december 2011

Rising starsbanking’s stellar performers / cars for pure fun / hippest ski destinations

most exclusive clubs / hunting wild boar / stylish, glamorous accessories

the little black book for the city

Breguet, the innovatorInvention of hand-guilloché dials, 1786

Around 1786, Breguet created a resolutely new style by introducing dials

adorned with gold or silver guilloché work. Today, this form of authentic

hand craftsmanship is still one of the distinctive characteristics of a

Breguet watch. A heritage proudly perpetuated in the Classique 7337BR

model with its silvered gold dial adorned with five different hand-guilloché

patterns. History is still being written…

www.breguet.com/inventions

B R E G U E T B O U T I Q U E – 1 0 A N E W B O N D S T R E E T L O N D O N W 1 S 3 S P + 4 4 2 0 7 3 5 5 17 3 5 – W W W. B R E G U E T. C O M

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ULTR A RINGS18K WHITE GOLD, CERAMIC AND DIAMONDS

CONTENTS | BRUMMELL 13

Foreword

To be successful, notes David Charters,

it’s not enough to be good any more. You

have to be virtuous – and seen to be so, too.

Money no object Chopard jewellery that’s fit for a movie

star on the red carpet at Cannes

BeaumondeNews

Winston Churchill’s pen; Yul Brynner’s

photos and Paul Smith’s favourite material

Fragrances

We clear the miasma of new fragrances

to find the scents that make sense

Technology

Entertainment and business gadgets that

pack impressive power in compact packages

Skiing

Luxury holidays in the Alps that minimise

hassle and maximise time on the slopes

After the City

Both venture capitalist and entrepreuneur,

Greg Marsh’s latest idea is the ‘unhotel’

FeaturesRising stars of investment banking

Meet eight of the high-flyers who made

Financial News’s 40 Under 40 list

ShootingAct out your Asterix fantasies, hunting wild

boar on an estate in the hills of Tuscany

Motoring

Sports cars that make no apology for the fact

that they are built purely for driving enjoyment

Extreme sports clubs

Gaining entry to these establishments takes

more credentials than the right school tie

Watches

For all the automatic technology available, it

is hand-wound watches that excite the purist

Accessories

This season’s most tactile gifts: handbags,

iPad-holders, knitted ties, stylish hats

Creative rising stars

One (or rather four) in the eyes of ‘Britain

no longer makes anything’ doomsayers

By George

How watchmaking in Glashütte survived

East German socialism to thrive once more

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Contents

Show Media Brummell editorial 020 3222 0101

Editor

Joanne Glasbey

Art Director

Dominic Bell

Associate Editor

Henry Farrar-Hockley

Chief Copy Editor

Chris Madigan

Picture EditorJuliette Hedoin

Designer

Hillary Jayne

Copy Editors

Sarah Evans, Ming Liu,

Rupert Mellor

Fashion Director

Tamara Fulton

Creative Director

Ian Pendleton

Managing Director

Peter Howarth

Advertising & Events Director

Duncan McRae

duncan@flyingcoloursmarketing.com

07816 218059

showmedia.net

brummell@showmedia.net

Visit Brummell’s website for

more tailor-made content:

brummellmagazine.net

Colour reproduction by Fresh Media Group, wearefmg.com

Printed by The Manson Group, manson-grp.co.uk

Brummell is designed and produced by Show Media Ltd

and distributed with Financial News. All material ©

Show Media Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part without

written permission is strictly prohibited. While every

effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information

contained in this publication, no responsibility can

be accepted for any errors or omissions. The information

contained in this publication is correct at the time of

going to press. £5 (where sold). Reader offers are the

responsibility of the organisation making the offer – Show

Media accepts no liabillity regarding offers.

Cover illustration by Andrew Clark

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Patented under-lug correctorsSecured calendar and moon-phases mechanism

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Success today has to encompass

not just the fine things in life,

but the good things, too. And not

‘good’ as in vintage champagne

Success ain’t what it used to be. It’s no longer enough to be good

at our jobs, pay our taxes and boost the economy by spending

our bonuses. It’s time to moor up and reset our moral compass

Words David Charters Illustration Brett Ryder

Success in the City has changed. There was a time when it was relatively easy to be successful. All you had to do was work grindingly long hours, fend off intense competition from other firms and keep on performing, day after day after day. Easy. Anyone could do it. Well, almost.

Today, success is harder. Today, it is not enough simply to get results. It is how you get them, and what they are, that matters. Ever since Adair Turner said we have to be socially useful, things have been different. People who have never worked as hard as we do feel entitled to judge us. Journalists judge us. Even politicians do.

OK, so the banking crisis very nearly brought about the end of civilisation as we know it. And there are those who fear it will impoverish generations yet unborn. And, of course, Main Street did have to bail out Wall Street, which is unforgiveable. So I get the anger.

Once upon a time we were envied. Our champagne lifestyles, our spending power, the sheer awesomeness of our dazzling over-consumption left mere mortals in the dust. Today, the mood music has changed completely. An awful lot of people don’t just question us – they actually despise us. Yes, they still envy our homes, cars, clothes, jewellery and art, and would probably swap bank balances in a heartbeat if we gave them the chance, but they would do it with a curled lip and a superior air. To many of us, spoilt by decades of what appeared to be entirely justified entitlement to the best things in life, the natural order seems to have been overturned. Of course we had an abundance of… well, everything, really… but we earned it. Sort of. I suppose bull markets helped a bit.

Shape up or ship out

Nowadays, try offering a glass of Krug to your neighbours on bonus day and the chances are they will turn away with a supercilious shrug and say they don’t think it is appropriate after what the banking industry has put the country through. Well, it may not be appropriate for them, but some of us enjoy champagne on bonus day. In fact, some of us enjoy it every day, because, in a sense, every day is bonus day – at least when you compare our lives with theirs. And fine cigars, too. And, of course, exotic holidays, meals in the best restaurants, and tickets to the Opera House.

But somehow… something is missing. When you work as hard as we do, but then can’t enjoy the fine things in life, at least with a completely clear conscience, something has gone wrong. Or maybe right. Success today has to be broader than before. It has to encompass not just the fine things in life, but the good things, too. And I don’t mean ‘good’ as in vintage champagne.

However unfair it may seem, today, the investment-banking industry needs to be able to face its critics and explain that its activities benefit someone other than the people who work for investment banks. The starting point for the commentators and those who would impose greater regulation on us is that we will do almost anything legal for money, regardless

of good or ill. In other words, we have no moral compass and only the most basic ethical standards. So we have to be more selective about what we do and how we do it, and we have to be prepared to tell our story to a sceptical audience.

As if that wasn’t hard enough, we are also likely to be judged in our private lives. By most standards, we still earn huge sums and are among the most affluent in society. The fact we pay our taxes and don’t break any laws isn’t quite enough in many people’s eyes – and don’t try saying that we spend all that money and boost the economy that way.

Today’s successful bankers are expected to give back to society, both directly in a financial sense and indirectly in terms of the way they put their talent to work for the social good.

The fundamental difference between the rising stars of today and those of 20 years ago is that, in the past, it was sufficient just to be great at your job, make a lot of money, then keep it and spend it on yourself. Today, the bar has been raised. Of course you have to be good at your job, but you put your money to work wisely and there is no holding back when good causes need support. And if all you do is your job, with no time to give to serve as, say, the trustee of a charity or a member of the development board of some great cultural institution, then you risk looking like a selfish under-achiever. No time? Find the time. Organise yourself properly. If it sounds terribly unfair, perhaps it is. Or perhaps the past that seemed so natural was, in fact, an anomaly. Either way, life is tougher now. The Ego’s Nest, by David Charters, the fifth novel in the series about City anti-hero Dave Hart, is published by Elliott & Thompson, priced £6.99

FOREWORD | bRUMMELL 17

Glashütte Original – 165 years of German watchmaking art.

Seventies Panorama Date

The Seventies Panorama Date. Flowing curves capture the spirit of the Seventies in a fascinating, iconic design.

The domed sapphire crystal case back and easily-adjustable bracelet offer the ultimate in wearability. Discover

the art of fine German watchmaking at www.glashuette-original.com. Download our new iPhone Application in

the App store.

London W1S 2SA 43-44 New Bond Street T: 020.7493 2299

Paris Vienna Madrid New York Hamburg Berlin Munich www.wempe.com

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bRUMMELL 21

Swiss luxury watch and jewellery brand Chopard

has been an important official partner of the

prestigious Cannes Film Festival for many years,

even redesigning the Palme d’Or trophy, which is

annually awarded to the director of the best film,

and more recently creating ‘mini-palmes’ for the

best actor and actress awards. Each year, Caroline

Gruosi-Scheufele, Chopard’s co-president and

artistic director, dreams up a new high jewellery

collection for the glitzy event, specifically to be

worn at the ritual known as ‘the mounting of the

steps’ on the Croisette. Chopard creates unique,

original pieces for every actress participating in the

Chopard’s exquisite Red Carpet collection highlights the

company’s strong partnership with the silver screen

Words Joanne Glasbey Photography Andy Barter

MONEY NO

OBJECT

festival, whether up-and-coming or established

star. Each finds the jewellery that best fits her

personality and highlights her beauty. This year’s

Red Carpet collection embraced the theme of

springtime and the transformation of the seasons,

with bejewelled interpretations of nature’s new life

and evocations of sunny days. This vibrant bracelet,

adorned with multicoloured spinels, paved with

orange sapphires and white diamonds, and set

in rose gold, is a splendid example of the creations

worn to stunning effect by starlets and screen

legends at cinema’s most glamorous event.

