Editor’s Picks: £100k Watch Safe, Hydrow Machine and Electric Triumph Motorcycle
From a small-batch bottling of Jackson Jones whisky to a Leica designed by Sir Jony Ive, this is what we want this week…
Old habits die hard. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. During lockdown, you may have bulked up your exercise regime, tried to cut down on your carbon footprint or even just made a concerted effort to invest in longer-lasting, cost-effective quality — be it in whisky or watches.
So, this week, we’ve rounded up an Editor’s Picks to see you smoothly out of lockdown. Because, whether you’re working out on a Hydrow rowing machine, sipping a subtly spiced dram of Jackson Jones whisky or firing up your clean-living, fast-riding Triumph TE-1 motorcycle, those old habits should continue into your new unlocked-down life…
Taking charge: Triumph Project TE-1 Electric Motorcycle
This week, Triumph Motorcycles announced a unique collaboration with several UK engineering experts — including the team behind Williams Racing — to bring electric motorcycling tech to the two-wheeled masses. The two-year Project Triumph TE-1 partnership will even have backing from Innovate UK, the government agency that promotes science and technology programmes, to create the blisteringly cool bike above.
Front row: Hydrow Rower
The Boat Race is still on this year, it’s just taking place outside of London — in Ely, near Cambridge. Hydrow, the latest big name in rowing machines, is also from Cambridge. But it’s not our quaint English Cambridge. No, this burly, muscle-building brand hails from Cambridge, Massachusetts — and its machine is fitted with a patented drag mechanism, industrial-grade webbed strap and 22-inch touchscreen that blows us Brits out of the water.
Bare bones: Piaget Polo Skeleton Automatic at MR PORTER
Piaget’s Polo design is perhaps the Swiss watchmaker’s most distinctive. Originally developed in 1979 for players of a certain precision sport (no prizes for guessing which), the Polo has made it through decades unscathed by shifting styles and errant mallets. This skeleton-dial version, available at MR PORTER, is as hardy as Piagets come; featuring a 44-hour power reserve, sapphire glass crystal and durable stainless steel case.
Good spirits: Jackson Jones Batch One Whisky
Rare Scotch whisky investment has also seen a large spike
Jackson Jones; it’s a catchy name for a tasty whisky. And this is a small-batch spirit, with only 205 bottles of this first release being made available — so you’d better act fast. Created using a very old grain from near Edinburgh, it’s a creamy, buttery blend with rich, round chocolate notes to temper a spicy heart. Plus, with this level of exclusivity, you’ll be the toast of your first post-lockdown dinner party.
Locked down: Wolf Churchill Watch Safe
Nine bi-directional steel bolts. Secure electronic keypads. Top grain cowhide leather and exquisite rare wood panelling. This is Wolf’s ultra-luxurious ‘Churchill’ watch safe; as stoic and secure as the statesman from which it takes its name. Open it up, and soft light will illuminate bank upon bank of Bluetooth controlled winders. And the best part? It’s fully bespoke, made-to-order to your own exacting specifications.
Chew it over: HW. Labs Hair, Skin & Nails Gummies
If you’ve had the hard-sweating, heavy-lifting honour of enjoying a private training session with Toby Huntington-Whiteley, you’ll know how serious the man is about health. Now, with his new blueberry-flavoured multivitamins, you’ll have the chance to supplement every second of tough exercise and clean eating with these gummies, chocked with nourishing nutrients to benefit your hair, skin and nails.
Watch out: Seiko Prospex Naomi Uemura 80th Anniversary Limited Edition
Between 1974 and 1976, Japanese explorer Naomi Uemura embarked on a death-defying, globe-trotting trip between Greenland and Alaska. The watch on his wrist? A Seiko ref. 6105. This week, the brand has announced a reproduction of the classic timepiece; 200-metre water resistant, featuring a ‘super hard’ steel coating and with a blue bezel ‘in the tones of the Earth’s upper atmospheric layers’.
Apple snap: Jony Ive x Leica Prototype
Back in 2013, when Sir Jony Ive was still Chief Design Officer of Apple, he designed a one-off Leica M camera for AIDS and Covid-19 charity (RED). It sold for $1.8 million. Now, eight years later, one of the rare prototypes of that device is going up for auction. With a smooth aluminium body and Apo-Summicron lens, it looks like a mash-up of a classic Leica and a first generation iPod. Which is to say, we want it.
French exit: Provence Glory Coffee Table Book
Are you still sulking about summer holidays? Well, enough. You might not be able to pack up and jet off this year, but there are still plenty of ways to stoke your wanderlust. Chief amongst them? The latest coffee table book from Assouline. Provence Glory is, indeed, a glorious depiction of the French region, filled to its 312 pages with sun-drenched landscapes, pool-side vistas and lots and lots of lavender. With this, who even needs a holiday?
Want more of the best gear money can buy? Check out last week’s Editor’s Picks…
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