Bachendorf's FW19

BACHENDORF’S

THE MAGAZINE OF LIFE’S CELEBRATIONS FALL/WINTER 2019

ACCENT THE MAGAZINE OF LIFE’S CELEBRATIONS

FINELY TAILORED

STUNNING SPARKLERS FOR EVERY OCCASION

IT’S A MATCH

FALL/WINTER 2019

GEMS FOR EVERY BRIDE’S DRESS

SHOWTIME! WATCHES THAT STEAL THE SCENE

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FALL/WINTER 2019

STORE LOCATIONS: PLAZA AT PRESTON CENTER 8400 PRESTON ROAD, DALLAS, TX 75225 214-692-8400 GALLERIA LEVEL 1 13350 DALLAS PARKWAY, SUITE 1415 DALLAS, TX 75240 972-392-9900

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SHOPS AT CLEARFORK 5175 MONAHANS AVENUE FORT WORTH, TX 76109 817-806-0303

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Rita Guarna CREATIVE DIRECTOR Stephen Vitarbo SENIOR EDITOR Daria Meoli SENIOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR Darius Amos LIFESTYLE EDITOR Haley Longman EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Gianna Barone ART DIRECTOR Victoria Beall

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CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Christen Fisher, Donna Rolando, Everett Potter

PUBLISHING STAFF

4 Welcome 8 Gatherings

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10 Diamonds Do Good 12 As Seen On: Celeb Bling 15 First Ladies of the NFL 20 Gift Guide 24 A Fine Pair 26 Inspired Pieces 32 A Decade with Lisa Nik 34 Finely Tailored 40 Have It Your Way 50 Collect ’em Like Beckham 52 Perpetual Excellence 54 The New ‘Bay Watch’ 56 Cool and Collected

58 Watch for the Watch

GROUP PUBLISHER Shae Marcus ACCOUNT MANAGER Lisa Menghi DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION AND CIRCULATION Susan Windrum

64 Romance at the Ranch

ADVERTISING SERVICES DIRECTOR Jacquelynn Fischer

A Wedding for the Books 66

GRAPHIC DESIGNER, AD SERVICES Violeta Mulaj

72 Bridal Bling 76 Table Matters

PRODUCTION ART ASSOCIATE Christopher Ferrante

82 W ines from Israel

ACCOUNTING Agnes Alves, Megan Frank, Randy Tashjian

84 Italy’s Showplace

PUBLISHED BY Wainscot Media

90 A Legacy of Giving 92 Extra! Extra!

CHAIRMAN Carroll V. Dowden PRESIDENT & CEO Mark Dowden SENIOR VICE PRESIDENTS Shae Marcus, Carl Olsen VICE PRESIDENTS Nigel Edelshain, Thomas Flannery, Rita Guarna

Jewelry has been enlarged to show detail. Due to the fluctuating prices of diamonds, gold and platinum, prices are subject to change without notice and may vary depending on size, quality and availability. While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information in this magazine, we are not responsible for errors or omissions. ACCENT is published by Wainscot Media, 1 Maynard Drive, Park Ridge NJ 07656 in association with Bachendorf’s. Copyright © 2019 by Wainscot Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Editorial Contributions: Write to Editor, Bachendorf’s, Wainscot Media, 1 Maynard Drive, Park Ridge NJ 07656. The magazine is not responsible for the return or loss of unsolicited submissions. Subscription Services: To change an address or request a subscription, write to Subscriptions, Wainscot Media, 1 Maynard Drive, Park Ridge NJ 07656, or by telephone 201.573.5541. Advertising Inquiries: Contact Shae Marcus at 856.797.2227 or shae.marcus@wainscotmedia.com.

Printed In The U.S.A. Volume 17, Issue 2. ©2019

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WELCOME

to our valued customers and friends, The holiday season is always a time of reflection and gratitude for us here at Bachendorf ’s. With the new year just around the corner, I’ve been thinking about what else we can contribute and where we should steer our resources in 2020.

Over the years I have been associated with many industry organizations, and now the time has come to step up my involvement. My work ethic and the implementation of our corporate beliefs—ethical practices, integrity, quality and a focus on customer service—have led to leadership opportunities within our industry. I am honored to announce that I have been elected to the Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC) and the Jewelers of America (JA) boards. Both of these organizations work on behalf of the entire industry.

The JVC helps to provide member jewelers across the country with education and assistance on industry legal matters including the manufacture, advertising and sale of jewelry and compliance laws. The JA is a national trade organization serving the American fine jewelry marketplace. Its primary purpose is to improve consumer confidence in the jewelry industry. These appointments reflect our commitment as a company to remain compliant and serve the community as a reputable jeweler. I am very proud to serve on both of these jewelry industry boards to help the industry maintain its reputation and status in the U.S. Looking ahead to the positive impact we can make on the industry—and in our surrounding communities—fills me with confidence that 2020 will be a productive year.

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BACHENDORF’S

Happy holidays and best wishes for a wonderful new

year!

Sincerely, Lawrence Bock, President

Where on Earth Did Your Diamond Come From?

Know with certainty.

Introducing the GIA Diamond Origin Report.

Learn more at 4Cs.GIA.edu/Origin

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Les Pétales Place Vendôme Collection

EVENTS

Gatherings AT BACHENDORF’S, WE CONTINUE A LONG-STANDING TRADITION OF HOSTING EVENTS TO ENTERTAIN OUR CLIENTS AND TO BENEFIT CHARITABLE CAUSES.

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2 On June 11th, Bachendorf’s hosted the La Fiesta Duchesses and their parents and presented each Duchess with pearl earrings. La Fiesta is a non-profit organization supporting various community beneficiaries and providing ongoing maintenance for the Park Cities Heritage House. 1. Sierra Jones, Sharon Hunt, Kate Hegi, Caroline Hill and Hunter Hart. 2. Houston, Gabriella and Michelle Hall. 3. Catherine and Elizabeth Magee with Grace Anne Palles.

4. Abby Snelling and Lawrence Bock. 5. Christopher and Mary Grayson Willis. 6. Jenna Peck, Kaki Glieber and Sarah Camille Sockwell. 7. Mary Crow, Cathy Jean Wood and Russell Crow.

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Photography by: Camille French At James French Photography

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DIAMONDS DO GOOD

How GIVING BACK helps an industry shine

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BACHENDORF’S

AT THE DIAMOND EMPOWERMENT FUND’S 2019 GALA IN LAS VEGAS, A CONSORTIUM OF FAMILY-OWNED JEWELRY RETAILERS WAS HONORED FOR BENEFITING COMMUNITIES.

From top: Festive balloons fill the ballroom to raise funds; Hyde Park Jewelers CEO Michael Pollak accepting the award; Megan Crawford and Nancy Mann from Mann’s Jewelers catch up with Michael and Shereen Pollak.

In cities across the country—from Dallas to Detroit and from Richmond to Rochester—members of the Luxury Jewelers Resource Group (LJRG) have shown that they believe that a business does well by doing good. On May 30, 2019, the LJRG’s commitment to doing good in their communities was recognized with the “Diamonds Do Good” Community Building Award at the Diamond Empowerment Fund’s (DEF) gala held in the Palazzo Ballroom at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas.

DEF is a 12-year-old, New York City-based global nonprofit inspired by the example of the late South African leader Nelson Mandela. It celebrates, as the “Diamonds Do Good” website declares, “the positive impact that diamonds have on communities around the world.”

LJRG’s members, drawn from 20 states, share a commitment to combining business acumen with community and philanthropic involvement. They are: Diamond Cellar, Fink’s Jewelers, Hamilton Jewelers, Hyde Park Jewelers, Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry, London Jewelers, Lux Bond & Green, Mann’s Jewelers, Reis-Nichols Jewelers, Tapper’s, TIVOL and Bruce G. Weber. Individual retailers are actively involved in providing assistance and raising awareness for a range of initiatives including health care, education, women’s empowerment, advocacy for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and many more.

DEF board member Michael Pollak, CEO of Hyde Park Jewelers, accepted the honor on the group’s behalf. He said he believed the award would inspire other jewelers to continue to elevate their business practices to serve their clients and communities in an ethical and transparent manner.

In addition to LJRG’s award, gala attendees had fun bidding on oversized balloons to raise funds for the DEF’s efforts to provide higher-education scholarships and assistance to empower young people living in diamond-producing countries and to help communicate the “Diamonds Do Good” message to consumers. The crowd also heard from a DEF scholar from Botswana: recent Stanford University graduate Moratwa Chamme, who plans to use her education to help with planning initiatives in her home country. She explained that the scholarship she earned from DEF didn’t just pay college tuition, but was an investment in the human capital of Botswana. Dr. Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, president of the Republic of Botswana, along with his wife, Neo Jane Masisi, were in attendance to cheer on the scholar from their country with pride.

The tenor of the evening was best summed up by DEF president and Gemological Institute of America (GIA) vice president Anna Martin, who said the night’s award recipients reflect the ongoing positive impact being fostered by the diamond industry around the world.

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AS SEEN ON BACHENDORF’S 12

celeb bling THE STUNNING STYLES WORN

BY STARS ARE OUR FAVORITES TOO!

Kacey Musgraves evoked her inner Barbie doll when donning tear drop diamond earrings with round brilliant diamonds set in 18K white gold

by Forevermark to the 2019 Met Gala.

Constance Wu dazzled in diamond earrings from Roberto Coin’s Cento Collection at the 2019 Vanity Fair Oscars party.

Yara Shahidi nailed casual chic in the Lucia diamond link drop earrings in 18K yellow gold/ white gold by Marco Bicego to take the stage at the 2019 BET Awards.

BACHENDORF’S

Rihanna wore the John Hardy Modern Chain necklace detailed with diamonds in 18K yellow gold and matching John Hardy Modern Chain bracelets to catch a flight from JFK airport in New York City.

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THESE FOUR ARE THE WRONG SEX AND THE WRONG AGE TO PLAY FOOTBALL. BUT WHO BETTER EXEMPLIFIES THE GAME’S GRITTY SPIRIT? By Ouisie Shapiro

Though pro football is played on the field by men, a select group of women find in it their livelihood, their passion and their way of life. Four of these women— Virginia McCaskey, Martha Firestone Ford, Norma Hunt and Patricia Rooney— have had front-row seats to the game for decades. Nonetheless, they remained fiercely private, content to let their husbands and sons represent the face of their franchises. But now, as the National Football League is celebrating its 100-year anniversary, they have ventured out of the shadows to tell their stories in the new ESPN documentary, A Lifetime of Sundays.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell couldn’t be happier to see them finally step into the spotlight. “These incredible women are the most passionate fans and have truly lived the history of the game,” he says. “They are also very modest, so I’m grateful they agreed to share their stories on film in honor of the League’s 100th celebration.”

