Ferrari at the Sydney Opera

Ferrari Racing Days has come down under for an amazing racing extravaganza. For the first time in Australia, fans were able to see the Ferrari 458 Asia Pacific Challenge series and experience the thrill of the official Ferrari F1 show.

It was the largest gathering of Ferrari cars with the latest models displayed together with classic Ferrari's that have helped create the history of the Prancing Horse. The impressive range of vehicles included: a 250GT Europa, 250GT PF, Coupe, 250GTL, 275GTB, 330GTC, 330GT, 365GTB, 365GTC, 365BB, 246GT and the most impressive jewel in the crown a 166MM. The spectacular Ferrari 166MM, which is privately owned was imported into Australian from New Zealand specifically for the Ferrari Racing Days. Considered to be one of the greatest Ferrari’s of all time, the 166MM is one of the most beautiful and rare cars that was on display.

I was privileged enough to get an invite to the opening act which was the official ‘Welcome Party’ on Friday the 11^th of April at the Sydney Opera House. A wet day turned into a wonderful early evening as a friend and I made our way down to Circular Quay.

A spectacular cruise ship the Celebrity Solstice was just leaving. 

As we walked towards the front of the Opera house, there was the unmistakable red of the Ferrari Marquee. 

It was fortunate that we were early, as we managed to get a few pictures of the layout and preparations.

The new Ferrari Formula 1 car did not get all the attention.

We also managed to get a few pictures of the Hublot novelties just before the 300 or more guests arrived for a night of racing passion, great food and a never-ending flow of Veuve Clicquot.

But the star of the show was an exclusive prototype of the Hublot Masterpiece MP-05 La Ferrari.

To say that this watch is a technical marvel is an understatement as only by seeing it in the flesh can one appreciate the intricate and often astounding finer details and its surprising wearability.

I knew that the ultimate destiny for this piece was the Hublot Factory but this didn’t stop me from trying to negotiate a time share arrangement with little success. The consolation was that at least I was one of the very few who were lucky enough to try this watch.

Back to the festivities. Mr George Souris, Minister for Tourism welcomed the guests and officially opened the first Ferrari Racing Days in Australia. The night was attended by Herbert Appleroth, CEO Ferrari Australasia and a considerable number of foreign guests which was a great way to meet new friends.

Hublot donated a clock signed by Ferrari driver Kimi Räikkönen, to raise funds towards a specialised Youth Cancer centre at Prince of Wales Hospital in Randwick to provide support to 16-25 years olds with cancer.

This event was another testament of the successful ongoing relationship being forged between Hublot and Ferrari. My friend and I certainly enjoyed ourselves and we both commented that this was one of the best events that we have attended so far this year if not over the last few years. 

Black by Ezard, The Star, Sydney

Vikki had a rare weekend off, so we decided to have a day in the city. I also decided to treat her for her birthday and to celebrate 20 years of us being together. We were at The Star  as we had thought of going to Balla Osteria by Stefano Manfredi, alas it was closed. Surprisingly Black by Ezard was open. Surprisingly, because we didn’t think they were open on Sundays.

For Sunday lunch, Black By Ezard offers a special 3 course champagne lunch, which  sounded good to us. Champagne on offer was Moet& Chandon, so that settled where we were going to eat.

Pushing through the large front door we entered a very luxurious room. Dark woods, stone flooring, water views, shiny modern chrome lighting, beige leather and beautiful screen panels were a pleasing sight. We were seated in the main area, back from the window but still able to enjoy the view of the bay and brilliant blue sky.

The concise menu for lunch had a great range of options to choose from along with a good selection of sides. 

But first, a mini house made brioche loaf was bought to the table. 

One of my favourite entrees was on the menu which made my first choice easy. Beef tartare with heirloom beets, spiced herb mayonnaise, mustard ice cream and puffed wild rice. The beets were done in several ways, one of which was a deep purple gel covering the tatare. All together an interesting and delicious dish.

Vikki chose the slow cooked, crispy pork hock, apple and pear slaw with chilli caramel. A slice of crispy, deboned hock was topped with the slaw, radish slices and drizzled with the chilli caramel. Vikki said it was a great combination of flavours and textures.

