Hamilton Fall/Winter 2022

HAMILTONJEWELERS.COM

CHIEF

P. Henderson

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Sherman, Krystal Knapp

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Mele, Karin Belgrave, Rachel Dickstein

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Guarna

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Vitarbo

SENIOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Amos

LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Longman

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Fisher, Donna Rolando, Everett Potter

PUBLISHING STAFF

PUBLISHER

Chin

ADVERTISING/PRODUCTION SERVICES

Penny Boag, Christopher Ferrante, Jacquelynn Fischer

ACCOUNTING Kasie Carleton, Urszula Janeczko, Steven Resnick

PUBLISHED BY Wainscot Media CHAIRMAN Carroll V. Dowden

PRESIDENT AND CEO Mark Dowden

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENTS Rita Guarna, Carl Olsen

VICE PRESIDENTS

Lizette Chin, Nigel Edelshain, Thomas Flannery, Coleman McCartan, Maria Regan, Steven Resnick, Diane Vojcanin

NJ

Cover photo by Nick Mele outside Hamilton

dear friends,

When you are a luxury brand that’s been around for more than a century, you constantly look for ways to innovate in an ever-shifting landscape. With this issue of ACCENT magazine, for fall and winter 2022, we are officially marking our 110th anniversary and so honoring our rich heritage, our bold present, and our continued legacy for the future.

The renovation of our Princeton flagship store is finally complete, and includes exciting new features such as a reimagined engagement ring and wedding band salon experience as well as our Curate room showcasing established and emerging designers, several exclusive to Hamilton Jewelers in the U.S. market.

Collaborative custom spaces also have been created with several of our brand partners: a Rolex salon, designed by Rolex in Geneva, Switzerland; a custom Patek Philippe space created by their Geneva design team; a visually stunning Cartier installation from the Paris atelier that is the first of its kind for us and for the brand; and last but certainly not least, an area featuring David Yurman’s jewelry and devised along with the namesake designer. This project began a decade ago with renowned architect Tom Pulk (formerly of the global design firm Callison RTKL and now with Pulk Design) and the mission to create an exciting and welcoming experience. Over the past five years, the amazing team at Joshua Zinder Architecture + Design, led by Mark Sullivan and Taylor Kinsey Toms, along with the ML7 Construction and Milex Construction crews, handled the construction with the greatest respect for the fine-jewelry environment that was still operating on the other side of the wall. We are so profoundly proud of this project, and feel this newly renovated space will provide a welcoming and engaging shopping experience for our guests that is uniquely Princeton—and quintessentially Hamilton.

As we continue to evolve as a company, we often reflect on our four-generation heritage, which is ingrained so deeply with our core values, as we consider what’s next—and always with the knowledge that our past should inform but never define our future.

Please enjoy this issue with our deepest gratitude for allowing us to serve you for more than a century. We look forward to welcoming you in our newly renovated Princeton store and our Palm Beach locations this holiday season!

HANK B. SIEGEL, PRESIDENT AND C.E.O. @HAMILTONCEO

ANDREW I. SIEGEL, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER @HAMILTONNEXTGEN

C.O.O.

Hamilton Happenings

From PALM BEACH to PRINCETON

Hamilton Sips and Shops with Temple St. Clair to Benefit Young Friends of Peggy Adams

Fine jeweler Temple St. Clair—known for her signature intricate gold work and bold gemstone pieces, and a longtime partner of Hamilton Jewelers—was fêted at a special afternoon event to launch the brand’s new Florence86 Collection. The casual “sip and shop” was held at the iconic Colony Hotel (Editor’s note: For more on this legendary Palm Beach hot spot, see our feature article beginning on page 110) and also featured a fashion trunk show of designs by Cara Cara.

With a who’s-who of Palm Beach culture and society, such as Bettina Anderson, Stephanie Hill, and Kelley Smith, in attendance, the afternoon benefitted the Young Friends of Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League, a group of young professionals committed to broadening and enhancing the base of support for animal welfare in Palm Beach County.

BY NICK MELE.

Hamilton and The Daily Front Row Celebrate Springtime in Princeton

This April, Hamilton Jewelers kicked off its year-long 110th anniversary celebration with a floral-full soiree heralding the new spring season. The freshly renovated Princeton, New Jersey, store was bedecked with blossoms from the custom-created front door arch to the petal-studded Hamilton “selfie” wall.

Along with A-list fashion authority The Daily Front Row, clients, customers, and lifestyle influencers—including (shown at left, from left) Dileiny Rodriguez Baron, Freya Drohan, Sophie Sumner, Katya Tolstova, Yayis A. Villarreal Cantú, Melissa Vale, and Charlotte Bickley—gathered for light lunch fare and rosé, while trying on pieces from a bevy of Hamilton’s premier jewelry designers.

PAUL.

For a photo call in Madrid for his film Unchartered, British actor Tom Holland showed off his Rolex GMT-Master II with a two-tone bezel in both black and chocolate brown. It was the perfect complement to his brown suede jacket, sure, but also apropos for this press tour; this watch displays the hour in two different time zones.

PLAYING SPIDER-MAN IS A STANDOUT ACHIEVEMENT BRITISH ACTOR TOM HOLLAND MAY YET TOP. AT 26, HE’S GOT TIME—AND LUXE WATCHES TO TRACK IT By Haley Longman

As Spider-Man, Tom Holland flicks his wrist to un leash his all-powerful spiderwebs. And off-screen, his wrist tricks are just as impressive, as this young star has a luxury watch collection that would do credit to a much more seasoned connoisseur.

British actor Thomas Stanley Holland is certainly best known—so far—for his role as the webbed superhero in Marvel’s newest trio of Spider-Man films: Homecoming, Far From Home and No Way Home, in that order. Rumor has it that it was his physical skills that differ entiated Holland from the thousands of other young thespians vying to play a teenage Peter Parker—he som ersaulted in and out of the frame during his audition to show off his stamina. In fact, Holland is a trained dancer and gymnast who began his career playing boy ballerina Billy Elliot on stage in London. Two years after that gig wrapped, in 2012, he starred in his first film, The Impossible, alongside Naomi Watts, which solidified for him that movies were his passion.

He was also developing an off-screen passion: watch collecting. Before he began earning that Marvel money, the now 26-year-old was spotted at his first-ever ComicCon with a $350 Nixon Sentry in stainless steel. After his Marvel Universe debut in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, his timepieces reflected his heightened net worth: In 2017, during the Homecoming era, he was first seen wearing a Drive de Cartier with moonphase. By 2019’s Far From Home, he also had a Cartier Santos with a square dial and black leather strap to his name, likely in spired by his then co-star Jake Gyllenhaal, who is the face of the brand. Holland has referred to this particular piece as a “chameleon,” having worn it at both awards shows and casual jaunts around the neighborhood. He rounds out his Cartier vault with a Santos-Dumont Skeleton with blue hands and a white gold case, as well as a yellow gold Cartier Tank Américaine.

At age 7, Holland was diagnosed with dyslexia, a big part of his life that he’s been open about in interviews. “It’s just about taking your time,” he explains. “The better prepared you are for anything, the more you will be able

to do and accomplish things that are fantastic,” he told Entertainment Weekly. But this disability hasn’t stopped him from reading the time in style. The BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Rising Star Award winner has at least four Patek Philippe pieces: three Aquanauts and a Perpetual Calendar in rose gold with a silver dial. The last was his watch of choice for the SpiderMan: No Way Home premiere; it has a 240 Q movement that’s self-wound and displays day, date, month, leap year and 24-hour indication. The actor’s self-proclaimed “daily beater” watch is the 40 mm Aquanaut in 18k rose gold with a brown dial, Ref. 5167R.

As with that famous red-and-blue Spidey suit, Holland isn’t afraid to accessorize with some color. His collection also includes the Patek Philippe Aquanaut Ref. 5168G with a blue dial; the Rolex GMT-Master II Ref. 126711, nicknamed the “Root Beer” for its black and brown bezel; the Rolex Submariner Date in Oystersteel with a Cerachrom bezel insert in green ceramic and a black dial; and the Rolex GMT-Master II Ref. 126710BLRO (“Pepsi” for its blue-and-red, Spider-Manesque dial). Holland even owns the Rolex GMT-Master II “Batman” with blue and black—ironic, because Batman is part of the rival DC Comics universe.

Holland’s taste for luxury watches is sophisticated and smart—he gravitates toward pieces that can be dressed up or dressed down, choosing ones that can be worn to the Oscars (like the ultra-thin Piaget Altiplano with an 18k rose gold case and exposed movement, which he wore to the 2018 ceremony) or on the greens, as Holland is an avid golfer in his spare time. Rounding out his collection are the Baume & Mercier Classima, the Rolex Daytona Ref. 116500 with a white dial and a handsome Tag Heuer Monaco.

And perhaps his affinity for expensive timepieces has rubbed off on his other Spider-Man co-star and on-andoff girlfriend, Zendaya, too, just as Gyllenhaal’s did on him. When doing press for 2021’s No Way Home, she was seen wearing a woman’s Patek Philippe Nautilus. Hey, it helps to have friends with good taste.

FACE TIME

Like the Avengers, Tom Holland has assembled an impressive lineup of luxury timepieces, each a superhero in its own right:

This classic Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona in Oystersteel features a white dial and an Oyster bracelet.

Holland owns three Patek Philippe Aquanauts: this one with a black strap, a second in rose gold and a third with an in-demand blue dial.

The Rolex Submariner, like this one in Oystersteel with a Cerachrom bezel insert in green ceramic and a black dial, was originally intended for divers, so it’s fitting for Spider-Man too.

From the Runway

DU DIAMANT

in Ethical Gold

ROMANTIC

CHOPARD

rose gold “Happy Hearts” red stone diamond bangle.

18k rose gold “Pretty Woman” diamond heart necklace.

Platinum and pear-cut diamond flower earrings; multiple sizes available.

upon request

HAMILTON Private Reserve 18k yellow gold and fancy yellow diamond flower ring.

request

HAMILTON 18k yellow and white gold 4ct diamond heart pendant necklace.

LIVE THE JOY

Retouched picture.

Anti-magnetic. 5-day power reserve. 10-year warranty.

The new ProPilot X is powered by Oris Calibre 400.

From the Runway

the

PREPPY

KENZO

From the Runway

celebrity bling

Left: Spencer nominee Kristen Stewart looked like real-life royalty at the 2022 Academy Awards bedecked in a Chanel high-jewelry “Ganse Noire Spinelle” necklace featuring onyx, a red spinel and diamonds set in 18k white gold. Right: Jennifer Hudson was pretty in pink at the 2022 SAG Awards, to which she wore a pair of rose gold Padparadscha sapphires, imperial topaz and pink sapphire earrings from Pomellato’s La Gioia di Pomellato High Jewelry Collection. She finished off the look with the brand’s Nudo rings in rose gold with rose quartz.

KEVIN MAZUR/WIREIMAGE

FRAZER

HARRISON/GETTY

ENTERTAINMENT

WITH THE RETURN OF RED CARPETS COMES THE RETURN OF GLAM, WHICH THIS QUARTET OF FAMOUS LADIES SHOWED VIA THEIR ELEGANT JEWELS

Left: To the 2022 SAG Awards, Tiffany Haddish chose a necklace from the La Gioia di Pomellato 2022 High Jewellery Collection in white gold encrusted with 2,143 hand-set diamonds and a central 54.27 carats cabochon green tourmaline. She complemented the statement piece with Pomellato Nudo diamond earrings, a Catene Collection knot ring in rose gold and Iconica band ring in rose gold. Right: To the same awards show, Yellowstone star Kelsey Asbille wore David Yurman’s Liberty Illusion-set hoop earrings in white gold and diamonds. She also wore a single Stax three-row ring in 18k white gold with full pavé diamonds.

ABC/DISNEY GENERAL ENTERTAINMENT CONTENT

FRAZER

HARRISON/GETTY IMAGES ENTERTAINMENT

Clockwise, from top:

A pair of platinum drop earrings with a mix of pear-shape, round, and baguette diamonds.

An 18k yellow gold multicolored sapphire and diamond ring.

An 18k yellow gold seven-row stretch bracelet featuring round, brilliant-cut diamonds.

An 18k white gold wide-spring diamond bracelet featuring round, brilliant-cut diamonds.

Prices upon request

Clockwise, from top:

A platinum and diamond eternity band from the Hamilton Radiance Collection.

A handmade 18k white gold diamond “vine” ring.

A platinum and diamond “halfway” band from the Hamilton Radiance Collection.

An 18k rose gold flexible-strand bracelet with nine rows of individually hinged bezel settings and rose-cut diamonds.

Prices upon request

Ahoi date Atlantic. Ready when you are—the automatic watch is uncomplicated, versatile and suitable for any occasion. An all-rounder with a robust crown guard; waterproof up to 200 meters. The NOMOS DUW 5101 caliber is adjusted in six positions for best timekeeping accuracy. Available at select retailers, such as Hamilton Jewelers. More here: hamiltonjewelers.com , nomos-glashuette.com

Clockwise, from top:

A pair of platinum ruby and diamond drop earrings.

