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Tourbillon Quantième PerpÊtuel The Calibre AM39.002, designed and made entirely in the Antoine Martin workshops, featuring a fl ying tourbillon and an integrated perpetual calendar mechanism with a power reserve of 6 days. Retrograde date display and regulator indication.

Anti-reflective sapphire crystals, water-resistant to 50m.

Case rose gold 18K 750, silver dial, brown alligator strap.

Contact: Antoine Martin SA, Industriestrasse 23, 6055 Alpnach, Switzerland contact@antoinemartin.ch www.antoinemartin.ch

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26/02/2013 13:55

- s u p eryac h ts -

Words – Ellie Brade

Bring out your diary and prepare to book: we preview the coming year’s biggest and most popular regattas

Regatta Held in Porto Cervo in June, the Dubois Cup opens the Mediterranean regatta season, all pictures

Motor yachts may significantly outnumber sailing yachts, but sailing yachts have a trump card that motoryachts do not: regattas. The perfect way for superyacht owners to enjoy sailing their yachts in a competitive environment (friendly competition, naturally), regattas are the highlight of many a yachtie’s calendar.

With racing taking place in beautiful surroundings and complemented by impressive social programmes, their ever-increasing popularity is no surprise. It’s hard to imagine a better way to spend time on the water than as part of a fleet of superyachts all battling it out for supremacy and line honours.

Of course regattas are not just for owners, and regattas are a popular charter option with many charter yachts available to race. With a huge range of events, there is a regatta for everyone, wherever they are in the world. With a traditionally diverse fleet signed up for every race, handicapping is a real challenge and many regattas now use the International Superyacht Rule developed to cunningly calculate timed starts that allow yachts to compete against each other, often resulting in nail-biting photo-finishes.

One of the first regattas of the year is the Pacific’s offering, the NZ Millennium Cup, which is raced along

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Photography - Luke Sprague/Superyacht Images

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the beautiful coastline off Auckland.

Organisers have positioned the event as the Southern Hemisphere’s premier regatta as more and more yachts visit the Asia-Pacific. After some close competition, this year’s edition, which was held 14-17 February, was won by 30-metre Zefiro.

Probably the most popular of all the events is the St Barths Bucket (28-31 March). Notorious for its goal to ‘win the party and not the race,’ racing conditions off the island of St Barthelemy are idyllic. The event has been oversubscribed every year since 2005, and the 2013 fleet of 36 includes no less than five J Class yachts, as well as a huge range of yachts from 23 metres all the way up to the iconic 88m Maltese Falcon, built by Perini Navi.

Opening the Mediterranean regatta season is the Dubois Cup (1-3 June) held in the Sardinian resort of Porto Cervo. Organised by naval architect Ed Dubois, the event brings together many of the large fleet of yachts designed by Dubois Naval Architects.

This is swiftly followed by the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta (4-8 June), also in Porto Cervo. Capping off a busy

The Millennium Cup in New Zealand is the widely considered the Southern Hemisphere’s leading regatta, all pictures

June is the Superyacht Cup Palma (1922 June) that already has over 15 yachts signed up.

Events continue throughout the summer, and include the Rolex Fastnet Race (11 August) which has record entry numbers.

But for those looking for a real spectacle, the America’s Cup superyacht regatta, held in San Francisco over the three America’s Cup Final lay days in September, will be a highlight, held alongside the death-defying racing of the America’s Cup catamarans.

So for those looking to experience the thrill and the buzz of superyacht racing be sure to mark these events firmly in your diary.

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27/03/2013 10:17

- M oto r i n g -

Words – Scott Manson

A modified Land Rover Defender turns heads in South London. Quite right too: it’s a very impressive motor

Price £80,000 Performance 0-62mph (0-100km/h) 6.6 seconds Top speed 120mph (193km) Transmission Six-speed manual, four wheel drive

Wag o n s ro ll My first experience of a Land Rover Defender came in the Kalahari desert.

