Huber Watches Jewellery Lifestyle
Hamburg
Everything flows Extravaganza
Enough is never enough Libraries
Temples of tranquillity Kultuhr No. 42
Autumn / Winter 2013
5 | EDITORIAL
Whenever celebrities wish to support a good cause and hold charity auctions for private dinners with themselves, I often think – well, who would I like to have as my dinner companion? Instinctively, my thoughts wander to ravishing beauties such as Scarlett Johansson or Gisele Bündchen. But then, perhaps I’d actually prefer to have a chat with a successful businessman, a business tycoon or who knows … perhaps even with Warren Buffett himself! And so I find my thoughts wandering this way and that, but my mind always seems to return to one chap – Karl Lagerfeld. It’s his creative genius, his boundless determination and his trenchant display of honesty which fascinate me. Born into a Hamburg-based family of entrepreneurs, he’s always been driven by the love of what he does, not simply by a love of money. The idea of devoting yourself fully to a matter or a cause even when they don’t hold out the prospect of immediate success… yes, that strikes a chord with me, I must admit. What drives me on, what gives me happiness and a feeling of satisfaction is the work I do each day. Simply «doing» something is already a marvellous thing in itself. That’s why I find doing nothing so difficult. As that great musician, King Karl, once famously said: «I’m not interested in what I’ve achieved. I’m interested in what still lies ahead.» In this sense I look forward to the White Cube and the many opportunities it will open up for us. Our new head office is slowly taking shape in the heart of Vaduz. And I notice how ideas surrounding the project continue to grow. Giving such a unique home to some of the most beautiful and valuable products in the world fills me with a thirst for action. I feel that the greatest part of my work still lies ahead of me. So do yourselves a favour – make ambitious plans for an ambitious future! Kind regards, Norman J. Huber
10 | ENTRÉE Spanish fairytales. 14 | WHITE CUBE Art in construction. 16 | JAEGER-LECOULTRE The revolutionary time-keeper turns 180. 18 | EXPEDITION The beautiful northern city of Hamburg. 24 | TRUE VALUES Wellendorff: a golden messenger of love. 6 – 7 | CONTENTS
No. 39 / 2012 18 | The picturesque city. Hamburg has been one of Europe’s true talent factories for centuries. Europe’s economic future depends on its creativity – and Hamburg oozes with creativity. And why is that? The northern gateway to the world offers a dazzling display of diversity. It’s exciting, urban, chic, laid back and wonderfully romantic, all at the same time.
31 | The egomaniac. He hates having his designs copied by fashion chains and doesn’t mind being called an egoist, you see. «Hard work must be paid for,» says Tom Ford in one of his rare interviews. The jack of all trades in the fashion world has set the standards in many different respects. We visited him at his flagship store in New York.
26 | LEGEND Champagne Charlie is back. 31 | FASHION ICON Tom Ford and the American dream. 33 | COLLECTION The golden age of jewellery. 34 | EXTRAVAGANZA Wolf Lotter on extravagance. 42 | MEN’S CLASSIC WATCHES What kind of a watch does a man really need? 44 | MEN’S CASUAL WATCHES Where sporty meets casual 46 | WOMEN’S WATCHES Little watches – big deal!
33 | Pretty hot. Jewels create their own warmth when it starts to get colder outdoors. Sensuously. Opulently. Tenderly. Elegantly. Sparkling in all the colours of the world. Simply magical. Once again, we’ve dug
50 | GOURMET The Adler in Fläsch.
out some «hot stones» to place under the Christmas tree. Everything is possible. Precious gems for precious feelings.
52 | BACKSTAGE Heroes of the night in Lech am Arlberg.
52 | Slippery slopes.
56 | WELL BUILT Libraries. Temples of tranquillity.
They have one of the most challenging jobs in the Alpine region. At night, when everyone else is in blissful slumber they set off for the slopes. It’s like being in a deep freeze. No-one can stand such conditions for long. They’re too extreme. Too dangerous. Driving a PistenBully snowcat requires a lots of skill – and an intuitive grasp of snow.
56 | Sustenance for the soul. Some say that friends don’t get any better than this. You’re always in the best of company with a book. You pick one off the shelf, find a quiet place, and immerse yourself all kinds of different universes. Libraries have been around ever since books were first invented. Book temples can be as big as palaces, and just as beautiful.
60 | CRAFT Karola Geretto. Alpine modernism. 62 | HUBER STORES Right around the clock.
ISBN 978-3-8327-9728-7 Format: 45 x 54 cm Picture: © Collector's Edition Revue by Eugenio Recuenco, HOTEL, LOEWE, Spain, 2007, due to be published by teNeues in October 2013, www.teneues.com. Photo © 2013 Eugenio Recuenco. All rights reserved.
10 – 11 | ENTRÉE
Fairytales. In the light of the Spaniard. Spanish artists have always displayed a subtle knowledge of the interplay between light and shadow, dramatic effects and surreal forms of depiction. Eugenio Recuenco has established an international reputation for himself as a highly respected photographer and filmmaker. He relates his powerful stories in his unmistakably elaborate style. The results appear to come from another planet. His sophisticated, hand-crafted settings and manifold references to art history captivate and enthral the public. Born in Madrid in 1968, he studied art and first devoted himself to painting before he also started to develop an interest in photography. His keen grasp of pictorial composition and his soft spot for lively stories that would spark the imagination soon made him one of the most sought-after photographers in the fashion world. His clients today include Vogue, Madame, Vanity Fair, GQ, Lavazza, Nina Ricci, Yves Saint Laurent and Boucheron. He has made award-winning short films and videos. In 2004, he won the «Premio Nacional de Fotografia ABC». This was followed in 2009 by the gold and bronze awards at the «Sol Festival» as well as the Golden Lion at the «Cannes Lions Festival» in 2005 and 2013. To accompany the exhibition he is staging at the CWC Gallery in Berlin until 16 November, publishers teNeues have brought out a magnificent volume of all his best photos in a limited, autographed edition designed especially for collectors. Recuenco’s recommendation: Best savoured over a really good bottle of Rioja Gran Reserva. Revue by Eugenio Recuenco Collector’s Edition Each book is autographed by Eugenio Recuenco, delivered in a specially made box and contains a portfolio with a strictly limited print in exhibition quality. Limited edition of 50 copies. 304 pages; hard cover with dust jacket; clamshell box; portfolio with a signed and numbered photo print; 198 colour and 31 B&W photographs; texts in English, German, French and Spanish.
12 – 13 | IN A NUTSHELL
This & that Hamburg. A big city with a big heart. In general, Hanseatic folk are thought to be a bit on the reserved side. Even so: «The city welcomed me with open arms!» is how writer and journalist Verena Carl (43) describes the start of her long association with Hamburg. It’s not just the fact that she was awarded the city’s prestigious literature award for young writers within a year of her arrival in Hamburg. She also met her husband shortly after moving to the north. A perfect match. Verena come to regard Hamburg as her all-time favourite city. That was after the millennium, around the time her first book had just been published. She’s written a total of 13 works, including novels and books for children and young people. «Focus» magazine described her style of writing as «authentic and magnificently tragicomic». Her latest book is a declaration of love to North Germany, a philosophical essay about what life is her work for a woman around the age of 40 – and a highly enjoyable read on the sofa: «Friesenherz» («Frisian Heart») has been published by Diana Verlag under her second nom de plume, Janna Hagedorn. If Verena isn’t sitting at the desk in her old-style apartment in Ottensen, she likes to have fun with her two children – born and bred in Hamburg – along the Elbe. For to call yourself «born and bred in Hamburg» you have to come from an old and wellestablished family. On page 18 she takes us on a journey through a city which has it all – a rewarding destination with something for everyone. The World of Watches on Rathausplatz. All manufacturers of brand and luxury watches sell distinct messages, emotions and philosophies. Traditional Manufac-
tures and corporations spend a lot of money each year on conveying these messages in the best possible way. Nothing is left to chance, from product placement in the media to sophisticated shop-in-shop systems. Far beyond the most immediate region, Huber Watches Jewellery is the most important partner of the Swiss watchmaking industry. «Many of our partners have been our very good friends over many years. Our trust in each other is the best basis for a smooth and successful business relationship» says CEO Norman J. Huber. He opened a Rolex boutique in 2006. After four months of building conversions this has now been followed by Patek Philippe, Omega and JaegerLeCoultre, who have opened their own shops at Huber on the Rathausplatz in Vaduz. The Huber World of Watches has been extended to just under 200 sq. m. and offers exclusive brands and models that attract a clientele from far and wide. Wolf Lotter: You can’t make something out of nothing. Photo Sarah Ester Paulus 2013 Everyone seems to be talking about the need to save, to make cut-backs and for austerity nowadays. But this is the road to nowhere, says business journalist Wolf Lotter. Scrimping and saving do not lead to prosperity, progress and happiness. History shows that the latter have always resulted from lavish extravagance. Born in 1962, Wolf Lotter is a business journalist and author. His essays appear as «lead-ins» to the key issues covered by the business magazine «brand eins» which Lotter co-founded in 1999. «The business essayist with the sharpest tongue in all Germany» («Der Journalist») is also very much in demand as a speaker and commentator for numerous broadcasting stations, newspapers and magazines. His book: «Verschwendung – Wirtschaft braucht Überfluss» («Extravagance – business needs excess») was published by Carl Hanser Verlag in Munich in 2006. In it, Lotter criticises the current mentality of saving and stinginess and argues instead for an economy based on generosity as an alternative to the current stricken state of industrial capitalism. Lotter analyses the significance of luxury products on page 34. For all those wishing to explore Lotter’s arguments in greater depth, we highly recommend his latest polemical publication: «Zivilkapitalismus. Wir können auch anders» («Civic capitalism. An alternative approach» (Pantheon / Random House). The joy of fizzy bubbles. Champagne is second nature to him. After years of travelling through the historical province in France, he’s delved deeper than many of his predecessors. Author Christian Göldenboog writes successful books with arresting titles such as «Das Loch im Walfisch – Die Philosophie der Biologie» («The hole in the whale – the philosophy of biology») or «Wozu Sex – Von der Evolution der zwei Geschlechter» («Why sex – on the evolution of the two genders»), but ultimately, it’s probably champagne rather than sex which is uppermost on his mind. In his new book «Die Champagner-Macher» («The champagne makers») he draws a comprehensive map of the global
