Revista SO 07 by Simonetta Orsini

STAFF

Director Mimi Kohen General coordinator Mercedes Quintana Managing Editor Soledad Barruti Coordination assistant Lucía Barro Editorial coordination for Muchnik.co Carolina Castillo Marín Art director fabianmuggeri.com Proofreader Eduardo Reynoso Translator Patricia Berta Image editors Rafael Casares y Sebastián Cúneo Printer Platt impresores Writers Carlos Álvarez Insúa, Mariano Braga, Alejandro Cortina Ricci, Fabián Dorado, María Ferreyra de Rosas, Paula Giménez, Verónica Gómez, Victoria Lescano, Agustina Muñoz, Rodolfo Reich, Martina Rua, Sergio Zagier.

SUMARIO 8

12 j Expert picks or find-

52 j Paneristi: an idea

76 j Laureus Foundation:

ings that give new meaning to our days. 20 j Trips: where connoisseurs go. Places of the world for passionate travelers who know what they want and where to look for it. 30 j Clubs of the world where to encounter pleasure: for wine, for cigars, for whiskey. 38 j Chanel: a fashion icon that connects clients throughout generations. 42 j Technology: applications to discover more about high watchmaking. 46 j Carlos Alvarez Insúa and an article about the charms of encounters. 50 j MINI Cooper: great small cars for a great challenge.

from fans which became a place for encounters. 56 j Cannes: a good reason to celebrate the encounter with friends of IWC. 58 j La Maison de Antoine: a new space for exclusive encounters at JaegerLeCoultre. 60 j We visit F.P. Journe in Geneva. 64 j Jorge Pablo Brito wants River Plate, the club he loves, to return to its glory days. 68j Daniel Santoro: the artist who discovered which phenomenon inhabits the Argentinean heart. 72 j Federico León: or how to direct a multitude on stage.

when sports can change lives. 78 j Fashion: an encounter between watches, jewels and apparel created by a new generation of designers. 96 j Emergent design: a community of high apparel designers. 102 j Simonetta Orsini´s clients choose their favorite watches from SIHH and Baselworld 2013. 114 j That unique object of desire: an encounter in the first-person. 116 j Richard Mille: the perfect union with the best of world sports.

Photographs Santiago Albanell Javier Picerno Illustrations Carlus Rodríguez Style design Mariana Schurink Fashion casting Paula Gandolfo and Emilio Pancheri para Look1 Model Management Make Up Gabriela Donaire for Estudio Novillo with YSL products Hairstyling Juan Beltran Assistant photographer Kris Tsai Production assistant Iara Gernetti S/O is a publication of Simonetta Orsini, edited by Muchnik.co. Libertad 1213, 2nd. floor. Tel: + 54 11 5199 3030. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce This publication or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. The editors do not hold themselves responsible for the opinions expressed by contributors, interviewees, or advertisements. Intellectual property registration in process.

Editorial Nether love, nor real encounters or even deep disagreements are the work of coincidences, but are mysteriously reserved for us. How many times in life was I surprised at how, of all the people existing in the world, we came across those who, somehow, were in the tables of our fate, as if we belonged to the same secret organization, or chapters of the same book!" So, just like that, Ernesto Sábato in these lines of The Resistance (La Resistencia) masterfully whispers a great truth: the fascination of the encounter is not in the encounter itself, but in everything fate did to make it happen. A string of episodes and characters that invite us to an appointment that we did not plan, but which we can value. It works as a spell that deprives us of fleeing, a precious and intangible treasure that we cannot lose and a pure moment that we yearn to repeat endlessly. An encounter is - without a doubt - a success, a discovery, a blessing and a gift. But we are also able to be creators and facilitators of encounters. Those we build with mystique and leaving little to chance. The lighting, the colors, each object chosen so that the encounter happens has to be perfect. Not to mention the friendly warmth of the hosts. Encounters are also our goal at Simonetta Orsini. A decision that we celebrate and are happy to introduce: the new space of SO which will be inaugurated in the coming months, a boutique located in a strategic area of the city, in the elegant corner of Alvear Avenue and Montevideo street, a place with a unique environment so that our customers can enjoy their own time with the brands, unleash their passion for Haute Horlogerie, talk with friends or have a good time away from the urban maelstrom. Cohiba Atmosphere will be there –the already famous space which has become a private club for those who love smoking cigars — where they can pair the best vitolas with all kinds of premium drinks. A true luxury experience where we hope to meet you all. 10

Martín De Leeuw

Pensado para el encuentro, así se proyecta el nuevo espacio de Simonetta Orsini en Av. Alvear y Montevideo.

Expert Picks

Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot

1. The All Black Big Bang.

EXPERT PICKS

2. Napoleon Bonaparte. 3. Our unique movement. 4. My Ferrari 458 Italia. 5. Patagonia. 6. The Da Vinci Code. 7. A Burdeos, Haut Brion 1989. 8. Violier â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Crissier Lausanne. 9. The one that will please the person.

If they could meet a character from history to chat for a while, or choose a single object to accompany them every day, or a book with which to spend the best moments... some encounters are full of magic. In this story, five personalities tell us their choice. 12

QUESTIONS 1.

A watch no one should miss in this life

A character from the past with whom you would love to have a chat

A unique object

A car to go out for adventure

A place in the world to visit with friends

A book that completely captivated you

A drink to be enjoyed by two

A restaurant for a celebration

The perfect gift for a reconciliation

10. What humanity still needs to find

10.Generosity.

Expert Picks

Federico Fialayre, Executive Director and Chef of Tomo I Restaurant

1. I am very happy with my Tissot Heritage. Compared to the wonders you carry, it is like the ´poor cousin`, but it has its magic. 2. Anthony Burgess: if his chat is a fourth of how brilliant (and hilarious!) his literature is, I have pub talk for years to come. 3. The pans at Tomo I. Truly: they are under a spell. 4. In a pedant mood, I am a fan of the Alfa, but in truth I do not pay much attention to cars. 5. I have the fantasy of reuniting them at the Castello di Reschio, an out of this world Villa in Umbria. But in truth, wherever they are is where I want to be. 6. La aventura del tocador de señoras, by Eduardo Mendoza (life does not have to be boring, much less literature). 7. The rosé by Finca La Anita; a bottle of R de Ruinart... In between: a million alternatives. 8. Le Comptoir, in Paris. 14

9. A trip. Ok, it is very trite: a trip to a very rainy place. 10. The ´pause` button.

Expert Picks

Hector Hugo Neer, Founder of Peter Kent

1. A Rolex. 2. Leonardo da Vinci, creative genius. 3. My Waterman Sérénité pen. 4. Land Rover, synonymous with adventure. 5. Sailing the BVI (British Virgin Islands), in the Caribbean. 6. About the Shortness of Life, by Seneca, in my twenties. 7. A good wine. 8. Union Square Cafe, in New York City. 9. A jewel and a passionate kiss. 10. Peace.

Expert Picks

Rebeca Selley, Manager of the Four Seasons Hotel, Buenos Aires

1. A Cartier. Classic, elegant and unpretentious. 2. Just one? There are so many I would like to have a chat with. Today, Mahatma Gandhi. 3. The diamond ring I always wear, which was a present from my grandfather to my mother when she turned 35. She gave it to me when I turned that age. Besides, it coincided with my promotion to General Manager. 4. For me, it is not so much the car, but the destination and the personâ&#x20AC;Ś. the car, a convertible. 5. The Mediterranean. 6. The Sum of Our Days, by Isabel Allende. 7. Champagne... and my favorite, Billecart-Salmon RosĂŠ. 8. Elena. 9. A trip to a place that permits a reconnection with the other person, a place with a special meaning for both. 10. To me, it is what it needs to find again, and that is without doubt, love. In each and every of its manifestations.

THE RIGHT PLACE

othing better than those encounters where conversation brings together passionate fans and refined connoisseurs of special places. Since man learned how to find his vocation and allowed himself to follow the mysterious impulses that drew him to certain things and kept him from others, the search for perfection, curiosity and the desire to deepen the passion led him to surround himself with people who could help in this search. A few privileged are fortunate enough to be able to enjoy their favorite hobbies in the best places in the

world. Those places considered the unquestionable redoubts where to take fanaticism to the peak of sophistication and comfort. From a hotel in England with the best tennis courts (where professional players practice before Wimbledon) to Brittany; where gourmet specialists from around the world gather to discover new flavors and techniques. In this story of Simonetta we come to know those places where fanatics decide to get together, mutually recognizing a precise sense of smell to find out where you need to be and who you must meet to turn holidays into a chance to manifest passion.

BRITTANY: THE GOURMET FOCUS

year ago the culinary specialist Michael Booth asked himself what this little French spot had which made it the cradle of several of the ‘hit’ chefs of the past years. He summoned only a few of the Bretons who run the most famous kitchens of the moment, Frédéric Simonin, whose restaurant -as ‘run run’ has it-, is the coolest of the Parisian scene today, Christian Le Squer, owner of three Michelin stars, Gaël Orieux of Auguste, Alain Passars of the splendid L’arpege and finally, Thierry Breton, the Kitchen Manager of the legendary Chez Michel, where regulars like Carolina of Monaco or Catherine Deneuve come to enjoy the most exquisite selection of Breton food. The New York Times also wondered about this focus of haute cuisine,

which was not only giving the world the most creative and meticulous cooks but which is also a real stronghold for products of great quality and taste. It also houses many of the unmissable restaurants of today. This is how the area of Brittany became THE place to visit for all gourmets who tour the bistrots and restaurants in search of the best fish and delicious prawns which fishermen fish out of the sea on a daily basis. As the celebrity chef Patrick Jeffroy, director of the kitchen of the hotel Carantec in the north Brittany coast and leader of French cuisine in the 1980s said: ‘products in this area are simply wonderful, from fish to vegetables, everything tastes so wonderful that it is a huge inspiration for kitchen lovers’. The least ´French` zone of France, birthplace of the Celts, from Roscoff to Baie du Mont Saint Michel, it is one of the most beautiful areas of the coun-

try, with golden sands, and the famous Cote de Granit Rose, with its typical beach hotels and the best French sunsets. St Brieuc is the Breton area most visited by gourmets of the world, with restaurants like Aux Pesked, a stylish enclosure with a Michelin star whose terrace offers a privileged view to the famous valleys and Youpala Bistro. Breton cuisine is nothing like the rest of French cuisine: neither cheese, nor wine: seafood, meats and the famous tarte au lait ribot, an old Breton recipe made with fermented milk. And yes, the oysters!; that French weakness which is prepared here as in no place else. Breton chefs boast of being the polar opposite of molecular cuisine, and offer in each restaurant, however small, a gently cared for menu with products that in any other place would cost a fortune; together with exceptional and uniquely flavored dishes.

This is africa

or many of us, going on safari is like going to Disney, or visiting the pyramids of Egypt; those things that some do once in a lifetime, a travel-guide attraction that the average traveler undertakes happily. However, there are true lovers of safaris, adventurous connoisseurs who travel to Africa every year from all over the world to discover new species or photograph wild animals in exclusive reserves closed to common tours. Installed in the heart of the wilderness they receive the guidance of skilled adventurers. For that kind of travelers, there is Singita, a company that organizes exclusive safaris in its five-star oasis for few people in Tanzania, Zimbabwe and South Africa. It is not just luxury lodging in the midst of unspoilt nature, but an example of preservation and ecologic awareness with an architecture that accompanies the natural environment, using the most modern sustainable technologies. This project was created with the intent of preserving

large virgin areas in Africa against the abuses of safaris and traditional hospitality; it is the protector of more than 2 million hectares and works with traditional communities in development projects. Probably the most spectacular is Singita Serengeti House, an African palace of four suites located in the middle of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. In this place, it is possible to have breakfast while an elephant takes water from the sources that every house has. The houses are decorated by the famous company Cecile and Boyd with the purity of African style along with the exact and simple elegance of the best European houses. Each of the suites has a private chef who prepares African delicacies to the taste of each guest. The most frequent visitors travel at the time of the great migration, when millions of animals leave in stampede to find water and pasture. Many of the visitors exchange information and expertise to organize new adventures for initiates.

PRECIOUS SNOW

he New York Times article described Courchevel 1850 (number that refers to the altitude; yes, yes, it is the highest village on a naturally beautiful mountain) as the place where more world Moguls come out to play. This village in the heart of what is considered the largest ski area in the world, with six hundred miles of prepared trails, is also the most precious secret and the best valued by snow sports lovers. Called the ‘Winter St Tropez’ by VIP visitors, among which are included the royals William and Kate Middleton, the Saudi royal family, George Clooney, Roman Abramovich - the eccentric Russian multimillionaire-, and expert skier Giorgio Armani, it has seven restaurants with Michelin stars (which could put it in the book of records as the place with more awarded restaurants per square

meter), eleven five star hotels and two six star (there are only eight of these ‘palaces’ in France and two are here!). And, of course, the headquarters of the best fashion houses, among which is a stunning venue of Hermes. ‘I don’t think it is possible to find another place with skiers with such pedigree’, said a journalist from Vanity Fair, ‘ To go out to these slopes is not only a fashion show with the best and latest hi-tech snow gear, but one also feels as if in a world where human beings, rather than walk, ski, judging by the speed and dexterity with which they all handle themselves in the snow. To stay, nothing better than the traditional Le Strato Hotel or the sumptuous Le Chavichou (both belonging to the Michelin list restaurants). Or perhaps you prefer to rent a house. Prices begin from forty thousand Euros the week. This way, it is easy to spend the winter.

PARADISE FOR TENNIS LOVERS

Bilt in 1795, Stoke Park, an English mansion in the Buckinghamshire countryside is the best place for tennis lovers. Not only because of the atmosphere that is breathed in each of its spaces, or by the meticulous maintenance each court gets or the fact that they were built to the highest standards of competition, but because every year it hosts the pre –Wimbledon tournament ‘The Boodles’. The stars of world tennis come together here to train and warm up for the strong season approaching. On several occasions, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray chose this place to complete their preparation for Wimbledon, giving guests the possibility of being preferential witnesses to true master classes during their stay. Before becoming a hotel open to the public Stoke Park was an exclusive private club which offered its members the possibility of playing tennis and golf with the highest comforts and services. To this day,

the place continues to maintain its aura of tradition and exclusivity, some of the reasons why many families of the British aristocracy spend their weekends in this place, which is just thirty minutes away from London. The hotel has several tennis courts, covered and open air, as well as the possibility of taking lessons with luxury instructors. It is recommended to visit the place during The Boodles in June when, although it is not so easy to get a court to play, it is possible to witness magnificent duels between professionals. It is impossible not to mention the 27-hole golf course designed by the acclaimed golf architect Harry Colt, or the award-winning spa, or the seven hectares of typically English gardens. For a very British stay, days may be spent between walks through the countryside and sports activities. And evenings enjoyed in any of the three renowned restaurants, which include Humpy’s, awarded three AA Rosettes, the demanding assessment that the British Ministry of Tourism assigns to the most prestigious places.

Quintessentially Lifestyle Events By Quintessentially Lifestyle Argentina & Uruguay

To dream and make it happen. Imagine being part of a unique and exclusive event, designed for those who are united by the passion for extreme adventures in unexpected places, and dare to try it. That is what this experience is all about. Who has not dreamed, at least once, with an expedition to the South Pole? Three thousand meters above sea level, where an endless whiteness unfolds. A solitary and immeasurably vast place from which no one returns indifferent. The expedition begins with a flight from Punta Arenas towards Union glacier, where passengers are welcomed with a meal and a plan for the following days. The second day includes a tour of orientation in the vicinity of the camp, so that those who wish to begin exploring the terrain independently can do so without any danger. There is also a very complete bibliography on the Pole and someone is always willing to provide testimony of his own experience in the South Pole; because sharing is part of this invaluable proposal. The third day is a historical day because participants arrive at the same place where the discoverers Amundsen and Scott set foot for the first time. Everyone has access to the U.S. Amundsen-Scott Base through a guided tour. Finally, closure of the journey happens at a dinner to celebrate the objective reached.