Price on application; chopard.com

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Official government fuel consumption figures in MPG (Litres per 100km) for the SLS AMG Roadster: Urban SLS AMG Roadster at £182,505.00 on the road including optional Sepang Brown paint at  £1,755.00, 19"/20" AMG forged wheels – 10-spoke design at £1,715.00 and two-tone designo Exclusive

Occasionally, a headline is unnecessary.

The new 6.3 litre V8 SLS AMG Roadster.

14.2 (19.9), Extra Urban 30.4 (9.3), Combined 21.4 (13.2). CO2 emissions: 308 g/km. Model featured is a Mercedes-Benz

leather, Sand/Black, at £2,140.00 (price includes VAT, delivery, 12 months Road Fund Licence, number plates, new vehicle registration fee and fuel). Prices correct at time of going to print.

NEWS | bEAumoNdE 25

Screen legend photographs, a decadent Hong Kong hotel and a few of britain’s finest brands

Heart of Asia Privacy, glamour and the sense of

space are what everyone in crowded

Hong Kong craves. From the

56th floor of the Island Shangri-La

Hotel you can breakfast or enjoy

sundowners while gazing at Victoria

Harbour. This is a true Grand Hotel

in the old European style, reimagined

for the Chinese century, with a

standard of service to match its

ambitions. Wonder at the world’s

largest silk painting, over 16 stories,

depicting ‘The Great Motherland of

China’, and relax in the luxurious

rooms. The Shangri-La is situated

in a surprisingly quiet, leafy part of

the Central district. Lying beside the

large pool you can admire the iconic

I M Pei-designed Bank of China

Tower. Beneath is Pacific Place,

four stories of shops, restaurants

and entertainment. The hotel boasts

several acclaimed restaurants,

including the Michelin-starred

Restaurant Petrus; fortunately there

is also a 24-hour, fully equipped

health club. shangri-la.com

Silver linings

The future of personal organisation has

arrived, with My Wealth Cloud. At the click

of a mobile device or mouse, access to an

ultra-secure online filing cabinet can

revolutionise personal paperwork. Title

deeds for property, authentication

documents for works of art, birth

certificates, guarantees, warranties –

whatever you keep at home – can be

collected by a consultant, then scanned,

categorised, encrypted and uploaded for

immediate retrieval in searchable order.

Reminders can be sent for every important

date – insurance renewals, birthdays etc–

and further documents can be added at any

time. Float above the anxiety of losing

valuable documents. mywealthcloud.com

Suitable location Jaeger has just opened its first menswear

store in Cabot Place West, Canary Wharf,

with an emphasis on tailoring. Referencing

the brand’s heritage, combined with its

contemporary British designs, the Jaeger

suit silhouette is defined by a tapered jacket

waist and neatly cut trouser. The brand

proudly promotes UK manufacturing and

claims over 60 per cent of its tailoring is

woven at British mills. jaeger.co.uk

british gem Among its many, perhaps glitzier, European

counterparts, Boodles, the British, family-

owned fine jewellery company, is a more quietly

shining star that should be remembered when

beautiful jewellery is on your mind. The Rococo

suite takes inspiration from hand-embroidered

silks and 18th-century style, when Baroque

artists embraced playfulness and elaboration.

The curving lines so favoured of the time can be

seen throughout the collection, often framing

classical brilliant-cut diamonds – as in this

exquisite yellow diamond ring. boodles.com

Fine and dandy

London-based Backes & Strauss describes

itself as the world’s oldest diamond company,

having been masters of diamonds since 1789.

Its watchmaking combines similar expertise:

supreme craftsmanship, mathematical precision

and the combination of art and science. Referencing

Backes & Strauss’s provenance, the design team

have created three unique watch collections: The

Berkeley, The Piccadilly and The Regent. Crafted

in 18ct white or rose gold and set with diamonds,

they are inspired by London’s Regency architecture,

notably that of John Nash. Two new pieces have

recently been introduced celebrating this era of

elegance and decadence: The Red Rose (pictured,

£72,860) and The Blue Velvet (£68,580),

inspired by rooms within the Prince Regent’s

palatial Carlton House. backesandstrauss.com

Suitable location

Yul Brynner was always acknowledged as

a charismatic actor, but until now his talent

as photographer has been largely unknown.

Next month, The Little Black Gallery is

exhibiting his photos – the subjects of

which are some of the most famous stage

and screen legends. He was adept at

catching stars at ease, both on and off set:

Elizabeth Taylor relaxing poolside; Robert

Mitchum on location for Villa Rides in 1968

(above); Dean Martin in Frank Sinatra’s

house. Yul Brynner: A Photographic Journey

is at The Little Black Gallery, 13A Park

Walk, SW10, from 11 January to 11 February.

All prints for sale. thelittleblackgallery.com

Shirt shaper When Paul Smith recommends something,

we should take note: from the beginning of

his illustrious career he has worked with

Italian fabric supplier Tessitura Monti,

which produces the most luxurious fibre

available for shirt-making. As the company

celebrates its centennial year, Sir Paul has

created a limited edition shirt made of Giza

45 Egyptian cotton that, he says, ‘is literally

the best fabric you can buy! It feels like silk,

is so full of life and is really beautiful to

wear.’ Available exclusively at Paul Smith,

Floral Street, WC2, and the flagship Paul

Smith shop on Greene Street, New York,

priced at £350. The fabric is also available

for bespoke customers at his Westbourne

House, Notting Hill, outpost. paulsmith.co.uk

Winnie the penWinston Churchill once maintained,

‘I have always earned my living by

my pen and by my tongue’, and the

fountain pens he used through both

world wars, and for much of his

writing, were British-made Onoto.

To celebrate the link between the

great man and Onoto pens, the

Churchill family commissioned a new

range in his name. Launched this

autumn, the Sir Winston Churchill

Pinstripe comes in three fusion-

bonded colours: black, white and

pearl blue. The cap top has a silver

plaque made from a wax casting

taken from Churchill’s own signet

ring featuring the Spencer Churchill

family seal. Issued in a limited edition

of 1,874 (the year of his birth), each

pen also comes with a special booklet

with a chronology of Churchill’s life.

From £360; onoto.com

beAumonde | neWS26

beAumonde | frAgrAnce30

Navigating new fragrances can be frustrating.

We’ve edited a selection of the best for men

In scents

Fragrance, like fashion, is susceptible to

seasonal change. Hence, no matter how

durable the allure of your signature scent –

whether it’s Dior Eau Sauvage or Creed

Original Vetiver – the call of the ‘new’ is hard

to resist. Yet with hundreds of men’s eaux de

toilette launching every year, locating the bottle

that is the right balance of innovation and

appeal can, at best, be a chore and, at worst,

prove an experience bordering on traumatic.

There are a few simple rules that can help

alleviate the tedium of navigating the myriad

offerings out there – and without suffering

long-term nasal impairment – the simplest and

most reliable of which is to find an independent

retailer you can approach for sound advice.

This means eschewing the hard-sell-hell

of department store beauty halls and duty-free

shops for the likes of Les Senteurs

(lessenteurs.com) or the Roja Dove Haute

Parfumerie at Harrods (rojadove.com) –

peaceful environments where you don’t feel

under pressure to invest in the latest ‘big thing’

in perfumery. Yet, should time not be in ready

supply, we have taken the liberty of picking out

four new bottles that hit all the right notes.

Taken at face value, you might think Blood

Concept is more style than substance. Founded

by two Italian creatives, and inspired by that

iron-rich substance that flows through us in

abundance, there are four fragrances to choose

from – each named after a blood group. Type O

(from £98, liberty.co.uk) is, however, a clever

amalgam of thyme, raspberry, rosehip and

cedarwood, bound together with a synthetic

metallic note to afford it that telltale ferric

signature. The result is an original and addictive

tonic, with a sweet, peppery introduction that

mellows into warm leather and wood.

Niche British perfumer Miller Harris has

long proved an excellent source of scents that

put a contemporary twist on classic fragrance

families – if you’re new to the brand, try founder

and resident nose Lyn Harris’s ode to cologne,

Le Petit Grain. Her latest creation, La Fumée

(from £60, millerharris.com), may sound like a

posh Gallic cigarette brand but is more a paean to

the dry, smoky incense typical of churches and

eastern temples. It starts out fresh and aromatic

with citrus notes, cardamom, cumin and coriander

seed, before developing into a smouldering

woody aroma redolent of a blazing hearth.

The aforementioned Roja Dove – a walking

cyclopaedia on perfume – has branched

out from cherry-picking fine fragrances from

around the world to creating his own. Roja

Parfums Scandal Pour Homme (£175,

harrods.com) is his first masculine scent, and

comprises an invigorating burst of basil, violet

and lavender with sandalwood, ambergris and

musk. It’s a fresh and dynamic take on an

aromatic fougère (literally ‘fern-like’), and one

that – thanks to the complexity, provenance and

strength of its ingredients – continues to develop

long after you have anointed yourself with it.

If you are averse to change, you could always

bend the rules. Acqua di Parma’s Colonia has

been the default aroma of Mediterranean-

inspired fragrance since 1916, but this winter

the brand has unveiled a limited-edition version,

Colonia Scacchetti Eau de Cologne (£104,

harrods.com). On the outside, it’s a brand new

bottle design by Italian architect Luca

Scacchetti. On the inside, however, you are

rewarded with the familiar, trusty formula of

bergamot, citruses, neroli, patchouli and musk.

