8 minute read
MICROBRAND
THE SPECS
• 40mm stainless steel or bronze case with 200m water resistance • MD-1 calibre automatic movement • From $650 (approx. £460), tsaobaltimore.com
MICROBRAND CORNER
From Avant Garde design to accessible haute horology, this is the latest and greatest from the creative world of microbrand watchmaking
Tsao
Baltimore Legacy
Adding yet another intriguing value proposition to the microbrand melting pot stateside, the latest from Maryland-based Tsao Baltimore is, in their own words, an accessible heirloom piece. It certainly has the style credentials down with a dual crown, compressor adjacent look finished with some absolutely stunning sandwich dials, including this royal blue fume number. Each colour is available in steel or bronze, with a GMT or without. That might sound like an overly broad selection except that each is limited to just 75 pieces. Yeah, this is one you’ll want to preorder.
tsaobaltimore.com
Fine Watches Berlin
VALENTINA Red
Following the success of their striking, royal coloured charity-slanted timepiece, the VALENTINA Blue, Fine Watches Berlin are ensuring that lightning strikes twice, this time with an eyecatching red edition. Based on the German brand’s signature Teufelsberg model with its asymmetrical small seconds subdial, the combination of red, white and blue is matched by the contrast-stitch strap. It’s bright, bold and, if that weren’t enough, 15% of the proceeds of each watch goes to Stiftung Valentina, a foundation for critically ill children. How could you say no?
finewatches.berlin
THE SPECS
• 40.5mm stainless steel case with 50m water resistance • Miyota cal. 8218 automatic movement with 42-hour power reserve • € 698 (approx. £600), limited to 100 pieces, finewatches.berlin
Zinvo
Rival Marine
Luxury sports watches are generally on the pricey side, but just because a steel watch has an integrated bracelet doesn’t mean it should be inaccessible. The Rival, courtesy of microbrand Zinvo, offers a design inspired by the likes of Gerald Genta but, thanks to quartz movements, without the prohibitive price tag. The Rival Marine, with its impeccably cool and unusually finished blue dial, is the standout of the lot. There are few watches in this price range that have style credentials this solid. zinvowatches.com
THE SPECS • 42mm stainless steel case with 50m water resistance • Quartz movement • $249 (Approx. £180), zinvowatches.com
Valimor
Caliburnus II
Rather than the retro charm of the 60s or the vintage era of the 50s, Valimor instead takes their design cues from the Medieval period – hence the Arthurian inspirations behind their new Caliburnus II. Combining a dragon scale bezel with dials made from various colours of synthetic opal or mother-of-pearl, the various Caliburnus II references are as incredible as they are unusual. The standout is the Flame Opal – red, of course – which suits the brand’s aged stainless steel perfectly for an ancient take on modern microbrand watchmaking.
valimor.com
THE SPECS • 42mm aged stainless steel case with 50m water resistance • Miyota 8315 automatic movement with 60-hour power reserve • From €389 (approx.£335), valimor.com
DWISS
M3
It takes some cojones for a microbrand to dive headlong into the arena of luxury sports watches but then that’s something that DWISS have never exactly lacked. The M3, with the brand’s signature displaced hours, a mesmeric multi-level dial and a case that veers close enough to the Nautilus to make it instantly-recognisable. There are three colour options to choose from in the M3 collection, all with the same steel case. One version has an aquatic blue dial, another is black, and the final version is white. All the design choices for the M3 were made in collaboration with DWISS’s Watch Design Club, an exclusive group of 100 members that were consulted throughout the timepiece’s 12-month development. Each member will be given one of the watches that they helped bring to fruition. As with all DWISS watches, this is an THE SPECS extremely limited-edition timepiece with • 42mm stainless steel only 500 of the models being made ever. case with 200m water resistance Despite its exclusivity it’s very accessible at • ETA 2824-2 Elabore $1,390 or $1,590 (approx. £990/£1,130) automatic movement with depending on if you choose the rubber 42-hour power reserve • From $1,390 (approx. strap or metal bracelet. If you want one, £990), dwiss.com you’ll have to act fast. dwiss.com
Oracle INSIGHTS
WHAT’S ON OUR SHOPPING LIST AND WHY
McLaren – Retro Colours Return
CHARLES MARTIN WATCH COMPANY
Luxury watches are long term investments, often multi-generational in nature and treasured family heirlooms, which means keeping them in tip-top condition is important as it will not only keep them looking great but increase their longevity. The Charles Martin Watch Company in Staffordshire specialise in giving pre-owned luxury watches the care they deserve, from repairs and services to finding them new homes. They are an accredited service centre for Omega, Longines, Rado and Tissot, with expertise in many other brands too.
