EVERYTHING FOR THE MAN – ENJOYMENT AND LIFESTYLE TRENDS

SPECIAL THEME: EVERYTHING FOR THE MAN – ENJOYMENT AND LIFESTYLE TRENDS A treat for him

The following special theme presents some tasty beers, exclusive watches and high-quality fashion items for men. Get inspired!

PHOTOS: PIXABAY

Soyuz 02 Raw II Superlative. Photo: Werenbach Dissembling of the rocket in the steppe. Photo: Christian Frei

THE UNIVERSE ON YOUR WRIST

A Swiss timekeeper meets space? It sounds just as fascinating as it does unbelievable. But Werenbach founder Patrick Hohmann couldn’t let go of such an incredible thought and turned his pioneering vision into reality. The result? Sophisticated watches made from authentic rocket material that capture the poetry of infinity.

TEXT: MARILENA STRACKE

Capturing the emotion of the universe, always carrying a part of the exploration of it with you; that idea has been made possible with the rocket watches by Werenbach. Each watch starts its adventure in the steppe of Kazakhstan, where the Russian spaceport is located and where the stage-one parts of the rocket type Soyuz fall back to Earth.

Although Werenbach founder Patrick Hohmann has been able to bring space treasures from those heavily guarded military grounds to Switzerland for ten years now, each journey bears new obstacles. The crafting process from rocket debris into quality watches is another challenge in itself. But again, Hohmann’s continuous hunger for innovation leads him to success.

Currently, there are two next-generation collections. The starter collection, Soyuz 01, features dials made from melted rocket material. The dials for the Soyuz 2 Collection, however, are cut directly from the rocket’s outer shell and original parts of the rocket’s surface are used within.

These watches are also available in the Superlative Edition, the personal favourite of Hohmann who wears the Soyuz 02 Raw IV Superlative himself. “The dial of this watch comes straight from the rocket nose,” he explains enthusiastically. “The material has reached a height of 85 kilometres, which is twice as high as Felix Baumgartner’s jump to Earth from the stratosphere. Inside is the high-end Soprod manufacture movement, an engineering gem. It makes the watches comparable to the best Swiss timepieces.”

This month there will be a brand-new addition at Werenbach: the BTO (Built To Order) watches. Here, the different dials feature burn marks and scratches from their space missions. Each watch is individually assembled through the web-configurator and, thanks to attractive retail prices and pre-manufacturing conditions, the watches have become quite affordable.

Regardless of which watch you may ultimately pick, you can be confident that Werenbach stands for space-born pioneering. You certainly won’t find a more exciting watch on Earth.

www.werenbach.de

Successful retrieval of the rocket nose. Photo: Marco Vannoti

EIN STÜCK WELTRAUM AM HANDGELENK

Schweizer Zeitmesser trifft Weltall? Klingt so faszinierend wie unglaublich. Das dachte sich auch Werenbach-Gründer Patrick Hohmann und setzte seinen Entdeckergeist in die Tat um. Das Resultat sind elegante Uhren aus echtem Raketenmaterial – und mit der einzigartigen Poesie des Weltalls.

Die Emotion des Weltalls einfangen, sie immer bei sich tragen – genau das ermöglichen die Raketen-Uhren des Labels Werenbach. Dabei beginnt jede Uhr ihr Abenteuer in der Steppe Kasachstans. Dort befindet sich der russische Weltraumbahnhof, wo die ersten Stufen der Raketen vom Typ Sojus wieder auf die Erde zurückfallen. Obwohl Werenbach-Gründer Patrick Hohmann hier bereits vor 10 Jahren zum ersten Mal Weltraumschätze bergen durfte, birgt die Suche nach dem RaketenMaterial im streng bewachten militärischen Sperrgebiet immer wieder neue Hürden.

Nicht nur das Finden und Abtransportieren, auch die Verarbeitung des exklusiven Trümmermaterials zu hochwertigen Zeitmessern ist eine echte Herausforderung. Aber auch hier führt Hohmanns kontinuierlicher Entdeckergeist gepaart mit seinem Streben nach Innovation zum Erfolg.