A platinum, 4.38-carat emerald-cut diamond “eternity” band.

A platinum sapphire and diamond ring.

A platinum bracelet with 12 multi-shape diamonds.

An 18k white gold bracelet featuring 74 marquise-shape diamonds set in a leaf motif.

Prices upon request

The last few years have proved that many of us can work from anywhere—why not work out from anywhere too? That’s the idea behind virtual reality (VR) fitness, an exercise trend that uses cutting-edge technology to create a workout that takes you, in effect, anywhere in the world.

The concept of VR is relatively straightforward—you strap on a boxy headset that blocks out sounds and sights so that you’re fully immersed in the “metaverse.” But you’re not merely watching a 3-D film on the big screen—you’re interacting via hand-held controllers that you punch, swing, lift or slide. You’re strengthening your muscles, burning calories and getting in your cardio. Except that here you could be doing Tabata atop the Great Wall of China or biking through the San Fernando Valley, no passport (or COVID vaccination card) required.

VR fitness is also changing the notion that video games are a sedentary hobby that requires nothing beyond cognitive skills and concentration. Many VR video games (such as Beat Saber or Ragnarock ) stealthily work in the physical stuff. They’re games first and workouts second. And indeed, VR workouts share the appeal of the video game—you’re so immersed in this technological world that you don’t even realize how hard you’re exerting your body.

Many VR workouts—Quest and Quest 2, for example—can be played via the Oculus platform, a headset from the brand Oculus, a subsidiary of Facebook (now known as Meta). Starting at $299, it includes the headset, two touch controllers and a charger, with many add-on accessories. Once you have the platform, the apps themselves are pretty much chump change.

A basic “beginner’s app” is FitXR, with which $9.99 a month gets

you on-demand HIIT, dance and boxing classes choreographed by experienced trainers—and submerges you in different environments. You can also work out in real time with up to six friends. Or try Supernatural ($15 a month), which features four types of workouts with trained coaches—Boxing, Flow, Meditate and Stretch—and a personal leaderboard to keep you going.

Another option is Holofit, with which you can use your body weight to ski or box, or participate with your at-home bike, rowing machine or elliptical. These interactive workouts take you from San Francisco to Saturn, counting calories burned and letting you save your stats in the app as you try to beat your scores next time. It’ll cost you about $12 a month. There’s also VZfit ($9.99 per month), similar conceptually to Holofit but with technology that combines with Google Street View to take you on real streets across the globe.

All of these apps have free seven-day trials, perfect if you’re unsure but want to try something new. They also come with built-in communities you can choose to take advantage of if your intrinsic motivation is lacking.

Prefer to become part of a community in person? VR fitness studios are gradually popping up across the country, one being San Franciscobased Blackbox VR, which combines virtual reality fitness with reallife dynamic resistance training. Here you’ll have access to equipment that helps shape and strengthen your body. There’s also ThriVR24 in Dallas, where participants can fly, box, bike or run thanks to VR tech.

So, whether you’re ready for a new workout regimen or are simply an early adopter when it comes to new trends and tech, VR fitness could just be the thing to take your fitness routine to another dimension.

VIRTUAL REALITY IS REVOLUTIONIZING THE WORKOUT GAME, WITH LOTS OF OPTIONS TO MAKE STAYING IN SHAPE ACTUALLY FUN

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Clockwise, from left:

A platinum, 7-inch alternating emerald-cut and round-brilliant-cut diamond bracelet.

An 18k cushion-cut fancy yellow diamond straight-line bracelet.

A platinum, 7-inch diamond straight-line bracelet.

A pair of 18k white and yellow diamond hoop earrings.

A platinum, 18k yellow gold, and three-stone ring.

Prices upon request

WITH A KALEIDOSCOPIC ARRAY OF PIECES AT YOUR DISPOSAL, TELLING YOUR STYLISH COLOR STORY WILL BE NOTHING LESS THAN BRILLIANT

KHAKI NAVY SCUBA AUTOMATIC SWISS MADEHAMILTONWATCH.COM

Clockwise, from top:

A platinum and 18k yellow gold multicolor natural sapphire and diamond bracelet.

A platinum and 18k yellow gold 18-inch multicolor cushion-cut sapphire and diamond necklace.

A pair of platinum sapphire and diamond drop earrings.

A platinum three-stone ring with a cushion-cut blue sapphire, two epaulettes, and 100 round diamonds.

Prices upon request

snow wonder

You ride a golf caddy to get around the course, rent a Citi Bike to make it across town and book a cart to navigate the airport terminals. And now there’s an optimal way to travel from place to place at a ski resort or the snowy backcountry, thanks to the world’s first-ever electric snow bike, MoonBikes.

This electric bike from the French start-up of the same name was introduced to the United States market in Las Vegas at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2022. It’s more specialized than your run-of-themill e-bike that isn’t equipped for winter weather, yet it’s narrower and easier to navigate than a bulky snowmobile. The MoonBikes combines the benefits of both, allowing the rider to zip through up to a foot of snow with the ease of an electric bicycle and the speed of a motorcycle. It literally can take you places you’ve never been before, squeezing you into terrain through which your 4x4 won’t quite fit. And even if you leave tracks in the snow, no one will hear you coming or going—this snow bike, unlike other e-bikes, is 100 percent silent.

And it sure is a looker. The sleek design and winter white colorway are undeniably two of MoonBikes’ best assets. It has a single ski in the front and a motorized snow tread on the back end for an extra oomph of power. A headlight makes evening treks possible, handy when the winter sun sets at 4:30 p.m.

But this beauty is a workhorse too. Weighing just 191 pounds, battery included, it won’t bog you down on your travels. It’s 28 inches wide, the size of your typical mountain bike, and can be hitched onto a vehicle for easy transport. And it’ll have you cruising up to 26 miles an hour for up to an hour and a half on a single battery charge; give your MoonBikes some juice by plugging it into the charging cable or remove the battery and charge it at home.

Now only one question remains: Will you buy one for yourself to show it off and make your ski buddies jealous, or invest in a few so you can race your companions on the slopes? It’s not cheap, but it’s a doable indulgence: Pricing starts at $8,900 plus shipping and tax.

THE WORLD’S FIRST MOTORIZED SNOW BIKE IS SPEEDY, AGILE AND LIGHT. SO NATURALLY PEOPLE ARE FALLING IN LOVE WITH WINTER ALL OVER AGAIN

CHRIST HARMET PARKOUR ATHLETE

NATURALLY ATHLETIC, AUTOMATICALLY AESTHETIC

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David Yurman and his wife and business partner, Sybil, visit the SCAD campus in Savannah, Georgia, to meet with the jewelry design program’s class of 2022. Bottom right: An exceptional student shows off a creation that used precious stones donated to the college from the Yurmans’ personal collection.

Throughout its four decades in the jewelry business, David Yurman, one of the world’s most iconic luxury jewelry brands, has partnered with many charitable organizations to raise funds for a wide variety of causes. Its latest collaboration is a personal one that helps the next generation of jewelry designers as it pays homage to founder David and his wife Sybil’s humble creative beginnings as a sculptor and a painter, respectively.

David Yurman has announced the David Yurman Endowed Scholar ship for Jewelry Design, which will be awarded to one “rising star” each year

in the jewelry design program at the Savannah College of Art and Design’s (SCAD) School of Fashion in Savan nah, Georgia. Additionally, the brand donated $1 million worth of gemstones from its personal collection to the uni versity. Students in the jewelry design program, the largest in the United States, have been using them as inspi ration in designing their own pieces. These talented students got some real-life inspiration from the famous design duo too. Toward the end of the spring quarter, the New York-based couple visited Savannah to meet in person with the jewelry

design students in SCAD’s class of 2022. Several stu dents got to present their creations to David and Sybil and receive feed back on their work. Then, the entire group sat in on a lecture and Q&A session with the pair. “You need to be comfortable with the unknown to bring your own dreams into reality—and never take ‘no’ for an answer,” David told the graduates.

Surely the Yurmans’ gemstones, their scholarship fund and the inspiration of their example suggest a bright future for jewelry design and craftsmanship.

DAVID YURMAN AND HIS WIFE, SYBIL, HAVE TEAMED UP WITH THE SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN TO OFFER A SCHOLARSHIP TO A “RISING STAR” JEWELRY DESIGN STUDENT

By Christen Fisher

On the morning of April 3, 1933, 33,000 feet above sea level in two open-cockpit planes battling an air temperature of 50 degrees below zero and adverse winds of more than 100 miles an hour, Sir Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, David McIntyre, Latham Valentine Stewart Blacker and Sydney R. G. Bonnet made history by flying over the summit of Mount Everest. Rolex Oyster wristwatches were on board.

In 1934, after participating in the Trophy Air Race from London to Melbourne, thirdplace finishers Owen Cathcart-Jones and Ken Waller immediately turned around and set a record for the round trip. A Rolex Oyster watch was there once again, this time serving as the duo’s on-board chronometer.

Charles Douglas, a recordsetting British aviator of the same era, once said of his timepiece that “the peculiar qualities of this Rolex watch render it eminently suitable for flying purposes, and I propose to use it on all my long-dis tance flights in the future.”

As a tribute to these pioneers of aviation and a celebration of the brand’s longstand ing support of aeronautical endeavors, Rolex presents a new edition of the Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II and a new-generation Oyster Perpetual Air-King.

GMT–Master II: Designed to show the time in two time zones simultaneously, the GMT-Master was created as a navigation tool for professionals criss crossing the globe. It first launched in 1955, at a time when intercontinental travel was rapidly expanding.

It was the official watch of Pan American World Airways, known as Pan Am. And when Concorde, the world’s first supersonic passenger airliner, performed its final test flights in the 1960s, its French and British pilots wore Rolex GMT-Masters. Heir to the original model, the GMT-Master II debuted in 1982 and has been a staple in Rolex’s collection of travel watches ever since.

This year’s model features a black dial and a two-color Cerachrom bezel insert in green and black ceramic. On this novel version, the crown and crown guard are on the left side of the watch case with the date aperture and the Cyclops lens at 9 o’clock. The GMT-Master II offers exceptional legibility in all circum stances, and especially in the dark, thanks to its Chro malight display. The broad hands and hour markers in simple shapes—triangles, circles, rectangles—are filled with a luminescent material that emits a long-lasting glow. In addition to conventional hour, minute and second hands, the GMT-Master II features an arrow-tipped hand, which circles the dial once every 24 hours, as well as a bi-directional, rotatable, 24-hour graduated bezel.

The distinctively colored 24-hour hand displays the “home” reference time in a first time zone, which can be read on the grad uations on the bezel. The traveler’s local time is easily set by “jumping” from hour to hour, thanks to an ingenious mecha nism operated via the winding crown: The hour hand can be adjusted forward or backward independently of the minute and second hands. This allows travelers to adapt to their new time zone without affecting the precision of their timekeep ing. Powered by a new generation movement caliber 3285, the GMT-Master II has a power reserve of approximately 70 hours.

The Air-King : First launched in 1958, the Air-King offers a new generation this year, featur ing a completely redesigned case with a crown guard and straight sides, giving it a look similar to that of Rolex’s other professional models. The watch’s dial is black with a combination of large 3, 6 and 9 numerals marking the hours and a prominent minute scale for optimal navigation time readings, but with the addition

WITH TWO NEW TIMEPIECES, ROLEX HONORS THE BOLDNESS OF THE EARLY FLIERS. AND WHY NOT? THEY CARRIED ITS WATCHES IN THE SKY NEARLY A CENTURY AGO

black with a combination of large 3, 6 and 9 numerals marking the hours and a prominent minute scale for optimal navigation time readings, but with the ad dition of a 0 before the 5, so that each five-minute interval is now marked by two digits.

Like the GMT-Master II, the new Air-King boasts an optimized Chromalight display. The watch’s hands, triangular hour marker at 12 o’clock, and the 3, 6 and 9 numerals are all coated or filled with a new luminescent material exclusive to Rolex that provides a longer-lasting intense glow, guaranteeing maximum leg ibility whether you’re setting records or just setting down in darkness.

Equipped with Cali ber 3230, a self-winding movement developed and manufactured by Rolex and originally re leased in 2020 but fitted to this model in 2022, the Air-King offers out standing performance in terms of precision, reliability and resistance to shocks and magnetic fields, and like the GMT-Master II it has a power reserve of approximately 70 hours.

Both watches are housed in Oys tersteel 40-mil limeter Oyster cases, waterproof to 100 meters (about 300 feet), and presented on Rolex’s iconic Oys

Opposite page, the Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II, intended for jet-setters, displays two time zones simulta neously and is an heir to the original model that was un veiled in 1982. This year’s design features a black dial and a two-color rotatable Cerachrom bezel insert in green and black ceramic. This page, the new-generation Oyster Perpetual Air-King features a redesigned case with a crown guard and straight sides. It has 3, 6 and 9 numerals coated or filled with a luminescent material exclusive to Rolex. The Air-King lettering is the same as it was on the original model designed in the 1950s.