To be sure, their stories are worth the price of admission. continued...

skey Virginia McCa s Chicago Bear

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BACHENDORF’S

1923

At age 96, Chicago Bears owner Virginia McCaskey presides over one of the most iconic franchises in all of sports. Many people say she has seen more football than any other person alive. She was born in 1923, three years after her father George “Papa Bear” Halas bought the hundred-dollar franchise that would become the Chicago Bears.

When college football star Red Grange embarked on a barnstorming tour to publicize the new team, 3-year-old Virginia went along with her mother, Minnie. Grange carried the toddler through train stations in an effort to keep autograph seekers at bay. Since then, Virginia has witnessed every major event in Bears history. She was at the 1932 championship game in Chicago Stadium at the age of 9. “We sat in the second balcony, and the ticket price was $1.25,” she recalls.

Her love of the game came from her father, but her knowledge of it came from her mother. As early as she could remember, she knew to sit silent during games and ask questions later. Her mother was not to be distracted during critical plays. (She was too busy trying to direct the officials.)

Virginia was a student at Drexel Institute when she met Ed McCaskey, who was enrolled at nearby Penn.

The couple went to the 1942 NFL title game between the Bears and the Redskins with the intention of asking Papa Bear for permission to marry. It was then that Ed realized what football meant to the Halas family.

With the Bears about to be upset, Virginia was in tears.

“What’s the matter?” Ed asked. “It’s only a football game.”

“No,” Virginia said. “Don’t you realize my father will never let us get married if the Bears lose?”

Papa Bear did consent to the marriage, but when Virginia got tired of waiting for her parents to plan the wedding, she and Ed eloped to Maryland, where a priest married them in the nuns’ chapel. Church workers served as the matron of honor and the best man.

Watching her father struggle for years to keep the Bears afloat made a deep impression on Virginia.

She raised her 11 kids in a modest house in a modest suburb, and cleaned and painted the gutters herself.

“I probably live in the smallest house of any NFL executive,” she says, “but that’s what Ed and I were comfortable doing.”

When her brother Mugs, the Bears’ heir apparent, died of a sudden heart attack in 1979, and her father followed four years later, Virginia, at the age of 60, took control of the team. Reluctant though she was, she went at the job with steely resolve—motivated by what she believed was in the best interest of the Bears. In one painful episode, she removed her son Michael as president and CEO and installed a non-family member. Later on, she fired the general manager and head coach.

As the Chicago Tribune put it, “Under the decorous, selfless essence of the NFL’s first lady beats the supercharged heart of the Little Old Lady from Pasadena.”

One of her children echoed that sentiment by adding, “When my father says ‘Jump,’ I ask, ‘How high?’

When she says ‘Jump,’ I just start jumping.”

Throughout her football life, Virginia has formed deep and abiding relationships with players. When the much-loved Brian Piccolo died of cancer in 1970, a grief-stricken Virginia vowed never again to get close to players. But she did, with Walter Payton. He was her ideal player. “On the field, I loved the way he’d score a touchdown and just hand the ball off to the official.

That’s my kind of player.”

When Payton died in 1999, Virginia told the media while fighting back tears, “I was trying to think of words that mean Walter Payton to me, and the first one that comes to mind is excellence. The second one is class, and the third one is fun because that was a big part of everyone’s contact with Walter in one way or another.”

Today Virginia still rises at dawn to attend early Mass. She still keeps a low profile as she oversees a billion-dollar franchise. And she still lives by her credo: faith, family and football.

Norm a Hu nt Kans as Ci ty Ch iefs 1964

selling season tickets for the Texans.

Lamar, the son of oil tycoon H. L. Hunt, would leave his imprint on the game when he spearheaded the 1966 merger agreement between the AFL and the NFL. It’s safe to say Lamar was the only person who loved sports as much as Norma did. Although, just to be sure Norma was the woman he wanted to marry, he put her to the test one fall weekend in 1963. It started on Friday night when they attended a local Texas high school football game. On Saturday afternoon, after watching Lamar’s alma mater, Southern Methodist University, play in Dallas, they drove to Waco for a Baylor game. On Sunday, they flew to Kansas City to watch the Chiefs, and on Monday night were back in Texas in time to see Grambling take on Prairie View in the Cotton Bowl. That episode lives on in Hunt family lore as the “Fippleheader.”

As Norma remembers it, “So, that was number five. I think he gave up and said, ‘I think I’m going to have to marry her.’”

When they did marry a year later, they spent their honeymoon in Austria at the Winter Olympics.

Norma and her son Clark, who is the Chiefs’ chairman and CEO, keep watch over Lamar’s beloved franchise. And before every Super Bowl, Norma takes a photo in front of the logo for that year’s game. “It proves that I was there,” she says. Then Clark and her youngest son, Daniel, kiss her on the cheek, an extension of the ritual she and Lamar had every year up until his death. It’s her way of honoring the game she calls “Lamar’s Baby.”

BACHENDORF’S

At a comparatively youthful 81, Norma Hunt, the matriarch of the Kansas City Chiefs, is the only woman to have been to all 53 Super Bowls. She attended 40 of those games with her husband Lamar, who died in 2006.

The Super Bowl has extra special meaning for Norma. After all, she played a key role in naming it. The year was 1966. Lamar, then owner of the American Football League Dallas Texans (the team later moved to Kansas City and became the Chiefs), was meeting with fellow owners about coming up with a new name for the season-ending championship game.

Norma had recently brought their children a new toy: a bouncy rubber ball called a Super Ball. Lamar gave the name a twist and suggested calling the game the Super Bowl. The name stuck, and the game has evolved into the biggest one-day sporting event in the world.

As for Norma and Lamar, theirs was a match made in sports heaven. When they met in the early 1960s, Norma was Norma Knobel, a young history teacher and former high school basketball player who was working summers

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Ford e n o t s Fire a h t r Ma ons i L t i o Detr

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1963

Martha Firestone Ford may be the shortest person in the room—but she is also very likely the toughest. In 2014, when she became controlling owner of the Detroit Lions at age 88, she showed just how determined she was. Within a year, she shook up the franchise by firing both the team president and the general manager.

“You deserve better,” she wrote in a letter to season-ticket holders after cleaning house.

Unlike her late husband, Bill, who had been patient to a fault, Martha was fed up with the team’s mediocrity and refused to stand pat. ESPN praised her “cold-eyed decisionmaking.”

Still, many in the sports world had to wonder why a woman nearing 90 would want to be saddled with the challenge of rebuilding a struggling NFL franchise.

Martha never hesitated, nor did she consider following the advice of many who urged her to sell.

Rather, she and Bill had prepared for her eventual takeover.

She had been to the league meetings, she knew the ins and outs of the team, and she wanted to preserve his legacy.

To be fair, Martha had never planned on a life in football. An heiress to the Firestone tire company, she seemed headed for country clubs and European holidays. And after she graduated from Vassar and married William Clay Ford Sr. (1925–2014), the last grandson of auto pioneer Henry Ford, in 1947, there was little reason to think otherwise.

But Bill loved football more than he loved

running a car company. And when he kept complaining about the ineptitude of his beloved Detroit Lions, his brother suggested he buy the team. As Martha recalls, “Bill came home and said, ‘What would you think if I bought the Lions for four million dollars?’ And I said, ‘Oh, that’s way too much.

George Halas got his team for a hundred dollars.’ As it turned out, we paid six and a half million.”

That was 1963. It just so happened the purchase was finalized on Nov. 22, 1963— the day President Kennedy lost his life to an assassin’s bullet. Needless to say, Martha and Bill postponed their celebration.

In the seven decades of their stewardship, Martha and Bill focused their lives around the Lions. Martha was a quiet, if everpresent, figure at games and practices.

And she became famous around the league for adding her personal touch to the big business of pro football by sending handwritten letters to players, coaches and team employees.

Now 93, she attends every game, home and away, greets players by name and stands on the sidelines during warm-ups, wishing the coaches and the players luck.

She continues to have final say on all team matters. And she involves all four of her children in decision-making, having elevated her three daughters to equal footing as vice chairmen alongside their brother.

Asked about her best memory in football, Martha says it hasn’t come yet. “I want to get the Lombardi trophy. The best part of owning a team is winning. That’s everything, as far as I’m concerned.”

Patricia Rooney Pittsburgh S teeler s 1975

ing to preserve the one thing she loves as much as the Steelers: her hometown.

As a board member of Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, she has spearheaded fundraising efforts to restore the Allegheny Commons on the North Side, the city’s oldest park, and its grand fountain. She also co-founded the Salvation Army’s Project BundleUp program, in which Steelers players take needy children shopping for winter outerwear.

Retired Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward signed up with the Bundle-Up program as a rookie and has felt indebted to Patricia ever since. “I can’t thank her enough for making us see at an early age that there was more than football,” he says. “I’m always grateful for the values instilled by Mrs. Rooney as far as getting involved in charity work. All my charity work stems from her.”

With the Rooney family still firmly at the helm of the Steelers— son Art is team president—Patricia continues to take the short trip down the hill to 100 Art Rooney Avenue for home games, watching intently from a skybox packed with three generations of Rooneys.

These women personify the history of the NFL. It took considerable prodding to get them to open up, and they only agreed to do so provided that all four went along.

It’s no exaggeration to say they’ve seen it all—from the front row. For those interested in learning more about the First Ladies of the NFL, tune in to the ESPN+ documentary, A Lifetime of Sundays, narrated by Academy Award winner Regina King.

BACHENDORF’S

Eighty-six-year-old Patricia Rooney still lives in the same North Side Pittsburgh neighborhood where in elementary school she met her future husband, Dan. She was the daughter of struggling immigrants. He was the privileged son of the “Chief,” Art Rooney, owner of the football Steelers. Patricia and Dan bonded over their commonalities: They both came from large Irish Catholic families, they were both North Siders to their core, and they both loved the Steelers.

“The team,” says Patricia, “is part of us from the day we are born.”

