Watches: Jaeger-LeCoultre launch new Atelier Reverso

The Reverso needs no introduction. It really doesn't - its one of the watchmaking worlds icons (and that term gets banded about all too easily these days!). The only thing is iv had a dilemma for a couple of years now. You have to own a Reverso, much like you have to own a Speedmaster or a Sub to be a certified watch guy. But iv yet found a Reverso that really speaks to me. Something with a vibrancy and zest for life that just gets you excited! I have to say - that dilemma has now come to an end - this Atelier Reverso is THE one!!

This year, JLC have introduced six new men’s dials, available in two sizes. Three variants in masculine colours make an appearance: a subtly nuanced red, an electric blue of refined tones, and a carbon fibre-effect shade of grey. What’s more, three new stone dials are unveiled: one in grey meteorite, a military-influenced dial in green marble, and lastly, a dial in tiger's eye – a gemstone that gleams with an especially pleasing amber warmth.

The Reverso Classic Duo Small Second, available in sizes Medium and Large is powered by a manually wound mechanical movement, with guilloché and brushed dial and small seconds indicator at 6 o'clock. A second time zone in an opaline finish is revealed on the reverse, where a day/night indicator is set into the Clous de Paris-patterned guilloché design at 6 o’clock. For further information click here. 

Watches: Jaeger-LeCoultre at Harrods

Harrods have been hugely active in their watch department in the last few weeks. I discussed the Re-editions exhibition here. Now, for the month of July, Jaeger-LeCoultre will be showcasing an exclupop-up in in Harrods Fine Watch Room exhibiting a combination of UK and Global exclusive timepieces. This will also include the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso One Duetto Jewelry which has launched as part of Harrods Fine Watch campaign, Re-editions, and will be a worldwide exclusive until September so be sure to head over if your in town. 

Watches: Oris Marks The 40th Anniversary Of Williams’ Formula One

I have to confess - my knowledge of Formula 1 is fairly poor. But that doesn't stop me enjoying what the sport has to offer - high speed showdowns, inter team conflicts and remarkable handling. My appreciation for those involved, from the team that prepares the car to those having to drive it is of the highest calibre. I had the pleasure of spending some time with Oris and Team Williams at Silverstone yesterday in preparation for the Grand Prix this weekend and to celebrate the teams 40th year in racing (and the only way to celebrate is with a new watch right?)

Oris marks the 40th anniversary of Williams’ Formula One team with a limited edition Chronoris. There are few more remarkable figures in motorsport, than Sir Frank Williams. The legendary founder of Williams is a force of nature, a visionary who turned his British outfit into a championship winning team, and one of the most successful Formula One teams in history. Williams Racing has won 16 FIA Formula 1® World Championships, nine constructors’ and seven for drivers’. Oris and Williams Racing first came together in 2003, and Oris is now the team’s longest-serving partner.

This year, Williams Racing celebrates the 40th anniversary of its first Grand Prix, at the 1977 Spanish Grand Prix. To mark this historic moment and Sir Frank’s extraordinary achievements, Oris has created a limited edition version of its iconic Chronoris, also a product of the 1970s, the Williams 40th Anniversary Oris Limited Edition.

The 40mm stainless steel watch is characterised by its streamlined case shape, an homage to the original Chronoris, and houses an automatic chronograph movement that provides a central seconds chronograph hand and 30-minute and 12-hour counters at 12 and 6 o’clock. Oris’s designers have given it a number of touches to denote the link to Williams. The central chronograph seconds hand and minute scale are both in Williams blue, while the case back is embossed with the Williams Racing logo. It comes on a brown leather strap or on a black rubber strap, or an articulated metal bracelet.

The new watch is a fitting tribute both to Williams Racing and its eponymous founder, and also to the Chronoris. When it was launched in 1970 the Chronoris became Oris’s first chronograph. The Williams 40th Anniversary Oris Limited Edition, the hero piece in the new collection, has a sapphire crystal glass, a 48-hour power reserve and 100 metres of water resistance. It will be limited to 1,000 pieces.

