Michael Spiers 2012

Jewellery and Watch Magazine 2012

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www.michaelspiers.co.uk

Keith White

Stephen Spiers

incorporating

LEATH JEWELLERS (EST. 1820)16 North Street, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 1LJTel: 01823 333152

EXETER

17 Castle Street, Exeter, Devon, EX4 3PUTel: 01392 666590

PLYMOUTH

54 Cornwall Street,Plymouth, Devon, PL1 1LRTel: 01752 661981

TRURO

82 Lemon Street, Truro,Cornwall, TR1 2QATel: 01872 272264

Adam Spiers

2 www.michaelspiers.co.uk

Michael Cox

PublisherPeter Marshall

PAOlivia White

Managing Editor Shirley Marshall

EditorKaty Morris

Assistant EditorSue Christelow

Editorial AssistantRebecca Ellwood

6 the fAMily jeWeller

Directors Adam Spiers and Keith White discuss the latest in-store developments

9 90 yeArS of GuCCi Style

Always stylish, ever iconic – Josh Sims pays homage to 90 years of Gucci

17 the doCtor iS in

TV funnyman Martin Clunes reveals his love of the South West to Judi Spiers

20 life iS A theAtre

For the love of the theatre – Josh Sims asks when’s the next performance

25 2012 jeWellery CAtAloGue

Stunning jewels and sparkling designs – be inspired by the latest collections instore

57 the eArly yeArS

Judi Spiers fondly reminisces about time spent in the Looe store

63 My fAvourite thinGS

The Michael Spiers team share their favourite items in store now

69 SophiStiCAted SApphireS

The gem of deepest blue enjoys a resurgence in popularity

70 A diAMond iCon

Josh Sims discovers the life, love and jewellery of Elizabeth Taylor

78 perfeCt plAtinuM

Alison Marshall proclaims her passion for the ultimate precious metal

80 A neW erA for the j12

Chanel introduce the latest J12 – the sleek and smooth J12 Chromatic

82 WAtChinG developMentS

An event in every horophiles diary – Patek Philippe introduce their latest timepieces

85 150 yeArS of MASterinG Speed

TAG Heuer celebrate 150 years of watch craftsmanship

91 A tiMeline of SuCCeSS

The watch of the century – take a trip through time with OMEGA

99 CornWAll’S GArden of eden

Rebecca Ellwood goes back to nature with Cornwall’s Eden Project

102 betWeen roCK And the SeA

Two Michelin-starred chef Nathan Outlaw speaks to Carol Wilson

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Network House, 28 Ballmoor,Celtic Court, Buckingham MK18 1RQ

Telephone: +44 (0)1280 829300

Facsimile: +44 (0)1280 829350

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T O T H E 2 0 1 2 M i c H A E L S P i E R S J E W E L L E R Y A n d W A T c H M A g A z i n E .

contents

welcome

In this year’s magazine we showcase the highlights of our unique jewellery collections. Designed in-house and created by our own goldsmiths – beautiful pieces in stunning platinum and yellow, rose and white gold set with diamonds and coloured gemstones.

Equally acclaimed is our collection of branded jewellery and watches in which we feature pieces from names such as Gucci, Hans Krieger, Rosabella and Raphael, and timepieces from exclusive watch houses including Rolex, Breitling and new addition to the group – Patek Philippe.

To celebrate the launch of Patek Philippe at Michael Spiers, we have created a bespoke Patek Philippe in-house boutique at our Truro store, while our Plymouth store has also been extended – doubling the area in which to browse and shop.

Among our articles, we are delighted to have had the opportunity to interview TV comedian Martin Clunes – who has just finished filming another season of the successful ‘Doc Martin’ show. Likewise we take time out to reflect upon nature with our Eden Project feature and enjoy Michelin-starred cooking with award-winning

chef Nathan Outlaw. TV and radio personality, and family member, Judi Spiers takes a humorous look back at the early days of Michael Spiers in Looe during the 1960s and 70s.

Always investing in our stores, our people and our products, we strive to make your shopping experience a memorable one. Our expert sales teams, designers, registered valuers, watchmakers and goldsmiths are on hand to cater for all your needs. We look forward to welcoming you.

