Halfway Between The Gutter And The Stars (Part I): Fitting in with the French Riviera's Eurotrash Elite on the Cheap!
(Note: I am NOT endorsing any of these sites or dealers. Please use them if you wish or source the items on your own. Also, there are in-depth picto reviews of these watches if you wish to learn more. Also some of these bags may also be available in the continental US through sead1999)
"The fundamentals of our economy are strong," said McCain. That's what I remember hearing so much before I left on vacation; the whole American (read world) economy, one of the cornerstones of civilized society (high and low), was humming along so I could take a much, much, MUCH needed break and let my hair down out of this Sarah Palin bun to go enjoy the fading remnants of summer in the Mediterranean. And why shouldn't I believe that? I mean, the past few years have seen the total demise or government conservatorship of entities like Enron, Aldelphia, Tyco, Worldcom, Arthur Andersen, Bear Stearns, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae but surely that was all in the past, right? Everything was okay because the fundamentals of our economy are just too strong to buckle under the weight of the insignificant blips on the fiscal radar such as these. This is exactly why I continued to dance, drink and schmooze without a single care for the world outside Via Notte, a club I've never been to before, in Porto Vecchio, Corsica which I went to on one of my last days in the French Riviera.
Well, back home stateside, the bottom fell out of the sky, as my mother is fond of saying just after the start of torrential downpours. Lehman Brothers and American International Group, Inc. (AIG) toppled under the weight of bad mortgage debt and arrogance, like Bear Stearns before them. If nothing gets you to hold on tightly to your pennies, by any means necessary, then this certainly should because it's almost like you can't possibly spend your money like you'd wish to now because your retirement fund may not even exist when it comes time to draw upon it. The money in your pockets, couch cushions and cupholder in your car suddenly becomes as important as the money you never see or allow yourself to touch in savings accounts. How sad is that?
As I said, I had an opportunity to go to one of the largest open air S&M clubs in Europe and had an absolutely RAUCOUS time. It rocked my face off! There was fantastic music, fast cars, gorgeous people (at least in VIP they were!), beautiful clothes, fake boobs, fake tans, fake pecs, fake calves, fake smiles, fake hair . . . what? OH! What I mentioned earlier about it being an S&M club? Well, it is. It's the biggest Stand & Model club I've ever been to in my life! But the modeling and standing was done after you'd danced a while. And there were a lot of people dancing like they were sure tomorrow was the end of the world; and while those people danced, others were posing like two-dimensional background characters from MTV's decadent but now defunct Spy Groove. in short, it was like buttah. I really enjoyed my time there because you basically got to see well-dressed people having a fun time without any care for what was going on anywhere else. People were just letting loose and letting go without animosity towards anyone else and it was just really nice to see. Yeah, there's a lot of terrible things going on everywhere in the world that makes behaving with total abandon hard for some of us (I'm talking to you wonderful bleeding hearts and brother's keepers out there), but you owe it to yourself once in a while to behave like world peace HAS been achieved and you're doing your part to celebrate that, REALLY CELEBRATE. I think that's exactly what being at this club felt like. If I had a heart, it would be so fuzzy and full right now!
What I saw amongst all the happiness and fun was a serious amount of style and people with the kind of money that didn't rely on the solvency of any type of brothers; not Lehman Brothers, Hughes Brothers, Brooks Brothers, Wayans Brothers, Smothers Brothers or the Blues Brothers. It's daunting to be around more than a few of those people at any one time (I have been known to feel a small pang of old skool American nationalism). The strength of the Euro has many of these monetarily rich but morally bankrupt jetsetters buying up American real estate for absurdly low amounts of money and selling for a profit almost every single time or having a vacation or investment homes in or near most of America's most popular cities. There are exceptions to this, but if you're from Europe and spend a lot of time in the US, you may want to consider snatching up some of these homes and condos as a pied-à-terre; it appears you're all in a no-lose position right now. And European people actually have vacation time to use to see the world around them, something that I truly envy of them. In any event, this has got to be one of the first times I've been in a club's V.I.P. section and actually saw many of the kinds of people (everything from jewels to jobs) that you would expect.