Technical  

Automatic movement Oris Cal. 673, based on ETA 7750, with chronograph function and date at 3 o’clock

• Multi-piece stainless steel case, crown, pushers and case back with embossed Williams Racing logo. Water-resistant to 10 bar/100 m

• Sapphire crystal domed on both sides with anti-reflective coating inside

• Black dial with applied polished nickel indices, hour and minute hands filled with Super-LumiNova®. Nickel polished hands for chronograph hour/minute counters and blue central chronograph seconds hand with white tip (can be used as running central seconds hand)

• Perforated brown leather strap or perforated black rubber strap with stainless steel pin buckle. Alternatively available with 15-link articulated metal bracelet with folding clasp

• Presented in a special leather pouch with additional grey NATO textile strap,

strap changing tool and antistatic watch-cleaning cloth

• Swiss retail price CHF 3,500 on leather or rubber strap, CHF 3,800 on metal bracelet

Watches: Vertex Lives Again

There are few watch launches this year that have excited me as much as that of the Vertex M100. Vertex was one of 12 watch companies known collectively as “the Dirty Dozen” which supplied timepieces to the military during the second world war. As a result, It became one of Europe’s leading watch manufacturers before closing in the 1970s.

I had the pleasure of meeting Vertex Founder Mr Don Cochrane last week. And not only was he a particulary nice guy, I loved his story. Before watches, Don was in motor sport. By chance he found out that the brand was actually in his family (Vertex was Founded by in 1916 by Claude Lyons - dons great-grandfather - pretty damn cool!), and he felt completed to see it live again.  The M100 is the first Vertex watch since 1972.

The M100 will mark the 100th anniversary of his great-grandfather founding Vertex. It is a mechanical watch with a brushed steel case, box crystal glass and a superb moulded ‘Superlumanova’ dial. The M100 is waterproof to 10 ATM (100m) and, when wound, will run for 42 hours.

During the launch the watch will only be available to a select list of 60 people, they in turn can each invite five more people in a unique organic sales model designed to value the character of the owner over their capital - something new and inevitablly will link owners to a very small club. 

For further info click here. 

Watches: Only Watch 2017 Moritz Grossmann 'HOMAGE'

Only Watch is back! And this year the charity auction is bigger and better then ever before. First up I wanted to highlight a watch that ticks all the boxes for me from an aesthetic perspective - the delightfully elegant Moritz Grossmann 'HOMAGE'. Now generally brands produce one watch for Only Watch - but that isn't the case with Moritz Grossmann - they have opted to look back to their roots and present a double lot, linking contemporary design with their heritage.

So that being said they are auctioning an original Moritz Grossmann pocket-watch (super cool!) from their private collection. It was made around 1875, this piece showcases Moritz Grossmann signature features such as chatoned movement, chronometer balance with diamond endstone, 16-tooth escape wheel, Grossmann handsetting rocker and Maltese cross stopwork on the mainspring barrel. 

Secondly, they are offering a rose gold ATUM with enamel dial and blue-steel poire hands to match. Within is the calibre 100.1 movement – designed and built in-house. It includes the Grossmann balance, modified Glashütte stopwork and pillar movement reminiscent of traditional pocket chronometers. Contemporary styling, a historic face and our impeccable hand-made finish creates a watch to tell a story as well as tell the time. 

The winner of this double lot will also have the opprtunity to visit the legendary town of Glashütte as their guest. Tour the amazing museum that once housed the German School of Watchmaking, established by Moritz Grossmann in 1878.  All in - a cracking lot. 

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Model name: ATUM <Homage>

Case: Rose Gold (ATUM wrist watch)

Yellow Gold ( pocket watch)

Dial:  Unique enamel grand-feu dial to match original

Calibre: Calibre 100.1

Bracelet: Black Alligator

Dimensions: 41mm diameter case, 11.35mm thickness.

Specificites:   Unique enamel grand-feu dial and blue steel poire hands to twin with antique Moritz Grossmann pocket watch.  Engraved on rear 1 / 1. 

Estimate:

CHF 40,000 - 60,000

36,000 - 55,000 €

41,000 - 62,000 $

Watches: Tudor S&G Black Bay

Do you remember those days when you walked into school, aged between 7-10, and to your horror you were the only one without that new deck of Pokemon cards or that laser pointer everyone 'got' teachers with! It was almost as if you had missed the memo. Well thats kinda how I feel when I go to watch events in London these days. It's a real credit to Tudor, as the most relevant brand in the world at the momment that almost everyone who works in the watch world owns and independantly chooses to wear one watch over any other - you guessed it - the Black Bay (I even know one Editor who owns - at last count - four!). And this, the Heritage Black Bay S&G is a new addition to the Black Bay family, seamlessly combining steel and gold with a date function for the first time. The Black Bay S&G is powered by an in-house Tudor manufacture calibre.  Finished in matt satin to give it a robust tool watch look, the Black Bay S&G is available on a bi-colour stepped riveted bracelet (£3,400) or on a distressed brown leather strap (£2,580). Both options come with a complimentary golden brown fabric strap. A glorious tool watch for any occasion available in stores this month - and quite possibly the best value watch you'll find anywhere from anyone - period. 