A SPECIAL COLLABORATION OFFERS A STYLISH UPGRADE TO AN ELITE-LEVEL MERCEDES-BENZ

Mercedes-Benz had pushed the envelope as far as it could go—or so we thought. But now the German automaker’s engineers have given their already best-in-class Maybach sedan a next-level-of-luxury upgrade, and a few folks can own one of the new models—if they’re lucky.

The limited-quantity Mercedes-Maybach by Virgil Abloh is the final collaboration between the historic car company and the late fashion designer. Abloh, former artistic director at Louis Vuitton, helped complete the project before he died in November 2021. Mercedes planned just 150 units of the special edition, meaning these vehicles will be among the rarest in company history.

A two-tone paint job makes this car, essentially an ultra-exclusive S680, a visual masterpiece. The designers selected obsidian black for its top half, giving the hood, roof and trunk as well as the A, B and C pillars the dark shade. The lower body panels, including 20-inch wheels, are coated in a light tan hue.

The colors are replicated inside the cabin, where beige Nappa leather featuring precise diamond-stitched design covers the seats. Plush black leather lines portions of the door panels, foot wells and dashboard. If the

two-tone scheme isn’t a giveaway that you’re driving a special-edition car, Mercedes-Maybach and Virgil Abloh logos scattered throughout the interior will relay the message.

Like any Maybach—any model in Mercedes’ uber luxury line— this car has features aplenty. For starters, it boasts soft-close doors, dual touchscreens (a 12.8-inch infotainment screen and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster), a rear entertainment system and 30 speakers. If that’s not enough, how do a 64-color ambient lighting system, heated and ventilated front massage seats and an air ionizing system with a signature fragrance sound? Under the hood, all S680s are equipped with a 621-horsepower, twin-turbo V12 that reportedly reaches 60 miles per hour from a standstill in about 4.5 seconds.

Remember, all that and more is standard. Optional equipment includes a refrigerator, branded Champagne flutes, rear-seat folding tables and temperature-controlled cup holders.

Those who bring home this Maybach will also receive a 1/18 scale replica of the car presented in a custom wooden box wrapped in, of course, Nappa leather. All of it can be yours for approximately $215,000.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MERCEDES-BENZ

The world’s first electrostatic watch.

In the two decades or so that I’ve been skiing Big Sky Resort in Montana, I’ve watched it grow and change as much as any mountain in the country. When I first arrived in the ’90s, I was struck by the limitless, jaw-dropping expanse of snowy peaks and the vast, seemingly endless sky that gives the Montana resort its name. It was a drop-dead gorgeous resort.

What also struck me was how sleepy the place was. The vibe was laid-back cowboy cool, with unremarkable lodges, pickup trucks aplenty in the parking lot, Moose Drool brown ale in the bar and gnarly steeps skied by a macho ski crowd, terrain that locals call “Triple Black.” This was not Vail, Park City or Aspen. You skied, ate a bison burger and went to sleep.

Big Sky Resort was conceived and opened in 1973 by the late NBC newsman Chet Huntley and was later bought by Michigan-based Boyne Resorts, which still owns it. On an early trip, I took the tram to the 11,166foot summit of Lone Mountain and skied the famous Dictator Chutes, named after Castro, Lenin and Marx. These are steep, intimidating runs with unbelievable views that appear to go on for 100 miles. They are legendary among hard-core Big Sky skiers.

I also skied the mountain’s delightful groomed runs, corduroy highways that were the widest trails that I’d ever skied. There were no lift lines, so you could exhaust yourself on the slopes. The base resort was centered on the Huntley Lodge, the original hotel. There were a handful of bars and restaurants. The only one of note was Buck’s T-4 Lodge, a motel outside of the village that had a Wine Spectator Award-winning wine list. You could ski like a cowboy and drink like a prince. The mountain was like your own secret stash. Mention Big Sky back East and you’d mostly get blank stares.

Cut to 2022 and you’ll still find evidence of all of the above on a mountain that has nearly doubled in size and has vaulted to the ranks of ultra-sophisticated resorts, with a vibe that is no longer sleepy. It now caters

in part to a new kind of guest who flies private to the airport in Bozeman, just an hour away, before checking into a five-star luxury resort where his or her ski con cierge awaits. There are now 39 lifts and more than 300 runs, and you won’t ski half of it in a week here.

The changes were years in the making. Boyne Resorts went on to purchase an adjacent start-up real-estatedevelopment-turned-ski-resort called Moonlight Basin. That suddenly gave the resort a lot of intermediate- and beginner-friendly terrain. Not to mention luxury homes, condos, town homes and cabins, with a handsome Western look of stone and timber.

Boyne also developed nearby Spanish Peaks. All told, Big Sky now weighs in at a staggering 5,800 acres of terrain, well ahead of Vail’s 5,289 acres, and thus is the largest ski resort in the United States.

It wasn’t just the acreage that changed. The money changed as well. Big Sky was one of those resorts that had long harbored a lot of quiet money, much of it from the Midwest. It’s no longer so quiet.

What drove a lot of change was the opening in 1999 of the Yellowstone club, where the slogan “Private Pow der” was coined. I visited the Club during that first year, as the founders began rounding up moneyed members like cattle on the range. The celebrated club is not technically part of Big Sky, but lies adjacent. Sitting on more than 13,000 acres, it includes Pioneer Mountain, which has more than 2,000 skiable acres, and a private 18-hole golf course designed by Tom Weiskopf. It’s the original billionaire’s ski club, with membership capped at 864. That’s membership as in Bill Gates, Tom Brady, Eric Schmidt, Justin Timberlake and Phil Mickelson. Passing personal and financial muster from the board in order to get accepted is just the beginning. Membership costs are in the millions when you factor in the price of building a home, which is north of $5 million.

Call it the Yellowstone Club boom. The wealthy neighbors brought an infusion of capital and spawned

the luxury leap at Big Sky in the ensuing years. The development at Moonlight Basin was surpassed by the luxury homes at the 3,530-acre Spanish Peaks area and, in 2021, the 59,000-square-foot Lake Lodge at Moonlight Basin. It brought such amenities as the Three Forks Tapas Restaurant and Bar, an indoor threepoint basketball court, an indoor climbing wall and a 3,000-square-foot outdoor pool with lap lanes and slide.

This past winter saw the opening of Montage Big Sky, a kind of crowning glory. Located within Spanish Peaks, this is a $400 million resort with ski-in/ski-out access and 139 guestrooms, suites and residences. This is a contemporary take on the classic North American lodge, with six dining venues, including the signature restaurant Cortina, serving rustic northern Italian. The property also includes Spa Montage Big Sky, a 10,000-square-foot space with 12 treatment rooms, an indoor lap pool and a state-of-the-art fitness center surrounded by mountain views.

It’s not over. Next on deck is another ultra-luxury brand, One&Only, which chose Big Sky to open its first American property. One&Only Moonlight Basin will have a lodge and 62 private residences with prices start ing at $8.45 million.

The sleepy cowboy ski mountain now deals with lift lines and there are now six- and eight-passenger lifts, and even they can seem inadequate on powder days when demand is high. A bigger tram is in the works, and the area’s first gondola should be running by 2024.

There’s a lot more of everything here, from money and lodges to restaurants and bars, not to mention people. Bozeman Yellowstone Airport has grown, allow ing more flights and yes, more skiers.

Yet the place is so large that it’s handling the growth with aplomb. The secret is out, but there are still mountains as far as the eye can see, and Big Sky may well be America’s most distinctive and dramati cally beautiful resort.

From top: Montage Big Sky is the newest addition to Big Sky—it’s an alpine retreat offering ski-in/ski-out access to Big Sky Resort, fly-fishing rivers, a private 18-hole golf course, private Jeep tours of Yellowstone National Park and a state-of-the-art spa; book your stay at a Big Sky cabin, condo or private home, or call it a night in a suite overlooking the mountains; Big Sky boasts 5,850 skiable acres; enjoy pasta, burgers, sushi and more at one of Montage Big Sky’s five restaurants; for a respite from the slopes, visit Montage’s four-lane bowling alley and its game room/arcade.

MONTANA’S PRE-EMINENT SKI RESORT, ALWAYS A WONDER, HAS GONE SOPHISTICATED—AND WEARS IT WELL

By Everett Potter

TWO NEW WATCHES FROM PATEK PHILIPPE MAKE FUNCTION ITSELF AN AESTHETIC DELIGHT

Do we sufficiently value a master photographer in our quick-snap smartphone culture? Even as the more thoughtful among us admire professional photography, we aren’t necessarily conscious of the technical skill and knowledge of light, space, time, geometry, physics, aesthetics and art history that inform a photographer’s virtuosity. Such is the case with many of the world’s art forms—we appreciate the beauty of a piece, but rarely the technical and functional skills painstakingly deployed in its creation. Yet there’s one great exception: fine Swiss watchmaking.

It’s one art form that wears its technical prowess on its sleeve—and yours. It marries the beauty of a wearable piece of art with beauty of another kind: the technical perfection of a highly functional tool. And no one does this better than Patek Philippe, as evidenced this year by the brand’s launch of Reference 5226G-001 Calatrava and Reference 5326G-001 Annual Calendar Travel Time.

An epic lesson in form, the Reference 5226G is housed in a 40-millimeter, white-gold pure round Calatrava case, a hallmark of the collection since 1932, with a slightly chamfered bezel and polished inclined lugs. Its middle is adorned with a Clous de Paris hobnail guil lochéd pattern. To allow the guillochéd motif to continue around the entire caseband, Patek designers devised a distinctive case construction in which the lugs are an integral part of the case back.

The watch’s vintage-style dial was crafted by Cadrans Flückiger in Saint-Imier, a dial specialist belonging to Patek since 2004. The textured, charcoal-gray dial is reminiscent of the housing of old photo cameras and features a black gradient rim and gold applied numerals with a beige luminescent coating, the first time the brand has used this particular color.

The self-winding caliber 26-330 S C movement powers the hours, minutes, central seconds, aperture-type date and stopseconds mechanism and has a reserve of 35 to 45 hours. Waterproof to 30 meters, this piece is presented with two interchangeable straps: beige calfskin with a nubuck finish and black calfskin with an embossed fabric motif and beige topstitching, both with a prong buckle. Elegant in every respect, the Reference 5226 Calatrava is truly a work of art.

By Christen Fisher

The extraordinary beauty of the 5226 is echoed in the design of its 41-millimeter sister watch, the Reference 5326 Annual Calendar Travel Time. Boasting the same elegant case design, vintage-style anthracite dial and calfskin strap choices, the 5326 also brings together for the first time two complications: the Annual Calendar and the Travel Time dual-zone display system. This feat of engineering required an entirely new move ment, caliber 31-260 PS QA LU FUS 24H, and the filing of eight patent applications.

Besides being able to accommodate both mechanisms in the same case, the functions also had to interact, so that the displayed date corresponded to local time, and adjust whenever the time zone was corrected. To address this, Patek engineers redesigned the Travel Time function to control the Annual Calendar function with the local-time hour-wheel driving the calendar, though its basic principles remain. It features two hour hands from the center—a solid hand for local time and a pierced hand for home time—but the two common time zone pushers, which are usually located in the left-hand case flank, have now been replaced with a winding-stem setting mechanism that has three positions. The user pulls the crown to the middle position and turns it clockwise or counterclockwise to adjust the local time hour hand in one-hour increments in either direction without affecting the rate of the movement. Setting the time in the home time zone and utilizing the stop-seconds mechanism are accomplished with the crown in the outermost position.

The Annual Calendar function also had to be modified to ensure that the date matched the respective local time. In a con ventional Annual Calendar, the display advance happens around midnight and takes 90 minutes to complete. If a user were to adjust the time zone during that 90-minute window, a date misalignment could occur. To address this, Patek engineers shortened the display advance of the Annual Calendar discs from 90 to 18 minutes. Additionally, the 5326 has apertures for day, date, month and home and local time as well as day/night indicators and moon phase and small seconds dials. With a power reserve of 38–48 hours, the 5326 proves to be a technical achievement rivaled only by the aesthetic virtuosity of the 5226.

This season, Patek Philippe introduces the latest addition to the Calatrava collection Ref. 5226G. Housed in a 40-millimeter, whitegold pure round Calatrava case with a slightly chamfered bezel and pol ished inclined lugs, this new model is driven by self-winding Caliber 26-330 S C powering the hours, min utes, central seconds, aperture-type date and stop-seconds mechanism. Boasting the same elegant case design, vintage-style anthracite dial and calf-skin strap choices (in beige or black), the Ref. 5326G Annual Calendar Travel Time also brings together for the first time two com plications: the Annual Calendar and the Travel Time dual-zone display system.

By Donna Rolando

Trends come and go, but icons never get old. Neither does artist Robert Mars’ fascination for cultural immortality—a fascination that isn’t limited to superstars but extends to legendary cars, soft drinks and other phenomena of the golden era that was the ’50s and ’60s.