The day was planned: we'd get there "early" so we could lounge by the pool, people watch, have a light dinner and then change for the evening while there. We helicoptered in from around a friend's house on another part of the island; I could feel the excitement building in me as it touched down with a smoothness that wasn't guaranteed by our wobbly take off. The music was thumping and it was the bassline of a song I'd never heard before but grew to love the closer I got to the club's entrance, which was flanked by a St. James Red Continental GTC and an Obsidian DB9 Volante, sun gleaming off the grilles of both. I was already bopping along, ready to find my way to the dance floor. I found out the song was by a DJ I knew (Hani) but it was a song of his I didn't know anything about; the song was Baby Wants To Ride and it just set the tone for the rest of the evening for me. When you enter, you have choices as to where you can began your odyssey; the place has multiple lounge areas, a restaurant containing something called food, multiple bars, a swimming pool, small dance floors EVERYWHERE (or were they walkways turned into impromptu dance floors?) and an enormous central dance floor. Every place you looked was teeming with people, laughing, talking (sometimes in languages other than French) and dancing, nonstop dancing. This one couple was moving in synchronicity to not just the song, but each other. I envied that woman more than anyone in a long time because her man wasn't just hearing the music and using it to grind away on her like a drunken frat boy; he was feeling it inside. I wanted to stay and linger with the common folk but it was not to be because it was at that moment I was led quickly to Sanctuary . . . V.I.P.
V.I.P.: Vapid, Isolationist Purgatory? Very Idiotic People? Vacuous, Ignorant Perdition? Voraciously Incompentent Person? Virulently Insouciant People? Maybe.
V.I.P. in most clubs anywhere you go invariably tends to have three kinds of atmospheres: 1) few people and somber, 2) lots of people and somber, 3) lots of people and wild. Notte's VIP is squarely in the last category, with people actually enjoying themselves and not trying so hard to seem cooler than they actually are (most were that cool). VIP can sometimes be so dry and boring you wish you hadn't paid the extra money, if you paid at all, to sit and look at other people having fun. I've walked out of VIP more times than I care to remember to "slum "with folks on the lower levels of a club. But not this time. For once, the people on the floor looked slightly covetously at the people in VIP. This was definitely the place to see and be seen. The brands I can easily recall seeing were DSquared, Versace, Imitation of Christ (I can't believe I actually saw somebody wearing these clothes!), Balenciaga, Kill City, Red or Dead, Dolce & Gabbana, Ralph Lauren, Monarchy, Heatherette, Ed Hardy, Blue Blood, a lot of Levi's and other stuff I couldn't readily identify. In short, everyone was in everything. I saw quite a few watches from many brands I did and did not expect to see, with a few surprising exceptions being absent (not ONE Omega). The ones I wrote down and saw or recognized clearly, not including the ones below that I especially liked, were a stop-in-your-tracks stunning Richard Mille, a Franck Muller, two Roger Dubuis, a beautiful Corum (with a SUPERB Marquetry stone dial ), a Breitling Flying B (he owned the Bentley parked right near the doors), a white and red gold Big Bang with a diamond bezel, a REAL Deep SeaDweller ON THE BARTENDER of all people and two, count'em, TWO Hysek. I could tell quickly this was the may-juh leagues.
To give me some food for thoughts, my host purchased a bottle of Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin's Prestige Cuvee, La Grande Dame, to sip with an order of black truffle mousse and chocolate covered strawberries that was out of this world! After imbibing that with everyone, the rest of the evening I spent nursing a very delicious bottle of Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneauf du Pape (Rhône wines are my favorites). My head was swimming at the end of the night but the best part about it: no hangover. Good alcohol consumed responsibly, and by responsibly I mean two thirds of a bottle LOL, means little aftershock the next day, I've found.
I sat near the middle of a large sectional that was a GREAT vantage point for me to take everything and everyone in, completely at my leisure. Some of the people that came and went on the couch throughout the evening, I spoke to and got to know briefly, fleetingly. And some I made sure to get close to and speak with personally (more on that later!). The clothes, the watches and the bags were all top notch (most likely real) and you know for the benefit of the chic Geeks, I noted how the people who had the best watches or bags looked overall (talking to some) and jotted down what I saw that I thought could be found in the network of replica sites all of which we know. The whole evening everyone wanted to know what I was scribbling in my tiny notebook so be aware I looked ridiculous just for you guys.Do keep in mind my surroundings; I saw most of these items in an evening setting which probably gave them and their respective owners an extra touch of glamour. However, almost all of them can be used during the day, everyday even, and give the mundane goings-through of life a little extra meaning. The other bit of good news is that most of it can be had rather easily thanks to replicas, allowing you to incorporate these items right into your collection, if you do not own them already in either replica or genuine form.
For example, I was wearing my genuine Zenith El Primero (a replica of this watch has yet to supplant having a genuine one, which I barely ever wear out because I dislike it) and a plain blue v-neck Express t-shirt with these shorts. Now, I paid $250 for the shorts at a boutique in Bethesda. Bluefly has them for $94 dollars here. I know what you're thinking but I just had to have them. And I know what you're going to say. You're going to say, "Ya just couldn't wait, could ya, Posh? You couldn't wait like you'd tell us all to do, could ya?" Oh wait . . . the Bluefly shorts are BROWN and mine are black. I feel so much better now. I didn't want those bad boys in brown when I was in Bethesda! I don't care if they are $94.