charlesmartinwatchcompany.com
McLaren’s in-house personalisation team, MSO, has unveiled a new paint customisation for the 720S in retro Gulf colours. The light blue and orange are evocative of the partnership between McLaren and Gulf Oil that began in the days of team founder Bruce McLaren and also appeared on the F1 cars at the Monaco Grand Prix in May. A limited number of 720S owners can request the livery, although the process takes 20 days of hand painting.
Find out more at mclaren.com
Bistrot Pierre – Bistrot At Home
One of the unexpected benefits from lockdown has been the at home services many top restaurants started offering. Bistrot Pierre’s range of finish at home boxes have been so popular that they are being continued despite the easing of restrictions, so you can continue enjoying high quality French meals from your own kitchen. In fact, Bistrot at Home has launched three new boxes: celebration, steak and breakfast.
Prices from £35 for a three course meal for two, from bistrotathome.co.uk
LOCH LOMOND WHISKIES – 45 YEAR MALT
Loch Lomond Whiskies has released one of their rarest expressions to date. Only 200 bottles of the premium 45 year single malt will be distilled as part of their Remarkable Stills Series in celebration of the unique straight neck stills. As for taste, the Loch Lomond 45 Year Old showcases flavours of red apple, pear, tropical fruits and honey. The finish is long and presents waves of warming cinnamon spice and tart green fruits.
£3,450, more information at lochlomondwhiskies.com
Billy Ruffian – Boat Shoe
Boat shoes are usually relegated to the role of weekend wear, however the stylish offerings from Billy Ruffian are too cool to dismiss and could easily be your daily choice this summer. The Leanders combine a one-piece lace design with oiled leather in a variety of colours while the Lulworths add a loafer style slip on. Both come with a natural siped rubber sole, a hallmark of boat shoes that helps to provide seaworthy grip.
Leander and Lulworth £120, from billyruffianshoes.co.uk WEBER – GENESIS II BARBEQUE
DOOLEY & ROSTRON – SIGNATURE SUITS
Dooley & Rostron are a tailoring company based in Manchester that offer a wide range of services. At the top of the list has to be their Bespoke Shirt Service where you work alongside their finest tailors to create a unique shirt inspired by your style. They also offer a selection of ready to wear collections such as this navy blue suit that combines wool, linen and silk for a summery outfit that is a wardrobe essential. Signature Navy Suit, £725 from dooleyandrostron.com
Little Black Hat Gallery
While exhibitions and displays are starting to open again, online galleries are still one of the best ways to view art from the comfort of your own home. The Little Black Hat Gallery is an online showcase of the work of Russian-born British artist Kat Herrgott Penter, where her works are also available for purchase. Kat’s style is bold, with a strong focus on beauty and experience, the artwork ‘Coffee in Paris’ capturing the sumptuous romance of the city. You can view her work at littleblackhatgallery.com
The British summer isn’t always conducive to barbeques so when, eventually, the sun breaks through the clouds, burnt burgers and undercooked sausages are the absolute worst. Weber Barbeques has spent 70 years perfecting barbeque technology and their new Genesis II line is fully Wi-Fi connective and pairs with an app on your phone. It not only tells you when your burgers are cooked, but when to flip them and the perfect serving temperature, alongside numerous other functions. Genesis II, approximately £1,000£1,900 depending on specification, from weber.com
THE ARX DEFENDER
ARX is a gallery and auction house specialising in digital artwork and NFTs, with multiple big ticket auctions that you can get involved in like the recent sale of ‘Race Against Time’ a 1/1 production by the British artist MRE. They are currently running an open limited edition drop of The ARX Defender, an NFT depicting a space age Overfinch Defender vehicle on an alien planet where adventurers seek to mine physical Ethereum – the cryptocurrency which can be used to purchase the artwork.