success story behind the sparkling wine, ranging from the art of assemblage to the significance of acids, bio-dynamic minerality and the philosophy of reserve wines right through to bubble science and biochemistry. All this is explored in depth, not superficially, and sparkles as delightfully as champagne itself. The narrative here is packed with astounding people, stories and hitherto frank and undisclosed secrets of expert winemakers – a literary cuvée which reaches mature perfection through exquisitely composed images captured by renowned photographer Oliver Rüther, who accompanied Göldenboog on his journey: His lens reveals aspects of the champagne makers that can’t be nailed merely in words. He tracked down a grand-seigneur of the champagne dynasties just for us: Charles Heidsieck unlocks the mysteries of champagne in an exclusive interview on page 26. All around the clock. Starting right now. Shop till you drop all around the clock. Well, just about. Together with our staff we’ve come up with solutions that enable us to keep each of our stores open non-stop throughout the day. Let’s face it, we strongly believe that our customers should always feel welcome at all times. At our Flagship Store Liechtenstein based at Städtle 36, we’re immediately open for you during the week from 9.30 am to 6 pm and on Saturdays from 9.30 am to 4 pm. Here we offer you top, exclusive brands from the watches and jewellery industry. At our World of Watches on Rathausplatz in Vaduz, our new opening times from December to March are 9.30 am to 5.30 pm from Monday to Friday and 9.30 am to 4 pm on Saturdays. A place for watch enthusiasts to find everything their hearts desire. At our Flagship Store Austria in Lech am Arlberg, we offer special winter opening times: Monday to Saturday from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm and from 2.30 pm – 7 pm. We’re also open on Sundays and public holidays from 3 pm to 7 pm. If you’d like to receive our complete schedule of current opening times and contact details, you can always find them on our website at www.huber.li and on page 62 in our magazine. Silver for Huber Watches Jewellery. The BCP is the largest and most important corporate publishing competition in Europe. The Forum Corporate Publishing and leading industry magazines acquisa, Horizont, w&v and werbewoche have been presenting the BCP Awards to the best corporate publications since 2003. This year, 145 experts from the fields of journalism, art direction, marketing and corporate communications appraised over 660 entries which had been submitted from all over Europe. Dreamt up and conceived by Eva Engel (agenturengel), «kultuhr» customer magazine is published by Huber Watches Jewellery. It received the silver BCP award in 2013 for B2C trade and consumer goods. One of the many highlights at the conference was the presentation given by content marketing expert Joe Pulizzi from
the USA, who spoke about the role of «content» in communication. Norman J. Huber, CEO of Huber Watches Jewellery, felt inspired by the conference and subsequent awards ceremony at the beautiful Schmidts Tivoli theatre in Hamburg: «We found ourselves at the same level as top companies such as Audi, UBS, Deutsche Lufthansa, Porsche and Daimler AG. It was both fascinating and comforting to realise that we seem to be on the right track in terms of our corporate communications. We’re determined to pull out all the stops in future and only offer the best for our customers.»
2
1 3
14 – 15 | WHITE CUBE
The artists at the building site. Standing on the foundations of the White Cube with Köbi Steiger. He who works with his hands is a labourer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist. Quote Francis of Assisi Text Eva Engel Photo Roland Korner
Köbi Steiger likes to get to the bottom of things. He weighs up all the eventualities – objectively and clearly. As head of the structural engineering department at Gebrüder Hilti Bauunternehmung AG he often starts work on a building site months before the ground-breaking ceremony. Over the past two years he has been in charge of construction work on the White Cube, the new head office of Huber Watches Jewellery and the Hilti Art Foundation. The extremely complex building site in the heart of Vaduz has remained free of accidents until today. It’s mastered more than a few major challenges with flying colours thanks to the outstanding team headed by Köbi Steiger and foreman Christof Koller. We asked Köbi Steiger how thing were going at the building site which is the centre of attention in Vaduz. Mr Steiger, how did you prepare for the White Cube? What duties and responsibilities do you have?
Work preparations for the White Cube began about three years ago. In order to operate the building site as cost-effectively as possible we first had to plan access to and signage for the site itself. What that means in this special case is that we had to demolish and dispose of a pedestrian bridge. A concrete pavement was reinforced so that it could cope with the kind of loads exerted by the site. To ensure the safety of pedestrians in the Städtle, we also had to build a specially secured corridor to ensure that the building site traffic wouldn’t get in the way of pedestrians. The White Cube building site represents a very special challenge for us. After all, the new building is going right in the middle of the Städtle in Vaduz, so we have to pay particular attention to all the logistical aspects of the work, the protection of the adjacent buildings, and of course local residents and tourists around the site. I’m responsible for work scheduling, surveying, materials purchasing, selecting the subcontractors, procuring the inventory we need, liaising with the local residents and supporting our staff on the building site as well as all the accounts. Which construction stages have already been completed? Do you still think that the White Cube will be opening as planned in spring 2015? The shell work for the two underground levels and the entrance to the underground car park is now finished. Our plan is to complete the shell work so that the building is watertight by the start of 2014. Then we can start work on the interior construction side. We’re working to a very tight schedule and constantly face new, surprising challenges, but by working together we’ll reach the goal we’ve set ourselves, which is to open the White Cube in spring 2015. What kind of difficulties did you think you would have? Which of them have actually occurred? We had problems with the amount of groundwater – there was a lot more of it than we had expected. So we had to look for ways to drain off the extra water. Three sides of the White Cube connect to existing buildings. What surprised us was that the dimensions didn’t always quite match the ones indicated on the old planning documents. As a result, we had to use much more concrete than we’d anticipated. The two underground levels were completed pretty much as planned, although we had to pay a lot of attention to waterproofing the building because it stands about 5 metres deep in groundwater. Naturally, the most recent extremely severe winter also left its mark on the project. Quality has overriding priority, so we had to redouble our efforts to ensure that we could continue with the work. We’re used to dealing with fluctuating weather conditions, but this year we had to cope with temperatures ranging from 10°C below zero to 36°C above zero. The great thing about my job is that we are all «doers» so we all get to see what we’ve actually achieved.
Each building is a prototype. In other words it’s always something new. I find that exciting – things never get boring. But I like to spend my evenings at home: I like to relax with my wife, our children and friends, and look back with satisfaction on what we managed to complete during the day. It’s a wonderful feeling!
the world of high precision was still one step beyond those times. Invariably, measurements at the time depended on the watchmaker having a good eye. And so the inventive Antoine would retire to his workshop every evening to see what could be done about this. After three long years he reached his goal of developing gears with a perfection that the world had never seen before.
Mr Steiger, thank you talking to kultuhr. Picture 1: Keeps a cool head even at hectic times: Köbi Steiger, head of the structural engineering department and member of the managing board at Gebrüder Hilti AG. Picture 2: Working together on the White Cube, from left to right: foreman Christof Koller, Colin Bolter, Giuseppe Toriello, Michael Schulze and Reto Thöny. Picture 3: Sharing and caring for Morger+Dettli’s White Cube from 2015: Huber Watches Jewellery and the Hilti Art Foundation.
Right down to a thousandth of a millimetre When, in 1833, Antoine LeCoultre founded the company in the Vallée de Joux, in the Canton de Vaud, what he had already developed didn’t really have much to do with watches and clocks at all. Yet it fulfilled a vital condition for making highprecision watches in the first place. By developing the «millionomètre» eleven years later, he wrote a vital chapter in the history of watchmaking: his device enabled measurements to be taken right down to a thousandth of a millimetre and laid the foundation for a revolutionary transformation in watchmaking. The golden age of mass-produced self-winding movements had begun. 400 patents and 1,242 calibres The fact that watch Manufactures like to nail the notions of «tradition and innovation» to their masts is nothing new. But no other brand deserves more a claim to these epithets as much as Jaeger-LeCoultre. Based in Le Sentier, the company has managed to come up with 400 patents and 1,242 calibres in the course of its 180-year-old history.