Aktuell gibt es zwei Kollektionen der neuen Generation. Die Soyuz 01 Collection ist die Einsteigerkollektion, bei der das Zifferblatt aus der eingeschmolzenen Rakete gefertigt wird. Die Zifferblätter der Soyuz 02 Collection hingegen werden direkt aus der Raketenaußenhaut ausgeschnitten und mit den originalen Raketenoberflächen in den Uhren verbaut.

Diese sind auch als Superlative Edition erhältlich, dem persönlichen Favoriten von Hohmann, der selbst die Soyuz 02 Raw IV Superlative trägt. „Das Zifferblatt dieser Uhr stammt von der Raketenspitze“, erklärt er begeistert, „Das Material hat eine Höhe von 85km erreicht. Das ist mehr als doppelt so hoch wie Felix Baumgartners Stratosphärensprung. In ihrem Innern tickt unser Soprod-Uhrwerk, eine mechanische Besonderheit. Damit lässt sich die Uhr mit den besten Schweizer Uhren vergleichen.“

Diesen Monat startet außerdem ein ganz neues Programm bei Werenbach: die BTO (Built To Order) Uhren, die mit unterschiedlichen Zifferblättern die Brandspuren und Kratzer der Weltraummission aufweisen. Jede Uhr wird im Web-Konfigurator individuell zusammengestellt und dank Manufakturpreisen und Vorverkaufskonditionen sind die Unikate für jedermann erschwinglich.

Egal für welche Uhr man sich letztlich entscheidet, Werenbach steht für Pionierwerk mit außerirdischer Geschichte. Eine spannendere Uhr gibt es nicht auf Erden.

Werenbach Manufaktur. Foto: Agi Simones

Soyuz Raketentransport Kasachstan. Foto: Christian Frei

Soyuz 02 Raw II auf der Rakete. Foto: Werenbach

WHISKY WITH AN ALPINE TOUCH

The last few years have shown a growing interest in what is considered the exceptional. This holds true in particular for spirits, a domain where regional products and new distilleries can truly claim to be a cut above the rest.

TEXT: SILKE HENKELE I PHOTOS: BRAUEREI LOCHER AG

“Whisky,” said the British author Rudyard Kipling, “is not a beverage but a philosophy” – a philosophy that obviously struck a nerve with people very early on, as information about the first whisky-like beverage has been handed down from as far back as the end of the 15th century from the Scottish county Fife.

Appenzell-based Brauerei Locher AG joins this old tradition with its brand Säntis Malt – Swiss Alpine Whisky. Distilled since 1999, these single-malt whiskies are known across the globe for their exceptional taste and variety. Accordingly, Säntis Malt’s various editions of the whisky continue to win renowned competitions such as the International Wine & Spirit Competition, thus showcasing that they do indeed belong to what can be considered to be the best of their trade. How does this come about? “The ingredients and the conditions of maturing are key for the quality of our single-malt whiskies. We only use fresh spring water from the Alpstein massif, our barley is characterised by extraordinary vitality and an intense taste, and our single-malt whiskies mature in historic, up to 130-year-old oak barrels, which gives them their unique basic flavour. The last step, the decanting into wooden barrels that used to contain port wine, sherry and bourbon, for example, gives our whiskies their finishing touch,” explains sales manager Kuno Mock.

This is how, for example, the versatile Edition Himmelberg is created; an edition which excels via its light and fruity taste and which caresses the palate with its aromatic, woody flavour. When whisky guru Jim Murray nominated Edition Dreifaltigkeit as the European Whisky of the Year 2010, he enthused: “We are dealing here with something of such controlled, enormous magnitude and pure class that you can do nothing but sit back and enjoy this whisky with pleasure and deep awe!”