Anyway, I think mixing the real in with the replica gives the whole look believability; I think that's the key to pulling it all off. You just have to decided what item is going to be real and what item is going to be fake/on sale/ wrong color. :o)
"Carly"
Early in the evening, I was joined on the couch by a girl who reminded me, at least by her dress, of a nouveau Carly Simon; we totally hit off and she remained my club buddy until the place closed. Although I remember distinctly her last name, her first name just escapes me. I guess once I had it in my head she looked like Carly Simon, there was NO hope. At least when she smiled, instead of seeing two rows of teeth big as the grille on a Cadillac Escalade, you're were greeted by normal sized choppers that were perfect and pearly. Carly was from Denmark, spoke English perfectly and was an au pair for a wealthy Spanish couple who had a second home in Cargèse which is seaside town 50 miles from PV; it was her off night and she was determined to forget about their two utterly rotten children in anyway possible. She had a comprehensive bank of music knowledge and we discussed our favorite types of music, musicians and musical philosophy the whole evening.
She was wearing a dark brown floppy apple brim hat a la Carly Simon with these Ben Sherman sunglasses she swiped from her boyfriend. A white cowl neck sleeveless cashmere sweater, white linen short shorts and a pair of to-die-for high-heeled, strappy leather espadrilles which just set the whole throwback look off but were almost impossible for her to dance in. The look was VERY hip but also very classic. But the best part of the whole 1970s meets New Millenium look was her watch and brown lamb leather bag.
Thomas Wylde Mission Leather Tote
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This bag is HOT AS SH*T! I had seen it in magazines, blogs and totally dismissed it as being too pirate-y. I thought it was simply a bag that was trying to cash in on a trend amongst stupid fashion mavens who needed an in-your-face "rebel" look with a price tag that obliterated all notions that a similar bag could be found at Hot Topic. Well, I was wrong, wrong, wrong! The minute you see this bag, you're envious if you don't own one. I would venture to say that even guys could carry these with little fear of being called out as a murser. This bag is made of super soft but distressed lambskin that will make you wonder if it's still attached to the lamb. Normally for me, studs, beads, sequins and other BeDazzler-like effects turn me off but not with this. This line of clothing and accessories is from the imagination of ex-model Paula Thomas who now has my vote for anything she decides to run for in the future.
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Angelina Jolie (LOVE her!) and Heidi Klum wear these clothes along with pop trash receptacle Ashlee Simpson, which, let's be frank, does this brand NO favors, at least not with me. They are lucky that I think Angelina Jolie can do no wrong stylistically. The clothes are sold in a limited number of boutiques worldwide and the bags of her line are sold in an even more limited number which explains why I can say I've never seen one in person until that poin. I saw her bags here but couldn't warm up to them like I could the clothes; they just seemed kitschy, in a very bad way. Well, now, count me among the converted. This bag is sensuously slouchy, has two nicely appreciated outside zip pockets and is large without being ridiculous about it.
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It MUST be said for the benefit of the ladies lounging luxuriously in the Pacific Rim that while I think the quality of this particular replica seems fine, even for your notoriously prickly market, Thomas Wylde's awesome replica skull bags are just not the bag for you to buy (the rest of the world should basically be okay). I just don't think those particular will give you the effect you're looking for exactly. The bags overall are 98% close but there's one or two things externally that will give you away every time, the skull's nose is a big one along with the shape of the skull's eyes; most are still not up to snuff. Although please be aware that you may be lucky enough to get one that passes muster; I just wouldn't bet on it unless you get pictures of the exact bag you're being sent first. The sun cross and scorpion bags should be okay but I would check the pictures on any website or dealer you visit EXTREMELY CLOSELY; I mean SEVERE SCRUTINY because a lot of Thomas Wylde replicas are hit-or-miss!
TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph (So-called "Brad Pitt" Special Edition)
This watch is available in the Continental US through sead1999.
While I do not know about this model being specifically Brad's model, I do know that this watch is all the money. In addition to her boyfriend's Ben Sherman sunglasses, Carly swiped his watch to wear too which was totally smart. The watch has a timeless look that look that looks as good now as it did thirty years ago. Good design should have longevity but good design doesn't sacrifice style for it.
