Tudor is back: Heritage-inspired watches are on the rise September 23, 2014 I’m excited: Tudor is back. Who? Well, you’d be forgiven for asking, since the brand hasn’t been in British shops since early in the last decade. But it’s a name that carries clout in the watch world, for Tudor is the sibling brand of Rolex. Hans Wilsdorf, Rolex’s founder, set up Tudor between the [...]
Horological whimsy September 23, 2014 Hermes isn’t as well-known for its watches as it should be, partly because they’re only available in its own boutiques. But this eccentric beauty gives a good idea of the beautifully skewed, dead clever attitude it has to haute horlogerie. It’s a watch that only tells the time when you want it to: the hour [...]
From Cartier to Longines, women’s watches are being downsized September 23, 2014 How women’s watch dials are shrinking and why it gives us reasons to be cheerful about the future of the female side of the industry The papping of Jemima Khan wearing a Panerai given to her by her then-boyfriend Hugh Grant in 2005 kick-started women’s love of men’s watches. Grant and Khan’s relationship has long [...]
The BMW M235i is the perfect all-rounder coupe September 23, 2014 The M235i may be the best all-rounder coupe on BMW’s books – we drive it from New York to Montreal I’m powering along Interstate-87 in upstate New York, skirting the navy lakes and emerald mountains of the Adirondacks when I pass a police car hidden behind the trees and see its red lights [...]
Eating lunch at your desk again? Here’s how the City does delivery September 23, 2014 Eating al-desko isn’t just about showing your boss you’re the keenest worker-bee in the office. As winter draws nearer it’s also a way of eating your sandwiches without getting frost bite. The latest lunch-break craze in the City allows hungry employees to select, buy and eat their lunch without leaving their office at all. Delivery [...]
Green house September 23, 2014 Sometimes modern living entails bringing the outdoors indoors As the nights get colder and the days get shorter, it’s approaching that time when you need to make your home a sanctuary from the elements. House plants are the simplest way of doing this but why settle for simple? What will really impress the neighbours is [...]
Like a vintage Tommy Nutter suit, perfect second-hand gems are hard to find September 23, 2014 At the recent London Collections: Men fashion week I spotted a guy wearing a 1974 “Nutters of Savile Row” suit. This is the Holy Grail of vintage menswear; not in all my years scouring second hand shops have I come across a genuine Tommy Nutter. Even in museums they are scarce. To make matters worse, [...]
Car review: The Morgan Roadster may be unwieldy, but it’s a joy to ride September 22, 2014 Sometimes life throws you a curve ball – my drive in the Morgan was one. This was no ordinary road-test; no private jet awaited at the Harrods terminal at Stansted, the London Morgan dealership simply arranged for a Roadster to be delivered to my home. The plan then was to drive 400 miles [...]
Why Slovenia is the perfect place for a spot of posh hiking September 19, 2014 First things first: backpacking is a lot more fun without the backpack. Forget any student holidays spent hauling grubby camping gear from hostel to hostel. Today’s self-guided walking tours are altogether more grown-up. The company supplies a route, takes care of accommodation and transports your bags. There’s no group walking, you’re free to stride up [...]
Theatre Review: Billie Piper stars in Great Britain at the National September 18, 2014 ★★★★★ With inquiries, investigations, MP select committees and dodgy dealings between opaque institutions, phone-hacking was a very broadsheet kind of scandal. Sex was there, but it was in the background: at root, this was a story about people being in each other’s pockets, not beds. Great Britain gives phone-hacking the tabloid treatment. It ratchets up [...]