I’d spent two days on an adventure trip and an ancient Defender was our tour guide’s transportation of choice.

Why, I wondered, given the wealth of robust 4x4 options, did he choose this particular motor to bash around the sand dunes of this African desert?

“It is,” he said, laughing, “the only car with an interior I can clean down with a high-pressure hose.”

Although the Defender’s interior has become a little more refined, it’s still a pretty basic machine. That’s why you’re more likely to see one filled with farmers and rolling down a country lane than you are cruising the Croisette in Cannes.

Unless, that is, your Defender comes courtesy of after-market specialists Nene Overland. Then, my friend, you’ll be driving a car that offers enough oomph to blow away any boy racer.

Best known for tuning and kitting out Defenders for off-road driving, the Peterborough-based operation offers modified cars that are as thrilling on the road as they are when perched half way up a mountain pass.

I was lucky enough to have an

unmodified version of the Defender 90 – the smallest model in the range – for a week before the Nene Overland Defender Icon Sport Wagon version was delivered. It was a good car to drive, but the Nene Overland was a totally different experience. This is mostly down to the turbo engine, with added tuning, that the company had dropped into it.

The upshot is a heavyweight car that produces 270bhp, twice that of a standard model. What this means is that when you squeeze the accelerator, the delightful whooshing noise of the turbo combines with a seat-crushing rush of speed to produce a broad grin in the driver. It just seems so incongruous that a two-ton car can drive like a GTI. It’s a looker too, from the sports exhaust to the Defender Icon decals.

As I rolled through the mean streets of south London, I could see grudging nods of respect from even the most unlikely looking characters. A thumbs-up at a crossing from a pensioner, for example, is testament to a Nene Defender being that rare thing – a classic with attitude that cuts across every social divide.

Ridiculously good fun – you need this car in your life.

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27/03/2013 09:36

- h ot el -

Words – Hannah Silver

Tokyo with a twist

The Four Seasons Marunouchi has an exquisitely personal touch The best brands are full of surprises. The Four Seasons, for example – one of the world’s best hotel groups – has a capacity for invention that rivals smaller, boutique operations. Nowhere is this more true than at the Four Seasons Marunouchi, Tokyo.

With just 57 rooms, it’s a deeply personal operation with every member of staff greeting us cheerfully by name from the second we entered to bidding us good night. This might sound a bit Truman Show, but it really isn’t. Each greeting is done with such warmth that it feels genuinely delightful. We later learn that the proportion of staff to guests is double that of the group’s bigger hotels, raising the already high Four Seasons’ service standards to a new level.

The hotel itself is perfectly positioned, close to the upmarket shopping area of Ginza and the stunning Imperial Palace and its famous

gardens. And after a day of pavement pounding returning to the hotel’s stylish rooms was a real treat. As you’d expect, they offer state-of-the-art features such as a 3D TV with built-in Blu-ray player that came complete with 3D glasses, which provided no end of childlike amusement.

The following evening we sampled dinner at the hotel’s Ekki Bar and Grill – a smart, cosmopolitan restaurant with panoramic views over Tokyo. The international nature of the menu gave it a wide brief, taking in everything from calamari tempura and camembert tempura – a delicious, if heart-stopping option – to fish sourced from the city’s famous Tsukiji fish market. The Wagyu burger was the standout though and a fabulous testament to Japan’s pampered cows.

Talking of pampering, visitors should ensure they try the hotel’s traditional onsen treatment,

a hot spring bath that’s said to have healing properties. I experimented with a facial that used 24-carat nanoised (very small, to you and me) gold to exfoliate dead skin cells, and amber to rejuvenate the skin. I was left with a glowing complexion that definitely had a youthfully plump feel.

Before leaving we made use of the hotel’s helpful send-off service which buys your tickets for the airport express train and escorts you and your bags through the torturous warrens of Tokyo station to deposit you right at the door, with composure intact. It’s this impeccable service and attention to detail that makes it one of Tokyo’s best hotels.