Dan officially succeeded his father as president of the Steelers in 1975, but he had been given control nearly a decade earlier. Under Dan’s stewardship, the hapless Steelers turned their fortunes around.

And in the 1970s, when the local economy was sputtering, the team gave Pittsburghers a reason to believe.

Patricia was there through it all—shuttling her nine children to and from the stadium, cheering on Coach Chuck Noll, Mean Joe Greene, Terry Bradshaw and Franco Harris. She vividly recalls sitting with her family in Three Rivers Stadium for the 1972 AFC Divisional Playoff Game, when Harris’ “Immaculate Reception” gave the Steelers their first franchise playoff win—and launched a dynasty that produced four Super Bowl victories in the decade.

With the last two of her nine children still in elementary school, Patricia went back to college; after getting her degree, she went on to grad school and became a college professor.

Nowadays she devotes much of her time work-

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DESIGNER

a fine pair

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BACHENDORF’S

HEARTS ON FIRE AND HAYLEY PAIGE FORM A JEWELRY DESIGN DREAM TEAM. By Gianna Barone

From top: bridal designer Hayley Paige in her design studio; the Behati Silhouette Power Band in 18K rose gold; Behati Say It Your Way engagement ring in 18K yellow gold; and Bring the Drama band in rose gold, platinum and yellow gold.

Fun-loving fashionista brides-to-be, rejoice! A collaboration between wedding dress designer Hayley Paige and purveyor of perfectly cut diamonds Hearts on Fire is making its way to the Pinterest boards of soon-to-be betrothed across the country. From Boho princesses to modern minimalists, the imaginative ring collection transcends any particular style and instead helps brides express their personalities.

Paige, who regularly appears on TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress, built a multi-milliondollar business with her fantasy-evoking wedding gowns and has set herself apart from other bridal ateliers with floral-inspired embroideries, lace appliques and princess silhouettes. Her sense of design versatility shines through this jewelry collab.

Take, for example, the Behati Say It Your Way oval engagement ring with a starburstshaped halo surrounding a round center diamond. The unconventional silhouette gives the illusion of an oval setting and is perfect for a free-spirited bride. The ring’s design was inspired by Paige’s enormously-popular Behati dress: a ball gown composed of geometric-printed organza, tiered tulle and an intricately sexy Moroccan beaded back.

For the contemporary woman who loves lots of bling, the Bring the Drama Power Band is a stylish, sophisticated choice from the collection. The piece features three rows of diamonds on bands of rose gold, yellow gold and platinum that look modern and chic.

As with every Hearts on Fire diamond, each piece in the Hayley Paige collection features gems that are high-quality, transparent and knot-free—meaning they are at the top 1 percent of the world’s diamond supply. Each ring has been designed to shine solo or to stack with other rings to create a look that is just as unique and glamorous as the woman who wears it.

The collection is available at the Bachendorf ’s Galleria Dallas boutique.

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DESIGNERS

FROM ARCHITECTURE TO ONE’S OWN SIGNATURE, INSPIRATION CAN COME FROM ANYWHERE. THE JEWELRY DESIGNERS TOOK THAT TO HEART WHEN PLANNING THESE COLLECTIONS.

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BACHENDORF’S

MIKIMOTO A Parisian Icon The Les Pétales Place Vendôme Collection was inspired by a view of rose petals carried by the breeze and descending onto the Place Vendôme in Paris.

The collection features petal shapes covered in diamonds that reflect the beauty of this iconic place, which houses the world’s top luxury brands. The backs of the fluttering petals are created by using the “umekomi” technique and mimics the flower pattern. While Les Pétales Place Vendôme was launched with the 2017 High Jewelry Collection, new items have been added this fall, making it a more comprehensive collection.

Clockwise from top left: All from the Les Pétales Place Vendôme Collection—white South Sea cultured pearl pendant with diamonds, set in 18K white gold; white South Sea cultured pearl station necklace with diamonds, set in 18K white gold; white South Sea cultured pearl ring with diamonds, set in 18K white gold; and white South Sea cultured pearl earrings with diamonds, set in 18K white gold.

DAVID YURMAN Signatures The David Yurman Stax Collection was inspired by the idea of unity and language. “There’s a beauty in forming a design language,” says David Yurman.

“Stax is a collage of those elements—a kind of artistic signature written over time.”

In yellow or tri-color gold, the mobile and drop earrings play with scale while remaining lightweight. Multi-row rings have the look and movement of several bands in a single expression—a mix of cabled, smooth, faceted and pavé-set metal.

Clockwise from top left: Stax Full Pavé Pendant Necklace in 18K white gold, Stax Mobile Drop Earrings in 18K yellow gold with diamonds, Stax Cable and Pavé Ring in 18K yellow gold, Stax 3-Row Chain Link Bracelet in 18K yellow gold with diamonds.

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DESIGNERS

MARCO BICEGO A Parent’s Love

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BACHENDORF’S

Marco Bicego’s Lucia Collection was inspired by the work of the designer’s father, a skilled goldsmith, and the tender embrace of his mother, Lucia.

Artisans hand engrave each link with a traditional Bulino tool, creating a silky, textured finish.

From top: Lucia 18K Yellow Gold and Diamond Lariat Necklace; Lucia 18K Yellow Gold and Diamond Kissing Ring; Lucia 18K Yellow Gold Modern Teardrop Earrings; Lucia 18K Yellow Gold Small Link Bracelet; Lucia 18K Yellow Gold and Diamond Small Hoop Earrings.

PENNY PREVILLE Art Deco Architecture

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From left to right: Long LINKS with Baguette Station, Textured & Diamond Links on Flat Link Chain 34”; Short LINKS Necklace with Pavé Link, Baguette Station & Textured Links 18”; Oval Amulet Locket; Long LINKS Larger Flat Link Necklace with Toggle 24”; Round Amulet Locket; 24” Flat Link Chain; Long LINKS Necklace with Pavé Link, Baguette Station & Textured Links 35”.

BACHENDORF’S

As a New Yorker, Penny Preville has always admired the elegance and sleekness of the Art Deco buildings in NYC, such as the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building. She incorporates clean lines, smooth and polished surfaces and geometric shapes to infuse a similar aesthetic into chain designs in her Moderne Deco Collection. Preville designed the link chains to be worn in different lengths, divided into chokers and bracelets or a Y-type necklace to be worn with clip-ons and pendants.

DESIGNERS

ROBERTO COIN Palazzo Ducale

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BACHENDORF’S

The delicate quatrefoils that adorn the Palazzo Ducale are mirrored in Roberto Coin’s newest collection, Palazzo Ducale. The Doge’s Palace in Venice, the designer’s hometown, inspired the use of geometric shapes and the layering of materials and colors found in this collection. Black and white diamonds with satin-etched rose gold mimic the differing colors and textures on the ornate palace.

Clockwise from top left: Palazzo Ducale necklace in 18K yellow gold with diamonds; Palazzo Ducale bracelet in 18K yellow gold with diamonds; Classic diamond bracelet in 18K yellow gold; Palazzo Ducale ring in 18K yellow gold with diamond; Palazzo Ducale wide ring in 18K yellow gold with diamonds.

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DESIGNER

a decade with lisa nik

WE CELEBRATE OUR 10TH ANNIVERSARY WITH UPDATES TO OUR FAVORITE DESIGNS. By Lisa Nik

invisible clasp. I continue to see growth in the demand for our rose gold pieces, and women are increasingly comfortable pairing this metal color with yellow and white gold complementary pieces.

Our collection of diamonds, called the “Sparkle Collection,” continues to evolve and expand necklace and bracelet options that can be dressed up or down. I also introduced emeralds, rubies and sapphires into the collection, which means we now cover most species of colored gemstones throughout the collections.

It is my goal in the next decade to continue to provide customers with creations that feature exclusive designs, along with rare colored gemstones that will endure generations.

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BACHENDORF’S

This holiday season marks the 10th anniversary of Lisa Nik, and to celebrate, we are introducing the Miniature Rocks Collection that features gemstones including indicolite, pink tourmaline, aquamarine, peridot and morganite.

Since many of our customers look for jewelry that can be worn for multiple occasions, I added this new size for easier stacking and layering. I like to call this “city jewelry” because you can wear it to work and then out to a dinner or a cocktail party after hours.

Another highlighted category is our 18K gold handmade link chain that is a strong statement to pair along with our gemstone pieces.

The bracelet and necklace can be connected to be worn long with an

Top right: designer Lisa Nik. Bottom, from left to right: aquamarine and rubellite rings in 18K rose gold; aquamarine cushion shaped ring with diamonds in 18K white gold; and rhodolite garnet, amethyst and indicolite stackable rings with diamonds.

Retrograde Minute

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Jumping Hour

Power Reserve

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YOU’LL BE BURSTING AT THE SEAMS WITH EXCITEMENT OVER THESE METICULOUSLY CRAFTED SPARKLERS AND TIMEPIECES.

This page: Breitling Premier B01 Chronograph Bentley steel 42mm green index dial with grey subdials on green leather strap, $8,500.

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Opposite page, clockwise from top left: 18K white gold, opal and diamond halo drop earrings, $3,940; 18K white gold, opal and diamond ring, $4,380; 18K white gold opal and diamond halo ring, $6,100; 18K white gold sideway opal and diamond halo pendant necklace, $4,600.

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From top: Joshua J 18K white gold ruby and diamond halo bracelet with 23 oval cut rubies and 368 round diamonds, $34,000; Joshua J Platinum five stone ruby and diamond halo band, $33,100; 18K white gold ruby and diamond drop earrings, $35,000.

Clockwise from top left: Joshua J Platinum sapphire and diamond three stone ring with an emerald cut heated blue sapphire, $49,700; platinum sapphire and diamond three stone ring with halo and oval cut blue sapphire, $30,000; Joshua J Platinum sapphire and diamond halo ring with a cushion cut deep blue heated sapphire, $22,550.

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TAG Heuer Carrera two-tone 32mm MOP dial diamond bezel on two-tone bracelet, $5,900

Your Diamond Does Good in the World DIAMONDS, FORMED BILLIONS OF YEARS AGO, ARE IMPROVING THE PRESENT AND CREATING A SPARKLING FUTURE

B

efore there was life, there were diamonds. In ancient Greece, they were known as “tears of the gods.” Created by rare natural conditions billions of years ago, they are the oldest thing a person will touch or own.