Launch: MR PORTER x RESSENCE

When I heard the news that one of my favourite independent watch brands, RESSENCE was collaborating with MR PORTER. I felt like guy who realised peanut butter and jam were perfect partners. That feeling when two great things come together. MR P have led the way when it comes to that potent mix of digital content and watch sales online and RESSENCE have captured the hearts and minds of even those in Silicon Valley with their forward thinking design.

Today we see the launch of two exclusive limited-edition timepieces, available only at MRPORTER.COM, from the June 20th. MR PORTER and RESSENCE have launched the RESSENCE Type 1 MRP in two varieties – the Type 1PN MRP Grade 5 polished Titanium with Night Blue metallic dial in a 42mm case, limited to 12 timepieces, and the Type 1PW MRP 18k Rose Gold with Sandblasted. White dial in a 42mm case, limited to 6 timepieces – both housing RESSENCE’s in-house ROCS 1 module. This is the first time RESSENCE and MR PORTER have partnered together on an exclusive and limited-edition collaboration since MR PORTER introduced RESSENCE to its growing fine watch offering in 2015.

“After meeting Benoît at a watch trade fair a few years ago, we instantly felt RESSENCE, with its unique and ground-breaking timepieces, were a perfect fit for MR PORTER. Since the partnership began in 2015, Ressence has consistently been a key seller and favourite for our customers and readers – which sparked the vision of creating a limited-edition timepiece exclusive to MR PORTER. We are thrilled to launch this collection with such an integral independent fine watch brand in the industry.”

MR PORTER Managing Director, Mr Toby Bateman

Iv got a feeling these guys won't hang around for long - click here for further info. 

Ressence Type 1PN MRP, Titanium £15,360/€ 17,500/ $20,600

Ressence Type 1PW MRP, Rose Gold £25,850/€ 29,500/ $33,800

Technical Features Type 1PN MRP

Functions: Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Week Days

Movement: ROCS 1 module driven by the minute axle of a customised 2824/2 base calibre 3 dimensional bridge architecture, Self-winding, 36 hours power reserve, 28,800 vibrations per hour 27 gears, 40 jewels, 2 ball bearings (1 ruby & 1 steel)

Dial: Convex (125 mm radius), Night Blue circled metallic dial with 3 silver eccentric biaxial satellites inclined at 3° (hours) and 4,75° (seconds and weekday)

Case: 42mm diameter x 12mm thickness, Grade 5 polished Titanium , Sapphire crystal top with anti-reflection coating inside and outside , Manual winding over 45° and set-up via case back (crownless), Rotating two directions

Strap & Buckle: 20mm/20mm, Ardillon buckle

Water-resistance: 1 ATM (Splash-resistant)

Total components: 210

Watches: 31 Shades Of Grey

The Lange 31 is a glorious specimen for a multiple of reasons. Having been presented at SIHH 2017 in a limited edition of 100 watches it features the classic Lange big date at 9 o'clock, a clean grey dial and well, possibly the most impressive power reserve indicator you will have ever come across at 3 o'clock. It posseses an unheard of 31 days of power when fully wound (one less thing to worry about when your enjoying your morning coffee).  The news today is that Lange & Sohne have now collaborated with artist Sebastian Kite for ‘A Journey into Grey’, a project inspired by the Lange 31

The watch was the inspiration for British artist Sebastian Kite, who's objective with this project was to get to the bottom of this ‘achromatic colour’ on the dial and to highlight this hue in all of its different aspects by building a three-dimensional installation. 

Beneath the elegant dial of the white-gold Lange 31, lies a mesmerising 406-part movement, the engine behind the first mechanical wristwatch with a power reserve of 31 days. Its patented constant-force escapement assures that a uniform amount of energy is delivered to the oscillator every ten seconds; this keeps the watch running very accurately for an entire month.

‘Nothing beats the accuracy of this watch. Therefore, I looked for another approach to interpret it.’ says Kite. 