Some things simply cannot be improved upon.

Words Henry Farrar-Hockley

If you’re new to the brand, try

Miller Harris resident nose Lyn

Harris’s ode to cologne, Le Petit

Grain, or new creation La Fumée

beAumonde | TeCHnoLoGY32

1. Nikon Coolpix

AW100 camera

What is it about the nature of gadgets

that conveys a sense of adventure

and makes them so covetable? Take

Nikon’s Coolpix AW100. The acme

of photographic specification it is

not, although its 16MP CMOS

sensor and 5x optical zoom deliver

sharp and reliable imagery. What

appeals is that this rugged little

number has built-in GPS to record

the location of every photo as it is

taken; can survive impacts from a

height of 1.5m; is waterproof down

to 10m and will happily function in

sub-zero conditions (-10°C, to be

precise). So if you seek a camera

you can take on your next ski trip

or beach holiday, or simply want a

sharpshooter that’s reassuringly

childproof, accept no substitute.

The AW100 is available in matt

black and camouflage colour

schemes, though we prefer the

Hermès-like burnt orange finish.

£330; nikon.co.uk

3. Loewe Air Speaker

Traditionally a maker of exceptional

televisions, Loewe has also long

appreciated the importance of

speakers – one of the factors key

to the success of its TV sets. Now

the German brand is producing

standalone audio systems,

including this, the Air Speaker.

Essentially a boom box, the cube

has two subwoofers, two mid-range

speakers and two tweeters that

conspire to conjure 80 watts of

precise and powerful audio. As the

name implies, it utilises Apple’s

wireless AirPlay technology, so

you can enjoy your iTunes library

via just about any compatible

device, all without cables. (Purists

should note the discreet USB

socket and headphone jack that let

you enjoy music the conventional

way too.) Design also being close

to Loewe’s heart, the speaker’s

coloured top panel can be

customised to match your décor.

£699; loewe-uk.com

2. Porsche Design P’9981

BlackBerry phone

Despite RIM’s recent woes, the

fact remains that BlackBerry’s

email service is a key platform both

in the Square Mile and beyond.

And while the brand’s handsets are

improving in design terms, they still

lack a certain élan when compared

with the likes of Samsung, Apple

and HTC. So it is good to see the

collaboration with Porsche Design

that has resulted in the P’9981

smartphone. Inside you’ll find a

1.2GHz processor, 8GB of

expandable memory, 720p HD

video recording and dual-band

Wi-Fi, plus a bespoke augmented

reality app (Wikitude World

Browser) and NFC capability for

contactless payments. Outside,

the chassis comprises hand-

finished leather and forged

steel with a pin-sharp 2.8in

touchscreen. This is a coalition

everyone can enthuse about.

£1,325; porsche-design.com

4. Sony HMZ-T1

Personal 3D Viewer

Although loosely resembling those

clunky virtual reality headsets that

flourished briefly in the Eighties,

this one-man cinema is more

rooted in the technology of the

future than of the past. Don the

visor and you are treated to two

OLED high-definition 3D screens

that are the equivalent of having a

multiplex auditorium all to yourself.

Integrated headphones, meanwhile,

provide 5.1 virtual surround sound

to put you right in the middle of the

action, while a number of built-in

control options mean you don’t

have to keep taking it off to adjust

the volume. For headgear that

weighs a not-insubstantial 420g,

it is also surprisingly comfortable

to wear – though if you’re settling

in to watch the director’s cut of

Avatar, you may want to schedule

a few intervals to give your neck

muscles a well-earned break.

£799; sony.co.uk

From a wearable cinema to a pocket Porsche,

these compact devices pack performance

Little giants

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four valleys, switzerland5 luxury ski-in, ski-out chalets CHF 1.79 million

TRAVEL | bEAumondE

Accessible airportsNew flights from London City to small airports

in the heart of the Alps cut transfer times at

both ends, opening up resorts that previously

were not ideal for weekend breaks. For example

Chambéry – which, since last season has been

served once a day, Friday to Monday, by BA

CityFlyer (britishairways.com) – knocks an hour

off the transfer to Courchevel compared to Geneva,

getting you to the resort in around 90 minutes,

which equates with Geneva to Chamonix. Take

the 7am flight on Friday, and the Monday

mid-afternoon return and you can cram in three

and a half days on the slopes.

This season, there is a new City-Bern

flight, which puts Wengen and Mürren a mere

hour from touchdown. SkyWork (flyskywork.com)

runs two flights on most days, one of which

leaves City at 6.30pm on Friday, and a return

that touches down at 7.50am on Monday,

allowing two full days on snow for zero time off

work. Bern also accesses the lovely, underrated

resort of Adelboden – a traditional Swiss village

with nearly 200km of ski slopes and ‘winter

wonderland’ activities such as ice-skating,

curling, tobogganing and even fondue evenings

This season, convenient new

routes, luxury lodgings and

smart services make skiing

in style easier than ever

Ski

breeze

in an igloo. One of its venerable hotels, the

Cambrian (thecambrianadelboden.com),

underwent a major refurb in 2007 to earn its

contemporary design chops. It is one of only two

Swiss hotels in Mr & Mrs Smith, and

the perfect location for a romantic weekend.

Preselected propertyThe phrase ‘luxury chalet’ can at times seem

to be applied to any Alpine structure with

enough hot water for all guests to have a

post-skiing shower. The Oxford Ski Company,

however, has vast experience in reliably

securing truly beautiful mountain properties for

its clients. Last season this was distilled into the

Luxury Chalet Collection – a selection of the

20 best properties in the mountains (19 in the

Alps, one in Aspen). These are chalets which

are not only designed to the highest spec but

are managed with minute attention to guests’

rhythms and requirements.

Take Les Anges in Zermatt. The seven-

bedroom chalet has a huge, open lounge and

dining area with a baby grand piano (and a

separate entertainment room with satellite TV,

DVD etc for those who cannot miss a 6 Nations

HoRn oF PLEnTYA view of the Matterhorn from the dining terrace of Zermatt’s Chalet Les Anges

35

UNCOMMON COLDFrom top: the contemporary bar of the redesigned Grand Park Hotel, Gstaad; skiers sample Adelboden’s wealth of off-piste terrain

beaUMONDe | TRaVeL36

Ski-in-ski-out luxury Ski-to-the-door convenience too often involves

a concrete apartment block in France. But for

the first time, upscale St Moritz is to have a

luxury hotel right by the lifts. Overlooking Lake

Silvaplana, the Nira Alpina is opening in Surlej,

and could hardly be closer to the cable car for

Piz Corvatsch: a skyway leads from the boot

room to the lift station. The hotel has a chic spa

(using Alpiene and Spiezia Organics) and two

restaurants, one a traditional Alpine stübli, the

other serving world cuisine, including Indian

flavours to reflect the roots of hotelier MPS Puri.

There is also an in-house bakery and two après-ski

bars that should make the hotel a destination for

non-residents too, and the laid-back vibe seems

a million miles from the landmark Badrutt’s Palace

in the centre of St Moritz, rather than an easy

6km ride away in the Nira Alpina’s shuttle bus.

Three-night half-board packages for two,

including ski pass and ski rental, from £1,350;

niraalpina.com

Family facilitatedPowder Byrne has done the maths and realised

that the toddlers the luxury family specialist

first took skiing 10 years ago are hot-shot ski

teens now. In addition to its complementary

all-terrain FreeZone programme for over-14s,

this season, at half-term, it will run FreeStyle,

a £545, five-day clinic in which over-12s

can learn fun park tricks in a controlled

environment. It is based in Laax, Switzerland,

famous for its freestyle parks and off-piste

freeride terrain, where you can stay in the very

cool Rocksresort apartments and pack the

young folk off to get big air, while you ski

with grown-ups and enjoy long lunches at the

resort’s excellent mountain restaurants.

powderbyrne.com

Complete conciergeMany fine tour operators talk about tailor-made

holidays, but usually the service is actually

made-to-measure rather than utterly bespoke.

Exosphere is different. There’s no brochure;

a consultant discusses a brief with a client, then

finds the ideal travel arrangements, locations

and experiences to match. A seasoned skier

who spent much of his childhood in the Alps,

CEO John Saunders knows places such as

Gstaad inside out, and, last December, hosted

an exclusive preview trip to the reinvented

Grand Park Hotel. Under the directorship of

Dona Bertarelli, of the Serono biotech family,

the old favourite of Princess Grace has been

transformed into a contemporary pleasure

palace. Gone is the chintz; in are unvarnished

wooden walls, black leather desktops and Bang

& Olufsen entertainment systems. The top floor

is reserved for a private (apart from the butler)

three-bedroomed duplex called My Gstaad Chalet.

Exosphere can organise a stay plus any activities

or outings you would like, and has particular

expertise in organising events or parties.

exosphere.com

Words Chris Madigan

Handy heliskiingIt is one of the most adrenaline-pumping types

of skiing, but either you go to Canada to do it,

or it tends to be a faff to organise in Europe, not

least in France where you must work loopholes

to get around laws about dropping and picking

up. The Pook is a convenient ‘you sort it out’

agency that puts together heli packages for

guests in Val d’Isère and other resorts in the

Tarentaise valley; Chamonix/Courmayeur; and

several Austrian resorts. These can often be

arranged at short notice if conditions are

suddenly favourable and the service (starting

from €200pp) includes pick-up, avalanche

safety equipment and optional extras such as

fat skis or further guiding after your drops.

thepook.co.uk

match), fireplace and a dining terrace for spring.