However, diamonds are not simply a connection to the distant past. Today, modern diamond mining supports the livelihoods of 10 million people around the world. Through skilled jobs, improved access to healthcare, and direct investments in local communities, diamonds strengthen communities across the globe as they travel from mine to jewelry box.

Kesego Jarona is one of the millions of people for whom diamonds tell a very personal, life-changing story. The first female electrical apprentice at the Debswana company in Botswana, Jarona saw first-hand that modern diamond mining offers opportunities for personal and community growth.

“Mining inspired me when I was a schoolkid growing up in the mining town of Selebi Phikwe,” she says. Mining jobs are often highly skilled and are supported by extensive investments in worker training and education.

The industry provided Jarona with educational opportunities that gave her control over her future. “I rose from being an artisan in a male-dominated field to become a fully-fledged mining engineer,” she says.

In addition to providing tens of thousands of safe, well-paying jobs that often become lifelong careers, modern diamond mining creates $292 million of benefits annually for social programs, such as funding local hospitals and education. And considering most diamonds are discovered in remote regions—from the edges of the Kalahari Desert to Canada’s far north—where sustainable development resources can be scarce, these opportunities are often vital to communities writing their next chapter.

Supporting the future of these communities also means aiding their children today. Around the world, families from remote regions often have to travel long distances to obtain the care their children require.

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“The diamond industry is not just a fixture in our community. It is a part of our lives. Diamonds to me represent more than natural beauty. For us, they symbolize a future of possibilities.”

DR. MOKGWEETSI E. K. MASISI, PRESIDENT OF BOTSWANA

In the Siberian city of Yakutsk, Russia’s ALROSA provided critical funding for the construction of a children’s rehabilitation center in 2014. The $12 million center now provides therapy for 3,000 children each year with a range of physical and psychiatric disorders. The center includes a hotel for those families that need to travel from other regions to receive care. For the mother of three-year-old Sasha, who has cerebral palsy and hardly walks or talks, the center is invaluable. “Today my son waved his hand to me for the first time in his life,” she said on a recent visit to the center.

“The diamond industry is not just a fixture in our community. It is a part of our lives,” explains Dr. Mokgweetsi E. K. Masisi, president of Botswana. “Diamonds to me represent more than natural beauty. For us, they symbolize a future of possibilities.”

For centuries, humanity has been captivated by diamonds. They connect us across centuries and nations; they communicate beyond language and between generations. Today, these links are stronger than ever, and are building a better future for all.

For more information on how your diamond does good, visit total-clarity.com.

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your way

TIRED OF SETTLING FOR GOOD ENOUGH? THESE SEVEN GREAT THINGS CAN BE EXACTLY AS YOU’D LIKE THEM.

LIFE ITSELF CAN’T BE CUSTOM-FITTED for any of us, no matter how fortunate or discerning we may be. How splendid it is, then, that certain things we purchase can be personally crafted to meet our most precise demands and indulgent whims. Fast-food sloganmeisters have made millions with the suggestion that we can have something exactly the way we want it. But as these seven examples prove, the “bespoke” approach goes way beyond burgers.

FURNITURE BOURGEOIS BOHÉME ATELIER Looking for the unexpected in your home’s décor—a style that’s artsy and created just for you? The design company Bourgeois Bohéme Atelier agrees that in a diverse world there’s no reason to settle for ordinary, and proves it with its unique line of furniture, lighting, mirrors and vintage wares. Designs run the gamut from historic French to 20th-century modern and feature materials such as bronze, hand-blown glass and exotic woods—all custom and handcrafted by LA artisans. A tech armchair looks great with its clean, modern lines, but you also can dream up a custom fabric or leather look that’s totally your own. Don’t see your dream style online? Then leave it to the Bourgeois Bohéme Atelier design team. Cookiecutter is not in its vocabulary.

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GUITARS JAMES TRUSSART

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Want to play like a guitar hero? Follow the trail of Mick Jagger, Billy Squier and Ziggy Marley and enter the LA workshop of James Trussart, a native French fiddler for whom designing guitars is an art. These rock stars (and many more) got their custom guitars from Trussart, perhaps the world’s leading creator, who treats each instrument like a favorite child.

Look for standout features such as a perforated steel body for a thick, unrivaled sound, and then the eye candy—engravings featuring everything from roses to tribal art. There’s even a guitar designed with alligator skin (perhaps to match your alligator shoes). And how does Billy F. Gibbons of ZZ Top describe his James Trussart 6-string? “Funky.”

BICYCLES SEVEN CYCLES No two journeys in life are ever the same, and neither are any two riders. That’s why at the heart of every Seven Cycles custom bike is individuality. Want a ride designed by a pioneer in the industry well-versed in titanium, someone who can create a frame for the weekend rider and the Olympic competitor alike? A one-on-one interview with a bike designer from this innovative Watertown, Mass., firm leaves nothing to chance—taking your weight, riding style, intended use, age, riding terrain and more into consideration.

You’ll find Seven Cycles at nearly 200 retailers in the U.S.—from New York to California—to get a better handle on your ideal ride. It can cost thousands for these high-end bikes but Seven Cycles has your back, with flexible design meant to grow and change with the rider. Time to hit the road as never before.

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BACKGAMMON BOARDS JESSICA GRIFFITH/NINE FAIR

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Why settle for a run-of-the-mill, machine-made backgammon board when you can be proud to gather friends around a solid wood, hand-painted set with a design unique to your family? Each Nine Fair backgammon board is made with—yes, we can say it—love, the passion of one who learned the game from her dad and has been playing all her life. It was on a family vacation on Harbour Island in 2016 that Griffith met her muse in a Bahamas-craftsman-made raffia board. She launched Nine Fair—with the help of a Danish woodworker from Bucks County, Penn.—and eventually left private equity to focus on this entirely custom company. Her “workshop”—where she hand-paints each board—is typically laid-back, on the front porch of the family’s historic Nantucket Island home. Water-resistant for generations of fun, game boards can bear a family crest, a school insignia, a whimsical design— you name it—and take three to five weeks to produce.

SHOWCASES PINEL & PINEL

BACHENDORF’S

The custom Watch Keeper is ready to protect your collection in a way that adds style to your décor. This bespoke storage center with protective glass façade and fiber-optic lighting displays 160 automatic winders, and if that won’t do it, the drawers can accommodate another 250 watches. Look for ebony and alligator to really stand out.

For the at-home entertainer, there’s the Bar Trunk, which wows by the poolside, on the patio or in the living room. This wheeled wonder is dressed in fine leather and features a chrome champagne bowl large enough for six bottles or three magnums of bubbly and multiple drawers and compartments for glasses and bottles. It’s reminiscent of how designer Fred Pinel got started on this creative venture—with a cigar case collection inspired by his family’s Parisian attic, a treasure trove that included numerous suitcases. Each Pinel & Pinel storage companion is created by an artisan who knows his way with wood, leather and exotic hides. You won’t ever lose a thing again!

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SURFBOARDS KONA SURF CO. AND OTHERS

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You may hang ten with the best of them and conquer epic waves, but there comes a time in every surfer’s life when factory-made boards just won’t do.

Fortunately, there are many surfer-inspired companies ready to get you to the next level. For more than 50 years, Kona Surf Co., a father-son team in Wildwood, N.J., has been shaping boards, but there’s nothing old-school about their approach, which relies on new technology and fine-precision equipment. Work with a shaper to build your board from scratch, or tweak a stock shape for just the right edge. On the West Coast, there’s surfer Cordell Miller’s custom boards tailored to you and the places you love to meet waves—there’s also Degree 33 Surfboards, which custom-builds in the San Diego area, and Driftwood Caravan Surfboard.

SADDLES BOB’S CUSTOM SADDLES

BACHENDORF’S

You may spend most of your time priming your horse for that big show, but when you’re both in the thick of things, you’re going to appreciate a good saddle. Bob’s Custom Saddles has been at it since 1977, and its Western saddles are handcrafted by artisans with generations of expertise. The leather is top-grain Hermann Oak, the sheepskin is undoubtedly real, and what would a Western saddle be without engravings in sterling silver or silver overlay? Of course, a good saddle has a job to do, so each is built to the rider’s individual needs to achieve peak performance, comfort and longevity. Championship riders from around the world have gone to Bob’s, and they’re not sorry.

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SPECIAL PROMOTION

Breitling’s Superocean When the first Breitling Superocean models were launched in 1957, they made it clear that there was a major new player in the diver’s watch market.

These watches were distinguished by their exceptional performance, their quality, and their pure Breitling style. In the more than 60 years since, the family has remained a favorite, and a new Superocean Collection has been created to stand up to the rigors of the most challenging water sports.

With its new Superocean Collection, Breitling has updated and upgraded one of its best-loved and most successful watch families. Breitling Superocean watches have been highly regarded for their diving prowess for more than 60 years. While the members of the new collection reflect the brand’s deep-water DNA, they are certain to appeal to men and women with active lifestyles. With their clean, sporty design and impeccable performance, these new Superoceans will feel at home on any wrist and in any environment.

While the first Superocean watches were designed with divers in mind, the new models—which are absolutely equal to the challenges of the deep seas—have a broader mission. They are as fashionable as they are sporty and will attract not only watch enthusiasts who are ready to explore the oceans’ depths, but also those whose adventures are a little closer to the shore.

Dive with it, surf with it, swim with it. Or wear it when you are helping keep our oceans and beaches clean, all safe in the knowledge that, however you might want to spend the rest of the day, your Superocean will fit right in.

Breitling CEO Georges Kern points out that the watches reflect more than just the brand’s diver’s watch legacy: “Our Surfers Squad and our

partnerships with Outerknown and Ocean Conservancy speak volumes about our affection for the seas. With the new Superocean Collection, we have created watches for people who want to explore the oceans, whether they are active in water sports or in clean-up initiatives. And, of course, they will excite any fan of Breitling’s design values.”

At the heart of each member of the new Superocean Collection is the Breitling Caliber 17, a movement that offers a power reserve of around 38 hours. The watches—all of them COSC-certified chronometers—feature luminescent Super-LumiNova® numerals, indexes, and hands, ensuring excellent readability in any conditions.

The new Breitling Superocean Collection has been created in five different sizes, ensuring that there is an incredible diver’s watch ideally suited to every wrist.

