Despite being one of the wealthiest, collectible car-courting cities in the world, London has never played host to a genuine, concours-level classic car event. However, that is all about to change when the inaugural City Concours gets underway next week. It will be held on the grounds of the Royal Honourable Artillery HQ in the heart of London‘s financial square mile and, when it officially opens on Thursday, June 8, promises a display featuring 160 of the world’s rarest and most collectible cars from the early 1900s, up to the present day.
Among the cars selected, visitors will see Jaguar D-Type RSF 303, which clinched a podium place at Le Mans in 1957, a 1927 Bentley 3L Speed Wayman and a 1962 Maserati Vignale Spyder 3500.
But they will line up alongside modern classics like the Zagato Ferrari 550 GTZ Barchetta (just three built), a Singer reimagined Porsche 911, a Touring Alfa Romeo Disco Volante Spyder and the current holy trinity of hybrid hypercars — a McLaren P1, Ferrari LaFerrari and a Porsche 818 Spyder.
Of course, no classic car show with a focus on supercars and genuine automotive exotica would be complete without a Bugatti Veyron or a Pagani, both of which will also be present.
“What will really set the City Concours apart from any other car event is the calibre of the cars we’re displaying,” said Andrew Evans, City Concours Director, “The chances of seeing one of these cars on the road are extremely low, but we’ll have all of them plus around a hundred more all gathered in the oasis of green that is London’s Honourable Artillery Company.”
But the other thing that will set this show apart from many others is the number of classics and automotive rarities on show that will be available to purchase. Those cars up for grabs will include a pristine Aston Martin DB2/4 MkII, a Mercedes 300SL, a Ferrari 599 SA Aperta and James Bond’s car of choice, an Aston Martin DB5
But why stop at just the car? Masons & Sons, home to Anthony Sinclair, the tailor that created Sean Connery’s singular look during his Bond years, will also be in attendance, as will a number of the country’s leading art dealers and some of the world’s most revered watchmakers.
Founded on 19 February 2001, the Think the Earth Project was a Japanese based non-profit organisation with lofty ideals of encouraging people to think about global issues and also to “leave the Earth a beautiful place for our children”. In pursuit of those objectives, the NGO worked with Seiko to create a wrist-worn reminder of the planet and it eventually came to be known as the Seiko Think the Earth Wn-1; and in this age of Trump, the watch is not only creepily prescient but totally covfefe.
As Trump pulls out of the Paris Accord, the Seiko Think the Earth Wn-1 watch is totally covfefe and prescient.
Seiko Think the Earth Wn-1 watch is Totally Covfefe
Featuring a 3D rendering of the planet Earth to the scale of 1:580 millionth, the Seiko Think the Earth Wn-1 was aesthetically revolutionary for 2006. Quartz driven, the model of Earth’s northern hemisphere performs a rotation at the same pace as planet Earth, making one full rotation every 24 hours, not only that, it does so mimicking the precise axial rotation – that is to say, the model Earth turns anti-clockwise just like the real one.
As Trump pulls out of the Paris Accord, the out of production Seiko Think the Earth Wn-1 (we found one for sale, details below) is not only totally covfefe but a timely reminder of what’s at stake. There’s one caveat, like many independent watches of today, it’s still not the easiest watch to read. The Seiko Wn-1 Earth watch operates a little counter-intuitively because it follows the true axial rotation of the planet, thus, you’d have to read time anti-clockwise via the small needle marker and this takes some getting used to.
At 45mm. the Seiko Think the Earth Wn-1 has amazing wrist presence, particularly from the side profile.
That said, there’s an immense pay off for visually-inclined geography geeks, if you can accurately draw an imaginary line from the North Pole of the hemisphere and chart it’s course straight through the city of origin, down to the bezel markings, the Seiko Wn-1 Earth watch will give you time at any city immediately thus performing exceptionally as a world time watch.
That said, what really makes the 45mm Seiko Wn-1 Earth watch especially covfefe is the unique aesthetic of northern hemisphere under a hardlex glass dome which imbues the watch with head-turning wrist presence, especially when viewed from side profile. The watch displays hours and minutes via the top down view of the planet.
Amazing side profile of the Seiko Think the Earth Wn-1
Following the Seiko Wn-1 Earth watch is the WN-2, another rare model with updated quartz mechanisms driving the earth module. The new (but also out of stock and out of production) Seiko Wn-2 earth watch has a 3 reducing gears in the drive train that when backed by a new lithium battery, has a 10 year power supply. Both the Wn-1 and Wn-2, come equipped with a “Sophista” black band, a synthetic fabric with exceptional wearing characteristics (chiefly comfort), different from your typical NATO nylon material.
