Looks like a good time–Monterey Festival

Here’s a fine article in the New York Times on the auto-related festivities at Monterey and Pebble Beach this year. I have never been–I missed out when my in-laws moved away from the area before I could attend–but I hear good things. And really, since some of these events do not require big money tickets, how can you beat the history…and the cars?

Alfa-Romeo 8C (pic sourced from http://autoworldnotes.blogspot.com)

Alfa-Romeo 8C (pic sourced from autoworldnotes.blogspot.com)

Some excerpts:

Monterey’s Festival, Rich in Tradition

The birth of this country’s classic-car Olympics took place at Pebble Beach, Calif., on the scenic Monterey Peninsula, in the simpler, quieter time of November 1950.

Genesis, in this instance, was a small sports-car meeting, advertised as “European road races,” that took place on a 1.8-mile makeshift circuit in the Del Monte Forest, admission $1. More or less as an afterthought, a car show, given the French title of concours d’élégance to maintain the European theme, attracted 32 entries, most of them new models owned by Forest residents, was added. Admission was free.

A college dropout from Santa Monica with ambitions to be a racing driver won the main event in a Jaguar XK120, despite an uncooperative clutch. In later years he would win at Pebble again and also win the concours’ Best of Show award with a 1931 Pierce-Arrow that he and his brother had restored. The erstwhile student was Phil Hill, who would ascend to the title of World Driving Champion in 1961.

Most of the action happens during the third week of this month, with the climax being the 63rd Pebble Beach Concours d’Élégance, which can lay claim to being the world’s most important, on Sunday, Aug. 18. Over the years, activity has spread from the Del Monte Forest to 16 locations in the Monterey area, including Carmel’s main thoroughfare, Ocean Avenue, where more than 200 cars are expected at the seventh annual Concours on the Avenue on Aug. 13.

Shall we pack our bags?

 

 

A (very) general hierarchy for vintage watches

Here are some very general guidelines on how to rank and compare vintage watches in a physical sense. Obviously, make and model have the most to do with the overall equation in terms of value but these physical characteristics can still give a collector a basic idea of the overall intrinsic value of a given wristwatch when compared against like examples.

  1. Case Type: A case with screwed back is generally more desirable than one with a snap/pressure fit back due to increased water resistance. Any given multi-piece case is usually preferable to a front loading “monocoque” one-piece case, a style which was popular in the early 1970s but is now out of fashion. A 3-piece case with back, midcase and separate bezel is generally considered superior to a 2-piece case with integrated/formed non-separate bezel. Continue reading →

The state of play in Indycar

Championship leader Helio Castroneves

Heading into the race at Mid-Ohio this afternoon, it’s been a very topsy-turvey season in the Izod Indycar championship, America’s premier open wheel series. Not only is perennial championship contender (and bridesmaid) Will Power lying 10th after 13 rounds but his employer, the mighty Team Penske, has only one win. If it’s any consolation (and it won’t be to Power), that lone Penske win was by Helio Castroneves at the Firestone 550 at the big oval in Texas in round 8. Despite that paltry victory total, it’s the 3-time Indy 500 winner who tops the driver’s standings with 425 points due to excellent consistency if not outright speed.

Hot on the Brazilian’s heels is Kiwi Scott Dixon with 396 points for the Ganassi team, Penske’s arch-rival. Dixon is smoking hot having won the last 3 races in a row (yes, you read that right): Indycar’s return to Pocono’s “Tricky Traingle” on July 7th and then the 2-day double header in Toronto the following weekend. You’ve got to like Dixon’s chances of cruising by Castroneves in the overall today, having won the Honda 200 at Mid-Ohio four out of the last six seasons. It’s hard to imagine one driver being so dominant at a course as technical as this one but Dixie is definitely the real deal and I like his chances for another win today. In fact, I also like him to finish up the season as overall champion.