16 – 17 | BON ANNIVERSAIRE
High precision and the revolutionary timekeeper. 180 years of Jaeger-LeCoultre. It sounds like a contradiction in terms to say that a watchmaker is ahead of his times. But it’s true in in the case of Antoine LeCoultre. He could not have laid the foundation for a revolutionary upheaval in watchmaking otherwise. A homage to the founder of Jaeger-LeCoultre. People can argue about what they think are the greatest inventions until the cows come home. Watches are a good example. The name of Antoine LeCoultre immediately comes to mind. In the 19th century this bright self-taught mind tinkered about with the toothed wheels of time and found himself ushering in the golden age of Swiss watch-making history. The young innovator soon realised that the true value of a timepiece depended decisively on the quality of its gears. But
The icon with second sight Jaeger-LeCoultre’s doubtlessly most famous watches continue to be called «Atmos» and «Reverso». «Atmos», the worldfamous table clock, draws its energy from tiny fluctuations in the ambient temperature – a work of art with remarkable endurance. Given regular care and maintenance, the movement has a service life of at least 600 years according to Jaeger-LeCoultre. Incidentally, it’s also one of the official gifts which Switzerland has presented to its state guests for over 50 years. «Reverso», on the other hand, has been enthralling keen watchmaking aficionados for over 80 years. It’s the definitive Jaeger-LeCoultre icon. The attractive and sporty watch swiftly became a great art deco classic, a cultural trend combining all the qualities of sophistication, craftsmanship and aesthetic clarity as well as the unbridled desire to celebrate. «Hommage à Antoine LeCoultre» The current models in the anniversary collection «Hommage à Antoine LeCoultre» commemorate the founder and inventor who secured an inviolable market position for the Manufacture and whose motto: «Never be satisfied with the first result» still remains true today. The future begins with a reinterpretation of the past.
18 – 19 | EXPEDITION
Othmarschen, you arrive at the home of Hamburg’s high society. Villas on the Elbe slopes with ancient trees, ladies out walking with pearl ear rings and Burberry trench coats, that kind of thing. At the top of the Elbe causeway is the Jenisch Park, perhaps Hamburg’s prettiest patch of green, built in the style of an English country park. The tiny café in the Villa «Jenischhaus» is a wonderful place to meet over a slice of cake and Frisian tea, to gaze under a huge oak tree over the slope and marvel at the Elbe (and to let the Golden Retriever off the leash). The venerable «Louis C. Jacob» hotel towers above the river a few kilometres further to the west. Every evening, leading chef Thomas Martin demonstrates why he has received his second Michelin star at the same place where Max Liebermann, the artist, once lived and painted 100 years ago. Blankenese follows a little further on. The most beautiful
Everything flows. In Hamburg on the Elbe. Ah, all the sheer delights of all those destinations: fine dining in Paris, shopping in London, galleries in New York. Equally, Hamburg’s astounding array of districts offers a series of nonstop surprises in an incomparably Hanseatic atmosphere. Text Verena Carl Photos Sebastian Warneke, Mediaserver
Hamburg, Verena Carl She always plays the same trick on me around mid-November each year. I look through the window each morning but there’s nothing outside. Apart from a thick, impenetrable fog – just like a Camusian «La Chute». But after 15 years in my favourite city I’m no longer the sucker. I’m not a spoilsport, and so I gently coax her: Come on out of there! Show yourself! You’re my darling! Naturally she does me this one favour. She takes off one shrouded veil after the other until she stands before me in all her autumnal glory. In a dress made of shimmering colours and the glittering waters of the River Elbe, on which thick ice floes will be drifting in only a few weeks’ time. My adopted city by the waterside has often experienced tears in rain – and so have I. You might call that a spiritual affinity. But there’s another reason why after passing through many stations in life I decided to drop anchor here. For there are few cities in which so many completely different worlds exist side by side within such a compact area. A city where change is the only constant, which has been doing away with the old and creating the new for centuries. It all adds up to a colourful and dynamic experience which generates its very own special energy. From the dune beach to the hi-tech quarter The journey of discovery starts at the museum harbour of Neumühlen, along the «Övelgönne» path by the river, where the old captains’ cottages still stand, higgledy-piggledy yet enchanting nonetheless. Further up the River Elbe, towards
20 – 21 | EXPEDITION
walk is through the Hesse Park and the almost Italianate «Treppenviertel» down to the path by the river. Order a mug of mulled wine from a street vendor, drink in the North Sea atmosphere on the sand dunes and forget that the city is all around you. Because it definitely is – to an astounding degree. Take a ferry ride upriver towards the centre and your head starts spinning at the vistas which start to open up. It’s difficult to think of a place that could be more urban than this. For example, there’s the island of Wilhelmsburg on the southern side of the Elbe: After decades of slumbering in the shadows it’s as if the revitalised district has suddenly woken up. Now completely “in”; it’s the darling of the city planners, a laboratory for architects. From the luxury eco house with its façade of algae to the floating apartment – those curious about how people will be living in the future can’t afford not to visit Wilhelmsburg. Even more spectacular is the second completely redeveloped area known as «Hafen City» («Harbour City»), right in the heart of Hamburg, next to the jetties and landing stages. Gaze at the luxurious condominiums and one of Europe’s most controversial building sites, the «Elbphilharmonie», designed by star architects Herzog & de Meuron – with costs as astronomical
as the public interest displayed in the project. Guided tours of the building site are frequently booked up months in advance. St. Pauli, the legendary amusement strip, is only a stone’s throw away from here. A bit tacky, surely? Isn’t St. Pauli a bit run down? Well, it was. But the area around the Reeperbahn has gone through a very pretty makeover in recent years. Take the new «Empire Riverside» for example, where Friday and Saturday night revellers queue for the lift that takes them up to a coveted seat in the «20 Up» bar. Meet the world on the 20th floor above a flashing, flickering and pulsating sea of lights. Here, Hamburg is a city that never sleeps. O là là: Parisian chic in Eppendorf Ready for a new trip? OK, let’s start at the Deutsches Schauspielhaus, the theatre directly opposite the main railway station. Its legendary status is in no small part due to former artistic directors such as Gustaf Gründgens and stage directors such as Peter Zadek. In recent years, however, its star has waned in the light of its rival, the Thalia theatre. The 2013/2014 season here witnesses the debut of young artistic director Karin Beier, who also wishes to take on the role of stage director for various productions – Hamburg’s culture enthusiasts await the results with interest. Right behind the theatre is the start of the «Lange Reihe» – the main shopping street in the St. Georg district and the place where Hamburg stages its most colourful show. The Hanseatic port goes San Francisco. Designer shops with rainbow flags, French brasseries and cosy boutique hotels such as the new «The George» by the Alster: everyone loves the «gay chic» of the district – not just the male couples walking hand in hand down the street, but also the banker with his wife, or girlfriends out for a stylish experience. Still hankering after something completely different? Then head north-west, preferably on foot, once around the half of the Alster, the dammed Elbe tributary in the heart of the city. Check to see whether the Alster swans are already in their winter quarters, watch the well wrapped-up yachtsmen and rowers, and then warm yourself up again in the café at the «Literaturhaus» villa – you might be in Paris. Well, almost. Actually, you’re in in Eppendorf. But you could be forgiven for confusing the two. Enjoy magnificent «Gründerzeit» buildings in the style of those surrounding the Champs Elysées, plushy patisseries (like the «Petit Café» in the Hegestrasse), the enticing weekly market in the Isestrasse or stylish boutiques such as «Anita Hass», where actresses, footballer WAGs and other fashionistas make themselves chic for winter with Isabel Marant boots and Chloé dresses. Finally, on the way back towards the Elbe, you could easily start to think that the city has much in common with the trendy districts in London or New York: young, oddball, leftfield and improvised. Those with a fondness for shabby chic will feel at home in Eimsbüttel, in the Karolinenviertel and in Ottensen, where mothers with flea market prams dominate the pavements. But above all in the Schanzenviertel. In the mornings, creatives dressed in flea market outfits flock in droves to their Internet agencies. At night the sound of edgy punk rock
pervades ramshackle pubs – and only a street away, young «high potentials» meet up for a premium 200 g steak in the «Bullerei», the latest project from TV chef Tim Mälzer in the old abattoir («Rinderschlachthalle»). The street café season starts up again here by March at the latest. Loungers are set up on the pavements in the shared hope that Hamburg will soon enjoy a good summer. But that’s a completely different story.