In this project, Kite has built a three-dimensional installation with metal frames, steel cables and mirror foils to showcase the grey dial and how it plays with various shades of light. 

Fascinated by the infinite variations in tone and texture, Sebastian Kite instinctively chose the 16 mm cinematic film format as the medium for his exploration of grey. He was particularly attracted to a 1940s camera:

‘The LANGE 31 is powered by two springs, each with an incredible length of 1.85 metres. To pay tribute to this technical feat, I decided to work with a spring-wound Bolex camera.’ For Sebastian Kite, this camera was the ideal tool for visualising the spectrum of possible grey shades. To achieve the goal, the artist first had to break out of his habitual surroundings. He travelled to Cornwall and found the ideal backdrop for a moving picture inspection there. It was an encounter with a fissured and gruff landscape interspersed with surreal ruins reminiscent of bygone epochs.

‘In nature, the variations of grey are boundless. I wanted to try to capture at least some of them.’ And having taken a look at his work, I'd say he's done a tremendous job. Another interesting Lange collaboration - lets hope there are a few 31's left! 

Watches: Watch Takeover At Harrods

As a proper watch geek, one of my highlights last year was walking down the Brompton Road windows outside Harrods, each of which showcasing a unique watch for the 'Made with Love & Prescion' event. And I'm extremely excited to say they are a it again! Harrods is going to be having a storewide fine watch takeover, Re-Editions: taking place in store from 30th June – 24th July. 

“We are celebrating Harrods’ exceptional watch portfolio and our partnership with some of the world’s most influential fine watch brands with the launch of a month-long storewide campaign, Re-Editions. Unveiling expert craftsmanship, the Re-Editions designs take inspiration from classic and iconic collections from the brands’ archives; styles include art-deco diamond-set ladies creations, to historic reproduction military Pilot models, and intricately skeletonized grand complications. The campaign cements Harrods as a key player in the world of horology and further establishes the Fine Watch room as the destination for watch fans and collectors alike,” says Helen David, Chief Merchant at Harrods.

Harrods has worked closely with twelve of the world’s finest watch brands to set up an extraordinary exhibition of men’s and women’s timepieces. The brands have taken inspiration from their past for each pieces (all watches will be available exclusively at Harrods in the UK during the campaign). Enough of that, here are the watches: 

AUDEMARS PIGUET

Royal Oak Offshore Open-worked Chronograph Tourbillon in Yellow Gold (Harrods UK exclusive)

£257,000

Inspired by the Royal Oak 1972 and Royal Oak offshore collection the Skeleton Tourbillon Offshore Yellow Gold will be exclusive to Harrods in the UK. The exclusive-production piece is in 18-carat yellow gold, intricately open worked to reveal the sophisticated hand-finished decoration and engineering within.

CARTIER

Panthere Joueuse CALIBRE 9918 MC (Harrods UK exclusive during the month of July)

£157,000

The Panthere Joueuse CALIBRE 9918 MC will be exclusive to Harrods during the month of July. Cartier brings the panther to life with a new movement exhibiting exquisite craftsmanship in a display of brilliant-cut diamonds totalling 1.00 carats, black lacquer and emeralds.

HARRY WINSTON

Premier Precious Lace Automatic 36mm (Harrods global Exclusive)

£35,800

Limited to 5 exclusive pieces, a key feature is the exquisite lace artwork technique on the dial which features green and white mother of pearl enriched with marquise and brilliant cut diamonds. The Premier Collection was the first ever watch collection introduced by Harry Winston in 1989, and is now an iconic signature of the brand. 

HUBLOT

Classic Fusion Racing Grey/ Classic Fusion Chronograph Racing Grey/ Classic Fusion Racing Grey Diamonds(Harrods global exclusive)

£7,600/ £10,200/ £10,200

The limited edition Classic Fusion watches will be created in 3 variations and will be globally exclusive to Harrods. Inspired by avant-garde designs first launched by the company in the early 1980s these special editions come with grey sunray satin-finished dials with polished and satin finished titanium cases.

JAEGER-LECOULTRE

Reverso One Duetto Jewellery (Harrods global exclusive from July – September 2017)

£54,000

Jaeger-LeCoultre presents a new interpretation of the Reverso One Duetto Jewellery in pink gold, channelling a rare elegance and femininity inspired by pure 1920s and 1930s Art Deco. Limited to 8 pieces globally, the Reverso One Duetto Jewellerywill be exclusive to Harrods from July-September.