Since 1884, Breitling has established a global reputation for high-precision timepieces, its pioneering role in the development of the wrist chronograph, and its uncompromising commitment to design excellence. With the brand’s storied association with aviation, Breitling has shared the finest moments in humankind’s conquest of the skies. Renowned for its spirit of innovation, it has also earned a place of privilege in the worlds of science, sport, and technology. Breitling manufactures its own movements in-house and the quality of every watch is confirmed by its status as a COSC-certified chronometer, made in Switzerland.

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The Breitling Cinema Squad Charlize Theron Brad Pitt Adam Driver

#SQUADONAMISSION

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SPOTLIGHT 50

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Style icon and watch collector Victoria Beckham wore a Rolex to the 2017 launch of her Victoria Beckham for Target collection, proving that luxury watches pair seamlessly with designer duds or more affordable ensembles.

IF WE HAD TO PICK THREE… Victoria Beckham’s Rolex watches, including these three standouts below, are among the ones true collectors really, really want: Though it’s typically classified as a men’s watch, Posh wears her Everose gold Cosmograph Daytona beautifully. In 2011 she even got shoe designer Brian Atwood to make her a custom pair of rose gold heels to match.

THIS SPICY CELEB’S FEELING ABOUT LUXURY WATCHES? YOU SIMPLY CAN’T HAVE TOO MANY. By Haley Longman in particular. She wears her 36MM 18K yellow gold Rolex Day-Date President almost as often as she wears her signature sky-high heels. Seriously, you’d be hardpressed to find a photo on her self-titled Instagram account in which this piece does not adorn her left wrist.

Another gem from her jewelry box that she sports often is her gold Daytona with in-house automatic Caliber 4130, which adds a subtle burst of masculinity to her overall feminine, flirty style.

Then there’s the yellow gold Rolex Datejust with a 36MM case size and a stunning stella green dial, a rare iteration of the Day-Date Presidential Rolex.

This piece hails from the 1970s and is highly coveted—as are most of the Brit’s appurtenances.

Two of Beckham’s more recent timepiece additions are from Patek Philippe, because doesn’t any legitimate collection require variety? There’s her rose gold Nautilus with a brown dial and another that’s silver with blue, watches she wears when hanging out with her children (the former) or at a fashion show at Paris Fashion Week (the latter).

It’s no wonder Victoria’s vault, as well as her husband’s, is so expansive. Each member of the British power couple is worth a reported $450 million, which means plenty of discretionary income to spend on dozens of multi-thousand-dollar watches (and whatever else their hearts desire). Who knew a collecting hobby could be so…posh?

The Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph in gold is one of Rolex’s—and Beckham’s— most classic and coveted timepieces.

BACHENDORF’S

When it comes to arm candy, Victoria Beckham has the rest of us beat. Often seen on her arm is her husband of 20 years, David Beckham, Britain’s most famous “footballer” (that’s soccer star to us) and America’s favorite male underwear model. But perhaps the timepieces on her wrist have us even more envious.

The woman formerly known as Posh Spice didn’t start out as a watch aficionado. She shot to fame as one-fifth of the iconic British ’90s pop group the Spice Girls, the best-selling female group of all time, before this most stylish Spice launched her eponymous luxury fashion line in 2008. In between and since that time Beckham married the love of her life, had three sons and then a daughter, befriended A-listers like Eva Longoria and Katie Holmes and built a fashion and lifestyle empire, not to mention her own personal closet.

She’s an accessories enthusiast reputed to own more than 100 Birkin bags—and bags aren’t her only bag. “I’m quite obsessed with sunglasses,” Beckham has also said. “I collect vintage Guccis and Carreras—they can make virtually any outfit look cool.”

Undoubtedly, the same can be said for her vintage watches. Like her husband, who’s been an ambassador for both Breitling and Rolex-owned Tudor, the 45-year-old has a penchant for men’s timepieces, Rolex

Many famous women are proud owners of the Rolex President Day-Date in 18K yellow gold. Beckham’s has a fashion-forward bezel.

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TIMEPIECES

perpetual excellence

THE DATEJUST IS A WATCH FOR THE AGES, REFLECTING ITS MAKER’S COMMITMENT TO LONGEVITY, RELIABILITY AND CONTINUITY. By Christen Fisher

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When you look in the mirror, what do you see? It seems like a silly question, but our reflection evolves over time, and we don’t always stop to think about how we’re changing. Rolex is a brand that perpetually checks its proverbial reflection, recognizing itself as it is, and asking what it can do better with regard to its product offerings—such as the Oyster Perpetual Datejust 36. As a result, Rolex has pushed beyond the usual understanding of what it means to be a luxury company.

First introduced in 1945 at a jubilee celebration of the company’s 40th anniversary, the Datejust was the first self-winding waterproof chronometer wristwatch to have an automatically changing date window at 3 o’clock on the dial.

It was the culmination of every major innovation Rolex had contributed to the modern wristwatch until that time, but Rolex wasn’t satisfied. In 1953 it pushed the boundaries of innovation again by introducing a Cyclops magnifier over the date window in the crystal to increase readability. While the Datejust was first offered only in a yellow gold Oyster case with matching jubilee bracelet, Rolex continued to refine the Datejust’s classic aesthetic and superior engineering, offering this groundbreaking watch in myriad combinations and sizes for almost 75 years. The Datejust is a testament to the brand’s core values of longevity, reliability and continuity.

This year Rolex debuted two new variations of the Oyster Perpetual Datejust 36, both in white Rolesor, a proprietary combination of Oystersteel and 18-karat white gold. The first version has a black sunray finish dial and fluted bezel, while the second combines a white motherof-pearl dial with 10 diamond hour markers in 18-karat white gold settings and a bezel set with 52 brilliant-cut diamonds. Thanks to a patented Twinlock screweddown crown, a hermetically screwed-down caseback and a middle case crafted from a solid block of corrosionresistant Oystersteel, the Oyster case of the Datejust 36 is guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 100 meters. As it has since 1955, the watch’s sapphire crystal is still fitted with a Cyclops lens at 3 o’clock for easy reading of the date. The latest versions of the Datejust 36 are equipped with the new, entirely in-house 3235 caliber movement and have a power reserve of approximately 70 hours.

Rolex and its products are built to last. They are, in a word, perpetual. Having registered for more than 500 patents throughout its history, Rolex perpetually pushes the boundaries of innovation, striving for excellence. When you look in the mirror, see yourself wearing a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 36 and know you, too, can push beyond your limits.

BACHENDORF’S

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 36 is not only built to last, it also has timeless style that will be appreciated for generations to come.

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TIMEPIECES

‘bay’ watch

the new

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TUDOR’S BLACK BAY P01 COMBINES TODAY’S SPORTY STYLE WITH A DEEP DIVE INTO THE INNOVATIONS OF THE PAST.

While countless watch wearers around the world value having a Tudor on their wrist, few know about the company’s long history with the U.S. Navy. Beginning in the 1950s, Tudor began supplying the Navy with divers’ watches, and it eventually found lasting success with the Oyster Prince Submariner 7928. However, in 1967, the company began to develop a new watch for the Navy—one that would meet the specifications decreed by the U.S. government and incorporate the results of the latest research into functionality and ergonomics carried out by the brand’s top-notch engineers.

This ambitious project, code named “Commando,” never came to fruition, but many of its features can be found in the just-released Tudor Black Bay P01 model (The P01 stands for prototype 1). This cross between a diver’s watch and a navigator’s watch has been crafted in a contemporary sporty spirit, while harking back to innovations developed more than 50 years ago. For example, the Black Bay P01 model does not literally reproduce the prototype’s unusual hinged-link system, but borrows liberally from it, providing a stop system for the bidirectional rotating bezel via a mobile end-link at 12 o’clock.

The Manufacture Caliber MT5612 that drives the Black Bay P01 meets Tudor’s high standards for robustness, longevity and reliability. It features an openwork rotor that is satin-brushed with sand-blasted details, and its bridges and plate have alternating polished sand-blasted surfaces and laser decorations.

Moreover, the Caliber MT5612 is certified as a chronometer by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute. And, as might be expected, the Black Bay P01 is waterproof to 200 meters.

The watch is fitted with a domed matte-black dial with painted luminescent hour markers; it adopts the signature Tudor hands with their characteristic angular shape, known to collectors as “snowflake;” and the 42mm steel case is entirely satin-brushed for a matte finish. The watch’s special hybrid strap has a rubber base with the “snowflake” motif on the back, finished with a brown leather trim. Finally, with a 70-hour power reserve, a wearer can take off the watch on Friday evening and put it back on again Monday morning without having to reset and wind it.

The result of subtle combinations of historical aesthetic codes and contemporary watch technology, the entire Black Bay line, especially the P01, brings together the best qualities of 60 years of Tudor divers’ watches, while remaining firmly anchored in the present.

The Tudor Black Bay P01, which stands for prototype 1, was inspired by a 1960s’ design for the U.S. Navy.

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SPOTLIGHT 56

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John Mayer is known around Hollywood for his beguiling ways and has used his charms to seduce his famous friends into becoming fellow watch collectors.

Andy Cohen, host of Watch What Happens Live, purchased a Rolex and Kevin O’Leary, entrepreneur and shark on Shark Tank, invested in pieces from Rolex and Patek Philippe after consultations with Mayer.

FACE TIME

cool and collected

John Mayer’s time on the road serves double duty: He performs for millions of fans and hunts for rare and vintage watches. Here, we did our own search for similarly gorgeous timepieces.

The rubber strap on his Patek Philippe Aquanaut is tough—and sexy—enough to wear while jamming all night long.

SINGER-SONGWRITER JOHN MAYER SAYS HIS VINTAGE WATCHES KEEP HIM SANE. NO NEED FOR THE REST OF US TO BE MAD WITH ENVY.

This unblinged-out version of Mayer’s Rolex Daytona Ref. 6269 is still quite Hollywood even without the diamonds.

Mayer’s prize Patek Philippe is similar to this Perpetual Calendar Chronograph 5970G.

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Another highlight of Mayer’s timepiece treasure trove is the Patek Philippe Ref. 5004G in white gold with salmon dial and luminous hands, about which he says, “This watch has better taste than I do sometimes.”