22 – 23 | EXPEDITION
Lunch with art: Hamburg’s most beautiful museums and exhibitions Often the most untruthful clichés are precisely the ones that prove to be the most persistent. Above all there’s that story about the sacks of pepper: Apparently Hanseatic merchants prefer the sight of a healthy balance sheet to works of art. Nonsense! Patronage and sponsorship of the arts is alive and kicking in Hamburg. Some of Germany’s most thrilling museums are located around the city centre – diversity in a compact space, in keeping with the spirit of the city. Small but superb is a good way to describe the «Bucerius Kunst Forum» at Rathausmarkt, sponsored by the Gerd Bucerius Foundation. Bucerius, who passed away in 1995, was the publisher of «Die Zeit», Germany’s flagship weekly newspaper. The exhibition may be small, but there’s all the more space for you to look, be amazed and understand the exhibits. Things get quite sumptuous this winter: The exhibition «Dionysos – Rausch und Ekstase» («Dionysus – Intoxication and ecstasy», until 12 January) shows how painting in the modern age connects to visual themes of the ancient world: under the title «Pompeji – Götter, Mythen, Menschen» («Pompeii – Gods, myths, people»), the museum presents ancient wall paintings from the Naples National Archaeological Museum (until 11 January). What’s more, the «Hamburger Kunsthalle» is a place to indulge in some intriguing time travel. The permanent exhibition includes the famous copper engravings cabinet and works by important contemporary figures such as the media artist Jenny Holzer and the sculptor Thomas Schütte in addition to an extensive collection of works by photo artists (Andreas Gursky, Candida Höfer). The current highlight is an
exhibition of works by Hamburg-born artist Eva Hesse, who created filigree sculptures out of polyester, glass fibre and latex in the 1960s (29 November to 2 March). And here’s an idea for a rainy day: the «Kunsthalle» is offering two-in-one «Art & Cube» packages with a guided tour and lunch in the restaurant «The Cube» (Sat & Sun, 10.30 am to 2.30 pm, call (0)40 428 54 26 11 for reservations). From here it’s only a short walk to the «Deichtorhallen» on the other side of the main railway station where you can admire modern art in three historical warehouses, each of which dates back to the late 19th century «Gründerzeit»; the emphasis is on photography. Also worth visiting is the exhibition by fashion photographer Guy Bourdin (until 26 January), whose fashion shoots have had a decisive influence on the style of star photographers such as David LaChapelle. But Hamburg wouldn’t be Hamburg unless it offered a thrilling contrast to the official art programme: The second edition of the «Affordable Art Fair» will be held at the exhibition centre («Messegelände») in November. It serves a meeting punkt for all actual and aspiring collectors. The underlying concept is to be younger, wilder and more offbeat – all of the artworks on display cost no more than € 5,000. A third of the exhibiting galleries are based in Hamburg itself, a further third are located in other parts of the German-speaking countries. The rest of them are situated in non-German speaking venues abroad. And because art and fun are inseparable, the DJ syndicate «Late View» presents house, disco and R&B in the exhibition halls once a week. Details: An all-in-one visitor’s pass for the Bucerius Kunst Forum, Kunsthalle and Deichtorhallen as well as the Kunstverein Hamburg and Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe in addition to information about current exhibitions is available from www.museumsmeile-hamburg.de; the «Kunstmeilenpass» (€ 29.00) can be purchased online. Affordable Art Fair: 14-17 November 2013 in the Hamburger Messehallen; details at affordableartfair.com/hamburg.
Hamburg in winter 2013/2014 Literature 26 – 28 November: «Nordic Literature Days» at the Literaturhaus – Scandinavia’s top authors from Per Olov Enquist to Jostein Gaarder prove that their repertoire extends far beyond the genre of Swedish detective thrillers. Address: Schwanenwik 38, 22087 Hamburg Call (0)40 2270 20 11 www.literaturhaus-hamburg.de Music Bach Year 2014: A series of events and concerts will be held to commemorate the 300th birthday of Carl Philip Emanuel Bach, the second oldest son in the Bach family of musicians, at significant places in his life and work – with Hamburg as a key venue (visit www.cpebach.de for details of schedule). Guided tours of the Elbphilharmonie concert hall building site: Possible every weekend, please book well in advance.
For details, visit the website at www.elbphilharmonie.de/ elbphilharmonie-fuehrungen.de. Call (0)40 3576 66 66. Theatre Eagerly awaited: the premiere of «Die Rasenden» («The Fast and Furious») in the Deutsches Schauspielhaus on 15 November. This collage of texts by Euripides, Aeschylus and Hugo von Hofmannsthal, musically accompanied by the «Ensemble Resonanz», also marks the debut of new artistic director Karin Beier as stage director. For details of performance dates, times and tickets visit or call www.schauspielhaus.de or the Ticketline (Mo to Sa, 10am – 7 pm): (0)40 24 87 13. Day spa Rahatmalak – relaxation in Turkish: Hamburg’s most beautiful and original day spa is a luxurious hamam: «Hafen Hamburg». Dream away under the oriental star dome and surrender to the delights of a soap massage before enjoying a glass of tea between Persian carpets – yep, it’s that old Suleika feeling for everyone. Prices range from € 30.00 for the basic treatment to € 180.00 for the exclusive luxury option. www.hamam-hamburg.de Call (0)40 311 08 39 90 Shopping Christmas markets: Far away from the madding mulled wine crowd, a few genuine pearls shine a light on illustrious Christmas shopping. Particularly atmospheric are the «Fleet» arts and crafts Christmas market on the «Fleet» island and its merry multicultural variant in Ottensen (on the Ottenser Hauptstrasse), with pretty stands featuring African and Asian specialities (both from 25 November to 23 December 2013) Shopping streets: «Neuer Wall» (city centre) is home to the designer shops from Chanel to Burberry – very pricy and very classy. Those in search of little labels by local designers, batty boutiques or whimsical shoe shops should best head for Weidenallee (Eimsbüttel), am Schulterblatt (Schanzen district) and the Marktstrasse (Karo district). Recommended: Cool, idiosyncratic men’s fashions, also made-to-measure, at «Herr von Eden», Marktstrasse 33 (call (0)40 439 00 57) – a preferred shopping venue for artists and showbiz celebrities.
precious materials such as gold and diamonds. «We’ve upheld this fundamental for four generations», explain Georg and Christoph Wellendorff, who took over the challenge of running the family business from their father Hanspeter at the start of the 1990s. The Pforzheim-based jewellery Manufacture has managed to achieve something which others frequently find elusive: a design that is immediately recognised at first sight, whose little diamond-set «W» not only stands for Wellendorff but also for «wahre Werte» - or «true values».
1
2
24 –25 | TRUE VALUES
The golden messenger of lover. 120 years of Wellendorff, the jewellery Manufacture. Jewellery is the perfect messenger of love. Therein resides its true value. Wellendorff, the jewellery Manufacture from Pforzheim, already realised this idea 120 years ago and elevated it to its corporate philosophy. As a child Eva Wellendorff used to enjoy playing with the curtain cords in grandmother’s salon. They were so soft and silky. Not in her wildest dreams could she have imagined that this childhood game would turn out to be the starting point for an exquisite creation which has has gone on to become the trademark of Wellendorff, the Pforzheim-based jewellery Manufacture. Years later she would still recall that supple feeling. «Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could also make a necklace with such a gentle and delicate feelon the skin?» she asked her husband Hanspeter, who in 1960 became the third Wellendorff to run the family company, one day. Although it seemed impossible for the entrepreneur to transform rigid gold into something that would truly flow, Eva’s idea aroused his inventive imagination. The goldsmith and his staff took two years to perfect the technique in their Pforzheim workshop – and then it was born: the Wellendorff rope, woven from wafer-thin, 160 metre long and interwoven threads of 18-carat gold. A token of love whose magic moment lasts forever… «In fact, right up to today whenever I put on the necklace and feel the gold caressing my skin» says Eva with sparkling delight. A rope as a synonym The rope also became a synonym for the corporate philosophy which runs like a golden thread through the 120 years of the company’s history. For Wellendorff, jewellery has always been the evident truth of a dream which company founder Ernst Alexander Wellendorff started to make true in 1893. People continue to feel committed to his vision of perfect jewellery made to the highest standards of the goldsmith’s art with
Enamel spinning band rings Each generation has contributed to the success of today’s family-run company. And for Christoph Wellendorff love was the driving force which inspired him to achieve a further milestone. The marketing supremo wished to surprise Iris, his bride-to-be, with a very special piece of jewellery on her wedding day. «I really wanted to go my own, completely new way on this one» he recalls. «At some stage there was this idea with the enamel spinning band rings, but my father strongly advised me against it because the material can quickly burst.» Even so, the intensity of the colours and the intrinsic energy of this material continued to fascinate him. They finally discovered that cold enamel would be just the right material. A new classic was born – just like the Wellendorff rope, it was a message of love enlaced with lots of devotion and passion. Picture 1: From left to right: Hanspeter Wellendorff, Georg Wellendorff, Claudia Wellendorff, Eva Wellendorff, Christoph Wellendorff Picture 2: 1893 – Company founder Ernst Alexander Wellendorff in Pforzheim
26 – 27 | LEGEND
Champagne Charlie is back. Who and above all what are the names of the people behind the bubbly wines which christen Formula 1 winners, are absolutely indispensable for ship naming ceremonies and which
inspire a constantly growing world of connoisseurs around the globe? After a change of ownership, the champagne establishment of Charles Heidsieck goes in search of the exceptional. Text Christian Göldenboog Photos Charles Heidsieck
Heidsieck – the name stands for a very special history and exceptional tale of adventure: Born in Borgholzhausen near Bielefeld in 1749, Florenz-Ludwig Heidsieck married the daughter of a wool merchant in Reims in 1785 and set up a textiles and champagne company in the same year. When Florenz-Louis died «without issue» in 1828, the family members who in the meantime had arrived from the German states went through what can only be called a «start-up frenzy: one of his nephews instigated what was to become known as the Haus Heidsieck monopoly. The widow of a second nephew remarried. Her new spouse was Henri Piper, and so the Piper-Heidsieck brand was born. Charles-Camille Heidsieck, the great-nephew of Florenz-Louis, then afforded himself and his brother-in-law Ernest Henriot the luxury of founding the Charles Heidsieck company in 1851. Charles-Camille later went on to become an illustrious figure in international winemaking history: He travelled through the United States with a Van Zandt gun and «hunting equipment of unmatched Parisian quality » (Harper's Weekly of 28 January 1860), selling over 300,000 bottles of bubbly – resulting in his nickname of Champagne Charlie. And as Champagne Charlie what he loved more than anything else was the South: New Orleans, Louisiana, where he had a penchant for the ladies and naked vaudeville dancers in particular. Hugh Grant cast as Charles-Camille All well and good, but the Union was pitted against the Confederacy, and at some stage Charlie came to the attention of the Union scouts – upon which he was arrested and incarcerated for months as a Confederate spy. After all, Charlie was carrying on his person letters from French producers of fabrics clearly promising support for the Confederate cause in the form of clothing and uniforms. In 1989 the life of this chevalier of fortune was filmed for US TV with Hugh Grant playing the role of Charles-Camille. The Heidseck families thrived. Their business empires boomed over the course of the next one hundred years, but at some stage the balance shifted in the direction of bankruptcy. The many family members had guzzled so much champagne that they woke up one day to find their companies had been taken over by other corporations. In 1985 the Heidsieck enterprises were sold off to the spirits group Rémy-Martin, which didn’t really have much of a clue about the champagne business, either. During this period Heidsieck lost much of its former, illustrious identity. Charles and Piper Heidsieck have recently found themselves in the ownership of the Descours family which operates a number of companies in the luxury goods segment such as the shoe manufacturers Weston and Michael Perry. The deal cost EUR 450m and the idea behind
it was to finally restore the brands to their erstwhile fame and glory. «Of course champagne is a luxury product » is how Christopher Descours defines his view of things, «but a very special one, since we are highly dependent each year on nature and whatever it throws at us». And indeed, wine harvesting conditions in Champagne vary greatly from one year to the next. 2010 and 2011 were very good years. There were many problems in 2012 due to hail and rainfall. And wine growers have also been left this year with a lot of work after various summer storms with above-average rainfall. Consequently, the basic approach adopted to champagne is «coupage»: the cellar masters use three kinds of grape as well as older reserve wines to concoct an assemblage for their «brut» without vintage,. Champagne as wine Thierry Roset has been the head of wine making operations for Charles ever since the Descours family has taken ownership of the two Heidsieck companies. The idea is to leave Piper-Heidsieck as a classic champagne – as an aperitif, for example – and to establish the Charles Heidsieck brand as an exceptional wine. Roset has been with Charles since 1988. Each year, he makes a classic assemblage from the three varieties of Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Pinot meunier. But the amazing thing about Charles Heidsieck is the exceptionally high proportion of reserve wines used for the «brut reserve», which amounts to 40%. Stored in steel tanks, each of these wines has an average age of 10 years. The resultant champagne is exceptionally vinous and complex on the palate, with hints of vanilla and nutty aromas. «Our champagne in this case has not been created for formal celebrations» Roset explains. «It’s intended more for a meal with friends.» In good wine harvest years Charles Heidsieck also produces a vintage champagne, but an intensive «Blanc de Blanc» – a champagne made solely from the coveted Chardonnay grape – takes pride of place in the product range. The idea behind the «Blanc des Millénaires» is also to create a fullbodied, complex champagne as a wine. The 1995 vintage is currently on the market. This Blanc des Millénaires is a champagne for a contemplative afternoon or a thrilling rendezvous. Very much in the spirit of the illustrious company founder.
