What H is wearing today ...

H is wearing a stunning Diane von Furstenberg dress and Manolo Blahnik green heels. H was lucky enough to pick up the Diane von Furstenberg dress in Hong Kong during their January sales.

H matched her outfit with a pair or Bouvier ear rings. Bouvier are quite ornate and detailed. Bouvier's collection every season is outstanding and quite striking.

A closer scan of H's Diane von Furstenberg.

H and Nancy in Lygon Street ...

Nancy is pcitured with H (after a quick meal at Tiamo). Like H, Nancy loves shoes (anything and everything fashion). Here Nancy is showing off her new Frye boots...

A little joint in Lygon Street Carlton called Tiamo

When I was at University, I used to hang out in Lygon Street (where most of the Italian Pizzerias and Restaurants are situated). The place where I spent (wasted?) a good portion of my time was Tiamo. A great little place where you can have a tasty pasta and a quick espresso. In my case, I would be there for a couple of hours waiting for H (we met at University, so quite sentimental) or my next lecture. Tiamo exhibits a charm and a flavour of yesteryear. As I keep saying, the classics stay classics!

The scan above show a favourite dish of mine from Tiamo, a brilliant, but filling Chicken Liver.

Frank is one of the owner/operators and has been there forever. He is a true Italian gentleman.
Frank has some nice watches. This particular night he had a vintage Zenith. I generally see him with an IWC with a calibre 853 movement.

My mate Shonie from Armadale Watch Gallery

Shonie is his name. He is a watch seller and a good friend of mine.
Today he was wearing an excellent condition Rolex Submariner ref. 1680. These plastic crystal Submariners are getting scarcer and demanding premiums. In my opinion, all the collectors are snapping them up due to their rarity. I remember when they used to be around the $2k AUD mark.

Next time you want to sell a watch or buy something rare give Shonie a call!

www.watchgallery.com.au

What H was wearing today ...

Pretty in pink, well highlights anyway.

Talking about Bespoke suits... Jem takes the cake!

Jem is being fitted for a suit... a suit of armour. Jem loves to dress up during weekends and to wield swords to bash other similarly dressed participants.

His semi made plate armour is an ongoing project that is in its second year. It is a 11th - 12th century Milanese style plate. Now this is truly bespoke.

My friend Jem...

Jem was down from interstate. It is known that my watch "fetish" is infectious. Jem and his wife, Mils recently picked up a pair of Oris watches. These are great value and in my opinion give great "bang for bucks".

Jem had his Big Crown Chronograph on. This Oris has that classic, retro look and I suspect it will be on Jem's wrist for many decades to come.

Big Sunglasses...

H was sporting her Versace sunglasses. They are big, brown and plastic. The funny thing is they are just over 10 years old. Talking about things coming back into fashion! Now where are my polyester flares...

woof, woof, slurp

Ant, Nay, Sian (daughter) and Shadow (Big Black Labrador) were around today. Dogs and kids are great to photograph, as they don't cooperate and make things spontaneous! Thanks for taking the pics Na!

Nice belt

This is my friend Nay. (Ant's wife - from an earlier post) Nay wore a short pair of shorts, but to distinguish herself from other girls who wear similar shorts, she anchored it with a nice wide belt. It makes the outfit a bit more "dressy" and is a nice detail.

A nice poster ...

H took this whilst we were driving. Perfect use of space!

My friend Ed ...

Ed is a watch collector and one of my first friends who I met through my love of horology. He buys and sells watches with the same regularity of one changing their underwear.

Whenever we meet for a coffee, I always ask Ed what he has bought/traded lately. The conversation normally goes back and forth between the pros and cons of certain brands, but in conclusion we always agree that Rolex is a good buy. Rolex watches generally retain their value and the nice thing about them is that they never really change their designs. There is nothing worst then buying a new watch and seeing an "updated" version 6 months later.

Today Ed is sporting a Rolex Explorer I. The Explorer I is the only full size Rolex model that does not have a date feature, therefore there is no Cyclops lens ( a magnifying bubble over the date) protruding from the Sapphire crystal. Hence this is one reason why the Explorer I is favoured by watch collectors, as it gives the watch a clean classical look.

My friend Ant ...