Mayer admits that he has a special affection for the Daytona, yet he shows his individuality by wearing models that are not Paul Newman. For example, possibly for nights on the town, there’s the rare Rolex Daytona Ref. 6269 with almost 300 diamonds, or the 6263 in 18K yellow gold, also a collectible, which Mayer says just may be “the coolest gold Rolex ever made.”

During his interview with Hodinkee, Mayer explained why he doesn’t always follow the Hollywood crowd to the Paul Newman: “I remember seeing prices on the Paul Newman Daytonas skyrocket and thinking to myself that it was time to let go of those pieces and focus more on the plain Jane, non-PN versions.

I’m glad I did, for several reasons—the least of which is that I can wear them without any doubt that they’re unquestionably authentic.”

But no real watch collector can totally resist Paul Newmans, so Mayer’s wonderland does include a black bezel Paul Newman Daytona 6264 with a dial similar to the rare 6263 Oyster Paul Newman.

It’s true that the unmarried Mayer’s love life, which has included names like Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jessica Simpson and Katy Perry, is what tends to draw headlines. But what many also should know about him is the extent to which he gives back. When wildfire destroyed 12,000 acres in Paradise Valley, MT, where he lives, he was quick to help raise more than $100,000 for the firefighters. In 2002 he created the “Back to You” nonprofit to boost health care, education and, of course, the arts, and he auctioned off John Mayer items such as guitar picks and T-shirts in support of this work.

Maybe someday one of his coveted watches will be on the auction block, so start collecting pennies.

BACHENDORF’S

Don’t be taken in by John Mayer’s ruse. Yeah, he puts up a good front as a purported singer, songwriter, guitarist, record producer and sometime comedian, columnist and blogger. And those seven Grammys make persuasive props. But as he confessed to Britain’s Daily Mail in 2010, that’s all just a cover. “It’s like being in the CIA,” he said. “It looks as if I’m touring the world playing gigs, but I’m really on the hunt for watches.”

In truth, no secret life seems beyond the capabilities of this multi-talented, 42-year-old musician. Fans the world over applaud his tunes—even his leadership of a Grateful Dead resurrection band. But there are also a goodly number who look to his wrist for inspiration. It’s a wrist The New York Times has called “a wonderland”—a nod to his single, “Your Body is a Wonderland,” just one of the hits credited to this often controversial Connecticut native with six studio albums so far.

Mayer has said his vintage watches keep him sane.

But he values his collection at “tens of millions,” and even Park Avenue psychiatrists don’t charge that.

Like the late movie superstar Paul Newman, known for his rare 1969 Rolex Daytona Reference 6241, and comedian Ellen DeGeneres, who is seldom without a great watch, Mayer has an insatiable mania for a quality timepiece—and a cultlike following eager to see his next choice. It is said that “Talking Watches,” a video interview Mayer did with the watch website Hodinkee, has been viewed almost 2 million times since its 2013 launch, and his collection is big enough for a sequel.

Variety is the spice of Mayer’s life, both in music (his genres range from pop to blues, even touching on country and soul) and in his watch collection. He recently wore the Rolex GMT-Master II “Batman,” so named for its black-and-blue color combo, on Watch What Happens Live—but is also proud to own the selfwinding Royal Oak Concept, the ultimate in high-tech watches from the luxe Swiss brand Audemars Piguet.

AT THE MOVIES

AT THE MOVIES...

for the

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WHAT DO TIMEPIECES TELL IN THESE SIX POPULAR FLICKS? A LOT MORE THAN WHAT TIME IT IS. By Donna Rolando Whether it’s helping James Bond time an explosion or helping a homicidal businessman, legendary watch brands such as Omega and Rolex have been featured prominently on the silver screen through the years. More than mere movie trivia, they offer a style cue for any man looking to give business or formalwear polish and sophistication. That timepieces can work 300 feet under water or guide a spacecraft to Earth, as in the case of Apollo 13, proves they’re more than good-looking.

CASINO ROYALE

Movie makers gave James Bond all the gadgets: X-ray glasses, explosive toothpaste, yo-yo saws. But producers never tinkered with the beauty of the British spy’s Omega watches in 2006’s Casino Royale. On his way to the casino for a high-stakes poker game, Daniel Craig wore an elegant steel-on-steel Seamaster Diver 300M to complement his signature black tux. But when the going got a little tougher, 007 switched to Omega’s rugged Seamaster Planet Ocean. Both watches feature a unidirectional rotating bezel and a helium release valve—a handy tool for divers, not necessarily for beating the bad guys.

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AT THE MOVIES

DR. NO When it’s time to slip out of your wetsuit and set a bomb to blow up a heroin lab (as 007 did

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in Dr. No), you need a watch that does more than look sharp. The original Bond Submariner, the legendary Rolex 6538, which Sean Connery wore in Dr. No, is said to have been the fashion star of several iconic Bond movies, including Goldfinger and Thunderball. But how many know that Rolex was also a favorite of Bond creator Ian Fleming? If you too have reason to go from ocean to nightclub with precision timing, the Oyster Perpetual Submariner can do the job with celebrated reliability—it’s waterproof to more than 300 feet.

AMERICAN PSYCHO

Making a killer fashion statement in the 2000 cult classic American Psycho,, the Rolex Datejust 16013 in Oystersteel and yellow gold was a symbol of wealth and status for Patrick Bateman, but you need not share the obsession to echo the famous line, “Don’t touch the watch.” This iconic Rolex timepiece was worth fighting for, as are two stylings of the Oyster Perpetual Datejust 36 that make their debut this year.

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AT THE MOVIES

APOLLO 13 The Omega Speedmaster chronograph featured in the blockbuster Apollo 13 was

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more than a fashion piece for the astronauts depicted in the film; they depended on the accuracy of the Speedmaster, which became NASA’s official watch, to get their crippled lunar module home. You don’t need to travel the universe to find a Speedmaster today. In fact, Omega is marking the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing with a limited edition. With features like new 18K Moonshine gold and a depiction of astronaut Buzz Aldrin, this timepiece is out of this world.

THE POST Could the yellow-gold Cartier seen on the wrist of Meryl Streep, who played the famed

Washington Post publisher Katharine “Kay” Graham, have been a mix up by the film’s wardrobe department?

The Post takes place in the early 1970s when news of the Watergate scandal broke; however, the stunning timepiece appears to be a Panthère de Cartier watch, a model which didn’t debut until 1983.

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ENGAGEMENT

romance at the ranch TRENT TAYLOR PULLS OFF A PERFECT PICNIC PROPOSAL TO KAMRYN REXRODE.

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How did you meet, and how long have you been together?

I have known Trent for most of my life. His father has been my family dentist for more than 20 years, and we grew up in the same school system. I jokingly tell everyone that I can’t lie to my dentist about flossing anymore. We were always great friends growing up through high school, but never more. He went off to the U.S. Naval Academy after high school and I went to Texas A&M University. We kept in touch, but it wasn’t until junior year of college when he asked me to be his date at a military ball that we began to become more than friends. Since that military ball we have been inseparable and the rest is history.

How did Trent propose?

He proposed at his happy place­—his family’s ranch house. The weather that day was perfect, and he asked if I wanted to go by the pond to eat a small picnic. Trent was so nervous. He told me he was shaking while we were walking. He never thought he would be this nervous until it came

down to it. When we got out there, we hung out for a bit under the shade of a beautiful tree. As we were about to go inside he pulled the ring out of the picnic basket. He thought of everything and had even hidden cameras in the trees to capture the moment! After the proposal, all his nerves went away and the excitement set in.

experience working with Bachendorf ’s. He now feels confident when speaking about the different aspects of a diamond.

Tell us more about your ring?

My ring is an absolute dream. It is a 1 ct. marquise diamond with a halo and diamonds down the band making it a total of 1.5 ct. I always wanted a marquise diamond because it is the shape of both of our mothers’ original engagement rings. He added an even more personal touch when he put 10 of his mother’s diamonds from a past ring in the band. Such a cherished piece for me!

What are you most looking forward to at your wedding?

I am looking forward to not only celebrating Trent and my marriage, but celebrating the life shared between all of our family and closest friends. When else in your life do you have that many of your favorite people in one place?

Why did Trent choose Bachendorf ’s?

He chose Bachendorfs for their superb diamond quality and customer service. He knew he wanted to get the best possible clarity and cut, so he knew this was the place to go. Trent loved his

When is the wedding?

It will be on Nov. 16, 2019 at the Establishment Barn in Terrell, TX.

So, nothing funny or unexpected happened during your engagement?

Originally, Trent told me his entire family was going to be at the ranch house, but it was just the two of us—that was part of the surprise. So, after the proposal, we decided to go for a ride around the ranch and see some of his favorite spots.

As we were driving, the ground kept getting

muddier and muddier. Soon we found ourselves totally stuck in the mud about a mile from the house without anyone to contact for help. After about 20 minutes of Trent trying to get us out of the mud, we decided to start walking back. The entire walk back was through swamp-like terrain, so by the time we got back we were both exhausted and in need of a long shower. It was funny because after such a flawless proposal, we had to work as a couple to trek a mile back through swamp lands.

No mud touched my ring though, so I was happy!

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What else would you like us to know about you as a couple?

Trent is an active duty second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps, so after two and a half years together we are finally not going to be a long distance couple and I cannot wait!

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SPOTLIGHT

a wedding for the books

STARTING ON THE STEPS OF THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY, THIS CEREMONY HERALDED A HAPPY MATCHUP—BETWEEN OPULENCE AND TASTE.

Upon their arrival at the wedding, this Beantown bride and groom’s guests walked the Boston Public Library’s marble staircase topped with glimmering candles and gorgeous greenery.

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Much like painting a masterpiece or molding clay into a sculpture, planning the perfect party is an art. It requires time and patience, immaculate attention to detail and, of course, an eye for design and style. Nobody knows that better than Bryan Rafanelli, named by Vogue as one of the top party planners in the world, who was the event designer behind Chelsea Clinton’s wedding and a multitude of White House soirées during Obama’s terms.

Rafanelli’s brand-new and first-ever book, A Great Party: Designing the Perfect Celebration (Rizzoli New York), features inspirational photos and secrets from some of the most fabulously artful fetes he’s orchestrated. The tome is also chock-full of tips should readers want to host their own Rafanelli-style nuptials, dinner party or holiday gettogether, one that’s unforgettably stunning and unique to its hosts. The following pages offer a glimpse of photos from a Boston wedding in Rafanelli’s vault, which took place at multiple iconic locations, beginning with the public library, and featured one spectacle after another.