Behind the neon lights, folk art and mixed-media collages that elevate Mars’ work toward its own iconic status, “there’s definitely a message,” he says. “The people I’m representing in my work, they don’t ever go out of style.”

Maybe it’s our own fascination with icons, but Mars has inspired numerous solo exhibits, from the Galeries Bartoux in France to the Coral Springs Museum of Art in Florida and recently his “Past Is Present” exhibition for Gullotti Galleries in West Australia, which will be followed by a second exhibit there this November.

It’s been quite a journey since Mars—now 52, married and the father of two—first dazzled his parents with crayon creativity back in Monmouth County, New Jersey, letting them know they had an artist on their hands. But not a starving artist. Guided by their insistence on education, Mars attended Parsons School of Design in New York City, which led to decades as a graphic designer. He also found his muse nearby in a studio dedicated to Andy Warhol. (Both Warhol and pop artist Robert Rauschenberg have influenced Mars’ work.)

Still, in a quest for individuality, Mars is always zigging when others zag. His wife’s quilting drew him to folk art in 2014, and a few years later the pandemic inspired abstract compositions—a way to balance chaos and control, he says.

Judging from what he’s done so far, if there’s anything we can expect from Mars, it is the unexpected.

Mars and rock singer Bruce Springsteen both lived in Holmdel—that’s Jersey. “He’s like a local legend,” says Mars of the star he’s yet to meet. “His music is rooted in Americana and rock ‘n’ roll and is timeless.” For that Americana spirit the star personifies, Mars tied in Old Glory in a quilt pattern.

LIKE WARHOL AND RAUSCHENBERG BEFORE HIM—BUT WITH A STYLE ALL HIS OWN—ROBERT MARS COLORFULLY CELEBRATES THE POP ICONS OF AMERICANA

Clockwise from left: French actress Brigitte Bardot on Vogue’s cover in a colorburst collage. In All Roads Collide, spinning wheels cre ate a sunset effect with layers of painted newspaper from Mars’ vintage collection. A 3-D Coca-Cola bottle, which celebrates the 100th anniversary of its shape, was not the end of his corporate work: his art appears in the private and corporate collec tions of the New York Mets, Absolut Vodka and Oceania Cruise Lines to name a few. Inspired by Warhol’s idea of multiples is this depiction of supermodel Kate Moss.

Clockwise from top: The Palms Motor Hotel in Portland, Oregon, drew Mars with its 25-foot-tall neon sign, and the Mustang—well, that’s a street legend. Pop artist Robert Indiana inspired Mars to create Love, a neon work united with Americana. Mars’ collage format gives this triple threat—Frank Sinatra, Brigitte Bardot and Michael Jackson— a fresh look above a piano.

It was bound to happen that Mars, a lifelong guitarist, would combine two loves: music and art.

a all its class own

By KRYSTAL KNAPP

ONCE A PRINCETON UNIVERSITY DORMITORY, A TELEGRAM AGENCY, AND A BUS STATION, THE ICONIC LOWER PYNE BUILDING AT 92 NASSAU STREET— AND HOME TO HAMILTON JEWELERS FOR THE PAST THREE DECADES— HAS A RICHLY LAYERED HERITAGE THAT IS A STORY FOR THE AGES

“It is the most distinguished building on the north side of Nassau Street.”

— Architectural historian Clifford W. Zink

“I believe a man is measured by the legacy that he leaves to his family, his friends, and his community. Being a good citizen, a fair merchant, and a supportive civic member … these are the pillars that I hope to have imparted to our business.”

“It’s all about the client ... always has been and always will be. I want Hamilton to be known as the store that treats clients like family and the place where guests feel welcomed and appreciated. We are proud to have played a role in so many important client memories.”

CV1

01

“At the end of the day, I believe we have woven a thread of integrity, value, and service for our clients and communities over the past 110 years. It is an honor to carry forth the foundation that my grandfather began, and we look forward to serving our clients for the next century.”

“Helping someone find that perfect something, to be a part of their journey and their experience, makes everything worth it.”

Front Outside Gate 05

Hamilton Jewelers is founded in Trenton, New Jersey.

1927

1930Irving Siegel hires Hamilton’s first employee and quickly becomes a cornerstone in the local business community.

“I believe a man is measured by the legacy that he leaves to his family, his friends, and his community. Being a good citizen, a fair merchant, and a supportive civic member … these are the pillars that I hope to have imparted to our business.”

Front Inside Gate

Irving Siegel purchases Hamilton Jewelers, located at 122 South Broad Street, in Trenton, on September 13, 1927, for $15,750. From that day forward, Hamilton celebrates the date as its “Founder’s Day.”

1938

Hamilton establishes a relationship with luxury timepiece maker Patek Philippe, which becomes their longest-standing, continuous supplier.

1946

Hamilton establishes a relationship with the Rolex Watch Company, introducing the brand’s luxury Oyster timepieces to the Delaware Valley region for the first time.

1955

Martin Siegel joins his father’s company and begins a tenure that encompasses more than six decades.

“It’s all about the client ... always has been and always will be. I want Hamilton to be known as the store that treats clients like family and the place where guests feel welcomed and appreciated. We are proud to have played a role in so many important client memories.”

1958

Following a devastating fire in 1957, Hamilton re-opens its store in a new, state-of-the-art location to an excited crowd.

1960

Hamilton continues to lead the industry on all levels by embracing innovative marketing ideas, such as this editorial-style newspaper advertisement.

1988

Hamilton becomes one of the first tenants in The Gardens Mall, which soon evolves into a cornerstone of retail development in the city of Palm Beach Gardens.

Hamilton becomes one of the first independent jewelers to carry the prestigious, world-renowned brand Cartier.

1976 1982

Hank Siegel joins the company, becoming the third generation of Siegel family members to lead Hamilton Jewelers.

“At the end of the day, I believe we have woven a thread of integrity, value, and service for our clients and communities over the past 110 years. It is an honor to carry forth the foundation that my grandfather began, and we look forward to serving our clients for the next century.”

After Irving Siegel retires to his longtime winter home of Palm Beach, the boredom of not meeting and greeting clients every day compels him to open a store on the world-famous Worth Avenue.

Hamilton opens a third location in the historic Lower Pyne building, at 92 Nassau Street, in Princeton, New Jersey.

Andrew Siegel joins the company, marking the fourth-generation Siegel family legacy at Hamilton.

2010

Hamilton’s Palm Beach Gardens location receives a complete renovation and expansion.

Back Inside Gate

2012

Hamilton Jewelers celebrates its centennial anniversary.

“Helping someone find that perfect something, to be a part of their journey and their experience, makes everything worth it.”

Hamilton celebrates its 110th year as a family-owned company.

At the bustling northeast corner of Witherspoon and Nassau Streets, in Princeton, New Jersey, Hamilton Jewelers’s flagship store resides in an eye-catching half-timbered Tudor-style building. Beyond its stunning retail presence, the notable building at 92 Nassau Street has been a treasured landmark in this Ivy League town since Princeton University celebrated its sesquicentennial in 1896.

Over its long and storied histor y, the postcard-perfect building has served many functions: First, it was a dormitory for Princeton University students; then, office space and apartments, with retail businesses on the ground floor. The iconic building known as Lower Pyne also has housed a shoe store, a post office, a telegram agency, a bicycle shop, and a bus station (not necessarily in that order) long before Hamilton Jewelers opened its doors on the first floor, in 1986.

Built in 1896, Lower Pyne and its twin building, called Upper Pyne (located at 76 Nassau Street), were designed by New York architect Raleigh C. Gildersleeve at the commission of financier and Princeton University trustee Moses Taylor Pyne. An 1877 graduate of Princeton University, Pyne had inherited a fortune from his father’s family and was dedicated to improving his beloved alma mater. Gildersleeve, whose father was a Princeton alumnus, worked on several projects in Princeton for Pyne. He designed McCosh Hall for the university; three of Princeton University’s private eating clubs (Cap and Gown, Elm Club, and Campus Club), along with two wings for Pyne’s Princeton estate, Drumthwacket, which is now the New Jersey governor’s mansion. Gildersleeve modeled the Upper and Lower Pyne buildings after 16th-century houses in Chester, England.

“Many architects at that time were fluent in multiple revival styles because people were building houses and commercial or university buildings in the various European traditions,” says architectural historian and Princeton resident Clifford W. Zink. “Pyne commissioned [Upper and Lower Pyne] in the very center of town, in that location, to indicate Princeton University’s, and also the town’s, embrace of English architectural traditions and all its associations.”

The year Upper and Lower Pyne opened its doors, the school also celebrated its 150th anniversar y. Pyne had been part of a committee that traveled to England to study college architecture. The committee returned and recommended to the school’s board of trustees that they change the name from the College of New Jersey to Princeton University. They also recommended the university adopt the collegiate gothic style in an effort to model itself after Oxford and Cambridge.

“[Lower Pyne] is the most distinguished building on the north side of Nassau Street,” says Zink.

In September 1897, students were installed in the upper floors of Lower Pyne, and along with Upper Pyne, housed 40 people. At the time, the lower floor of Lower Pyne, on the corner off Witherspoon and Nassau Streets, was a shoe store. “James F. Kelty can furnish you with shoes and hats, as neat as nobby, and as stylish as can be bought anywhere,” read a September 1897 ad in the Daily Princetonian. (Kelty offered students all-leather oxford shoes for $3.50.) In 1899, Chas E. Seger advertised the sale of bicycles out of Lower Pyne, as well as Columbia graphophones, Edison phonographs, and “all the latest records.” Tiger Tailoring and the University Laundry Co. catered to university students, with the laundry company promoting its “immaculate linen … a service to suit the most fastidious.” Western Union later occupied the corner-store position, which eventually became a bus station for Suburban Transit. The Adamas Express shipping company also was located in the building, and a post office operated out of Lower Pyne for 30 years until it was relocated in 1934.

Lower Pyne was a hub for student and civic activities. Beginning in 1898, the local chapter of the Red Cross Society rented a room there. The University Press Club was located in the basement of the Western Union portion of building, and its undergraduate student members wrote for numerous papers in the Eastern part of the country, plus five national news wire services. Many of the club members’ stories were sent directly over the Western Union wires. And when the post office moved out, the club took over some of the street-level space.

In 1901, a new trolley company began operating two cars between Princeton, Lawrenceville, and Trenton. A private bus departing from the front of Lower Pyne met all the train cars that stopped at the foot of Witherspoon Street.

In the fall of 1945, the first wave of major changes in the building began, when married World War II veterans returned to campus in need of lodging with their wives. Rooms in the Upper and Lower Pyne buildings were soon converted into two-room suites without kitchen facilities. In January 1950, a group of Lower Pyne students abruptly were moved out of the dorm and onto campus. According to a Daily Princetonian article, changes in New Jersey fire laws prompted the university trustees to move the students out as they deemed building alterations impractical because of all of the wooden floors and interior woodwork. The rooms were converted into offices, which required only minor updates to meet state regulations for commercial property.

Then, in 1963, Lower Pyne’s sister building, Upper Pyne, was demolished to make way for the Princeton Bank and Trust (now home to PNC Bank). Princetonians mourned the razing of the beautiful building, and led The Princeton Herald to write a column titled, “For You I Pyne.”

After efforts by Princeton University to again turn Lower Pyne’s upper floors into housing were abandoned, the university sold the building to the Lawrenceville-based Commonwealth Realty Trust, in 1985. When asked by reporters whether the university would stipulate to the buyer that the building could not be destroyed, as was the fate of the beloved Upper Pyne, officials said if it came to that, “We … have safeguards.” It was also at this time that then-mayor Barbara Sigmund asked the Borough of Princeton to review a proposed Princeton Borough Landmarks Ordinance to make doubly sure the building remained protected.

David Newton, president of Commonwealth Realty Trust, ran the company with his father. After a drive through town one day, his father asked who owned the building at the corner of Nassau and Witherspoon streets. Further inquiries were made, and it was discovered that the university owned it, and were looking to sell it, as well.

“My father appreciated the building because he had grown up in the real estate business in England,” Newton says. “He just knew that the location on the corner was a great location.”

Newton told the press he planned to maintain and rejuvenate the exterior of Lower Pyne and renovate the interior to provide retail space on the ground floor and office space on the second, third, and attic floors. Newton respected the histor y and character of the English highstreet style that dominated Nassau Street, and tapped architect Jeremiah Ford of the Princeton firm Short and Ford, and the historical consultant Constance Greiff, of Heritage Studies, to help oversee the renovation—and maintain the building’s landmark status.

He was a man of his word: In 1989, Newton, Ford, and Greiff were honored for their historic-preservation efforts with an award from the Historical Society of Princeton. “It became a painstaking type of renovation,” Newton says. “It was a challenge, and it was rewarding at the same time.”

A few years prior to the 92 Nassau Street renovation, Hank Siegel—who had become the third generation of Siegel family members to join Hamilton Jewelers when he came on in 1981—was urging his father to expand. They had a location in Palm Beach, Florida, and a location in Lawrence Township, New Jersey.

“We were looking to have a presence in Princeton, and trying to decide whether we wanted that to be on Route 1 or Route 206 north of Princeton, or in town,” Siegel says.

