Kultuhr Nr.44 (English)

Huber Watches Jewellery Lifestyle

Paris

Bonjour tristesse.

Louboutin

A man women love.

Wine

Kultuhr no. 44

Autumn / Winter 2014

The great French vineyards.

7 | EDITORIAL

At the start of this year I once again made an effort to invest my time in sports activities. So my trainers are already on my feet before I activate my thoughts in the early morning. Quite simply, there’s no way back. One day – I must have been quite awake already – I found myself reading, on the lift door: «There is no elevator to success.» I had run past that door at least a couple of dozen times before but never really noticed the message until that particular morning: it has gripped me ever since.

This is true not only for sport but also for everyday life. Take for example the farmer who has to nurture and maintain his crops after sowing before he can finally harvest them.

The same rules apply to today's business world. It is not the opportunity to cut a quick deal, but sustainability that interests me. Sustainability enables you to earn a customer’s most valuable asset – their trust. In this sense I should like to thank all our loyal customers for the confidence they place in us. As I mentioned above, there is no elevator to success. You have to work long and hard at it.

I wish you a wonderful autumn and a winter full of crystal clear snowflakes.

Kind regards Norman J. Huber

12 THIS & THAT Huber history.

14 WHITE CUBE An interview with interior designer Tino Zervudachi.

18 HOT SPOT Regent Porto Montenegro.

22 EXPEDITION Golden autumn in Paris.

28 BEAUTY Red lips are there to be kissed.

8 – 9 | CONTENTS

No. 44 / 2014 14 | Rooms kissed awake.

He transforms hotel rooms into luxurious havens, shops into unique showrooms, apartments and houses into retreats that convey culture, style and a feeling of security. Tino Zervudachi, the internationally successful interior designer, is fashioning the inner heart of the White Cube.

18 | Paris, mon amour.

Luis Bentele ambles through the metropolis on the Seine in search of legendary writers and takes us along with him on a visit to the fantastic scenes of old masters on a grey day in November. Virtually any city can blossom in spring. But only Paris manages to radiate the true light of autumn.

28 | Blow me a kiss.

Just about every woman in the western hemisphere owns one: the indispensable accessory for a perfect appearance.

Those who wear red lipstick can be sure of admiring glances.

A little homage to the gentle magic wand that forms a vital part of every lady’s handbag.

33 | Happy Hour.

Take a seat in our watch taxi and enjoy our chauffeur-driven ride through the watches of Manhattan in 2014. From timelessly elegant to statement pieces, from sporty dynamic models to ornate opulence, the new watches for ladies and gentlemen are more than just timepieces.

58 | Boards that mean the world.

One return ticket to popular sport, please. There’s no need to strap gaudy plastic skis on to your feet – at least not according to the world-famous ski manufacturers we visited in Switzerland and in the Black Forest. Handmade beauties for snow aficionados and aspiring ski aces.

32 PORTRAIT Keeping in time – Denise Schnider.

34 MEN’S CLASSIC WATCHES Every second counts.

38 MEN’S CASUAL WATCHES Last minute.

42 WOMEN’S WATCHES Happy hour.

48 FASHION Uplifting style from Christian Louboutin.

50 CULINARIUM The best vineyards in France.

54 BON ANNIVERSAIRE 175 years of Patek Philippe.

58 CRAFT Skis from the Alps.

62 HUBER STORES Contact details and opening hours.

a little curious is because the name Bulgari has Greek – not Italian - roots. Sotirios Boulgaris, a silversmith who came from Paramythia in Greece, opened the first Bulgari shop in Rome in 1884. The Bulgari Empire celebrates its 130th anniversary this year. This remarkable occasion is being marked with exceptional High Jewellery collections and a special cultural sponsoring initiative. Bulgari is supporting the restoration of the Spanish Steps in Rome to the tune of a million euros. In addition to exquisite jewellery Bulgari also offers high quality ladies’ and men’s watches which are available from the Huber World of Watches on Rathausplatz in Vaduz.

World of Watches at the Montfort Rankweil Golf Club.

Photo Franc 12 | IN A NUTSHELL

This & That Wine can’t keep secrets.

Photo Heribert Corn When authors start researching a subject in depth, they usually acquire a lot of expertise after a short time. They can’t be fooled. It’s probably because good journalists are like good detectives: both can smell a good story and both are downright passionate about always getting their facts straight. Luzia Schrampf is a freelance journalist, highly sought after by the media, specialised in the subject of exquisite wines. In the 1980s she studied translation sciences at the University of Vienna. In 2003 she graduated from the diploma course of the London Wine & Spirit Education Trust. She regularly writes about «her» subject for newspapers and magazines. Her articles have appeared in the Swiss German wine magazine «Vinum», in the Austrian newspaper «Der Standard», in the slow food magazine «Slow», in the Austrian wine magazine «Vinaria», in the German wine magazine «Fine» (Tre Torri Verlag, Wiesbaden), in the "Süddeutsche Zeitung", and in the «World of Fine Wine», London. What’s more, she also works as a translator, is a member of the jury at Gault Millau and at other national and international wine reviews, lectures at the Wine Academy Austria and has written several books on the subject of wine. Luzia visited France’s current best wineries on our behalf and explains how to choose the right wine on page 50.

Golf stands for dynamics and precision. It conveys values such as fairness, respect and courtesy, discipline, increases the ability to concentrate at the same time and can make you lose track of time if you play it correctly. As Lee Trevino, a US-American pro golfer, commented: «I spend so much time in the woods, I can already tell which plants are edible.» So it’s important to take the time to appreciate the beautiful and precious things in life – such as new timepieces which condense all the attributes of golf into a tiny space. That was the idea behind the mid-September presentation of the new timepieces from Huber Watches Jewellery Lech at the Montfort Rankweil Golf Club. Set inconspicuously in the Rhine Valley, the beautiful clubhouse nestles in seemingly endless greens, fields and fields, and attracted numerous guests to the presentation and the talk with Timm Delfs. After an «Apéro» on the clubhouse terrace with its views of the Swiss, Liechtenstein and Austrian mountains, the author gave an extensive presentation about superb timepieces from the labels Patek Philippe, Rolex, IWC Schaffhausen, Hublot, Panerai, Chopard and Omega. As of 6 December the precious timepieces – many of them exclusively for Vorarlberg – are once again available from Huber in Lech.

Elegance springs eternal.

130 years of Bulgari.

What united probably the most famous couple of the 20th century was not only their unique love for each other but also for a jeweller’s which has delighted the rich and beautiful with its creations for a good 130 years. «The only word Liz knows in Italian is Bulgari» – announced the proud Richard Burton, who, as everyone knows, always spent a fortune on lavish gifts for his Liz Taylor. The reason why this anecdote strikes one as

14 – 15 | WHITE CUBE

A good feeling for space and time.

An interview with interior designer Tino Zervudachi.

For Tino Zervudachi, interiors function like snail shells: they’re perfectly cut cases with feelgood qualities. As a partner of Mlinaric, Henry & Zervudachi, one of the leading interior design agencies with offices in Paris, London and New York, he knows exactly what his celebrity customers require. Zervudachi is designing the interiors of the White Cube for Norman J. Huber. A conversation about domestic dialogues, revolutionary furniture and cultural bridges.

stockpile of objects which we’ve bought over a year in the belief that our customers will probably like them.

In some ways the gallery is a showcase for our work which we usually carry out in the strictest confidence. The objects are both one-offs and limited editions that have originated in collaboration with contemporary artists, sculptors and photographers. For some interiors we work together with external art consultants if required to so at this point. But most customers purchase their own artworks. Our task is then to integrate them harmoniously into the new rooms.

Text Norman Kietzmann Photos Mlinaric, Henry & Zervudachi

Mr Zervudachi, you are one of the most influential interior designers and create villas, apartments, hotels and shops all around the world. Is there a secret formula for making a new home really feel like a home?

Obviously, it depends on the needs and aspirations of the customer. After all, each interior is tailor-made. We only very rarely receive a specific briefing – that's why it's so important to spend some time with the customer right at the start. That helps us to better understand what they really want and find out how their houses are supposed to work. So there’s always a psychological side to our work. If a dialogue is created in this way, then a project will always move in the right direction.

How flexible are you in going about this: is it a problem if someone insists on incorporating some strange heirloom into their new apartment?

No, not at all. We’re quite happy for customers to come up with their own ideas or insist that certain furniture is particularly important to them. That makes a home far more personal. In such cases we tend to assume the role of an intermediary. If the customers prefer to be guided more, on the other hand, then all suggestions come from us. A criterion that we try always to meet is to ensure a connection to the architecture.

An interior should not appear completely detached from its exterior but have some relation to the building.

The styles of your interiors range from historical to contemporary. Is there an epoch which particularly inspires you?

I have a great respect for the late 18th century in France, above all for the «Directoire» (fashion and furnishing style in the late phase of the French Revolution from 1795 to 1799, Editor’s note). Its straightforward forms are truly remarkable.

But I’m also interested in all the other periods. The important thing is that furniture and objects have their own expression and exude natural elegance.

How do you go about organising the fittings: where do you find the furniture if you don’t design it yourself?

We buy at antique shops, at markets, in showrooms or straight from collectors, depending on what we think is right for a particular project. Our agency also maintains a gallery in the Parisian Jardin du Palais Royal. There we keep a small

16 – 17 | WHITE CUBE

How did you come to interior design?

That was basically due to chance (laughs). Although I had been interested in furniture and interiors at an early age, what fascinated me more, at least at the start, was photography. When I was 18 I began working as an assistant for a photo­grapher who had specialised in interiors. So I became increasingly involved with interiors, as it were. Suddenly, I knew that was exactly what I wanted to do. I then attended a few classes in draughtsmanship and worked at an office for interior design.

And so everything took off at the start of the 1980s.

You also demonstrated your flair for spatial qualities with which you fitted out the jewellery shop for Huber in Lech am Arlberg and you’re currently planning the interior for the White Cube in Vaduz which is due to open in spring 2015.

To what extent do the two shops differ from each other?