Contender Scott Dixon has a lot to smile about lately

Other notables:  Continue reading →

The Rolex Explorer–A watch for all seasons

Rolex Explorer reference 1016--Matte Dial

Rolex Explorer reference 1016–Matte Dial
The most versatile and cleanly designed model in the Rolex Sports/Tool line is the venerable Explorer. Originally christened shortly after Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay successfully summited Mt. Everest in 1953 with a great many men on the team wearing Rolex Oysters (there is some mystery as to whether Hillary actually wore a Rolex or a Smiths), the Explorer has been in the Rolex repetoire ever since. And with good reason. Not only does it possess the toughness and water resistance you’d expect from an Oyster Perpetual but it has an elegant simplicity and low profile that make it perfectly suited to any occasion.

1963 1016 with Gilt Dial

With its black face and instantly recognizable military-style luminous “3” “6” “9”, the ultra-legible Explorer goes perfectly with anything you might be thinking of wearing, from hiking attire to formal wear. (Let’s face it: James Bond may be able to pull off a Submariner with a tux but you probably shouldn’t try it.) With no prominent rotating bezel like the Sub or GMT-Master, as well as a thinner case, the Explorer fits under a French cuff as easily as any dress watch in the Oyster line.  But it still looks tough and ready for action.

Modern 36mm ref. 114270

Modern 36mm ref. 114270

Yes, all it does is tell time. But it does that beautifully, accurately and with unmatched versatility. While Rolex has lately upsized the Explorer to a beefier 39mm, I strongly prefer the traditional 36mm diameter. Don’t mess with a classic.

For more great reading on the origins of the Explorer, check out this terrific post over at Vintage Rolex Forum from one of the big Dutch collectors. It’s a truly great read.

Earworm of the Day: Strange Powers by The Magnetic Fields

With a bouncy, chuggy beat accented by continually shaking sleigh bells, a flute somewhere in the background and a disembodied chorus of “ooh-ooh”s, “Strange Powers” manages to be part oompah, part fast buggy ride over the boardwalk and 100% hooky. Frontman, multi-instrumentalist and lead vocal Stephen Merritt’s laconic baritone is swathed in reverb amongst all the musical merriment, as he delivers his declarations of infatuation via deceptively cynical lyrics. It takes at least two listens to figure out quite what’s happening. But at a mere 2:42, it’s such a catchy tune I’m betting you’ll play it more than twice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwS77fWZ8_0

Though it still sounds fresh as a daisy, “Strange Powers” was originally released way back in 1994 on Holiday. It is also the title of a 2010 documentary on the band (which is primarily Merritt’s baby) that can be rented on Amazon. I’m going to have to check it out and get back to you all.

Plug the song into your Pandora or download it from iTunes or Amazon.

Accessories we like — John Hardy leather bracelets

Guy jewelry is a tricky thing and some are of the (old) school of thought that it should be watch & wedding ring max. But that seems a bit staid by MFL standards. There’s more than one way at a time to express the complexity of our personalities. Sometimes we want to show our inner tribal warrior off even if we’re wearing a button down Oxford and a tie. Thanks to my better half giving me one for our anniversary (an incredible gift, BTW) I feel that John Hardy leather bracelets can do that job quite nicely.  Not all the designs are winners but a bracelet like the Dayak is nothing but masculine and will complement your tats (or naked hairy wrist) to a T.

John Hardy Dayak

The interplay of leather and sterling silver is based on the traditional warrior designs of the Dayak tribe of Borneo, so you can grab a little of that ethos vicariously when you strap on the Hardy version. (You can read more about the badass Dayaks here but suffice to say you don’t want to start talking smack about their jewelry lest you end up with your head on display in their hut.)

If you want a splash of color, a Station Bracelet in red or green makes a nice statement.