The Carrera debuted in 1963 and was the first of any Heuer watch to actually get a brand name. Back in its early days, it came in all kinds of variations, so much so that collectors have a tough time figuring out what is or is not original to a vintage model, sending the watch in for service further complicates things both then and now. But the new Carreras I absolutely love because the design is familiar, very Daytona-esque, but also fresh in it's perspective. This is the watch that I think people who love the Daytona (replica or real) should buy; it has many of the styling cues of the Daytona except for its signature subdial layout. Vintage Daytona/Cosmographs that look very similar to the Carrera (they were introduced within two years of each other) go for big bucks and the Daytona's popularity ensures that it is a fairly well-known watch with a novice watch collector. There's no way many people could pull off wearing a replica vintage Daytona/Cosmograph without it looking artificial, especially if the watch is unmodded. The Carrera is the perfect solution because it's bold, large and has a history as long and illustrious as the Daytona's. The other good thing is that the movement inside is the unmolested Asian 7750, so long- or short-term reliability issues won't arise.
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This watch comes in several dial and strap variations, just like the genuine both vintage and contemporary. I highly recommend adding this watch to your collection, both girls and guys.
Egon (Seriously. Where are the rest of the Ghostbusters?)
Off to edge of my peripheral vision I could see what I thought was spasmodic movement, very violent, and it caused me to lean my body forward and twist my head quickly to the left because I was sure whoever it was was about to hit the floor. A seizure, perhaps? Nope. It was Egon, I was soon to find out, a stylish German who's chest convulsions were supposed to represent his immense joy or something. Come to find out, that's just the way he loves to dance after two pills, if you know what I mean. In any event, he was wearing a pair of utterly BANGIN' Barton Perreiras Vanquests, whose frames are on the movers and shakers, wannabe and real, all over the world. Anyway, Egon was having a fine time by himself, so much so that others began to ask where they could find that kind of a good time for themselves around the club. LOL His whole look was casual with a TIGHT white short sleeved shirt with a johnny collar in a contrasting red tucked into some dark rinsed True Religion Billy Super T Bootcuts in Badass. These pants, in both real and replica form, are available anywhere on the Internet and your local mall with the real jeans running about $350 and replicas going for $75. I know how everyone feels about replica sunglasses so I won't recommend them but I seriously doubt the Perreiras are near you unless you live near a high-end, independent specialty boutique or a Neiman-Marcus.
The shoes he was wearing were Mark Nason's and KILLER, but I think most people would find the cost prohibitive (unless you're single with no kids). I found this boot by Frye in black and brown that as similar feel for a few hundred less. But if you ever get a chance to splurge, get some Mark Nason's.
Chopard Mille Miglia GT XL Speed Black
This watch is available in the Continental US through sead1999.
In addition to the really fly shades, he was wearing the Speed Black Mille Miglia. By now, you've heard me extol the virtues of the Mille Miglia line and this watch is no exception. The genuine watch is a limited edition model released a few months ago and has a DLC coating, not just a polished PVD coating like the replica. DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) is not unlike the treatment that is done to the stones of Betterthandiamond.com to make them visually and somewhat molecularly, at least superficially, behave like a diamond. DLC, of which there are seven levels each offering better properties and escalating costs, is amorphous carbon with both a hexagonal lattice(rare) and cubic lattice (common) crystalline structure mixed together at the nanoscale; this unique process enables the coating to remain closely bonded to the substrate on which it is applied but also remain somewhat flexible, reducing the friction coefficient significantly of the object as well. This makes it ideal for not just jewelry but also industrial applications like the tips and edges of blades and drills, harddisk platters, engines and even cookware. In the case of the Mille Miglia, it gives the watch a preternatural sheen that is not quite like ceramic and not like polished PVD. A durable shine isn't the only benefit you get from DLC; the coating is virtually scratch-proof, ding and dirt resistant. If a jeweler near you offers this service, try it out with your PVD watch because the end results (less worry about marring the finish) are worth it.
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It must be said that this watch is flashy. It may be all black, a sign of "stealth," but it's 43mm size, high case detail and "floating" '12' and '6' ensures that it gets itself and you noticed. You simply cannot not see this watch; that's patently impossible.
Fabia
This was Egon's very vivacious wife who was keeping a close eye on him, handing him napkins and water all evening. For some reason, Carly disliked her and was very glad when she eventually got up to join some friends who arrived around one in the morning. I thought she was very funny myself; she had something to say about EVERY person that walked by, and it was usually derogatory and hilarious! In a club setting, I live by Alice Roosevelt Longworth's quote: "If you haven't got anything nice to say about anyone, come sit next to me." I was definitely not as happy to see her move as Carly was. Fabia was decked out head to toe in Dolce. He shoes were D & G, her jeans were D & G (easy to find replica), and her top was a beautiful black D & G metallic bustier (I strongly recommend watching this item and waiting for it to go on sale). This top would definitely work for women of most all ages; it pushes up and cinches in more than you would think but allows you to be able to do routine things traditional corset tops and bustiers don't allow, like breath. If the company needed a walking and talking spokesperson to let people know why they are one of the hottest brands in the world, they need look no further than Fabia.