From the fourth to the seventh day, diverse activities take place, from skiing and climbing to sessions of polar skiing and thematic talks. The expedition to the South Pole is a unique and exclusive experience for adventurers who want to discover unforgettable feelings both emotionally and physically, in an atmosphere with temperatures that vary from - 10 ° to - 40 ° and at times put tenacity and will to the test. Participants find refuge in a modern, warm camp with luxury catering and support services. Something radically opposed to what those adventurers who enjoy exploring harsh and desert land on a great 4 x 4 truck will discover. The adventure is called the Indiana Jones Experience and it takes place in the land of Jordan. The route begins like this: on the second day after arrival, participants travel towards ancient Jerash (Gerasa), the best preserved city of the Decapolis, where they can see streets, theatres, temples and ancient baths. Then follows Madaba, a small Christian village that presents an exclusive collection of extraordinary mosaics, including the great map of the Holy Land dating back to the 6th century: an invaluable piece discovered in 1896 which displays an image of Jerusalem. Continuing the trip, explorers reach mount Nebo, a historic and emblematic place for

Christians: from its top Moses is said to have seen the Promised Land. During the third day, explorers spend the day as if they were soldiers on an espionage mission simulating the use of real firearms. On the fourth day, the excursion to Petra is to explore this mysterious city with highly inspiring constructions and scenery. The fifth day is devoted to the 4 x 4 expedition to Wadi Rum, where you can see bridges and natural rock sculptures; and the classic camel rides are also offered. Finally, the expedition ends in the Dead Sea, where various activities that cater for different expectations and tastes take place. There is a world of possibilities, a world to know and many dreams to realize. Today it is possible. Just leave it in our hands.

Quintessentially Argentina & Uruguay Ortiz de Ocampo 3302 – Mod. II PB. 1 W.O. Barrio Parque, C1425DSU Buenos Aires, Argentina T: +54 (11) 4803 6060 W: www.quintessentially.com Part of the Quintessentially Group www.quintessentiallygroup.com

In the image and likeness Clubs devoted to cigars, wines and whiskies. Spaces created for those who enjoy sharing the more social facet of their passions. In the whole world encounters are enjoying a golden age where pleasure is in the foreground. Follow us on a tour of the private universes of those lovers of good life.

///CIGARS/// A brotherhood without boundaries TXT: rodolfo reich

t all has to do with shared codes; with encounters in places where to communicate passions and everything which surrounds them. In short, enjoyment at its fullest. A club is all of that. An English word that has always been linked to sensory and gastronomic delights. It is said that in the times of King Henry IV, around the year 1400, there was a club called La Court de Bonne Compagnie ("the Court of Good Company"), which was no more - and no less-than a group of friends who met in taverns to eat, drink and discuss. Since then, more than six hundred years have passed, but not even the strength of the centuries has been able to remove from the club its intrinsic content and its logic of belonging.

There are dozens of clubs in the world. But none has the mystique and the history of cigar clubs. Perhaps it is because a cigar is an intimate and unique product. Manufactured exclusively in the small island of Cuba in a few thousand square kilometers, in the region where soils are ideal for the cultivation of the best tobaccos of the planet. From there, from that minimal area, the smoke of cigars has spread across the world, crossing oceans and mountains, entering Europe, Asia and America. And in each city it where it arrives, it generates a unique energy that turns devotees into a brotherhood. No matter where one is: a smoker of cigars sees himself reflected in other smokers of cigars. Thus, it is no surprise that each city, each

country, generates its own cigar clubs. Spaces where to offer the latest innovations, to organize tastings and dinners for pairing spirits and vitolas. Places for teaching, but also for learning, as every member has his own knowledge and experience. There are not unidimensional but multiple relationships. Perhaps the best example is the Pasi贸n Private Cigar Club, a Spanish society with offices in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville and Granada. It is perhaps the most extensive and open club in the world. And this is logical if one takes into account that, as a country, Spain is the largest consumer of cigars in the world. In this context and geography, Pasi贸n Cigars offers courses on the elaboration and better conservation of the cigar. In their di-

fferent locations, some their own, others shared with restaurants and bars across the length and width of the Iberian Peninsula, they organize tastings for partners, meetings of friends and presentations of new cigars. Once a year, they even organize a trip to the Caribbean island, this dream shared by all smokers, of walking in person the factories where the Montecristos, the Cohibas and the major brands which then will rest in their personal humidors come from. The tour continues this time in France. The lover of luxury and five-star service will find his place in the world in the already unavoidable Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris, which opened its private lounge devoted to cigars in 2012; proof of the growth of cigars around the world. Under the name Le Club Viñales, this space is the epitome of comfort and sophistication. Leather armchairs, art books and magazines from all over the planet coexist as staging to what really matters: cigars. Viñales is not open to the public; it is exclusive for members, each of whom has a key to his own humidor, the best place to preserve their precious collections of cigars. But this society includes more than a physical space: as a welcome, new members of the club receive each month various

accessories for smokers from brands like ST DuPont, as well as spirits and champagnes of selected vintages. Perhaps no country knows more about private clubs than England and no city offers so many options as London. There is for example the Royal Automobile Club, a century-old institution – it was founded in 1897 by Frederick Richard Simms and distinguished ten years later by King Edward VII – and is still of great influence in the social life of the United Kingdom. Although it was born as an organization related to motoring – the objective is still contained in its statement - , it did venture into other areas of everyday luxury, including cigars. That is why connoisseurs consider it the best place in Europe to enjoy, for example, a reserve of Romeo and Juliet in Churchill vitolas, one of the recent innovations presented by Cuba. No doubt there is much more to choose from. The United States also has some wonderful clubs, such as the luxurious Grand Havana Room, located in the penthouse of 666 Fifth Avenue, in Manhattan. Regulars include actors, politicians and businessmen (from Alec Baldwin to Rudolph Giuliani) who have their personal humidors, specialized sommeliers, restaurant and cocktail bar. But this

place, despite its eagerness to belong to the elite of world smokers, has a handicap that leaves it out of that league: the ban on cigars from Cuba. An unpardonable fault. Better to turn the globe then to go to fantastic Cohiba Atmosphere, part of The P&L Club, in Hong Kong, a place that knows how to combine the magic of the East with the heritage left by the British Crown. Opened in 2007 by The Pacific Cigar Company Limited, its decoration is reminiscent of the art deco era of 1920 and 1930. The salon is almost 400 square meters, with a humidor shared with the best of the Central American country, besides a high-cocktail bar and 110 exclusive lockers for its members. In Argentina we expect with anxiety the reopening of Cohiba Atmosphere, the smoking club that closed its doors to move to Simonetta Orsini´s new venture at the corner of Montevideo and Alvear Streets, which will open in the coming months. North or South of the Equator, East or West of Greenwich, the whole world surrenders before the complex aromas of cigars. And it shows it through the clubs, in a brotherhood which honors the history, present and future of the best Cuban cigars.

///WINES/// Where Baco would have liked to be

TXT: mariano braga (sommelier)

o know, to experience, to enjoy. The pleasure in any of its forms brings us a little closer to the ideal of happiness. And it seems that a glass filled with white and red wines have become the summit of the bon vivant. This same universe also has its social side: in the majority of the cases, wine clubs -in the past and still today -operate as a gateway to shared knowledge. A Cabernet Sauvignon from 1979 inaugurated an era in Argentina. It was the first label that, in May of 1985, the Club del Vino put up for sale. It was the first wine club in the country and the one which still maintains regional leadership. Back then, talking about grape varieties, differences in vintages or the type of breeding was not commonplace. In those days, the Club del Vino rose as an exclusive space for lovers of this drink. Then, on a month-to-month basis, they shared with members especially labeled wines accompanying them with information, tours and tastings around winemakers and their culture.

This is the standard purpose of a wine club: to bring its members monthly selections of six bottles with brands that may or may not be available in the market, accompanied by their specific data. Also to propose parallel activities such as courses, tastings of other gourmet products, magazines with specialized content, avant premiere labels, remnants of exports; everything is valid. These are proposals that wineries have adopted around the world to diversify their businesses. One of the most resonant cases is the endeavor driven by Roberto Mondavi in its Oakville estate, a few miles away from San Francisco. Mondavi was that great American winemaker who put wines from his country on the world map and who also boosted, like no other the use of the name of the grape, founding the bases of todayÂ´s appellations. In cases such as his, the social union occurs only around house products, but programs with activities in the vineyard, discounts on the purchase of

wines and exclusive batches are tempting side businesses that make a difference. If one has to name a country that leads the rankings of the best clubs, that is Spain. It boasts the most vineyards in production, is one of the largest international consumers of wine and holds the record - and the greatest number of memberships-in terms of wine clubs. 1973 is the official opening of Wineselection, the first wine club of Spain which today, 40 years later, has over 100,000 members scattered throughout the peninsula. Then came Todo Vino, and one of the most important clubs of that country, the Club de Vinos of the newspaper El Mundo. All of them, although strong in local brands, also make space for labels by some of the most renowned appellations of origin in Europe, such as Montalcino, Champagne, Porto, Burgundy or Barolo. Now, a respectable number of members make us wonder if it is possible to deliver thousands of boxes of superlative labels.

The answer is simple: the better the product, the more costly the contribution. Thus arrived those clubs exclusively focused on selected bottles that, due to their worldwide fame, are proposed as banners of the best of the international wine industry. This is the case with Private Selection, the Californian wine club created by Mondavi. Finally, a clear global trend: the production of kosher wines, which is expanding not only in the Jewish community. It includes white and red wines produced under the strict supervision of a Rabbi, with a high added value and a market in full expansion that grew more than 50% in the last 10 years. These products are also offered through a private access which includes membership. According to the Torah, wine is a symbol of plenitude; and so that its purity is transmitted, the entire process must be strictly overseen by a Rabbi, from vines

and harvesting of the grapes to bottling and service. In general, the stages of winemaking are similar to that of traditional wines, except for a kind of boiling similar to pasteurization called mevushal. Certain agro-ecological practices, stainless steel tanks rather than wood barrels, and the prohibition to use laboratory yeast are other various conditions which, at the end of the road, permit that the kosher stamp appears on the label. And those bottles are also grouped. In March 2011 in Mendoza, and under the supervision of Rabbi Daniel Oppenheimer and his team, Kosher Wine Club opened its doors; the first wine club of kosher wines in the world. It sends its members on a monthly basis a box of six bottles developed under their strict production conditions When they are close to the source of their pleasure wine lovers enjoy a private and genuine universe which multiplies to become even more specific and better.

///WHISKEY/// The club to which everyone wants to belong T

TXT: rodolfo reich

here is no room for doubt: beyond the resurgence of cognac or the emergence of long- aged rums, whisky holds high its crown as the great drink of the luxury world. There are the Kentucky bourbons and the Tennessee whiskeys in North America. Rye whiskeys, based on rye, with roots from before the ban of the ´20s. On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, delicate and soft Irish whiskeys are renewed. And, last but not least, Scotland, the king of this extended monarchy. Scotland is the paradise of whiskey, with more than a hundred distilleries and countless brands, each with its particular style and their aging in barrels, taking advantage of the smokiness of the Islands, the floral softness of the Highlands, and the friendly fruit of Speyside. Vintage House is a small place in London´s Soho, which exhibits 1400 bottles of whiskey on its shelves. Many go there to choose a malt or a blend, but very few notice that to the left of the main entrance there is an anonymous door that is always closed.

This door leads to a hidden room upstairs, the Soho Whisky Club, an exclusive space for members, which offers 400 selected bottles, including a wide range of single malts not in the market; difficult trophies that every collector wants to own. They are not only for sale as closed bottles, but many members approach the club to drink on the spot, enjoying their preferred measure with a Cuban cigar. A haven of tranquility and flavor with a ´speakeasy` atmosphere in the middle of the downtown chaos of London. This Soho Whisky Club is one of the many examples of whiskeys clubs that have surged in the great cities of the world. The diversity and complexity of this drink requires a mode of approach, and that is what these associations are there for. The most recognized name without a doubt is the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, founded in 1983 by a group of friends who sought to go beyond trademarks. These friends toured the Highlands of Scotland, that eternal postcard of hills, lakes and sheep, but also traveled to the islands of the West and

North of the country, lands without trees, turbulent coasts and salt pits. They knocked the doors of distilleries and tested malts directly from the barrels where they were aging. Thus, they selected what they liked and treasured it in precious bottles, without lowering alcohol content (what in the jargon of the whisky is called cask strength) and without filtering in cold, two conditions to achieve the purest possible product. The bottles do not carry brand, but a number, and members only know the age of the Whiskey and the region where it comes from. What started out as a game has extended over the years. Today, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society has branches and partners in a good part of the planet, in addition to three selected Member´ s Room in the United Kingdom, in the cities of Edinburgh and London. Every first Friday of the month, the club presents its new single malts, in addition to organizing special trips to Scotland, unveiling her most intimate secrets, from Edinburgh to Islay, from Mull to Skye, and from Speyside to Fort William.

Another club that is the talk of the town is the brand new 1494, which opened at the end of 2012 in the city of New York. Located on the island of Manhattan, the 1494 Club takes its name from the year in which the first distillery of whisky in Scotland was registered. The club is commitment to luxury in every detail. A five storey building with a basement conditioned for the guard of whiskey - including several Incunabula bottles which are kept, literally, inside vaults. Activities like "Meet the masters" are held here, together with dinners paired with whiskey with the presence of distillers who come directly from Scotland and Ireland. The club also houses brands like Manhattan Motors - synonymous with high-end automobiles and the tobacco shop Nat Sherman, besides having exclusive agreements with Bonham’s, the British auction firm, - whose history dates back to the year 1793 - considered the number one auction house for whiskeys in the world. Perhaps the greater novelty in terms of clubs of whiskeys is the opening of the Johnnie

Walker House in Beijing, created this year in the image and likeness of the club the brand opened in Shanghai a few months ago. With more than twenty million inhabitants, the Chinese capital is now the social and cultural heart of the great Eastern, and this new club - which has public areas and other exclusive to members – honors it. Its decoration uses elements that are intrinsic to whisky, from copper walls - in honor of the stills- to details in the decoration made from malt and even marine peat. Apart from its name, there is much more to drink than the renowned Scottish blend. After a visit to its Museum, the bar offers malts from all regions of Scotland, as well as blends created especially for the place. A small measure of whisky locks in its aromas and flavors a history of more than six hundred years. A history that knew of crimes and smuggling, of adventure and luxury, and of pleasure and sophistication. Whiskey clubs dive in that past to write the present and future of the most complex and interesting distillate of the planet.

Encounters

throughout time

The Chanel Nº 5 deserves special mention. Like a magical lamp from which a genie emerges, the bottle of this perfume holds a thousand stories, and the promise of dreams to be fulfilled.

An undisputed icon of fashion, Chanel has long ago transcended the brand to become a milestone. Hats, skirts, a magical perfume and a watch that purported to be copied up to the impossible: everything has that touch in which elegance and charm converge.

TXT: María Ferreyra de Rosas

his story narrates an encounter. Rather, many encounters, always in the same place: that of fashion and style. It is the story of a name, a label, a scent. And we could mark its beginning thus: fortunately, Gabrielle Chanel, who was a very anxious youngster, always gave free rein to the challenges she set for herself. She was 27 years old when she opened her first store. Etienne Balsan, a millionaire whose passion revolved around horses had given her this small venue on the Rue Cambon in Paris. The nascent dressmaker filled it with one of her specialties: hats. She called it Chanel Modes. With that store she would give the biggest step of her life. And it would set a milestone not only in the world of fashion but also in the relationship that the chicest women would thereafter establish with a brand that would go through each new generation. Because if there is something we can say today, it is that Chanel created an inevitable path for those who want to achieve that distinctive touch. She got to the most intimate, universal fibers of fashion of countless women throughout

history. In such a way that even today no one can deny its value. How did she do it? How was she able to so fully represent the golden dreams of elegance, sophistication and charm throughout the ages? How did one woman accomplish the feat of reuniting so many women for so many years? Perhaps the best way to read her story is through her anecdotes: small stories that build, through the invisible, the most visible. In 1922 actor Charles Dullin, director of the Théâtre de l’Atelier, invited Chanel to participate in the realization of a version of Sophocles’ Antigone. In the theatre of less than twenty seats, the spotlight was on its participants: Pablo Picasso was commissioned to do the backdrops, Arthur Honegger the music and Antonin Artaud was rehearsing the role of Tiresias. A true dream team in which Coco Chanel carried forward the task of producing costumes in beige and black with stitches the color of brick: she was called to her game. The result was more than premonitory: Vogue magazine from that time stated that what took the plaudits was the Mise en scène of Antigone by Chanel.