31 | FASHION ICON
Success is a question of attitude. Tom Ford – the fortune-teller of fashion. Perfection for this man isn’t just some empty word: US designer Tom Ford discovered the ins and outs of the fashion business years ago. His current quest is for absolute harmony. Text Stephan Hilpold Photo Tom Ford
«I guess I’m one of those people who are pretty good at doing a whole lotta things but I ain’t perfect in any of ’em.» There’s always a hint of self-effacement whenever Tom Ford talks about himself. In the 1990s the Texan fashion mogul was thought to be the very epitome of a star designer. Under his leadership, Gucci went from being a rummage table brand to becoming one of the most coveted designer labels. He also breathed new life into the Yves Saint Laurent label and was responsible for one of the most exciting advertising campaigns of the past 20 years. Ford has been an all-rounder right from the start. A control freak who wants to have the last word about every detail. And who has an opinion on just about everything. Sexiness, sure, but now with a sense of balance Ford has probably exerted the greatest influence on the image of designers in recent decades. Nowadays, producing fashion isn’t just a matter of coming up with wonderful designs. You have to create a picture, arouse desires and then design an image. He’s been doing this with his own brand since 2006. What started off with select perfumes for Estée Lauder has now become a veritable lifestyle universe, built on concepts such as exclusiveness and distinction. The sexiness which made his designs at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent so provocative
32 | FASHION ICON
has yielded to a greater formality. «Hey look, I’m 51 years old. When I worked as a designer for Gucci I was 33. What interests me today is finding a greater sense of balance.» This is evident when you take a look at Ford’s latest suits or dresses. At first glance, they’re no longer recognisable as Ford creations. Those in the know might give a cursory nod, but extravagance is no longer a category which appears to have any major importance for the designer who commutes between London, Los Angeles and Santa Fe. Instead, Ford has become particularly fond of using notions such as restraint and harmony. Perceptibly passionate Anyone who goes to one of his flagship stores between London, New York, Milan or Zürich immediately realises that all this has nothing to do with minimalism: marble meets exquisite, dark woods; heavy upholstered furniture encounters lockable wardrobes. Ford’s universe still wallows in the most sumptuous fabrics and materials. Nothing is left to chance here – perfection has been attained to such a degree that, good Lord, it’s almost painful. The same is also true of Ford’s debut as a film director. In 2009 he made «A Single Man», a screen adaptation of Christopher Isherwood’s eponymous novel, with Colin Firth playing the lead. A film like a lifestyle catalogue, but with raw emotions seething below the smooth surface. A bit like Ford’s fashions, accessories and fragrances. His sense of perfection always has depth and his notion of beauty always has an underlying dimension – a search for harmony that captivates his followers.
33 | COLLECTION
HUBER WATCHES JEWELLERY Pretty companions The golden age of jewellery. Men’s Casual Watches Get out there on the slopes. Women’s Watches Time dressed up, beautifully.
34 | ESSAY
Extravaganza! Saving and cutting back are deemed to be a virtue. But they won’t get you very far in a world of diversity. Why we should spend more, not less. Text Wolf Lotter Photos Adolf Bereuter
One of the world’s 100 greatest works in world literature is Scott Fitzgerald’s «The Great Gatsby», first published in 1925. This year marks the release of the fifth cinematic version of
the novel, with Leonardo DiCaprio in the starring role. Previous adaptations have never been quite as exuberant, splendid or colourful as this one. You find yourself immersed in the Golden Twenties – and become an eye-witness to the lavish parties which Gatsby throws in his mansion on Long Island. The whole of New York society is there. Simply contemplating the dizzying costs is painful! The «Great» before Gatsby means grandiose. Gatsby seriously goes to town. Is that so bad? His guests would probably take a different view. As would the suppliers of champagne, caviar and the musicians and dancers who were hired for the parties. The same applies to the producer of luxury items, and of course his staff, and naturally the tax authorities who take a big a big slice of the pie. But don’t we all know how the story ends? Gatsby is shot, fatally, and the Golden Twenties are set to come to an abrupt with the Wall Street Crash and the global recession. Is that a «just and deserved punishment»? Of course it isn’t. That would be superstitious nonsense. Luxury and extravagance are not exclusively reserved to the Great Gatsby – they’re part and parcel of who we are as people. First: extravagance has nothing to do with squandering. We squander our money and resources when we invest them in things we have come to recognise as being wrong or obsolete. In too much bureaucracy, for example, which becomes an end in itself. Extravagance, on the other hand, means that you can cut through to diversity and complexity. You can get as much as you possibly can from the world. The simple fact is that austerity isn’t good for anyone. And cutting back isn’t much of a solution, either, particularly at times of crisis. A business doesn’t cut back: it invests. Good extravagance follows precisely this idea: it doesn’t simply mean you throw your money or talent out of the window. It means you make as much out of them as possible. An extravagant approach towards capability and creativity has always been a characteristic feature of all luxury products. Saving is a concept that has arisen from the economy of scarcity. It is a concept from the past. Naturally, it’s true that scarcity has been a defining feature of much of human history. Privation was once the order of the day, but whether that was desirable or intended is a completely different kettle of fish. And hasn’t it always been the case that those with nothing wanted to achieve something better? Today, it’s very easy to spout our supposedly highbrow critiques of consumerism. But the consumer society has established justice for many people – far more than many political theories. So the idea that the expression «affluent society» has a negative ring to it is our own fault. For it isn’t the great range of products and services which is intrinsically «bad». What’s «bad» about all this is our still underdeveloped capability to decide what is precisely «good» for us. Extravagance and surplus affluence challenge us to find out exactly what this «good» actually is. After all, who really wants to return to the alternative of shortages and poverty? What do we have to do? Well, first off, we have to reappraise our values. Are these compatible with our capabilities
and goals? Are we ready to move to a higher level of complexity – or remain stuck in an omniscient and prevalent mind-set of austerity, cut-backs, slashing and pruning? Are we prepared to take a chance and strive for a better world? Or would we prefer to save, regardless of the real costs? Capitalism originated in the centres of northern Italy and southern France over the course of the 13th century. Ateliers were established to produce luxury items for the affluent classes. During the Renaissance, hitherto unimaginable sums of money were expended on extravagance. It comes as no coincidence that this period is considered a new beginning after the dark and (necessarily) extremely parsimonious Middle Ages. In the Baroque period – a byword for lavishness – more money was spent on building monasteries and convents in Bavaria than on the entire process of German reunification since 1989. And which places embody sustainability more than Rome, Florence, Paris, London, St. Petersburg and Vienna. Would financial controllers and cost-cutters have agreed to the construction of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome? Or, for that matter, to the Louvre? Incidentally, the native American Indians who once lived on the same Long Island where Gatsby later held his parties with such wild abandon had their own celebration, their own festival, which they called «Potlach». Guests were showered with gifts on such occasions, with an extravagance which was good because it was considered important to do good to others. And Mother Nature is always extremely generous. She never scrimps on the side. Millions of cherry pollen are carried along the air simply in order to produce just a few new cherry trees. Extravagance always means the determination to experiment and try something new. In fact, it’s the driving force behind everything new. And that is – and remains – a grandiose, awesome thought.