D & G Dolce & Gabbana Miss India
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Fabia had the luscious Dolce & Gabbana Miss India which, as far as simple but substantially detailed goes, is in a class almost by itself. Now, I know what you must be saying: "Posh, this looks awfully similar to Bottega Veneta's "Torchon" you mentioned in your Too Busy Being Fabulous post." Even though this is somehwat true, if I were there, I would say: "Shut the f*ck up."
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To simplify, what it comes down to is this: if I were on a tight budget and of the two bags I could only have one, I can say without hesitation that this is the one I'd choose. I'm not a die hard Bottega Veneta fan so it's an easy choice.
Paul
Sometime during the chatter between Fabia, Carly and me, a British guy named had Paul sidled up to us, moving in close but waiting like a tiger in the trees. Paul, who wore a pair of distressed Blue Blood jeans with a Kill City hoodie and this Christian Audigier necklace, was an investment specialist with The Royal Bank of Scotland on "holiday." Guys and gals, if you've never had the chance to check out a pair of Blue Blood jeans, you really should because they are AWESOME, but the prices--not so much; but I honestly can't think of a pair of jeans that actually lives up more to its initial cost than this brand's. His shoes were slick a pair of Porsche Design in the not-so-subtle hue of Guards Red.
Now at first we thought he was moving into to position to hit on one of us, which he was, but he also wanted a glass of our CBCDP. Paul was tall and had Daniel Craig's same square jaw with the very same poked out lips that made him look like he was perpetually displeased. I asked him more than once if he was okay, because it was that jarring, to which he replied, "I'm fine but not as fine as you." I thought that I'd left those tired lines back in America! It looks like monkey lines are in season everywhere but I swear with that accent you could almost buy it.
While he filled his glass and each of ours with the CBCDP, I noticed he was wearing a very handsome Flat Six with the red dial that complemented his immaculate shoes. I asked him if he had a Porsche to go along with it and he said that at this point, the watch was all he could afford but he was "Porsche-anate" to have that! Oh, I love a good play on words.
Porsche Design P'6340 Flat Six (Red Dial)
This watch is available in the Continental US through sead1999.
Porsche Design was started in 1972 by Professor Ferdinand A. Porsche, the designer of the legendary 911, to further his aims of creating magnificently designed products with an artisan's eye for exquisite details and a scientist's mind for high technology. His commitment to these values contributes to a very defined and serviceable design expression, the highest quality craftsmanship and the use of the finest materials. His studio has created everything from grand pianos, cufflinks, tennis rackets, toasters, pens, sunglasses, clothes and even baby incubators. The fanaticism of Porsche to designing enthralling products almost matches that of Porsche's devoted clients. The company is a majority-owned subsidiary of Porsche AG.
They made an impact in the world of horology with their P'6910 Indicator which was both a critical and financial success as the world's first chronograph to mechanically enable a "digital" display of the stopping time in hours and minutes, increasing legibility for use in the car while timing your laps. To see this watch in action is very impressive; it has cemented Porsche Design's place in the annals of watchmaking. The Indicator was limited to a few pieces worldwide and sold for just about $80,000.
The real Flat Six is powered by a modified Valjoux 7750 while the replica is powered by the Asian 7750. This watch is an extremely good replica, spot on to genuine by any and all accounts. This watch is a delight for the eye with the way the '10,' 2,' 4' and '8' are placed and the slots on the side of case. This watch is evocative of the Mille Miglia but they have very different personalities. The Mille Miglia IS forward and modern, that's indisputable, but the Flat Six's flair is even more futuristic; I would daresay it is the watch for people who do not like the Chopard.
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People are unanimous in their love for this watch, in genuine and replica form. I couldn't agree more. If red doesn't suit you, there appears to be three colors choices, each one available on the genuine as well.
Fendi Floozie
I have no idea who this girl was but I knew who her bag and shoes were right off. I just saw this girl walking around in this great but scandalously tight yellow sheath mini dress with THIS pair of Christian Louboutains! The The whole look "silently" telegraphed her as a card carrying, union dues paying member of the Demi Monde. Everything probably would have worked better separately or with only one other item, e.g. dress and shoes; dress and bag; bag and shoes but NOT dress, bag and shoes all at once. She appeared to be having a good time in any case. However watching her try to sit was terribly funny; the dress was, no doubt, super cute but it was also super short and sitting down presented her with many . . . issues. Her solution? Perch her @ss on the edge of a bar stool with her legs straight out in front of her! Give that b*tch a cowboy hat and a lasso and she could easily have been the Marlboro Man.