The food and drink is immaculate: Perrier-Jouët

champagne or Hendrick’s G&Ts; home-mixed

muesli; and gourmet meals. Baskets of tissues,

candied fruit and sunblock wait by the boot room;

staff clean your bathroom after your pre-dinner

shower, so it’s pristine when you get back to

your room later; and a detox breakfast awaits

the morning after a big night in the Broken Bar

beneath the Hotel Post. Combine this with the

Oxford Ski Company’s concierge service, which

organises flights (including by private jet),

private transfers (car or helicopter), ski rental

at your chalet, ski guiding etc, and it is likely the

only break in the smooth running of your holiday

will be on a mogul field.

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After the city | beAumonde 39

Greg Marsh is encouraging

visitors to live like locals in

private properties, not hotels

Homegrown

Success can have unfortunate side effects.

The office of onefinestay, an open-plan room in

a business centre in East London, has a smart

AV screen on the wall announcing targets and

achievements, but also laundry trollies blocking

the passageways. The company’s concept of the

‘unhotel’ – renting desirable London homes to

visitors when their owners are away – appears

to have taken off rather faster than its creators

might have hoped, and at the sharp end it’s hot

and crowded, and teeth are being gritted.

There is no meeting room, so co-founder

and CEO Greg Marsh holds court in the coffee

shop up the road. With his open-necked Viyella

shirt and matinee-idol accent, he seems

thoroughly unflappable, not to mention formidably

bright (MA from Cambridge, MBA with high

distinction from Harvard Business School) and

breezily capable. Now 33, he is on a third or

fourth career, moving between entrepreneurship

and venture capitalism, latterly in the IT

investment team at Index Ventures where he

helped decide which tech start-ups were worth

funding: ‘I sort of bounced from one side of

the table to the other, reading other people’s

business plans and getting itchy feet.’

He set up onefinestay in 2009 with two

partners, financier Demetrios Zoppos and

technologist Tim Davey, later to be joined by

fellow private-equity refugee Evan Frank. The

big idea of the unhotel was based on ‘a series of

mini-epiphanies’ that included a miserable trip

to Pisa saved by a native’s restaurant

recommendation, and a book called Don’t Think

of an Elephant! by George Lakoff. ‘It’s not a

hotel but we want you to think about what a hotel

is and isn’t, and what you do and don’t like about

a hotel,’ explains Marsh. ‘Another inspiration

was the 7 Up marketing campaign, “The

un-cola”. It’s fostering curiosity about what it

would be like to live in London rather than being

forced to experience a second-rate version of it.’

The other side of the deal is the number of

London properties that lie empty for significant

parts of the year, and whose owners might just

want to make some return on their investment.

The company launched in May 2010 with just

five properties (including Marsh’s and Zoppos’s)

but word of mouth, the promise that your home

will be ‘as you left it and a bit cleaner’ and a little

help from the recession has pushed the number

the un-venturer‘This is not a marketing

company,’ says co-founder and CEO Greg Marsh.

‘It’s a logistics company.’

up close to the 250 mark, and they are about to

announce a launch in another capital city.

For all their combined experience, none of

the partners had any hotel-related experience,

though Marsh sees this as an advantage. ‘You

have to think things through from first

principles,’ he says. ‘Needs have really evolved

in the past few decades and I’m not convinced

the hospitality industry has recognised how

radical the shift has been.’ Daily maid service is

a case in point: onefinestay will provide if guests

ask for it, but otherwise it’s weekly.

It is, though, largely about cleaning rather

than concepts. ‘This is not a marketing

company, it’s a logistics company. It’s a very

unglamorous industry from the inside.’ But then

this is a start-up and, as Marsh knew only too

well, that’s always pretty grim. ‘Almost nobody

I know who’s been successful with their own

business hasn’t worked like a bastard for years,’

he says cheerfully. ‘You don’t sleep very well.’

It makes you wonder just why anyone would

move from what they admit is ‘well-paid, very

interesting work’ to a world of risk, excessive

hours and dirty towels. It’s clearly a question

he’s entertained. ‘Many investors would like to

be on the other side,’ he says. ‘They see the grit

and the glory, but it’s a bit like going to war – it’s

only glamorous when you come back. Really, you

do it because you can’t imagine not doing it.’ onefinestay.com

Words James Medd Photography Philip Sinden

Information: Bell & Ross UK +44 207 096 08 78 . information@bellross.com . e-Boutique: www.bellross.com

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investment banking talent | bRUmmell 41

It doesn’t take a genius to work out that

investment banking has had yet another annus

horribilis, and next year could be even worse.

The endless saga of the Eurozone crisis, the

unhalting march of regulators and the

spectre of Europe-wide deleveraging hold all

parts of the business in a vice-like grip.

But where there is panic and dislocation,

there is opportunity, as shown by the FN 40

Under 40 Rising Stars in Investment Banking,

Financial News’ editorial pick of the industry’s

bright young things. We profile six of them here.

With a slowdown in the Western world, banks

are turning to emerging markets, where young

executives with local market knowledge are

in high demand. Financial institutions are trying

to find ways to bolster their balance sheets,

so FIG bankers are busier than ever.

Specialist boutiques are blossoming as they

are able to hire top talent and compete in niche

areas where their bigger rivals are being

forced to cut back. And when management

make deeper cuts and restructure at

the highest level, young blood is flowing in.

Words Yasmine Chinwala Photography Desmond Muckian Research Matt Turner

As another challenging year ends, we introduce six stellar performers in investment banking

inveStment banking talent | bRUmmell 43

Sarah mackey, 37

european head of financial sponsors coverage, global banking and markets, RbS

ed Stevenson, 33

Head of financial institutions group, debt capital markets, bnP Paribas

andy Young, 35

Head of financial institutions syndicate, europe, Credit Suisse

Mackey is one of a handful of women

to make it onto the 40 Under 40

Rising Stars in Investment Banking.

Having worked with private equity

clients for 14 years, she was

promoted to her current role –

in charge of strategy and coverage

of European financial sponsors

across six countries.

She is the only woman in her

team of 10, but her boss and mentor

is one of RBS’s most senior

female executives, Alison Rose,

who she first met as a graduate

trainee at NatWest.

The daughter of immigrants

– her mother is Chinese and her

father is Irish – Mackey read law

before succumbing to the clarion

call of banking. She says the

proudest moment of her career

was the €10bn buyout of Danish

telecoms firm TDC in 2005, which

was transformational for RBS in

terms of deal size.

Mackey practises yoga to unwind

and enjoys going to the ballet.

Growing up with ambitions to play

cricket for England, Stevenson

briefly played for the Kent 2nd XI

and coached children in his summer

holidays before joining BNP Paribas’s

graduate training programme.

‘Life is competitive whether

you are in banking or playing

cricket and you always need to

have a game plan to stay ahead of

the competition,’ he says.

He took over his current role

two years ago and has since been

busy raising financing for European

banks and insurance companies

that have to shore up their capital

bases to meet stricter regulation

on capital adequacy. After the

latest round of stress tests, he and

his team have been busy coming

up with recapitalisation plans for

the worst affected banks.

He owns a few ex-British Rail

diesel trains that are run on private

railway lines and haul freight,

a business he hopes to develop

when he retires.

As well as being kept up at night by

his youngest son, the regulatory

debate over the validity of contingent

capital is very much front and

centre of Young’s mind. He has

been instrumental in building

Credit Suisse’s top tier position

in hybrid capital underwriting for

financial institutions issuers,

leading deals for Rabobank,

UniCredit and Credit Suisse.

It’s a tough balancing act to

manage the different priorities of

banks, regulators, shareholders and

rating agencies wrangling over

whether CoCos should count as core

capital under new capital adequacy

rules, but Young says: ‘There is

progress, which is encouraging.’

In his downtime, Young loves

to surf – he names Kelly Slater

among his heroes – and is proud

to have got his four-year-old son

standing on a surfboard for the

first time this summer. He is

currently reading a biography of

Buddha by Karen Armstrong.

From far left: Sarah Mackey wears black jersey dress with patent trims, £495; Ed Stevenson wears dark blue stripe tie, £95; and Andy Young wears white classic shirt, £150, and brown/black textured stripe tie, £95, all burberry london

BRUMMELL | invEstMEnt Banking taLEnt44

suneel Hargunani, 33

Head of equity syndicate desk, Europe, Middle East and africa, Citigroup

James Hartop, 36

Co-head of investment banking, Europe, Middle East and africa, UBs

Ed allchin, 36

Managing partner, banks specialist sales, autonomous Research

Growing up, Hargunani assumed he

would follow in his father’s footsteps

and become an entrepreneur, but

studying at the London School of

Economics soon nudged him into

banking and he joined Citigroup in

2000. He spent four years working

on the origination side before

moving to the equity syndicate

desk, of which he took charge at

the tender age of 30. He became

a managing director this year.

He has worked on the three

biggest equity deals in Emea this

year – the $11bn initial public

offering of Glencore in May and two

share sales by Commerzbank that

raised €11bn. Hargunani says he

has had to ‘think outside the box

from a distribution perspective’ in

order to price and allocate deals in

such volatile market conditions.

In his spare time, Hargunani

is a keen golfer, and plays with

a handicap of 12. He says his wife

has resigned herself to being a golf

widow when he retires.