It is true that the private life of Coco was not simple. In its orbit alternated the gleam of her industry with a series of intimate sullies - the films of Chris Greenhalgh and Anne Fontaine explore this - which somehow hardened this tenacious lady. In her career she received criticism and praise almost in the same proportion. However, the delight for her production kept settling: she had come to stay. She even turned the sense of her early nickname ‘Coco’, which pejoratively emerged from the audience during the performances where she sang next to an aunt in the town of Moulins. Years after those performances she was signing ¨Coco Chanel¨; knowing she was hoisting a logo of undisputable beauty. As in a spiral that moved without haste or pause, she found a direct path to the heart of Haute Couture. More commissions, new boutiques where her style was, and still is, unrepeatable. A provocative lady, a challenger who could enter a room dressed in male-style garments and even so rise - by contrast or rupture - total delicacy. Women and men are both intrigued by Chanel creations. Throughout the history

of the brand, women of the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Jane Fonda, Jackie Kennedy and Grace Kelly have carried Chanel. As today do Audrey Tautou, Nicole Kidman, Natalie Portman and even Brad Pitt. The Chanel universe is making its intentions very clear: it does not have an era, it revolutionizes each one. And therefore joins one era with the other, binding with invisible ties the luxuries and cravings of elegant women. Without asking for permission, it traces an undisputed path for encounters through its most genuine streak: its style. In the 1980s Karl Lagerfeld, the wellknown designer and photographer, was appointed Artistic Fashion Director of Chanel. From his hands emerged the most diverse and exceptional collections of Haute Couture, ready-to-wear and accessories. With the new century, Chanel also took one leap further: watch making. Thus came the sportive J12, intended for men and women, and the feminine Premiere, both faithful representatives of the spirit of the brand. From the 20th. to the 21st. century, Chanel designs kept feeding the trends which are still today embraced by the entire globe. From

clothing, handbags, perfumes, cosmetics, glasses to IPad covers... a Chanel fan of options offering versatility and congruence. THE MAGIC FORMULA The Chanel Nº 5 deserves special mention. Like a magical lamp from which a genie emerges, the bottle of this perfume holds a thousand stories, and the promise of dreams to be fulfilled. Its first edition dates back to 1921, a limited series of just 100 units. The bet was not in vain, as it called the attention of many. It was a fragrance designed to attract ladies and gentlemen. A game of encounters. It was called No. 5 because it was the fifth fragrance presented to Chanel by the specialist Ernest Beaux. That scent was the chosen one and, once again, Coco trusted her instincts successfully. Chanel No. 5 quickly permeated the upper classes and crossed the ocean: in 1924, the New York Times published an announcement to promote the new “Parfums Chanel”. The main event was, without a doubt, the encounter between Coco and Marilyn Monroe. A wise encounter with a promising

Every postcard with a Chanel creation has a rightful place in an album of the last hundred years: a young woman in a sepia Paris, trying on a distinctive black hat; a young woman in her New York bedroom putting on a few drops of Chanel No. 5; a young woman on a night out in Madrid with her Lagerfeld; a young woman in Buenos Aires going out with her J12 on her wrist.

future. A short time later the fruits came: Marilyn declared to journalists that in bed, ¨I wear only a few drops of Chanel No. 5¨. Thanks to the diva, the perfume automatically became one of the most famous fragrances of the world. That first bottle of Chanel No.5 holds even more magic: its original design of straight lines is inspired by the Place Vendôme, the heart of Paris. DIVINE AND IRREVERENT ELEGANCE Let us think for a moment in the passage of time. Let us dimension the presence of Chanel: generation after generation associating distinction, style and High Couture designs. The industry founded by Coco is a name that is still consolidating. It may be for this reason that a Chanel creation is in some way an encounter. An encounter with the weight of its history and its nobility in the present time. A brand that combines the elegance of the 20th century and the 21st century. Every postcard

with a Chanel creation has a rightful place in an album of the last hundred years: a young woman in a sepia Paris, trying on a distinctive black hat; a young woman in her New York bedroom putting on a few drops of Chanel No. 5; a young woman on a night out in Madrid with her Lagerfeld; a young woman in Buenos Aires going out with her J12 on her wrist. In this set of postcards, elegance is the thin thread which threads sensations. The brightness that we cannot put into words but which is there, beating in plain sight, alive in Chanel´s luxury items. From the very first label signed by Coco to any of the products of 2013, Chanel says we are an icon, an icon of elegance. A brand chosen again and again by loving followers for its Haute Couture creations, its precious gems, its watches and beautiful objects. “I wish (that) my legend finds her way, I wish her a good and long life” was a famous quote by Coco Chanel... and part of it is already coming true. 41

THE PREMIÈRE BY CHANEL Just a look at the case of the Premiére, with its octagonal shape in Sapphire Crystal - is enough to confirm its similarity to the iconic No. 5 perfume stopper which was also inspired in the Place Vendôme. And going a bit further, the second point in common lies in its character: its origin goes back to a historical event. This watch represents the entrance of Chanel in the world of watch making. It captures the essence of the 1930s as experienced by the French designer, while synthesizing everything contemporary. The result? This beautiful watch, typically Chanel. For 2013, four new models join the Première collection: in steel, gem-set steel, gold, and gem-set gold; all of them available in two sizes: 16x22x6,2 mm and 20x28x6,6 mm, with a high precision quartz movement, onyx cabochon crown and water resistant to 30 meters. The steel version sports this material in the case, the chain bracelet and the clasp. The dial, rectangular in shape, comes in white mother-of-pearl or black lacquer. The small hour and minute hands really gleam here. At 12, we read Chanel. A second version of this steel Première adds a case set with 56 brilliant-cut diamonds; the dial options are also white mother-of-pearl or black lacquered. The next model is entirely made of 18K yellow gold. The case may be gold or set with 56 brilliant-cut diamonds. The dial in both models is black lacquered. The two small hands marking hours and minutes are highly visible, as is the Chanel logo, placed at 12. Lastly, there is the white gold version. The case and chain bracelet come with snow-set diamonds. The dial, by contrast, is black lacquered.

HIGH-END encounter

To complete the shopping experience, to make it more attractive, to share data and discover hidden gems: that is what these applications are about. Through them, the world of Haute Horlogerie moves towards the specificity of information and the encounter with clients.

TXT: Martina rua

obile applications do not seem to know limits. That is why leading watchmaking brands offer updated contents tailored to the needs and requirements of their customers. From a tablet or a Smartphone, the proposals from technology are the order of the day. In a menu where attractive images predominate, from reviews from users and specialists to games of augmented reality where watches can be virtually tried, these virtually jump from wrists to the universe of high- tech. Guides and more. To compare brands, models and prices, one of the most complete applications is Watch Enthusiast, available for both tablets and Smartphones, devices with iOS OS (Apple) or Android. This digital paradise of luxury watches contains information from 129 brands and almost 3.000 watches showed through 13.900 images and 190 videos. It allows searches by brand or model name, by features - like materials with which the watches are manufactured or perpetual calendar-; and by price, where each model can be compared with others of the same category. It is a paid application (around 27 Argentinean pesos) and is available in English, Chinese and Spanish. What makes it the most chosen is that it generates a lot of feedback between users of

the different watches, who do not hesitate to praise or criticize a model according to their experience of use. A similar concept to Watch Enthusiast is Watch Observer, offering reviews of more than 120 models, but it is only available as a web page. Another guide is The Watch Buying Guide, developed by the blog Swiss Watch Expo, which lists approximately 1.000 luxury watches, both for men and for women for about 20 brands. The Robb Report Watch Collector presents photos and videos of collection watches, but without user comments or reviews from experts. The way to find them is simple. Just go to the virtual stores of Apple - Apps Store at Apple.com - or Android Play.google. com - and type the desired application. While a few are paid, there are many options to test the digital experience for free. Another multi-brand application which is available is Fine Watching, from the Foundation of Haute Horlogerie. Distinction. Each model and each watch are expressions of a concept that is worth exploring in depth. That and much more is what these applications developed by the global references of this sector offer. Fun, information and a simple and elegant access are among the main features. One of the most attractive is the application from Hublot which takes advantage

of all the technology of augmented reality and allows the user to take a photo of himself and test the model of choice adjusted to the size of his wrist. It also offers a gallery that displays the latest news of the company in a panoramic 360 째 viewing angle. You can also choose music and a color identifying the "mood" of the user and the application will "decide" the best model for that moment only, among other functionalities. It delivers a playful and purchase experience which is worth experimenting Bell &Ross was the first brand of luxury watches to launch an app for the iPhone. Their proposal is concrete: it shows the time and presents numerous watches from the brand which can be downloaded, with a selection of different colors and designs. It also offers a very detailed and accurate description of technical data, 360 째 views and videos. It also displays a location system for points of sale that allows the user to locate the nearest store for those who decide to continue their experience in the "real" world. The menu of options cannot leave out IWC and Jaeger-LeCoultre. IWC Schaffhausen for iPhone displays its entire collection and, like the tool from Hublot, allows the user to choose models using a camera and a system that works as a virtual tester; easy, innovative and fun, a cocktail of

functionalities that is an invitation to play. Meanwhile Jaeger-LeCoultre also distinguishes itself through its virtual tool: Jaeger-LeCoultre App delivers all the functionalities of the brands in the segment but also offers video tutorials that invite you to get to know and enjoy the process of manufacture of its watches, from the initial idea to the finished piece. A real delight for the lovers of this industry. The proposal from Rolex, which has an application called the 100 years of Rolex, cannot be missed. It is essentially a digi - version of the book by Guido Mondani and contains images and prices of a catalogue that is always current. Zenith recently released their iPad app that allows the user to tour the entire collection and get to know the details of the models, in a true pleasure trip. Something similar to what Panerai offers. Besides offering its complete catalogue, it

bets on fun with Panerai Fun: a find-the– pairs memo test played with 16 cards. Customizing and updating. That is the added value of the application A. Lange &Söhne Timepieces which, in addition to detailed information on each collection, keeps the user aware of the news and events of the brand in the country where he is. For its part, Chopard´s Happy Memories application puts the chic touch on the hobby of taking photos, customizing them and sharing them with friends. The App allows filters to be applied to the photographs, which can be digitally framed. It is also possible to add phrases like "moment of happiness," time to love ","this is a party”, “my favorite moment". A way to link the brand with happy times. It is available for free in Apple's App Store. Buben &Zörweg App presents each piece in exquisite detail, the novelties of the

brand, the nearby premises in which it is possible to buy a watch, a video catalogue and a space of communication for consultations. This tour of the leading brands and their virtual and mobile proposals is only a cutout from a world of technological tools that never stops growing. Practically all the premium watchmaking houses have a modern and attractive proposal. Others for further research on the web are Cartier Fine Watchmaking, Watch 3D by Richard Mille, Vacheron Constantin iPad Edition, Urwerk app, among many others. Watchmaking brands know that the virtual world is not only a new place where to express themselves, they also know that it has become a privileged place for meeting its customers, who are increasingly more connected and seek enjoyable and playful proposals.

An Encounter

Behind this text there is a word: encounters. She, like many terms, is inhabited by meanings that dance within. They come close and they oppose, they free up tension; at times imaginary certainty, at times troubling vagueness. Carlos Alvarez Insúa unveils it.

TXT: carlos álvarez insúa ilustrations: carlus rodríguez

here is then an action: two or more persons who coincide at a certain point; there is a meeting, but there is also a clash of different opinions. A game of tennis, the one out to find the other, or the meeting between Martín Fierro and el Negro (the Black), which becomes a topada (a Criollo mode of encounter). In Hernandez’s saga someone will die. There is also the surprise of that one who, without looking, finds the lost -and ignoredwatch of his grandfather in a cedar drawer during a move. Tradition has it that encounters change history; I recall the Conference in Guayaquil in 1822, when Bolivar and San Martin crossed sights, or another encounter from before our homeland, that of the Posta de Yatasto (Yatasto Post) between Manuel Belgrano and again José de San Martín, in 1814. The cards of horror had been dealt, but perhaps

they influenced the duration of the meeting of Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler, in 1940. In 1955 there were two who imagined that Latin America would produce a new man, so Ernesto Guevara and Fidel Castro found each other in 1955. There are areas of the mind inhabited by possibilities that escape (our conscience): there Max Planck met Albert Einstein in 1927. In 1945, the meeting between Josef Stalin, Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt was documented by a photo where they looked like friends...-I apologize-; the list is endless but what I wrote is just trying to say that certain unique meetings change everyone’s life. In an imperceptible way every encounter two lovers in a park, that unforeseen watch, an appointment that closes a deal – , just like a butterfly that flaps its wings secretly intervenes the dynamics of the winds and the currents of the sea, may change the lives of others unaware of the event.

In an imperceptible way every encounter - two lovers in a park, that unforeseen watch, an appointment that closes a deal – , just like a butterfly that flaps its wings secretly intervenes the dynamics of the winds and the currents of the sea, may change the lives of others unaware of the event.

Here the one who writes is taken by “An Encounter” by James Joyce. This story is part of Dubliners, the remarkable collection of stories published in 1914. In it, two teenagers encounter a strange old man. In one paragraph, the Narrator says: ¨There was nobody but ourselves in the field. When we had lain on the bank for some time without speaking I saw a man approaching from the far end of the field. I watched him lazily as I chewed one of those green stems on which girls tell fortunes. He came along by the bank slowly. He walked with one hand upon his hip and in the other hand he held a stick with which he tapped the turf lightly (….).¨ And later continues: “He said that the happiest time of one’s life was undoubtedly one’s schoolboy days and that he would give anything to be young again. While he expressed these sentiments which bored us a little we kept silent. Then he began to talk of school and of books. He asked us whether we had read the poetry of Thomas Moore or the works of Sir Walter Scott and Lord Lytton. I pretended that I had read every book he mentioned so that in the end

he said: “Ah, I can see you are a bookworm like myself. Now,” he added, pointing to Mahony who was regarding us with open eyes, “he is different; he goes in for games.” He said he had all Sir Walter Scott’s works and all Lord Lytton’s works at home and never tired of reading them. “And he adds, with the morals of the Catholic Irish: “Of course,” he said, “there were some of Lord Lytton’s works which boys couldn’t read.” This story, like all the ones in Dubliners, is memorable and suggests, with the elusive delicacy of art, that life can radically change after an encounter. And if a subject is an entity where movement arises from the tension between the opposites that mediate his body, so is the case with an object. When admiring the perfect harmony of a good watch, the smoothness with which the second hand slides, its movement seems to be continuous, and we imagine it to be free, that it does not find -encounters - any resistance. But his is only illusion. In truth a watch is the encounter between gravity and the will of man to resist it. The friction

of pinions and wheels that take a risk in every encounter and run to escape: this is how a mechanism which turns predictable and harmonious a string of encounters and battles happens; Between hundreds of parts made of bronze, the échappement, the one who retains power so that the watch does not stop is a long steel strap retained in a drum. Also within a watch there are sometimes other enchanting and complex encounters in the land of complications. This way, a perpetual calendar, a tourbillion or a chronographer encounter on the basis of a caliber which must, as well, tell time; this encounter is notable but difficult. Each function demands energy, and this energy must be administered, then the drums are duplicated, or multiplied by four to answer the economy of these encounters. The watch, the action of measuring time, is the key element in a story, the one that deems encounters possible: she, he can fulfill their material possibilities only if will opposes chance. We inhabit a territory of set encounters, of time subjected to the conventions that measure it.

The charm of accelerating The legendary British brand has in our country its own category, and invites drivers seeking adrenaline to enjoy its historical model. Fun and camaraderie in a professional and premium environment. Only for gentlemen drivers. The father of the creature 50

TXT: ALEJANDRO CORTINA RICCI

The furor that this competition has sparked in all the countries where it where it takes place has sunk deeply into the Argentine public. It doesn't take a MINI owner to experience the excitement of being in command of these nice cars that are not just a “pretty face”.

hile engines announce the start of the challenge, the asphalt of the race track seems to transform into a red carpet that invites pilots to live a unique experience. The MINI Challenge is a huge success, both in Argentina and in Spain, Germany, Australia, England, New Zealand and Brazil; and the reason is everything it gives amateur pilots who are there to enjoy themselves while facing a great challenge. In our country, the MINI Cup Challenge schedule consists of eight annual dates which are televised and that, in addition, work as a prelude to some races of TC2000 in diverse racetracks of Argentina. They involve 18 MINI John Cooper cars Works Challenge, with components designed exclusively for high performance, which can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.1 seconds and reach a top speed approaching 240 km/h. All vehicles are prepared and maintained in the same way, to offer equal conditions to each of the participants, under the standards of quality and safety that the iconic British brand demands, in the hands of the BMW Group for almost twenty years.