Fendi Crossword Clutch
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Floozie was carrying last year's Fendi Crossword clutch which I actually adore but not for $1,000 which is its price, if you can find it. Some people don't like logos and some people do, and there's usually fluidity between the two camps. I'm usually in Camp Logo, singing songs around the bonfire and making macaroni pictures. Why? Because sometimes the worst thing in the world, for some people, is to spend over a thousand dollars on a bag or outfit and get a comment from someone who says they saw that same item at Target but didn't get it. I don't know about you, but that's sh*tty. It makes you wonder why you spent the money at all if stuff essentially like it can be had at Target-- without a waiting list!
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Anyway, I'm really not much of a clutch gal, not even for formal events, but I just love this one because it incorporates a handle into the design but still keeps the look clean, integrated and minimal. I just have to have some kind handle on my bag; that's it. I'm pretty flexible otherwise. It could be as big as a duplex and weigh as much as a Maury Povich Show toddler but just give me a handle. I like having the option of a handle mainly because I would be more inclined to hold it in traditional clutch fashion as long as I don't have to commit to it. I don't like being forced to carry it in my hand like a baton in a relay race. Every time so far in my life I've had a clutch like that, I end up looking around all evening for the next fashion runner to snatch it out of my grasp! I just tend to stay away from them more often than not. Be aware this bag would look silly filled with junk so keep it light, ladies.
Random Burberry Dude
This guy sat a couple of seats away from our core group but I noticed him because the outfit he had on was very, very stylish. He was wearing a pair of highly tailored black slacks with a matching, form hugging black vest by god knows who and a Burberry nova check long sleeve button down underneath(cuffs flipped back) that seemed purposely untucked all the way around and open at the throat; overall, he was very dapper indeed. He was wearing a pair of polished cap toe oxfords that were nice but generic; he probably spent the most of his money on the watch. It was, for the most part, a very formal outfit that was taken down a notch in formality by the use of the Burberry shirt. But the best part of this classic outfit with a twist was the watch he choose to wear with it, a watch that echoed the tone of his look pretty closely.
IWC Ingenieur AMG Edition
This watch is available in the Continental US through sead1999.
IWC's former flagship watch Ingenieur (French for "engineer"), called "Inge" by many of its enthusiasts, has a past fraught with as much change as TAG's Carrera. It was introduced back in 1955 to very little fanfare and was supposed to be the private citizen edition of their venerable Mark XI, a well-regarded manual wind pilot's watch. Don't let the relatively elegant looks of the watch 50 years ago fool you, it was intended to be able withstand the kind of strenuous use that most watches of that time period could absolutely not. People tend to forget sometimes that mechanical watches are really tiny, delicate machines with some parts so small you need magnifying lenses just to be able to really see them; albeit this shouldn't keep us from enjoying them fully but it should keep us wary of their limitations. Either way, thanks to the Ingenieur's special construction with robust movement components, soft iron dial and inner casing, it could withstand extreme temperatures, high amounts of magnetism, heavy shocks and water. To put it in perspective, it could withstand water pressures almost as high as Blacpain's Fifty Fathoms and Rolex's newest family member, the Submariner, and beat them both with resistance to other forces they could not. This watch was considered first foremost a "tool" watch before anything else, luxury included.
During the 1970s, IWC decided to totally change the look of the Ingenieur to give it the pizazz we applaud and actually recognize today in the lineup of several brands. If the Ingenieur looks familiar to you it's because you've seen it in the Audemars Piguet lineup as the Royal Oak and at maison Patek Philippe as the Nautilus; Gerald Genta, who designed the Ingenieur, also designed of both those other models as well. I believe that of all three models, the IWC has aged the best. I'm not a fan of Nautilus, quartz or no quartz, because the "melted pat of butter" look doesn't do a thing for me. And for some reason, it takes a VERY busy design like the Rubens Barrichello to get me excited about these watches which should for everyone's sake stay on leather or rubber straps. The Inge has the best steel strap of all three models. Patek Philippe has gotten the hint lately and is spicing up the Nautilus in that Royal Oak way. Good luck with that, Patek. Here is the replica with the titanium strap.