“We were in somewhat serious negotiations with another location, and then my father said, ‘Let’s just look in town one more time and see what’s happening.’” Martin Siegel’s words provided a bit of divine intervention, as preliminary renovations had been done on the Lower Pyne building and a for-lease sign was up in the lower floor window.

Like Newton’s father, Siegel’s also appreciated the corner property location. (Hank’s grandfather, Irving, who had purchased Hamilton in 1927, believed in the power of a highly visible corner property, and had relocated Hamilton to the intersection of Broad and Hanover Streets, in Trenton, in 1945.)

The Siegels immediately called Newton, who had already, tentatively, found a tenant for the space: a bank.

“The town had plenty of banks already,” Siegel says. “After a few meetings, we were successful in executing a lease for Hamilton Jewelers, which I think was certainly better for Princeton.”

Newton recalled how Hamilton Jewelers took over a space that previously had been a bus station and a liquor store. “We went from rolling buses to rolling Rolexes,” he says, with a laugh. “It’s been the perfect fit: an iconic building for an iconic brand. Along with three or four other retailers, Hamilton Jewelers is one of a handful of companies in town that is in a class of its own. They are part of the very best of Princeton, and they also give back to the community.”

Salon,

BY ROLEX

I n 1994, Hamilton Jewelers expanded and took over space in a second building, at 98 Nassau Street. With the same, distinct half-timbered design as Lower Pyne, 98 Nassau had been constructed in 1916 by area builder Valentine Frohling, and erected to reflect some of the most prominent qualities of 92 Nassau Street. Today, the Siegels are overseeing the completion of yet another reimagining of their space, and one that has been a decade in the making. With an expected January 2023 completion date, the renovation is being led by Mark Sullivan and Taylor Kinsey Toms, from Joshua Zinder Architecture + Design, and will feature a restoration of the original Witherspoon Street entryway, along with individualized spaces created in collaboration with some of Hamilton’s brand partners from around the world.

“Great efforts have been made to ensure the renovations are done with a lot of care and thought,” Siegel says. “It’s been our family’s philosophy that if you’re going to do something, it’s better to do it correctly and do it well, rather than to rush to get it done.”

In an age where online shopping is prevalent, Siegel is acutely aware that a brick-and-mortar location is still important for Hamilton Jewelers and its clientele. Along with his son, Andrew, they are ushering Hamilton into a fourth generation of Siegel family ownership, and continuing the legacy of honoring customer and community equally that Irving Siegel established in the 1920s. Part of that tradition of service has been as stewards to a piece of Princeton history, and it’s a responsibility they undertake in earnest and with great appreciation.

“ We’ve been in Mercer County for our entire history. People know us, and so they just want to come in and be recognized and treated nicely. The design of the new space is very welcoming, and our goal is to make clients, no matter what they’re looking for, feel equally comfortable,” Siegel says. “It’s been part of the history of the success of our business for generations. That’s the most important thing to us.”

SALON).

The refreshed main Jewelry (above and bottom left) and Luxury Timepiece Salons at Hamilton Jewelers.

THE PASTELS COLLECTION

RINGS FEATURING MORGANITE, LONDON BLUE TOPAZ, RHODOLITE RASPBERRY GARNET, AMETHYST, AND AQUAMARINE

By Everett Potter

For more than 60 years, Sardinia, the Italian island that lies off the country’s west coast, has been famous as a celebrity haven. It has lured the rich and famous, from Elton John and Steven Spielberg to Bradley Cooper, Lindsay Lohan and the late Princess Diana, who spent her last summer on a private yacht that circled the island.

That struck me as remarkable the first time I glimpsed Sardinia, the second-largest island in the Mediterranean (the largest being Sicily). What I found was not a lush, tropical paradise of an island. Instead, it was rocky, dry, rugged and sun-baked, perfect for raising sheep and growing olive trees. The interior was mountainous and somewhat forbidding as I drove its length. This was paradise?

However, I learned that there was one significant, overwhelm

Sardinia’s terrain is mainly dry and rocky, but it is indeed an island paradise. It’s a land of beautiful cliffside seascapes, white sand beaches, bright hill top buildings and five-star resorts that cater to your every need and desire.

AS JET-SETTERS HAVE LONG DISCOVERED, THERE’S MORE TO SARDINIA THAN THE SAND (BUT, OH, WHAT SAND!)

ing draw: the beaches. Not just any beaches, but what the Italians call spiaggebianche, or white beaches. Dazzling white beaches, in fact, of a fine sand that outlines much of the undulating rocky coastline. Unlike the rest of the Mediterranean, Sardinia possesses so many beaches that you can find yourself on a strand by yourself if you’re lucky, not packed like a sardine (despite the name) as you might be on the Italian mainland.

If you know anything about Sardinia, it’s likely because of the Aga Khan. One of the world’s wealthiest royals and a famed breeder and owner of racehorses, he is credited with “discovering” the island’s northeast coast in 1958.

The area he developed is called Costa Smeralda, or the Emerald Coast. Featuring possibly the most beautiful of all those talcum-powder white beaches, which offset the emerald-green sea, it not only inspired the Aga Khan. He was shrewd enough to buy an entire shore consisting of thousands of acres of undulating coastline. He went on to invite his wealthy and famous friends to come to pay and stay in what rapidly be came a yacht-filled, celebrity-friendly environment. Princess Margaret led the charge, hotels were followed by lavish homes, and Costa Smeralda quickly became a byword for the emerging jet set of the 1960s. Think Brigitte Bardot, Catherine Deneuve and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. It was la dolce vita writ large—exclusive, snobbish, challenging to reach and very, very expensive.

Today the beauty is undeniable, and this glitzy destination in the island’s north east is a renowned jet-set playground—of course, renown has its complications. Bring on the exquisite small hotels, nightclubs and paparazzi. It’s little surprise that in recent decades, Costa Smeralda has been embraced by Russian oligarchs, who built lavish estates and anchor their mega-yachts here. Porto Cervo is the main town, headquarters for the uber-rich.

Yet Costa Smeralda is only part of Sardinia’s story. That small corner of celebrities aside, the island remains largely undiscovered by Americans, and its rugged charm and the lack of pretense on the rest of the island are worth savoring. The culture alone is a history lesson in ancient civilizations. This island in the Mediterranean lies at the

crossroads of many empires that have come and gone. The megalithic towers called “nuraghi,” beehive-shaped tombs that dot the landscape, are a vestige of the Nuragic civilization, which is considered the Mediterranean’s oldest culture. The Phoenicians, Carthaginians and Romans presided here in succession. The mari time republics of Genoa and Spain came later. Each one left its footprints and, not surprisingly, the countryside is a trove of archeological sites.

Even today, you can hear the cultural mix when a local speaks Sardinian, or Sardu, which is a Latin language closely related to Catalan. I can steer my way through Italian but I was immediately lost when I tried to puzzle out road and shop signs in Sardu. If nothing else, it added to the magical and some what mysterious quality of the place.

The capital city, Cagliari, is a throwback to a simpler time, unprepossessing and still a few steps behind the mainland. When I first visited in the early ’90s, I was shocked to see a much-faded painting of Mussolini, Il Duce himself, high up on the wall of a building, a remnant of 1930s Fascist rule. Change in much of Sardinia still comes very slowly.

Much more charming were the steep and narrow streets filled with restau rants offering local flavors and local wine. A food such as pane carasau, a thin flatbread, is the essence of the basic Sardinian peasant cuisine. There’s fregola, which is akin to couscous, often served with local clams or chickpeas. Roast suckling pig is a staple. The pastas are unique to the island, from malloreddus (Sardinian gnocchi) to hand-braided rings of pasta called lorighittas that date back to the 16th century. The latter was served to me in a rich, lamb-based tomato sauce in a tiny restaurant in Cagliari.

Given all of the sheep on the island, it’s little surprise that most of Italy’s Pecorino Romano cheese comes from here. That ruby-red wine found every

This page: Experience the full Sardinian billionaire lifestyle at the Hotel Cala di Volpe in the heart of the Emerald Coast. It dates back to the 1960s, when it was built by the Aga Khan, but it’s full of modern amenities and amazing sea premium suites. Nearby is Quattropassi al Pescatore, where you can enjoy a chic seafood lunch. Opposite page: From basket weavers on the streets of Barbagia to reflections in La Maddalena harbor at sunset, Sardinia is never short of everyday charm and picturesque moments.

This page: There are plenty of ways to capture the view of the sea in Sardinia. One way is to soak in the cliffside scenery in Cagliari during sunset—but remember to take in the beauty of the crystal-clear water during the daytime too. Opposite page: The Baglioni Resort on Sardinia’s northeast coast features lush accommodations and plenty of opportunities to relax on the sea. Whether you’re on a boat or taking a dip, the water at Cala Napoletana in Caprera shouldn’t be missed. With colorful buildings, a hilltop castle and calm river, the town of Bosa is a must-see when visiting Sardinia.

where on the island is made with cannonau, a grape suited for hot, dry climates. This is not just wine for the locals. The Sardinians have earned a Cannonau di Sardegna DOC for both their red and rosé wines.

Pay attention to what the locals are eating, and not just for the sake of taste. Sardinia was the world’s first official Blue Zone, a designation that in 2004 be gan to single out regions of the world where lifestyles led to long lifespans. Sar dinia has 10 times the number of centenarians per capita than the U.S. Credit a diet composed largely of whole grains, vegetables and fruits, with moderate red wine consumption. Walking daily also helps, and having a rugged landscape out the door turns a short stroll into a StairMaster routine.

While the glitterati congregate on the Costa Smeralda, there are many offthe-beaten path locations that are compelling for us mere mortals. Secretive and alluring, the rugged landscape reveals its pleasures slowly.

Sardinia offers limitless hiking and, for the fittest, road biking. Yet on an island with a hot climate and little shade, I’d recommend taking exercise in the morning and then exploring by rental car, targeting an out-of-the-way village for lunch and taking in sights as you go. The island is 170 miles long and about 90 miles wide at its widest point, so there’s a lot of ground to explore.

Its west coast has many places worth exploring, such as Bosa, with its hilltop cas tle, Castello Malaspina. There’s also charming Alghero. While hardly undiscovered, this town is filled with historic architecture and is close to Neptune’s Grotto, where sea caves have been carved by centuries of waves crashing against the limestone cliffs. Drive to nearby Caprera Island, a nature reserve with some of the same white sand beaches the island is known for. My favorite is San Pantaleo, a small town that

holds a Thursday market with antiques and traditional woven textiles.

When I first went to Sardinia, there were large, charmless resorts springing up in the southern part of the island. Forsake those and consider artful boutique hotels such as Su Gologone, an elegant mountain hotel in Barbagia. Or look at La Bitte, a charming seaside hotel in Arbatax on the east coast that has stunning views and affordable rates and has been around since 1967.

Of course, I can’t blame you if you want a taste of the Costa Smeralda experience. If your pockets are deep, then consider staying at Hotel Cala di Volpe, a Luxury Col lection Hotel, in the heart of the Emerald Coast, a pink palace with roots dating back to the 1960s, when it was built by the Aga Khan. This is a rare chance to experience the full-bore, billionaire Sardinian lifestyle. The new Baglioni Resort Sardinia is the choice for a very manicured taste of five-star luxury. Then plan on one of the chicest seafood lunches on the planet at the waterfront Quattropassi al Pescatore in Porto Cervo. Put on your shades and gaze out at the superyachts at anchor while waiting for the Aperol spritzes to arrive. Why should celebrities have all the fun?

By JENNIFER P. HENDERSON

lovestories

A horseshoe adorned with ribbons. A small silver bell and a sugar cube tucked into the bride’s bouquet. A sixpence piece worn in a shoe. When it comes to wedding celebrations, a little luck is always welcomed. Even rain is considered a blessed sign of a long, lasting union—and a force of nature one of the “Love Stories” couples in the following pages knows all about: When Caroline Nacchio Siegel and Ben Siegel—son of Hamilton President and C.E.O. Hank Siegel and his wife, Lisette— exchanged vows this past May, their wedding day was indeed water-logged.

“There weren’t really any challenges during the planning, but an early May wedding in New York City can be tricky,” says the bride. “We wanted to make sure we loved our rain plan just as much as we loved our plan-plan … and good thing we did because it rained all day.” Sounds like a real downpour of luck and love to us.

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING BEAUTIFULLY BESPOKE. WHEN YOU’RE MAKING THE COMMITMENT OF A LIFETIME, IT’S THE SPARKLING DETAILS THAT MAKE A LASTING IMPRESSION

CASSIE & CHRISTIAN

Their Backstory:

“We met while we were students at High Point University in North Carolina. We’ve been together for quite a while, and we’ve grown and evolved in our lives alongside one another, going through many ups and downs. It has helped us build a strong foundation for our relationship. We balance each other out and support each other. We make a great team.”

Their Favorite Things:

“Christian is patient, loving, and hardworking. He can always put a smile on my face and make me laugh.” | “Cassie is smart, beautiful, and empathetic. She is very proactive and eager to get tasks done. She usually has everything planned and thought out before they even cross my mind, which makes my life so much easier.”