To paraphrase the song: we had joy, we had fun, at the Four Seasons in the land of the rising sun.

fourseasons.com/tokyo

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- T EC H N O LO GY -

Words – Alex Pell

Leica Geovid HD-B 8x42 Rangefinder £2,650 uk.leica-camera.com

Whether you are sizing up a pot shot at a stag (you brute) or eager to find out how far your yacht is from that de rigueur eaterie on the harbour, a pair of range-finding binoculars will not merely display your quarry, it’ll also tell you its exact distance. Leica makes some of the finest optics known to man and its Geovid model is widely acknowledged as

the pinnacle of this type of technology. It employs a laser to check distances of up to 1.3km with uncanny accuracy which are then displayed on an easily readable LED; and the new HD-B range also boasts a built-in computer to help hunters calculate their ballistics. Nevertheless, even the most well-entertained sailor will be delighted to

know they are supremely rugged, able to perform well in adverse weather conditions, and are also said to be watertight to a depth of five meters. Despite all this inherent cleverness, the 8x42 model tips the scales at less than a kilogram, including batteries, which makes it a versatile option for those who hanker to own the world’s finest toys.

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Need a closer view of the best binoculars on offer? Then look right here...

Swarovski 8x32 EL Swarovision £1500 swarovskioptik.com

Travellers rejoice, this masterpiece of design offers top performance in a tiny chassis that can be quickly slipped into a coat pocket.

Most binoculars come emblazoned with two crucial numbers. The first specifies magnification – compared to the naked eye – whereas the latter refers to the diameter of the lenses through which light enters. If you want a decent zoom (8x) and a compact size (32mm) this typically involves trade-offs such as a narrow field-of-view or a lack of brightness in the image displayed. This little Swarovski beauty, which weighs a mere 580g, somehow manages to deliver the best of all worlds.

At a price, admittedly, but who said quality was cheap?

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Zeiss Victory HT 8x42 £1500 sportsoptics.zeiss.com

The Victory is the flagship of the mighty Zeiss optics empire, which is the third pillar of the triumvirate of so-called alpha binoculars, along with Leica and Swarovski. The relative merits of the top models from each of these premium brands tends to be more a matter of personal taste rather than objective performance. That said, the new HT sub-range is said to have improved the ergonomics of the respected Zeiss Victory, and also promises unrivalled brightness.

At 785g, they aren’t so heavy either. Great news for those out there in the mist, eagerly trying to spot an elusive falcon at dawn.

Nikon StabilEyes 14x40 £1,200 europe-nikon.com

Whether you are looking for a Labrador on Scaffel Pike or angling for a view of the Monaco Grand Prix while aboard a yacht, these Nikons will do the business – which is why they’re so popular among search-and-rescue crews. The highest magnification that can be comfortably deployed in a handheld binocular is 8x yet Nikon seeks to reinvent the rules with this innovative model that features optical-stabilisation trickery inherited from its cameras to successfully up the ante to a mighty 14x. The optics aren’t quite in the same class as its rivals shown here and this cunning beast weighs in at a whopping 1.35kg without batteries. Nonetheless, it brings something genuinely different and worthwhile to the party.

27/03/2013 11:41

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- g ro o m i n g -

O r i co For a proper boost, your skin needs vitamins. The Orico Skin Brunch Rejuvenating Mask is packed with goodness, and includes the rejuvenating anti-oxidant kukui oil, which is rich in essential fatty acids to give skin a seriously nutritious boost. Essential oils relax the face, whilst macadamia, mango and coconut oils provide extra nourishment for full moisturisation.

