GP 222 Years of History Part 13: Twenty-First-Century Renaissance

 

No one chronicles the history of Girard-Perregaux quite like luxury-goods raconteur Nick Foulkes, the author of the tiny tome “220 Years of Girard-Perregaux”. Foulkes, who has also written books about Bentley, Dunhill, Mikimoto and dandies, has catalogued Girard-Perregaux’s most iconoclastic pieces and greatest innovations. Last year, GP’s 221st in existence, Mechanics of Style serialized 220 Years of Girard-Perregaux, with a new twelfth instalment covering 2012.

Now Foulkes returns. This year we’re proud to present, exclusively on MoS, Parts 13 and 14, which cover some of the greatest strides GP has ever made in a single year. —The Editors

Read More

 

What’s Old Is New Again No. 8: Dunhill Unique Lighter (1927)

 

 

 

 

 There are many exceptional heritage brands that, like Girard-Perregaux, have maintained their commitment to luxury and superlative quality across the decades — sometimes, indeed, across the centuries. Our recurring series “What’s Old Is New Again” celebrates historic brands’ continual ability to revive their craft and make it relevant to successive generations. — The Editors

Read More

 

Global Gourmet: The 25 Most Expensive Tasting Menus on Earth

 

 

 

THE MOST EXPENSIVE tasting menus on earth are among the best ways for discriminating gourmands to experience the world’s finest restaurants. All of the intricate, carefully crafted multicourse tasting menus (or, if you’re ordering sushi, “Omakase”) on this list — curated by Megan Willett for Business Insider — are fine examples of the culinary form. However, “most expensive” doesn’t always mean best. Check out Business Insider’s list below, as well as our top four additions. Which is your dream meal? 

Read More

 

GP Fiction Contest: Grand Prize Winner

 

 

  

 

Over the past two centuries, Girard-Perregaux has occasionally inspired flights of prose among the brand’s enthusiasts. Now, in Mechanics of Style’s inaugural fiction contest, six writers have been inducted as acolytes of this proud tradition. 

This is the sixth and final jury-selected 2013 fiction-contest submission: our grand prizewinner! The author, Mr. Alexander, will receive a Girard-Perregaux Three Gold Bridges Tourbillon fountain pen. Our sincere thanks to everyone who took the time to submit a work of fiction; all your efforts were commendable. — The Editors 

Read More

 

GP Cocktails No. 3: Springtime Spritzers

 

 

 

 

AT LAST, SPRING has sprung. To lubricate the transition from winter, we’ve selected the following alfresco libations suitable for all manner of outdoor activities — even just watching the grass grow. These three cocktails make use of lighter, more herbaceous and fruity flavors; so if you plan to pair them with meals, remember that their nuances will be obscured alongside heavier food.

As always, feel free to substitute any of these brand-specific liquors with ones you prefer. Just keep in mind that these drinks were created with the brands listed here; substitution will produce varied results. 

Read More

1 2 3 4 5

Deciphering the Code No. 4: Steak

- 

 

 

 

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE between an average man and a rakish, globetrotting bon vivant? It’s the latter’s level of connoisseurship, which enables him to enter any conversation seamlessly (while impeccably dressed, of course). “Deciphering the Code” is a guide to the subtleties of the luxury world — but we’re concerned with far more than mere dining etiquette and seating charts. Instead, we’ll translate the insiders’ lingo, defined and interpreted by experts in their field. ~ The Editors 

Letter From Beijing No. 4: Coming Soon – The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

 

 

 

 

 

 

As early as the mid-nineteenth century, Girard-Perregaux maintained offices in New York, Buenos Aires, Yokohama and, of course, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. In that globetrotting spirit, MoS will publish regular dispatches from its offices and boutiques abroad — covering lifestyle and culture, regional events and exhibitions, and offering insider insight about what’s trending now from the four corners of the world. — The Editors

Lamborghini Edition impec by BMC Bikes

 

 

 

 

OFFICIALLY, THIS BICYCLE has a very lengthy name: “The 50th Anniversary Lamborghini Limited Edition impec by BMC.” Unofficially, well, it’s just one badass bike. It’s also an excellent example of increasing collaboration between sports-car manufacturers and companies that make serious road bikes — indeed, MoS covered the limited-edition Aston Martin One 77 Cycle made by Factor Bikes just a few months ago.

This latest joint venture weds the talents of Swiss bike maker BMC and Automobili Lamborghini. It’s a version of BMC’s impec bicycle, enhanced by Lambo’s carbon-fiber expertise and assembled using some of that company’s components and techniques. It’s accented with a Lamborghini saddle and handlebar tape, both made of suede, as well as an Argos Orange downtube that matches Lamborghini’s dream car, the Aventador. (The colors available for the bike are the Aventador’s, too.)

About Time: Joe Thompson’s 10 Basel Favorites

 

 

  

IN APRIL 1979, a fledgling watch reporter for a jewelry trade magazine, I was sent for the first time to cover the watch fair in Basel, Switzerland. It was my first foreign trip. The details remain vivid, bathed in a rosy hue. I spent a week in the city. Each day, after the fair, I wandered around and fell in love with the place.

Ever since, it has been my good fortune to return every spring. When the winter cold breaks and the first balmy breezes blow, I know that like a swallow returning to Capistrano, I must fly to Basel. It’s a pilgrimage I wish every watch lover could make. With its thousands of new watches, BaselWorld is a watch mecca. But the experience cannot be separated from the city that hosts it.

Copyright 2012

Connect with us