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This watch wasn't the first partnership that IWC had with a German automotive company. Back in late 1970s, IWC started a lucrative partnership with Porsche Design which would precipitate many innovative time pieces, like the first all titanium watch. Even though this partnership, by all accounts now and then, saved IWC from bankruptcy in the early 1980s, the cooperation between the two companies was absolved in 1997 because Porsche Design's pre-eminence wasn't just diluting IWC's brand value, it was cannibalizing it. Just before the end of the relationship, Porsche Design purchased Eterna which now makes all their watches.
If there was mid-sized replica available, I'd have one.
Valeska
It was easy to remember her name without referring to my notepad because I had never heard that name before and it was just beautiful. She was walking into the bathroom, which had a terrible line, just as I was coming out, and I screamed and grabbed her arm. She laughed and stopped while I apologized. She was carrying a $5,000 Jimmy Choo python Lohla-Jayne which, as I was conversing with Mrs. Samurai Jack one evening, was a style I just LOVED and hoped they would replicate. Neither of us saw that in the cards, for some reason, and it's definitely a bag I'd pay retail for which I don't have to do now.
Jimmy Choo Lohla-Jayne
Side:
From the first ever I saw this bag, I was in love. Mrs. Samurai Jack and I were leafing through Jimmy Choo's site and picking things out, comparing them to their replica counterparts and chatting when I saw this number. The hooks from a dog leash are essentially what these are, right? As most people are aware already, I really enjoy juxtaposition within fashion. If it's the same old same old BUT with a novel detail, functional or not, I usually will cave rather quickly to the whole exercise. This bag is no exception. While it has a pretty plain shape and very little ornamentation, it has these totally unexpected trigger hooks as part of the straps. How interesting is that?! Strangely enough, the rest of her outfit I can't even vaguely recall because after I saw this bag, people started slowing down, time sort of stood still. I DID manage to notice she had a pair of Oliver Peoples Strummers on top of her head though. I thought these were just for girls but they're actually unisex.
Interior:
I found out, thanks to new best friend Valeska, that hooks look really cute hooked together with the longer straps left out, for when you'd rather carry it in top handle fashion at your side. We both agreed that in order for that to work comfortably the bag would have to be relatively empty because those hooks would dig into your hands something fierce! This purse also has quite a few interior pockets that help keep things organized so it doesn't fall into the glamorous, wide open trash bag category that plagues so many purses with designs like this. Based on the photos provided by RepE, Jimmy Choo's photos and what I remember of the bag, it is looks spot on to the genuine, interior as well. It comes in patent black and off white lux leather. hey, Asian market girls! This one is MORE than okay!
Italo
It was about 2:06 in the morning. The music was at full tilt. The club was dark but not yet pea soup; you could still make out the faces of the person with whom you arrived and the new person with whom you were going to leave. LOL My CBCDP had just run out but I wanted maybe just a little more to drink. I decided to go up to the bar and order one mixed drink to nurse until we left. I asked Carly to watch my purse while I went over to the bar since my host had decided to pick that moment to take a bathroom break. I walked up to the bar and ordered what a friend of mine invented and named a French Russian in Malibu (just like a White Russian but you replace the regular vodka with some kind of vanilla flavored vodka and a splash of Malibu Rum). While I was waiting, my eyes zoomed to a particular face fairly near where I was standing. I studied the features closely and I was sure I recognized him. Was he someone I'd met before? Was he famous? Could it be the elusive Jimmy Hoffa? ELVIS?! All these things swirling around in my mind. With my acute Finey Sense (finey=financial), I could see immediately that he had a pair of Gold & Wood sunglasses on top of his head, a very high-end frame maker that manufacturing in Paris. It was these I was later to find out. I decided to put all the questions to rest and took out my trusty Financial Geologist Tricorder and scanned him. Why, it was none other than the man himself!
Italo Fontana is the head of the other ginormous Italian watch brand, U-BOAT, a fairly new company that's been making watches since the about the year 2000. Now, I think it's fairly well-documented that I, for very solid reasons, personally and professionally don't like the Panerai brand. Sorry. But I can tell you for a fact that I probably dislike U-BOAT just a tad bit more, if for nothing else on principle really; it's not fair to Panerai otherwise and I'm always fair. I mean Panerai is a brand who's image is based primarily upon it's watches being bigger than what was considered normal, plain but fashionable; their design motif being that of literally no design motif. Italo studied that trend in watches and decided if big, plain and absurdly overpriced fashion watches can sell fairly briskly than surely a way to capitalize on that is to make a similar watch, only bigger and with greater detail, with the same movements. From a business standpoint, I cannot fault him for his logic. Panerais DO sell, if not exactly for list, and so that must mean there's a market for this kind of oversized watch, right? Um, I believe the saying is don't hate the player, hate the game. Keep on keepin', Mr. Fontana. LOL
U-BOAT Flightdeck CAS
This watch is available in the Continental US through sead1999.