We’re planning to create a completely different atmosphere in Vaduz than in Lech, where we interpreted alpine motifs in a contemporary way. The new shop is located in the extension of the Liechtenstein Museum of Fine Arts, the so-called «White Cube». It’s right next to the Black Cube of the previous museum. And so, for the design motif, we opted for a strong light-dark contrast to fit in with the interior of the architecture and avoid any abrupt breaks. After all, you want people to get a feel for where they actually are. In this regard I'd say that the new shop rather radiates more of an urban than alpine atmosphere. Even so, we want the architecture to emote and convey a warm and sensual feeling.

How do you intend to achieve that?

First of all, we’ve selected very warm colours and combined them with high quality exotic woods which also have a very distinctive colour, such as palm, for example. An important element is the staircase which links the ground floor to the basement. We designed it as a winding staircase with a large opening to let in as much natural light as possible in the basement and to connect the two floors. By doing so, we can preserve privacy and still provide a welcoming gesture for the public.

Have you also incorporated some of your own experiences of residential housing into this process?

Obviously, houses and apartments offer a good way of learning to understand the notions of comfort and well-being. In particular, the relationship between the spatial proportions and the light is extremely important for generating intimacy. In this case we spent quite a long time scrutinising and discussing the floor plans to find out where exactly the points of sale for watches and jewellery will be positioned. Then we tried out different surfaces for the walls, floors and furniture. Right from the outset we liaised constantly with the architects to ensure we all agreed with the technical and formal approach. Our aim was to achieve an interior design that would eventually match the exterior facts on the ground.

Mr Zervudachi, tell us a little about the way your agency works. Apart from the office you head up in Paris, the Mlinaric, Henry & Zervudachi partnership also maintains offices in London and New York.

Although the offices work independently of each other we still collaborate on major projects every now and then. Our offices in Paris and London are more or less the same size – they both have 16-18 employees. The office in New York is much smaller with four employees at the current time. When we set out on a new project, I first put together a team. Then we hold several workshops; I present my ideas and we go on to define the precise approach we intend to take. We usually begin by organising the spatial element – the room. Then we work out the colours, materials and surfaces we’ll use. We often work with quick sketches at the start. The planning becomes more precise the more a project advances. Normally, fittings, furnishings and decorations are the responsibility of one team, while the interior design is planned by another.

What projects are you working on at the moment?

We’re just designing a large townhouse in New York City and an apartment in Toronto. We’re planning more interiors in England, France, Germany, Spain and Greece. Up to now, our biggest project has been the Regent Hotel in Porto Montenegro where we furnished all the rooms, suites and apartments.

The hotel and apartment complex only opened in August. The exciting thing about this job comes precisely at this point: it enables us to work in different environments and get to know new places, cultures and people. We don’t tender bids in anonymous «concours» but receive personal commissions

from our customers. If they’re satisfied and recommend us to others, that’s the best compliment we can ever receive.

Mr Zervudachi, thank you for taking the time to talk to us.

Biography: Tino Zervudachi is passionate about bridging cultural divides. The son of a Greek father and an Irish mother grew up in London. At the age of 12 he began to discover the flea markets lining the Thames for himself and rode to Portobello Road on his bike every Saturday. He owes part of his expertise to his great uncle Peter Zervudachi, who used to own the Galerie du Lac antiques shop in Vevey, Switzerland.

Today, Zervudachi is a partner of Mlinaric, Henry & Zervudachi, one of the leading agencies for interior design with offices in Paris, London and New York. His client-base features celebrities such as Mick Jagger and Sir Evelyn de Rothschild. www.mhzlondon.com

18 – 19 | HOT SPOT

The shifting of the map.

Porto Montenegro – now given a completely new facelift, the former restricted area has become one of the largest ports of call for yachts in the Mediterranean.

Times change. Yugoslavia’s leader Tito had closed off the most beautiful section of the Adriatic Sea with a naval base for decades. Opened in early August 2014, a new hotel has now transferred the grandeur of the 19th century to the present at that spot. The Regent Porto Montenegro in Tivat has been outfitted by Tino Zervudachi, the Paris-based interior specialist, who is also designing the fittings of Huber’s jewellery outlet in the White Cube in Vaduz.

Text Norman Kietzmann Photos Regent Porto Montenegro

Clearly, the most desirable destinations on the Mediterranean shoreline have already been taken: Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Monte Carlo, Porto Cervo and Portofino, of course. But Porto

Montenegro in Tivat? The fact that the little town on the Adriatic coast doesn’t need to hide its light under a bushel is due to its very special location. «At the moment of the creation of our planet, the most beautiful merging of land and sea occurred at the Montenegrin seaside», Lord Byron once wrote about the Bay of Kotor. Just like a Norwegian fjord, the sea cuts deep inroads into the interior of the country and unleashes a scenic spectacle that caused UNESCO to award it world heritage status.

An anchorage for big fish Despite the impressive nature of the beautiful surroundings of the bay, it was precisely here that Tito, the erstwhile Yugoslavian supremo, ordered a naval base and a shipyard to be built. A new chapter began immediately after the fall of the Iron Curtain. The former out-of-bounds site in the picturesque seaport of Tivat was developed to become one of the largest marinas in the Mediterranean.

Because the shipping lane of the bay is so deep, Porto Montenegro – the name of the new port – is also a suitable destination for mega yachts. 87 of 400 berths are reserved for ships of over 45 metres in length. «Class not mass» is the idea with which the location wants to establish itself on chic travel routes.

Missing until now was the matching hotel – and that gap has now been closed with the Regent Porto Montenegro. Worldwide, it’s Regent’s eighth establishment and, in Europe, the second after Berlin. London-based Reardon Smith Architects were won over to complete the design of the hotel – which makes sense, since they had already devised the new master plan for the new Porto Montenegro marina. The architects have specialised in building and converting hotels for 20 years – and helped to restore the London Savoy to its former glory.

The Regent Porto Montenegro all but takes its guests straight back to the golden era of grand hotels. In regard to style, the architects were inspired by the magnificent palazzi on the banks of the lakes in northern Italy. Many of the villas built on the hills around Porto Montenegro in the 19th and early 20th century also reveal distinctly Italianate influences.

It is a tribute to a unique past: after all, the region was under Venetian rule for over 400 years.

Elegance must appear effortless In addition to 51 double rooms and 35 suites, the Regent Porto Montenegro also offers several apartment residences and four penthouses. Paris-based interior designer Tino Zervudachi and his associates at Maingi, Henry & Zervudachi (MHZ) had already helped out Sir Mick Jagger and Sir Evelyn de Rothschild with some of their beautiful rooms and were responsible for designing the interior. Consequently, the designer who grew up in London had made a name for himself by his ability to assuredly and stylishly translate references from the past to the present. The Regent Porto Montenegro isn’t dragged down by stifling pomp. It’s a cosy, comfortable and welcoming place to stay. «Elegance must appear effortless», says the cosmopolitan designer who manages projects

in Tokyo, London and New York.

The proximity to water was a chief consideration in the design. All public areas, such as restaurants, bars, meeting rooms and a ballroom for 200 people, offer views of the Bay of Kotor. Man-made water pools were positioned in front of the building and create a superb transition to the marina. A downright spectacular feature awaits guests on the first floor, where a 20 m long swimming pool stretches out between the two wings of the hotel and seems visually to merge with the Adriatic Sea. Those who prefer to go swimming at a less exposed location, on the other hand, should consult the concierge. The hotel offers a fast transfer to its own private beach which can only be reached by boat and is reserved exclusively for guests staying at the Regent Porto Montenegro. Indeed, it seems as if the topography of tasteful travel really needs a serious realignment!

Getting there Getting to the Regent Porto Montenegro is easy. You can fly straight to Tivat Airport via Belgrade, or Dubrovnik and Podgorica. In the latter case, it takes about 60 minutes to arrive in Tivat using the hotel’s chauffeur-driven car service which takes you along the impressive coastal road. Those wishing to speed things up a bit can take a helicopter or a private jet from Dubrovnik and Podgorica to Tivat Airport. From the airport, the new Regent Porto Montenegro is only a 5-minute drive by car away.

22 – 23 | EXPEDITION

Bonjour tristesse.

Golden autumn on the Seine.

We tend to imagine Paris in the springtime. But you really should go there in the autumn. At no other time of the year do the cafés, parks, museums and boulevards belong to you more than during the months when the city on the Seine appears in wonderful hues, or can you amble better in the footsteps of Hemingway and Co. A walk.

Text Luis Bentele Photos Amy Sheldon, Le Bristol, Marie

Hennechart, Peninsula, Pierre Monetta, Yoann Jézéquel Arriving in Paris always makes for a very special experience.

Especially when the Metro station under the Place Saint-Michel spits you out around the corner from Notre Dame, where the fountain of Saint-Michel does what a fountain is supposed to do – which is to bubble away merrily. Such arrivals are even more charming in the autumn, a season which bathes Paris in a light that has as many subtle tones up its sleeve as a film noir by the cinematic master François Truffaut. During his time in Paris in the 1920s the writer Ernest Hemingway wrote: «Then there was the bad weather. It would come in one day when the fall was over. You would have to shut the windows in the night against the rain and the cold wind would strip the leaves from the trees in the Place Contrescarpe» Thus begins his story «A Good Café on the Place St.-Michel» in his wonderful memoir «A Moveable Feast».

Another good café can also be found not at the Place St.-Michel, but a few streets further, in the winding heart of St. Germain: La Palette at Rue de Seine 43. «Scenic» is how some would describe this spot on a postcard. But that description does not do justice to La Palette.

Pressing the brass doorknob of Café Palette and casting a first glance inside is tantamount to turning a key. The key starts a time machine. The idea behind Woody Allen's Oscar award winning film «Midnight in Paris» also appears obvious. In the 2011 movies the protagonist Gil sets off every night on a new journey through the 1920s and has bizarre encounters with swashbucklers and artists such as Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Josephine Baker or Man Ray. Luis Buñuel also gets a mention. Gil doesn’t know what’s happening to him – but the point is, something strange is happening.