RICHARD MILLE

RM 50-03 McLaren F1 (Harrods exclusive during the month of July)

ROGER DUBUIS

Knights Of The Round Table III (Harrods exclusive)

£POA

The one-of-a-kind exclusive watch will be available in Harrods only and is inspired by the Excalibur 2005 collection and the legend of King Arthur. The dial has a black engraved Jade table with bronze engraved and sculptured knights with a self-winding mechanical calibre, finely adjusted in six positions.

VACHERON CONSTANTIN

Traditionnelle Day-Date & Power Reserve / Traditionnelle Date/ Traditionnelle, 14 Days Power Reserve, Tourbillon(Harrods global exclusive during the month of July)

£40,100/ £23,200/ £POA

The limited edition Traditionnelle Day-Date & Power Reserve / Traditionnelle Date / Traditionnelle, 14 Days Power Reserve, Tourbillon, which will be limited to 10 pieces, will be stocked in Harrods with a global exclusive throughout the month of July. The novelties include the new slate grey dial. 

Launch: Deakin & Francis ‘18ct Gold’ Cufflink Collection

Having had the pleasure of visiting the Deakin & Francis workshop up in Birmingham and meeting the team, I can honestly say that its as authentic as it gets when it comes to hand crafstmanship. Its a real treat to witness the staff, many of whom have been there many years, working with old tools in the same rooms those before them had done for generations.  This week sees the introducing of a new ’18ct Gold’ cufflink collection. The new collection boasts an array of summer colours and offer both classic and contemporary designs – from precious gemstones encased in a border of opulent 18ct yellow gold, also delicate round cufflinks with vivid enamelling and sparkling diamonds to quintessential bouton style cufflinks from gemstones such as hematite and nephrite.

“I am constantly thinking ahead to my next design – whether it’s a classic, staple piece or a more unique design. I really wanted this collection to be pure luxury – whilst incorporating a splash of colour here and there or a unique finishing touch through the introduction of precious gemstones.”

Creative Director, James Deakin.

Each of the designs features either a domed spring link fitting or a traditional chain link fitting, complete with Deakin & Francis hallmarks to offer wearers a timeless, elegant look. Everything Deakin & Francis do is quite frankly a piece of art - and when your standing on the station platform, nothing puts a smile on your face quite like it when you glimpse the handwork on your wrists. Its wonderful to see a family owned, British business thriving In the digital age. 

Life: Tim Ferriss On Defining Fears Before Goals

I'v followed Tim for many years now. He's a great man, a great thinker and infamous human guinea pig. He has spoken on the TED stage in the past, but this week, you can imagine my excitement when I spotted his most recent talk on the TED.com homepage - no mean feat.  The talk was frank and honest, where Tim focused on how he uses stoic principles on a daily basis to thrive in high-stress environments and separate what he can control from what you cannot. Tim encourages the audience to fully envision and write down their fears in detail, in a simple but powerful exercise he calls "fear-setting."

Watch the full TED talk here. 

Video: How Comfort Is killing Us

I'm a HUGE podcast fan (as you may know if you read these pages frequently). And having listened to many hundreds of interviews, I would describe this one between Joe and Sebastian as 'important'. I say that for a number of reasons, but chiefly because Sebastian highlights just how dangerous comfort in our digital age is becomming. Sebastian is the author of The Perfect Storm, War, and Tribe. He also is the co-director of the Oscar-nominated documentary "Restrepo." His latest documentary "Hell On Earth". My advise -  get comfortable with uncomfortable - challenge yourself  - practice poverty and do it now. 

Launch: The A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Gets Even Sexier

Oh boy.

You know that feeling when emails hit your inbox and you quite literally cant move the mouse quickly enough to delete them. One thing is for sure - when this sucker came in, I wasn't thinking trash can. I was thinking survival!! ...I almost choked on my protein bar! Sometimes in life, beauty just needs to be celebrated. And this is one of those times. 

What: A. Lange & Söhne just extended the 1815 watch family, Yup, and its a beauty! The 1815 chronograph with white-gold case and a black dial and pulsimeter scale. A. Lange & Söhne has been crafting models with stopwatch functions since 1999 – fitted withsapphire-crystal casebacks like all other Lange watches. The 1815 chronograph was added to the 1815 family in 2004. It is a paragon of classic design combined with advanced technology. 