Whisky aficionados can now enjoy the Appenzell Säntis Malt on the Whisky Trek, the world’s highest-altitude whisky-tasting tour. “This trek,” explains Mock, “is hosted by 26 guesthouses in the Alpstein massif, each one of them serving a different, unique blend of our Säntis Malt that is unavailable elsewhere. Features such as barrel type, humidity and the height of the storage location all have an enormous influence on the maturation process and therefore on the whisky’s individual flavour and colour.”

If a tour seems too challenging for just now, or if none of the known selling points are close by, the Editions Himmelberg and Dreifaltigkeit are now also available to buy duty free at Zurich airport.

www.saentismalt.com/en www.whiskytrek.ch

GESCHMACKSOFFENBARUNGEN AUS DEN ALPEN

In den letzten Jahren zeigt sich das Bedürfnis nach dem Besonderen auch vermehrt bei Spirituosen. Regionale Abfüllungen und neue Produzenten haben hier die Nase weit vorn.

„Whisky ist kein Getränk, Whisky ist eine Weltanschauung”, wußte bereits der britische Schriftsteller Rudyard Kipling. Eine Weltanschauung, die wohl den Nerv der Menschen traf, wenn man bedenkt, dass das erste Destillat eines whiskyähnlichen Aquavits bereits Ende des 15. Jahrhunderts aus der schottischen Grafschaft Fife überliefert ist.

Die im schweizerischen Appenzell beheimatete Brauerei Locher AG reiht sich mit ihrer Marke Säntis Malt - Swiss Alpine Whisky in die uralte Tradition ein und destilliert bereits seit 1999 Whiskys, die für ihren Geschmack und ihre Vielfalt weltbekannt sind. So gewinnen die Editionen der Säntis Malts seit mehreren Jahren in Folge in wichtigen Wettbewerben wie beispielsweise der International Wine & Spirit Competition Medaillen und beweisen damit, dass sie zu den Spitzenreitern der Zunft gehören. Woran liegt das? „Die Qualität unserer Single Malt Whiskys verdanken wir den Zutaten und den Reifebedingungen. Wir verwenden ausschließlich frisches Quellwasser aus dem Alpsteinmassiv, unsere Gerste zeichnet sich durch außerordentliche So entstehen Editionen, wie die verwandlungsfähige Edition Himmelberg, die zunächst durch leicht-fruchtigen Geschmack, aber am Gaumen mit würzig-holzigen Aromen überzeugt. Von der Edition Dreifaltigkeit schwärmte der Whiskyguru Jim Murray bei der Ernennung zum ‘European Whisky of the Year’: „Was wir hier haben, ist von solch kontrolliertem, ungeheurem Ausmaß und einer Größenklasse, dass man diesen Whisky geniessen muss!”

Whiskyliebhaber genießen den Appenzeller Säntis Malt am besten auf dem Whiskytrek, einer Verkostungstour durch das Alpsteinmassiv und damit die höchstgelegene Whiskytour der Welt. „An diesem Trek“, erklärt Mock, „beteiligen sich insgesamt 26 Gasthäuser, jedes davon schenkt ein anderes Unikat des Säntis Malt aus, das nicht im regulären Handel erhältlich ist. Denn obwohl alle Gasthäuser unseren Original Säntis Malt bekommen, haben Fassart, Luftfeuchtigkeit und Höhe des Lagerorts einen Einfluss auf den Reifungsprozess und damit auch auf das Aroma und die Farbe des Whiskys.“

Vitalität und Kraft aus. Außerdem reifen unsere Single Malt Whiskys in historischen, bis zu 130 Jahren alten Eichenholzfässern, wo sie ihre spezielle geschmackliche Grundnote erhalten. Der letzte Schritt, die Umfüllung in Holzfässer, in denen früher Portwein, Sherry, Bourbon o.ä. lagerte, verleiht den Säntis Malt Whiskys den letzten Schliff und komplettiert ihren einzigartigen Geschmack”, erklärt Verkaufsleiter Kuno Mock. Wem eine Tour zu herausfordernd ist oder sich nicht in der Nähe der bekannten Verkaufsstellen befindet, der kann die Editionen Himmelberg und Dreifaltigkeit nun auch am Zürcher Flughafen im Duty Free-Bereich erwerben.