An appointment with adrenaline Some for pleasure, other as a pastime, others with a little more ambitious motives, the truth is that there are more and more people who intend to take a MINI and discover an unknown dimension . Taking the seat of a racing car is not an everyday task. Therefore, to participate in the MINI Challenge drivers must demonstrate a minimum of driving skills that will allow them to control these beasts on a professional circuit. In that sense, the organizers of the competition devised the MINI XDay, a series of tests which assesses each applicant´s conditions. Like many of the categories of motor sports the MINI Challenge Day takes place on a single day, usually a Sunday: there are training sessions and classification in the morning, and the "grand final" takes place in the afternoon... MEETING OF PROFESSIONALS The organization of the MINI Challenge deals with the logistics: transfers, preparation of the cars and maintenance during

the competition and a personal trainer to assist pilots. Gonzalo Vila, President of the organizing company All Challenge, tells us: "drivers only have to deal with getting into the car and driving.”We follow strict protocols of organization and security which are established by the brand in England". As a complement, in each race track an immense VIP space is established and equipped with all comforts. There long talks referred to sport, racing, overtaking and the inevitable friction produced by competitiveness are held. These talks bring together entrepreneurs with doctors, lawyers, artists and professional athletes, such as the case of the former famous players Martín Palermo and "pato" Roberto Abbondanzieri. On several occasions organizers have also implemented workshops that brought together personalities like the musician Zeta Bosio, the model Estefanía Iracet, the artist Pedro Lanzani, the rugbier Gonzalo Tiesi and the polo players Javier and Miguel Novillo Astrada, among many others. Owning a MINI is not a requirement to experiment how exciting it is to be in com-

mand of these nice cars. "The most interesting thing is the profile of the competitors. With the exception of two or three who are professional pilots and compete to improve, most of the participants are businessmen and motoring enthusiasts. Some rent cars to run all the championship and others, as they have other activities, rent them for four races. Beyond amateurism, the have all showed their abilities and have won their place. In fact, races are increasingly competitive thanks to the quality of the pilots," said Vila. A clear sign of the appeal that the specialty raises is the large number of followers through the social networks, reaching greater numbers than the national categories. All in all, the MINI Challenge is a category where it is not only possible to achieve high performances aboard a model with history, but it also unites people with more things in common than their passion for speed.

It is inexorable to relate the name of Alec Issigonis to the history of the MINI. The Turkish designer born in 1905 landed in Anglo-Saxon land in 1922 once his father (a Greek engineer, designer of engines for boats) was expelled with the army from Smyrna (Turkey). Issigonis always showed technical skills for everything related to the world engines though he probably never imagined that the sketches that he drew on paper while having a coffee would be the start of one of the finest stories of the global car industry. It was the decade of 1950 and the industry was trying to recover from the wounds of the Second World War. The premise of many brands was to build small vehicles for four people. Accordingly, in 1957 the then-President of the British Motor Corporation, Sir Leonard Lord, entrusted Issigonis with the creation of a new model. The enthusiastic father of the MINI knew how to interpret the indications and applied them to a nice car where most of the body was at the disposal of the passengers. History continued to write itself with the consecutive laurels obtained in the Monte Carlo rally during the 1960's. The reedit ion of the street model came in 2001 and generated a sales boom. More information: www.minichallenge.com.ar

PANERISTI Social Club After creating exclusive pieces for the Italian Royal Army for over 70 years, in 1993 Officine Panerai surprised everyone by presenting its own commercial collection. Since then, the Manufacture that was born in Florence has generated a mass of fanatics with their own name: The Paneristi. What is this group that transcends boundaries about?

TXT: FABIÁN DORADO

s its own members often say, despite those who thought that the new “civil” stage of Panerai would get nowhere, there were various and very good reasons to expect that the models that Giovanni Panerai created for the Italian Royal Navy would not only prevail in the world of Haute Horlogerie but unleash a real passion among its followers as well. This phenomenon resulted in one of the most devout and active communities in the circuit: the Paneristi. While they fist thought of baptizing the fledgling group as a “brotherhood”, finally the parallel with how another group of devotees -this time of cars- called themselves prevailed. Fans of the prancing horse -ferraristi- would become the inspiration that would transform the denomination of the collective that occupies us. It is not surprising that Panerai has had such a compelling preaching from aficionados of high performance watches. It is clear that any diver should feel attracted by such an effective, practical and, to boot, beautiful watch. It is clear that the origin of Panerai has been military submarine performance: the

brand that was born in Florence in 1860 dedicated exclusively to the construction of precision instruments and watches specifically designed for the Italian armed forces, something it would continue doing for many years. It is said that industrial design has a direct link to the usefulness of its parts, and Panerai Watches have been linked to industrial service to the extent that the names of its lines derive from the luminescent effects that were used in their quadrants to improve visibility in conditions of extreme darkness. Such is the origin of the first series, the Radiomir. It should be noted that this phosphorescent element was radioactive, so it was replaced by another one to be later displaced by the next generation, the Luminor. After the second war, Panerai and its production fell into a sort of lethargy that ended with the acquisition of the Manufacture by the Vendome Group, which became Richemont in 1997. There, protected by its own epic and the triumphant trend in oversized watches, their reentry into the market ended up being blessed by a small group of celebrities who would take their devotion to the big screen.

Such is the case of Sylvester Stallone, who has worn several models from The Indestructibles to Daylight. Due to an average strength of 44 mm it may not be surprising that many strongmen of films have opted for Panerai. Arnold Schwarzenegger has sported its model in Eraser and the Brit Jason Statham did the same in The Transporter, despite the fact that the film had no agreement whatsoever with Panerai. Leaving history aside, the simple beauty of these pieces would impose itself. All these disquisitions are trying to elucidate the raison d ‘ être for a mass of admirers who, from the beginning of the 21st century, decided to create their own forum and ended up being one of the most active groups around a single brand. Although there has been speculation about how deep their ties with the Manufacture are, the point is that the Paneristi seem to enjoy a foolproof independence. However, the brand watches them carefully and appreciates them. It even dedicated, when the site reached its first decade, a limited edition of 300 pieces following indications voted among fans. Of course, all pieces were sold in a matter of hours.

PANERISTI NACIONAL Tristán Sosa currently lives in Chicago and leads the division of Enterprise Architecture in the United States of an Asian industrial conglomerate. Since 1999 until today his career developed away from Buenos Aires, with a laptop, his passport and its visas, and a carry-on always on tow. So he ended up living in distant, but not so different cities like Sydney, London, Dublin, Mexico and San Pablo, among others. Established in Chicago for four years, he considered it his place in the world. While working he is studying an MBA at the Ross School of Business at Michigan University in Ann Arbor. When did your passion for watches start? Since very young, when I understood the importance of measuring time. At that time my dad had given me a completely transparent Swatch with a luminescent circumference around the dial, through which you could see the mechanism. That was the beginning of this passion.

Is your collection purely and exclusively dedicated to Panerai? The collections are vivid expressions of a moment. They have a direct relation with the stages of our lives. Only some pieces last in time, for different reasons. My collection has an important but not exclusive Panerai component. With what kind of pieces did you start? With a pair of Rolex: an Explorer II 16570 and a Sea Dweller 16600. Panerai came a few years later. Which was the first Panerai you had and why did you choose it? The first was a Pam 005, which I discovered after a long day of work, in July 2002, in Sydney, Australia, and is still with me. It is the purest expression of a Panerai. Its main attraction lies in the simplicity of its forms. Why do you feel attracted to this Manufacture in particular? Panerai is a brand which was present, for many years, only in the records of history, in the rescued treasures of a ship in the Medi-

terranean, or in a few pieces that survived the passage of generations. Panerai has always had - and in my opinion still has - the ascendant of the explorer. To reach for the horizon, and once there, continue with the next objective. In that we are very much alike. How you participate in the Paneristi group? Paneristi is an expression of our time. As every forum-blog, it is a community that was created online, with followers in every point on the planet, following their passion. It is a place where you can search and find answers regarding the brand, collections, editions and history. But it is also a space for sharing the life stories of many of its members. Some anonymous and others not. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m one forum member, in the same way that any other registered user.

With which regularly do you participate and for what? My participation today is marginal, and simply limited to be informed with regards to the evolution of the brand, its models, or finding some pieces that have been on my list for some time, and that is only possible to find with precise data provided by forum members. At least once a week, I dedicate an hour to Paneristi. Do you remember any anecdote from the forum that caught your attention? There are many, since Paneristi became more than just a forum dedicated to some brand of watches. More than anecdotes, I always go to solidarity, hospitality and friendship that I found in many members. By way of example: once, wondering which hotels they

recommended in Dublin, the forum member who answered me also helped with my reservations, and even his family ended up waiting for me at the airport, since he wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t going to be in the city. What link do you generate from the Forum with the brand at institutional level? Do they invite you to events or give you advance information? The Forum is a private business. Information about events and everything that is generated and published is provided by the commentators, who have no trade links with Panerai. Well, actually, yes, they do have a great link, but of another type: they were, are and will be customers, hoping to find the Grail, again and again, until completing their collection.

Georges Kern welcomes his friends in

Cannes

Naomi Watts and Georges Kern

Eric Dane

Karolina Kurkova

ather friends; invite them to an event filled with celebration and feast. The new edition of the international Cannes Film Festival was the perfect excuse so that Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen played host in a meeting where nothing - and no one- was missing. It was an exclusive evening for Friends of the Brand and recognized personalities from all areas. The Â¨For the Love of CinemaÂ¨ dinner counted with the presence of actors like Naomi Watts, Eric Dane and Christoph Waltz, the model Karolina Kurkova, the gallery owner Tim Jefferies and musicians John Helliwell and Aloe Blacc. Also present was Lewis Hamilton, the racing driver. The IWC Filmmaker Award went to famous screenwriter Alan Trustman. All attendees could enjoy a private concert by musician Jamiroquai. A meeting where everything was a celebration of glamour and art.

Aloe Blacc

Georges Kern, CEO of IWC. and Christoph Waltz

Rooney Mara

Jamiroquai

Naomi Watts

The Maison d'Antoine TXT: FABIÁN DORADO

Jaeger-Lecoultre opened, on occasion of its 180th anniversary, a unique space dedicated to the encounters of its devotees from all over the world: the Maison d´Antoine.

TXT: FABIÁN DORADO

ust a small select group of collectors from around the world were invited to travel to the Vallée de Joux for the inauguration of this unique space. By creating at the very heart of its Manufacture this Maison d’Antoine, a rare and exclusive place offering a refined and intimate ambience, Jaeger-LeCoultre is writing a new chapter in its vanguard history. In 1833 Antoine LeCoultre decided to apply to his profession the saying ¨It is not good that man should be alone¨. By creating his own studio in a room of the family farmhouse in the Vallée de Joux he began to sketch the concept of a modern Manufacture. And thus Jaeger-LeCoultre is recognized in history as the first company to settle in the place that became the cradle of many brands of exception in the world of Swiss watch making. Now, 180 years after that historic beginning, the

manufacture decided to inaugurate this Maison where creators, technicians and craftsmen of Jaeger – LeCoultre, along with those who admire the exquisite pieces they create, will meet. In about 200 square meters in the midst of the Alpine landscape, with a dozen benches bathed by the natural light so necessary to appreciate and admire these mechanical wonders, a select group of guests and friends of the brand can see how the pieces they are just acquiring are manufactured. Or take part in a watch initiation class in the same place where many of the Swiss watch industry milestones were born. With a thought advanced for his time, Antoine LeCoultre realized that it was better to have as close as possible all of those who must interact in the creation of a watch. At that time, custom dictated that each craftsman worked on his own

to then bring his work to the one which would follow in the production process of a timepiece. By getting most of them together, this pioneer began to lay the foundation for what today we understand as Manufactures. Celebrating this partnership of talents, those responsible for this new project came up with an idea. That the same collectors, those who enjoy every circumstance in the development of the object of their devotion, would be happy to be able to dive, at least a bit, in the deep and rich waters of creating these superb pieces. At the Maison various Grande Complication watches, masterpieces of complexity like the Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon 3 Jubilee, will find the most beautiful settings in which to be displayed to the gaze of the most demanding collectors.

Every detail in this new space has been cared for in detail, to the point that even the dark wood used in its construction comes from the forests of the Vallée de Joux. This care, present in every aspect of the project, reflects the concept of elegance and refinement alive in every single work of Jaeger-LeCoultre. The idea is to bring visitors close to the experience of the creation of the timepieces they admire. Master classes will be implemented to recreate the spirit of salons that have produced over 1.200 calibers. They will be the point of contact for the passion of creators and craftsmen of the Manufacture and the devotion of collectors. The British actor Clive Owen, a true friend of the brand, was one of the first guests of the house. The same place where the 180 skills involved in the creation of a houte horlogerie timepiece are housed. And the place where the legendary Manufacture has been running for the last 180 years.

The world of creation

The atelier of François-Paul Journe- alma mater of the brand that bears his name - is at the forefront of the watchmaking world; an example of sobriety and sophistication that has been awarded as few others have. To find oneself walking down its halls is an unspeakable luxury.

TXT+ PHOTOS: SERGIO ZAGIER

n the centre of Geneva an old factory from 1862 has been since 2002 the headquarters of the enfant terrible of contemporary watch making. In contrast to most of the leading Manufactures of exquisite mechanical watches, who settle in bucolic landscapes such as the Vallée de Joux, Le Locle and La Chaux-de-Fonds, the atelier of François-Paul Journe, alma mater of the brand that bears his name, could not be anywhere but in the eye of the storm of world high-end watchmaking.

A poetic rapture The arrival of the perpetual calendar to watch making was the result of the long work of master watchmakers, who finally found the way to include this function to keep track of the date over the years. A poetic game, where the concept of eternity could finally fit inside a case with incomparable machinery. In honor of this technical feat, comes the new F.P. Journe Quantième Perpétuel. It introduces a distinctive touch in the design of its protagonist, the perpetual calendar: two large Windows for the date on the dial. Another characteristic of this chronograph is its ease of use, as corrections are made by moving the crown to three different positions. The month is set using a separate corrector– a sort of shortcut: a lever which remains protected. The movement is self-winding and boasts a powerful 120-hour power reserve. Quantième Perpétuel is available in two versions: with platinum or gold case. It measures 40 mm or 42 mm in diameter, depending on the model. The dial is red or white gold with a silver chapter ring on which the twelve Arabic numerals are read. The hour and central minutes hands are blue, and on a half arch between 8 and 10 the power reserve is indicated. The openings of the perpetual calendar are two pairs of windows, at 12 for the day of the week and month, and at 6 for the date.

THE MOST ANTICIPATED MEETING

A low profile is not what characterizes him, but rather daring and constant innovation. Invenit et Fecit (we invented it and we did it) is their motto, and it accurately describes both François-Paul and his company.

Those who know François-Paul in person or have read about him surely agree that that is the right place where to unwrap all his energy. A low profile is not what characterizes him, but rather daring and constant innovation. Invenit et Fecit (we invented it and we did it) is their motto, and it accurately describes both François-Paul and his company. With an extended track record of highly innovative creations and a superlative mechanical quality, the few pieces they annually produce- around 900 are disputed by high-level collectors and exquisite followers of the brand. In this context, the only space F.P. Journe has in all of Latin America was awarded to the boutiques of Simonetta Orsini. At the reception of the firm we meet Brigitte Bocquet-Makhzani, head of Public Relations and a sympathetic and determined woman who walked us through this space decorated with museum pieces. An impressive 19th-century astronomical clock mesmerizes us. In the different spaces, absolutely austere, few watches are assembled from the beginning to the end by the

same expert; and almost all of the components are produced in the firm´s own workshops, with exquisite precision and finish, as if they were unique works of art. Leaving aside the fact that F.P. Journe watches frequently feature on the cover of specialized magazines and are favorite pieces for high- end collectors, they truly are wonders in a saga which started some centuries ago and which revived in the past two or three decades. Each novelty the brand presents is not merely an aesthetic or marketing effect. Contrary to this, underneath an original and sober design that unifies all collections we find the work of a genius, at the level of Abraham-Louis Breguet or George Daniels. From chronometers that discern 1/100 of a second up to double balances which resonate, to large chimes which take three months of work and, to top it all, the brand new chronometer without lubrication, about which its creator says without any modesty: "It incorporates the finest components in the history of watchmaking".