Their Ideal Activity:

“We love exploring and traveling to new places, and spending as much time in the great outdoors with our dog, Tessie, as we can.”

The Proposal:

“We had been working on designing my engagement ring, so I knew it was going to happen soon, but I wasn’t sure when or how he would ask. Then he proposed, in October 2020, at one of our favorite local breweries. Afterwards, both of our families surprised me, and we celebrated the weekend together. It was so simple, so us, and so special. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”

The Engagement Ring:

“It is truly special to both of us and our families. We were blessed to have been given both of our grandmothers’ engagement rings and knew we wanted to incorporate both of those diamonds. The marquise was my Grammy’s, and the round-cut was Christian’s

Grandma’s. We couldn’t trust anyone else with these heirloom diamonds except for Hamilton Jewelers. We worked with Lauren, who is incredibly talented and helped us bring our vision to life.”

The Dress:

“I loved the timeless elegance of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s wedding dress; it was simple, chic, and sophisticated. I found a dress that was similar, but with a silk organza top with sleeves that I wore for the ceremony. We were also inspired by where Carolyn and JFK Jr. got married. We honeymooned on Cumberland Island, Georgia, and stayed at the historic Greyfield Inn where they had their reception. We also got to see the tiny chapel where they secretly exchanged vows—almost 25 years to the day.”

The Wedding:

“Christian and I got married at Grounds for Sculpture, in Hamilton, New Jersey, and had our reception at Rat’s Restaurant. Growing up, I would always go to Rat’s with my grandparents to celebrate special occasions, so it has always been a meaningful place for me.”

The Details:

“We wanted the day to feel magical, romantic, and classic … There is so much natural beauty in the Nine Muses sculpture court where we exchanged vows, and so much European character and charm at Rat’s.”

The Food:

“We had delicious passed hors d’oeuvres during cocktail hour, a long with a big mezze table, and the main courses—braised short ribs and seared, whole branzino—were especially good. Our cake was absolutely incredible, too: chocolate cake with butter cream frosting from our favorite local bakery, The Gingered Peach. At the end of the night, we offered our guests breakfast sandwiches, like the New Jersey classic pork roll, egg, and cheese, on their way out.”

Their Song:

“Our live band did an amazing rendition of ‘At Last,’ by Etta James. We still get chills thinking about it.”

Their “Firsts”:

“We’ve had so much fun during our first year of marriage, soaking it all in and enjoying every last second—and we’ll be celebrating our first anniversary with a babymoon! We’re expecting our first baby, our son, at the end of October.”

Their Greatest Lessons:

“I admire Christian for his patience and easy-going personality—two things I have learned to practice over the past eight years. He has made me a better person.” | “This is hard to pinpoint, but Cassie is such a great manager of life. I really try to be more like her in that sense.”

Their Future:

“Our hope is to continue to revel in our love and happiness with each other as we grow our family.”

PHOTOGRAPHS

BY JOSE MELGAREJO

PHOTOGRAPHS BY RACHEL POURCHIER PHOTOGRAPHY

NICOLE & ANDREW

Their Meet Cute:

“Nicole and I knew of each other in college and had a lot of mutual friends, but we were always dating other people. After we graduated, we ran into each other at a Halloween party, and it was love at first sight.”

Their Favorite Things:

“We love each other’s passion. Whether it’s related to work, family, or our relationship, we both have an abundance of passion. When we dedicate ourselves to something, we’re 100 percent committed.”

Their Ideal Date Night:

“We love to travel, cook dinner, watch movie marathons, walk the dog, explore new restaurants, and try new wine.”

The Proposal:

“Andrew proposed to me, and it was a complete surprise! We got engaged in the Bahamas on a weekend trip with my family. It was Andrew’s birthday (May 29), so I totally wasn’t expecting it. He asked me to marry him in the same spot on the same beach on the same weekend he first told me he loved me four years before. It was so romantic.”

The Engagement Ring:

“Andrew bought my ring with the help of Stephany Sasson from the Hamilton Jewelers in Palm Beach Gardens. I fell in love with the setting because it’s so unique and elegant—not to mention how much it sparkles!”

The Dress:

“I had always pictured a dress with a lot of lace and embellishments, but after trying on 20-plus dresses and not loving any of them, I was about to leave. Then the bridal consultant brought in one more. It was very plain and not at all what I had envisioned … but I tried it on. I walked out to the main room where my mom, sister, and future motherin-law were, and they instantly started crying. The dress was classically elegant with a sexy touch, and totally defied my expectations. I was in love. And I knew it was the one because I didn’t want to take it off.”

The Gifts:

“We chose very traditional wedding bands: Mine matches my engagement ring and Andrew’s is white gold. We also exchanged perfume and cologne that we picked out for each other to wear for our wedding weekend and honeymoon. Now we’ll wear the same scents for date nights and special occasions, and it will always remind us of our special day.”

The Ceremony:

“Our ceremony was outside, and it was very windy the day of our wedding—so windy that Nicole’s veil blew off during our vows. Even though we were mic’d up, the wind carried the sound away and no one in the audience could really hear anything. So we kept it classic, short, and sweet. I think the entire ceremony was under 10 minutes.”

The Reception:

“Our reception was held in a tent at the Sandy Creek Barn in Reynolds Plantation, Georgia, on Lake Oconee. We had crisp, white table linens, with white flowers and greenery as the centerpieces. Twinkling café lights and chandeliers added romantic lighting to the space, but the best part was the gigantic floral display hanging above our dance floor: When you walked in, it smelled like you were in a beautiful garden.”

Their Song:

“We’ve always wanted to do a Dirty Dancing –style lift, but my mom freaked out when I told her, so I knew we couldn’t use ‘(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life’ for our first dance. We chose ‘I Won’t Give Up,’ by Jason Mraz, because of the incredible lyrics, but we still did a modified version of the lift—and the crowd went wild, including my mom!”

Their Future:

“We lived together for two years before we got married, but we’re excited to start the next chapter of our lives knowing that we are committed to each other and our goals, forever. Our greatest hope is to have a love as deep and everlasting as our parents.”

CAROLINE & BENJAMIN

Their Ideal Date Time:

“We love good food and enjoy going out to eat and cooking at home. We like to travel and explore new and familiar places alike. We’re active and work out. And we find happiness whenever we’re at or near the beach, from the Jersey Shore and the Hamptons to Palm Beach and Miami.”

The Proposal:

“It was a very carefully executed plan. I rented a boat for the day, in Palm Beach. Caroline thought we were taking the boat out with my parents, Hank and Lisette, to celebrate her birthday. Both of my parents were my accomplices. On the day of, my dad faked a phone call from a ‘client’ that would have to pull him away from the boat day he was so looking forward to, and my mom had to accompany him to the meeting, too. Caroline and I would have to go on the boat alone and meet up later for a birthday dinner instead. I ended up surprising her by popping the question with a custom yellow-gold emerald-cut diamond engagement ring from Hamilton.”

The Engagement Ring:

“Caroline designed the ring and has such an amazing eye for what looks good—a perfect balance of classic, trendy, and unique. She had the style, cut, and setting already pictured in her head. We never went to look at rings beforehand, but certainly did a lot of talking, visualizing, and sharing of Instagram pics. The team at Hamilton loved the design of the ring so much that they created a collection based on the design: The Caroline.”

The Dress:

“I must have tried on 100 dresses, and finally fell in love with the Andi gown by Mira Zwillinger. I wanted something classic, fresh, fun, and contemporary.”

The Wedding Bands:

“We went to Hamilton together and decided on an emerald eternity band for Caroline to go with her emerald-cut engagement ring. I went with a classic gold band, and got her a two-tone Rolex Datejust for a wedding gift.”

The Main Event:

Their Meet Cute:

“We met in October 2015. Ben was my on-boarding buddy when I joined the same technology staffing company. We started as colleagues, became good friends, and then a romance blossomed. I was ready for a relationship, but Ben was taking his time until he finally realized he wanted to commit, and we’ve been inseparable ever since.”

Their Favorite Things:

“Caroline’s infectious personality and positivity, her sense of humor, and natural beauty. She has the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met. I love her passion for life and her pursuit to live it to the fullest; she makes fun out of any situation. She never runs out of love and makes me feel special every day.” | “Ben’s calming demeanor, deep compassion for those around him, strong values, and his altruistic nature. We share the same sense of humor and values. Ben is the most down-to-earth person I’ve ever met. He reminds me daily how much we have to be thankful for—for each other, and for family and friends who love and support us. There is not a day that goes by where Ben doesn’t go above and beyond to make me feel loved and supported.”

“We got married at The Liberty Warehouse in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The venue is meaningful to us now, but we chose it because we fell in love with the space and heard the food was amazing—which turned out to be true! Everyone raved about the food. We went with a southern Italian theme, including a millefoglie —a classic Italian wedding cake.”

Their Song:

“Treat You Better,” by Rüfüs Du Sol.

Their “Firsts”:

“We love being newlyweds. We’re enjoying the journey and all the first-year marriage fun that comes with it. We’re really looking forward to our honeymoon to Greece and Italy, the holidays, and our upcoming move to Miami, in January, to start our new adventure!”

Their Best Advice:

“Friendship is the foundation of any good relationship, and we feel fortunate that we truly are best friends.”

Their Future:

“We’re a team and we always put each other first. Our greatest hope is for our love to continue to grow stronger with each passing year and to one day grow our family, too.”

BY JAYMO JAMES

“Friendship is the foundation of any good relationship, and we feel fortunate that we truly are best friends.”

Photographs by NICK MELE

Additional photography by RACHEL DICKSTEIN Hair and makeup by JENNETTE ZITANI

Nassau Street

As the town’s main thoroughfare, Nassau Street— home to Hamilton Jewelers and many other local businesses—and the adjacent streets including Witherspoon and Palmer Square, make up the diverse, vibrant heart of the downtown Princeton area. Boutiques, restaurants, specialty food shops, and retailers abound—like the beloved Small World Coffee café, which daily serves up countless cups of its signature house-roasted brews to coffee devotees.

Embellished “fit-and-flare” midi dress by Carolina Herrera from Saks Fifth Avenue Palm Beach.. Platinum mixed-shape diamond drop earrings, 18k white gold diamond bracelet, and platinum three-stone diamond ring with emerald-cut center diamond by Hamilton High Jewelry Collection..

Houndstooth merino wool cardigan and pencil skirt by Ralph Lauren Collection from Saks Fifth Avenue Palm Beach. 18k white gold cultured South Sea and Tahitian pearl earrings, black-and-white ombré necklace with diamond clasp, and ring by Hamilton High Jewelry Collection.

Princeton University

The ivy-covered buildings of this world-renowned institution of higher learning have attracted students from across the country and around the globe. Initially called the College of New Jersey upon its founding in 1746, the school’s name was changed to Princeton University in 1896.

The 600-acre campus itself boasts iconic works of architecture, fine art, and sculpture, including the homage to Collegiate Gothic design, the famed Blair Arch (featured on the following page).

Floral ruffle-embellished gown by Carolina Herrera from Saks Fifth Avenue Palm Beach. Platinum carved-emerald, ruby, sapphire, and diamond drop earrings; 18k white and yellow gold ruby and diamond ring; platinum and 18k yellow gold emerald and diamond ring by Hamilton High Jewelry Collection.

Strapless velvet bow midi-dress by Monique Lhuillier from Saks Fifth Avenue Palm Beach. 18k white gold and diamond flower bracelet, ring, and earrings by Hamilton High Jewelry Collection.

Morven Museum & Garden

Originally built in the 1750s by Richard Stockton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Morven also served as the state of New Jersey’s Governor’s Mansion. Today, this National Historic Landmark celebrates the area’s rich heritage through regular and rotating exhibitions, educational programs, and special events, including the holiday season’s annual Festival of Trees.

CONCIERGE SERVICES

Hamilton is here whenever you need us, through virtual appointments, digital concierge services, shopping available 24/7 via our web site, and easy curbside pickup.

REPAIRS & SERVICE

Maintaining your fine jewelry and timepieces is important to ensure a long life and optimal performance. Hamilton’s professionals can help keep your treasures in top form with a full range of assistance.

JEWELRY BUYING

From fine Swiss timepieces and antique and estate pieces, to diamonds, fine jewelry, and gold and platinum, you can confidently have your valuables appraised for sale with Hamilton —a name trusted in the industry for more than a century.

APPRAISALS

Hamilton offers comprehensive appraisal services by professionals who are highly trained in the areas of new, vintage, and antique jewelry and watches.

ENGRAVING

Put a personal touch on your items with our custom engraving service. Our in-house artists will produce a computerized rendering of your engraved design to allow you to envision your creation in its final form.

CUSTOM DESIGNS

Collaborate with our master jewelers to design or reimagine a piece of jewelry that is uniquely yours. The process begins with your ideas and inspiration, and our experts will see your creation through to completion.