Keeping with the beef, I decided to have the 30 day, grass fed Angus fillet. This was served with a roasted cauliflower and pearl onion salad and gremolata. A selection of sauces was also bought to the table for me to choose from, of which I selected béarnaise sauce and Café de Paris butter. Of course with steaks you need some chips, in this case sprinkled with garlic, parmesan and rosemary salt.

Vikki loves a bit of duck every now and then so she chose the duck breast with salt and pepper crust and was served with a peach and rocket salad with tamarind honey dressing. Vikki was impressed with the dressing which she said had a nice sweet sour touch and the salad was great with the sweetness of the peach and the pepperiness of the rocket going well together.

Desserts of course were a highlight. We saw another table with the chocolate dessert, so one of us had to have it. Vikki chose ot have the strawberry shortcake, sauternes mascarpone, yoghurt lime sorbet and strawberry jelly. Vikki likes a light summer dessert on a hot day.

I was the lucky one who ordered the decadent chocolate sphere (reminiscent of our chocolate dessert at Gordon Ramsey @ Claridges), topped with edible gold leaf. The waitress poured warm ganache over the top of the sphere, which melted to reveal the fresh mint ice cream, raspberry mousse and chocolate cookie. Nothing like a bit of a performance with food.

Black by Ezard surpassed our expectations and we will definitely be heading back again. Hopefully our next visit will also be a spectacularly sunny day.

Big Bang Unico: Why I had to have it!

I've been collecting Hublot's since 2007 when I first set eyes on the original Big Bang and to this day it lives up to its name in so many ways. I've owned many variants including Big Bang Steel, Gold, Tantalum and Luna Rossa. Then tried the All Black Classic Fusion. The next big step was the All Black King Power Unico. I loved the movement but felt it was just too big for me. My prayers were answered when Hublot announced the Big Bang Unico.

I was lucky to see the Big Bang Unico prototypes at a HK function last year and while I respected the new design I just wasn't sure. Upon reflection the design was perfect it was just that my state of mind was still set in the past. A brand that has 'Fusion' as it's philosophy will test even its strongest devotee's at times. Two weeks ago my AD had the Titanium Big Bang Unico and I was very impressed, yes those round pushers make sense, the polished and matt titanium contrast on the case is amazing. 

The depth of the dial will keep my interest. This is indeed a big positive step for Hublot. 

Yesterday the sunny Sydney weather was perfect, so after having a wonderful breakfast, we went to buy it. It has been a while since I have been this excited about a watch!

As the Hublot story continues to gather momentum, I look forward to more novelties over many years to come.

Vikki Gets a Rolex and Sydney Gets a Rolex Boutique

One night in early December Vikki and I were in the city for dinner and noticed that the corner space of the Henry Davis York Building had signage up for the new LK Rolex Boutique coming soon. As soon as the store opened we paid a visit to Sydney ’s very first Rolex boutique, managed by LK Jewellery.

I have been pestering Vikki for years to buy a Rolex, but she kept telling me that she was waiting for the right one. Well it happened, she succumbed to the elegance of the flower dial Datejust. Stainless steel as she likes the practicality of it in case she forgets to change watches before she goes to work.

We were also invited to the opening of the LK Rolex boutique which was a week after Vikki bought her  Rolex. The boutique is located in the Henry Davis York Building on the corner of Martin Place and Castlereagh Street. The boutique and the building are great examples of art deco architecture and design, and the fitout of the LK Rolex boutique has taken this in to account and preserved many of the original features.

The boutique has plenty of natural light which allows for perfect viewing of the watches on display. Upstairs is an area for clients to look at the watches in private. 

One the most exciting watches currently on display is the Rainbow Daytona. We were able to get up close and personal with this wonderful white gold Daytona with a bezel of 36 rainbow coloured sapphires and 56 diamonds on the lugs and dial.

The first part of the evening was held in the boutique, allowing guests time to look at the range of Rolex watches before being whisked up to the terrace for more drinks, canapés and the nights speeches. A DJ provided some groovy music to keep the night moving along, and the drink of choice for the evening was Vintage Veuve Cliquot Champagne.