In March, UBS restructured its

investment banking management

team – the ninth reshuffle at the

executive committee level in less

than two years – and Hartop was

handed the herculean task of

running its European business

alongside Nick Reid.

Hartop joined UBS in 1995

and was mentored by the likes of

Robin Budenberg, who now runs

UKFI. He rose steadily to lead the

bank’s global industrial group and

worked on the sale of a $5bn stake

in De Beers to Anglo American last

month. He is now shifting his focus

from spending most of his time on

client work to dealing with the

management challenge of how

investment banking fits into the

broader strategy of UBS.

As a child, Hartop wanted to be

an archaeologist but, after running

up student debts studying theology,

he got a job at SG Warburg. A keen

marathoner, Hartop runs to and from

work every day.

Alongside Autonomous co-founders

Stuart Graham and Manus Costello,

Allchin was a top-ranked banks

analyst at Merrill Lynch. As the

financial crisis hit, their frustration

grew as they fished around for the

next challenge. Merrill’s takeover

by Bank of America was the final

straw, and the trio decided to launch

their own independent research

house specialising in financials.

With a partnership structure

paying cash, they were able to hire

top talent and the firm made

£11.3m in operating profits in its

first year of business. Having started

with 18 staff, Autonomous now has

34, with plans to open in Hong Kong

next year and the US in 2014.

This year Allchin (who is

name-checked in Michael Lewis’s

Boomerang) ran the Berlin marathon

and fought in a boxing match to raise

money for One Degree, a charity

that provides mentoring and

tutoring to students in London and

is solely funded by Autonomous.

Left, from top: Suneel Hargunani wears pale grey silk tie, £95; Ed Allchin wears black suit jacket, £995, both Burberry London

Right: James Hartop wears black classic trench coat, £695, and maroon tie, £95, both Burberry London

Giles Hutson, 39

Head of Emea corporate, SSA and emerging markets DCM, Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Mehmet Emin Mazi, 37

Head of emerging markets group, Europe, Middle East and Africa, HSBC

Hutson began his career at Barclays

Capital, working in M&A and on the

syndicate desk before moving to

Goldman Sachs and then Morgan

Stanley in 1999. He joined Bank of

America Merrill Lynch in July last

year as part of the bank’s

reorganisation of its debt team, and

has embraced the challenge of

trying to edge the bank back into the

top 10 DCM bookrunners in Emea.

He believes that the greatest

achievement of his career so far

was being made a managing director

five years ago, but the deal he is

proudest of is a French government

inflation-linked issue that went

ahead despite Hutson being

arrested on his way to the French

ministry of finance because his taxi

driver drove on the hard shoulder.

Hutson says he always has

several books on the go at any one

time to suit his mood, but turns

to reading JRR Tolkien and Jane

Austen when he is in need of

a ‘literary comfort blanket’.

Turkish native Mazi joined HSBC in

Istanbul in 1995 and bade farewell

to the stunning views of the

Bosphorus from his balcony to

move to HSBC in London 10 years

ago. For the past five years, he has

led the bank’s emerging markets

effort within its global markets

business, mentored by Samir Assaf,

HSBC's chief executive of global

banking and markets.

Under Mazi, HSBC has

quadrupled revenue and market

share in the CEEMEA region, and

he has maintained stable revenues

over the past year despite difficult

economic conditions. ‘These are

extraordinary times,’ he says. ‘It’s

not business as usual, you have to

be diligent and creative.’

This year Mazi’s group has

extended its coverage into

south-east Europe and sub-

Saharan Africa, and much is

expected of him as the bank

continues to push aggressively

into emerging markets.

Stylist Cat Stirling Photographer’s assistant Andy Redpath Styling assistant: Madeleine O’Flaherty Grooming Georgie Hamed. Clothes provided by Burberry London; burberry.com

BRUMMELL | invEStMEnt BAnkinG tALEnt46

How wE CHoSE The 40 were selected from a longlist of more

than 150 potential rising stars, assessed by an

editorial panel based on their career trajectory

so far and potential to reach a position

of influence. To read profiles of all the FN 40

Under 40, visit efinancialnews.com

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LA DOLCE VISTAThis page: The magnificent 12th-century Castello di Vicarello sits amid the rolling panorama of Tuscany’s lushly wooded Maremma mountains Opposite: With the hunt’s dogs in hot pursuit, a boar charges through the forest of the Castello’s private hunting reserve

Of all Castello di Vicarello’s esoteric charms,

a traditional Tuscan boar hunt is the rarest thrill

Words Charlotte Metcalf Photography Simone Torrini

Crashing boars

It’s 4am and the stars are dwindling over the Maremma mountains. Carlo Baccheschi Berti bids me good morning in Castello di Vicarello’s vaulted, flag-stoned kitchen. He curses – it is too early for staff to be up making coffee. After much clattering he finds an espresso pot and, as flames hiss on the stove, surveys my makeshift shooting outfit – my trousers are the right colour (moss green) but are more pedal-pushers than breeches and I am in trainers in lieu of boots. He sniffs: ‘I did warn you not to wear perfume, didn’t I?’ I stammer about scented soap, but he knows I’m floundering, and laughs: ‘The boar will smell you a mile off.’

It is late August and the Tuscan caccia – or hunt – doesn’t officially begin until November, but, today, at the request of some keen local huntsmen, there is a wild boar shoot.

I am staying with Carlo and his wife, Aurora, in the 12th-century fortress that they

stumbled across in the Seventies, bought as a ruin in the Eighties, then spent over a decade restoring. Now, this mighty, ancient block of apricot-hued stone is one of Tuscany’s most beautiful historic houses, surrounded by pencil-thin cypresses and lording it over a stupendous vista of thickly forested hills and steep terraces of vineyards and olive groves.

Carlo and Aurora opened the Castello as an exclusive hotel with seven suites, spa and two pools just over 10 years ago, furnishing the rooms with eclectic treasures collected on their travels. They welcome you as if into their own home, which indeed the Castello is – although it is increasingly renowned as one of Europe’s most outstanding establishments, there is no sense that you are in a hotel. Less well known is that a stay here also affords the opportunity to hunt wild boar in the Baccheschi Bertis’ rolling 1,300-acre private hunting reserve.

Carlo and I set off in his Land Rover before 5am. We drive through dense oak forest and, half an hour later, emerge to see twin hills looming up ahead in the dark, the lights of the villages of Buriano and Vetulonia twinkling round their brows like tiaras. We drive through sunflower fields, then stop to open a gate into a meadow full of wild flowers and long-horned creamy cattle. We have arrived.

Several men have already gathered by a wooden lodge roofed with pine branches. A spaniel hurls itself ecstatically at Carlo. I am greeted warmly by Alessandro, who wears a pork-pie hat and an apron decorated with ducks. He hands out espressos and pastries striped with chocolate. We sip the scalding, viscous coffee gratefully as the dark sky dissolves into inky wisps. The men are in good cheer – it’s going to be a glorious morning, apparently. They line up to hand in their gun

BOAR HUNTING | BRUMMELL 49

50 BRUMMELL | BOAR HUNTING

The boars are dragged off to be expertly butchered behind the lodge, while Moreno prepares lunch. We sit at long trestle tables decorated with antlers and stuffed ducks, a big boar’s head with formidable tusks glaring fiercely from the back wall. Moreno and Alessandro bring platters of silky charcuterie, tiny smoked cheeses, pepper pickles, fire-toasted tomato bruschetta, sausage and beef tripe with tomatoes, which all agree are exquisite for the time of year. Then come bowls of spicy penne arrabiata, followed by shoulder of boar (twice-roasted to ensure it is tender and juicy) and boar stew with olives and bay leaves. Alessandro ensures that every plate is full and offers up a toast to Moreno.

If you have a gun licence, I can think of no better way of spending the weekend than gathering a dozen friends and heading for Castello di Vicarello, with a day out on a boar hunt. There is even an Indian masseuse on site, who specialises in Ayurvedic therapies, should your shoulder ache after shooting. So determined am I to return, I have already booked my first shooting lesson. Hunting season runs from 1 November to 15 March. Groups of between eight and 25 can book ‘cacciarelle’ (driven hunts with dogs) and, occasionally a ‘caccia al cerca’ (stalking on foot). Price on request, as each hunt varies. As a special offer to Brummell readers, Original Travel is offering five nights at Castello di Vicarello, b&b inc flights and car hire, from £990pp. 020 7978 7333; originaltravel.co.uk

licences. Maurizio, who is in charge, ensures that we are all provided with luminous orange waistcoats. Someone plonks an orange baseball hat on my head and chuckles.

The air smells deliciously of trampled grass, coffee, smoke and dogs. Bullets are distributed and the men gather round for Maurizio’s briefing. He blows his horn and the hounds, now slobbering with excitement, are taken by the beaters to the outskirts of the wood, through which they will drive the boars, flushing them out into the meadow.

I follow a silent huntsman into the forest. He doesn’t look back. I’m grateful as the incline is steep and I’m panting. Along the path, about 20 metres apart, are palchetti – high wooden seats where the huntsmen will sit once the dogs drive the boars out. For now, we stand silently at the crest of the hill, listening and watching. Apart from the baying of the dogs in the distance, it is quiet. Then a radio crackle ruptures the silence and we hear two blasts of the horn as the beaters let the dogs loose. There are gunshots. My companion explains that the huntsmen can tell from the sound the dogs make on the leaves whether a boar is approaching or fleeing.