Whether in Wn-1 or Wn-2 configurations, the Seiko Think the Earth watch is a pretty cool piece of engineering – the etched bezel displays clearly mark hours while the bars give you relative indications of minutes; on the Wn-2 version, the bezel is demarcated into day and night halves, making it far easier to read 24 hour time. You can even elect to use the core module as a desk clock by unclipping the central body and installing it into any one of the solid holders packaged within the boxset. This is probably the only world timer watch which gives you the time at all locations of the globe simultaneously. That said, the manual is written in Japanese but this watch is easy to understand conceptually.
From left: The Seiko Think the Earth Wn-1 as separate components. You can assemble the core module into a stand and use it as a desk clock. Right: The Seiko Think the Earth Wn-2 with day-night bezel.
Technical Specifications of the Seiko WN-1 and WN-2 Earth Watch:
100% Japanese quartz movement by Seiko Japan
Waterproof to 10ATM
Materials: Dome- Hardlex Glass. Core module: stainless steel. Bezel- aluminum. Band- urethane-coated leather
24-hour time
Package includes two bezels (silver and sun/moon) and desktop display case. Note that second bezel on white version is differently styled, and does not display sun/moon
Size: 45 (diameter) x 22.4mm (face depth)
We found a Seiko Think the Earth WN-1 on Facebook for €1300
You can usually find the rare Seiko Think the Earth watches for sale on various watch forums for prices ranging from US$700 to US$1000 for a used model depending on condition but this particular model is in “unworn, new old stock condition”. Look up Patrik Bregy on the Seiko and Grand Seiko Watch Fans facebook group. That said, we make no claims or guarantees as to the authenticity of the watch or the physical condition of it. Luxuo and World of Watches is not liable for any purchase decisions arising from this article.
This Talbot-Lago T150-C SS “Goutte d’Eau” Coupé by Figoni & Falaschi sold for €3.36 million at the RM Sotherby’s Villa Erba auction.
In the sumptuous setting of the shores of Lake Como, some 40 classic cars went under the hammer at the RM Sotheby’s auction. Of all the lots, two French classic cars stood out from the crowd.
A sensational Talbot-Lago T150-C SS “Goutte d’Eau” Coupé by Figoni & Falaschi sold for €3.36 million. This entirely restored “Teardrop” coupé is one of only two examples of the striking “Goutte d’Eau” built by Figoni & Falaschi with fully enclosed front fenders. Another big hitter at the sale was a 1935 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante Prototype, which sold for €3.024 million.
In third place came a 1993 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.8, which sold for €2.016 million. Three Ferraris also broke the million mark: a 275 GTS by Pininfarina dating from 1965 (€1.792 million), a 1964 250 GT/L Berlinetta Lusso by Scaglietti (€1.428 million) and a 1990 F40 (€1.064 million).
Note that several vehicles listed in the auction remain unsold, including a 1928 Mercedes-Benz 680 S Torpedo-Sport Avant-Garde by Saoutchik, which could have been the star of the sale (estimated at €6.5-€8 million), as well as some much more recent vehicles, like a 2016 McLaren P1 GTR (estimated at €3.2 to €3.6 million) and a 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari (€2.75 to €3.2 million).
As smart home products and connected devices grow in popularity, so will the cyber risks they potentially pose to their owners. “A smart home can quickly become a fool’s paradise when IoT devices are not properly secured,” said BullGuard CEO, Paul Lipman.
However, if the typical home with a high-speed wi-fi network had enterprise-grade security protecting it, many of these security issues could be eradicated.
And that’s the idea behind the BullGuard Dojo, which officially launches Thursday. It’s a wireless device with a dock that connects to a network and monitors all activity on it, all of the time. It is capable of spotting and preventing certain types of activity automatically and when it spots a threat that it can’t take care of autonomously, it alerts the owner via an app so that they can take further action.
Its security capabilities aren’t its USP however, its simplicity is what the company is hoping will make it a hit with the average household. Although it runs enterprise grade applications, users won’t need a formal qualification in IT or cyber security to get the most out of it.
And as cyber criminals are constantly adapting their activities to exploit new digital loopholes or product and device trends, consumers also need to stay on their toes if they want to keep their digital lives protected.
“Many IoT devices are notoriously insecure and it is relatively easy for hackers to exploit their vulnerabilities,” said Yossi Atias, General Manager, IoT Security of BullGuard. “Dojo solves the IoT security conundrum and protects every smart home device to ensure security and privacy.”
It used to be that if your PC was running the latest version of Windows and a watertight anti-virus program that you were protected from many cyber threats. However, in recent years, there’s been a marked increase in cybercrime activity targeting smartphones and tablets as the devices have become cemented into the daily life of the vast majority of consumers around the globe.
Likewise, according to Norton, thanks to the proliferation of home wi-fi the average consumer’s network itself is becoming a prime target for attacks. Therefore, it stands to reason that adding new, less secure wireless devices, such as smart thermostats or baby monitors to these networks could result in making your home and its network far too attractive to cyber criminals.