Particularly at the cold time of year, the Café Palette lends itself admirably to a journey that has the «lost generation» as its ultimate destination. Sitting at one of its small, round outdoor tables in the springtime and basking in the morning sunshine is all well and good. But to leave the entrance behind you and find a place to sit down between the mirror patinas and tarnished windows on a cold November day is to encounter a different world where globalization has no place. Incidentally, in the afternoons Hemingway would enjoy a café au lait in his good café at Place St.-Michel – followed later by oysters and white wine, but only after he had finished writing his story.

24 – 25 | EXPEDITION

Skiving off in Paris You don’t have to read Hemingway’s book at Cafe Palette: this place has its own story to tell, its own «Moveable Feast». Just look and listen when the liveried waiters shout their orders to «Madame» behind the counter. The old dark wooden walls form a stage set for a wonderfully nostalgic piece in which you yourself are the actor. Apart from being a perfect place for time travel, Cafe Palette is a wonderful spot to warm yourself up, as the writer once did, for example after a walk through the nearby Jardin du Luxembourg.

On this cold autumn day the park appears in the kind of grey hues which make you forget the reputation such shades have for evoking tristesse. What’s more, there could hardly be more suitable colours than the ones which the garden picks for this November day – far removed from the sight it always presents in the light of springtime, when children are finally able to sail their little boats across the pond of the Jardin for the very first time in the new year.

The bars at the time In the 1920s, writers would tend to congregate a few streets further around the Boulevard du Montparnasse where they painted Joyce’s and their own portraits of artists as young people in the 1920s. This is where you would come across the likes of a Scott Fitzgerald, whom Hemingway first met in the Dingo bar in 1925, or James Joyce and Gertrude Stein.

Apparently, Fitzgerald and Hemingway’s first conversation revolved around whether Hemingway had had sexual relations with this wife before they were married. Fitzgerald couldn’t believe Hemingway’s reply: «I don’t know». What’s more, even today you can still find places where some 20th century writers drank like a fish: the Sélect, the Rotonde and the particularly disreputable Coupole. Fitzgerald and Hemingway still remain on top of their game today as much as ever. Fitzgerald’s novel, «The Great Gatsby», – the greatest novel of the 20th century for many – was one of the blockbusters of 2013 with Leonardo DiCaprio in the starring role. In the same year, Hoffmann & Campe published the correspondence between the two titans of literature as well as a German retranslation of

Hemingway’s «A Moveable Feast».

When at this point the poets strolled back to the Seine they would pass Sylvia Beach’s «Shakespeare and Company» bookshop at Rue de l’Odéon, 12. Hemingway’s revealing take on Beach: «No one that I ever knew was nicer to me». He recounted how shy he was when he entered the bookstore for the first time because he didn’t have enough money on him to join the lending library. Beach told him that him he could pay, at any time, when he had the money, and that she would pay the postage charges. She issued him a card and said he could take as many books as he wanted. Even today, journalists and writers meet right around the corner at the Cafe Flore and Les Deux Magots. Here, on the Boulevard Saint-Germain, with all its fashion boutiques from Dior to Yves Saint Laurent, you can easily find yourself bumping shoulders and enjoying your pastis next to writers such as Peter Handke and Bernard-Henri Lévy or to a Frédéric Beigbeder. The latter also instigated the literary «Prix de Flore» prize in 1994 – the award-winners of which include Michel Houellebecq and Virginie Despentes.

A carpet of wishes As soon as you feel really warmed up inside the Palette, a stone’s throw away from Sylvia Beach’s former shop on the other side of the Boulevard Saint-Germain, and have made yourself comfortable on your journey through time, your next encounter after a very special yesterday is with the contemporary art scene. You’d have to search long and hard in the world to find such an amazing concentration of galleries and antique dealers that feature in and around the Rue de Seine. Special mention in dispatches is also is to the Galerie Georges-Philippe and Nathalie Vallois at Rue de Seine, 36, which exhibits works by France’s highly successful Vincent Lamouroux alongside international stars such as Paul McCarthy or Keith Tyson.

Photo:

Writer Ernest Hemingway lived and worked in Paris from 1921 to 1926.

26 – 27 | EXPEDITION

Check out wonderfully classic designs from Jean Prouvé to Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perriand at Jousse Enterprise,

Rue de Seine, 19. You don’t need to consult a guide for this part – from this haven of art you can simply amble and bumble your way from one gallery to the next.

Further down the Rue de Seine drawings by Jean Cocteau are displayed next to photographs of the First World War. It seems almost as if Picasso’s friend had just delivered them to the gallery owner. No doubt he’s sitting with him over a cup of tea in the back room. Speaking of tea: in writing about her time with the artist, Fernande Olivier, one of Picasso’s muses, remarked that during the winter it could easily get so cold in his studio, in Montmartre on the other side of the Seine, that the tea would freeze overnight in the cups.

After tearing yourself away from the sight of Cocteau’s drawings, his elf-like divine beings, you reach the end of the Rue de Seine right at the eponymous river. It’s time to pull up the collar on your coat: the wind whistles over the Seine, and the afternoon is too cold even for the «bouquinistes» – the second-hand booksellers – to open up their box-like kiosks painted in green. The grey has now assumed a dark graphite tone at this point. It enshrouds the Pont Neuf, the towers of Notre Dame and the steel of the Eiffel Tower in mist. Everything takes on the hue of magical cast lead. Like red fireflies, only the brake lights of the car penetrate the grey gloom in places.

Even the countless little padlocks which lovers from all around the world have attached to the railings of the Pont des Arts lose their ardent glow here. They also tell of time, albeit of a more recent one. You might easily ponder how many of these couples are still together, or which wishes were behind the lips of the couple as they sank their little padlock into the Seine – and which have been fulfilled?

How many have not? The locks cling like an iron carpet to the bridge as if they were waiting for the sun and new lovers in a deep slumber, while a barge with a consignment of gravel floats downstream with its funnel cheerfully belching black clouds up into the sky. And when Charles Aznavour sings of how much he loves Paris in the month of May you feel like asking him right at that moment, and right at this spot, why he didn’t immortalise November in a chanson. Leaving the weighty bridge behind, you can now walk along the Seine towards Notre Dame, which takes you back to Place St.Michel. A tricolore flutters on the roof of the police prefecture, but the celestial grey around the little catatonic flag hardly gives its colours a chance.

Hemingway’s «Good Café» would now be the right place to head for. Although it no longer exists, other good cafés do – for example, the Saint Séverin or Le Départ Saint-Michel.

Here you should do the same as the writer once did. He hung up his old raincoat on the hanger to dry and placed his worn and weathered felt hat on the rack over the seat. He ordered a St. James «rhum» because that’s precisely what you’d do in his day. «Tasted great on a cold day...», noted Hemingway.

Hemingway spent several winter months during those years in Switzerland – in a chalet just below Les Avants, for example. The writer enthuses about the open windows, warm beds, bright stars and books. Sylvia Beach had lent him those books. He brought them back.

Tips for trips to Paris.

Getting in and getting out From LHR to CDG: regular scheduled flights with BA and AF; far more useful are the Eurostar rail services from St. Pancras to the Gare du Nord. From ZRH to CDG: either with Swiss or other Star Alliance airlines; take the RER suburban service to get to the centre (Paris-Châtelet les Halles) in 50 minutes; a good alternative: the TGV from Zurich to Paris Gare de Lyon in 4 hours and 3 minutes; other TGV services run from Basle, Berne, Lausanne and Geneva.

Public transport If you’re planning on visiting a lot of museums and attractions, it’s worth buying The Paris Pass online (www.parispass.com): free admission to around 60 Paris museums, including the Louvre – without the hassle of queuing for tickets; all public transport and «Hop-On Hop-Off» bus services are included in the price; options for 2, 4 and 6 days start from €112 for adults with discounts for children; alternative: the Paris Visit Ticket from RATP – the city’s transport authority – with a wide range of options starting from EUR 12 a day.

Cafés Paris buffs who already know the classic literary cafés of Les Deux Magots (www.lesdeuxmagots.fr) and Café de Flore (www.cafedeflore.fr) only need to walk north-east for a few minutes to immerse themselves in the universe of Café la Palette (www.cafelapaletteparis.com). Some of the «bohème» has been well preserved under the carefully cultivated patina of this institution in the Rue de Seine.

Restaurants The Itinéraires restaurant in the 5th arrondissement (www. restaurant-itineraires.com) manages to pull off a minor miracle: chef de cuisine Sylvain Sendra prefers to use regionally sourced produce and ingredients for his innovative dishes – meaning excellent Parisian vegetables and miso (!) from the suburbs, cheese from the 1st arrondissement and bread from Poujauran, one of the best bakers in the city. The Benoit (www.benoit-paris.com) is a bistro still worthy of the name, although the official chef de cuisine has been Alain Ducasse since 2007. The grandmaster’s traditional French cuisine has now been handed down to a younger generation – and in no way to the detriment of patrons.

Hotel recommendations The Hôtel Bel Ami (www.hotelbelami-paris.fr) presents itself as a boutique hotel in Saint Germain-des-Prés which expresses its innate ties to the old literary quarter through an inspiring ambience that could easily spark the next great novella.

True, the Bristol Paris (http://www.lebristolparis.com) was the favourite haunt of all the great visual artists of modernism, including Picasso, Mondrian and Dalí. But by far the greater accomplishment of the hotel was always to keep with the spirit of the times from the day it first opened in 1925. Certainly,

the extensions and modernisations which have since taken place reinforce the hotel’s claim to constant renewal. Far more important, however, is its enduring commitment to accommodate contemporary art at regular intervals once more.

The new opening of the Peninsula Paris (paris.peninsula. com) this year can justifiably be regarded as one of the most thrilling of its kind, even though it had already racked up stories and history en masse as the former Hotel Majestic: George Gershwin, for example, turned his thoughts and feelings into music here with his «An American in Paris».