Spring clean your skin

While the longer, brighter days of spring are good news for your social life, it’s bad news for wan winter skin which has nowhere left to hide. Give your skincare routine a spring clean by pumping it full of the best vitamin and moisturerich products out there. Come summer, you’ll be stepping on to that superyacht with a seriously healthy glow

Hannah Silver surveys the best in skin-deep grooming options

D er ma lo g i ca While you may have to use additional products to get your face back to its best, the basic steps of a grooming regime are still important, and a daily scrub works wonders. Dermalogica’s Daily Clean Scrub is great as it prepares the skin for a super-close shave. It contains micro-fine silica beads that help to remove oil and dull skin cells, while lathering will keep pores clear and minimise ingrown hairs. Best of all, there are no artificial fragrances or colours which tend to irritate the skin.

dermalogica.co.uk

oricolondon.com

Ci n q M o n d es The Cinq Mondes Anti-Wrinkle Serum is a must if you’re feeling a little deflated. It plumps up the delicate areas of the face - eyes, lips and forehead – by combining two patented anti-wrinkle ingredients that have natural extracts of pomegranate, organic ginseng and lotus flower. It really does smooth wrinkles, and fans insist their skin is noticeably smoother after use.

Skyn Skin is likely to be sensitive after the cold winter months, so a deeply moisturising skin replenisher is a must. The Skyn Iceland Arctic Hydrating Balm uses cryogenic technology to help moisturise, repair and protect very dry skin.

marksandspencer.com/beauty

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Advertising feature

To melt like snow in the sun A healthy lifestyle is the prerequisite for a slim figure.

Unfortunately, this is not always sufficient to remove fat in difficult areas.

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Using a rigorous, structured, medical and personalised aesthetic approach, Clinic Lémanic has developed successful, non-invasive methods. Always researching for safe and innovative techniques, the Clinic Lémanic has broadened its medical platform this year with a new slimming treatment by laser.

“Clinic Lémanic has broadened its medical platform with a new slimming treatment by laser.”

A new slimming technique at Clinic Lémanic. What happens during a session?

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Clinic Lémanic is celebrating its 15th anniversary …

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Words – Frank Broughton

Once Upon a Time

in the West

Montana’s The Ranch at Rock Creek is the perfect place for city slickers to star in their own luxury cowboy adventures

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The Ranch at Rock Creek offers guests canvas cabins, right, luxurious sleeping quarters, far right, genuine cowboy action, left, and some damn fine views, below

they call it Big Sky Country, but today the Montana clouds are low and white, with fat torn-up flakes of snow dropping out of ’em. At the head of the valley a wedge of dark weather’s comin’ in. The Blackfoot Indians hereabouts named it Coldmaker – their cruel god of winter. Everything’s muffled and quiet exceptin’ my wheezing and the squeak of my boots. The warm lights of the Ranch at Rock Creek are beckoning – a sight for sore eyes indeed. I don’t mind tellin’ you, as I crossed the Skalkaho road and come round that last bend, I was real glad to be finally gone from the city and gettin’ back to some simpler western ways.

The butte overlooking the ranch is thick forest – lodgepoles and ponderosa pines. Here on the flats are clumps of white sage and a few stands of paper birches pushin’ holes through the snow. The creek chatters its way beside the road, and after a good few months of hard frost it’s carved out heavy shelves of ice along its banks.

“The property goes right up to those dark hills to the north there,” says the ranch’s

no-nonsense boss-lady Maja, pointing up the valley almost as far as the horizon. Her razorback sniffs at my hand to say hello stranger, and I stretch my eyes to the mountains. “It goes as far as you can see on that ridge, and way, way over into the hills to the west. Plenty of room for whatever our guests want to do.”

And that’s the whole darn point of this place: ridin’, shootin’, fishin’, skiing, hiking, biking... you name it they got it waitin’. Summer, winter, whenever, they got wranglers, ranch-hands and guides, trucks, hosses and snowmobiles, to take folk all over the hills gittin’ up to pretty much anything in season. The Ranch at Rock Creek has fine horses for you, fine guns, some slick fishin’ gear and most else equipment you’ll ever need.