SLOW FASHION MADE 100 PER CENT IN ITALY

The Italian/Swiss men’s fashion brand KA/NOA merges slow fashion with timeless, elegant style. At the heart of the brand is founder Bruno Grande, whose never-ceasing passion for sustainability, design and Italian craftsmanship has made KA/NOA what it is today.

TEXT: MARILENA STRACKE

It all started with a dream with roots in Bruno Grande’s childhood. Watching his father, a passionate tailor, make the clothes for him and his siblings, spending time in the atelier and feeling the precious materials – all of that was the foundation of Grande’s dream. As he got older, he became a frequent traveller. He kept thinking about how handy it would be if he could simply pack his hand luggage in five minutes with high-quality, elegant yet comfortable clothes.

“As an Italian, I am very much attached to my Piedmont roots, a fervent defender of Italian craftsmanship and ‘savoir-faire’,” Grande says with a smile. “One day, I said to my wife: it’s now or never. That’s how it started. First with a personal small wardrobe in August 2016. Then, one year later, with the first KA/ NOA boutique in Lausanne.”

KA/NOA is named after Grande’s two children Kaia and Noah, an ongoing inspiration and tribute to his origins and late father’s passion. But it’s also a reminder of why sustainability needs to be taken seriously – not just for our own sake but for future generations.

“KA/NOA is my small contribution to a better and more responsible world,” Grande adds. “A world where people would buy less but buy better, and where slow fashion would be the norm. KA/NOA is more than a brand, it is a philosophy, and my way to raise my children with values and respect for the things well-done, for hard work and for people.”

MADE 100 PER CENT IN ITALY, FROM THE YARN TO THE LABEL

We may have seen the ‘Made in Italy’ label many times before, but often this also includes multiple parts carried out elsewhere. KA/NOA is very different, in that respect. Here,

Travel bag. Photo: KA/NOA

Fashion made by humans for humans. Photo: David Carlier

everything from development, manufacturing and materials, to accessories and design elements is genuinely and proudly made 100 per cent in Italy by Grande and his partners.

The result is exceptional quality throughout. It may come at a price, but one that can be easily justified. High quality made by humans for humans has arguably become quite rare these days. “It is a project to protect Italian craftsmanship, where people pay the right price and know where the clothes come from and who makes them,” Grande says.

Hence, there are no sales at KA/NOA – a bold move, but one that shows the founder’s commitment to his own values. This is Slow Fashion at its finest.

MIX AND MATCH TO YOUR HEART’S DESIRE

One of the goals of KA/NOA is the creation of a wardrobe made of elegant, comfortable clothes that fits into hand luggage and can be easily combined with one another. Just a few well-chosen items of clothing, adaptable to every situation – from a three-day business trip to a romantic get-away.

KA/NOA delivers on its promise beautifully. It incorporates the principle of a wardrobe built from basics, yet with every item looking superb in combination with another. This effortless ‘mixing and matching’ ensures that whatever items you grab, you are always impeccably dressed – thanks to just a few select pieces. It is a dream come true for frequent travellers: you don’t have to think much about what to pack.

Photo: David Carlier

Bruno Grande and his kids Kaia and Noah. Photo: KA/NOA

A PHILOSOPHY THAT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER

For Grande, the relationships with his customers and collaborators are absolute paramount. “The most fascinating aspect of my work is being with our customers, our partners and everyone close to the brand,” he explains. “We all share the same values, the same philosophy, and we feel somewhat connected. We could not achieve what we have achieved without the support of all those involved, and we enjoy every single day of it.”

KA/NOA offers a new perspective on fashion consumerism and presents a much-needed alternative, where quality prevails over quantity. You can visit the boutiques in Geneva, Zurich, Lausanne, Crans Montana, Verbier or Toulouse, or find your new favourite wardrobe online.

Become part of the KA/NOA family. www.kanoaitalia.com

Photo: David Carlier

Patrick Dempsey Friend of KA/NOA