Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2009

‘Rigorous preparation, single minded determination and superlative timing’ is the Rolex catch cry of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht race.
The watch gods have been truly kind to this collector, as my wife and I were invited by ‘The Hourglass’ and ‘Rolex Australia’ to be part of the start of the race. The race is always conducted on the 26th of December ‘Boxing Day’ with the yachts starting in Sydney Harbour and then the journey takes them down the Tasman Sea, Storm Bay and then up to Derwent River to Hobart.

Over the years, the Rolex Sydney Hobart has become an icon of Australia’s summer sport, ranking in public interest with such national events as the Melbourne Cup horse race, the Davis Cup tennis and the cricket tests between Australia and England. No yachting event in the world attracts such huge media coverage – except, of course, the America’s Cup and the Volvo Ocean Race – than does the start on Sydney Harbour. And the others only happen every four or five years.

The day commenced at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia was formed in 1944 and ran its first Sydney Hobart Race in 1945.


We were fortunate to enjoy a wander amongst the yachts just a few hours before the race.


Our mode of transport was the luxurious ‘Cosmos’ that would take us out into Sydney Harbour to follow the fleet through the exclusion zone. Once the race was under way, we would follow the fleet out to Sydney Heads to watch the yachts head south to Tasmania.


As always, traveling in style. Given the special occasion I thought I would wear my 6263. This was certainly a crowd pleaser and all the Rolex executives were impressed.

Husband and Wife wrist shot (what a combo!)

Out in the harbour the weather wasn’t ideal but there was no rain. Sydney harbour at its best.

The main contenders
Wild Oats XI

Alfa Romeo

The final blast from the cannon.....let the race begin.

With the boom of the starting canon still echoing across the Harbour there was an explosion of colourful spinnakers across the fleet.

We were right amongst the action, seeing some of the crews working frantically to get ahead.


Neville Crichton’s 100 foot maxi Alfa Romeo grabbed bragging rights from arch rival Wild Oats XI by being the first yacht out of Sydney Harbour.

A final glimpse of the yachts as they leave the harbour.


Whilst the skies were gray, the smiles on everyone’s faces confirmed that we all had the time of our lives. Naturally great finger food and an almost unlimited supply of Moët & Chandon proved vital ingredients in the festivities.
Rolex Australia certainly know how to entertain in style.

This One Made Me Go Daytona Mad

It's been nearly over two years since I first lay my eyes on a manual Daytona. It was an instant love affair that defied rationality and caused some criticism when I sold the majority of my existing collection to fund some more Daytonas.


Looking back I remain a content man.

Kōhī コーヒー Equals Japanese For Coffee

Japanese coffee culture is exceptionally sophisticated. The Japanese are the true pioneers of ‘canned coffee’. Canned coffee can be found almost everywhere from Vending machines to Convenience stores.


Depending on the time of the year they may be heated for consumption. They can be quite sweet to bitter depending on your taste. The most famous canned coffee is made by the Pokka company since 1973.

The even bigger craze in Tokyo are ‘syphon coffee’ stores which could certainly give some of the global coffee chains are run for their money. Most people compare the look of the syphon brewer to something you’d see in a science lab, as the dual glass chamber ‘defies gravity’ by pushing water up the central tube to the upper chamber for extraction.

Once the extraction is complete and the heat source is removed, a vacuum is created and the resulting brew is sucked back down through a cloth filter to the bottom chamber, separating the grinds from the brew. It’s mesmerising to watch and it’s hard to ignore the ‘wow’ factor.
A more elaborate syphon coffee set up.

The resulting black brew is divine in terms of purity of flavour and total lack of bitterness. This must be the most perfect black cup of coffee I’ve ever tasted.

Some people believe that the flavour is maximised as the coffee brews at about 2ºC below boiling point, without ever actually boiling.

The specialty coffee supply shops one finds are just as amazing.

Another coffee shop in Omotesando, a major up market shopping avenue in Harajuku, Tokyo. This is where all the international fashion brands have stores. If Paris or Milan are the centre of world of fashion design, then Omotesando is the centre of world fashion consumption.

The ultimate coffee shop in Tokyo however is in the side streets of Ginza. Here we enjoyed our coffee and chocolate cake with a shot of Cointreau.