Although we did not have the privilege of seeing Journe working in his atelier we met him several times elsewhere. His creations are well-known both in watch making competitions and specialist auctions, winning awards and prizes as well as unusual deals for his watches from auction houses such as Christies, Bonhams or Antiquorum. In 2002, F.P. Journe received at the Grand Prix D'horlogerie in Genève the Special Prize of the Jury for the Octa Calendrier and has since become one of the most awarded brands, winning awards nearly every year. Stand outs are its Three Golden Needles, the Oscars of Haute Horlogerie, for the Tourbillon Souveraine (2004), the Sonnerie Souveraine (2006) and the Centigraphe Souveraine (2008). On our last trip he was a regular at auctions, with his usual casual dress code, watching how bidders from different parts of the world pushed for his pieces. He was also present at the Salon Belles Montres in Paris, in November 2012, for the presentation of the Chronomètre Optimum, a new achievement in the history of universal watch making: a twin barrel coupled with a remontoire of titanium to maintain a constant force on the biaxial escape, which works without lubrication and up to a 70-hour power reserve. When everything seems to have been invented, F.P. Journe will undoubtedly pull something out of its top hat to honor their motto, Invenit et Fecit.

“All of those who joined Soy de River have one factor in common: they are young, honest and professionals in their vast majority, they love River, and are not mobilized by tickets, which is common currency in the (football) clubs.”

t was a cold evening of June 26, 2011, after the descent of River, when Jorge Pablo Brito understood that he had to commit for the future of the club of his love. But he could not do it alone. That is why, together with a group of young members, he formed the group Soy de River to stand for elections in December and thus return the club to its place of world icon. Just turned 34, he is first time father of Alina and General Manager of Banco Macro, the family business created by his father and his uncle, which he knows better than no one, since he went through all the posts, from cadet to the position he occupies today. He directs a bank of nearly eight thousand employees but however, today his priorities are River and his family. He receives S/O in his office where he displays his passions in portraits and objects that decorate the place: golf clubs, a photo with Burrito Ortega (football player), and others with his affections - with his wife Gabriela Vaca Guzmán, with his parents and brothers, with his friends from the club- and in his aeroplane. Some works of art complete the elegant furniture, but for him the most important piece there is a framed No. 9 Jersey, worn by Enzo Francescoli, from the 1986 tournament, in which River was champion.

Brito shapes his youth with some personal details: a stunning 27-inch Mac computer and an iPhone 5 that is always with him. He also wears a modern watch: an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Pride of Argentina in pink gold, a model that created the Swiss brand in commemoration of the Argentine Bicentenary, of which there are only 50 pieces worldwide.

United for TXT: MERCEDES QUINTANA phoTOS: JAVIER PICERNO

RIVER

As a fanatic fan of Club Atlético River Plate, Jorge Pablo Brito could not stand that the club of his love descended in the Championship. Therefore, with other fans like him he joined the group Soy de River (I'm from River), which plans to win the club´s leadership and bring it back to its glory days.

How does a young entrepreneur come to be candidate at a football club? I arrived by chance: the day of the descent I felt an obligation to do something for my beloved River. I'm a fanatic fan since I was born, I have somehow won myself a place among Argentine entrepreneurs, and I felt that I had to do my part, that I could help this River which was crumbling. I felt an obligation to collaborate from within, since it was not enough from the outside, as I had tried before.

How was the group Soy de River crated? When I met this group of young people who militate with me. They all share a common factor: they are young, honest, and professionals in their vast majority. They love River, and are not mobilized for tickets, which is common currency in the (football) clubs. When I was called (Soy de River already existed as a movement of members) they asked me if I was "to run for President" and I explained to them that I was ready to play, but if one starts to put nominations above goals things get complicated, and I think that this is how River came to be as it is today. We then work to be an alternative force for this year's elections. We propose something different, innovative, putting technical projects over personalities. However, public figures are the visible faces; how do you get your proposal to the common members? We make two meetings per week, which we call through Twitter and Facebook, with partners who contact us to learn about our proposal. These meetings are very important, not only so that the members get to know our project, but also to be aware we, as a group, of what are their concerns and the issues that preoccupy them. Sometimes we work hard on a certain subject and then realize that for the member it is not decisive. Or the other way around. It is fundamental to be in touch with members to work on the most relevant issues for them and for us. You started out in the bank as a cadet and today you are General Manager. What was that process like? I entered the bank 17 years ago and had to start as a cadet. I did not know a single street in the microcenter; as a kid from San Isidro, you took me out of my neighborhood and I did not know anything else. Therefore, that was the first thing I had to learn. My career as a cadet was short lived: 3 months; I then entered a training program at the bank where I worked in absolutely every area from the tellers to Treasury. When I was at the Treasury, which is on the third floor underground, I came in at 8:30 in the morning, opened the treasury and did not come out until 17:30. So when clients arrived I asked then what the weather was like, or if the sun had come out.

“We propose something different, innovative, putting technical projects over personalities.”

What was the stage you enjoyed the most on that way? I enjoyed and I suffered a lot moving to the countryside, in 1999. I lived in Salta and then Jujuy for 2 and half years. I was 19 and everything for me was in Buenos Aires, everything a kid at that age might have: my friends, work, a car; and girl friends to go out dancing with. When I left, apart from a car, I had nothing. At the beginning I felt a little lost, but then I understood that, in terms of my professional development in the bank, it was my only alternative. Banco Makro had at that time only one branch with 60 employees in Buenos Aires and had bought 3 Provincial banks, each one with between 25 and 30 branches. That is to say, all the development was in the countryside. How do you remember that decision? At a meeting of managers, which I attended as a guest since I was not a manager yet, my father told them that they could not expect professional or economic growth if they wanted to stay in Buenos Aires, that the development of the bank was on the countryside. I came out of that meeting, went to the personnel office and told them I wanted to leave. When my father found out, he did not know whether to be happy or kill me, because obviously my mother didn't want me to go. Many think he sent me but it did not happen that way, I went by my will. What is true is that later he brought me back. You are responsible for a bank with almost eight thousand employees. How do you

define yourself as a boss? I make an effort to be close to them. Of course, one cannot be close to everyone, but I try to get involved as much as possible in their personal lives. The moment in which the employees need you most is when they have a problem, and it is in those moments when I try to be as present as possible. In professional terms, I try to listen to everyone. Perhaps the fact of not having graduated from the University and learning at work made me a person who listens. I start with the idea that each one of managers is a specialist in their area, but there is someone who is above all of them, and in this case it is me, who brings together the interests and objectives of each of them. At Soy de River I do the same thing. However, it is something that works in a different way, as there is no boss and everything is more passionate, it often happens that one wants to meddle in the work of the other; then I ask the others to not do so, that they should talk about what they are doing, but I do not allow anyone to interfere in the labor of the others, because that is when problems arise. Which sports do you practice? I played football all my life, but some years ago football retired me. Today I train in boxing and play golf, and as a kid I played rugby. My greatest passions are football and boxing. Is boxing a family tradition? I started boxing when I was 12 years old. I played rugby; and as I was a bit of a rebel at school and on the field, my father, who had

practiced boxing all his childhood, thought that it would be fun that we practiced with my brothers. Then I took it a little more seriously and began training with Sergio Víctor Palma for three or four years. Today, even though I changed coaches, I'm still boxing. Besides, you are a pilot… That is another family tradition: my grandfather was a military pilot, and so are my father and my brothers. I like it, it is very grounding. I practice regularly because of my trips to the countryside due to the structure of the bank. You became Alina´s father last April. What is fatherhood like? They always tell you about it, but until you live it cannot be described, it is very weird. I had not felt the need to go home while being at work for a long time, I am out of the house one day and I miss her. I enjoy her a lot, I spend a lot of time with her but I do not help very much, in that sense I am a bit of a chauvinist and old-fashioned. I come from a big family, we are six brothers and my mom always had the role of caretaker, maybe I repeat that family dynamic. Daughter, wife, friends, work, football, box, golf, rugby, aeroplanes, horses; Brito is a Young entrepreneur with multiple interests. However, he is adamant about his priorities: “Today they are River and my family”. More Information: http://www.agrupacionsoyderiver.com/

The artist who found the national identity of Argentineans (and returned to tell about it)

“The fundamental image which shows the polarity between civilization and barbarism is “La vuelta del malón”, by Della Valle. There is no other image that defines us as well as that one.”

Born in the neighborhood of Constitución, whose railroad architecture served as his playground when he was a child, Daniel Santoro is a rigorous artist who has dared penetrate the forest of the Peronist imaginary to come back with his memory full of disquieting and nightmarish images. This emotional and fantastic archeology has deployed its richness, delirious and realistic, in intense collections of paintings, monuments, mock models, films, books by the artist and sketches. Transforming common places into machines that generate angels and monsters, Santoro has found, maybe like no other, the fructiferous contradictions that inhabit the Argentinean heart.

How was your encounter with art? I always liked to draw, at school I was “the one who drew well”. But then, at 15, I started to be politically active…. And that was left behind. I finished high school at an Industrial school, I am Senior Site Manager. Then I studied architecture for a few years, and while I was studying that career- I had stopped my militancy- I decided to study art and entered the Prilidiano Pueyrredón Fine Arts School. That was the school that molded me, and from there I remember some teachers who were fond of the trade. There was a bottle, a head, a still nature and you had to do something with that, and it was no joke. Then what you value from the time you spent at the academy is the practice of the trade... Yes. And certain materials. That is where carbon pencil comes from. I've tried other materials but I'm still left with carbon pencil, there is nothing to beat it. And that was the Pueyrredon. It also left me some vices. Like which? Ways of composing, conventions, the structure of value, linear structure, light diagonals. They are all still present in my work. And they appear, strangely, in certain places; still navigating some of my wildest ideas.

TXT: verónica gómez phoTOS: javier picerno

In your work art history is also very present. Your view of other works of art, even through quotations. Yes, I have all these books (he points to the bookcases that surround him) and most of them are visual. I learned that one learns though ectopic pulsion. One never ceases to look; you always have a new way of seeing the picture. Visual common property is fundamental. Speaking of common property, you have an impressive collection of bugs: your atelier is almost a museum of natural sciences Yes, collecting is a vice: I love to surround myself with these objects, even more if they come from the natural world. Where did you get the embalmed bugs? Buying, exchanging…I am the anti-ecologist: I am for the destruction of everything. Capitalism is like that: it finishes everything and we will reach our end all together. And survival of the fittest? No, not even that. We will all go down. This conservationist thing is an illusion. They are fucking us with this long term thing; the dynamic is a different one. And that is when the Peronismo come in. That is why I am deeply Peronist, as an ideal. Peronismo only deals with the short term, it does not believe in the long term. Peronism means the small cot-

tage, the Asignación Universal por hijo (A grant provided by the State). If the money is there, we distribute it. The short term is the only thing that works. Long term belongs to scoundrels like economists, who say “let´s make a sacrifice now, in a short time everything will be sorted out”. And in the long term they fuck you, because the plan always fails. However, many of the constructions of Peronismo still hold. But they never are on the shoulders of the people. The idea is enjoyment, not happiness, which is a project for the future. Enjoyment is immediate, a consumable. It has a dramatic content because the end is within it. As long as it is a promise it is no problem for capitalists, because they have guaranteed the short term and they give the long term to the people. And that is the dishonesty. That is why the idea of the California-style cottage and the floorboards to make a barbecue is nice: the idea that they are going to eat the floor….that is enjoyment; to enjoy the house is to eat it. And that is the tragic nucleus of Peronismo. I believe that Peronismo finds a cultural

node of identity that has survived along Argentinean history and it feeds on that. What would be this node of identity? The topic of “civilización y barbarie” (Civilization and Barbarism). That polarity which is classical. The classical image of that is La vuelta del malón, by Della Valle. There is no other image that defines us so well. And I use it a lot in my work. Now, for example, we have inaugurated el descamisado gigante (the giant shirtless) in Avellaneda: a colossus of 15 meters made from steel and iron, which we made with Alejandro Marmot. The giant is about to cross the river carrying a portrait of Elita in his hands. And he is about to cross in the place where Peronismo makes its symbolic entrance. This monument is a kind of anti- captive. In the picture La Vuelta del Malón the captive is a white woman that the savage Indians are taking to their huts...30 years later….who are born in the huts? More precisely at Los Toldos… Eva Perón And then we could think that Eva is brought back by the Indians. And here we can make another reading of the captive, and it has

to do with the exchange between clans. There was a custom which Lévi-Strauss observed in the Amazon, and it was that t he clans, when they were short of women, stole a woman from a distant clan to avoid endogamy. That abduction became a ritual. What was said was: “we take a woman, we owe you a daughter.” And what the Indians in La Cautiva are doing is that: they take a woman and return a daughter 30 years later, which is Eva. Eva from Los Toldos. What this shirtless giant is doing by bringing Eva´s portrait is to produce that exchange. And it is within that logic that civilization and barbarism are fruitful. That kind of opposition is annulled, which shod not be so in the first place, but a yin and yang. Your approach to Peronism is profoundly spiritual; however, you also use a series of theories to analyze it. How are your readings and Peronism reunited? It is not so systematic regarding my readings. There is a lot of casualty in it. But when I read Lacan, Aby Warburg, Dalí, I find certain issues that touch each other. Lacan, strangely, learns a lot from Dalí, although he did not recognize it. For example, the paranoid-critic method of Dali is wonder-

“The idea is enjoyment, not happiness, which is a project for the future. Enjoyment is immediate, a consumable. It has a dramatic content because the end is within it.”

ful. One gets paranoid and starts to look and when one looks too much at an image it turns into a kind of Aleph. Your compositions have a certain rigor and control, but in this well built context some quite hilarious situations occur... That comes from architecture. Threedimensional space is something that I always defend, and it always is a space that is inhabited. So as not to get stuck there are distortions, monstrosities that occur in familiar land. And there estrangement is generated. In visual arts there was a kind of vacancy with respect to addressing Peronism... I think that there was prejudice and fear that would not have a place in the market. There were isolated approaches, but getting into the head of that world was not healthy. It is a place with a lot of dirt, of darkness. And that I am interested in. There is also humor in your approach. Yes, but not cynical detachment. I prefer not to go on that side. I'd rather get into it seriously, and get glued.

Is there an emotional attachment? Yes, a kind of debt, which one has not been able to meet in militancy. For example, the Colossus of Avellaneda, or the Evas of the former-Ministry of Public Works, they are urban icons. They begin to operate by themselves, they have their own engine. And there are things that exceed you; nobody knows what an icon can do. The issue is to get into the adventure, and then you see what the hell happens. You cannot measure always, speculate, and try to be in the right place, to have a very visible bright side for political correctness. To Me, I like the other thing; I like to be dark too, and to have those contrasts. That is why I like Baroque. Baroque works in a dark background full of bends, where there are blind parts. Lighting occurs in the dark. And the truth appears in this flickering between light and shadow. As the fragments of light that filters through the foliage of forests that you usually paint. Exactly. And that is your truth. In the flicker you believe you see something, but what you see are also monsters. And that ambiguity, this inability of the forest to be clear is the place. And it has to be found.

Love or coincidence PHOTO: Sebastián Arpesella

The theatre director Federico León has proved again and again what it is like to always do what you want with a superlative quality. His last whim? To have on stage 107 quite different actors to tell what each of them know about love; compare their expressions and see what was left at that intergenerational, multicultural and above all, happy reunion that speaks of humanity as a whole.

“At the beginning of rehearsals we had to fight against a permanent state of chaos. We had a chat about it; that chaos and noise are common within a multitude. We had to try what would happen if we became a focused and silent multitude that could listen to each other.”

TXT: Agustina muñoz phoTOS: javier picerno

ederico Leon entered the theatrical scene 16 years ago, when, at just 22, he presented at the Centro Cultural Recoleta Cachetazo de campo (A countryside-style slap), a work that shook the Argentine theatre and made him part from a young age of the most prominent and singular theatrical scene of the world. Rewarded with the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative Scholarship - which brings together young artists with masters of the likes of Patrice Chéreau or Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, Leon became with the passing of time an explorer who surprises with each piece because of their freedom, their fearlessness and the permanent search of what theater can do so that everything human may be inspected in a deeper way. His work led him to direct cinema and to conceive hybrid theatrical works where what the public expect of a theatrical experience is broken. His latest creation is Las Multitudes (The Crowds), where a group of 107 players - children, young people, adults and elderly- tries to talk about love in its purest, most vital and essential degree. In this Interview, Leon tells us what that experience was like, how it was done in other countries and what it brought him in his artistic quest.