“Another stressful day in the office,” joshes ranch guide Theo, castin’ his eyes across a thousand acres of wilderness. These boys can’t believe their luck – they get paid to help folk round, riding the trails, showing them the ropes; and end up doin’ exactly what they’d be doin’ out of choice anyhow. I hardly need say it but that makes them fine teachers and real good company.

Across the creek I can see a corral filled with horses, and a meadow with 20 head of cattle chowing on green hay in the snow. The land rises steady into broken forest and it looks like good hunting – sure enough there’s a small herd of mule deer foraging right under the skyline. “Granite County’s one of the least populated in Montana, with the least precipitation and the most sunshine,” says Tony, chief outdoorsman, proud. All I know is, for a cowboy who’s been away from the trail far too long, this place feels like home.

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“Granite County’s one of the least populated in Montana, with the least precipitation and the most sunshine”

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Cowboys vs hippies

Montana attracts rugged American menfolk the same way New York attracts drag queens.

Its history takes in logging, coal mining, cattle-ranching, a gold rush or two, and a whole lot of cowboys and Indians. So it’s little surprise to see the ways of the west alive and well here.

You’ll find a fierce pride in core American values (ie freedom, guns, marijuana and the great outdoors), and a defiantly libertarian approach that’s a magnet for independent spirits.

It’s tourist slogan is simply: “Get Lost” But near Rock Creek at least, this cowboy defiance is tempered by the culture of those other great American refuseniks – the hippies.

With a world-class university and a genuine literary heritage, the city of Missoula, originally a frontier logging town, is a haven for potheads and slacker intellectuals and regularly ranked as one of America’s craziest party towns.

Preston, a Rock Creek rancher with a philosophy degree and a sly perspective, puts it this way: “You got the hippies here and the full-on cowboys and they all get along just fine.”

Closer to the ranch, Philipsburg offers a rare taste of unspoilt small-town America. On its pretty 19th century main street a microbrewery and a classic blue-collar bar face off across the town’s only stoplight. Over beers we hear tales from when the state had no speed limit, of the Montana Freemen who fought the federal government, and a foolproof way to dodge a DUI ticket. We meet the old-timers from the silver and emerald mines, and hear the story of a greenhorn tourist taking bear repellent (that’s to say mace) and covering his whole family with it, thinking it works like bug spray.

Summing up the spirit of Montana is a coal miner called Bob. With a firm handshake he advises, “Drive fast, take chances.”

The Ranch is well equipped for outdoor pursuits, from horse-riding to crosscountry skiing

When night comes I’ll be layin’ my head in one of the guest rooms in the main ranch house, but on the spread you’ll also find log cabins fit for groups, newlyweds, families even, with all the comforts a frontiersman could get used to. There’s a village of big warm tents, too, all of ’em with a stone-built bathroom and wood-burning stove. There’s one cabin I got my eye on for next time: right on the creek but hidden from sight. I picture my tenderfoot wife coming out of the water, shaking her hair and soaking up the sun on the porch. There’s a hot tub and a fire pit so it wouldn’t even have to wait till summertime.

Before we know it, dusk is upon us and one of the ranch-hands is handing me a hot toddy of whiskey and cinnamon, and the young’uns are taking to the frozen pond ice-skating.

We’re at some altitude here so the sky’s doubledark and the stars shine hard. It’s real pretty if you don’t mind me sayin’. We head to the main house for dinner – four courses with elk steaks cooked just right.

The ranch house is a cosy lodge with big stone fireplaces throwing out heat, with the smell of pitch pine from the cracking logs. On the floor are cowhides and Indian blankets; there’s a good deal of curios and fine western furniture, and the walls are a rogues gallery of the varmints, vagabonds, outlaws and ne’erdo-wells who settled this part of the world.

The rooms are swell and luxurious but without any sissified frills. Right now the big bed – tall as my chest and soft as a summer hayloft – is all I’m gonna need.

In the tack room there must be 40 saddles.

