Jo Foley chronicles a road trip to remember.

It was a quiet afternoon in San Sebastian, the time of the day when most of the locals were indulging in that ancient Spanish practice called siesta, while many of the visitors were taking in the sights, strolling along the esplanade or relaxing at the beach.

The doormen at the town’s grand hotel – the Maria Cristina – were enjoying the lull as guests had already either checked in or were not ready for the late departures. The air was gentle, the mood almost soporific…when suddenly whoosh! A new Bentley Continental GT Convertible with UK number plates pulled up, and three blondes in various stages of untidiness tumbled out…a cluster of bags, suitcases and paraphernalia awaited in the boot to be collected and a dog lead was thrust at a bellboy. For while Annie needed water, her two companions needed something a little stronger while they checked in.

It had been a long drive, indeed one could say it had been an adventure; and all because a newly acquired car needed to be put through its paces, so that its owner could discover its capabilities. Her last two cars had been Bentleys, but this was the first convertible…and with it, came a desire to take to the open road. A sort of Thelma and Louise but…with dog! Fret ye not, no banks were robbed, no guns were waved and no cliffs were ever in sight…just a romp through France stopping and staying wherever took our fancy…but with one proviso, everywhere we stopped had to be dog friendly. Oddly, not everywhere was…so some serious forward planning became necessary. Mostly we kept to it…but with certain, and serious deviations, such as San Sebastian, which was not on our original list at all but here we were – windblown and excitable in the foyer of the Maria Cristina – ready to bathe, party and explore.

We were Sara, owner of mutt and motor, me, friend and chronicler and Annie, the passenger princess. Normally, she travels in the front with her mistress, but as this was a new machine opened to the elements, she preferred to sprawl in the back – carefully harnessed and belted of course. In her short life, Annie has travelled extensively and mostly within the confines of the UK isles. She has occasionally taken a tube train but has hardly ever been on a bus, which is surprising really, as she likes to be driven. However, her preferred mode of transport is a limo.
In fact, this is how she began her travelling life from a remote Greek island, and needless to say, this is how she is determined to continue. She is not a particularly pampered pooch, but she does have standards. Which is why, when the family who found her had to return to the UK by EasyJet, she didn’t turn a hair, as she immediately knew such transport was not for her. Washed and brushed, inoculated and micro-chipped, she waited first for a ferry and then a car, before embarking on the journey that was going to transform her life from little Orphan Annie to Annie Onassis, a four legged blonde residing in Chelsea.

Unsurprisingly, she has taken to her new life like the proverbial creature she chases in the park, to water. And she is a near perfect passenger, the only one of we three not to get agitated when we appeared to be circling Paris, on its interminable ring road, two or three times. This is where I have to admit that my navigational skills are zilch, the other two blondes knew this before we left home. Even with the additional skill set of Google maps, we found the ‘peripherique’ a little trying. And while the design and accoutrements of the aforementioned new Bentley Continental are almost peerless, its sat-nav is not easily manageable (or perhaps my driver’s knowledge of its workings were faulty). Mostly, we found Google maps on our mobiles easier to follow…apart from one occasion when we had different directions coming from both mobiles, and a third from the car sat-nav!

In general, we managed to get to the places we needed to without too much of a hitch. Although it was sad that we finally got to Orleans in time to see that all the restaurants had closed, and our shabby-chic château guest house didn’t provide food. We eventually found a pizza joint next to a service station, which at first would not allow Annie through the door, but we pleaded so much and looked so pathetic that they agreed to let us sit at the table closest to the door. Weird in a totally empty restaurant… weirder still in la Belle France, where they claim to love ‘les chiens.’

The only other place from which she was banished was at the bar in the Maria Cristina. We, at that stage were in full Thelma and Louise mode and refused to obey…simply agreeing to hide her under the table while we had a late supper under the watchful eyes of Bette Davis, whose portrait looms over the place. There is even a suite dedicated to the movie queen – another blonde – as it claims to be the place where she smoked her last cigarette before being rushed to Paris, where she died. Nothing so dramatic happened during our sojourn, although Annie broke cover at one stage, giving an uncharacteristic growl at a waiter, since in general, she was feted by all the bellboys who walked her, gave her fresh water and the occasional treat.