PRINCETON PALM BEACH PALM BEACH GARDENS HAMILTONJEWELERS.COM @HAMILTONJEWELERS

FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY, HAMILTON HAS OFFERED ITS CLIENTS EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY, UNPARALELLED EXPERTISE, AND AN EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCE WITH EACH AND EVERY VISIT.

Written by DENNY SIEGEL Photographs by KARIN BELGRAVE

THAT

In all of my years working with food—including owning my own catering company and the daily ritual of feeding my family of six—I have prepared more meals than I can count for all manner of occasion, from holidays to birthdays to run-of-the-mill Tuesdays. However, I have never had the pleasure of feeding the masses at a good, old-fashioned tailgate. There is something thrilling about the challenge of serving a delicious meal to friends bundled in their warmest coats while the excited cheers of a crowd swell in the distance.

Gathering inspiration from the change in season and the famed university at the heart of the town I called “home” for several decades, I started to piece together what my ideal tailgate would look like: an elegant array of enticing foods eaten without fuss or muss against a picturesque landscape. And so, with the historic Tusculum Estate as my backdrop, I promptly got to work, indulging my every tailgating whim with a menu that can be enjoyed before, during, and after your next autumnal adventure.

The Art of the Tailgate

In recent years, tailgating has evolved beyond hot dogs on a grill into a more sophisticated entertaining endeavor, complete with thoughtful (and portable) décor. Below, I’ve gathered a few must-have accessories for a stylishly turned-out tailgate.

Sferra Celine Throw:

What can’t this brushedcotton blanket do?

Toss it over cold shoulders for extra warmth, spread it on the ground for additional seating, or drape it across the open flatbed of a vintage Grand Jeep Wagoneer as an elegant tablecloth.

Scalloped-Edge Tray:

Tailgates are all about making double use of the items you have on hand. In a bold orange befitting the season, this lacquered tray is the perfect piece for displaying food (like individually wrapped sandwiches) or handing out mugs of warm soup to bemittened guests.

Juliska Berry & Thread Beverage Dispenser:

Dole out everything from chilled iced tea to warm apple cider with ease in this amply appointed dispenser, which also allows for easy, environmentally friendly cleanup (no bottles or cans needed).

Simon Pearce Bird’s-Eye Maple Breadboard: Slice and serve savory breads or construct a moveable cheese and cracker station on this liquid-smooth, hand-sanded breadboard.

John Derian Floral Bouquet Stacking Cake Pedestal: Handmade of collaged paper under hand-blown glass, this conversation-worthy stand will artfully hold your sweet treats, like cookies and brownies.

Denny’s Classic Chili

Serves 8 to 10

INGREDIENTS:

2 T bs. vegetable oil

1½ cups chopped white or yellow onion

8 large garlic cloves, minced

1 lb. ground beef chuck

1 lbs. bulk Italian sausage

1 lb. ground veal 5 T bs. chili powder

1 T bs. ground cumin seed

1 t sp. dried basil leaves

½ t sp. dried oregano leaves

½ t sp. dried thyme leaves

¾ tsp. kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1¾ cups low-sodium chicken stock

1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

1 (12 oz.) bottle lager beer

1 (16 oz.) can kidney beans, drained 2 t sp. finely minced canned chipotle chili

1 t sp. adobo sauce, from the canned chipotle chili

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. I n a 7- to 8-quart, heavy Dutch oven or soup pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion a nd garlic, with a large pinch of kosher salt, and sauté until softened. Add the ground meats and stir, breaking up the meat and cooking until the meat is no longer pink.

2. Add the spices, stir to coat the meat, and cook an additional t wo minutes. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, tomato paste, beer, and the ¾ teaspoon salt. Simmer the mixture for about one and one-quarter hours, or until the consistency is to your liking. Add the drained beans, the minced chipotles and adobo sauce, and adjust the salt and pepper to taste.

3. Cool and store in the refrigerator, or portion into f reezer-safe containers and freeze for future use (like an upcoming tailgate party).

4. S erve with any toppings you desire, such as shredded sharp cheddar cheese, chopped red onion, and sour cream.

Pro tip: This chili recipe also makes fantastic nachos, which you can garnish with guacamole and/or cilantro.

THE LOCATION:

While the concept of tailgating typically conjures up visions of an asphalt parking lot, I relocated my outdoor affair to a more inspired spot: the spectacular Tusculum Estate, in Princeton, New Jersey. This historic property was built in 1773 for a signer of the Declaration of Independence who also served as president of Princeton University. It is now a lovely private home, and its current owners were our gracious hosts for this particular soiree.

THE DÉCOR:

A lovely tablescape might not be top of mind for all tailgaters, but a few simple details can easily upscale your spread. Many of the serving pieces seen here are used at my Thanksgiving table. I also use cloth napkins, baskets, sprigs of foliage, and outdoor blankets as tablecloths.

THE MENU:

For a foolproof moveable feast, I created a menu with one goal in mind: ease of eating. It’s not entirely hands-free, of course, but none of the food you see here requires the use of a knife. Also, I chose dishes that are best served slightly warm or at room temperature.

THE ACCOUTREMENTS:

For any al fresco event, keep a kit of entertaining essentials at the ready. My “toolbox” includes bottle and can openers, extra serving utensils, toothpicks, a flashlight, trash bags and paper towels, wipes and hand sanitizer, sunscreen, plastic storage bags, and salt, pepper, and sugar.

Tiger-Stripe

Shortbread Cookies

Makes 40 to 48 cookies

INGREDIENTS:

21/3 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1½ tsp. kosher salt, divided

1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

1¼ cups (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup granulated sugar

¼ cup powdered sugar

1 large egg yolk

1 tsp. vanilla extract or paste

1 large egg, beaten to blend

¼ cup sanding sugar (any color)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven, and preheat to 350°.

2. To make the bases for the chocolate and vanilla doughs, whisk 11/3 cups flour and ¾ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Whisk cocoa powder, remaining 1 cup flour, and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt in another medium bowl.

3. Beat butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about four minutes. Add egg and vanilla, and beat until smooth.

4. Divide mixture between the two bowls of dr y ingredients, about one cup in each. Scrape vanilla mixture back into stand mixer bowl (reser ve the mixing bowl), and beat on low speed just until combined. Return to reser ved bowl. Repeat process with chocolate mixture.

5. Arrange two large sheets of parchment paper on a work surface. Dollop one-quarter of chocolate dough in the center of each sheet and pat into rough 6x2-inch rectangles. Dollop one-quarter of vanilla dough on top of each chocolate slab and pat into rectangles the same size and shape so that you have two layers of each. Repeat entire process so you have four alternating layers.

6. Tightly press stacked dough into cylinders about 1½-inch wide and 8 inches long, using parchment to help you. Wrap logs in plastic wrap and chill until very firm, at least two hours.

7. Working one at a time, unwrap dough and brush with egg. Carefully sprinkle surface with sanding sugar and roll logs in sugar to coat well (you will need to press the dough into the sugar, so it sticks).

8. Slice into rounds a generous ¼-inch thick, rotating af ter every few cuts to keep slices round. Arrange cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.

9. Bake, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until edges are just set, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets.

Pro tip: Dough can be made three days ahead and kept chilled. Cookies can be baked five days ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

By SKYE SHERMAN

THE COLONY PALM BEACH HAS AN APPEAL AS STRONG TODAY AS IT WAS WHEN THE BRAND-NEW BUILD WAS INTRODUCED TO POSH SOCIETY IN 1947. NOW IN THE HANDS OF A SECOND-GENERATION COLONY FAMILY, THE ISLAND ICON HAS MAINTAINED ITS SPARKLING PERSONALITY THROUGH DECADES OF TRANSFORMATION— AND SEEMS TO BE AGING IN REVERSE

Opposite page: For 75 years, The Colony has dominated the western end of Hammon Avenue, but many would be surprised to learn that it has only been its distinctive shade of pink since 2014.

Few locales can claim a color palette as their own. But sun-soaked, palm-fringed Palm Beach—in this and all things—lives by its own rules. The tony, eight-square-mile barrier island has laid claim to the garish-but-natural combo of pink and green, for now and for time immemorial. You can’t deny it, and you certainly can’t resist it—and if there’s one pretty-in-pink beacon that symbolizes the island, it’s The Colony Hotel.

Unapologetically rosy-hued from top to bottom, end to end, The Colony has redefined convention for decades. She’s a refined example of aging gracefully, a process most island residents only wish they could emulate (though 75 is still considered young and spry in grandold-hotel years). The secret to her relentless vigor is a dedication to reinvention: To maintain tradition while ever evolving into the freshest, hippest version of yourself is a delicate if not impossible balance to strike, but The Colony makes it look effortless, even chic. The hotel will reopen in October 2022 with all 89 of its guest rooms and suites renovated and its hallways, pool patio, and exterior refreshed following a summer-long closure. It’s not the first time this blush-cheeked grande dame has reintroduced herself, thanks in large part to her series of attentive stewards.

For decades, this little pink paradise by the beach has attracted the best and the brightest, the world’s sparkling glitterati in industries as varied as fashion, music, art, politics, and beyond. The playful, palm-printed wonderland has played host to everyone from the Maharanee of Jodhpur to the Shah of Persia to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor—and all the diplomats, dignitaries, and A-list high-society types in between. A 1969 description in the Palm Beach Daily News summarized its rarefied clientele best:

The Colony Hotel imparts a feeling of elegance and importance to its hotel guests which is, perhaps, the basis for its air of distinction and popularity among the discriminating. For years the Colony has been the winter resort home for many in the International Jet Set, that elegant group of American and international ocean-hopping social figures. The Colony’s guest roster includes royalty, international tycoons, political figures, and prominent persons and reads like a “Who’s Who in the World.”

The stor y of The Colony is intricately interwoven with the island’s own. The hotel has dominated the western end of Hammon Avenue—named for Hiram Hammon, who settled on a large parcel of land in 1875, becoming the island’s first homesteader—since it was built in 1947. We have Hammon to thank not only for seeing potential in the tangled jungle Palm Beach once was, but also for the very name itself: It was he, along with neighboring pioneer William Lanehart, who met the mates of the shipwrecked Spanish Providencia in 1878 and

This page: The “Sisters Suite,” designed to feel like “a fashionable friend’s beach house,” debuted in December 2019 as the result of a collaboration between Serena & Lily and the sisters behind the popular lifestyle blog Palm Beach Lately. Opposite page: The Colony has multi-bedroom residences in the historic Casa Mañana, each decorated in partnership with leading tastemakers such as interior designer Mark Sikes, as pictured here.

chronicled the 20,000 coconuts that had spilled from their cargo, scattering across our shores; many of the stray coconuts were planted and grew into the plethora of palms for which Palm Beach is named.

In 1921, Hammon cashed in his golden bet, selling some of his land to Chicago broker William Waller Jr., who built a Spanish villa on the spot and dubbed it Casa Mañana, or “The House of Tomorrow.” Waller, too, had solid premonitions: Casa Mañana lives on, not as one residence but many, making up The Colony’s collection of stunningly decorated villas designed for long-term stays and V.I.P. guests.

Interestingly, what most associate with The Colony is the building that came next; Waller also built the colonial-style, seven-story structure making up the main hotel. He recruited a few business partners and tasked the architecture firm Simonson and Holley (founded by a protégé of Addison Mizner and Maurice Fatio, Palm Beach’s legendary architects) with constructing what was then called the Golf View, which opened to the public on November 15, 1947.

Within a week, a black-tie celebration introduced the debutante to island life, a harbinger of the hot spot The Colony would become. In and out of the Birdcage Bar, amidst the fizzle of poured champagne and the tinkling of fine glass and even finer people, glamour ushered in, and there it would remain. For the rest of the social season—and for many of the seven-plus decades to follow—every room was booked.

S. Joseph Tankoos Jr., the financier behind the famed Hotel Delmonico in New York, knew a fine hotel when he saw one. In 1959, he purchased The Colony’s lease. An article in the Miami Herald reported, “Impressions of the gracious old hotel have remained with him … [H]e hoped to recapture that graciousness along with the gaiety and push-button service provided by such hotels as the Claridge in London or the Plaza Athénée in Paris.”

With the commitment of Tankoos and the good fortune of falling into favor with president-turned-island-resident John F. Kennedy and all of his hangers-on, The Colony secured its socially fashionable status. A little more than a decade later, Tankoos passed the baton to David McConnell and Robert Wetenhall, partners in an investment firm in New York (and part-owners of the New England Patriots). Upon receipt of the lease in 1970, McConnell and Wetenhall gave The Colony a slew of upgrades and updates, renovating the facilities to reflect the changing tastes of the times—and sourcing regional contractors to do so, a tradition that continues today. Also involved was Hays Clark, a longtime Avon executive. He increased the size of his share in the 1990s and oversaw the implementation of a snazzy supper club and cabaret in 2001. Big names and prominent acts flocked to the sultry stage of The Colony’s Royal Room, further cementing the hotel’s see-and-be-seen status.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRANTLEY PHOTO.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY NICK MELE (WETENHALL)

BRANTLEY PHOTO (THE COLONY LIVING ROOM).