KEiTH WHiTEMAnAging diREcTOR

MiChAel SpierS poliCy on ConfliCt diAMondS

Our diamonds have been purchased from legitimate sources, not involved in funding conflict, in compliance with United Nations Resolutions and the ideals of the Kimberley Process. Michael Spiers hereby guarantee our diamonds are conflict free, based on personal knowledge and/or written guarantees provided by the suppliers of these diamonds.

3www.michaelspiers.co.uk

Editorial ContributorsAlison MarshallJosh Sims Judi Spiers Carol Wilson

Design ManagerPhilip Donnelly

Magazine DesignAdam Spiers

Jewellery LayoutJames Walker

Production Co-ordinatorGlyn Mansfield

Network PhotographyMyburgh du Plessis

Photographic ContributorMike Alsford

Jewellery Sales ManagerDiane Farnham

Sales SupportDiane Warren

© Network Contract Publishing Ltd 2011. ll information is correct at time of going to print. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, no responsibility can be accepted for inaccuracies, howsoever caused. No liability can be accepted for illustrations, photographs, artwork or advertising materials while in transmission or with the publisher or their agents.

Watch in titanium ceramic, a new highly scratch-resistant material.Its unique colour and shine are obtained by the addition of titanium to ceramic and diamond powder polishing.

Self-winding mechanical movement. 42-hour power reserve. Water resistant to 200 metres.ww

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Job No: 44730-15 Publication:Michael Spiers Size: 285x466 Ins Date: Sep 11 Proof no: 1 Network Tel: 020 7291 4700

hen Michael Spiers opened his first shop in Looe during the 1950’s, the annual seaside holiday away boomed

as never before – the cheap package holiday was in the future – and the West Country was a popular destination. Branches at Polperro, Newquay and Paignton followed the Looe location, with the shops selling a wide range of stock with appeal to the holidaying crowds, but significantly this was merely a seasonal trading pattern. When Keith White joined brother-in-law and Chairman Michael Spiers as Managing Director in 1966, the far-reaching decision was made to move the business into major towns with an all-year round clientele.

Plymouth was to be the first venue in 1969, alongside the long established businesses of Bowden & Sons, which dated from 1812, and

MiChAel SpierS offer both fAbulouS jeWellery And the World’S MoSt preStiGiouS brAndS to their diSCerninG ClientS froM their eleGAnt StoreS in plyMouth, truro, exeter And tAunton. Carol Wilson discovers more about the West Country jewellers.

familyTHE

JEWELLER

Wthe equally historic Richard Wigfull. These two companies were to merge during the next decade and ultimately be taken over by Michael Spiers in 1989. Leath Jewellers of Taunton – formerly Chas Hart, another County jeweller established in 1820 – joined the group with both Exeter and Truro also becoming Michael Spiers locations to make up a formidable quartet in the South West. The concept of personal service, coupled with exceptional value, has remained unchanged since the earliest days with Keith White’s assertion that, ‘We are in the business of happy occasions,’ reflecting the company philosophy. Unusually, the vast majority of Michael Spiers jewellery is created in-house so the likelihood of seeing an identical piece is rare. The selection of a ring, a special occasion piece of jewellery or

a watch is something memorable and the approachable, calm and restful showrooms provide a quiet haven from the bustle of the outside world. Nothing is hurried, there is no high pressure and the advice is totally without bias. There is no place here for the stuffiness and formality of businesses long gone, where customers invariably felt intimidated – shopping with Michael Spiers is always a happy and memorable experience.

The Michael Spiers reputation for diamonds spreads far beyond the South West, for Director Michael Cox is a member of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses and his wealth of buying experience translates into exceptional stones being made up in workshops at Plymouth – where there are five goldsmiths – and also in Hatton Garden. Consequently


many rings and pieces are genuinely individual, something that few jewellers can claim and customers benefit from prices that are decidedly advantageous. Should a customer want a one-of-a-kind piece, individually designed around a specific stone, such a request can be readily accommodated.

