It’s Friday; it’s six o’clock, 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
⌚️ In the latest episode of Persiflage, Eric and I stroll around the hallowed halls of Watches & Wonders.
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WATCHES
Rolex vs Apple
In an FT article whose credibility is badly burnt by being written and edited by people who seem to know little about watches (the author refers to the Rolex “Day-To-Date”, confuses the term smartwatch and sports watch, and repeats the nonsense about the piece Macron removed in that interview being worth $80k), a salient point emerges from the ashes: wealthy men are foregoing their expensive mechanical watches for smartwatches. Jessica Salter writes:
While once just for the sports bros — the kind of men who train for triathlons before breakfast — smartwatches now appeal even to men who have a wardrobe of expensive watches to choose from.
The article hit hard for me because, despite penning love letters to watches for The Prodigal Guide, despite pontificating about them on Persiflage, despite having a handful of proper mechanical pieces waiting for me in the safe, the thing strapped to my wrist nine times out of ten is my Apple Watch.
The reasons Cupertino has won the battle for my wrist are laid out in the FT’s article:
It’s addictive: The health tracking data provided by smartwatches is addictive. Once you start, it nudges you into better behaviour and you don't want to break your streak. And being able to glide through the Tube’s gates or pay for my supper with a flick of my wrist never gets old.
It’s safer: Wearing an expensive watch - particularly in the office - doesn’t feel right at the height of a cost of living crisis. And it doesn’t feel fun if - when out and about, in big cities at least - it’s likely be the reason you’re mugged.
It’s more stylish: Hear me out on this one. Of course, I’m not suggesting that an Apple Watch is better looking than a beautifully crafted mechanical watch. The problem is that, with prices having got frankly out of hand, there’s now something crass about bandying around that kind of value on your wrist. That said, counterintuitively perhaps, there seem to be ever more people who do just that. So-called luxury is now common place. The type of people who still wear a Rolex though? Well, let’s just say you often don't want to be one of those people.
Am I now just an imposter watch nerd?
Also worth your time
IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 in titanium fondled: “It feels drastically different from the steel models, having an oddly-cool personality on the wrist, playing differently with the ambient light and having a bit of shimmer under the sun.”
Tudor Black Bay in burgundy considered: “METAS certification, a new five-link bracelet, and a thinner case make for the best burgundy Black Bay yet.”
Rolex Daytona inspected: “If I had to describe the revised designs in one word, I’d say ‘skinnier’.”
CARS
Little bitch
I can’t think of a recent automotive development more ill-conceived than this. BMW has announced that its Mini cars are getting a digital dog as an “intelligent personal assistant”. Because our cars and their myriad screens weren’t distracting enough already. The Verge reports:
Based on the English Bulldog that’s appeared in some past Mini ads. Spike will make his first major appearance at the Shanghai auto show later this month where he’ll be integrated into the cockpit of the Mini Concept Aceman. It’s less clear exactly what Spike will be able to do in these vehicles, but in Shanghai the character will apparently provide “various forms of support” to attendees from the Aceman’s central circular OLED display and dashboard.
This imposter needs to be driven straight back to the kennel.
GADGETS
Wired reviews unwired
The best thing I have ever done for my gadget life was install fibre optic broadband. Since almost every gadget I own connects to the internet, almost every gadget I own instantly became better. But doing so also taught me the importance of having a fast and resilient wi-fi network. Otherwise the difference between the speed you get wired vs wireless will be huge. I use Eero and, this week, Wired reviewed the company’s latest, the Pro 6E:
There are routers with better hardware and more features, but what you’re paying for with Eero is ease of use and peace of mind. For busy families who don’t have the time or patience to dig into network settings, and who prize convenience over cost, the Eero Pro 6E with an Eero Plus subscription delivers everything you need.
Also worth your time
Leica’s M11 Monochrom camera reviewed: “The latest black-and-white-only camera from Leica gets the 60-megapixel sensor of the M11 and some incremental feature improvements. Plus, a new close-focusing fast-50mm lens is launching in tandem.”
Substack launches tweets — wait, erm, Notes — to challenge Twitter: “As much as Notes looks like the start of a Twitter clone, I am actually excited to use it. As a writer, I get to interact more with a community of writers.”
See you on Substack’s Twitter imposter, Notes? We’re there and waiting…
More for subscribers
👑 Persiflage № 13 takes the Crown to task over its pre-owned watch programme.
Listen in >
🏎️ Persiflage № 12 is about Eric’s Lotus. He’s finally seen sense and plans to sell it.
Should he let it go? >
🍎 Our despatch from Apple’s WWDC 2022 keynote in June is here for you in case you missed it live: all you need to know about Cupertino’s latest announcements.
Catch up >
I don’t wear or own a smartwatch. I figure that I carry my iPhone with me everywhere, and that does a good enough job of tracking my movements via the Fitness app. My analog watches fall into 3 categories - expensive, decent and beater, and I switch them out depending upon what my activity will be. For beach vacations I take a beater, city breaks mean wearing something decent, and a dinner out close to home involves wearing something expensive. A day in the office is where I vacillate between decent and expensive, mainly because I typically wear a three-piece suit when I’m in the city.