The terrace was a great spot with views up and down Martin Place and even though the night was slightly cloudy, the lights of the city reflected off the clouds nicely. A small watchmakers counter was set up on the terrace where you could have your timing and other things tested on your Rolex.

Mr James Kennedy, CEO and GM of LK Jewellery along with Mr Patrick Boutellier, GM Rolex Australia gave the first speeches about the collaboration and long relationship between the two companies. Mr Boutellier also commented it was “about time” Sydney had a Rolex boutique.

The highlight of the evening was the speech by guest of honour, Australian tennis legend and Rolex brand ambassador, Mr Rod Laver. With anecdotes of his sporting career and life since his days competing, it was a great insight in to one of Australia’s best tennis champions.

All good things come to an end and it was time to go home. A big thank you to LK Rolex Boutique for inviting us to join in the launch of Sydney’s first Rolex boutique.

Strip House, Manhattan

One restaurant that Vikki and I didn’t have time to try in 2012 was Strip House on 12^th Street. This year we found they have a location closer to where we were staying so we decided to go in for dinner.

Strip House Midtown is a large restaurant and bar spread over 2 floors. Rich siren red walls adorned with original Studio Manasse prints of 1930’s burlesque performers and decor that combines old world glamour with modern style and sophistication. The large crystal chandeliers are quite amazing.

We decided to sit upstairs and had a great waiter named Ray. Something about him reminded me of a young Sinatra, he seriously would have fit in with the Rat Pack. Our table overlooked the ground floor so we had a great view of what was happening down there.

Some of the Studio Manasse Prints lining the walls:

Menu and rolls with a glass of rose champagne:

We loved the little covers on the butters:

Gazpacho for our amuse:

Being a big fan of Surf and Turf I couldn’t resist choosing it, along with Striphouse Steak Sauce. The prawn was the largest we have ever seen, almost the size of a marron, the steak was a classic fillet.

Vikki went for the Kobe striploin with caramelised soy, yuzu and radish salad. The caramelised soy was very good, sweet and salty, the salad of radishes and yuzu really cut through that saltiness. We added a side of garlic and herb chips to go with our steaks.

Of course you can’t visit New York without having a New York Cheesecake. This was a huge slice of cheesecake and we were so glad to share it. Served simply with a berry coulis.

We were very happy to be able to dine at Striphouse this year and look forward to going again next time we are in Manhattan. We might try the 12th St restaurant for our next visit.

Vendome Masterclass

We were fortunate to be invited by Caroline to attend a watchmaking masterclass on our last day in Paris. We thought it was a fantastic way to end our great week in Paris.

On arriving we were met by Caroline, Nicolas, and Jerome the watchmaker. We watched as Jerome disassembled a calibre 822 movement in stages with Vikki and I then attempting to do the same stage.

Wow, great admiration for all those watchmakers who do this work daily. At least this time I got my loupe on straight. Amazing how hard it is to handle the small screwdriver and try not to have the screws fly off while working on the movement. I was just glad that the movement was a practice piece as we left a few scratches on the plates. Vikki was a bit more capable with the small parts, which impressed Jerome and Nicolas, she has had plenty of practice due to her jewellery making hobby.

The movement after we broke it down. Thankfully we didn’t have to take the complete movement apart.

Back together again, with a few extra decorative marks on the bridge. Our artistic touch.

Vikki and I with Jerome.

After our little session of stress and fun, we were invited again to the upstairs salon for an inspection of watches. Caroline not only bought out the watches we had seen previously but also the boutique edition Duometre Unique Travel Time (100 pieces) in white gold. The boutique edition features a red 7 and 9 in the date indicator which represents the address of the Jaeger LeCoultre in Place Vendome. This watch was unveiled at the reopening of the Place Vendome boutique last November.

Perhaps this is the watch I should buy for when we travel, although Australia seems to be missing from the map. I wonder if there is a version with the southern hemisphere.

We would like to thank Caroline, Nicolas and Jerome for their time and attention during our visits to the boutique. We thoroughly enjoyed our time visiting the Jaeger LeCoultre flagship boutique in Place Vendome and look forward to returning again in the future.