Shopping After 20 years of experience in the fashion world Catherine Max has just opened a showroom on the Avenue Raymond Poincaré barely a stone’s throw away from the Eiffel Tower (www.arlettie.fr/showroomtrocadero): some 200 labels can be had at surprisingly affordable prices. A classic among the venerable department stores located in the 6th arrondissement: Le Bon Marché (www.lebonmarche.com) Info Atout France –French Tourism Development Agency, 300 High Holborn, London WC1V 7JH, ch.rendezvousenfrance. com/de or the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau: http:// en.parisinfo.com/

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RED – On a bad day there is always a lipstick.

Lip service commitments!

Bright red, pink or nude? Lipsticks make statements. That’s how it’s always been. The question is: What does it stand for today?

Text Karin Pollack Photos LANCÔME, CHANEL, Yves Saint

Laurent, Anna Subbotina Anecdotes make life beautiful. Take, for example, the love

story of a woman who candidly describes herself as a beautyvictim. An unhappy relationship makes life hard for her. To forget her worries, she likes to roam through perfumeries. The lipsticks lined up there like tin soldiers suggest order, diversity and choice. The act of screwing down the lipstick, holding it briefly into the light and trying it out on the back of her hand calms her nerves. «I know my colours» the unhappy woman says to the sales assistant who wants her to go for a bright orange from the M.A.C. make-up professionals. The colour really matches her face extremely well. «The best thing about it was the name of the lipstick colour: ‹On hold› pretty much summed up my life at the time» she says and is convinced that her «on hold» purchase has contributed to the happy ending of her story.

The lipstick index Lipsticks are a matter of what mood you’re in. There are hundreds of different brands, thousands of colours and many flavours. From a purely economic point of view, lipsticks are a secure source of revenue in good and bad times. In Germany alone it’s estimated that EUR 64 million is spent on them each year – regardless of the overall state of the economy.

Several years ago Leonard Lauder, head of the American Estée Lauder corporation, even coined a technical term for this phenomenon. He called the sales figures for lipsticks the «Lipstick index» and saw in them an indicator of the way the economy was performing.

This phenomenon goes back a long way. The Revlon cosmetics corporation had already run a recruiting campaign in the 1930s with its «On a bad day, there is always a lipstick», arguably touching the nerve of female consumerist Americans.

During the Second World War America’s «Vogue» magazine asked its female readership whether it was right for them to worry about their appearance in a time of crisis and national peril. Yes it was, came the clear response. So it didn’t really matter that the metal used for lipstick tubes – which were invented in 1928 – could also have been used for bullets, the major armaments manufacturers encouraged their female workforce to wear lipstick in the interests of promoting morale on the home front. «Patriot Red» and «Victory» were the bestselling colours at the time.

60 years later, Leonard Lauder noticed that lipstick sales in particular soared after the attacks on the World Trade Center – his corporation sold twice as many as usual and the lipstick index once again proved correct. Sales remained buoyant even when the stock markets plunged in subsequent years. One possible reason for this is that even though fewer and fewer women have money for expensive clothing, most of them can still afford lipstick for a an impressively made-up face.

Iconic beauty Speaking of history, the tradition of applying colour to women’s lips goes back thousands of years. Archaeologists discovered the world's oldest lip ointment in the Sumerian town of Ur and dated it back to 3500 BC. The best proof that

women were already using make-up in 1350 BC is the bust of Nefertiti, which is on display in the Nordkuppelsaal of the Neues Museum in Berlin today. Brown-red might easily have been Nefertiti’s favourite colour because it matched the colour of her skin.

As far as we know, Greek women thought lip colour quite vulgar. A woman who applied red to her mouth was generally considered a prostitute. Vanities were frowned upon by the clergy who dominated the Middle Ages, and make-up only became popular again in the 17th century. With her white powdered face and bright red mouth Queen Elizabeth I of England still remains an iconic figure. Coloured lips were also de rigueur at the French court. Rumour has it that Russia's Empress Catharine I used a very special technique for her red lips. She ordered her maidservants to suck very firmly on her lips and bite lightly while doing so.

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That made Catherine the Great’s lips rosy. The Empress instinctively knew that red lips were the sign of a good blood circulation and intimated good heath as well as reproductive ability to the male gender. «I’m so wild for your strawberry mouth, I screamed my lips sore for your white body, O woman» was Francois Villon’s poetic remark in the 15th century.

Viewed from the way we regard products today, lipsticks only emerged at the end of the 19th century. Specifically, parfumiers from Paris presented the so-called «Stylo d’amour» at the world exhibition in Amsterdam in 1883. These rolls wrapped in tissue paper were formed from castor oil, deer tallow and beeswax. Coloured with the blood of lice, this mixture was initially called a «saucisson» because of its sausageshaped form and caused a sensation.

The «magic wand of Eros» was how French actress Sarah Bernhardt referred to this accessory. Her description uncovers the deeper meaning of lipsticks. According to psychoanalysts, human imagination interprets red as the aroused female labia.

Less profoundly perhaps, but absolutely astounding was the effect which made-up lips had on the silent movies which began to appear at the time. Lipstick’s ultimate breakthrough was achieved by stars such as Clara Bow, Theda Bara and

Mae Murray – the latter painted her lips black and coined the term: bee-stung lips. All this was deliberately engineered by the cosmetics pioneer Max Factor. He covered the mouth with make-up and only painted a little set of puckered lips in the middle – in this way, the make-up on each actress’s lips was able to withstand the powerful lights of the film studios.

A symbol of self-confidence Josephine Baker and Asta Nielsen: lipstick had been a permanent fashion accessory and symbol of a new selfconsciousness ever since the 1920s. Suffragettes demonstrating the right to vote in the United States wore it on their lips with confidence. Their message was to display a proud and combative identity. The fact that the new screw-down packaging of lipstick – invented in the United States – could also be construed as a phallic symbol was something only the psychoanalysts remarked upon. Helena Rubinstein, Maybelline and Estée Lauder: each cosmetics company with an eye on preserving its reputation tried to outmatch the other with new rotating sleeves, hues and promises – little has changed in this regard right up to today.

Lipsticks came as coveted gifts from US soldiers in Europe in the wake of the Second World War. The Germans were quick to make the product their own; German actress Hildegard Knef advertised for the first so-called national lipstick («VL» – «Volkslippenstift») and felt naked without it, as her erstwhile make-up artist René Koch recalls: «Hilde always used to say: ‹Make my lips look as if I know the way ahead.›» Koch, who runs a lipstick museum in Berlin-Wilmersdorf today, also remembers the saying which Knef particularly enjoyed listening to: «Red lips make for a slim waist.»

What precisely constitutes red differs slightly from one culture to the next. For example, Italian women prefer reddishorangey hues, while their French counterparts tend towards a fiery red. English lasses have a predilection for rose, Asian ladies for pink. In virtually no other country in the world is so much lipstick sold in blazing red as in France, says the Shiseido cosmetics corporation. Although the colour collections change each season, red classics are always an integral component.

From gloss to lacquer The lipstick feeling changed again in the 1980s: lip glosses conquered the market. «When you haven’t slept for days and look like the Loch Ness monster, only one thing will make you feel like a decent human being again: lip gloss» as Bianca Jagger, ex-wife of the Rolling Stones singer, once said. What then came were lip liner pencils followed by lip brushes. Today’s lipsticks are hi-tech products. Polymers ensure extremely long durability; and tiny and glittery particles are responsible for creating shiny wet mouths. Lipstick has become lip lacquer.

In recent years fashion designers such as Tom Ford or the footwear designer Christian Louboutin have also turned their attention to lipsticks. Louboutin’s trademark bright red soles on his breathtaking high-heeled shoes now find their colourful counterpart on ladies’ lips.

Hi-tech is also the name of the game in regard to ingredients. Lipstick manufacturers praise the virtues of boost and volume effects (which is why they also tend to be casually known as «push-up bras» for the lips). Ladies somewhat sceptical about petroleum-derived products such as paraffin (which prevent lipsticks from turning rancid) can now draw on a wide range of certified organic products.

After all, according to estimates women eat around 3.5 kilos of lipstick in their lifetimes. Dr. Hauschka for example has recently expanded its lipstick range and now added very powerful colours to its range. Those in search of the taste of peppermint can choose from Aveda’s organic lip colours.

Alternative packaging is the very latest craze: instead of rotating sleeves, Clinique, Sisley or L'Oreal’s lip colours have recently started to look like thick children’s crayons – and don’t melt so easily at warm temperatures.

Certain names of great lipsticks which truly get the message out must remain in any case: «Intimate» and «Confidential» are the names of two semi-transparent glosses by Chanel for the 2014/15 season. «Nude» tones – in other words, lipsticks that give the mouth a virtually unmade-up appearance – are perfect for the perfect faces of women with perfect skin – or perfect make-up. For all those wanting to make a bold statement, Chanel has a deep black redcurrant addition to its range christened «Aurora», and M.A.C. a Rocky Horror Picture Show collection for Halloween. And for those longing for love, Lancôme has also come up with some great names: «Amnesia» and «Grand amour». It’s not so much about product names as it is about wishes – but that’s been the case with lipstick for thousands of years.

32 | PORTRAIT

A life like clockwork.

Denise Schnider is one of 40 employees at Huber Watches Jewellery. Her passion for watches has defined her whole life. She spent over two years on excellent additional training at the Watch Sales Academy in Le Locle, the cradle of the watchmaking industry.

Text Irmgard Kramer Photo Markus Gmeiner

When Denise Schnider was six years old one of her four older sisters served an apprenticeship under the father of Norman J. Huber. Denise was always amazed when her sister arrived back home with her beautiful clothes, jewellery and her watch.

The youngest daughter knew that she, too, wanted to do that one day. Even as a little girl she would look at jewellery in shop windows for hours. She trained to become a watch and jewellery sales consultant, worked for eight years at a prestigious Chronometrie in Zürich and has worked at Huber in Vaduz since 2008.

Perpetual calendar, leap year cycle and Easter date mechanism Why does a minimalist looking watch cost CHF 60,000 or more? Denise explains: «It’s the intrinsic values which count.