Upon his passing in 2006, his shares transitioned to his widow and children, and the Clarks made some of the hotel’s most iconic changes when they put interior decorator Carleton Varney of Dorothy Draper and Company at the helm of a $9 million refurbishment in 2014. It was “Mr. Color” (as he was known to his legions of fans) who decorated each room with its own bold theme, introduced the iconic banana-leaf-and-sea-grape Brazilliance wallpaper in the halls, and painted the whole thing pink.

A decade af ter Clark’s passing, his family sold The Colony to its current owners, Sarah and Andrew, son of Robert Wetenhall (who had remained a minority owner). Neither had explicit hospitality experience—she worked in fashion marketing, he in finance—yet their years spent in and around The Colony prepared them well. Andrew cast their intentions at their opening reception, declaring, “All we want it to be is the great thing it already is.”

In ser vice of that goal, the Wetenhalls have devoted themselves to The Colony’s continued evolution, announcing in 2017 a partnership with Mimi McMakin and Celerie Kemble of Kemble Interiors, an interior design firm founded and beloved by locals. In 2020, amidst the multi-year restoration and rebranding that continues today, The Colony was designated a landmark by the Palm Beach Town Council and the living room reemerged with hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper depicting native Floridian flora and fauna and a reintroduction of the original black terrazzo floors. Next will come renovated rooms, set to debut just prior to the hotel’s grand 75th anniversary in November.

“The Colony has been part of my entire adult life since I first began spending time there as a college student with my now-husband, Andrew,” says Sarah. “My earliest Colony memory was meeting my future fatherin-law for the first time in his penthouse apartment at the hotel. I was very nervous, both to meet Andrew’s father and to be in Palm Beach for the very first time. It was such a glamorous and storied locale that I had heard so much about.”

As a child, Andrew of ten lived in the hotel, sometimes valeting cars or organizing Easter egg hunts around the pool for the children of guests. “The Colony is the backdrop for many cherished memories from every stage of

This page: The Colony Living Room, refreshed in 2020, was designed in partnership with Mimi McMakin and Celerie Kemble of Kemble Interiors, an interior design firm founded and beloved by locals.

Opposite page: Current Colony owner Sarah Wetenhall poses in front of the redesigned Living Room’s hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper and reintroduced original black terrazzo floors.

our [lives],” Sarah says. “So it was an obvious choice to bring it back into our family and begin the process of restoring it to its former glory.”

Today, The Colony presents a vibrant social scene, an undeniably whimsical design sensibility, a reimagined “Swifty’s of the south,” and a calendar filled to the brim with events and activations, from fashion pop-ups to weekly trivia nights. For those who can’t get enough (and for whom money is no object), The Colony has multi-bedroom residences in the historic Casa Mañana, each of which was decorated in partnership with leading tastemakers, including interior designer Mark Sikes and island girl Aerin Lauder.

“The villas are an extremely special part of The Colony experience,” Sarah says. “Because they are larger and offer a more residential hospitality experience, we were able to design them less like hotel suites and more like highly elevated individual homes.” The villas have private entrances and residential-style amenities such as kitchens, marble bathrooms, and outdoor areas, plus shared access to parking and a pool.

But what Sarah calls “our largest wish-list project” is what’s coming to fr uition this fall, when the rooms debut their much-anticipated redesign. “We are elated that the iconic design of the Living Room will soon be mirrored throughout the entire hotel,” she says. “We want guests to feel as though they are coming home.”

Indicative of modern-day mores, one of the most talked-about features of the new rooms is the fact that they are shoppable. In working with design partners Kemble Interiors, Society Social, de Gournay, Schumacher, Brown Jordan, Farrow & Ball, and Matouk, Sarah knew they would be able to craft spaces their guests would never want to leave. So they made that possible: Guests can shop the furniture and décor to recreate The Colony’s chic vacation vibes for themselves at home. The hotel is hush-hush about what the redesigned rooms will look like but has confirmed it will preserve the sense of playfulness and the local focus, with art by local photographers Chris Leidy, Nick Mele, and Nathan Coe, plus a bespoke rattan and faux-bamboo furniture collection, exclusive fabrics, and custom paint colors.

At the end of the day, Palm Beach’s pinkest hotel is getting the royal treatment because she deserves it. For three-quarters of a century, she has hosted tycoons, titans, and barefoot locals alike, presenting all with a distinctly Palm Beach ethos that inspires good cheer. The world has changed dramatically in the last 75 years, but the best of The Colony has not—and we can’t wait to see what surprises this gracious and grand Palm Beach doyenne has in store for us next.

If you’ve been the tenacious tourist, seeing every sight on your well-researched list, but not setting foot inside historic post offices, you’ve been missing something. Yes, Instagram and other social media are fast replacing postcards for many of us, but some shrines to the daily mail are worth searching out even if you don’t need to buy stamps. They’re architectural trea sures, and neither snow, nor rain, nor heat— you know the drill—should keep you from discovering their glory. Claiming center stage in prominent cities around the world, these celebrated postal edifices are iconic for their grandeur, with a spirit that recalls the basilica Sacré-Coeur in Paris, but without its snapshot familiarity. Some post offices even serve as mu seums, another reason to come explore.

MARVELS OF DESIGN, LANDMARK POST OFFICES GET THE WORLD TRAVELER’S STAMP OF APPROVAL

Saigon Central Post Office, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

With its bright yellow façade and green shutters over rows of arched windows, the Saigon Central Post Office is a must-see tourist destination built in the late 1800s—and yes, you can mail a letter there; it’s a working facility. Some credit the Eiffel Tower’s designer for this outstanding combo of neo-classical European architecture and Asian décor, but the person to thank is really another Frenchman, architect Marie-Alfred Foulhoux.

Kudos to the domed roof with metal arches and bountiful pillars for creating such a spectacular effect on the spacious interior that you may just stand there in awe—but don’t forget that letter! Other notable features are the patterned floor, painted maps of an early postal route from southern Vietnam to Cambodia. The interior nostalgically echoes a 20th-century European railway station, complete with old-school phone booths. The post office is next to the Notre Dame Cathedral, a fact that makes it easy to cross two landmarks off that list.

General Post Office, Kolkata, India

A striking sight in Kolkata by night is the General Post Office’s more than 220-foot-tall hallmark dome lit up through its circle of arched windows. But the GPO, as it is known, is also an architectural wonder by day and worth a visit as one of the city’s oldest landmarks. Though it’s a centrally located tourist at traction, the GPO has a job to do for the city as well as the state of West Bengal. It’s one of India’s more than 150,000 post offices, and mail has been its game since 1868.

The collector in the family won’t want to miss the world-renowned postal museum, featuring stamps from the GPO’s early days, or the new Parcel Café. Besides the landmark dome, architect Walter B. Grenville also went all out with Corinthian pillars both inside and out. Walk through the door and discover the drama of these iconic pillars stretching toward the domed ceiling in a space encircled with arched balconies. A brass plate marks the boundary wall of the Old Fort William.

Central Post Office, Valencia, Spain

No, a king and queen don’t live there, but the Valencia Post Office is known as a palace—The Palacio de Correos y Telégrafos. It sits right in the Municipal Square, and with its immense structure and the variety of statues gracing its roof and arched entrance—not to mention its shining beauty at night—the palace does look fit for royals. Architect Miguel Angel Navarro designed the building in 1914, but construction met delays and the post office did not open until 1923. With so many bells and whistles, the post office can’t help but captivate. Picture rooftop domes, columns flanking the entrance and, of course, a king-sized fountain in front. The structure reflects an eclectic theme popular in its day with traces of classicism, modernism and baroque. But what fires the imagination most are five allegorical statues above the entrance, each a symbol of communication, lest we ever forget this palace is devoted to carrying the written word.

Grand Post Office, Algiers, Algeria

A port city on the Mediterranean, Algiers is known for Ottoman palaces, mosques and the Casbah, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. So perhaps it is no surprise that this capital city’s Grand Post Office really lives up to its name—Grand. Built in 1910 for the French Postal Service by architects Jules Voinot and Marius Toudoire, the post office is a spectacular example of Neo-Moorish architec ture with arches and ornate mosaics.

“Its true beauty is on the inside,” a visitor marvels in a Trip Advisor review. “It’s a throwback in time as you step through the doors.” An added treat, this post office is now a museum, and the area offers plenty of cafés and stores for an extra-special day.

Palacio Postal, Mexico City, Mexico

Heavily damaged in an earthquake but now restored to its original glory, the Postal Palace is magnifico for an over-the-top design that draws from diverse traditions. Built at the start of the 20th century and considered modern in its day, this sumptuous stunner in the heart of the city’s historic area is the epitome of contrasts. The stone exterior is formidable with iron dragon light fixtures and an army of arches, among the varied features Italian architect Adamo Boari used to make it one of a kind. But at the heart of the palace, beauty and art abound. Consider the meeting room with frescoes—on written communications, of course—painted over a gold base. With a castle-like opulence, marble floors run up to the main stairway that combines two ramps in a wow of a landing. Eclectic is the best way to describe the architecture since it brings together everything from Art Deco to Elizabethan Gothic and more.

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Who better to showcase a creative duo’s masterpiece of a home than another creative duo? That notion animates designers Susanna Salk and Stacey Bewkes as they visit the 200-year-old, Federal-style farmhouse of Karen and Martin Cooper, tucked away in New York’s tranquil Hudson Valley, and let readers tag along. It’s a selection from the designers’ new book, At Home With Designers and Tastemakers (Rizzoli New York), for which Salk provides the prose and Bewkes the images.

As founders of the Punctilious Mr. P’s Place Card Co., an old-fashioned customized place- and notecard business, the Coopers know something about design. It’s only fitting that their home is styled to inspire and entertain for nearly every occasion, whether it’s a formal event or Sunday dinner with their 11-year-old son.

GOOD TIMES AWAIT GUESTS IN A COUPLE’S LUSHLY DETAILED HUDSON VALLEY FARMHOUSE. AND WHY NOT? THE SOCIAL GRACES ARE THEIR BUSINESS

For the living room walls in their Hudson Valley farmhouse, Martin and Karen Cooper selected a terracotta color, pulling the rusty hue from the Greek vases lining the mantel. To bring cohesion and add touches of luxury, they splashed gold trim on the crown moldings here and throughout the house, including the carpeting.

This page: The Coopers lined the foyer walls and main staircase with Farrow & Ball Broad Stripe wallpaper in green, a soothing color to welcome visitors and provide a transition from the outdoors to interior space. Already showcasing the green shade, an antique settee and chair did not require reupholstering.

Opposite page: This east-facing room is bright all day long, with morning sunlight popping through floor-to-ceiling windows, ca nary-colored walls and a soar ing chandelier from Doyle’s Auction House in New York. Adding to the room’s cheer is the grand piano, acquired from Steinway in Boston.

This page: Bringing the outside in, the homeowners fill many of their tables with potted herbs, ivy or green fruits. “We love displaying a bit of earth inside,” says Martin. Opposite page: The dining room’s black lacquer walls and candlelight fixtures create a formal and intimate environment for dinner guests. But the space is not only a gathering place for meals; it’s also where the family recounts personal experiences and memories, Karen says.

This page and opposite: When guests congregate in the living room, the homeowners use their pantry as a serving station. It has plenty of counter space for appetizers or desserts, as well as a wet bar and a second dishwasher, the latter coming in handy when the party’s over. A nod to English architect Sir John Soane of the late 1700s, mirrored panels create an optical illusion of a larger space and give the millwork a lighter feel.

natural beauty

From left:

An 18k white gold, 10.20-carat emerald-cut diamond “eternity” bracelet.

A platinum, 4.38-carat emerald-cut diamond “eternity” band.

An 18k yellow gold 16-inch, 17.02-carat emerald-cut “Riviera” diamond necklace.

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Hamilton Archives From the

From the moment Irving Siegel purchased Hamilton Jewelers in 1927 for $15,750, he set an uncompromising standard of excellence for the brand and the generations that would follow in his stead. In pursuit of this ongoing goal, embracing and employing innovation was paramount—and when it came to the advertising that promoted the store and its brand partners, Irving and his son, Martin, seized the opportunity to differentiate their marketing from the other shops early on.

“In the 1960s, there were roughly 50 jewelry stores in the greater Mercer County, New Jersey, area, and they all used newspapers as their primary advertising medium,” says Hank Siegel. “The city newspapers were typically published twice daily—a morning and an evening edition—and so they were the primary resources for local and regional news at that time.” Consumers were accustomed to seeing page after page of advertisements and articles in staid black newsprint on white paper.

Thus, embracing something as new as the use of color in newsprint was unprecedented for the time, and also a way to elegantly distinguish the Hamilton brand from the crowd. Case in point: the Hamilton Jewelers holiday advertisement at right, showcasing diamond watches, pendants, and rings—along with vibrant-green ink. Despite concerns over print quality, color bleeding, and cost (incorporating the verdant hue came at a premium), the ad was created and appeared in the December 1, 1965, edition, of The Evening Times.