What is this play about? What idea could sustain such a complicated work in its execution over time? What interested me was that so many people, so different from each other could find each other in a common ground; with so many singularities transiting the same emotions. The multitude within this work represents a larger one: that of humanity. In the beginning, the groups are fractured, at a loss, estranged. The play will progressively bring them together until they integrate; it is a process of transformation, a great reconciliation of humanity. Age does not change the essential conflicts: faced with love nobody knows anything, that is something that interests me, and which is shown in this work; or is at least raised by it. What was casting like? It was a process of five months until we came to the 107 people that we are today. In the play there is a group of boys, another group of girls, one of adolescent girls and another of teenage boys, another group of couples in their thirties and finally two groups of elderly men and women. We had to find all those people. To form each group, we held castings for more than fifty persons. They were chosen one by one. I feel that, as a director,

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The multitude within this work represents a larger one: that of humanity. In the beginning, the groups are fractured, at a loss, estranged. The play will progressively bring them together until they integrate; it is a process of transformation, a great reconciliation of humanity. Age does not change the essential conflicts: faced with love nobody knows anything.â&#x20AC;?

it is the same work you put into a play with four people. As if in the idea of how many what mattered is that there were many, not if each part worked; but no; it really is one on one. If in a group of 30 people there are 10 that are not connected, it shows. In this play, incorporating that was very important; the actors began to realize it because I would call them by name during rehearsals, I said to them I like this thing that you, or better test that certain thing somewhere else. Since when did you have the idea for this play? About ten years, but it was nothing like this. It was an installation in which I wanted to reproduce already existing videos: a night of awards, for example; always situations with many people. I had thought it for a museum, so that the visitor had the video as a reference, opened a door and saw the same recorded scene live; the same, exact repetition of a fragment of reality. In your previous creation, I in the future, there were actors who, on a first impression, seemed to be doing very little. Yes, there is something similar with respect to The Multitudes in relation to the action, which has to do with being present on stage in a more meditative form. There is no deployment of performance under the terms

to which one is used. In The Multitudes, it is good to understand that the actor is a part within a group; the good thing is the possibility to share with others who are in the same state: all quiet for a long time observing something that is happening between two, a youngster, a woman or a child. Regarding the elders, it was difficult to make them understand that with their body, their gestures, there was already a lot. At the beginning they tended to overplay old age, and what interested me most was what was closer to who they were, rather than pursuing it as if it were outside, so constructed. The play was written from these bodies. The walk of the elderly ladies, for example: I had a rhythm in my head that was faster, but something else imposed itself, another rhythm. How did you manage to take all those people to a state of meditation and concentration? At the beginning of rehearsals we had to fight against a permanent state of chaos. We had a chat about it; that chaos and noise are common within a multitude. We had to try what would happen if we became a focused and silent multitude that could listen to each other. It was very difficult to work; also in the midst of this chaos, one finished acting and came out and began to chat and that humming increased and expanded in seconds. I think that it was comprehended

when it was understood that this way of working had to do with the play, that it was a challenge to achieve silence in a crowd. From then on something began to change. Also the half- hour yoga practices that we had before each rehearsal also helped. Before the functions we also have a short practice. The power that has impresses me. We must trust that if I'm really connected, everything will be seen, regardless of my intention to show it. And in this play, that was very important. Because, precisely, what we wanted to show were these `humanitiesÂ´, those ages with their own gestures, their qualities. What was the work with the particularities of each one a cast of 107 people like? For a while, during rehearsals, I am interested in meeting the people with whom I work, and then I start to write. From knowledge of the specificity of each one, things occur to me. Many parts of The Multitude were from things that emerged during the rehearsals. Especially in the group of elders. And what happened when you did the play in Berlin, for example, with new groups of people with other gestures and rhythms? It was very interesting because, for example, at the entrances to the elderly, the Germans did as a perfect army, in silence; here, when

they come out, there are traffic jams, one gets out, then the other, they whisper. It must have to do with cities; this is a city where there are many traffic jams. In Argentina, one of the old ladies makes, at one point, a gesture with her head which emerged from rehearsals, a gesture that is hers, which she spontaneously made while concentrated watching what others were doing, and stayed onstage instead of leaving with the others. And that moment stayed in the play. In Berlin, I showed the video to 12 elderly so they could mirror it, and none could do it. So we left that out. When I returned from Berlin, I missed the German group. And I even asked the Argentines to do certain things that were done there. Each group and each person has special, very surprising and attractive particularities; to find them and be able to reproduce them is what interests me. A month after opening in Buenos Aires we went to Berlin, and it was very good to have to rethink everything again, answering questions that forced me to remember the beginnings of decisions, from where each thing came from, to talk about everything that is at stake, of the books that we read at the moment of creation. It was like starting from scratch, we did not reproduce the video, and it was much more than that. Now in September we go to Graz, in Austria, and I am thrilled by what new elements will emerge.

Is the structure of the work complicated? Do all those people entering scene, coming out, comes back again... What happens behind the scenes is a choreography almost as complicated as what happens in the play. The older ones Leave and they must go quickly to the other side of the stage, where they go out again. And along the way, they intersect with the other group of elders who are coming onstage, guided by teens. If it is not organized, they would collide, and there would be much noise. Mostly because while all that happens, there are other people acting on stage. Some time I would like to see the play from behind. It is very interesting what happens: teens help the elderly to cross behind the scenes. And in fiction, the elders help young people conquer the girls. There is a story that continues behind the scenes. That is also what the play is about, those encounters, working together, the social group. In fact, this play is like a club, they all became friends, there were romances, links that exceeded the work, and that is what allows this work to be done, that so many people join to carry out a function in which their personal ego has to be left aside, because what the play is about groups of humans, of crowds, in which my gesture is part of a whole, but it does not make me stand out over the rest in a traditional or expected way.

“Sports has the power to change the world” Nelson Mandela. The power of sport to unite people - in teams, competitions, in particular plays that could not be made alone – is multiplied when the achievements are done within a charitable framework to help kids. That is the work of the International Foundation Laureus, directed in Argentina by the former captain of Los Pumas, Hugo Porta.

TXT: PAULA GIMéNEZ phoTOS:Courtesy of LAUREUS Foundation Argentina.

“An idea is as successful as the support it earns from the community” 76

Hugo Porta hands the IWC prize, an Ingenieur Automatic Mission Earth to Guillermo Francella during the last edition of the Laureus Golf Day.

Hugo Porta, the only Argentine member of the Laureus Academy of World Sports.

t is possible to describe Hugo Porta using terms such as passion, commitment and talent. What is more difficult to know is to which achievement, feat or activity of the best player in the history of Los Pumas such praise corresponds. Records worthy of the Guinness Book of Rugby, a coveted place in the Hall of Fame of this sport and the honor of being proclaimed the best player of his class in the world by French magazine Midi Olympique. But not everything in his life was rugby: he got married, had two children, he stood out as the Ambassador to Argentina in the Republic of South Africa, and served as Secretary of State for sports of the Presidency of the Nation. And he did everything with passion, commitment and talent. Since 2003, she has chaired the Argentinean subsidiary of Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, a global institution that celebrates the power of sport to unite the people. The Fundación Laureus Argentina, sponsored by the Global Partners IWC Schaffhausen and Mercedes Benz, like its mother trust in London, aims to support community projects using sport as a tool, whether in initiatives to solve different social issues or through educational programs of awareness and training based on the values of sport. A work in which the only Argentine member of the Laureus Academy has undoubtedly excelled. Laureus is an entity that is constantly growing and evolving thanks to the contribution of the community and its partners. "We continuously receive proposals and what we do is evaluate them and see if both parties agree on the way of conceiving sport as a vehicle for the future." We have enough freedom to choose projects, although they must always be approved by the mother Foundation located in London.

An idea is always as successful as the support that people give to it. We may have good ideas, but if we don't have the resources, we cannot carry them forward. Therefore, it is very important to realize every one of them, the support from the community and businesses. "Simonetta Orsini and IWC are companies that we have supported and helped us a lot", says Hugo Porta. Even for those of us who are not knowledgeable in tries and drops and often close our eyes during at a scrum, rugby represents in our collective unconscious the team sport par excellence. As an unshakable unit, it depends on the cohesion and the effort of each one of the players as an exclusive condition to obtain a good result. And apparently, that union of forces is also the engine that keeps the institution running and constantly evolving. "There are nine local foundations in the world, and at the initiative of those who are members of the Laureus Academy we decide to carry out the functions of the Foundation in the country. The first thing we wanted was to be solid in our commitments and our economy. The initial objective was to grow as an organization that is why today we can warranty a three –year support for our projects, because we have the necessary funds. Of course this is possible thanks to the contribution of the companies that support us, like IWC and the events we organize to raise funds. The community is very important for us and we believe that no project can be successful without its support. What we do is get to know each other, listen, try to train them and thus maintain a relationship that is ultimately beneficial for the kids," declares with forcefulness and joy the man who is responsible for projects such as My Place our Club, Union and Friendship of San Isidro and Dale Pelota a los Llibros (Pay attention

to books), among others. Hugo Porta has undoubtedly faced fearsome adversaries such as the Springboks, the Wallabies and the All Blacks, without ever dropping his arms. His spirit of fight remains intact, and with the same strength and identical talent with which he was captain of Los Pumas, he today directs each community task for the Foundation. When asked for the best achievements of the institution, Hugo Porta does not hesitate. "An accomplishment"? If we can save a single boy from the grip of drugs and ensure that through sport a child is educated and has better health that is enough. "Although today, with the projects that we support, we reach almost 2,000 young people." These encouraging figures Porta speaks about are no doubt the result from the utilization of the game as the main attraction for each project. On the field, we are all equal, and that equity is an essential component for the good reception of each of the undertakings and actions. The foundation also has a network of local Ambassadors - Adolfo Cambiaso, Matías Martin, María Cecilia Rognoni, Nicolas and Juan de la Cruz Fernández Miranda - among others, who collaborate with the diffusion of the project and, according to Hugo Porta, are a key piece with which young people can identify. "We believe that it is very important to have young ambassadors who interpret the sport like us. It is through them that we can reach the boys in a more direct and effective way. Surely, those who, for example, play rugby, know Santiago Phelan or the Fernandez Miranda brothers, and feel more identified with them than with me. The important thing is to have the support of young athletes who are recognized by the boys. Besides, that makes the boys see themselves in that mirror."

Photograph: santiago albanell Production: Mariana Schurink Models: Paula Gandolfo and Emilio Pancheri for Look1 Model Management

All jewelry by Simonetta Orsini.

Green silk dress DANIELA SARTORI Yellow gold vintage style rings, yellow gold chains with links in different sizes, yellow gold and diamond Star of David-shaped pendant, cross-shaped pendant in yellow gold.

The last dance

Jacket VISENTINI Watch Vacheron Constantin, Patrimony Traditionnelle World Time Rose gold pave diamond hoop earrings, rose gold combined with white gold and diamond choker, pink gold with pave diamond ring, bracelets in white gold and pink gold with diamonds.

Swede and pink leather blazer ZITTA High-rise shorts TREGUA Watch Chopard, Happy Sport Pink gold chain with bombe links with pink gold and diamond small bell pendant. Set of pink gold and diamond bracelets, bombe pink gold hoop earrings.

White camisole and pants YARDE BULLER for TUPÃ

Watch IWC, Big Pilot Top Gun Miramar White gold pendant set with a diamond.

Shirt, jacket and tie ZITTA

Watch Zenith, Pilot Montre D´aéronef type 20 GMT 48mm

Knitted dress PAULA LEDESMA

Watch F.P. Journe, Octa Lune White gold and diamond vintage-style rings in three sizes, entwined chain-shaped white gold hoop earrings. White gold bracelets with links in different sizes.

Black dress TREGUA

Watch Cartier, Tank Anglaise tama単o XL y Small. White gold and diamond rings with Onyx. White gold and pave diamond rings.

Black jumper DUBIE

Black dress with fringes FLOR KOZUCH

Watch A. L ange & Sรถhne, Lange 1 Daymatic.

White gold and cultured pearls bracelet with white gold clasp. Cultured pearls hoop earrings. White gold chain with white gold and diamond flower-shaped pendant.

A.Lange & Sรถhne, Lange 1 Daymatic. White gold chain with diamond set bombe links. White gold and diamond ring.

Jacket and skirt VISENTINI

Grey sweater SCHANG-VITON

Watches Vacheron Constantin, Patrimony Traditionnelle World Time

Watch Panerai, Radiomir California 3 Day Special Edition 47 mm

Vacheron Constantin, Patrimony Traditionnelle World Time Pink gold and pave diamond hoop earrings, pink gold combined with white gold and diamond choker. Pink gold and pave diamond ring. White and pink gold pave diamond bracelets.

Yellow gold rosary.

Gauze top and pants SCHANG â&#x20AC;&#x201C; VITON Brassiere HOPE

Black dress with fringes FLOR KOZUCH

Black dress TREGUA

Black dress LUZ BALLESTERO

Watch Hublot, Big Bang

Watch Baume & Mercier, Hampton

Watches Cartier, Tank Anglaise tamaĂąo XL y Small.

Watch Jaeger-LeCoultre, Rendez-Vous

White gold and cultured pearls bracelet with white gold clasp. Hoop earrings with cultured pearls. White gold chain with white gold and diamond flowershaped pendant

White gold and diamond hoop earrings with onyx stone, white gold and pave diamond rings.

Set of bracelet and hoop earrings in white gold and diamonds.

Diamond set choker and bracelet in white, pink and yellow gold. White and yellow gold rings with pave diamonds. White gold pave diamond hoop earrings.

On him: Shirt, jacket and pants ZITTA On her: Gauze dress with stones MARCELO GIACOBBE

Watch Audemars Piguet, Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph Carbon & Titanium White gold chokers set with diamonds in the shape of flowers, circles and stars, white gold and pave diamond rings. Diamond solitaire hoop earrings.

human body. Her collection for winter 2013 delves into the types and structures of fictitious female warriors. r Agustina Dubie built her design language on variations on the classics from the masculine wardrobe. Classic shirts, in white and bluish tones, but without the imposition marketing terms place on these items, often stating what a boyfriend should wear or what the boyfriend fit is. Even though her partner is her fiancée, she feeds from the paternal closet and its dress codes: large pants and Katherine Hepburn-style shirts. These last, transmitted to her by her mother. After stud-

J Agustina Dubie

r Paula Ledesma represents a new generation of designers with innovative morphological developments and an anchor in the industry. A graduate in Apparel and Textiles from the University of Buenos Aires (where she also teaches in the Expressive Media, Diana Lisman Chair), she daily walks along Scalabrini Ortiz Avenue up to 1000, the distance between her own shop and the textiles firm Led-Lan, founded in 1990 by her father and her aunt; she argues that the location allows her to work simultaneously on her two jobs. And that frequently a collection of yarns ends up generating fabrics. She then evaluates the tension of each material on the

J Paula Ledesma

J Julia Schang Viton

r Julia Schang Viton studied Apparel Design at the University of Palermo, and has avidity for philosophy readings and her collection of kimonos, many of which inspire her innovative morphologies. She was one of the revelations of the fashion world in 2012, after her debut in Buenos Aires Runway, with her Metamorphosis collection. Her designs take shape in the service area of a French-style building in Barrio Norte and are marketed in her new store at 1500 Paraguay Street, Buenos Aires. Her winter 2013 collection is called UFO, and it exalts her geometric investigations and recalls her summers spent at a family home overlooking the Uritorco hill.

r Luz Ballestero studied Apparel Design at the UBA (National University of Buenos Aires). Her initial design work was alongside the renowned designers Vero Ivaldi and Laura Valenzuela. She then completed her European formation at the Design Department of the firm United Colors of Benetton. Her creations emphasize the construction of a new silhouette with an anchor in sportswear. In the research for her own label, she explores body movement and its anatomy according to encyclopedias. From this research pants, sweaters, tops, shirts, coats and jackets emerge, in neutral tones and noble materi-

r Tupã, the project of AgustínYarde Buller, Martín Boerr and Majo Quaglia, is named after the Supreme Spirit of Thunder, a deity of the Guarani people. Using the study of form and the experience of modeling clothes after shapes as guiding principles, Tupa dares to challenge the boundaries between the masculine and feminine, with strength and harmony, while asking its ´parishioners` to take a moment to enjoy the moment. Their creations find inspiration in an imaginary without limits: from the world of art and architecture to the large plant world. Tupa wants to establish a new philosophy, and have therefore decided not to leave anything to chance: they reign in the garden and the home with their Home and Garden lines, while beautifying the streets with creations by Tupa Lab and Tupa by Boerr-Yarde Buller. Functional poetry for every environment.

r Tregua is a conglomerate of designers formed by Natalia Casal, Lucía Cornejo and Marina Rulli. They develop their own author collections and also special projects for different brands in the local market. In their own designs, they look for unconventional patternmaking through a poetic, morphological and constructivist vision. Theirs is a contemporary proposal where art and fashion coexist. r Marcelo Giacobbe carries in his imaginary Argentine myths and true customs associated with galas. A graduate in Apparel at UBA (National University of Buenos Aires), he won a Saga Furs scholarship and various design competitions – from Emerging city to Seedlings at Buenos Aires Fashion Week - as well as being enshrined as Emerging Bis in the Buenos Aires city fashion cycle during 2012. Examples of the ironic celebration of his taste for gold and jewels are his tribute to Eva Perón or his debut collection Vernisagge which included mock corsets tailored by Coco Eugenia, variations on the gala dresses signed by Dior or is tribute to Alfonsina Storni and her devotion to the Galas at the Mar del Plata Casino anchored in the fifties. Among the highlights from his atelier: the layers of organza, the variations on the tailored suit and the track bonus of his quasi-surrealist embroidery, traced with exotic stones. The

J Marcelo Giacobbe

TXT: VICTORIA LESCANO /// photOS: Javier Picerno

als; reformulated with supplies from sports. Her collection for winter 2013, Denouer inquired into representations of a body shape stretched by torsions, knots, capers and overlays of ready to wear layers. Her store, located in the Pasaje del Correo (Passage of the Post) - Recoleta-, includes, in addition to her showroom, a space dedicated to taylor-made wedding dresses, as their design is governed by the same rules of comfort that apply to her clothes for everyday use.