Take a watch with a Perpetual Calendar for example. Unlike watches with a normal date display which shows each month as having 31 days and therefore have to be corrected by hand every second month, the Perpetual Calendar uses an extremely sophisticated mechanical construction to indicate all the irregularities of the calendar year. As everyone knows, our way of calculating the date is based on the Gregorian calendar, which provides for a 29 February once every four years. To be able to display this further irregularity the Perpetual Calendar has a built-in wheel which only completes a single revolution every four years. The notches carved into this wheel vary in depth according to the length of each month.

They’re scanned by a metal sensor which transfers the data to the date display. This fascinating mechanism enables the owner of a Perpetual Calendar to read off the correct date, month and year at any time.

Le-Coultre. Her choice of watch depends on how she feels on any given day.

With a cool head and fervent heart A high quality watch is distinguished by its perfection, robustness and straight lines. Denise leads a life like clockwork in this respect. She is perfectly dressed, straightforward, structured and never driven by time – because time always ticks the same way. Denise keeps on top of things even on hectic days and always reacts calmly and serenely. Her cogs are in perfect balance! The high standards which her customers expect from watches are like the standards she sets herself.

She loves the opportunity to pass on her skills, her experience and her knowledge – but above all her personal mind-set and her passion – to the young people she is training. For you really have to love a watch in order to understand it.

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A capable ambassador Denise wants to do full justice to the watch companies. At the Watch Sales Academy she discovered the subtle ins and outs of watchmaking, familiarised herself with major inventions and learned how a tourbillon works. The great thing about her work, she says, is that she can apply this knowledge in her work with people. Frequently, buying a piece of jewellery or a watch has something to do with a personal story and symbolises a new start – a new love, a wedding, or the decision to pluck up one’s courage again after a difficult stroke of fate. The right watch has to go with the right person. Denise uses all her knowledge, but above all her insight into human nature and her intuition, to find out which watch is the right one. «It’s a matter of love combined with the right choice of words and poise.»

Apart from its sporty and exclusive Nautilus and Aquanaut collections, Patek Philippe’s new yearly calendar chronograph reference 5960/1A is one of the rare classic wrist watches dreamed up by the Manufacture to combine a complicated movement with a stainless steel case. Technical elegance is also evident in the new silver-grey dial, which looks extremely dynamic and performance-oriented with its tastefully placed red accents, interesting light and dark contrasts and the emphatically three-dimensional design. Attractive and somewhat unusual for a Patek Philippe is the red «1» in the date window which conveys a colourful start to each new month.

The hands and calendar displays are powered by the built-in Patek Philippe chronograph calibre CH 28-520 IRM QA 24 H with flyback chronograph, yearly calendar, power reserve and day & night display.

Sun, moon and a railway Nowadays, time is displayed on the church tower, on the oven, in the car and on mobile phones. But that no longer matters. A watch is an artistic statement. Denise alternately wears three mechanical watches from the year 1960 – a classic IWC without a name and two watches from Jaeger-

A watch’s design may easily be restricted to its external trappings such as the dial, case and strap, with the requirement that all its interior mechanism needs to do is work somehow. None of this is true here: the inside and outside of this watch merge smoothly into each other and combine functionality and design in perfect union. The new movement of Audemars Piguet’s

Millenary 4101 has literally been constructed «the wrong way round» and reveals itself to the viewer on each glance at the time display. The result: two new kinds of watches, one in stainless steel with a black crocodile leather strap and one in rosé gold with a brown crocodile leather strap, both of which masterfully orchestrate form and function.

conical winding crown. Appointed with a sapphire glass and a screwed case back with a typical Tudor fluting, the Tudor style proudly presents a mechanical movement with a self-winding movement and offers a power reserve of about 38 hours.

The five-row strap with a folding clasp is also extraordinarily comfortable to wear.

As a new addition to the Classic Fusion collection characteristically distinguished by its more understated and classic lines, this model also provides a power reserve of 8 days – a Hublot premiere. The brand-new movement with power reserve display, date and small second dial is one of the slimmest in the watchmaking industry and measures barely 4.40 mm in height. Not only does the manually wound mechanism ensure a watch that works precisely and reliably for 8 days, the transparent case back also reveals the beautiful mechanism behind the movement. The black, sun-brushed satin-finished dial is especially harmonious and balanced. This watch is proudly worn on a strap with a folding clasp made of black alligator leather. Water-resistant down to 50 metres (50 atm).

Embraced in a stainless steel case measuring 41 mm in diameter this watch from Baume & Mercier’s Clifton collection embodies archetypal masculine elegance from the 1950s. It boasts a sun-satin silvery finished dial the large aperture of which is situated at 6 o’clock, enabling you easily to consult the date, the day of the week, the month and the current moon phase in addition to the hours and minutes. Water-resistant down to 50 m, this timepiece is powered by a mechanical calibre with an automatic Swiss-made winder visible through a sapphire glass base. This deliberately urbane watch is worn on a black alligator leather strap.

The numeral 8, or octo in Latin, once conveyed a wide array of universal and incontrovertible values in all civilisations. It stands for infinity in mathematics and for immutable eternity.

The Bulgari Octo is an object that goes way beyond its mere function to assume a far more sublime dimension endowed with aesthetic and emotional significance. Here, the ticking BVL 193 calibre in the Octo informs you about the hours, minutes, seconds as well as the date in a 3 o’clock window. The mechanism features an automatic winder and unidirectional rotating oscillating weight on ball bearings with two mainspring barrels and a power reserve of 50 hours.

Clear but subtle lines, exquisite materials, luxurious finishing – each and every detail of the Rolex Cellini is created in accordance with the sublime art of quality watchmaking. As certified chronometers all new Cellini models feature a high-precision mechanical Manufacture movement with an automatic selfwinding mechanism that was completely and solely made at Rolex. The collection is divided up into three families, each with four models, and exclusively in 18-carat white or Everose gold: the Cellini Time models, the chronographic Reinform classic, the Cellini Date models with a date hand and the Cellini Dual Time you see here, which displays two time zones at the same time.

38 – 39 | MEN’S CASUAL WATCHES 36 –37 | MEN'S CLASSIC WATCHES

The Tudor Style is available in four sizes – 28, 34, 38 and 41 mm – in a round case which is water-resistant down to a depth of 100 metres and features a double bezel with alternately polished and satin-finished surfaces. Its sophisticated appearance is accentuated by the subtle lugs and horns which create a silky smooth flowing look alongside the

With this new addition to Baselworld, Patek Philippe extends its collection of complicated Nautilus watches and has given chronograph a travel time feature which displays how late it is in two different time zones at a single glance. The icing on the cake is two day & night displays for the two time zones.

As a result, it combines two complications which rank right at the top of the popularity scale and enhances them with further

useful features for your days and nights. The redesigned black dial, with Nautilus’ typically horizontal embossed patterns and a superb transition from bright to dark starting in the centre and moving out to the edge features a date hand at the 12 o’ clock position and the chronograph’s 60-minute numeraire at the 6 o’ clock position.

Created in 1952, the Navitimer is the forebear of all the mechanical chronographs now made in the world. Its technical and functional style established this unique instrument as one of the top-ten classic watches in the 20th century – and as a cult object for aviation enthusiasts. In a series limited to 1,000 specimens Breitling now re-issues the legendary model with a bronze-coloured dial. With its three recessed inwrought numeraires and the circular slide rule designed for any navigational calculation in the air, this sophisticated craftsmanship further enhances the highly original design. The transparent case back offers insights into the Breitling Manufacture 01 calibre.

Rolex rolls out its Oyster Perpetual GMT Master II model along the lines of the bezel in the first GMT Master of 1955 with a two-tone Cerachrom disc in red and blue. An exceptional performance on two counts: red ceramic is extremely difficult to create – red is not a standard colour in ceramics. The result is a two-tone Cerachrom disc in a single coloured section throughout the main interior – red between 6 am and 6 pm, and blue between 6 pm and 6 am. Furthermore, the singlepiece structure offers the required mechanical resistance that enables it to meet the highest requirements in terms of quality and reliability that Rolex maintains.

Three new timepieces enrich the prestigious chronograph line-up in Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Offshore collection.

Altogether, the case size, design elements and choice of material together with numerous little modifications pave the way to a new, powerful look. The new models in this range are characterised by a perfect equilibrium of forces – and have long formed an integral part of the collection. Moreover, the intrinsic watchmaking interior remains intact and is represented by a mechanical movement with an automatic winder and an elaborate finish that has earned a place in the pantheon of craftsmanship. The contrasting surfaces of the materials perfectly emphasise the opulence of the 44 mm case.

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The high class Swiss watch manufacturer Hublot now fields two limited luxury watches in its quest to win customers’ favour. The two white or black chronographs completely reflect the partnership with Ferrari. Both are appointed with a bezel made of black carbon fibre which frames a sapphire glass dial that wonderfully accentuates the beauty of the Unico automatic Manufacture movement. From a technical point of view the movement offers a flyback mechanism and a power reserve of 72 hours. The two models have a diameter of 45.5 mm and are water-resistant down to 100 metres.

The light version is limited to 500 specimens, the dark to 1,000 watches.

The Tudor Heritage Ranger is reminiscent of the pioneering spirit of the high North, with huskies scampering across deserts of polar ice and of the exploits of nameless adventurers in unexplored areas. Unlike the models which went before it, the case of the Tudor Heritage Ranger in its 41 mm format displays a completely satin finish on all the stainless steel components of the new model. The large satin winding crown of the Tudor Heritage Ranger recalls the crown of the Tudor Heritage Black Bay and is engraved with the rose motif of the historic Tudor logo. It is screwed in place with a protruding satin tube which accentuates the technical appearance of the wrist watch. The movement with its self-winding mechanism, calibre 2824, is as reliable and robust as the Tudor Heritage Ranger as a whole.

The ultimate racing driver’s look for the ultimate racing driver chronograph: the TAG Heuer Formula 1 is worn by champions who, like TAG Heuer, strive for absolute perfection.

This pursuit of perfection is also reflected in the new hi-tech ceramics which were specially developed for the TAG Heuer Formula 1 models. The thrilling, redesigned case of the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Calibre 16 chronograph measures 44 mm in diameter and encloses the impressive calibre 16 movement.