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SPOTLIGHT BACHENDORF’S 68

As a string quartet played from the balcony above, guests were ushered into the ceremony at the venue’s open-air courtyard. The chuppah was set up next to a picturesque fountain and a statue of a nude woman. The statue was controversial when it was placed there in 1896, but it made the perfect centerpiece for a 21st-century celebration.

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An arched chuppah blooming with white larkspurs and stocks mirrored the architectural details of the neoclassical building.

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SPOTLIGHT BACHENDORF’S 70

Ruby-backed chairs and a scarlet accent wall added vibrancy to the reception’s allwhite floral arrangements. Chandeliers of wisteria hanging from above flowed beautifully with the centerpieces comprised of calla lilies, lady’s slipper orchids and Veronica flowers, arranged in the Japanese ikebana style.

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After the ceremony, guests rode down to the Boston Harbor in classic white trolleys. Waiters presenting glasses of champagne under an awning of English ivy made for a dramatic arrival moment at the boat reception. Within guests’ line of vision was the six-tiered cake designed by Sylvia Weinstock and a wall of live roses, the entryway into the reception, the evening’s final stop.

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JEWELRY

YOU FOUND THE DRESS. NOW CHOOSE JEWELS THAT WILL FLATTER YOUR GOWN.

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Doves Jewelry 18K white gold London blue topaz and diamond ring, $2,969; Doves Jewelry 18K white gold London blue topaz and diamond earrings, $5,446; and Doves Jewelry 18K white gold London blue topaz and diamond necklace, $17,135.

Mikimoto Akoya cultured pearl and diamond triple strand necklace three strands of A+ quality Akoya cultured pearls are interlaced with brilliantly cut diamonds on either side. Price available upon request.

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JEWELRY 74

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Platinum diamond halo drop earrings with marquise brilliant-cut diamond, $62,000; platinum diamond Riviera necklace, $72,000; and Norman Silverman diamonds by the yard necklace in platinum with emerald-cut and round diamonds, $90,000.

for the

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ENTERTAINING

LET THIS PICTURESQUE FALL FEAST INSPIRE YOU TO TAKE YOUR PARTY PREP TO THE NEXT LEVEL—NO MATTER WHERE OR WHAT THE OCCASION.

Position a bowl of seasonal fruits in between two identical autumnal floral arrangements for a wow-worthy centerpiece. Blue monogrammed linens and bold china add another unexpected pop of personality to your tablescape.

BACHENDORF’S

Presentation counts, and Alex Hitz knows it. The celebrity chef and lifestyle expert has been hailed by The Wall Street Journal as “the very best host in the world,” a title that would make even Martha Stewart jealous. His French-inspired cooking, mixed with some good ol’ Southern hospitality, makes him a host extraordinaire, one whose delightful dinners and beautiful brunches, hosted in his hometown of Atlanta, in Manhattan or in Beverly Hills, are as photogenic as they are delicious. This festive fall lunch and other pictureperfect parties—plus easy-to-follow recipes—featured in Hitz’s new tome, The Art of the Host: Recipes and Rules for Flawless Entertaining (Rizzoli New York), prove that not just what you serve your guests, but how you serve it, is what leaves the most lasting of impressions.

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ENTERTAINING

CHILLED CORN CHOWDER WITH LUMP CRAB AND AVOCADO SALAD Yields: 2½ qts. (enough for 10 to 12 servings)

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

FOR THE CHILLED CORN CHOWDER n 5 lbs. fresh corn on the cob (approximately 12 cobs) n 8 Tbs. (1 stick) butter n 3 lbs. yellow onions, chopped (4-6 onions, depending on their size) n 3 tsp. salt n ½ tsp. ground black pepper n 7 cups whole milk n 1 cup heavy cream n 2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro, for finishing

TO MAKE THE CHILLED CORN CHOWDER: Remove the corn kernels from the cob and scrape the kernels into a mixing bowl. Run the blunt edge of your knife against the cobs to extract as much corn milk as you can into the mixing bowl. Reserve the cobs.

TO MAKE THE LUMP CRAB AND AVOCADO SALAD: Combine all the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and stir them carefully so as not to break the crab more than is necessary to blend the salad. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

TO SERVE: Remove the cobs from the soup and purée the soup with an immersion blender or a food processor in batches until it’s as smooth as velvet. Stir in the chopped fresh cilantro, then ladle the chowder into individual chilled bowls. Garnish the soup with a scoop of the lump crab and avocado salad.

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FOR THE LUMP CRAB AND AVOCADO SALAD n 1 lb. jumbo lump crab, picked for bits of shell n 2 large shallots, finely chopped n 2 medium ripe avocados, pitted, peeled and diced n 1 Tbs. fresh-squeezed lime juice n 2 tsp. grated lime zest n 3 Tbs. Hellmann’s mayonnaise n 2 Tbs. sour cream n 2 Tbs. tasteless vegetable oil n 1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar n ¾ tsp. salt, divided n ¼ tsp. ground black pepper, plus an additional pinch

Melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. When the foaming has subsided, turn the heat to medium, and add the onions and sauté them until they are translucent and soft, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring them constantly. Add the corn kernel and corn milk from the bowl, the cobs, 2 tsp. of the salt, the ground black pepper, milk and heavy cream, stir them together well, and bring the mixture to a boil before turning the heat down to low. Let the chowder simmer, uncovered, for an hour. Remove from the heat, add the remaining 1 tsp. of salt, and let the chowder cool.

Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight to allow the flavors to fully develop.

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ENTERTAINING

SALMON EN CROÛTE WITH EASIEST-EVER BÉARNAISE SAUCE Yields: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

n 2-lb. salmon fillet, preferably cut

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Season the salmon on both sides equally with the salt and pepper. Place the puff pastry sheet on a heavy baking sheet, center the seasoned salmon on the puff pastry and evenly coat the salmon with the mushroom duxelles. Curl the pastry up on the sides and bake for 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Remove it from the oven, let it rest for at least 5 minutes before transferring the salmon to a serving platter and garnishing it with the fresh chopped dill. The salmon may be served up to two hours later at room temperature as well.

n n n n n

from the center so it’s thicker, skin and dark meat removed ½ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1 (10-by-15-inch) sheet all-butter puff pastry Mushroom Duxelles (recipe follows) fresh chopped dill, for garnish

MUSHROOM DUXELLES n 8 Tbs. (1 stick) salted butter n 2 lbs. medium mushrooms,

minced n ½ tsp. salt n ¼ tsp. ground black pepper n ½ cup sherry

EASIEST-EVER BÉARNAISE SAUCE In a large heavy saucepan over a high heat, combine the white wine, vinegar, shallots, tarragon, pinch of salt and the black pepper and boil until it is thick and the consistency of syrup, about 12-15 minutes.

Remove the syrup from the heat and set aside.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a heavy saucepan. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the egg yolks, water, lemon juice, remaining ½ teaspoon salt and the white pepper. Process them until they are thick and sticky, approximately 2-3 minutes.

When the butter has melted and is fully bubbling, slowly pour it through the tube of the food processor, drop by drop, with the processor running. Process the sauce until all the butter is incorporated and a sauce emulsion forms. Remove the sauce to a warm bowl, stir in the tarragonshallot reduction and serve it immediately.

BACHENDORF’S

EASIEST-EVER BÉARNAISE SAUCE n ¼ cup white wine n ¼ cup white wine vinegar n 1 Tbs. minced shallots n 1½ tsp. dried tarragon n ½ tsp. plus a pinch of salt n ¹⁄8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper n 8 Tbs. (1 stick) butter n 4 egg yolks n 1 Tbs. water n 2 Tbs. lemon juice n ¹⁄8 tsp. ground white pepper

MUSHROOM DUXELLES Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. When the foaming has subsided, add the mushrooms, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook the mushrooms very slowly until all liquid has evaporated, approximately 20 minutes. Add the sherry and continue to cook the mushrooms until the sherry has evaporated and there is no more steam coming off, another 10-15 minutes.

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CHEERS

wines from israel

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A COUNTRY WITH A STORIED VITICULTURAL PAST OFFERS UP EXCITING NEW CHOICES. By Josh Sens Winemaking isn’t quite as old as time, but it does go way, way back. In the land known as Israel today, the roots of the practice are millennia deep. Archaeologists there have turned up remnants of wine presses that date to the sixth century B.C. Added evidence comes from the Old Testament, which is filled with mentions of the fruit of the vine. When Noah clambered off his ark onto dry land, among his first pursuits was planting grapes.

A more recent major moment came in the late 19th century, when Baron Edmond de Rothschild, owner of the fabled Lafite Rothschild in France, introduced grape cuttings to the Holy Land, then went on to establish Carmel Winery, now the longest continually operating winery in Israel.

But enough of the old news.

Here’s the latest headline: It’s 2019, and Israeli winemaking is enjoying a boom. Rumblings that began 30 years ago, with the opening of Israel’s first boutique winery, have given way to explosive growth. The country is now home to more than 300 wineries, many of them small, artisanal outfits, producing astounding but still under-the-radar wines.

“The grapes were good thousands of years ago,” Jeff Morgan says. “So it’s really no surprise that the grapes are very, very good today.”

A former writer and editor for Wine Spectator magazine and co-founder of Covenant winery in Berkeley, Calif., Morgan sees the industry from a global view. In 2011, he traveled to Israel with two goals in mind: to connect with his own Jewish heritage and to conduct some recon on the country’s wines. What stood out for him, as he toured around, was how much northern Israel reminded him of the Rhone Valley.

“Not just the limestone outcroppings, but the red, mineral-rich soil,” Morgan says. “It seemed to me the region had all the potential of anything I’d seen in France.”

Two years later, Morgan and his Covenant cofounder, Leslie Rudd, launched a sister winery, Covenant Israel, drawing fruit from select producers in Galilee and the Golan Heights. Their first vintage was a 2013 Syrah that justified Morgan’s faith in the awakening wine region.

And awakening it is.

Israel’s constellation of refined producers today includes the likes of Tulip Winery, which overlooks the Jezreel Valley in the north and operates within a village of special needs residents, who pitch in at the winery in the manner of a kibbutz. Tulip’s compelling backstory is matched by a portfolio of compelling wines, chief among them a Cabernet Sauvignon that has all the elegant structure of a top-notch Napa cab. Another winery to watch is Gva’ot, which sits in the heart of Samaria at nearly 2,500 feet of elevation, releasing vintages of striking subtlety in a region that benefits from diurnal contrasts: warm by day, cool at night.