Why: Because, aside from the technical, the new 1815 chronograph is quite frankly one of the most delightfully balanced watches money can buy. Period. With a case of 39.5-millimetre white-gold case, rhodiumed hands and a jet-black solid-silver dial - it doesn't get much better. 

Where: Here

Launch: Alice made This Coastline Collection

What:  A refined collection of cufflinks and cuff bracelets, inspired by geotechnical engineering, the process of Attrition and coastline geology in Britain.  The collection features barrelled brass and copper, machined brass and copper, polished brass and copper and precious metals plated in rose gold and silver finishes. 

Why: AMT is a British company (Founded by Alice - a seriously talented designer and all round lovely women). There are few comapnies who care as much about each and every detail of how they present themselves and what the do. Opening one of their products is a joyous as opening something from Apple - its the same buzz.  

Where: Here

A. Lange & Söhne Hit Auction Heights

I make no effort to hide the fact that A. Lange & Söhne is one of my all time favourite watch manufacturers. If you were ever unfortunate enough to wake up in my bed, you wouldn't find any posters of topless women on my wall. You would however find a large A5 images of a rose gold Lange One stuck right in the middle. Sad - but true. And Here's a bit of news that confirms the manufactures pull within the collector community: 

At a Phillips auction in Geneva on 14 May 2017, one of 30 unique ZEITWERK HAND-WERKSKUNST timepieces found a new owner. 

Why is this important? Well, back in 2009, A. Lange & Söhne presented the ZEITWERK, the first mechanical watch with precisely jumping numerals for hours and minutes whose jumping motion is controlled by a patented constant-force escapement. A limited edition of this model – only 30 pieces in platinum – bearing the name HANDWERKSKUNST was introduced in 2012. One of these exquisitely finished watches has now changed hands following its sale by the auction house Phillips in Geneva. The gavel fell at a price of 176,940 euros, 186 per cent of the original sale price of 95,000 euros. A huge result. And although buying a watch shouldn't be considered an investment - you know with Lange you are getting something very special. 

Launch: MR PORTER Expand Montblanc Watch Range

After the successful launch of the Montblanc Summit Smartwatch (here) in May 2017, MR PORTER - our favourite online menswear destination will expand its Fine Watch category to include Montblanc’s TimeWalker, Heritage Spirit, Heritage Chronométrie and 1858 Collections. From the 1st June, 10 timepieces across the racing inspired TimeWalker Collection, alongside the Heritage Spirit, Heritage Chronométrie, and 1858 Collections. A further 6 timepieces from these key collections will launch later in 2017 on MR PORTER.

Notable models available will include the 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter Limited Edition, only 100 pieces globally manufactured, alongside the Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum Latin UNICEF, which is dedicated to the international charity and limited to only 500 pieces globally.

Just to get your juices flowing , here is the latest instalment of ‘Tick Talk’ :

For more get over to Mr P

Event: IWC Pop Up At HARRODS

Its a fact many aren't aware of. Harrods, the central London mega store actually began as a wholesale grocers' and tea merchants in east London, first opening its doors in 1834. Since then, it has grown to become the world’s most famous department store, and as a watch geek - they have it all! And one brand I have long admired is IWC Schaffhausen. It is the year of the Da Vinci which launched earlier in the year at SIHH. And if you are yet to get hands on with the watch this new collection will be brought to life in Harrods’ Fine Watch Room for the month of May, with a unique pop up exhibition.

Created exclusively for Harrods, the unique setting of specially designed showcases and elegant graphics will give customers and time piece enthusiasts a glimpse into the new Da Vinci Collection, a modern interpretation of the iconic IWC designs from the 1980s. 

Im told that the great Leonardo Da Vinci himself was inspired by the harmonious symmetry of the 19 intertwined circles, studying its mathematical properties and nuances in his quest for the code of beauty. In keeping with this hidden code, a kaleidoscope photo booth will be positioned in the centre of the fine watch room and will allow passers-by to take a photograph of themselves with the geometric elements of the intertwined “Flower of Life” design being reflected back. Other pieces from IWC’s Portofino and Pilot collections will also be on display for customers to experience the breadth that IWC has to offer.

