Tuesday 3 April 2012

ST Dupont Lighter


I always admired the actors in old films in their dinner suits and their “dress lighters” (not sure that terms exists yet). A dress lighter in my book is a lighter you wouldn’t use everyday, just like a dress watch reserved for special occasions. Not being a fan of gold, I opted instead for a S.T. Dupont Black Chinese Lacquer lighter. Not as effective as some of the blow torches on the market, but a lot more elegant, and with the unmistakable ping that Dupont lighters are famous for.  It draws subtle admiring glances and only comes out for black tie. I am playing with the idea of getting the red one as it is in our house colour for everyday use.


Porsche 917


Maybe it was the pink flying pig, it’s shape, the “we will do whatever it takes” attitude, or that is was the best card in my favourite pack of top trumps, but I have always had a soft spot for the 917. Watching the 1971 film “Le Mans” much later cemented that, in spite of, or probably because of the lack of a real plot, I was just happy to hear the roar of the engines. This is probably my favourite sports car of all time, very fast and very dangerous to drive.


Anthony Bourdain


My girlfriend says she has lost me to “Tony”, Anthony Bourdain who rose to fame for his 2000 New York Times bestselling book “Kitchen Confidential.” He has since been responsible for the Travel channel shows “No Reservations” and “The Layover” which can be enjoyed on youtube “here”

Devouring all the episodes like an adolescent discovering pornography for the first time, I travel with him and his wise cracks all over the globe. He is like your favourite heavy drinking, hard living uncle who has wrestled with alligators and has somehow lived to tell the tale. He makes me want to travel, experience, taste and suck the marrow out of life. He is not for everyone, but he makes me smile.


Omega Seamaster Ploprof 1200M


A watch I have wanted for a very long time, which I strangely saw for the first time in classic car magazines. The original wasn’t terribly well finished, and according to one of my very knowledgeable clients, a must for any watch collector, but not really waterproof. Omega introduced a completely updated version in 2009 featuring their very accurate co-axial movement.

The original was developed in conjunction with Comex and the legendary Jacques Cousteau, Omega conceived and developed what was probably the first waterproof watch designed and built solely for the diving professional.

The watch took 4 years to come to the market after extensive testing and arrived in 1970. It was nicknamed PloProf by the French speaking development team and derives from the French term PLOngeur PROFessionnel (Professional Diver). The watch was very expensive and the top of Omega’s range at the time of its launch. It is unclear, and unlikely, that Omega recouped its development costs in the model’s life-span between 1970 and 1979. The watch was a hit with professional divers but its price, approximately twice that of a Rolex Submariner, kept many hobby divers away.

The Milanese or “sharkproof” bracelet (Omega’s name not mine) is just what one needs for the mean streets of Mayfair. The chance of a shark biting exactly where my wrist is I would peg as quite slim, and would probably enjoy the softer parts of my arm above the watch, or my supple hand. If he did decide to bite where the watch was, I am assuming the pressure exerted by his jaw would probably crush my wrist. Makes for a good story nonetheless.