37 | COLLECTION Gold Rush Necklace, bracelets, earclips and interwined gold rings with brilliants by Huber Private Label
38 – 39 | COLLECTION Pearls of Light South Sea cultured pearl chains in white or gold Ring and earrings with pearls and brilliants Arm jewellery with brilliants by MIMI and Huber Private Label
35 | COLLECTION Brilliant Jewellery Necklace with 900 brilliants Bracelet with 385 brilliants Moveable and supple ring with 324 brilliants Diamond-set earrings with 230 brilliants by Huber Private Label
Pure Sensuality Set comprising a necklace, bracelet and ring with pastel quartz cabochons in green and light brown (prasiolite and smoky quartz) Jewellery ring with diamonds in white, cognac and brown by Huber Private Label
thusiasts appreciate the rotating second hands because they show that everything is working correctly. In addition to the dial and hands, the wristwatch case is also key, fully in keeping with the idea of that everything comes with time. Ostentatious displays of opulence are definitely out of place in business, cultural or social life. The imperative of the hour is elegance, with a restraint reduced to the essentials. Simple, purist or even minimalist. Ultimately it’s an approach which can melt the hearts of event the proudest and most discerning women.
40 – 41 | COLLECTION Colours of Love Decorative rings with coloured gemstones by Huber Private Label Purple Rain Necklace und ear rings with tanzanite, kunzite and brilliants in white gold Abstract bangle and ring with amethyst and brilliants in white gold by Huber Private Label
The red gold «Classic Fusion Tourbillon King Gold Opalin» perfectly embodies the Hublot philosophy: clear lines, high recognition value and top-class watchmaking mechanics. Visible from the front, the movement with tourbillon was naturally produced in-house by Hublot. This edition is limited to 99 copies. The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date with the days of the week displayed in full has been available solely in gold or platinum since 1956. For the new version with the Manufacture movement 3155 featuring an automatic self-winding mechanism, Rolex has also created a 36 mm case, watertight down to 100 m, from a block of solid gold. The Jaeger-LeCoultre «Reverso» may be 82 years old but it has managed to preserve its youthfulness. In fact, the «Grande Reverso Ultra Thin Duoface» stands only 9.14 mm high. Hours, minutes and seconds are on the front; the back reveals a second time zone. The manual winding calibre 854/1 consists of 180 components. Elegant restraint meets pedigree craftsmanship in the case of the Chopard «L.U.C 1937 Classic». The discreet rosé gold case contains the new automatic calibre with a stop-seconds function for precise time adjustments. An official chronometer certificate confirms the astounding accuracy of the movement. Patek Philippe’s white gold «Gondolo» Ref. 5200 keeps valuable time with its shapely manual winding calibre 28-20 REC 8J PS IRM C J. The mechanical oeuvre with an 8-day power reserve offers accurate – leaping! – indications of the date and day of the week at midnight.
42 – 43 | MEN'S CLASSIC WATCHES
MELTING THE HEARTS OF EVEN THE PROUDEST WOMEN What kind of a watch does a man really need? How many hands should revolve in front of the dial? Strictly speaking, two are more than enough: one for the hours and another for the minutes. After all, very few people have missed flights or trains for the sake of a few seconds. And many watch en-
Cartier is an expert in the design and art of watchmaking. Proof of the horological pudding is the circular «Rotonde De Cartier Annual Calendar», made of red gold. Its automatic movement powers a calendar with optimum visibility. Manual corrections are only necessary at the end of February. Excellent! A highly realistic three-dimensional moon revolving around the dial at the «1 o’clock» position is the outstanding USP of De Bethune’s «DB25s». The mechanical movement can run for six days at a stretch. The white gold case with 61 blue baguette sapphires measures 40 mm. Total weight is 5.29ct.
The classic and contemporary «Transocean» range is enhanced with a new, easy-to use timepiece for travellers. This Breitling limited edition comes in red gold and in steel with a guilloche dial and case back window revealing the Manufacture calibre B04. Collectors truly appreciate vintage Tudor chronographs from the 1970s. Those who lost out on this experience can immediately see what they’ve been missing with this faithful reinterpretation of the «Heritage Chrono Blue» and its automatic movement. The 42 mm steel case with rotating bezel withstands diving depths of up to 150 metres.
44 – 45 | MEN'S CASUAL WATCHES
I'M SINGING IN THE RAIN Sure, it’s clear: current trends are towards enjoying an allround sport and spa experience. Obviously, you need to have the right wristwatch for both. Whether in the gym, on the golf course, the tennis court or football field, whether it’s a matter of surfing, diving or mountain biking, there’s a wide choice of timepieces for each of these activities. In any case, your watch needs to be water-resistant up to 10 atm – how else could you sing in pouring rain?! Other details are open to debate. The choice of mechanical or quartz is up to you. Those who love their ticking jewel will want to preserve it, whenever possible, from hard knocks despite dynamic shock absorption systems. Incidentally, sportiness and precious metals are not necessarily a mutually exclusive combination. The point is: these materials are softer than steel or titanium. So beauty can easily take a battering when things get really rough. But as everyone knows, true beauty outshines everything.
Musically, Pink Floyd explored the moon in 1973. Omega’s «Speedmaster Professional Chronograph» actually played an important part in the mission to this inhospitable area and interprets this with the black ceramic model: «The Dark Side of the Moon» featuring the exclusive proprietorial OMEGA coaxial calibre 9300. The Portuguese family of IWC Schaffhausen needs no further introduction. The latest stylish addition comes in the form of the Portuguese Chronograph Classic with IWC Manufacture calibre 89361. It features a cambered sapphire crystal edge, ratchet control of the chrono features, a flyback function, and. at «6 o’ clock», 68 hours of power reserve plus a date display. TAG Heuer’s «Carrera Calibre 36 Chronograph Flyback 43mm» times events to a tenth of a second: the exclusive automatic calibre 36 which has been built into the steel case comes from Zenith, TAG Heuer’s sister company, and the balance spring of the so-called «El Primero» with 50 hours of power reserve completes 36,000 half-oscillations an hour.
The Rolex Cosmograph Daytona turns 50 this year – a great reason to produce a great chronograph with a 4130 Manufacture movement calibre. The case and strap for the Cosmograph Daytona are made of solid platinum and the chestnut brown Cerachrom monobloc tachymeter bezel can withstand all kinds of scratches. Want to dive below water with a clear conscience? Then the Panerai «Luminor Submersible 1950 2500m 3 Days Automatic Titanio» is just right for you! The titanium case with rotating bezel and helium valve easily withstands up to 250 atm pressure and the P.9000 calibre was designed in-house. 46 – 47 | WOMEN’S WATCHES Breguet pays homage to the innovativeness of its founder with the red gold chronograph «Type XXII». Its automatic calibre with flyback function indicates a second time zone. Special features: a 10Hz balance spring frequency and an oscillation and escapement system made of futuristic silicon.
BEI MIR BIST DU SCHÖN What do good ladies’ watches look like today? Certainly not like they used to: all small, dainty, playful and gold-coloured trinkets set with a couple of gemstones, of course. Not any
more, thank heavens! Modern, discerning and successful women don’t wait around for gifts. Sometimes they like to give themselves a special treat. Above all, they don’t want to hide their hedonism in anything inconspicuous or unprepossessing. Their wristwatches can easily be somewhat larger. They don’t have to be circular. Product designers have good ears, so they’ve heard the message. Beauty here is only one of the considerations. Functionality and expressiveness are two others. As you can see from the examples here, when everything falls perfectly into place on your wrist, what you have is the difficult squaring of the circle. Ladies, what more could your hearts desire?
was redesigned in 2013. It now has a more elegant profile and a longer silhouette: the quintessence of the Chanel style.