“We’ve seen major privacy breaches in recent months caused by compromised devices, including Mirai, the largest ever DDOS attack launched from an IoT botnet, smart TVs hacked by the CIA, and even smart Teddy Bears go from cuddly to creepy. Device manufacturers often sacrifice security for speed to market and consumers are unwittingly paying the price,” Atias said.
The Dojo by BullGuard goes on sale at Amazon and BestBuy in the US this week and will retail for $199 including one year’s free service. It is destined to launch in the UK later in 2017.
On June 12, Christie’s will hold an auction in Amsterdam to sell the Former Kamerbeek Collection, containing over 100 pieces by both well and lesser-known late 19th century and early 20th century Dutch painters.The Former Kamerbeek collection contains Impressionist, Modern, Romantic and a handful of Realist paintings. Built by Cees and Jarmila Kamerbeek with the intention of amassing a collection that would present an overview of 150 years of Dutch art, the Former Kamerbeek Collection is now being sold with a number of particularly exciting pieces.
Highlights of the sale
Bart van der Leck (1876 – 1958) | ‘Moeder met kind,’ 1921
Pieces by the De Stijl art movement founders Bart van der Leck (such as his 1921 piece “Moeder met kind” – Mother and Child) and Piet Mondrian (“Flowering tree” sketch, 1912), as well as work by the pioneering Post-Impressionist Jan Sluijters will be up for sale at the auction, but the true star of the show is set to be Isaac Israels’ “Café dansant, Moulin de la Galette,” estimated at €300,000 -500,000. Not only does the “Moulin” have a high estimate because of its painter, but because it depicts the famous Parisian dance hall often frequented by Vincent van Gogh and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
Other pieces by Israels to come under the hammer include “Sjaantje van Ingen reading” (estimated at €100-150,000) and “An elegant lady on the Thames” (estimated at €120-180,000.) Israels was the son of two of the Netherlands’ most respected artists, immediately becoming a child prodigy, entering art school in The Hague aged just 13. Israels‘ lifelong friend and fellow artist George Hendrik Breitner also has work in the Former Kamerbeek Collection.
Lesser known Dutch painters
The collection does not consist entirely of world-famous names, and as such still offers opportunities for amateur art enthusiasts. Albert Fiks, Hendrik Jan Wolter, Tony Offermans and Willem Carel Nakken, for example, may be known in their home country, but have yet to become names on the international art auction circuit.
Mille Miglia recently celebrated its 90th anniversary running, along with official timekeeper Chopard. The event is one of the world’s largest races between collectible classic cars, and opened to competing cars from the great race between 1927 and 1957. From May 18 to 21, the annual event saw teams compete against one another on the historic thousand-mile route. Running from Bresvia via Padova to Rome and back via Tuscany, the legendary classic car event welcomed 440 teams in this year’s race. As part of the celebrations, Chopard also unveiled three new watch models: Mille Miglia 2017 Race Edition, Mille Miglia Classic XL 90th Anniversary Limited Edition and Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph.
Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph
Mille Miglia Classic XL 90th anniversary
Mille Miglia 2017 Race Edition
The Mille Miglia Classic XL 90th Anniversary Limited Edition is the most exclusive in the new collection. Inspired by the timelessness and elegance of the race, it encompasses a 46mm-diameter, 13mm-thick rose gold case. With intricate piston-inspired chronograph pushers, the watch pays homage to the vintage cars. The sportier counterpart Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph beats at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour, with the machinery visible through the sapphire crystal case-back. Lastly, the limited edition Mille Miglia 2017 Race Edition is a stunning timepiece that mixes vintage elements with modern influence. Boasting an engine-turned dial finish along with vintage car dashboard inspired counters; only 1100 of these are available on the market. A thousand pieces will be dressed in steel, while a hundred pieces will be available in a steel and 18-carat rose gold mix. Not to mention, this 44 mm-diameter timepiece is also water resistant to 100 metres.
Upon witnessing the flag off, Chopard co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele commented on how “It’s amazing how passionate the Mille Miglia followers are. They are here for the cars every year. It’s so unique.”
To commemorate their 30-year partnership, Chopard co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele participated in the race alongside French pilot Romain Dumas in a Porsche 550A Spyder RS, on loan from the Porsche Museum. This year’s winning team comprised of Andrea Vesco and Andrea Guerini. They clinched first place in a 1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS Zagato. Second place went to Luca Patron and Massimo Casale on a O.M 665 Superba Sport 2000 CC. Rounding up the podium was Stefania Biacca and Giordano Mozzi in their Alfa Romeo 1500 Gran Sport.
The close ties between Chopard and the Mille Miglia stem from a now inseparable shared history. The initial connection was born from a personal passion for classic cars nurtured by Scheufele. Under his leadership, Chopard became the main sponsor of the Mille Miglia in 1988 and one of the first brands to associate its name with the automobile world. Scheufele states,“Lovers of fine cars often have a great weakness for precious timepieces and vice versa. Extreme precision and sporting elegance are important in both these fields.”