The finish of the newly designed tachometer scale is astounding: it consists of finely brushed, polished and sandblasted stainless steel.

At first glance the Clifton chronograph arouses the passion of erudite enthusiasts since it refers back to the past, and to the «golden Fifties» in particular – a period now considered by horological historians to have been the Golden Age of watchmaking. Having been given an extensive makeover by the Baume & Mercier design studio, this chronometer now delivers an ultimate statement with its fine balance. Fitted out with a minimalist, dynamic looking stainless steel case featuring a diameter of 43 mm, the Baume & Mercier Clifton chronograph does full justice to proven values. Like all the other models in this collection, it is highly appreciated for its balance. Here, too, this timepiece is powered by a Swiss-made mechanical movement with an automatic winder renowned for its reliability, long service life and precision.

The innovative Tissot label wears its heart and identity on its sleeve with its location at Le Locle in the Swiss Jura Mountains. Tissot’s T-Touch Expert Solar is literally «in touch» with state-of-the-art technology on the inside. It features an all-round modern, dynamic design, distinguished by clear lines – irrespective of whether they’re straight or angular. The push-pieces are ergonomic while the strap looks cutting-edge thanks to its grooves and is reliably linked to the bezel. Obviously, the watch also bears the unmistakeable features of the classic T-Touch Expert, such as the triangularly shaped lugs, for example, which stand out from the case and are typical of this collection.

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With its Oyster Perpetual Datejust Pearlmaster 34, Rolex reveals its perfect mastery of all the facets of jewellery. Only the highest quality stones are selected for the surfaces and setting of Rolex wrist watches. This new model combines Rolex’s mastery of watchmaking with the fascinating magic of a precious sapphire gem setting on the diamond pavé dial and on the bezel – and, in the case of certain models also on the elements of the strap. The new Oyster Perpetual Datejust Pearlmaster 34 is one of the first models to feature the 2236 calibre, a new movement for ladies’ watches with the silicon Siloxi spiral developed by Rolex.

Caroline Scheufele’s favourite watch – the Happy Sport from Chopard – is an icon of her times. This Happy Sport with its automatic winder basks in full femininity. The rounded lines of this watch made of 18 carat rosé gold and stainless steel with a diamond-set bezel perfectly convey Chopard’s typical style.

The silvery dial features a guilloché centre strikingly underscoring the Roman numerals and finely crafted details while the typical moving diamonds dance merrily around the dial in a fascinating play of light. All this is stylishly accompanied by the black alligator leather strap with a pin buckle. A watch for women who know what they want.

A combination of sheer watchmaking savoir-faire with a sophisticated and elegant design has always been the guiding principle both for Breguet’s ladies’ watches and for its men’s timepieces. The Classique Dame 9068 model is perfectly in line with this philosophy. This exquisite timepiece displays the hours, minutes and seconds as well as the date in a window.

Once again, the heart of this model beats in a mechanical movement with a silicon balance-spring. The highly refined dial is decorated with a guilloche while the bezel and the strap lugs are set with brilliant-cut diamonds.

The smallest of the new Seamaster Aqua Terra models from Omega is available in a two-coloured edition of stainless steel and 18 ct. Sedna™ or yellow gold or in a variant made of highgrade stainless steel. It comes either with a strap made of precious metal which matches the case or a white leather strap with a mother-of-pearl effect. This matt white mother-of-pearl dial is decorated with 12 diamond indices in rhodium-plated casings made of 18 ct. gold. The impressive dial is rounded off with a polished bezel or a bezel completely set with diamonds with a matt screw-down crown. The Seamaster Aqua Terra 150 M measures 34 mm and is powered by Omega’s Master Co-Axial 8520 calibre.

As a true ode to femininity Blancpain’s Women collection adorns itself with a total of 152 diamonds. Its red gold case measures 36.8 mm in diameter and is sublimated by 108 diamonds with a total weight of one carat. As a crowning refinement, a diamond on the crown enhances the ensemble. This timepiece is beautiful both inside and out. The new Blancpain 2663SR calibre houses a mechanical movement with an automatic winder. The two versions are available in red and white gold, and come with a white ostrich leather strap.

elegant jewelled ladies’ watch – the Bulgari Lucea. The manufacturer of luxury watches sets a little crown on the head of his Lucea in the form of a precious stone in the actual crown itself. By doing so, Bulgari pays tribute to the beauty of every woman. The spectrum of choice ranges from a minimalist steel variant right through to a lavishly decorated version in red gold.

Either the automatic B77 calibre or the quartz B046 calibre is used, depending on the model. All models are water-resistant down to a depth of 30 metres.

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The rays of the setting sun bathe the Cape Cod peninsula in an incomparably shining white and warm light reminiscent of silver’s reflectivity. Hermès’ new patented silver alloy contains a higher proportion of silver than the 925 composition. The exquisite, sophisticated lines of Nantucket island shine in the special mirror finish of the silver alloy. Extremely comfortable to wear, the slightly convex case appears with or without a diamond setting. The watch fits snugly on the wrist thanks to an interchangeable leather strap which accentuates the precious character of this exceptional specimen.

Going back to the roots, we have the pure aesthetics and the striking lines of the original Royal Oak: all the features on which the success of the first luxury sports watch is based are evident in this model. The central case components consist of a bezel set with 40 brilliants; the crown, the strap and the folding clasp are made of stainless steel. The subtle interplay between the alternating satin and polished surfaces which distinguishes the first Royal Oaks from Audemars Piguet emphasises the clear lines of this 33 mm model. The watch is water-resistant down to a depth of 50 m and features an anti-reflective sapphire glass.

Tudor’s Clair de Rose pays homage to femininity. Fashioned in the form of an openwork Tudor rose, the centred second hand looks particularly striking and lends a fascinating appearance to the timepiece. The crown is decorated with a transparent cabochon featuring a rose based on the Tudor logo of the 1950s. Tenderness also returns to the stylised spiral forms – inspired by clouds – on the mother-of-pearl dial.

The rose-shaped centred second hand looks like a full moon on a starry night in the diamond-studded version. Moreover, the spiral forms also reappear on the satin of the textile strap, adding further refinement to the watch.

One of the great names of our time surely has to be the company set up by Sortirio Bulgari, who learned to become a silversmith and opened his first shop in Italy in 1884. Bulgari celebrates its 130th anniversary in 2014 with a sophisticated,

Sporty watches have never been so seductive. The Aqua­ racer from TAG Heuer is appointed with essential features for a safe sailing trip such as a unidirectional rotating bezel, finely brushed and polished stainless steel and water-resistance down to a depth of 300 m. The model is available with different dials in attractive black, shiny silver or silky mother-of-pearl. 11 top Wesselton diamonds make the dial of the diamond version truly sparkle. Models with a diameter of 32 mm or 27 mm are also available for ladies preferring a smaller watch.

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Flying high.

Christian Louboutin – the man women love.

Christian Louboutin knows how to give women the legs they deserve – his high heels are works of art, collectors’ pieces and cult objects.

Text Karin Pollack Photos Louboutin

«Pigalle», «Apostrophy» and «Fifi» are the new models of French footwear artist Christian Louboutin that will make women swoon as they tend to do at the start of each new season. 12 cm high heels, ornamental shapes and prices starting from EUR 500: «The first thing is I still like to look a woman in the eyes» he says laughing and with great composure. His high heels, pumps, and boots have featured in books, museums, and in a TV series; Tina Turner, Michelle Obama and actresses

such as Kristin Scott Thomas are among his customers.

«Louboutins are like jewels for me» Scott Thomas once said in an interview, echoing the sentiments of many others.

The point is that Christian Louboutin knows full well the intimate relationship between shoes and sex. As soon as women strut along the streets in high heels, their bodies tend to stretch forward, accentuating their hindquarters, inclining their front quarters and emphasising their cleavage. It’s as if the body was shaped like an «S»: apparently, that’s the aim of high heels, which apart from anything else also make legs look longer. «Footwear and feet should always be a match for each other» says Louboutin. He goes off on journeys twice a year and returns with new ideas: «Inspiration I find everywhere.»

Prohibition as profit.

Born in 1964 in Paris, Christian Louboutin grew up with three much older sisters in the 12th arrondissement. His father was a carpenter («He gave me my love of the craft»). As the youngest child, Louboutin was permitted to exercise his mother’s patience on more than one occasion. He wasn’t that keen on going to school, either, preferring to spend his time instead at the «Musée national des Arts d’Afrique et d’Océanie». High heels were banned in this old palais because of the parquet floor, and a corresponding sign drew visitors’ attention to this restriction. «My career was established on the basis of that sign» says Louboutin, the consummate storyteller. He has been painting shoes ever since he was 12 and his passion grew ever deeper when he began working as a production assistant at the «Folies Bergères» in Paris. From the Revue dancers he learned what good shoes can and must do.

Even so, the path to becoming a footwear designer was still a long way ahead for the 20-year-old French party-boy. He began designing footwear at Charles Jourdan, the prestigious French manufacturer. But he didn’t like having to work for others. So he threw in the towel, travelled, and even became a landscape architect. Finally, in 1991, his friends persuaded him to open his own shop near the Louvre. The soles of all his shoes have been in red since 1992. «The idea spontaneously came to me when I felt unhappy with a design and my assistant was in the process of varnishing her nails» he says.

Red soles are his trademark. «The higher the shoes, the more red you see, that’s the secret» he laughs.

He’s been making nail varnish since last year. For perfectionists like him it’s a vital part of creating the perfect promenade in a peep toe model. Colourless varnish extends the toes and, as a result, the silhouette of the leg – coloured coatings have a shortening effect, he says. Even little bottles of nail polish are works of art: they resemble obelisks which, in turn, look like shoe heels. www.christianlouboutin.com

50 – 51 | FINE WINE

Terroir strikes the right note.

The best vineyards in France.