Today’s successful businesswoman is always at home in two time zones with «Travel Time». Adjustments are exceptionally easy. The superfine movement with the Patek Philippe quality seal likes to be manually wound up once a day. 50 – 51 | GOURMET Ladies with a fondness for Rolex should take a closer look at the new 29 mm Oyster Perpetual Lady-Datejust Pearlmaster in 18ct Everose gold. The Manufacture has set the white gold bezel with 34 brilliant cut diamonds. Obviously, the automatic movement is an officially certified chronometer. Breguet’s «Reine de Naples» has taken the hearts of elegant and discerning women pretty much by storm, as it were. The oval steel case of the model depicted here contains a perfect and meticulously finished automatic movement. Hour and minute hands revolve in front of an exquisite mother-of-pearl dial. With the best will in the world, no-one can resist the sight of Hublot’s 41 mm «Big Bang Black Fluo Pink» on a lady’s wrist. Technically, this is an automatic chronograph; visually, a chronometric manifesto with an inimitable radiance thanks to its 2.36ct gemstones. The edition is limited to 250 copies. Chopard celebrates the 20th anniversary of «Happy Sport», its feminine watch icon. Its trademark signature: seven inlaid diamonds can move freely above the dial between two sapphire crystals. Naturally, the same is true of the steel «Medium Automatic» with its 36 mm case diameter and a mechanical movement featuring a self-winding mechanism. Omega has now made its innovative co-axial escapement «socially acceptable» for ladies’ watches. The invention of the English watchmaker George Daniels animates the automatic movement of the «DeVille Prestige» with its white, diamondset mother-of-pearl dial and additional brilliants on the bezel. Also worth pointing out: the white gold case measures just 33 mm. Chanel’s «Première» has gleamed on women’s wrists ever since it was first launched in 1987. Inspired by the octagonal geometry of the Chanel No 5 stopper and the shape of the Place Vendôme, this watch is completely unique. The icon
Flying on the wings of an eagle to a culinary Olympus. Even better than eating at home! A visit to the Adler in Fläsch. The tables in the pleasant restaurant are set very simply, without any fuss. Even so, Gault Millau awarded it 14 points in its very first year. Restaurant reviewers have lavished praise on René Lampart with praise ever since he took over the Adler in Fläsch in 2010. Text Irmgard Kramer Photo Adler
Swallows swish above the rooftops. Cold carrot and ginger juice is served under awnings in an ancient little lane. Cutlery rattles. Customers dip bread in olive oil, talk, laugh and savour their experience. «Oh, you must try this!» Otherwise: silence. A young lad pushes a handcart past the entrance. Cyclists. A pipe-smoking hiker is out taking his dog for a walk. Two children play some game in the lane. Not a single car. Only a bus which plies its way from Bad Ragaz to Maienfeld. Before you know it, here’s Heidi with her Grandpa walking through the thoroughfare. A playful approach A smell of fried watermelon, with tuna sushi, cream cheese and rocket salad wafts from the plate. René created this starter because the melons at today’s market looked so fresh. He may not have tasted it, but he knows it’ll be fine: his imagination has truly blossomed and sharpened over the course of many years. He already knows what works. And he likes to play. To stay flexible, lunch options are chalked up on a board, not on a rigid menu. René eats with his three employees – a chef and two service staff – before the first customers arrive. One of his em-
ployees is his companion Birgit Grünbacher. They first met in Kitzbühel. «We’re a small business, so everyone lends a hand, from washing and cleaning up to polishing glasses». In summer, Birgit has to negotiate two narrow stairwells – with full plates, obviously. Today’s main course is boiled fillet of beef – «Tafelspitz» – which melts on the mouth, with crunchy green beans and potatoes from the farm next door. The chanterelles were picked by a pensioner from the village who was out early in the wood today – two kilos are enough. A gentle man René appears quite modest and relaxed. Originally, he wanted to travel the world as a ship’s cook. But he prefers life here. True, he’d secretly like to have his own little restaurant in the vineyard. But he’s not too bothered. What matters is that his guests are satisfied. He grew up in Lucerne. René has wanted to be a cook from the age of five, so he helped his mother make Christmas cookies – «Weihnachtsguetzli» - and became a baker. For dessert today he’s serving chocolate cake with apricot panna cotta, orange glacé and roast pumpkin seeds. Wow, you can taste his talent! He didn’t like the working hours in the bakery so he trained to become a chef in Emmenbrücke. A head of state arrives René doesn’t welcome his customers until his kitchen is spick and span. Two of his customers are a married couple from Frankfurt – they own an apartment in Bad Ragaz. They hiked through the vineyards near Maienfeld before showing up here. «The Adler is always our favourite destination after a hike». Great minds think alike – like the events manager who wanted to get a table for a head of state one Sunday. But the few tables were already reserved. René sent the entire entourage off on a walk. After two hours they came back, eight of them, including photographers. «Two bodyguards were allowed to eat, too, while two others stood guard», René says with a grin as he serves espresso accompanied by mascarpone mousse, «Spitzbube» jam biscuits and hazelnut wafers. The wine harvest is approaching. It keeps the village on its toes. As soon as the fog creeps through the bare vines and the first snowflakes fall from the sky, René will be taking his veal cutlet with lemon and garlic out of the oven and warming both the stomachs and hearts of his customers.
52 – 53 | BACKSTAGE
Nighttime heroes. On the pistes in Lech am Arlberg. Like insects with gleaming eyes, they creep night after night along Lech’s snowy slopes while visitors relax in a steam sauna, enjoy a five-course meal or drinks in a bar at the chic winter sports resort on the Arlberg. The ten men who work sometimes in snow storms and icy rain can find themselves blindly feeling their way forwards along rock edges. Why? – to ensure perfect pistes can be handed over to holidaymakers in the morning. Text David Malik Photos Markus Gmeiner, Lech Zürs
Tourismus Hans Peter Hussl starts work after lunch. He skis down all the slopes and decides what’s to be done, then holds a briefing at 3.30 pm. Once the final inspection driver has given his OK, the giant garage gates are opened on the Kriegerhorn. Each vehicle gets a full tank of fuel. Then ten men climb into their powerful 500 hp machines and set out. «Our job is to transport the snow which skiers have shifted down the slopes during the day back up the mountain and use it to fill the storage tanks», Hussl explains. Originally from East Tyrol, he arrived in Lech in 1977, built lifts and detonated avalanches before being appointed chief, head of operations and coordinator. «Skiers can shift a lot of snow in just one day!» Snow depth sensors rely on satellite data to ensure the accuracy of the operations. Thomas is driving his snowcat on the parallel steep slope. His vehicle is attached to a cable winch. Parts of the slope are so steep that Thomas has to lash his upper body to his seat with wide belts to stop himself from falling through the windscreen. A Pluto figure bobbles on his winch mast. Each driver has a different «twisting dwarf» – his own little mascot. The 1,000 metre-long winches are dangerous. The team always puts up fences to keep skiers at a safe distance. «It’s easier to rein in cattle», says Hussl. After closing time everyone should have left the slopes. Sometimes there are exceptions.
Anyone overlooking the cable winch is playing with their life. The shift starts at 4 am if it’s snowed during the night. Hussl constantly tracks the weather updates. What happens if there’s 10 cm of fresh snow? «It depends. Some people complain that we ruin the fresh snow when we drive over it, others say the slopes haven’t been properly groomed». Hussl gets his feedback from his wife at the ticket office. She already knows if visitors are satisfied or not. The worst thing about the job is the poor visibility. «You better be wide awake if a storm’s blowing on the Kriegerhorn at 5 am, if the snow drifts are as high as your vehicle because you’re surrounded by mountain edges.
56 – 57 | WELL BUILT
Temples of tranquillity. A contemplation of libraries. All good words in this world can be found in books, they say. And everything which man has done, thought, accomplished or been is preserved in the pages of books. These valuable treasures across the generations are preserved in specially built structures solely for books and their readers. 54 | BACKSTAGE
Text Othmar Walchhofer Photo Kraufmann/Harms, Stadt
Stuttgart All our experience counts for nothing unless we stay focused on our work», Hussl explains. Thomas agrees. «I start to get worried if I can’t see anything. Anyone who doesn’t admit that is already a dead man». Under normal weather conditions the drivers sit in their vehicles for nine hours at a stretch. This can easily extend to 12 hours in poor weather. They only get out to refuel. There are no breaks. «Afterwards you know what you’ve achieved». Tired, they meet up in the staff building on the Kriegerhorn. The first to get back warms up the goulash which someone has fetched in his snowcat from the works canteen down in Lech. The ten men live under one roof, alone on the mountain, for the entire season. It’s no easy business. «You have to stick at it», says Hussl. «The lads today have become used to their mothers clearing away their coffee cups». He often hears remarks along the lines of: «I came here to drive snowcats, not to do the bloody washing-up!» For Hussl, working in a squirrel cage over an entire season can sometimes get tiring. «We work a lot but our efforts have completely vanished by June». Even so, when he notices how delighted people are by the wonderfully groomed slopes it’s clear why he likes his job. In summer it’s as if he’s on holiday, because then he only works 9 to 5.
Libraries enrich the city – in Stuttgart As the knowledgeable heart of any institution, libraries assume a particular importance whenever they open up opportunities for social education in addition to merely lending books. This concept has been implemented by the Stuttgart City Library with its recently built main edifice on Mailänder Platz. It received the «library of the year 2013» award from the Federal Association of German Libraries. CNN Travel called the new building one of the «seven coolest libraries in the world». Korean architect Eun Young Yi’s design has created uproar in the socially disadvantaged area around the main railway station. 1.3 million media items can be perused by almost as many visitors. The 40 x 40 m cube with a height of 35 m deliberately goes for a contemplative «interior view». The gap in the clamshell façade (glass blocks set in reinforced concrete) with its walk-in loggias and little windows isn’t just a «coup de foudre» for visitors, but also for the people in the accounts department! Further meeting places can be found across all nine levels in the form of rooms for work and events. The philosophy of a cubist-crystalline structure is continued in the interior architecture of the building – and extends to the huge gallery reading room on levels 4-9, the all-defining core of the building. There, it’s as if Yi manages to get the library walls to speak with his restrained white colour scheme. The melody and sounds of the architecture are restricted almost solely to the aerial staircases and smart balustrades which appear to increase the
height of the room. In this sense, the promenade becomes an enticing meeting place, with subdued daylight from the large ceiling window creating a contemplative reading atmosphere. On all levels, the reading hall is enclosed by work and event rooms that host some 4,000 events a year. A sound studio leads visitors to the music technology section; the in-house «Graphothek» focuses on art education and edification, and some 2,500 works by 1,100 artists – including, above all, the graduates of the Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design – can be loaned here. In fact, drawings, etchings, collages and watercolours can be loaned for up to 8 weeks from the library – it all sounds like an all-round feast for the senses.