Bowdens was traditionally known as watch specialists in Plymouth and this is a mantle that Michael Spiers has inherited, with the world’s greatest watch brands represented within the stores and include Rolex, Cartier, OMEGA, Breitling, TAG Heuer, Ebel, Gucci, Chanel, Bell & Ross, Tissot, TW Steel and Raymond Weil. During the year, Michael Spiers was appointed an official Patek Philippe agent in their Truro store. Patek Philippe boasts a reputation as the finest watchmaker in the world.


“The success of Patek Philippe is based on family values and heritage…similar in so many ways to that of Michael Spiers. My father would be so proud of an association between our two companies,” explains Adam.

What makes Michael Spiers unusual today is that it is still very much a family business– just as it has been since its inception – and the path set by its eponymous late Chairman is still being followed. Keith White remains at the helm with brother-in-law Stephen Spiers and longstanding director Michael Cox. They have since been joined by Adam Spiers who received his diamond training in Antwerp, the world’s diamond capital. Collectively, theirs is a hands-on operation that is uncompromisingly customer-orientated. Staff loyalty is particularly strong. Almost certainly a couple buying an

engagement ring will be served by the same staff member when they come to choose an eternity ring five years later.

Innovation is the lifeblood of any business and Michael Spiers is essentially a pro-active organisation. Where larger multiple concerns have chains of command, Michael Spiers has the ability to make and implement rapid decisions, which keeps the business well ahead in the field. Not only are the major trade shows including Basel (watches and jewellery), Vicenza (gold), Geneva (watches) and Las Vegas (jewellery) attended, but Michael Cox makes regular visits to the diamond bourses of the world and specific gemstone markets. Says Keith White, “Staying ahead of our competition and being able to give our customers a ‘first’ is something that we pride ourselves on.”

PHOTOS FROM THE ARCHIVE!

The business has expanded geographically over the decades but is careering ahead into the 21st Century. Considerable sums have been invested in the Plymouth store to incorporate a separate watch gallery with dedicated Rolex, OMEGA, TAG Heuer and Breitling sales areas – further ensuring clients a memorable experience when purchasing their timepiece. “It’s all about the buying experience” says Adam. “We want people to leave here feeling ecstatic. Customer satisfaction is paramount,” he explains. To add to the customer experience a champagne and coffee bar has been installed in the upstairs mezzanine floor where a purchase can be celebrated in style.

In addition to the in-store watch developments, the watch houses offer extensive product training and Michael Spiers ensures that all of their staff members participate…and to the highest level. Last year, Ben Franklin, watch manager in Truro, obtained the highest mark out of all the representatives of UK retailers as an OMEGA Grand Ambassador. “We strive to exceed expectations.” says Adam, ”All our teams are sent on regular training courses both in the UK and Europe – when a client has decided to spend significant sums on a watch or a piece of jewellery, they want, and indeed deserve, to have confidence that the sales person knows what they’re talking about.”

Further investment has also taken place in the Truro store with dedicated sales areas constructed for Patek Philippe and Rolex. Designs are currently being discussed with Rolex, OMEGA and TAG Heuer for an expansion of the Taunton showrooms. The business certainly never seems to stay still. “Not only are we investing heavily in our stores and training, we are actively bringing in a younger element to our sales teams. We are appealing to a younger generation with our watch selection and contemporary jewellery ranges, while continuing to increase our offer in the more traditional and antique pieces that continue to


be sought after” remarks Adam. Wherever you are in the South West, the Michael Spiers profile is high. Strong local marketing is supported by extensive sporting sponsorship: Plymouth Argyle FC, Plymouth Albion RFC, Exeter Chiefs RFC – newly promoted to the premiership, Taunton Racecourse and Somerset CCC. The company is proud to be associated with Plymouth diver Tom Daley in his quest for gold at the 2012 olympics. Close to the heart of Keith White, himself a former international, is ongoing sponsorship and involvement with both national and international squash including their very own professional team – the Exeter Diamonds. A number of local youth sports clubs throughout Somerset, Devon and Cornwall are enthusiastically supported by the company.