“When I travel to the United States, I often find that customers are not looking for elegance but power,” says Gva’ot chief winemaker Shivi Drori.

There’s nothing wrong with big wines, Drori adds.

But to focus solely on “body monsters,” he says, is a shame. It overlooks all that Israeli wines can be.

Such misperceptions stem from a common tendency among consumers to conflate Israeli wines with sweetand-sticky kosher for Passover wines. Never mind that some up-and-coming Israeli wines are indeed kosher.

(Covenant’s are.) Manischewitz it is not.

“Confusion among consumers—that’s just something that can happen and it’s something we need to deal with,” Morgan says. “The greatest challenge for Israeli winemakers is to convey to the world the idea of Israeli terroir. This is a wine region, just like such regions in Spain or Italy or France. The wines reflect the topography and climate, which gives them a sense of place.”

TASTING NOTES Gva’ot Masada, 2012, $101 A Bordeaux blend with lush berry notes and a suave body. Try it with rich braised beef dishes, such as pot roast or ribs.

Black Tulip Cabernet Sauvignon, 2018, $60 Hints of ripe cherries, currants and cassis mingle in this full-bodied wine, which benefits from concentrated but balanced new oak. Delicious with hearty meat dishes of any kind.

Covenant Israel Syrah, 2016, $75 A bold wine with forthright notes of dark fruit and winter spices, backed by soft and silky tannins. Pair it with a pork loin and no one will complain.

BACHENDORF’S

Clockwise from top: Zoë Morgan and Ari Erle of Covenant Israel; a wine tasting room at Tulip Winery; vineyards at Gva’ot Winery; and three Israeli wines to try.

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FOR FIVE CENTURIES LAKE COMO HAS BEEN A PLAYGROUND OF THE UBER-FAMOUS, BUT ITS AZURE BEAUTY CAN STILL SURPRISE.

By Everett Potter

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If Lake Como were nothing more than an exceptionally beautiful lake in northern Italy, it would still count as one of the country’s stellar attractions. In one of the most dramatic settings in the world, it’s a 29-mile-long inverted Y, flanked by steep, thickly wooded mountainsides. To the north lie the Alps, which are snow-dusted for much of the year, while along the lakeshore are palm trees next to ornate villas, some of which have origins as early as the 16th

The village of Bellagio is referred to as “the pearl of Lake Como.” Visitors soak in the splendor as they stroll down the waterfront promenade or trek to the peninsula’s end at Punta Spartivento.

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century. It is a veritable stage set of villas, hamlets and garden follies, on a 1,400-foot-deep body of water that seems more a fjord than a lake.

But Lake Como’s very name has come to mean much more in the 21st century—it’s a catchphrase that automatically connotes glamour and wealth. Part of that is due to the proximity of Milan, less than an hour away, and the patronage of the fashion crowd. But much of the buzz is because of George Clooney, who bought a lakeside villa here nearly two decades ago. He brought along Hollywood pals Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and Matt Damon, who enhanced the glamour and myth of the lake with their comings and goings. But, truth be told, Como’s history long predates the latest iteration of an LA bro-pack.

Celtic tribes once lived along these shores, until the Romans drove them away, and Julius Caesar ordered 5,000 of his men to literally drain the swamp at the end of the lake and set up a Roman town at what is now the city of Como. In time, it was the wealthy Lombards of nearby Milan who came in the 16th century, finding a place where imported Chinese silkworms thrived on the lake’s native mulberry trees. They built fortunes based on their silk empire, and the industry thrives to this day, as Versace, Hermés, Ralph Lauren and countless others continue to source their silk here.

The wealthy Milanese merchants built villas, and then, in the fashion of the day, became patrons of the arts. You can’t visit Como without hearing a lot of cultural name-dropping: how Leonardo painted here, how Verdi composed part of La Traviata there, how

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Left: The medieval village of Torno has well-preserved architecture and luxury accommodations. Below: With the catch of the day on its way to the dinner plate, fishing boats dock in the lake’s azure water.

Above: The lakeside botanical gardens at Villa Melzi are a must-see. Right: Enjoy house wine alfresco at Osteria del Beuc.

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Bellini worked on his opera Norma and how writers as diverse as Wordsworth, Longfellow and Hesse wrote poetry extolling the lake’s singular virtues.

I am lucky to travel to Lake Como two or three times every summer.

Every season is different, and every time I visit I see things I did not see before. The perfect time to go? I like early summer, when there are still waterfalls fed by the high mountain snows and a fringe of snowcapped peaks to the north.

Regardless of the season, an ideal day on Lake Como is spent on the water, looking at the villas, stopping at those that can be visited, having lunch, taking a swim. If your budget allows, the boat trip should be in a sleek wooden Riva speedboat heading up the lake to meet friends for lunch in a restaurant on Isola Comacina, the lake’s only island. Or perhaps in Varenna, where a jumble of ochre-colored buildings form the backdrop for café life and the slow sipping of prosecco. For those who don’t have access to a private boat, the ferry system will do, as it crisscrosses that lake and provides access to the bustling waterfront and narrow, shop-filled lanes of Bellagio. It allows you to explore quiet fishing villages, such as Pescallo, and drops you at Tremezzo to see the gardens and artwork at one of the lake’s masterpieces, Villa Carlotta, a favorite of 19th-century writers Edith Wharton and Henry James.

Indeed, as you travel the lake, there are many grand private villas, with names to match. Villa Fontanelle near Moltrasio, once owned

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Above: Soak in the natural splendor while strolling through public gardens. Left: A statue of Alessandro Volta, inventor of the electrical battery and Como native son, stands in a square.

by Gianni Versace, was sold after his death to Arkady Novikov, arguably Russia’s most successful restaurateur and a man known colloquially as “the blini king.” You can observe it from the water, as you can the nearby Villa Passalacqua, where Napoleon stayed, and Villa Le Rose, where Churchill retreated after World War II. Laglio is where Clooney and his wife Amal live at Villa Oleandra. Villa La Cassinella has long been rumored to be owned by Sir Richard Branson, who denies it.

Then there is Villa del Balbianello, my personal favorite, which holds the most coveted place on the lake, a promontory close to the village of Lenno, topped by a fantastic stone compound. The building originated as a monastery, was then acquired by private hands and eventually became the home of Guido Monzino, heir to an Italian supermarket fortune and a self-styled explorer who led the first Italian expedition up Mt. Everest. It’s a museum now, and thankfully, Monzino’s quirky and sometimes wondrous collections from his trips to the four corners of the earth are still housed here, in what must be the most photographed villa on the lake. Filmmakers adore the place. It was here that Casino Royale was shot as well as A Month by the Lake and even Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones. It can get very crowded here, so go early in the morning and soak in the gardens and the statuary and the sheer elegance of the place.

Villa Melzi is a 10-minute stroll from the busy docks at Bellagio, where silk-mad shoppers and lunch-going day-trippers can make it a little too crowded. Here you can stroll acres of lakeside gardens planted with specimen trees from all over the globe. Alas, the interior of the villa, built for Francesco Melzi d’Eril, vice president of the Italian Republica, and the place where Franz Liszt composed his Dante Symphony, is private. The grounds, however,

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give you a real sense of tranquility and what Lake Como must have been like 150 years ago.

The best part of Lake Como is the chance to stay in one of these historic villas. A few years ago, the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, built in 1910, was redone from top to bottom, infusing serious chic into what had been an aging dowager. The champagne bar and the pool that literally floats in Lake Como are the essence of lakeside glamour. Villa d’Este in Cernobbio continues to reign as the queen of the lake, having originated in the 16th century as a residence for a cardinal before passing to the hands of British royalty and eventually becoming a hotel in the late 19th century.

But the stakes have gotten even higher in the past couple of years. Il Sereno Lago Di Como opened in Torno, while the Vista Palazzo, an 18-room luxury lair in the city of Como, opened in 2018, as did the six-suite Villa Lário set on two lakeside acres in Pognana Lario. The latest entry to the Lake Como luxe sweepstakes is Mandarin Oriental, which took over a villa in Blevio.

Sure, you can dine regally at some of these hotels, but I prefer the locals’ haunts. A couple of months ago, it was in a quiet café in Cernobbio, Osteria del Beuc, that I sat at an alfresco table 50 feet from the lake on a sultry night and drank the local white wine blend from the producer Sorsasso, situated above the lakeside village of Domaso, the same wine that Clooney requested be served at his wedding to Amal. It accompanied a lemon and Parmesan risotto served with a dramatic scoop of basil-flavored gelato in the middle, which slowly melted into the risotto. It was tradition married to the fashionable, a surprise and a revelation, a little like Lake Como itself.

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Above: The resort town of Lecco offers a dramatic Alpine backdrop with fewer crowds than some of the better-known villages. Left: Historic villas are a highlight of any trip to this part of the Lombardy region.

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DESIGNERS

a legacy of giving ROBERT PROCOP AND BROOKE SHIELDS COLLABORATE ON NEW JEWELS AND A GOOD CAUSE.

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If you think the newest pieces from Robert Procop’s LEGACY BROOKE collection are fit for a queen, you’d be right! Now in the fifth year of collaborating with actress and model Brooke Shields to create this collection, Procop was inspired by Shields’ storied royal French ancestry and her chic and contemporary elegance. These regal gems debuted at Couture, the fine and luxury jewelry industry’s premier event, which was held in June at Wynn Las Vegas. The latest pieces introduce new gemstones to the collection, including white quartz, jade and sapphire.

Stunners from the LEGACY BROOKE Collection do much more than dazzle those who covet unique and luxurious jewelry. Proceeds garnered from sales of the collection benefit House of Ruth, a transitional housing shelter that also provides prevention programs, opportunities and education to women and children transitioning out of a life of domestic violence.

Visit Bachendorf ’s to see the glittering results of this philanthropic partnership.

From left: Robert Procop and Brooke Shields; Lawrence, Katy and Fallon Bock with Shields at Couture.

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FINISHING TOUCH

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From top: Omega DV Trésor 40mm; Breitling Aviator 8 B01 Chronograph 43; Rolex Datejust 41; and Longines Conquest Classic.

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