We slither back down the hill to the palchetti. The stillness is almost oppressive as we wait. The beaters’ yells, till now echoing distantly, become high-pitched and frenzied, the bloodlust almost tangible. I sense them closing in. Maurizio’s horn blows again. Suddenly, six dogs belt up the hill, yelping

hysterically. I hear squeals and snorts, astonishingly loud and close, then a big boar, dogs on its heels, erupts out of the wood three metres in front of me. Someone fires, but the boar is out of sight and I see another escaping sideways across the path. There are more shots, more shouts, and then Maurizio’s horn to signal it is all over. Four wild boar have been shot, one out in the meadow where it lies among wild flowers, already glassy-eyed and stiff, flies buzzing round the blood.

We return to the lodge where Moreno, the cook, is stoking a fire outside. We sit on rough wooden benches as he toasts ciabatta. It’s only just 11am, but bottles of red wine are uncorked. Everyone is smiling. The boars are laid out on the grass and the huntsmen cluster behind them for a photo. The faces of those who shot the boar are daubed with blood and everyone fires into the air and choruses, ‘In the name of all the hunters of Maremma, I now officially anoint you a hunter of boar.’ I have seen stag hunters blooded in Scotland, but the wildness of the ancient forest and the formality of the anointing make this ritual feel truly medieval.

A big boar, dogs on its heels,

erupts out of the woods three

metres in front of me. Someone

fires, but the boar is out of sight

SEEK AND ENJOY

Left: A hunter takes his place on a palchetto.

This picture: Minutes after the quarry is shot, a cook begins to prepare it for a

celebratory feast

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to be invited to a traditional Geisha tea ceremony was a real privilege.

A cultural infusion indeed.

TAilor-mAde TrAvel • villAS • CHAleTS • CoNCierGe

1

2

Forget school runs, supermarket shopping trips and the gallant

ferrying of in-laws. These ultimate speed machines are strictly for thrill rides

Words Simon de Burton

TOY R ACERS

2. Morgan 3 Wheeler Morgan Motor Company has gone back to its

roots with this 21st-century version of the

legendary three-wheeled ‘cyclecar’ with which

HFS Morgan founded his firm in 1909. Around

30,000 were built at the Malvern Link works

before production moved solely to four-

wheelers in 1953 – but now, long-standing calls

for a modern equivalent have been answered.

The new 3 Wheeler is powered by a 1982cc

S&S V-twin engine whose 115 horsepower

gives the 495kg two-seater a top speed of

125mph. Creature comforts are few (two tiny

aero screens, no roof) but a choice of eight

colour schemes and a range of graphics packs

mean you can tailor your Morgan to taste.

Around £30,000, depending on spec;

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1. Lotus Exige Writing about impossibly fancy cars has given

me the opportunity to drive some of the most

exotic automobiles on the market – but the one

I think I love the most is the truly fabulous

Exige. I passed my test for a race licence at

Silverstone in one of these and would

recommend one to anyone looking for genuine

thrill-a-mile motoring. The ultimate version is

the ‘S’ which is powered by an 1800cc,

supercharged Toyota engine that generates

218 horsepower – enough to give the 933kg

car a top speed of 148mph. But it is the

sublime handling and superb brakes that

make the mid-engined Exige so desirable (not

to mention the spine-tingling whine of the

supercharger in your ear when driving the ‘S’).

£35,550 (‘S’ version); lotuscars.com

With relentless reporting of economic gloom promising to make the Great British winter seem even longer than usual, it might be hard to imagine blasting along a sun-dappled country lane in a car built purely for the sheer fun of driving. But spring will be upon us before you know it, so now could be the time to throw caution to the wind and indulge yourself in a vehicle that is shamelessly useless for the school run, transporting the weekly shop, lugging rubbish to the tip or even travelling from A to B in a light shower. Whether you are putting them through their paces at the track or drawing green-eyed glances on the open road, true sports cars are sculpted, stripped-down poems to the need for speed. Here are five of the finest.

4

3

5

4. Ariel AtomAriel, once the name of one of Britain’s great

motorcycle manufacturers, is now known for

building small numbers of performance-

orientated cars with exquisite tubular,

space-frame chassis, which provide superb

power-to-weight ratio and pin-sharp handling.

Hugely popular among track-day aficionados,

the Atom has no doors, roof or windscreen –

but is positively brimming with high-spec

components from front to back. In the rear, you

will find a 2-litre engine from the Honda Civic

Type R that will propel the bantamweight Atom

from a standstill to 60mph in an eye-watering

2.7 seconds – making it faster than a Ferrari

Enzo. A vast options list makes it possible to

order an Atom to your exact specification.

Price on application; arielmotor.co.uk

5. Caterham Seven The Caterham Seven evolved from the

legendary Lotus Seven, which was designed

by Colin Chapman during the Sixties and made

famous in TV’s The Prisoner. Caterham Cars,

originally a Lotus dealer, bought the rights to

the design in 1973 and has honed it into one of

the most popular and effective no-compromise

two-seat sports car ranges on the market.

Various models are available, starting with the

£14,495 Classic, which is probably the closest

car to Chapman’s design, albeit using a modern,

1.4-litre K-Series engine. The maddest Seven,

however, is the £44,995 CSR 260, which

features a 2.3-litre Cosworth engine, Formula

One-style suspension – and a top speed limited

to 155mph. Each car is built to order.

POA; caterham.co.uk

3. Porsche Boxster Spyder The name ‘Spyder’ refers to a car that is

stripped down to the bare essentials to make it

as light and agile as possible – a treatment that

has made this Porsche a truly superb driver’s

car. It sits a good inch nearer to the ground

than the standard car and weighs 80kg less,

thanks to the featherlight aluminium doors,

carbon-backed seats, an aluminium rear deck

and specially made wheels. The most ‘spidery’

feature of all, however, is the roof – a minimalist

clip-on cap weighing just 6kg. The resulting low

weight, paired with a 3.4-litre, 316-horsepower

engine makes for a thrilling package, especially

when the ‘sport plus’ button is engaged to allow

the engine to rev harder for longer and enable

the competition exhaust pipe to really howl.

From £47,843; porsche.com

MOTORING | BRUMMELL 53

BRUMMELL | ExtREME spoRts cLUBs54

Groucho Marx famously said he refused to join any club that would have

him as a member, but how about those whose membership criteria

is so strict only explorers and extreme-sports addicts need even apply?

Words Eloise Napier Illustrations Brett Ryder

High society

When it comes to clubs, you may feel you have reached the pinnacle. Securing membership of White’s, Pratt’s and The Arts Club may have been a doddle; Robin Birley’s equally selective Rupert’s Club, due to open in January 2012, should pose no problems. But, however much influence you have, however fabulous your connections or humungous your bank accounts, there are some clubs that will push you to limits you had not thought of before you are even considered eligible for membership.

They put the sieve in exclusive, and normal people need not apply. These are societies founded on bravery, endurance, imagination and a touch of madness. They are places where you meet utterly extraordinary characters – the sort other people write books about.

Foremost among these is the GH Mumm Cordon Rouge Club. Its members, who include the likes of Chris Bonington, Ellen MacArthur and David Hempleman-Adams, meet for dinner once a year and hothouse ideas for new expeditions. Founded in 2008 to celebrate and encourage exceptional adventurers, as well as raise money for charity, the club harks back to the beginning of the last century, when Georges H Mumm, owner of the champagne house, gave financial support to his friends embarking on great expeditions. One such was Jean-Baptiste Charcot, a peer of Captain Scott, who spent years exploring the Antarctic. The name of his ship, Pourquoi-

Pas, seems to encapsulate the philosophy of the Cordon Rouge Club.

As last year’s chairperson, round-the-world yachtswoman Dee Caffari, explains: ‘There are very few firsts left out there, but you can do

Some people will be on the

waiting list for 10 years – there

is no rhyme or reason to how

or when you might expect to join.

things faster, better and bigger.’ Caffari, a former teacher, changed career and started sailing 10 years ago. Since then, she has sailed non-stop around the world three times, come sixth in the Vendée Globe and been awarded an MBE. ‘I realised that life is about opportunities and you can go off and do amazing things if you put yourself out there,’ she says.

The 25 members of the Cordon Rouge Club elect two new members each year. It’s a big achievement just to be chosen – ‘a statement of standing’, as Caffari puts it. Fame has nothing to do with it: ‘It’s not about your media draw, but being acknowledged for doing something extraordinary.’ Indeed, many of us will never have heard of many of the members, such as polar explorer Rune Gjeldnes or extreme climber Leo Houlding.

Along with the annual dinner and associated charity challenge, held this year in aid of ShelterBox, members are presented with a sabrage sword and, in a suitably macho gesture, are taught to use it to cut the top off a bottle of champagne.

No less selective is the Shikar Club. Founded in 1909, its members continue to meet annually for dinner at the Savoy. Originally, the focus was almost entirely on big-game

hunting, the more dangerous the better. The modern incarnation of the club is less bloodthirsty and more concerned with conservation. To join its ranks, according to the club secretary, ‘You have to have pursued big game outside the UK. This could, of course, just be wild boar in France!’

In fact, it appears that membership now has less to do with a lust for bloodsport than whether you are considered to be a convivial dining companion. As such, it means your chances of joining the 200 men-only members rely almost entirely on personal recommendation and a dedication to discretion – because this is a club that is determinedly off the radar.

Whereas membership of the Shikar Club won’t cost you much more than the price of a good dinner, the habitués of the Eagle Ski Club in Gstaad have to have very deep pockets indeed. It is said the joining fee alone is in the region of £25,000, with annual membership fees on top. ‘Everyone pays full fees – it doesn’t matter whether you are Valentino or Bernie Ecclestone,’ says an Eagle insider.