In truth, she rather enjoyed San Sebastian even though we couldn’t let her loose on the beach – all that sand on the 500 thread count sheets on our return would not have been appreciated…, neither would it have been in the car among the cream leather, so she was kept on her lead there and also while we sashayed through San Juan da Luz on our way to lunch. But she was thrilled to really let her hair down when we stopped off to see friends, just south of Bordeaux, where she had acres of garden and farmland to explore, as well as several cats to chase. Annie spent the rest of that afternoon asleep, relaxed and splayed out in the sunshine, as we headed south. Who knows how many cats she caught in her dreams, while we complained again about the sat-nav, while looking forward to our next pit stop. In fact, Annie is a nearly ideal travelling companion, making friends along the way, introducing us to puddles and parks and never once complaining. Perhaps we’ll plan another journey.

www.sansebastianturismo.com
www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/easlc-hotel-maria-cristina-a-luxury-collection-hotel-san-sebastian
www.bentleymotors.com

A new dazzling star on the Rue Saint-Honoré

Words: Lavinia Dickson-Robinson

Who could have possibly thought that the famous Parisian Rue Saint- Honoré, could become any more magical? Like London’s Bond Street, the Rue Saint- Honoré is the by word of excellence for luxury shopping; a destination for those who crave true luxury and beauty, and for whom only the very best will do.

On the 24th of January this year Buccellati opened the doors of their latest flagship boutique at number 239 of the elegant Parisian street, at the heart of the Biéme arrondissement . Buccellati has long been recognised as one of the world’s most renowned jewellery houses since its conception in Milan in 1919. It has been celebrated all over the world for its sublime craftmanship and breath-taking one off master pieces.

Set into the façade of the iconic Hôtel Costes, four large windows invite you to discover the world of Buccellati. Their wonderful jewels are preciously crafted by the most skilled and experienced artisans in the trade, who know how to bring to light jealously treasured traditions and workmanship techniques, passed over from generation to generation.

Buccellati has focused on the architectonic concept, enhancing the building front with accents of extreme luxury and refinement, where all the Buccellati collections of jewellery, silverware and watches find their ideal location and offer themselves with a renewed splendour.

This Italian Maison prides itself in its use of rare stones, with a strong focus on colour; a characteristic uncommon to many fine jewellery makers. Today, Buccellati jewels are admired worldwide not only for their design and genuine craftsmanship, but also for the house’s signature engraving techniques, which date back to the ancient traditions of the goldsmith’s ateliers of the Italian Renaissance.

www.buccellati.com/en/boutique/paris-1

A legend of watchmaking in the heart of Saxony

Words: Lavinia Dickson-Robinson

Once upon a time, as time goes by, old father time… There are innumerable expressions to describe the elusive character of time, a most sought after commodity in our fast paced world. Very few companies in the watch industry have known how to keep the magic of craftmanship alive, even after 50 year behind the Iron Curtain.

I have just had the great privilege to visit The Glashütte Original factory, on the outskirts of Dresden, a beautiful historic town, surrounded by fairy tale castles and pine forests, twinkling in a gentle dusting of snow.

So, let’s go back to once upon a time… In this enchanting, picturesque town, we find a temple of German watch making dating back to 1845, Glashütte Original. Without a doubt, they are one of the finest examples of haute horlogerie that there is; its manufactury, a place where watch dreams really come true. In an era where we let computers, robots and machines do most of the work, at Glashütte Original, I found true passion and skill from a team of dedicated watch makers; to them, this is not a trade, it is a true calling.

I have always loved watches. I love to hear them gently ticking away, I love to watch their perfect mechanisms working together. To me, a truly hand-crafted watch is not a status symbol, it is a friend to rely on, to give you comfort, a kind of gentle reassurance.

I had no idea that it takes 450 separate pieces -all hand crafted- to create one of Glashütte Original timeless works of art. In a consumer world of here today, gone tomorrow, it’s worth to invest in a piece that will pass the test of time. In my book, a Glashütte Original watch is a perfect example of something that will grow to be part of your family legacy.

This year, Glashütte Original have already launched three sublime watches.