MR PORTER Launch Montblanc Summit Collection

When I sit with friends from outside of the watch world, their first question tends to be 'is the watch industry dead now there are smart watches'?. And typically I go down the path of explaining the impact on the industry at certain price points etc. But in truth, as I write this and ponder, the truth is, nobody knows for sure other than there is lots to be excited about. 

In the last 12 months Iv had the pleasure of getting hands on with a multitude of smartwatches. And one new launch that totally blew me away was the Montblanc Sumit watch. I got to see it at the MR PORTER press day a few weeks back. Not only does it have the technical applications one would expect, it also has the look and feel of a traditional mechanical watch - which I love. 

So the big news is that MR PORTER is launching the Smartwatch Collection on site today, available exclusively for two weeks before the collection is available for general release across Montblanc boutiques internationally. The Montblanc Summit Collection is the Maison’s first smartwatch in cooperation with Google. From a design perspective, the case is either a 46mm black PVD coated stainless steel, stainless steel, bi-colour stainless steel or grade 5 Titanium, and comes with a selection of sporty and classic straps in rubber, calfskin leather, and Sfumato calfskin leather handcrafted in the Montblanc Pelletteria in Florence. The slightly curved sapphire glass is a world first in smartwatches (its always cool to be first right). From a technical standpoint, pre-installed apps include Runtastic, Google Play, Google Assistant, Uber and Foursquare and key features comprise of a full round touch-screen display, heart-rate monitor, barometer and a 4GB Flash storage that can be used to sync and play music without the need of a smartphone - all connected via Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth®. And the best news of all - prices start from £765 

Check out more over on MR PORTER here. 

Podcast Review: How To Set Goals Like A World Class Athlete

Podcast: The Tim Ferris Show 

Guets: Shaun White 

Shaun White is a seriously cool guy. Listening to Tim interview him last week was hilarious. It was done in front of an audience, who sounded like they were big fans of his as well. He is an American professional snowboarder and skateboarder. He is a two-time Olympic gold medalist. He holds the X-Games records for gold medals and highest overall medal count, and has won 10 ESPY Awards. So in short, a reasonably decent athlete. So how does he like to plan his season? Well, he and Tim covered a wide range of subjects but my take away point was on his methodology for goal setting. He tells Tim he ALWAYS sets goals annually, as he believes, (quite rightfully) it is vital for measuring where you have come. However the key is having serious goals countered by fun goals. Shaun mentions the example of setting the goal of 'winning as many cars in a year'.  To achieve this he would have to win tournaments, so in turn this would be working towards his serious goals, but it was a way in which he could have fun with it. Needless to say he also said he ended up with a garage cars which enjoyed giving away. An interesting approach to consider.   

Life: 3 Ways To Be More Creative

Podcast: The James Altucher Show

Guest:  Adam Grant

This is the first time James Altucher has featured here. He is a very funny guy. Notoriously inquisitive, honest and a prolific interrupter. But a very good guy with tonnes of experience in the business world. James Altucher is an American hedge fund manager, entrepreneur, bestselling author, and podcaster. He has founded or cofounded more than 20 companies, including Reset Inc. and StockPickr and says he failed at 17 of them. 

This week I tuned in to his interview with Adam Grant, a super smart author and a professor. Adam works at Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania). Adam is recognized as both the youngest tenured and most highly rated professor at the Wharton School. He is also author of Give and Take.  Which highlights what effective networking, collaboration, influence, negotiation, and leadership skills have in common. And Originals  which is about how to champion new ideas and recognize a good idea using surprising studies and stories spanning business, politics, sports, and entertainment. Adam explores how to speak up without getting silenced, build a coalition of allies, choose the right time to act, and manage fear and doubt; how parents and teachers can nurture originality in children; and how leaders can build cultures that welcome dissent.

How to be more creative:

1. Get more comfortable with questioning your default assumptions. Instead of saying 'what is this?' say 'what could this be?'. Questioning is a muscle - use it. Bob Sutton + Geoff Heffer from Stanford 'Wisdom is acting on the best information you have while doubting what you know' 

2. Triple the number of ideas you generate. For every project.  Cara White 'Creativity results from putting old things in new combinations or new things in old combinations' 

3. Immerse yourself in another domain. Get into enviroments that you are not used to. Steve Jobs said 1982 'creativity comes from not having the same bag of experiences as everyone else'. Adam mentions that great originals / leaders tend NOT to have the deepest level of expertise - they have the broadest. 

Check out the full podcast here.