A native of Gstaad whose father and siblings are all members of the Eagle Club, our source won’t allow his name to be published for fear that his own proposed membership might be blackballed. ‘You have to know lots of members to be put up. Having a parent who is a member helps, but it doesn’t guarantee membership.’ The waiting list is prodigious, he adds. ‘Some people will wait 10 years – there is no rhyme or reason to how or when you might expect to join.’

The question is, why would anyone want to join such an exorbitantly expensive club

56 BRUMMELL | ExtREME spoRts cLUBs

when it consists primarily of a restaurant that is open for only four months of the year? The answer, partly, is social cachet. This is a place where royalty, aristocracy, the hyper-wealthy, the Hollywood glitterati and the highest echelons of the fashion world coincide to rub cashmere-clad shoulders.

But for those who don’t have all the requisite social connections, there is another, less publicised route that can – sometimes – speed up the membership process. You have to be a superb skier. The club runs ski races throughout the season, often competing against other elite clubs such as the Corviglia in St Moritz. As the insider says: ‘Inevitably, there are some people in fur coats at the Eagle Club who never put on a ski boot, but there are just as many who really are skiing gods.’ For the latter, it is the sheer exhilaration of racing that makes it all worthwhile.

Less exclusive, but far more dangerous, is the Shuttlecock Club, also based in St Moritz. Membership, which ensures entry to an annual ball, is automatic as soon as you have crashed at the infamous Shuttlecock Corner on the Cresta Run. The corner is a safety valve on the 1,212m toboggan run where riders, lying face-down on what is basically just an upscale tea tray, frequently reach speeds up to 90mph. Those who don’t have the skill to reach the bottom of the run will be thrown out by the camber at Shuttlecock Corner.

It’s an important safety device because the dangers of the run are very real. James Kelly, a former army officer, has completed the Cresta hundreds of times over the past 27 years. In 2000, he had a horrendous crash that resulted in 12 broken bones, two punctured lungs and three cardiac arrests. ‘I took a year off in 2001 because I was on crutches, but I’ve done it every year since then,’ he says cheerfully. Although the adrenaline rush created by the Cresta Run is addictive, the enterprise is far from reckless. As Kelly is at pains to point out: ‘It’s run by a very professional team, with a series of safety nets in place and superb medical back-up.’

Having a top-notch support team is essential for anyone tempted to swim the English Channel and thus join the ranks of the Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation. ‘You get really seasick when you’re swimming a long distance like this – you’re turning your head to one side every 15 seconds for 15 hours, swallowing seawater and breathing in diesel fumes. In short, you don’t feel very well at all,’ says Kevin Murphy who has nevertheless completed the 22-mile crossing 34 times. ‘But the sense of exhilaration and achievement and the sheer relief when you reach the other end is unbelievable.’

And that is surely a sentiment that every member of the world’s most dangerous clubs would agree with. Vive la discomfort zone.

You get seasick swimming the

Channel – you’re turning your

head every 15 seconds for 15

hours, swallowing seawater and

breathing in diesel fumes. In short,

you don’t feel very well at all

57 - 58 South Audley Street

london W1K 2ed

+44 (0)20 7499 1801

www.purdey.com

BRUMMELL | WATCHES58

Watch trends may come and go, but a traditional,

hand-wound watch will always be of the moment

Words Simon de Burton Photography Andy Barter

Star turns

Automatic wristwatches wind

themselves up by means of an

oscillating weight that swings

to and fro as the wearer moves

around, but many horological

purists prefer the ritual of having

to hand-wind a watch on a daily

basis – an event that gives one

a chance to commune with one’s

timepiece and fully appreciate

the wonder of all those wheels,

teeth and gears working in

perfect harmony. Here are five

hand-wound models that

are definitely worth the effort.

Clockwise from top left:

Ralph Lauren Slim Classique This delectable dress watch is about as spare as a timepiece can get, yet the attention to detail and the finish are superb. Inside the wafer-thin case, you’ll find an even thinner hand-wound Piaget movement that is just as exquisite as the watch itself. £10,400; ralphlaurenwatches.com

Patek Philippe Calatrava Anyone who is truly serious about fine watches should have a Calatrava in their collection. Patek’s entry-level beauty was designed in 1932, during the Bauhaus era, and remains a fine example of form following function, with its white-gold case measuring a modest 37mm in diameter. £15,920; patek.com

IWC Portofino IWC’s big news for 2011 was an upgrade of the long-standing and classically elegant Portofino range, the most desirable of which is the hand-wound version. This model contains an in-house movement featuring an eight-day power reserve, the state of which can be monitored by the indicator near the nine o’clock position. £7,250; iwc.com

Omega Speedmaster Professional Lack of gravity prevents automatic watches from working properly in outer space, which is one reason why the hand-wound Omega Speedmaster has been used on every US space mission since 1962. It remains the only watch to have been worn on the surface of the moon thanks to Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong’s historic moonwalk in 1969. £3,300; omegawatches.com

Jaeger-LeCoultre Grande Reverso Celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, the Reverso’s famous flip-over case has been adapted to house many different movements over the decades, but the hand-wound Grande Reverso in steel remains the purest expression of what has become a horological icon. £5,250; jaeger-lecoultre.com

hides to seekSuede boots, £645 Givenchy at harrods. Leather belt, £535, Bottega Veneta

BRUMMeLL | ACCessoRies60

When choosing a gift, you don’t want to end up

with a turkey. These tactile accessories are

surefire luxury hits for material girls and boys

Photography Andy Barter styling Tamara Fulton

All thetrimmings

tablet dispenserThis page, clockwise from top left: ‘Ascot’ calfskin iPad-holder, £150, asprey. Woven leather iPad-holder, £390, bottega Veneta at Matches. Calfskin iPad-holder, £930, Hermès. Stamped-leather iPad- holder, £99.95, Harrods

Head MasterOpposite, from top: Tweed hat with feather, £115, paul smith. ‘Hannay’ hat, £150, Holland & Holland. Hat with ribbon, £459, borsalino at Harrods. Hat with ribbon, £150, Holland & Holland. Fedora, £250, Gieves & Hawkes

brUMMell | accessories62

accessories | BrUMMeLL 65

ties that BindOpposite, from left to right: Cashmere tie, £70, ralph Lauren. Knit tie, £65, chester Barrie. Cashmere tie, price on application, Brunello cucinelli. Knit tie, £125, Brioni. Knit tie,

PhotograPher’s assistants Michael Williams, angela Dennis styling assistant Cat stirling With thanKs to Madeleine o’Flaherty and lucy Zondi

stoCKists Details on Page 70

£65, chester Barrie. Knitted silk tie, £85, oliver sweeney contain yoUrseLf This page, clockwise from top left: Velvet intrecciato clutch, £1,125, Bottega Veneta. Python-skin bag

with clasp, £915, tod’s. Python-skin clutch, £1,065, Marc Jacobs at harrods. Miniature beaded clutch, £449, emporio armani. oversized bag with raised circles, £1,150, Paul smith Limited edition

TASTE MAKERS This page: Menswear

designer Alexia Hentsch at Hentsch Man's Baker

Street studio. Opposite: Sommelier Xavier Rousset

at 28-50, his new wine workshop and kitchen

just off Fleet Street

Key to the UK’s financial fitness, our creative industries are

a hothouse for compelling new talents. Meet four of today’s finest

MADE IN BRITAIN

Words Simon Brooke Photography Philip Sinden

As politicians, business people and analysts debate how best to stimulate growth in our economy, revive the fortunes of British manufacturing and produce exports that the world will actually want to buy, the part played by our creative industries is becoming increasingly important.

There were an estimated 182,100 businesses working in the creative sector last year, according to government figures, and their exports totalled nearly £20bn. Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport recently told the Royal Television Society: ‘The digital and creative industries present an opportunity for this country that is greater than for any country in the world.’ Many working in these industries are already grasping that opportunity with both hands.

Alexia Hentsch, menswear designerIt was the quest for that wardrobe essential, the well-cut white shirt, that drove Alexia Hentsch to set up Hentsch Man. Now three years old, the label she runs with her business partner and childhood friend Max von Hurter is characterised by the natural fabrics, relaxed, down-to-earth styling and subtle wit that appeals to so many men these days.

As if to underline that this is not about fashion with a capital F, the men sporting her clothes on the website are not professional models – they’re interesting guys whose style Alexia admires. ‘I always wanted to do my own thing and I’ve long been interested in creating a brand,’ says the 30-year-old Swiss-Brazilian, who settled in London 10 years ago. ‘The emphasis is very much on tailoring, but with a little fun thrown in.’ Classic corduroy trousers, for instance, are available in brilliant red, while an elegant double-breasted jacket is cropped around the hips.

Increasingly, women’s wear designers, such as Roland Mouret, have started to produce men’s ranges and vice versa. Hentsch knows precisely why she enjoys creating men’s clothing. ‘It takes me out of the equation,’ she says. ‘I can be more objective about designing clothes without getting drawn too much into what I’d like to wear myself.’ Next spring/summer will see a focus on classic crew necks, navy stripes and jerseys.