The first is the Lady Serenade. This elegant limited edition of only 50 pieces perfectly combines the high precision of Glashütte Original watchmaking, with sparkling jewels and luminous red accents reminiscent of love. When it comes to fine mechanical watches, it is usually the movement jewels that are ruby-red. With the Lady Serenade, a grand total of 52 radiant rubies – one for every week in the year – frame the bezel of its 36mm stainless steel case. They are complemented by a sparkling cabochon ruby set atop the refined structure of the crown. The deep red colour stands in splendid contrast to the natural white mother-of-pearl dial.

The other two are the new Sixties and Sixties Panorama Date, in a stunning fiery burnt colour.

The new models feature unusual dégradé dials, as radiant as the eventful decade that gives them their name. In the 1960s the world was changing at breakneck speed, inspired by bold visionaries, unprecedented freedom and courageous ideas in art, culture, politics and society. This dynamic decade continues to inspire artists, designers, musicians and the watchmakers at Glashütte Original.

The watch face presents its signature curvature, from the dial and the hands to the sapphire crystal, anti-reflective on both sides. Arabic numerals, diamond-cut indexes, manually applied hour markers and hands highlighted with Super-LumiNova.

After a galvanic bath gives the dial its golden yellow hue, the dial makers carefully apply a series of layers in red and black lacquer. The result of this filigreed craftsmanship is an individual colour gradient that renders each dial unique. In a final step, the dials are heated in a kiln in order to burn in the colours. The low-relief pattern is produced using the original tools and methods from the 1960s. These new timepieces are powered by the manufactory’s 39-52 (Sixties) and 39-47 (Sixties Panorama Date) automatic movements. Developed in-house, they are mounted in polished stainless steel cases, 39 mm in diameter for the three-hand Sixties, 42 mm for the Panorama Date model.  A brown Louisiana alligator leather strap with pin-buckle closure rounds off the vintage design.

www.glashuette-original.com

On Wednesday January 23, Longines and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), hosted the 2018 Longines World’s Best Racehorse and Longines World’s Best Horse Race ceremony at the Landmark hotel, in London. With an equal rating of 130, Winx and Cracksman were together declared the 2018 Longines World’s Best Racehorses.

Winx has been in the Top 10 of the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings since 2015 and has been the highest rated filly/mare in the world since 2016. In 2018, she claimed overall top honours during a season that culminated in her becoming the only horse in history to win the Ladbrokes Cox Plate four times.

Co-winner Cracksman impressed too, with his trademark victory coming in the QIPCO Champion Stakes on British Champions Day at Ascot. The British runner was campaigned by the same connections as Golden Horn, the 2015 highest rated turf horse in the world. Cracksman’s jockey in 2018 was Frankie Dettori, who was named Longines World’s Best Jockey in 2018 and in 2015.
Accelerate, with a rating of 128, earned the third place. Accelerate was the dominant older horse in America in 2018, and Longines was proud to time his great victory in the Breeder’s Cup Classic at Churchill Downs.

This classification is established by international handicappers according to the performance of the horses in top international races. Last year, Arrogate from the United States was named the 2017 Longines World’s Best Racehorse following his epic victories in the Pegasus World Cup in Florida and the Dubai World Cup. The representatives of the three winning horses were presented with Longines watches. The connections of Winx and Cracksman also received a replica of the Longines World’s Best Racehorse vase from IFHA representatives.

One ceremony, two awards
On this occasion, Longines and the IFHA awarded the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe as the 2018 Longines World’s Best Horse Race, where Longines is the Official Partner and Official Timekeeper. This Parisian mythic race attracts the best horses, breeders, trainers and owners in the world.
France Galop President Edouard de Rothschild was at the ceremoy to accept the award. He was presented with a Longines timepiece, a commemorative plate and a replica trophy representing a proud horse head. The first four finishers of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 2018 were Enable, Sea Of Class, Cloth Of Stars, and Waldgeist. The Arc also won the award in 2017 and was the inaugural winner of the Longines World’s Best Horse Race Award in 2015.

The Longines World’s Best Horse Race award recognizes the best-rated race of the highest-rated Group 1 international races as established by a panel of international handicappers. The ratings of the top four finishers in each race serve as basis for the assessment.

www.longines.com