I had lunch with my mate Ant today. A solicitor by trade, but an aspiring golf fanatic. His wife, Naomi, bought his watch from me several years ago as a wedding present (when I was working for TAG Heuer). It is a TAG Heuer Kirium Quartz. A perfect watch for Ant and his lifestyle.

Most friends ask me for advice on their next watch purchase. Generally I will point them in the direction of TAG Heuers (sportier), Omegas (more traditional and horologically astute), Longines (dressier) and Raymond Weil (also dressier).

BTW Ant's wife Naomi makes beautiful Chuppahs for Jewish weddings... I highly recommend her if you ever need a Chuppah.

www.chuppahsbynaomi.com.au

What is H wearing today ...

H wore a lace dress with some nice Marc Jacobs shoes ... H also had a marcasite locket on, which can be seen in the upper scan.

What is H wearing today ... Stealth

H is all in Black today. Some colour has been born out of her Marc Jacobs shoes and her plaited Silver belt!

Rolex Daytona, in Steel ...

I ran into a friend "R" today, who is sporting his Rolex Daytona in Steel. They aren't as rare as they used to be, but Daytonas still command a premium, particularly the Black Dial version (Steel and Gold, and Gold versions are common). In my opinion, I think you can probably spend your hard earned money on other watches and get the same level of satisfaction, enjoyment and pride. But having said that, it is a damn fine watch and looks great on the wrist. Also you have bragging rights and the kudos of owning a Rolex Daytona in Steel.

What is H wearing today...

H just bought this dark blue dress, paired with a blood red heels. Nice!

Nice watch...

As a watch person I appreciate what people wear. I also seem to understand the amount of money some "collectors" are willing to spend on their watches. After all, they are pieces of art on your wrists.

A few years ago I had the pleasure of seeing this Haute Horology (high level watch making) piece. It is a Breguet Minute Repeater. From its humble appearance it is nothing fancy. But a Minute Repeater is definitely fancy in the horology world. There are various Repeaters, but for simplicity's sake, let's say it is a series of chimes that ring out, which in turn tell the owner the time. Now remember this, it is a mechanical watch, not a quartz driven, algorithmic, contemporary everyday contraption (there is nothing wrong with that...but it lacks the finesse and dare I say "soul"). Additionally, in my humble opinion, I think Breguet will be a brand to watch out for in the future.

If you see one of these, just take note that it is probably worth the same as a small apartment in the city.

My Wife, H and what she is wearing today

H, my dearest wife is, like all Melbournians, a shopaholic. She works for a large publishing company. Last year, H was voted "best dressed" by her peers. Not bad when considering there are over 300+ people.

Anyway here is a scan of what she wore today... Please note she anchors (my favourite terminology) her look with metallic green shoes and her green Mulberry Roxanne.

Centre Place and a nice Jungle Juice

Above: The Girls at Jungle Juice
Below: Centre Place


I love Melbourne. Unlike Sydney, most of the great things are hidden away in her nooks and crannies. As my old boss, who is English and lived in Hong Kong, once said, "you really have to scratch deeper than the surface to enjoy Melbourne". I recommend all visitors who travel to Melbourne should find a local to show them around and help them find those secret "nooks and crannies".

One of my favourite places to eat and watch the world go by is Centre Place. A narrow alleyway in the heart of the CBD. It has small shops and even smaller cafes. One of the best joints to sit and ponder the universe is Jungle Juice (20 Centre Place). Jungle Juice make an outstanding "heart starter" named the Spanish Espresso; a shot of espresso and a shot of condensed milk... I was going to take a quick photo of one, but devoured it in my haste for a fix. Next time...maybe?

FF's Panerai 1950

I have a couple of friends who come over whenever a F1 Grand Prix is being raced...one is FF, who is an avid car man, and a collector of fine watches...

Here is his Panerai 1950, limited edition. Great watch. The 1950 has a great pedigree and has a nice wrist heft, being 47 mm and all!

Start of my blog... more of an observation of life's individualities

Welcome to my blog.

My objective is to show what people are wearing in Melbourne and Australia. Of particular interest will be general style and aesthetics. Special mentions to accessories and, in particular, watches.

Let's get things started... I just bought these great Santoni Tassle Loafers with a nice burnished finish.