Michael Spiers are proud to be associated with a variety of local charities. In the last few years, Adam Spiers has completed two London marathons, a number of half marathons and participated in an Arctic Challenge, raising much needed funds for St Luke’s Hospice, a charity close to the hearts of all in the South West. Further charities supported include Dame Hannah Rogers, the Chestnut Appeal, HeartSWell South West, Riverview, the Invictus Trust, Rotary, The Lords Taverners – of which Keith White is a member, and many others.

Looking to the future, Adam Spiers comments, “Our total commitment to extraordinary quality, value and customer service will continue to underpin all our activities. With continued investment into enhancing our customer experience we look forward to the future with considerable optimism. We pride ourselves on delivering uncompromising levels of service and integrity making us jeweller of choice for so many customers in the South West and beyond.”

With its exceptional management and sales teams, focused leadership and fabulous product, Michael Spiers will certainly continue its success story for many years to come.

NEWLy ExTENDED PLyMOUTH STORE

ConGrAtulAtionS Keith White!We were all extremely proud and excited when Keith White received a number of prestigious awards during the last year. Firstly he received an invitation from Her Majesty The Queen to a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace to acknowledge his contribution to sport and the community in the South West. This was followed with a ‘Lifetime Achievement’ award at The Herald Business & Abercrombie Awards in Plymouth.

Most recently, Keith was chosen to receive Sporting Colours from the University of Plymouth at the graduation ceremony held on Plymouth Hoe, in recognition of his contribution to sport in Devon. Keith was in good company with world champion diver, Tom Daley and Olympians, Heather Fell and Natalie Melmore.

AN ITALIAN FASHION ICON CELEBRATES ITS 90TH BIRTHDAy IN STyLE

JOSH SIMS JOINS IN THE CELEBRATIONS.

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hey say travel broadens the mind. It certainly worked for Guccio Gucci. Back in the early 20th century, the young Italian worked in London and Paris

hotels as a bellhop and was suitably impressed by the quality of the luggage he got to handle. And it gave him an idea, one that led to the opening of a shop back home in his native Florence, one specialising in top-end leather goods and making the best of the region’s famed artisan skills in this field. The business took his surname. That was 90 years ago. And now it is a global name in fashion worth over €4bn.

Perhaps that ripe old age and considerable value would not have been achieved had the company been anything other than Italian, with its strong tradition of independent, family-owned businesses able to pursue its own agenda and its own pace – a pursuit that, to the bottom line-minded, can seem plain crazy. But when sons Aldo, Vasco and Rodolfo joined Guccio, the company’s then progressive moves – developing signature products, most famously its loafer, or creating a strong brand identity through its double-G logo or red and green bands – would mean that by the 50s it was already established as a name of international credibility with Hollywood hotshots, the new paparazzi culture helping to transmit its status globally.

Even though family members helped to run the company until the late 80s, one wonders if they could have predicted how – in part thanks to the explosion in demand for luxury goods, in part due to the vision of business leader Dominico de Sole during the 1990s and in part due to some smart appointments in creative directors the likes of Tom Ford and Frida Giannini – Gucci would continue to grow such that come 2011 it could still find those bands not down the side of a bag but a car. The Fiat 500 by Gucci is just one of the company’s 90th birthday celebrations this year, harking back to the early 1970s when Gucci found itself offering one of the first special trim packages to buyers of the AMC Hornet, and later the Cadillac Seville and the Lincoln Town Car. But perhaps even they might have been pleased by an original development in Gucci transportation, with last year’s collaboration with the classic motorboat manufacturer Riva, which saw an Aquariva get a Giannini make-over.

Anillustriouspastandprosperousfuture

Indeed, why wait for its centennial to cast an eye back over Gucci’s illustrious history? This year Gucci has launched a number of collections under a new ‘G. Gucci Firenze 1921’ trademark and stamp to mark the company’s step into its tenth decade. Clothes and bags – still, as Guccio would have appreciated, the mainstay of the Gucci product range – are the focus, with, as Giannini has put it, “each item in the collection [telling] a story, representing a chapter within the house’s rich narrative history”.

