It’s Friday. It’s six o’clock in a scorching hot London ☀️. That means it’s time to down tools, pour yourself a drink and look back at what A Prodigal Week it has been.
Glass in hand? Let me offer you some canapés of news and views.
BUT FIRST
🍎 Our despatch from Apple’s WWDC 2022 keynote is here for you in case you missed it live: all you need to know about Cupertino’s latest announcements.
Catch up >
WATCHES
The Dark Side
I have an unashamed thing for Urwerk. Have done since SalonQP 2013. They're one of the last (you might notice a theme this week) of the quirky independent watchmakers. And this week we saw the latest iteration of its simplest watch: the UR-100V Full Black Titanium Jacket. Monochrome has the story:
The case, measuring 41mm in width, 49.7mm in height and a 14mm thickness is entirely made from sandblasted titanium, including the caseback and the 12 o’clock crown. Compared to previous editions, the design doesn’t change and has the same angular, flat case topped by an ultra-domed sapphire bubble. To give this model its true Full Metal Jacketnature, it comes on a matching black-treated sandblasted titanium bracelet. An extra rubber strap is also delivered with this edition.
If Darth Vader wore a watch…
Also worth your time
Grand Seiko Elegance Ryūsendō introduced: “In addition to the newly designed case, the elegance of this watch comes from the use of a compact and thin hand-wound movement, the calibre 9S63. Shared with what we’ve dubbed ‘the Japanese Calatrava’.”
Furlan Marri Ref. 2116-A Black Sector unveiled: “With a very classical-styled stainless steel case of 37.5mm wide and 10.5mm tall, it will be an absolute joy to wear. The case is finished with cow-horn lugs attached to the case with a visible bridge inscribed with the reference number.”
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet redesigned: “With this combination of classic horology and diving credentials, it’s one of the most surprising watches in the brand’s collection.”
CARS
Last of the Mohicans
It’s happening. Ferrari, perhaps the last of the Big Beasts of the luxury sports car sector, has succumbed to the inevitable. It’s going electric. TechCrunch reports:
Ferrari plans to launch its first electric vehicle by 2025 as it aims to go carbon neutral by 2030. The battery-electric supercar will set the tone for Ferrari’s future EVs. The Italian luxury carmaker said it plans for 60% of its sales to come from hybrid and fully electric models by 2026. It expects that share to increase to 80% by the end of the decade.
I know many lament the loss of petrol powered cars and the sounds and smells that go with them but I embrace our electric future. And I can’t wait to see what Ferrari et al can do with the tech.
Also worth your time
Rivian R1S SUV delayed: “A number of customers who pre-ordered received an email this week informing them that an expected June or July delivery window has been pushed back several months.”
GADGETS
The anti-iPod
And for the third instalment in our series of dying heroes, I give you…the audiophile’s MP3 player. Nowadays, the iPhone has all but killed off portable music players, including the iPod itself, so - and not for the first time - it’s left to venerable Sony to keep the flag flying (as they’re also doing in phones, by the way) for those of us who crave something a little more focused. Engadget entices us:
The company has released two ultra-high-end Walkman MP3 players aimed squarely at audiophiles. The headliner, the $3,700 NW-WM1ZM2 (pictured at left), mates an S-Master HX digital amp with "fine-tuned" capacitors, thick Kimber Kable (to link the amp to the headphone jack) and a 99.99 percent pure gold-plated, oxygen-free copper chassis — all of which supposedly contribute to "clear, expansive" output. Even the reflow soldering includes gold that purportedly boosts sound localization and widens the sound stage.
Could I be tempted? The truth is probably not - I’m too much of a crack whore for Apple’s ecosystem - but I’m so grateful these things are out in the world. I hope you’ll buy one.
Also worth your time
Galaxy Z Flip 4 leaked: “The images match up with the earlier renders and give us a closer look at the device’s display crease, which looks almost nonexistent.”
Philips Screeneo U4 glimpsed: “Weighing in at three pounds and measuring just 8.8 inches on its longest side, the Screeneo U4 can project an image 80 inches in size from a distance of about 12 inches from a wall, or a 60 inch image from just 7.7 inches away.”
Nothing Phone (1) revealed: “It looks unlike any other phone on the market.”
More for subscribers
🎧 Persiflage № 11 finds us bickering over different ways to replace an irreplaceable watch.
Which would you choose? >
👑 Persiflage № 10 is an emotional episode as we ponder the idea of parting ways with the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ‘Jumbo’.
Share our pain >
🇵🇹 Talking Hands № 25 is about the IWC Portuguese Chronograph, a sports watch that thinks it’s a dress watch. Or is it the other way around?
Watch the latest episode >