We also indulged in some Ladurée Macaroons in Ginza. Amazing how last year when we were in Tokyo there were no Macaroon shops or European chocolate shops, this year we found many of each just in Ginza. On our final day in Tokyo there were queues outside any western cafes and the local sweet shops were practically empty.

Hopefully this report will send your taste buds into a frenzy.

Lost in Translation

Our second journey to Japan was more targeted in the sense that we only had one week and we wanted to get a deeper appreciation of Tokyo and its people. One quickly realises that even this is an ambitious time frame to get a true sense of this vast city. In Tokyo nothing is done in half measures, the luxury boutiques are essentially the size of Office Towers, taking the customer experience to a completely new standard. Service is always impeccable, with ‘getting the detail right’ a Japanese obsession.

Our first day was much the same as last year, WET, we got soaked. On our second day, we were again welcomed by a Tokyo tower view from our hotel room with the majesty of Mt Fuji in the backdrop. It is views like these that we have so deeply missed since our first visit, which was over 18 months ago. The rest of the week's weather continued to be fine, warmer than we were expecting.

What made our holiday so special this time around was the fact that we also stayed at the magnificent Park Hyatt Tokyo which was the centrepiece in the movie ‘Lost in Translation’, starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson. The Park Hyatt Tokyo must surely go down in the history of cinema. Rarely can a hotel have benefitted so greatly from a movie having been filmed there.

Imagine our excitement as we approached what must be one of the most luxurious hotels we have ever stayed at.

Specially commissioned artworks and furnishings as well as beautiful antiques, throughout the hallways are pleasant diversions.

This rooftop pool(47th floor of the middle tower) must sport one of the best views in the world. We certainly capitalised on the hotels fabulous facilities.

Our room on the 49th floor was just as breathtaking as the views.



Now this is what I call a spirits mini bar.

With all this excitement a pre dinner glass of champagne was in order.

The atmosphere is exactly the same as in "Lost in Translation" and as you wander the corridors, you almost expect to bump into Scarlett Johansson around every corner.




The New York Bar is located on the 52nd floor which is the top tower. The views and layout make this an electrifying experience one that will be cherished by us for a long time. The steak was perfection itself, and the duck breast the biggest we have ever encountered.


The cool Jazz band from Chicago, played late into the night.

This was only a small part of our latest adventures in Tokyo and an experience that we will greatly treasure.

It All Started With An Email

The internet age has brought to us some wonderful trappings, whilst also empowering us to develop enduring friendships despite physical distance.

About eighteen months ago when I was posting on the Timezone Hublot forum, an unexpected email by Emil hit my inbox. From this simple act and of course a few long lunches and drinks in between LOL, spawned the idea and my personal mission to inspire Jean Claude Biver (JCB) to visit the land down-under.

This all came to fruition on the 22nd of October 2009. The venue was carefully chosen so as to complement the theme of the night. Situated in the dress circle of the harbour, Quay restaurant has some of Sydney’s most spectacular views, sweeping from the Opera House to the Harbour Bridge.


The food created by Executive Chef Peter Gilmore is equally awe-inspiring, innovative and celebrates the diversity of Australian cuisine. Quay did live up to its reputation and the food was definite ‘fusion’.
The service was attentive and friendly, really couldn’t fault it. Some complained about the slow wine service but maybe this was wise.


Some of the latest Hublot creations also caused a stir.

King Power - the name says it all.

The ladies took a strong liking to the playful avant garde colour combinations.

This night that was not so much about the Hublot watch, but more about a man’s ability to vividly communicate his passion for life, family and his work.

I’m sure that not just a few guests sensed that JCB takes immense joy in all of his endeavours with cheese making being very close to topping the list.

Importantly, the guests provided the secret ingredient that made the night such a memorable success. This was not just a gathering of the privileged and self important, rather an intentionally eclectic mix of watch lovers, serious collectors, entrepreneurs, business people, artists, sports people etc that had the boldness to converse. People just let loose and had a genuine good time.

The gang and some new friends.

We hope that we have been successful in casting the Aussie mystique and passion on JCB and the Hublot team so they boomerang back in the near future.