J Tupa

They are young, high fashion designers and they are taking by storm local and foreign catwalks. A new generation that almost inadvertently created a team and settled to stay. After adorning this edition with their fashion creations, they sat down to talk with SO to unveil what it is like to be a designer and emerge to the world.

ying Apparel Design at the UBA (National University of Buenos Aires) and also at Saint Martins, and learning stages with the shoe designer Nicholas Kirkwood and the Serbian designer Roksanda Ilincic, Agustina founded her own firm. In it, she exalts austere lines and noble materials. She also gives priority to daily work with modelers and the making of toiles prior to the manufacturing processes. According to her manual of style, a male robe can become an overcoat and clothes do not have a single wearing occasion. Austere dresses without cleavage prevail, in an exaltation of threads raveled out of cloth and zippers in plain sight. Her clothes are sold at her shop on 3100 República de la India St., whose windows are prefaced by a glass screen.

J Luz Ballestero

EMERGENT COMMUNITY

J Agustina Visentini

r Florencia Kozuch, After a decade of work and studies at the mythical Central Saint Martins, she joined the ateliers of Mc Queen and Gilless Deacon as an assistant. A few years later she associated with her mother, the artist Elita Allones and, back in Buenos Aires, based her operations and design in the neighborhood of Barracas. With her label

INTERVIEW The expression “emerging fashion”,which is so fashionable, seems to have replaced the “author´s design” concept of early 2000: what are the qualities and the particular traits of this new generation that you represent? Julia Schang Viton: As a kind of metaphor, it is as if emergent fashion was that “author´s design” of 2000 which was then dethroned by the big brands who tried to occupy its territory. I think that we designers do not take our work so naively and want to make a living out of it, not just a hobby. I prefer to say that “we have emerged” rather than (we are) “emerging”. I also think that from the surface we have an imperative responsibility to educate the consumer, propose other experiences and take charge of the future of our industry.

Paula Ledesma: Thanks to the generation of author’s design, we started to go down this path. I learned a lot from them by having them as teachers and also by following their careers; I think that they nurtured this new generation a lot. I also believe that we have managed to connect among us, to ask ourselves questions and resolve other issues all together - as when Luz Ballestero and Daniela Sartori shared the catwalk in BAFweek, or the Cuadrilla Project, an initiative that thought up a brand as a group of designers working together. With my brand I generate a collection of knits with the typology of a complete collection and innovative designs, detached from the cultural preexisting connotation for knits. In addition, there are tools like social networks that link us much more among ourselves and also to the audience of consumers and followers of fashion. Marcelo Giaccobe: In the past three years new spaces for the visibility and exposure of young design came up, from Seedlings UBA to the Emerging City Festival and Buenos Aires Runway. It was a pleasure to participate in the three cycles. On the other hand, I think that the internet era modified the diffusion of the different discourses and enriched them, as well as facilitating the ties between the designer and its customers, enabling us to be more sensitive to their real needs. Luz Ballestero: One of the most important

J Florencia Kozuch

r Agustina Visentini made collections with a conceptual anchor and precepts from new Haute Couture, represented in Roads – her debut collection in black and white-, subsequent reversions of dance costumes with a punk vibe and, from the BAFweek catwalk, representations of the socio-cultural context of the city. Graduated from the University of Buenos Aires, her winter collection 2013 is called Cyclothymia, and alludes to changes in moods and outfits, grounded on the exaltation of A-line jumpers, unigarments with a careful geometry, deliberate contrasts in materials and a chromatic range that works as an ironic wink to reality. At her showroom on 1300 Suipacha St., where she works by appointment, she still retains some vintage hats displayed on exotic skull-shaped pedestals.

Sagrada Buenos Aires (Sacred Buenos Aires) she designed a collection that supports a revision of the hand knitted sweater, with aggregates of patent leather remixed with passamanterie. Her prêt-à - porter collection is displayed in the windows overlooking the Zoo of the multi-brand store Panorama, specialized in emerging fashion. The unique pieces from her One & Only line captivated the celebrated architect Zaha Hadid..

J Daniela Sartori

leitmotif of his 2013 winter colection alludes to passions, and is marketed in his art deco atelier located in the neighborhood of Recoleta.

issues is that a large group of new designers have gathered together, allowing us to be identified as a generation, even though the group is diverse in ages, background and above all, proposals. I think that by grouping under the nomination of “emergent” we have been able to shine as a group and individually. On the other hand, it seems to me that it is the first time that, after the generation of designers of 2000, there is a group of considerable dimensions and dissimilar and rich proposals. Florencia Kozuch: Since my return to the country I have felt a great need for change in the referents of local fashion; and I feel part of a new generation. Agustina Visentini: I am part of the new community of emergent designers; I find very interesting the fact that new designers are able to emerge in the market with new proposals and ideas. I think that these are times of very abrupt changes, which in some respects, both political and social, play against us. On the other hand it gives us the chance to continuously reinvent ourselves. From “author” fashion to “emergent design” there is clearly a decade of evolution not just in the term itself, but also in its meaning. Emerge, appear, arise, stand out and express are its traits. While the search for personality and differentiation in value are the salient characteristics of this new generation Agustina Dubie: I have many designer friends like Vanessa Krongold, the designers of Fauna, the designer of Trosman or Matias Carbone, who designed for Felix and now has his own brand. The new referents are many small brands with a strong aesthetic content. We are all aware of the need to care for quality and help each other. As a general rule, brands arise with an imprint and with the years it dims, mainly due to imperatives of the trade; new designers and new brands know that we need to do something different so that people buy our designs. Simultaneously, I feel a yearning on the part of the public for something different. Do you keep a log or a design diary, is there an intimate search process until hitting on the clothes and the cohesion that becomes a fashion collection? Are there similarities in your working processes? Julia Schang Viton: The process is never the same. It is difficult to define a start

and a conclusion, since it is in constant development. At the technical level, it begins with the realization of sketches from which the prototypes are created, which will be exposed to experimentation once transferred to patterns. Then, the materials selected for that work are applied. The circle is the protagonist in this collection and it can be recognized in morphologies, prints, substractions and superimpositions. Paula Ledesma: I first work from knowledge of the material and then an instance of inspiration on the shapes with which I want to work flows. I gather a series of images that interest me and I try to decode them in terms of shape, color and materiality. I almost always associate a topic, and the context to show it. Marcelo Giaccobe: My process often starts by rediscovering the definition of familiar words, it is as if I opened a file and had to think about reality in other terms. At all times I keep an agenda that works as an anchor for ideas, and many times I found myself writing in the margin of a book, where I marked words that geared my curiosity. My collections are based on a feeling that I try to materialize, many times it is something intangible which becomes real when I go through the process. What usually motivates me are the different layers of femininity, the identity of a woman as an enigma to unravel. Luz Ballestero: I have a notebook where I write almost everything, but many ideas arise at night or while half asleep, so I jot where ever I can, on the cell, on a paper, and I read it hours later. Sometimes they are useful and other times I simply discard them. On the other hand, the process of design itself is quite personal; it often comes before the end of the previous collection. As I like to work on sports and urban issues there is where the process is born. It takes some weeks to figure out which textures, colors, codes and compositions will govern the collection. It always involves a lot of work and effort, comings and goings. Agustina Visentini: I believe that both, the most creative instances and the more structured ones like marketing, are very important when setting up the identity of what emergent design represents. Everything is interconnected; one thing leads to another, always based on an observation of the socio-cultural aspects that govern our society. The concept I choose to work with in all of my collections always comes from me,

“I believe there was a change in paradigm. Fashion as a competitive place for egos is already passé; at present, relations are more fluid and designers share interests and cooperate with one another.” Marcelo Giacobbe

it refers to any fact or circumstance that has transcended in my life. I almost always find a relationship between these personal feelings and social issues. Starting from this solid base and with a study and analysis of trends, I manage to negotiate between my art and what people are looking for. Florencia Kozuch: We do a research about something that captivated us -it can come from architecture, music, or may be the nature or anything that seduces us-, and then we collect the information in a sketchbook while developing figurines. Our thing is quite complex and unorthodox. As we are in constant experimentation, an intervened textile often defines our design and silhouette. Which are the fashion shows and runways that summon you and allow you to interact both in the local scene and the foreign one? What is the space of competitions? Julia Schang Viton: In my case, I received much help from the CMD -Metropolitan Design Center-, since I was elected in an invitation for emerging designers which then led me to participate in the BAFweek Buenos Aires last season as part of the City of Fashion event. I was then invited by the Argentinean Embassy in Great Britain along with the British Council and the Ministry of culture of the Nation to display my latest collection in the International Fashion Showcase at London Fashion Week.

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Paula Ledesma: Locally, I was summoned to participate in the Gateway Buenos Aires, the BAFweek, and Cordoba Fashion, and at an international level I took part in the exhibition Rooms of Tokyo and Fashion Nights Out, within the framework of the New York Fashion Week, through a private event organized by Saks Fifth Avenue store. Luz Ballestero: I participated in BAFweek and in the runway of the Government of the City and I believe that both platforms helped me to become better known and to grow. Then I continued with the painstaking work of promoting the brand in Buenos Aires and the interior of the country, with a view to showing the collection on a foreign catwalk. Agustina Visentini: In terms of the cycles generated by the seasons, I was summoned to venues like the Six O’clock Tea and BAFweek. The BAF allowed me to interact more with the local scene, thanks to the great prestige and background of this event. Florencia Kozuch: We still haven´t

participated of any runway in Buenos Aires, but in London I participated in three seasons of the London Fashion Week, sponsored by Vauxhall Fashion. Considering this is our first season in Buenos Aires, we cannot make an analysis of the market, as we only did garments on request while we developed our collection and familiarized with the new environment. I emphasize that we are selling in the `emerging´ section of the Net Boutique. Is there an independent scene, some centre of confluence linked to fashion, art and music where you can exchange experiences and data related to workshops, suppliers and inputs and spend leisure time as well? Julia Schang Viton: With my designer friends we join forces and keep ourselves company in the difficult task of producing in Argentina, for example sharing suppliers and details of workshops, but also sharing hours of reflection about future and present projects,

and manufacturing impossible textiles. Paula Ledesma: I believe in the value of connecting to consult about our métier and to solve things together. I remember with a smile when, together with Emilse Benítez and Agustina Troyer, we created a Whats app group to discuss about shoes and other styling instances for our first runway show. We still exchange data. Marcelo Giacobbe: I believe there was a change in paradigm. Fashion as a competitive place for egos is already passé; at present, relations are more fluid and designers share interests and cooperate with one another. Agustina Visentini: I understand that that is our next goal as an emerging group of designers: to get together and see how we can help each other. That is always an issue of interest for us, so I guess it won’t take much time for some kind of event to become a reality in the shape of a collaboration fostered by ourselves.

A passion

FOR WATCHES How to choose a good watch? How to look for the perfect watch when there are so many possibilities? What is the invisible tie generated by the encounter between a person and the piece he or she desires? With enthusiasm and expectation on the prompt arrival of the recent releases of Baselworld, the World Watch and Jewelry Salon at the International Salon of Haute Horlogerie in Geneva (SIHH), customers of Simonetta Orsini choose their favorite watch.

TXT: María Ferreyra de Rosas 102

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OT HUBL

o aratch t nd, w s i h a rt omos ait fo n´t w sports chr a c I “ e rsini. ; I lov etta O attraction n o m i ts of t of S siden y clear poin e r P . er 50 eew, two v n De L ina. It has Ferrari.” í t r a t M th Argen es wi rive in e rest com th well, For this new series of watches Hublot adds a fundamental power: that of Ferrari. The watch comes in three editions: Big Bang Ferrari Carbon Network Magic, 1000 pieces; and King Gold Carbon and Big Bang Ferrari Ceramic, 500 pieces each. This model supported by the rampant Cavallino measures 45.5 mm and comes in carbon fiber, King Gold 18K or black satin ceramic; bezel in carbon fiber or black satin ceramic, depending on the version, and is secured with six H- shaped titanium screws.(Red Magic) or Titanium PVD (King Gold or ceramic). In line with its sporting purpose, the case carries side aggregates in black composite resin with insertion of carbon at 9, details that guarantee a greater resistance. The push-

pieces surround the crown space, placed at 2 and 4, and this last one carries the Ferrari logo in red lacquer. The strap varies according to the model: it can be black rubber, Schedoni red or black skin with red or black stitching and deployant buckle strap in titanium with PVD or carbon fiber with ceramic, gold or carbon fiber inserts. The colors of the time, minutes and the second counter hand, the calendar located in a window at 3, and Hublot logo in white give the dial the range of colors that inspires the essence of these watches, that inescapable encounter between the watch and car races. Even the oscillating weight adds to the theme: it has the shape of a tire.

IWC

eroting a oo l i p r ore p C and ng IW feel it is m This is i r a e w I . that ology a lot, elieve line adds t of techn b I “ r lo r. enieu ith a ginee ial En es. The Ing pe, and w of SIHH.” r t s u ty n Ind bbi f this editio , 38, st ho Diego are my be watches o ted in this s other resen plane than he ones p e v i t voca ice from t o my ch Once upon a time there was a high-end car and a prestigious watch. Once upon a time there was their meeting. Here comes the new work of IWC: date-Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar Digital Day- Month. As part of its 2013 editions, this model joins the Ingenieur family, as a result of the partnership between IWC SCHAFFHAUSSEN and Mercedes AMG PETRONAS, the Formula 1team of MERCEDES – BENZ. The case is titanium aluminide, measuring 46 mm in diameter by 17 mm in height, with a screw-down crown and a transparent sapphire-glass back which provides an unimpeded view of the back of the watch. A detail for fans: the oscillating weight – the system that provides movement to the

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engine - has been built in the shape of an automobile tire. This mechanical chronograph with flyback function, caliber 89802 is self-winding with a 68 hour power reserve. Its functions are displayed on the sapphire-set black dial. Hour and minute indications are combined in a totalizer placed on a small counter located at 12; a small hacking seconds; perpetual calendar with leap year indication; and the large date indicated by two windows – with double-digit displays-for the day and the month, placed at 9 and 3, respectively. Its water tightness is guaranteed up to 120 meters. A black rubber strap with inlay and a titanium clasp add to the essence of sport and resistant of this IWC.

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ÖHNE S & NGE A. LA

n erma his G wel t e v je hy I lo it is a at is w ganicism, h t , s r n icatio e its o ompl n. I admir c t a e r w love g e to o on. “I I would lov e g r u , 58, S watch utiful.” Hugo his is the ea .T d so b brand anics. An ch of me This Grand Complication is perhaps one of the best news of the year for the most demanding lovers of complex watches. It houses a manual –winding L1902 caliber, movement, with a power reserve of 30 hours. The enameled dial displays a skilful and beautiful synthesis of all the features this Lange has, which originate in a fancy machinery. They are namely: indication of the hours and minutes, sonnerie with large and small carillon, minute repeater, chronograph with rattrapante with stopped minutes function, and fractional times, perpetual calendar with date, day of the week, month in four-year cycles, and moon phase. In line with this, the watch comes equipped with various ele-

ments of manipulation; the crown for winding the watch time setting, a push-piece to manipulate the chronograph and another one for the mechanism of the rattrapante, lever to activate and deactivate the chime, and another one to switch between small and large chime, sliding repeat to activate the minutes correction and push-piece to advance the date, day of week, month and moon phase. The case that houses this brief universe has been manufactured in red gold and has a diameter of 50 mm and a height of 20.3 mm. As a finishing touch, a crocodile leather, hand-sewn reddish strap with folding clasp in red gold.