Hardy Station Bracelet

 

These bracelets aren’t cheap by any means at $275-$495 for most of the leather collection. But their solid silver pieces are exponentially more expensive so these are a good way to treat yourself to a bit of tribal toughness that can be worn everyday without breaking the bank. Just don’t wear the ones with magnetic clasps on the same wrist as your watch, as they are quite strong. Unless your watch is an IWC Ingenieur or Rolex Milgauss, that is.

Their official site is here: John Hardy for Men. They also produce a wide range of cufflinks, full metal bracelets, rings and necklaces, as well as stuff for the women & kids.

You can also purchase John Hardy accessories at Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.

What we’re listening to now: Baghdad Blues by Horace Silver

A strong eye and ear opener to go with your coffee and breakfast, “Baghdad Blues” is an uptempo workout composed by Don Newey and recorded by the Horace Silver Quintet. Silver is a wonderful pianist and on this track (and much of the superlative 1959 album Blowin’ the Blues Away) he shows his usual fine eye as a bandleader by assembling the swinging quintet of Junior Cook on tenor sax, the estimable Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Gene Taylor on Bass and Louis Hayes on the skins.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Fxkd1NWWCA

Like so much of Horace Silver’s classic work, there is an effortless virtuosity to the Baghdad Blues. He also demonstrates the undervalued leader’s quality of selflessness: the solos are concise and spread around democratically. The song scoots along at a nice clip and circles back to it’s brassy bridge several times before jumping off again into ecstatic excellence. Best of all, he’s still going strong at 84. If he comes to your town, be sure to check out one of the living legends of Jazz.

Horace Silver Bio & Discography from the outstanding Allmusic.com.

Plug it into your Pandora or download it from iTunes or Amazon.

Relatively cheap vintage watches can make you happy

I just wanted to start a series of posts on relatively inexpensive vintage watches that I think are a good way to begin collecting and provide great bang for the buck. I may go into these makes & models in more detail at a later date but for now here’s a quick example with pix.

Vintage Longines Admiral, circa 1970

Vintage Longines are, for the most part, grossly undervalued in terms of the quality they deliver relative to other “sexier” brands. Take this nice blue dialed Admiral from the early 1970s that I recently sold (with a tinge of regret).

LonginesAdmiral-8_edited-1

Not a big watch at 35mm, it is nevertheless a nice casual dress size and the face looks large due to the narrow bezel. Plus I am a big fan of blue dials and this one is a beauty.

LonginesAdmiral-5_edited-1

It has a water resistant two-piece all-stainless steel case and screwed back, which makes it ideal for daily wear.

LonginesAdmiral-bk_edited-1

But best of all, its “super power” is that it features a rare in house Longines cal. 431 25-jewel chronometer-grade movement adjusted to temperature and 4 positions that beats at 36,000 bph, which gives the second hand a pleasingly smooth sweep.

LonginesAdmiral-move_edited-1

This deluxe version of the 431 was arguably Longines’ most technically advanced movement (the more commonly found version is detuned down to 28,800 bph), an engineering pinnacle of sorts before the quartz revolution nearly destroyed the mechanical watch industry. People like to debate about high beat vs. lower beat movements in terms of accuracy (higher beat) vs. durability (lower beat). That notwithstanding, one has to take their hat off to Longines’ commitment to pushing forward with then-cutting edge mechanical watch technology in the face of the rapidly changing world of tuning fork and quartz module competition.

LonginesAdmiral-wrst_edited-1 IMO, this watch is a stylish steal at around $600-$750.

What we’re listening to today–Down the Line by The Gutter Twins

Here’s something a little grungy to kick off your Monday by the collaboration of 90s hard-alternative vets Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees) and Gregg Dulli (Afghan Wigs) known as The Gutter Twins.

A much more souped up version of this tune than that of the songwriter, José González (his is also very good just mellow/acoustic–you can compare it here), it appears on the Twins’ 2008 Adorata. Along with a strong cup of java, it should help get you going.

Plug it into your Pandora station or download from iTunes (Adorata is not currently available on Amazon).