As well as retailing through concessions in stores, Hentsch Man has enjoyed success with a number of pop-up shops, but its online presence is its main outlet. Hentsch and von Hurter’s initial investment came from their own bank accounts plus family and friends. With plans for more stores and a wider range, they accept that they’ll have to take the corporate investment option for round two. But somehow you feel those buttoned-down finance types won’t affect the relaxed, quirky Hentsch Man style. hentschman.com

Xavier Rousset, sommelierHaving graduated as the youngest master sommelier in the world at just 23 and worked at the Hotel du Vin and the Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Xavier Rousset knows a thing or two about wine. The fact that he describes his latest venture, 28-50, just off Fleet Street, as a ‘wine workshop and kitchen’, tells you something about the 32-year-old’s approach. Food is important, of course, but it’s there to complement what goes into the glass, rather than vice versa. Rousset believes that, although we are much better educated and informed about wine than we ever used to be, there is still a thirst (pardon the pun) for greater knowledge. ‘We want to take people on a journey with wine and show them something new,’ he explains.

At 28-50, the wine list is cannily edited to push customers’ boundaries and is presented alongside a menu created by Rousset’s business partner, Agnar Sverrisson, that offers classic French cuisine with a modern slant.

Foie gras, for instance, comes accompanied by peach chutney, while coq au vin is served with fresh tagliatelle.

A mini glass – just 75ml – is priced at around £3 and gives 28-50 customers the opportunity to explore new wines before they decide to invest in a bottle. Fine wines are now also available by the glass, thanks to a machine that prevents them from going off. A second branch of 28-50 – named after the range of latitudes of the world’s best vineyards – is due to open in the West End next year.

Rousset is a supporter of the campaign by French wine producers to win back popularity from the new-world labels. ‘European wines are definitely making a comeback. We’ll see fewer of those heavy, oaky new-world varieties now,’ he says. ‘The wines of the Rhone Valley and those of the Languedoc, in particular, are the ones to watch.’ 28-50.co.uk

RISIng CREATIvE TAlEnT | BRUMMEll 67

PRECIOUS METTLE

Left: Silversmith Jemma Daniels at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire where she recently showed her designs at a jewellery and crafts fair. Opposite: commercial director Justin Stokes at Chase 55 prop house in Acton

BRUMMELL | RISIng CREaTIvE TaLEnT68

Jemma Daniels, silversmithAs the search for individual, bespoke pieces rather than mass-produced items continues, and with thoughtful consumers in these recessionary times looking to spend their money on something with that extra-special element, British silversmithing is enjoying something of a golden age, so to speak.

Jemma Daniels, 27, who has won awards from Goldsmiths’ Crafts and Design Council, among others, and whose designs are available at Fortnum & Mason, is at the forefront of a new generation of craftspeople. ‘My work is influenced by ceramics – I want it to be functional and tactile,’ she says of her pieces, which are known for their elegant shapes and soft, fluid lines. They range from water jugs, bowls and vases to rings and necklaces.

‘There’s a vibrant community of silversmiths working in Britain today as more people become interested in silver pieces,’ she says. ‘The V&A Museum has a contemporary

Justin Stokes, film-makerWhere does a commercial end and a film begin? The distinction has become more blurred of late as even the most mundane brand has attempted to create something that offers its target market less of a hard sell and more a subtle evocation of its products’ values in story, imagery and sound.

One of those who has been at the cutting edge of this transformation is film-maker Justin Stokes. The 27-year-old has recently directed films for companies as varied as Skoda and Swiss Airlines. ‘I started with photography but soon realised that still images were not what I wanted to do,’ he says. As well as working as a researcher on TV programmes such as Watchdog, he became a camera operator and film editor, working on projects for Sony and Nokia among others. ‘Having experience of other aspects of the business has been very useful.’

Other clients include Grand Marnier and Range Rover, and Stokes’s sweeping, elegantly cinematic style lends a sense of drama and excitement to filmed ads for these well-known names. Range Rover’s has been playing on TV across the US, while the Skoda film was aired in the UK on Channel 5. ‘In the original Grand Marnier script, there were a lot of shots of the product, but they let me use fewer of these and do other things in the final edit,’ says Stokes.

His film debut, Method Actor, was part of the official selection in the 2011 Palm Springs International ShortFest film festival and has been screened at art-house cinemas around the world. Its success demonstrates how the explosion of online video has changed the game for film-makers. Instead of having to rent a cinema and drag an audience along to it, talented individuals can now produce professional-looking movies for a fraction of their traditional costs and, in days, these movies can reach a mass audience online.

Unlike many up-and-coming directors, Stokes feels no desperate rush to break into the world of big movies and big budgets. ‘I’m not quite ready to handle it,’ he says. ‘In the meantime, I’m very happy doing what I’m doing.’ crusty-thought.tv

collection and the National Museum Wales is now creating one of its own too.’

Many customers will commission Daniels not only for silverware but also jewellery such as wedding rings. ‘They are interested in having something that’s unique to them and want to take part in the creative process,’ she explains. ‘They often like to visit my workshop so they can see where their piece is being made. Men, especially, like to know what has gone into the making of a ring.’

As well as taking a hands-on approach to hammering, moulding and all the other creative processes involved in realising her designs, Daniels also understands the need to be an astute businesswoman. ‘I’m always going to see potential clients – you’ve got to market yourself in this business. And you have to be your own accountant and bookkeeper,’ she says. ‘It’s hard work, but very rewarding.’ jemmadaniels.com

BRUMMELL | BY GEORGE70

Four decades of communism

robbed Glashütte of its good

horological name. Now, though,

the German watchmaking town’s

time has come again

Zeit

heist

Stockists Asprey 020 7493 6767; asprey.com Bottega Veneta 020 7838

9394; bottegaveneta.com Brioni 020 7491 770; brioni.com Brunello Cucinelli 020 7730 5207; brunellocucinelli.it Burberry London 020

7806 1303; burberry.com Chester Barrie 020 7439 6079;

chesterbarrie.co.uk Emporio Armani 020 7491 8080; emporioarmani.

com Gieves & Hawkes 020 7434 2001; gievesandhawkes.com

Harrods 020 7730 1234; harrods.com Hermès 020 7499 8856;

hermes.com Holland & Holland 020 7499 4411; hollandandholland.

com Matches 020 7221 0255; matchesfashion.com Oliver Sweeney

0800 622 6030; oliversweeney.com Paul Smith 0800 023 4006;

paulsmith.co.uk Ralph Lauren 020 7535 4600; ralphlauren.co.uk

Tod’s 020 7493 2237; tods.com

‘It’s running like a Swiss watch,’ said Terry, my

mechanic, after relieving me of an eye-watering

sum for fitting a new – possibly solid gold –

exhaust pipe to my ancient Porsche 911.

‘Shouldn’t that be a German watch, with

Porsche being based in Stuttgart?’ I countered.

‘Maybe, but German watches aren’t as

good as Swiss ones, are they?’

It was an understandable error (after all,

the Swiss do rather make out that they invented

time) but the wider world should know that the

Teutonic precision that makes Germany’s cars

so bulletproof also applies to its watches.

The best come from the old Saxon town

of Glashütte which once did very nicely out of

extracting ore from the surrounding Erzgebirge

mountains. Until it ran out in the early 1800s.

Economic doldrums ensued until Ferdinand

Adolphe Lange, master watchmaker to the

Saxon Court, founded the first watch factory

in 1845 and attracted several masters of the

art who, by 1900, had transformed the place

into a horological hub to rival the Swiss Jura.

But World War II left the region badly

battered by relentless Allied bomb attacks and

many of the watch factories were razed. Some

bounced back, but no sooner did a degree of

normality resume than the East German state

expropriated the main businesses and created

the Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe conglomerate.

Created in 1951, the ‘GUB’, as it was

sometimes known, ploughed on throughout

the Cold War period, making workmanlike

mechanical watches for the masses and,

importantly, keeping vital horological skills alive.

After the collapse of the DDR, the company

was bought by Swatch Group and re-named

Glashütte Original, while Walter Lange – great-

grandson of Ferdinand – revived his old family

firm A Lange & Söhne.

Glashütte Original is a true ‘manufactory’

in that it is equipped to make all its components

in house. Its movements are often finished to

a remarkable level and brim with the sort of

features that watch geeks go gaga for – gold

chatons, swan-neck adjustment, blued screws,

bevelled edges. It has also mastered high-end

complications such as the tourbillon, perpetual

calendar and split-seconds chronograph, and

even created the first mechanical watch – the

Senator Diary – with an alarm that can be set

up to 30 days in advance.

But the most on-trend Glashüttes of the

moment are a couple of models inspired by

vintage pieces from the brand’s archive collection

which, perhaps ironically, were created in the

depths of communist oppression.

The official blurb notes the ‘joie de vivre

of the wild Sixties’ and how the Seventies

‘offered exciting new ways of seeing the world’.

I doubt if GUB’s watchmakers saw things

quite that way, but their creations have

certainly translated nicely into the 21st

century in the delightful, round-cased Senator

Sixties Panorama Date with its delectable

domed dial and the similarly retro, softly

squared Seventies Panorama Date.

As well as being suitably upsized for today,

these Cold War throwbacks are now equipped

with the sort of lavishly decorated movements

that the state-employed watchmakers could

only have dreamed of making.

I’d love to buy one for Terry, just to show

him how good a German watch can be. But he

took all my money for that exhaust pipe.

Glashütte Original Seventies Panorama Date,

£7,400; Senator Sixties Panorama Date, £5,700.

glashuette-original.com

Words Kip Springer

LEFT HANDERS Communist-era designs inspired Glashütte Original’s softly squared Seventies Panorama Date and Senator Sixties Panorama Date