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S UBUI D R E ROG

that ients cid e r g n i re and p of ut the k abo n vertigo el n i v r h t a am wee e to t v s e i a b h t I l I . ai If an. “ cockt ht balance essm , it is the g i n i r s e u th ,B ect It has n obj ue, 54 Enriq te me in a lfills that. a fu captiv is watch h T . ” ics . sion echan m o r mic Among the biggest attractions of this Excalibur Skeleton Double Flying Tourbillon is its design: the choice of sapphire crystal on the front and on the back, the squeletonized dial and the double flying tourbillon. The result?: an absolutely translucent body where you can appreciate the components and operation of the engine, with the accent on one of the most curious items of high watch making: the tourbillon. The movement, manual winding, caliber RD01SQ, boasts the Poinçon de Genève; the double flying tourbillon is visible between 4 and 5

and between 7 and 8; the power reserve is 48 hours. The case is pink gold, with a diameter of 45 mm. The squeletonized dial has been highlighted by a rim of carbon grey over which are inserted the hour indicators; There, at 12, reads the inscription in white : Roger Dubuis. The hands of the hour and the minutes are rose gold, and carry a thin slot in line with the style of the rest of the dial. The translucent universe of this piece ends with a strong strap in brown crocodile skin, sewn by hand, with adjustable clasp in pink gold.

TH ZENI

e , I hav asure s ime l p r i fo watch k and f wor rsonable o e s e ” Becau but p 2013. eur. “ g a sober choice for n e r p y tre vin 51, En fe. Ha Zenith is m Julio, d all my li s i h hy t lle trave . That is w t n porta Commemorating the presence of Zenith in the history of aviation, comes the Pilot aeronef Type 20 GMT collection. This is, on top of that, a limited special edition in homage to the Red Baron. His real name was Manfred Albrecht von Richthofen and his fame is due to the fact that, in the early 1900s and with aviation just recently hovering as a discipline, he stood out for his acrobatics in the air, for which he was condecorated 80 times . His nickname came from the intense color of the Fokker Dr.1 Triplan he piloted. Zenith honors him with a limited series of 500 copies in titanium treated with black DLC and black leather strap. Red has been chosen for the indication of GMT. The watch also sports a

medallion on the background coined with the famous Fokker Triplan. There is a direct relationship between pilots and watches with the GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), the function that allows the change of time zones without difficulty. In this new series, it is given by the Elite 693 movement, which also guarantees the indication of the hour, minutes, seconds, and a 50-hour power reserve. The case of the Pilot aeronef Type 20 GMT measures 48 mm in diameter and sports a matte black dial for easy reading: 12 Arabic numerals entirely made of Superluminova; with the central hands and the small seconds at 9.

E ULTR O C E R-L JAEGE

le.” credib en i s i verso ractiv he Re to its att T . r e y ds lo pla rn ad hes”. eur po nd the tu ood watc t a m g a a r and cate, d two reneu . It is deli in one; an p e r t 41, En rite watch watches o Pilar, o y fav ing tw It is m is like hav it ness: It is difficult to speak about Jaeger-LeCoultre without mentioning one of its highly praised pieces-for its irreverence, for its originality: the Reverso. This collection was released for the first time in 1930. The anecdote goes like this: it was intended for a polo team, whose players were complaining because the demands of the sport were directly affecting their watches, which were damaged during the matches. Inspired by that request, the Reverso came as the best answer: a case that rotates on its own axis, protecting the front when it is necessary. But the art of watch making always finds an opportunity to grow. The Reverso continued then developing and refining the options multiplied by the mobility of the case. In 1994, Duoface concept was developed: a single movement whose indications can be seen in two different dials.

This year, with another step further, comes the Grand Reverso Ultra Thin Duoface Blue. It takes after its original design but adds features such as the second time zone on the reverse side - the front displays local time. This model has points in common with the original model, such as the lacquered dial in blue and the Reverso inscription in the same font as that of that limited edition of more than eighty years ago. The composition is completed with the baton hour markers and the small rhodium-plated sword hands for the indication of hours and minutes. The second dial, opaline decorated with the Guilloche motif, indicates time with the two small hands. A subdial for the second time zone with 24-hour indication and mention of day/ night, is located at 6. The polished steel case, concludes in a thin belt of cordovan leather with a buckle, also made of steel.

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RAI E N A P

ent. `pres is a s a nd th nerai t a Pa aunches, a ocket o g I , l old p their torate y doc went over nce of the m d e I e s finish This year he es hen I s all t .” fe. i e l W s “ i y r . t p m s orrow nomi it com nts of 6, Eco best prese rite. I feel ght for tom 4 , o t Ernes one of the t my favo : it is thou e ub lus Mayb ithout do eresting p w t n s i i one th an es wi watch In a limited edition to only 50 units comes this great tribute to the first timepieces that accompanied man along his journey: the pocket watch. The case chosen for this new model belongs to the Radiomir line. A brief note on the history of the Officine Panerai Radiomir: it is one of its first models - an icon today. At the beginning of the 1930s Panerai introduced the exclusive `sandwich´ construction, which consists of a perforated upper plate with Arabic numerals and hour markers and a lower plate with relief and a layer of radio (luminescent) paint which produces the today-typical effect of these watches.

The Pocket Watch Tourbillon GMT Ceramic which launches today has been designed in black ceramic, including the bezel, and measures 59 mm in diameter. It is submersible up to 300 meters and guarantees a power reserve of up to six days, indicated at the bottom of the case. Its squeletonized movement with tourbillon offers the hour, minutes, small seconds, second time zone and 24-hour indication. If there is a second protagonist in this pocket model, it is the strap: a custom chain in black ceramic, which harmoniously blends into the box.

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R ERCIE M & E BAUM

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this hose .” c I . s iature atche ant w ils in a min g e l e a d t of de cal an classi e universe e k i l h “I d by t tect. Archi captivate , 0 4 José, ause I am ec one b Fine finishes, technical precision and almost two centuries of history serve as introduction for Baume & Mercier, which offers us a new model this year: the Clifton Perpetual Calendar. The round case measures 43 mm and has been designed in steel and anti-reflective bombe sapphire crystal. It is waterproof up to 50 meters. The movement is automatic and offers central time and minutes, perpetual calendar

with an indication of the day and month also by central hand, and moon phases. These functions are arranged on an elegant silver dial with satin finish. It has six gold numbers- pairs- alternating with hour markers. An attraction is the conjugation of the four golden hands and the final detail of the phases of the moon at 6. The strap that completes this piece is crocodile black leather with adjustable triple safety folding clasp.

IER CART

e -mad hand use d e k a ays li ” bec ve alw h Caliber .” a h I “ p n ctor. ashio nogra e Dire ier “Chro hip and f v i t a t e s r r kman ew Ca , 41, C arlos ose this n time wor C n a Ju ho old t for ts. I c objec n it respec i I find From the get going, the encounter is set: a dial coined in the 12th century, a last generation caliber and a crown set with a faceted sapphire ; elements that conflux and feed the essence of this Cartier. The dial is silver opaline, slightly bluish. The hands marking hours and minutes are sword-shaped, and the centre seconds hand, steel. Only half of the roman numerals have been placed at the top, between 9 and 3. The rest of the hours are displayed with luminescent markers. Through the two sub dials, some functions are added: at 3, the 30 minutes counter, and at 9 the 12 hour counter. The arched window indicating the date is lo-

cated at 6. The case is pink gold and measures 42 mm in diameter. The heart of this chronograph beats with a 1904-CH caliber that maximizes its performance. Thanks to the vertical clutch that prevents the central second hand from starting and stopping, and makes more efficient use of the power reserve, which is in this watch 48 hours. The strap is dark brown semi-matt alligator skin; the dual regulation buckle is pink gold.

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GUET I P S MAR AUDE

, and guet i P s r ma ome. Aude is the epit n a d e want watch lways boy. This a e v ha was a ef. “I et Ch es since I t one.” m r u c o es car ra , 45, G the b Lucas ollower of omage to h af I am reat, great g a And In the design of the Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph Michael Schumacher two great symbols come together: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak line - who turned 40 years since its first edition - and the career of the most outstanding pilot in the history of motor racing. Without a doubt, a chronograph designed for lovers of motor sports and high watch making. The emblematic octagonal box of the Royal Oak is available in this model in three versions: Titanium, 1000 pieces; rose gold 500 pieces; and Platinum, 100 pieces. The bezel is one piece, ultra- resistant cermet, secured with eight screws. The dial is anthracite and has been decorated with the Méga Tapisserie design from the Royal Oak Offshore collection. It has a tachymeter scale between 12 and 1; there,

five red stars and two blue stars symbolize the seven world championships titles of this laureate pilot. The minute marker is inspired in the checkered flag motif, and the chronograph counters - black in the titanium edition and gold, pink, and blue, in the Platinum one -simulate a high performance car panel instruments. The hour and the minute hands, of gold, are faceted and with luminescent coating, condense the silhouette of the body of a racing car. As a novelty for the collection of Royal Oak Offshore, the date indicator, placed at 3 , is also red. The strap is rubber and, in tune with the case, changes with the edition: grey in the titanium version and pink and blue in the platinum versions. It sports a sand-blasted satin pin buckle.

Constantin Vacheron

ather randf beg y m atch rand the b like this w s i n i I t se it. nstan ” on Co why I choo a lifetime. r e h c a r s V i o f “ t t r. objec r, tha awye 58, L ed to wea a precious , a n Lucia father us legant... y ,e and m is delicate t i e s cau A must-see of the new Patrimony Contemporary for Lady is its bezel set with 68 round diamonds, out of the 117 diamonds the watch carries. Round case is 26.20 mm in diameter, and the dial is silvered opaline with applied gold indicators and hands in the shape of a leaf. An interesting detail is the open bottom of the case, which allows a view of the heart of the watch in operation: a mechanical move-

ment caliber 2450 Q6 which guarantees a power reserve of 40 hours. This Patrimony line focuses on the present, in contrast to the traditional Patrimony, whose spirit lies in the extensive watchmaking experience of the brand. For this collection dedicated to women it recovers all the subtlety and the prestige of a luxury creation; technics and aesthetics at their best.

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A fantastic encounter in the first person

command myself not to move: any expression, even the most imperceptible flicker, would feel as an offense. Pulsations of excitement and an instinct that escapes the rational take hold of me. It is the first encounter with the object of desire. Contemplation is solemn and it acquires unsuspected proportions. I am confronted with everything I need and long for. In a vertiginous and imaginary trip I place the object of my desire as the protagonist of future situations. And I come to the conclusion that those objects that I hypnotically admire were created especially for me, that we are made one for the other. The magic of the encounter with the object of desire is governed by the same laws without discriminating fields of action: a man, a painting, a pearl necklace, a watch, a lamp. Barthes has described it well: “The loved one is recognized by the loving subject as ´atopos`; that is, as unqualifiable, of a ceaselessly unforeseen originality. Atopos is the one I love and that fascinates me. I cannot classify him/her since it is The One, the singular image that miraculously came to respond to the specificity of my desire. It is the figure of my truth.” It is likely that at design world exhibitions the lamp by Federico Churba `Stop and comma´ is described as “a piece of pending lighting fastened by a tensor from ceiling to floor so as to modify the orientation of the light". Perhaps they mention that it is a project honoring the eximious Italian architect Achille Castiglioni and his `Parentesi´ lamp; what surely they forget to mention in its references is its potential nature as object of desire in universal terms. A deco experience with the shape of enchantment.

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ORIGAMI HIGH TECH

Richard Mille watches were born to challenge limits. That is why they have found their perfect pairing, their most personal union when they are on the wrist of the most outstanding athletes on the planet. This article speaks of those unforgettable encounters.

TXT: fabián dorado

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hose who had once the possibility of meeting Richard Mille in person will not find it curious that many renowned athletes of the world have decided to show off his creations on their wrist. It should be noted that it is certainly not a matter of money. It is well known that any quartz brand can pay fortunes to be associated with the number ones of the most popular disciplines. As in the case of Felipe Massa, it would not be surprising that the rest of their ambassadors are also his personal friends. If I may be allowed a personal note, in his first visit to Argentina when I interviewed him, the group who brought him also hired me as their photographer, which gave the possibility of spending some time with him in various scenarios. What surprised me most was his decontracté attitude. (If anyone remembers "The hairdresser's husband", well, Mille kept repeating those dance steps Jean Reno did all the time in that film). However, he did not leave room for improvisation when it came to his creations. Certainly his watches aren't for everyone. Mille boasts that its brand was born with the new millennium and that his work is directly connected with an intrinsic need to go beyond, to combine the most ethereal constructions with the ultra strength of extreme materials that only the cutting edge industries access. A devout fan of motor sports in general and F1 in particular, one of its bestknown watches is the RM 011 Felipe Massa, which was presented in 2004 and already has

an updated version, the RM 050. In that case the Brazilian pilot wore one of the hardest yet lighter tourbillon on the market thanks to its construction based on carbon nanofibres: only 48 grams without the strap. If we take a look at the imprint of that model everything speaks to us clearly of its inspiration on speed; the date framed in red or the lower quadrants reminiscent of the dashboard of a Formula One. The simple fact of including a tourbillon in a model that would withstand the tremendous forces of acceleration and vibration of a vehicle that can reach 300 kilometers per hour with a pilot racing almost at ground level clearly shows the intent of combining the most exquisite complications with the harshest conditions. After several tests, the RM 011came out to the tracks and accompanied Massa throughout his campaign. However, a year later Richard Mille managed to make the watch even lighter by rebuilding the case with ALUSIC, an alloy that was exclusive heritage of the satellite industry. It weighed 29 grams also counting the weight of the strap. Otro dAnother milestone in Mille´s career was his alliance with tennis player Rafael Nadal and the unprecedented impact of the theft of his watch, which yielded a sort of nonsensical publicity to the identity of the model. The story was that the piece was stolen from his hotel room while he slept after his victory at Roland Garros. The now infamous RM 027 was, as journalists reported, valued at 240.000 Pounds, something

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Certainly his watches aren't for everyone. Mille boasts that its brand was born with the new millennium and that his work is directly connected with an intrinsic need to go beyond. that prompted the most outrageous speculations of those not versed in the topic, who claimed that it had to be a watch set with more diamonds than what a Russian mafia kingpin spends so that it could cost that amount. What would they have said if they had had the correct information, which puts the value of that model at almost double of what was published? Clearly anyone taking a look at the profile of its parts would clearly note Mille´s devotion for the

shape of the tonneau and his total refuse to any conventionality. This trait is also highlighted by the two partnerships that follow. Worthy of a true predator (it is not in vain that he is nicknamed The Beast) the young sprinter Yohan Blake has also worn a tourbillon, in this case the RM 5901,on occasion of the last Olympics. There, Blake won gold and silver medals and was the only human with certain chances of beating Usain Bolt, his fellow American, friend and,

as well, the fastest man of all times. Forged in memory are the photos of Blake´s celebration, left-handed as Nadal- , with the robust tourbillon with crossed bridges as if they were a blow with a paw replicating the colors of the flag of Jamaica. A clean sweep in the sporting world. Another sport where Richard Mille decided to test its parts was Polo. And, as it is his custom, he simply had to go after one of the most recognized players: Pablo Mac Donough,

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who plays for La Dolfina. Polo is a world that has always known how to put watches to the test. From those first British officers who complained that the mallet destroyed theirs, to the invention of the recognized Reverso of Jaeger-Le Coultre, extreme contact during its practice have always been very real. So for this RM 053 Pablo Mac Donough the brandÂ´s solution was to pro-

vide a case of armored appearance made of blasted titanium with two small, round windows placed in an extreme to 30 degrees. This inclination is optimal for the riderÂ´s view while his hands are on the reins. Although the aim here is to make a brief panning on the relationship of Richard Mille watches and sport, we must not forget its participation next to names like Charles

Leclerc, Jean Todd, Bubba Watson, Jules Bianchi, Roberto Mancini, Martin Brundle, Romain Dumas and SĂŠbastien Loeb, all brand ambassadors today. His fondness for navigation is also well-known, so the Manufacture has decided to participate as a main partner of the Voiles de Saint Barth race with a model exclusively dedicated to the event: the RM 028.

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