They even got bull pens in the corral for throwin’ their own rodeos. The next day wrangler Jim fits me for some boots and saddles me up a rust-red Indian quarter horse by the name of Lil’ Joe. He’s as surefooted as a goat and we ride out through the snow-covered brush, high into the hills until noontime. Beginner or old timer these boys’ll see you right, and there ain’t nothing to make you feel at peace like steam in the mountain air from a well-worked horse.

The place is a dream for shootin’, too. A band of us take to a rocky break to shoot up some clays with Theo and Preston, and I’ll be darned but them birds come at us from no less than

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How to do it

Prices start at £550 per person per night based on two people sharing a room with mountain views in the Granite Lodge, fully inclusive. Lodging, meals, beverages, two daily on site activities, downhill skiing at Discovery Basin with ski concierge, excursions to historic local towns and telephone calls and internet are all included in the nightly rate.

For reservations contact: tel: +1-877-786-1545 email: info@

theranchatrockcreek.com visit: www. theranchatrockcreek.com

Butte and Missoula are the nearest airports, accessible via Chicago, Denver, Seattle and Minneapolis. United Airlines, Delta, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic flies daily to Chicago or Denver from London Heathrow. Guests then take a short internal flight to Missoula International Airport. Transfer drive time to the ranch is 1h 20 minutes from Missoula.

After a strenuous day on the Ranch you can relax in front of one of its many log fires, above, or in the bar, complete with bowling alley, right

11 directions. Later on we take to the range and pull the triggers on some fine 357s and some beautiful Italian Winchesters.

Now Montana’s hard-drinkin’ territory – it ain’t unusual for a bar here to have a mattress by the back door for throwin’ drunks onto.

But at Rock Creek, barkeep Matt runs a tight ship. He’s got silver dollars set in the bar, a four-lane bowling alley, even a moving picture show. The big surprise comes when I pull out a roll of greenbacks and Matt folds it back to me. “Your money’s no good here. Food, drink, activities: it’s all included.” At this we tear into a night of bronc-bustin’ firewater, and Matt tempts us all to hell with his fabled 90-proof vintage bourbon.

Sure enough, next day I’m feelin’ like a mountain bear climbed into my head. A stack of pancakes goes some way to taming the grizzly, but what really puts me right is a trick they call cross-country skiing. It’s hard work at first, ’specially uphill, but you soon pick up the rhythm and I’ll be blowed if it don’t get easier the longer you try it. Mind you, we’re

Your money’s no good here. Food, drink, activities: it’s all included all of us smilin’ when the trail finally points downward. And even happier next day when we go to nearby Georgetown Lake for some ripsnortin’ skiing and snowboarding – on a 70-run mountain that feels empty even when it’s as busy as it gets.

Now I ain’t never thought of myself as pampered, but all this runnin’ around leaves me saddle sore to say the least, and Rock Creek is one of the few ranches with its own spa, so I take me a look. The air is sweet with burning sage and other medicine herbs, and when Miss Tamara starts smoothing out my kinks I figure I may stick around these parts a little while longer.

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P r o p e r t y C o n s u lta n t s

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26/03/2013 17:34

- m o m en ts i n t i m e -

Eyes on the prize

For many tennis fans, the 1980s was a golden era. Edberg, Lendl, Becker – the roll call of names and their achievements are legendary. During these glory days, Yannick Noah stood out as one of the finest tennis players of his generation. He’s best remembered for winning the French Open in 1983 – the first Frenchman to do so in 37 years – and for amassing a clutch of singles and doubles titles before reaching a career high of World Number 3 in 1986. His choice of wristwear, the Ebel Sport Classic, was a typically understated option which, like its wearer, has a reputation that has stood the test of time.

ebel.com

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11, Bd Raspail, Paris VII - 124, Bd Haussmann, Paris VIII TĂŠl. : 01 45 48 57 26

www.matthewcookson.com

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