I wish I could talk about U-BOAT's history and accomplishments within horology but they don't really have any, per se, and they're okay with that. The concept of these watches started with Italo Fontana's grandfather, Iluo, who was commissioned by the Italian government in 1942 to design and build a watch that would be used by Italian navy pilots. The stipulations were that the watch had to be instantly legible in all weather and light conditions. Well, you can imagine that a 1942 Italy headed by Il Duce wouldn't soon need these watches so they were never actually produced. Fast forward to the year 2000, when everything old becomes "new" again, and you have a million dollar idea ready for a second chance.
I spoke with Italo, off record of course, for over half an hour and what I liked best about him, other than his roguish eyes and determined smile, was his utter lack of p retention. Some of the watches sold by U-BOAT are very large, very dramatic and expensive fashion watches. Although, as some astute watch aficionados can tell you, they didn't start out this way. U-BOAT, like MANY an Italian firm, began by selling a fairly shoddy product that looked great. Period. The watches were different but their fit and finish left quite a bit to be desired, bracelets were known to spontaneously break at any given time due to the heft and stress on pins which meant at any moment your watch could hit the pavement, damaging the watch and the movement. What movement was in all these gigantic watches only just a few years ago? Inexpensive Miyota quartz movements (getting a quartz powered U-BOAT doesn't necessarily give the watch away as being a replica). The movements were supposed to be the best constructed part of these watches at that time. The prices at that period, like the Italian-owned British company Belstaff before their makeover a few years ago, was inexpensive ($300-$900) compared to recently. To be fair, in 2008, U-BOAT quality is has increased, Unitas movements abound and the price has gone up exponentially. Nature, and Wall Street, abhors a vacuum so Fontana replaced the segment vacated when his watches moved upscale with Welder. Whoa. It's like porn for the Trent Reznor watch set.
Back:
I don't really mind U-BOAT's watches because while the size and attitude are more than a little Paneristic, the watches still have an approachable, almost affable industrial design that I find captivating. Luckily enough, they offer other cases sizes and designs to appeal to all. If Panerai and Porsche Design had a child, U-BOAT would be it. But if U-BOAT and U-BOAT hooked up illicitly, Welder would be the abomination springing from that. Bigger has always been construed as being better, especially in the America, Land of "Plenty;" that is quickly proving to be our undoing. Are watches a part of this nefarious plot? I can't say for sure. I'll keep you posted. LOL
U-BOAT is not making minute repeaters, bi retrograde tourbillons or Calibre 89 level complications, not yet anyway. They are quite simply giving the people even more of what they want with a bold, in-your-face design that's unapologetically brash and contemporary. Now don't get me wrong, I don't think this watch is suitable for everyday HOWEVER for a night out, or even a day out, when you're feeling bold and rebellious, this watch makes a darn good case for you to take it along with you.
Damier Graphite Rem
This particular bag was named in honor of the famous and sinfully talented Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas who won the Pritzker Architecture Prize 8 years ago, although why they are honoring him now I have no clue. I guess now's a good a time as any, before he died. I think that's the great thing about the Pritzker Prize: it's for living architects. The architect actually gets to bask in the award afterglow while still physically able! This award is a pretty big deal in the world of architecture. His fantastic and critically accliamed book, Delirious New York , provides an interesting treatise on where New York came from and ultimately where it's going, socially and architecturally. One of his first most celebrated buildings is the gorgeous Netherlands Dance Theater in The Hague, which could have garnered him the Pritzker all by itself. The jurors at the time of his selection included Giovanni Agnelli, the CEO of Fiat, and The Lord Rothschild. His buildings and private homes are represented on almost every continent.
Side:
I noticed that Italo, like any good European man worth his salt, was totting his belongings in a bag from the newest additions to the Louis Vuitton line, Damier Graphite. The bag was actually stuffed to the gills. It contained a Canon Elph, a PDA phone I was unfamiliar with and a bunch of other miscellany. While American men have a hard time believing that they carry enough stuff these days to warrant a battle satchel of some kind, there are other uses for these bags that some of you may have overlooked. The bag is big enough to stylishly carry other items like camcorders, digital cameras or whatever else you can think of to ease the "murse" stigma. Actually, this WOULD make a good camcorder/digital camera and camcorder/digital accessories bag for dudes.
Interior:
The time I spent at the club was fun and enlightening but what I saw on my way was equally eye opening. Please continue to Halfway Between The Gutter And The Stars (Part II)!
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Originally Posted by Joewatch
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