France is still the country of first choice when it comes to high quality red wines. Yet, not only are there good Bordeaux and Burgundies which set the benchmarks. Despite globalization many protagonists are still families who continue to develop wine in their respective regions. Luzia Schrampf reports on remarkable French wines created by families; and on how brilliant traditional, natural (though less well known) French wine-making can be.

Text Luzia Schrampf Photos Thienpont, Beaucastel, Matassa

Le Pin from the Thienpont family, Pomerol Le Pin is one of the iconic wines from Pomerol on the right bank of the great wine-growing region of Bordeaux. Unlike the left bank – renowned over 300 years for its wine – Pomerol only became the focus of attention about 50 years ago when the wine world discovered how fabulous Merlot wines in particular can become on this gravelly plateau.

The vineyard in which Le Pin thrives is located in the middle of this 800-hectare sea of vines. It belongs to Jacques Thienpont and his wife Fiona Morrisson, who for their part are members of a Belgian wine trading family that goes back for generations. Their ancestors moved to Pomerol in the 1920s.

The quality of the grapes from this little plot, barely half a hectare in size at the time, was well known to Thienpont. So he seized the opportunity to purchase it when the previous owner sold the vineyard in 1979.

Merlot from Pomerol It has a velvety charm, depth and elegance on the rare occasions it is savoured. For Le Pin is of one of the blue-chip wines and the subject of merciless speculation today. About 7,000 bottles of the exquisite wine are produced in a normal year – a limited quantity of the highest quality, which has long been commended and sought after as such. You can bet

on it: the value of blue-chip wines soars as soon as they are brought to market from the winery. In the case of Le Pin, the issue price of a well-rated vintage can also already rise by up to 300 percent, so a bottle of more recent vintage is traded for around EUR 2,500. The fact that their wine has become the object of speculation is all well and good, but the Thienponts would «find it even nicer if people would actually drink it».

Since 2011 Le Pin has been made in a new building designed by the Belgian architect Paul Robbrecht (Robbrecht en Daem). The vineyard was carefully enlarged to 2.7 hectares through a subsequent purchase. Constructed from local sandstone, the building features a slate roof and concrete interior. It works according to the laws of gravity: after being fermented in stainless steel tanks, the wine drips down into new barrique barrels in the cellar one floor below. In accordance with the Thienpont family motto «Vivre caché, vivre heureux» the establishment is anything but a striking building, barely larger than the residential home that once stood at this spot and in the garage of which a legend was born 35 years ago.

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Château Beaucastel Rhône The Perrins have been one of France’s great wine-making families for over five generations and are based in the village of Courthézon, to the southeast of Orange on the southern Rhône. Historical records for Beaucastel date back to the mid-16th century; the name Perrin first came into play in 1909 when the former vineyard owner Pierre Tramier bequeathed his property to his son-in-law Pierre Perrin. Today, as representatives of the fourth generation, Jean-Pierre and Francois Perrin manage the estate just like their father Jacques, who died in 1978 yet still enjoys legendary status in the region.

Renowned British wine magazine «Decanter» crowned the two brothers «men of the year» this spring to honour their international contributions to wine-making. And seven members of the fifth Perrin generation are already part and parcel of the action – «You have to pool the talents of the family» as they say.

Although the concept of organic viticulture didn’t exist in the 1950s, Jacques Perrin was already working on Beaucastel along organic lines in the modern sense of the word. The term «biodynamic» emerged in 1974. Moreover, the dry, windy climate in this area was a boon to biodynamic farming. Ancient vineyards are cultivated in the Gobelet way: grapes are handpicked and unspectacularly processed in large wooden barrels, as they always are when it comes to great wine. Here, use of the term «ecosystem» is entirely justified; also because all Beaucastel vineyards are located around the château.

Consequently, the argument that by not working according to biodynamic principles one’s neighbour scuppers the viticultural strategies of others shouldn’t be taken too seriously.

Four generations united in the interests of producing the best red The method of heating the grapes to 80° C before pressing remains controversial. Based on the idea of reduced oxidation, the grapes are supposed to emerge with less sulphur and with a better flavour. Critics say such methods do not lead to consistent quality. Wine aficionados regard Beaucastel as the embodiment of Châteauneuf du Pape. Perrin is one of the few wine estates to use all 13 permitted grape varieties in their Châteauneuf. Mourvèdre in particular – quite controversial as a vine (but with great merits as a cuvée) – is the house favourite.

Despite wines such as Châteauneuf du Pape, the Rhône wine-growing area was long overshadowed by the classic French Bordeaux and Burgundy. Even if the Beaucastel style can sometimes be the subject of controversy, the wines themselves signify Rhône «in purezza». And the family is not only busy on the Rhône. The idea behind making Rhône-style wines in the climate of California arose from a long-standing friendship between Jacques Perrin and the Haas family, wine importers in California. The result was Tablas Creek Paso Robles in 1987. In their most recent collaboration the Perrins even reached out to Hollywood. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie teamed up with them to press the grapes from the vines around Château Miraval into rosé wine. The project was so successful that a red wine from the Provence is now set to follow.

Domaine Matassa, Cotes Catalanes, Roussillon Born in South Africa and raised in New Zealand, Tom Lubbe ended up in the Roussillon on the French side of the Pyrenees – due to love! First, there was his love of wine, awakened at the age of 18 when he stumbled across Alexis Lichine at Château Prieuré Lichine in Bordeaux and felt enthralled by its most recent vintage, with all the passion that good winemaking entails. Lubbe, who comes from a «foodie» family as he says, saw his future in winemaking. Even so, he continued to study modern Irish literature in New Zealand where he worked in the wine trade and graduated with a master's degree. «After all my experience of drinking and reading, I was shocked by the dearth of technology that seemed to surround wine.»

So he was looking for another way in. He found it with Lou-

ise Hofmeyer at her Welgemeend wine estate in Paarl, South Africa. In the interests of enhancing his knowledge and skills, she recommended him to Gérard Gauby from the eponymous «domaine» in Calce in the Roussillon region. Gauby – already an enthusiast of biodynamics – completely shared Lubbe’s taste and take on wine. The love Lubbe discovered for Natalie, Gauby’s sister, has also kept him in the south of France, in Calce, ever since.

In 2001 Lubbe and his fellow New Zealander Sam Harrop acquired Clos Matassa, a vineyard on granite, limestone and slate, planted with ancient Carignan vines. It became the heart and soul of the «domaine Matassa».

Biodynamic believers Lubbe and Gauby believe that only a vibrant, healthy and chemically unpolluted soil produces perfect grapes, so their winemaking only involves minimal intervention by man. What really matters is to break out of the monoculture of wine to the furthest extent possible – by planting between the rows of vines and by planting olive trees, etc., with regional plants and crops. After all, as Lubbe and Gauby say, great wine has no need of mandatory upper alcohol restrictions in order to taste scintillating.

In this sense, Matassa is frequently ascribed to the «natural wines» scene and Calce considered as the fulcrum of the movement. Yet for all his strongly held views, Lubbe is not some fanatic. He has a profound understanding of the circumstances in which a particular vintage requires specific interventions. All Matassa wines typically offer a complex interplay of herbs, fruit and salty spiciness. They vary according to colour, the altitude of the vineyard, its specific microclimate, and play to their strengths as a complement to fine fare.

Lubbe’s roots in three major wine-growing countries and his open approach to ideas, knowledge and others are just a few reasons why he has become an excellent source to consult for young oenologists wishing to learn from his approach to winemaking. In Austria, for example, Alwin and Stefanie Jurtschitsch, Matthias Warning (from the Kamptal Valley), Stefanie Renner (Renner, Gols) and Moritz Herzog, who runs the Riberach wine estate together with his friends in precisely this corner of France, can all attest to this. Lubbe and his brother-in-law Gauby have also inspired other winemakers in and around Calce with their ideas, so this spot – and its people – can easily be regarded as something approaching a family completely committed to the notion of «natural wines».

Photo 1: Château Beaucastel Rhône Photo 2: Domaine Matassa

54 – 55 | BON ANNIVERSAIRE

Horological masterpieces.

175 years of Patek Philippe.

Timepieces by Geneva’s manufacturer of luxury watches, Patek Philippe, are worn by queens, popes and heads of state. Its creations are complicated, mechanical artworks which originate in the connection between modern technology and the traditional art of watchmaking. The independent company has remained family-owned right up to today and for 175 years has looked more to stylishness than Zeitgeist.

Text Markus Böhm Photos Patek Philippe

Usually you only have to mention the name Patek Philippe to bring a gleam to the eyes of timepiece aficionados. It’s hardly a coincidence that people say: «There are luxury watches and then there’s Patek Philippe.» This bon mot illustrates the global reputation of a family business which has set the benchmark for exacting standards in Haute Horlogerie for 175 years and which has had a major hand in writing the history of watchmaking. This legendary reputation has been built up on the basis of precision and tradition. In line with the corporate credo of its founders it not only creates the world’s best and most beautiful watches but also complicated movements which can consist of up to 1,728 individual components.

Complicated without compromise Engineers and watchmakers at the Manufacture devote their talents to horological complications – those features which go far beyond merely displaying hours, minutes and seconds: Eternal Calendars, tourbillons, chronographs, time zone displays, astronomical indications such as sidereal time, moon phases, star maps, and of course the striking movements with minute repeaters, Grande and Petite Sonnerie as well as the Westminster chime which is regarded as the apogee of complicated watches. Such complications are extremely difficult to achieve, which naturally limits their quantity. But it is precisely this limitation which makes them so coveted.

That requires the highest quality in every respect: in manufacturing and assembling the individual components, in the lavish decoration of movement components on the front and back. In manufacturing and refining the cases made of gold, platinum or stainless steel. In training the sales staff and the aftersales service department. Those wishing to see for themselves are recommended to visit the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva’s Quartier de Plainpalais where they can admire superbly decorated and mechanically highly complicated creations.

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Fateful encounters The success story of the long-standing company began with the chance encounter of two Polish exiles in Geneva: Antoni Norbert de Patek and François Czapek. The merchant and the timepiece maker jointly established Patek, Czapek & Cie – Fabricants à Genève on 1 May 1839.

