It’s Friday. It’s six o’clock in 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.
GADGETS
Some DIY this weekend?
Apple has been widely lauded this week for announcing that it will begin selling parts and tools so you can repair your gadgets yourself at home. Brian X. Chen hails the news as “an early holiday gift”, “ iFixIt is “excited”, Brian Tong thinks it’s a “big deal”, and Rene Ritchie says Apple “got it right”.
Please. Tim Cook isn’t being benevolent, he’s scrambling around to get ahead of regulators and politicians the world over who are beginning to favour promoting consumers’ right to self-repair over protecting Big Tech’s interests. And he’s being very Tim Cooky by ensuring he does so while creating another revenue line for Apple. But, let’s be clear, far from being a gift, there is nothing to be excited about here, it’s not a big deal, and Apple already had it right: their customer service is second to none.
The vast majority of people (and by that I mean I’d prefer not to socialise with any exceptions to this rule) would be best served by having Apple carry out any repairs needed to their gadgets. If your device was made within the last decade and hasn’t been abused, my experience is that Apple will normally fix it or replace it for you quickly and often without cost at all.
Also worth your time
Apple Car rumoured. Again: “Apple may be sharpening the focus of its long-in-development electric car. Bloomberg sources claim Apple is now shifting its attention to a fully self-driving car, not just a more conventional vehicle with semi-autonomous features.”
Nintendo Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda released: “In a world of gaming where adult-oriented toys cost hundreds of dollars up front and then hundreds or thousands more in individual game purchases, here we have this $50 nostalgia bomb that delivers more than 30 hours of low-fi joy to the palm of your hand.”
WATCHES
Plagiarism at its most blatant
We’ve all read the Picasso quote about how “good artists borrow, great artists steal.” Steve Jobs threw it around with abandon. And it certainly resonates in the watch world. After all, there are only so many ways you can make a watch look - it’s almost inevitable that, over time, designs will start resembling each other.
That said, not even Picasso or Jobs could defend Bell & Ross, a brand which - with the exception of those hideous black square things that look they’ve been ripped straight out of a cockpit - hasn't, as far as I can see, ever had an original idea.
This week Monochrome reports on the BR 05 Chrono White Hawk Limited Edition. And, yeah, if you like the bracelet of Patek’s Nautilus, the bezel of Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak and fancy a dial composed of the worst parts of Rolex’s ‘Zenith’ Daytona and Tag’s Monaco, but can’t afford any of those models, then….err…well I’ve found the watch for you.
Actually worth your time
Porsche Design Chronograph 718 Cayman GT4 RS introduced: “Following the launch of the new 718 Cayman GT4 RS, Porsche Design brings its own version of the track-inspired model, with a new customisable flyback chronograph.”
Omega Railmaster and Rolex Explorer compared: “There’s something undeniably charming about smaller tool watches that come on a steel bracelet.”
Tudor Pelagos FXD rejected: “Although I like the Pelagos FXD, despite the fact it is somewhat different from the one that will be used by the modern MN, it is the Pelagos LHD that I would like to own at some point.”
CARS
The everything, every day car
I used to own an RS6. It was - and I mean this quite literally - awesome. I can’t think of a car that impressed me more every day, in every way. Nor one better suited to getting a family of four with two weeks’ worth of luggage from London to the South of France in greater comfort or speed. I did it often and enjoyed the journey just as much as the holiday. But, you know, at some point even fat old petrol heads like me start to worry a little about the planet - not to mention our wallets - as they watch the V10, twin-turbo, Lamborghini engine guzzle petrol at such a rate that barrelling down an autoroute at a good clip, I’m quite sure I could see the fuel needle edge leftwards.
As a result, I have more recently had my head turned by EVs. And no-one does EVs better than Audi. God knows, I’ve raved enough about the e-tron GT in these pages already. With that in mind, you’ll understand how funny in my tummy I felt this week upon reading Autocar’s report that the boffins in Ingolstadt are working on an electric RS6:
Expect it to closely match the outputs of the top-rung RS E-tron GT, which packs 590bhp (or 637bhp in its ‘overboost’ mode) and 612lb ft to offset the inevitable added weight of its large battery pack, so a 0-62mph time of just over 3.0sec is highly likely.
Just take my money, Audi.
Also worth your time
Porsche Taycan GTS unveiled: “It’s the Taycan GTS variants, which feature custom calibration and tuning for stiffer and faster reacting performance, that might make the biggest splash with customers.”
Mercedes EQS praised: “With nearly all of the trappings of the S-Class, the EQS sets a new standard in luxury for the EV world.”
TVR Griffith delayed: “TVR’s troubled rebirth has gained yet another lifeline, but don’t expect to see a new Griffith on the road until at least 2023.”
Don’t miss…
🍎 Apple’s October event was its best in a very long time. Not least because we finally got the MacBook Pro we’ve been begging for.
Discover the highlights >
🎧 Prodigal Persiflage turns its attention to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore, the Gérald Genta Arena Retro Mickey Mouse Disney, the Greubel Forsey GMT Earth Final Edition, and…er…the Breitling Top Time Classic Cars Capsule Collection.
Have a listen >
🍾 Talking Hands is back after a six year hiatus (not counting the NOS episode we unearthed). Eric and I sat down over a bottle of wine to discuss the vintage Omega Speedmaster and Breitling Navitimer.
Watch it here >