58 – 59 | WELL BUILT
Europe writes a chapter of history – in Melk Shortly before the Danube in the Wachau region breaks through the rock formation of the Bohemian Massif with its woods and vineyards to encounter ancient granite and gneiss ridges, it once again flows past Melk Abbey. The Benedictine retreat has followed the principle of «ora et labora et lege» («Pray and work and read») since 1089. Light, gold and solemnity – yes, the library wing of the abbey has gleamed ever since the ornate high Baroque era at the start of the 18th century. In 1731, Abbot Berthold Dietmayr commissioned Paul Troger to design the ceiling fresco in the great library. Furnished with their particular insignia and accompanied by a host of angels, the allegories of the four cardinal virtues: «sapientia» (wisdom), «iustitia» (justice), «fortitudo» (fortitude) and «temperantia» (temperance) are presented against a powdery blue sky in the Garden of Eden colours of a glittering epoch. Troger achieved a highly realistic impression of depth in his foreshortened perspectives with their pale sage greens, picturesque tender pinks, warm ochre tones and light yellows of fading jasmine bushes. The animated figures have not once interrupted their celestial dance in 282 years. Careful restoration work funded by tourism receipts covers up the ravages of time. Today, the corpus of the abbey library consists of some 100,000 items, including 1888 manuscripts and 750 incunabula (early prints up to 1500), intended for study by Benedictine monks. 16,000 books are sorted according to
«numerus currens» on the 16 shelves of the large and small library. Among the learned tomes – select bible prints, theological manuscripts, encyclopaedia and items on jurisprudence, history, geography and astronomy - researchers have also noticed a number of, well, quite frankly, profane woodcut facsimiles. Best, perhaps, to forgive and forget! History has had a major impact on Melk Abbey and the documents in its library. But the abbey has survived numerous crises and two world wars. In 1926 it was forced to auction off its copy of the Gutenberg bible, now owned by the University of Yale. What’s more, the abbey also features a meticulous documentation of the golden ages of Central European culture. The theologian Ignaz Franz Kaiblinger’s 1851 history of Melk Abbey also refers to the composer and music theorist Johann Albrechtsberger: «[He] completed his studies of the humanities in Melk, was already a masterful organist by that time, having composed several fugues and other pieces of sacred music». Albrechtsberger was inspired by the works of JS Bach, particularly in regard to counterpointing, and even passed on his knowledge about this to Beethoven. Copenhagen looks on the black side – of the Diamond Danish architecture is audacious and rich in contrasts. As Søren Kierkegaard put it: «It belongs to the imperfection of everything human that man can only attain his desire by passing through its opposite». The city of Copenhagen has always managed to defend its position as a centre of commerce in the course of European history. It was the city planner Peter Bredsdorff who shifted urban development into the surrounding countryside along finger-shaped lines in 1947 (the gaps remained preserved as grassland zones). His suburbanisation concept proved so successful that it was integrated into Danish cultural heritage policy in 2006. This policy has been pursued by the Danish Ministry of the Environment right up to today. Even so, the harbour of Copenhagen was declining in importance, so the city began to instigate a rejuvenation process, with many new buildings appearing in the 1990s. The historical centre of Copenhagen received a facelift, and the polished granite slabs on the façades of the «Black Diamond» ushered in this development. The location next to the Danish seat of government at Christiansborg could not be more prominent. For the treasures of the Danish National Library (which features the largest collection of books in Northern Europe, including a copy of the Gutenberg bible and original manuscripts of the Danish philosopher Kierkegaard), the architectural office of Schmidt, Hammer & Lassen designed a cube directly inclined towards the navigation channel of the harbour quay. Its polished external front now reflects the life and lights of a modern Scandinavian metropolis – without any glare at all. A skywalk links the cube to the historic rooms of the National Library; cool Nordic light shines into the building’s core through a glazed atrium that doesn’t distract the visitor. As with Sir Norman Foster’s design, people can also follow the various goings-on here from curved balconies. The two reading rooms situated at mid-level are shielded from the cultural vitality of the building.
in Zürich, where she takes on her assignments and commissions. A lady from Berlin, for example, wishes her holiday apartment in St. Moritz to be furnished with stools, preferably combined with waste timber oiled with buckskin and loden. «Just do it», her customer tells her.
60 – 61 | CRAFT
At home in the Alps. Summer 2013 was still hot, even at 2,000 m above sea level. Occasionally, you feel a breath of wind gusting across the Alpine meadow. Karola Geretto lies down in the midst of these idyllic surroundings and watches grasses sway in the breeze, fascinated by their play of colours. Her next commission will see her experimenting with green. Under the «Karotesoro» label she furnishes and fits chalets, hotels and apartments with her unique self-made creations: bar stools, benches, table linen, curtains, plaids and accessories. Karola spent an idyllic childhood in a large family in Styria. She painted a lot, climbed trees, built dens, helped out with the potato picking and apple harvest, picked mushrooms, played on old rugs and sewed curtains from the fabrics she got from her mother. She started off working as a qualified tour guide before falling in love with a man from Venice in Heilbronn. She moves with him to Switzerland, marries and has four children. Karola has a wide circle of friends, accompanies her husband on business trips and discovers the world. But where she likes to be most is back in the Alps – in Switzerland, Italy and Austria. The urge to design and create Karola has a passion. Friends admire the tasteful way she has furnished and decorated her apartment in Zürich. They say her garden in Styria is just like a park –age-old English Rose climbers thrive alongside hydrangea, yew and box trees. Karola makes her own pasta. No matter what she turns her hand to, she has to design, create, try things out, experiment and research new things. Clearly evident in the painting on the wall, the roses in the garden – her spaghetti! – and the curtain by the window. Now that her children are grown up she can devote her energies to what passionately interests her. She is currently outfitting the «Swisshof » hotel in Lenzerheide. With great success. Her accessories can be found in various shops. Karola conducts the financial and business part of her work
The atelier in the mountains Her head now bursting with ideas, Karola takes the road to Upper Styria. She finds the loden she’s looking for in a fabrics and loden factory that was first established in 1884. She entrusts the work to a carpenter who has leased his workshop from an abbey. Usually, he restores antiques. Karola only uses locally-sourced timber. She leaves city life firmly behind her and rents an atelier with mountain views from an old lady. «Just the walk there enables me to appreciate life at a much slower pace». The atelier offers her countless wood-carved print models, some of them over 300 years old. Apparently the old lady collects them. Printing the fabrics is a long and tricky business. Karola gives herself plenty of time to do the mixing. She stretches the fabric, prints, washes, irons and experiments. «Loden absorbs a huge amount of dye». With the fabrics now completely printed, she goes back to the carpenter, picks up the wooden frame, then takes everything to a decorator who puts the finishing touches to the end-product – he’s helped to decorate Austrian embassies all around the world, as well as the picture gallery at Vienna’s Museum of Art History. «My craftsmen are outstanding» says Karola. An interpretation of Alpine modernism «Unity is important to me» says Karola. So the bar stool has to match the tray and the table runner must complement the curtain. This is why her designs must fit into its localised context. She uses light – not vintage – linen and Mediterranean colours for her house in Italy. She wants her artworks to be authentic. After all, the grass is always greener on the other, Alpine side.
PUBLICATION DETAILS Publisher responsible for content: HUBER Watches Jewellery Im Städtle 36 9490 Vaduz Principality of Liechtenstein Concept, photo & text editing: agenturengel, Dornbirn agenturengel.eu Design: Neuland, Schaan neuland.li Contributors to this edition: Gisbert L. Brunner Verena Carl Eva Engel Christian GÜldenboog Stephan Hilpold Norman J. Huber Martin Johler Wolf Lotter David Malik Irmgard Kramer Othmar Walchhofer Cover: Photography Adolf Bereuter Make-up Susan Voss-Redfern Styling Stephan Kallaus Model Egle Jezepcikaite (Most Wanted) Retouche pixelwood Ear rings and necklace with pastel sapphires from Huber Private Label Print run: 15,000 For our customers and friends
Welcome to Huber.
Home of Fine Watches and Jewellery.
Flagship Liechtenstein Watches and Fine Jewellery Städtle 36, Vaduz Mo – Fri 9.30 am – 6 pm Sa 9.30 am – 4 pm Closed on Sundays and public holidays Open 9 .30 am – 4pm on 8, 15 and 22 December.
T +423 237 1414 F +423 237 1410 welcome@huber.li huber.li
Flagship Austria Watches and Fine Jewellery Dorf Nr. 115, Lech am Arlberg Winter 2013/14 season: 9 Dec 2013 – 26 Apr 2014
T +43 5583 3737 F +43 5583 3737-10
Mo – Sa 9.30 am – 12.30 pm 2.30 pm – 7 pm
welcome@huber-lech.at huber-lech.at
Sundays and public holidays: 3 pm – 7 pm
World of Watches Liechtenstein Rathausplatz 11, Vaduz
December 2013 to March 2014 Mo – Fr 9.30 am – 5 .30 pm
April to November 2014 Mo – Fr: 9.30 am – 6 pm
Sa, Su and public holidays: 9.30 am – 4 pm
Sa, Su and public holidays: 9.30 am – 4 pm
Closed on 1, 8, 25 and 26 Dec 2013 and on 1, 5, 12 and 19 Jan 2014.
T +423 237 1424 F +423 237 1420 welcome@huber.li huber.li
Watchmaking Atelier Rathausplatz 11, Vaduz
Your watch matters to us. Five highly skilled watchmakers offer you perfect service around the clock.
T +423 237 1414 F +423 237 1410 service@huber.li huber.li