Although successful from the outset, the founders fell out with each other. Patek soon found himself looking for a new partner. He met him in 1844: Jean Adrien Philippe was a talented French timepiece maker who had invented a mechanism for winding up the movement and setting the hands without the need for a separate key.

Congenial partners Within a very short time it became clear that each had found the ideal partner in Patek as a shrewd businessman and Philippe as an ingenious watchmaker. On January 1 1851 they christened their joint company «Patek, Philippe & Cie».

Patek was the source of ideas for artistic perfection, which would transform the timepieces into luxurious works of art with the aid of sumptuous crafting such as engravings, enamelling and precious stones while Philippe with his horological ambition constantly developed and refined special complications of the underlying technology.

These ambitions were to define and accompany the brand on its way through history. The philosophy of regarding a watch as a self-contained whole has now been affirmed in the 21st century (since 2009) with the Patek Philippe Seal, which

for the first time sets out in writing the rules and constitution of the Manufacture, and which now applies to all Patek Philippe timepieces.

Patek and Philippe made watches for Europe’s aristocracy: they created the very first Swiss wrist watch for a Hungarian countess in 1868, for example, made the first complicated ladies’ watch with a five-minute repeater and the first wrist watch with a split seconds chronograph – i.e. with a double seconds hand. Even Queen Victoria was enraptured by the creations of Patek Philippe and, in 1851, acquired the dainty pendant watch no. 4719 with diamond roses on blue enamel for herself and the pocket watch no. 3218 with a chronometer escapement and a quarter repeater for her dear Prince Consort Albert.

A shining star in dark times A turning point loomed with the stock market crash of 1929.

The Manufacture almost went bankrupt. The Stern family, who owned a dial-making company and had always maintained an amicable relationship to Patek Philippe, turned out to be saviours in distress: they took over the business – and have led it right up to today. For the very first time Patek Philippe was owned by a single family able to concentrate on taking business decisions in the interests of building up a long-term future for the company.

Thierry Stern now represents the fourth generation of the Stern family at the helm: «My great-grandfather Charles Stern and his brother Jean took over the reins at Patek Philippe in 1932. Charles’ son Henri Stern, my grandfather, and my father Philippe Stern aroused the passion in me to stay loyal to and continue the philosophy of the company’s founders, which is to develop and manufacture the best watches in the world.

I’m delighted to continue the tradition of creativity and innovation for which our Manufacture has established a legendary reputation,» he says.

Patek Philippe follows its own beat Under the leadership of the Stern family Patek Philippe gradually became the leading manufacturer of complicated timepieces in wrist watches just as it had also been previously in the case of pocket watches. As an independent Manufacture the company enjoyed complete creative freedom which enabled it to design, develop and manufacture watches which experts regard as the best in the world.

The year 1932 marked the launch of a watch with the reference 96 which served as a prototype of the now legendary Calatrava collection that would go down in history. Its case and dial design systematically adhered to the Bauhaus principle that form should follow function.

Active on all fronts Despite all the great love of tradition, the company did not shut itself off to innovation. Philippe Stern took over as managing director in 1977. He turned the mainly handcrafted manufacture into an industrial manufacture. He knew that the classic mechanical watch could only survive the introduction

of more precise and much cheaper quartz watches by being a product of the highest quality – or rather, a work of art and collector's item.

In celebration of its 150-year jubilee the Manufacture developed the world’s most complicated portable mechanical timepiece: the calibre 89 with 33 complications. It still remains unsurpassed today. In parallel, it also developed the automatic wrist watch with a calibre R27 minute-repeater – this watch displays the time without any distracting ambient noise and with a fantastic sound. The auction of the first calibre 89 set a new record for timepieces at CHF 4.6m.

Heading courageously into the future To mark its 175th anniversary the label appeared at Baselworld 2014 in a new, spectacular pavilion. It is now up to Thierry Stern, who has been in office for five years, to successfully continue the tradition of the family which took over the Manufacture in its biggest crisis over eighty years ago, led it undaunted through the political turmoil of the Second World War, rose to the challenge of the Quartz Revolution and has now become the most important and largest independent family Manufacture with almost 2,000 employees.

Photo 1: Charles Stern

Text Irmgard Kramer Photos Core, Indigo

Core – Custom-made Swiss skis It's raining. Veronika Jud-Frei parks her car in Davos-Wolfgang and runs with her sturdy young dog up to the summit. This keeps them fit. She’s probably the only woman to own her own ski manufacturing company. The sun breaks through the clouds, conjuring up a rainbow in the sky. Colours and their correct combination have an important place in the life of the lady who has made the Canton of Grisons her second home.

She says she sees far too much «cabbage and carrots» on the slopes – ski bottoms, ski boots and skis should complement each other. «Women prefer colour-coordination. You can see that by their red-painted fingernails» says Veronika with a laugh.

She used to be a ski instructor and promoted the American Ski brand K2 in Switzerland for many years, but found the price war truly awful: «Furious customers would call constantly, complaining that skis in the sports shop next door were cheaper.» When K2’s management team then informed her that all sales and distribution operations would again be managed solely from the USA, she initially felt the ground pulled from under her feet – but seized the opportunity to found her own ski label in 2006, at an age when others think of quitting.

Photo 2: Philippe and Thierry Stern

58 – 59 | CRAFT

The perfect wave.

Handmade skis from the Alps.

They started experimenting 100 years ago before setting up their first ski factories in wooden huts. Victorious heroes from each country made their homelands proud – and the economy very happy. Then the founding fathers died. Family farms were swallowed up by giant corporations. Today, individuals conquer the slopes. New small companies, far removed from mass-production, respond to their wishes and now offer handmade luxury brands. But let’s begin at the beginning.

No mass-produced articles here, please «Core» bolsters the image of «minimalist skis without the frills» says Mirco, who’s in charge of development and sales. The Ski Cross World Cup athlete started out by studying geography. When Veronika told him about her plans one time in the finish area, he was immediately hooked. «Mirco truly knows if a ski cuts the mustard» she says. The two are complemented solely by an accountant. Their office is located in an old «Walserhaus» within the village of Klosters, where Veronika lives. A fire burns in the traditional tiled stove. Meetings take place in the kitchen over a cup or mug of coffee. Mirco works diligently away in the atelier below which used to be a stable for horses and now doubles up as a storehouse.

Horses are her second passion. She breeds racehorses at a stud farm near Lake Constance. She loves all fast movers, just as she did when she used to take part in ski races for the Zurich junior team.

In the meantime Core supplies a small selection of its skis to Aspen, Vail and New York thanks to an English associate who says he’s the label’s greatest fan: «These skis are my passion.»

60 | CRAFT

Summit talks One day as Veronika was weaving her way across the piste in St. Moritz she suddenly saw a pair of black carbon skis – the kind she had always wanted. She followed the ski trail, spoke to the skier, made further inquiries in the sports shop and was told about a ski-making factory based in Chiavenna.

Enormously impressed by the craftsmanship she saw there, she spoke to the owner about her production plans. But he wasn’t so willing to listen. She didn’t give up and kept coming back. The answer was always the same: «No, we don’t make skis for anyone else». So she turned on all her charm until the owner finally invited her for lunch. A few minutes later a helicopter landed in front of the factory and flew them up to a mountain peak. A few red wines and grappas later he gave his consent. Ever since then the factory in Chiavenna manufactures skis on behalf of Core for a brief time during the year – Mirco supplies the negative moulds and other special materials.

A vision becomes reality Core only changes its limited collection once every three years. So forget the stress of buying a new set of skis each season simply in order to be up to date. Forget the black market which merely destroys the market. Or the notion of being spoiled for choice. Turn your mind instead to «Muscle Car GT» – the name of Core’s new supercarver. Its matt black design and bright yellow side wall are among the finest and receive accolades from highly skilled slalom specialists, passionate cross carvers and daring free riders alike. The skis cost between CHF 1,600 and 3,000 depending on whether they’re made from titanium, carbon or polyamide.

While the purveyors of cheap skis have their noses glued to Advent windows and eagerly long for snowflakes to fall because the entire season’s business would otherwise be up the spout, Veronika is looking forward to a relaxed Christmas. Her skis are sustainable and purchased throughout the season. She benefits from the fruits of quality craftsmanship.

Many doubters have seen the light thanks to the superb quality of her skis.

Indigo – made by hand in Germany When, in 1998, Gregory Baer and Thorsten Schwabe first began creating their snowboards – from ash wood – from their little workshop they had no idea that one-off pieces for their good friends would soon become an international label with everything required for a perfect day’s skiing, starting from made-to-measure boots and 180-degree visors to beautiful helmets capable of withstanding all weathers and conditions.

Schwabe was always trying to test his limits right from the start. Born in the Black Forest in 1969, he had always felt inspired by winter sports. With self-made skis and boards, he and his childhood friend, Baer, ran tests in powder snow, came unstuck on their very first attempts with standard commercial steel edges on their skis and were amazed that they survived their first jaunt across the mountains. In summer, Schwabe would look for the perfect wave on the Atlantic coast. Water is a magical element and indigo blue an amazing colour. While studying architecture, Schwabe came up with the idea of launching his own business. Teaming up with Baer, he set out on his way.

The comforting sound Appearances at trade fairs and one design award after the other soon enabled Indigo to soothe aspirations of avid winter sports enthusiasts. «We’re the trendsetters in the industry», Schwabe says confidently. This probably led one day to Willy Bogner himself appearing at the door and entrusting the two with the development of the first in-house Bogner skis. No garishly coloured plastic skis, mind you – their minimalist use of bamboo still stirs hearts and minds today. Something that really belongs in the jungle appears striking in the snow.

Bamboo has multiple talents What’s good for building skyscrapers can't hurt snowboards, thought our two clever designers. Above all, its tensile bearing capacity and long fibres make it an ideal material for making skis. «A nice side benefit, of course, is that bamboo is one of the world's fastest-growing resources», Baer says.

The bamboo core construction has now been patented.

Bogner Ski Bamboo typically features a direct edge grip and carving properties – and whizzes along at warp speed across all five continents, both on and off the slopes.

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