It’s Friday, it’s six o’clock in London; it’s time to down tools, pour yourself a drink, and look back at what A Prodigal Week it has….oh wait, first things first. The new Indy trailer just cracked its whip and it’s….dear God it’s fantastic. Behold:
Glass in hand? Let me offer you some canapés of news and views.
BUT FIRST
⌚️ In the latest episode of Persiflage, Eric and I add wisdom to Watches & Wonders.
Listen in >
GADGETS
‘S wonderful
I miss Steve Jobs every time I visit Apple’s website and it does something it would never have done when Jobs was alive: puts the onus on me to choose the best device. Jobs understood the value of simplicity. In his day, if you wanted the best phone on the planet, you bought an iPhone. The only choice was which colour you preferred. Apple had already given it careful consideration, made all the clever decisions and tough compromises for you. Today…not so much.
Anyway, that’s just preamble to say that the Steve Jobs Archive is releasing a new free ebook with speeches, interviews, and correspondence from Apple’s genius co-founder. The Verge reports:
Titled Make Something Wonderful: Steve Jobs in his own words, the book will feature Job’s perspective on “his childhood, on launching and being pushed out of Apple, on his time with Pixar and NeXT, and on his ultimate return to the company that started it all,” the archive says. The book (which the archive technically calls a “digital book”) will also include an introduction by Jobs’ widow, Laurene Powell Jobs.
Incidentally, if you miss Jobs like I do, the archive is a glorious, fitting tribute.
Also worth your time
macOS’s hidden Bitcoin whitepaper explained: “Apple’s internal software is full of references and jokes. After all, engineers never expect that users will access these files.”
WATCHES
Black and blue
As someone who was savagely beaten on a street corner in Mayfair because a group of thieving little fuckers thought that was a price worth paying for my Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ‘Jumbo’, the announcement of the AP Concierge service caught my eye this week. Bloomberg reports:
The Le Brassus, Switzerland-based brand, whose average watch price is about 50,000 Swiss francs ($55,000), will guarantee to replace, refund or repair any stolen or damaged watch bought in 2022 or 2023 for two years, Chief Executive Officer François-Henry Bennahmias, said in an exclusive interview at the company’s headquarters.
The rub here of course is the 2-year limit. What do you do after that? I guess AP is hoping you sell up and buy a new one. The small print is here >
Also worth your time
Rolex Yacht-Master 42 in RLX titanium previewed: “The fact that it now comes in so-called RLX titanium with a Cerachrom (ceramic) bezel insert totally changes my view of the Yacht-Master.”
Rolex steel Rolex Daytona 126500LN considered: “A subtle update at first glance...you'd be surprised by much how has changed on the Daytona.”
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph 30th Anniversary reviewed: “This thoroughly modern Royal Oak Offshore combines the modern scope of the model with a special bit of Hollywood history that helped to solidify the idea of a big-and-burly Royal Oak via the power of the silver screen.”
CARS
Scrambled eggs
I like scrambled eggs. I wouldn’t want them every day but, occasionally, nothing else hits the spot in quite the same way. I feel much the same about the new hybrid supercar Lamborghini announced this week. CityAM reports:
The V12 itself develops 128hp per litre – the highest specific output of any Lamborghini – with peak power of 825hp arriving just 250rpm before a dizzying 9,500rpm redline. Maximum torque is 535lb ft at 6,750rom
Factor in the electric motors, however, and the numbers accelerate into hypercar territory. Alongside that headline-grabbing 1,015hp, the Revuelto musters an incredible 1,162lb ft of torque.
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 >