The references are subtle – and not so subtle. Zip closures on bags and wallets, for example, feature the Gucci crest designed by Guccio and his sons, while loafers come lined using a leather in a deep green revived from the company archives. The company’s equestrian roots – much

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of its early business was in the making of bridlery – are acknowledged by new horse-riding boots and loafers with the classic horse-bit, this still as much a Gucci signature as the name itself. The same horse-bit features on bracelets, with it and variations on the equestrian theme – such as swaying bridles in the shape of a loose G – appearing on scarves, printed shirts and the lining of a trench-coat and a suede blazer.

Less subtle perhaps, and yet the most appropriate, is the extensive use of leather and in unexpected ways – on limited edition sunglasses, for example, or covering the case of the new 1921 watch which, inevitably, comes with a matching leather strap affixed using the brand’s horse-bit. This is just one of a new collection of watches featuring, for instance, a diamond-set take on the slim rectangular case of the G-Frame watch, unisex diving versions of the G-Timeless and, for men, the new Coupé, a retro-modern watch with a rounded square case and dial in black or more distinctive bronze, both styles featuring the Gucci diamond pattern at its centre.

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Indeed, watches and jewellery are increasingly part of the Gucci package. The history here may not stretch back nine decades but it certainly indicates Gucci as being one of the first brands outside of the watch industry to compete in it – back in the 1970s its green and red straps helped popularise the idea that a watch could be a fashion item as much as a functional one. Some 40 years on and its watches are now competing as much on content as style, being made in La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland in the company’s own factory. Gucci’s jewellery offer continues to grow too, breaking down into several areas, each referencing the company’s past – Diamantissima, using a criss-cross pattern used by Gucci on luggage as long ago as the 1930s, now transferred onto 18ct gold rings, earrings, bracelets, bangles and the lariat necklace; the Crest line, based on the trademark registered in 1955, used as motif for aged sterling silver and plaited leather pieces; the Bamboo collection, reproducing its look in sterling silver, and using bamboo wood ‘stones’ on necklaces, earrings and bracelets; and, perhaps most distinctively, its Horsebit line, which takes that famed loafer snaffle from 1953 and re-works it for new necklaces and earrings using unusual materials such as black diamonds, black onyx and black synthetic corundum (a crystalline mineral).

Celebrating90yearsofclassicdesign

Inevitably for a company founded on leather, the 90th birthday special editions also feature bags using these latter two staple designs, including new versions of the Jackie and Horse-bit Chain bags and of the Bamboo – one of Gucci’s most historic products, dating to the company inventively circumventing materials shortages during World War Two by developing bags with bodies made from canvas and handles made using steam-bent bamboo. Even austerity produced an accessories icon. In these new times of austerity, in which even the wealthy are making a more careful assessment of the things they buy, could the 1921 collection prove the founding of perhaps one or two new classics from the House of Gucci? If they are still influential in another 90 years, there will be the answer.



JUDI SPIERS INTERVIEWS FUNNy MAN MARTin cLUnES ABOUT DRAMA, DOGS ON SET AND BECOMING AN ON-SCREEN DAD.

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artin Clunes has recently made a welcome return to our screens as the Basil Fawlty of the medical world – an

ex surgeon with a fear of blood who is the Dr. to the local community of Portwenn, which in real life is Port Isaac. Such is the success of the series that it’s not unusual to see Americans and other tourists milling around Port Isaac on any wet Sunday looking for Mrs. Tishell’s shop, pointing out the school house and wondering where Bert and Al’s restaurant is. But when I told Martin that I had been to Port Isaac to get a feel for the place before I chatted to him and that I’d knocked on his surgery door to make an appointment, his legendary sense of humour momentarily left him.

“you didn’t knock on the door, please?!” he says with an air of desperation. “The poor man sold it. They’ve put up a sign saying ‘Please, it’s only used for the exteriors.’ People have been knocking on the door and the window saying ‘is he in’?” he continues. If Martin thought I was a bit odd heaven knows what he would have made of the men walking round the village imitating the Doc’s straitjacket goose-step walk.

Martin is always a joy to interview, intermittently tossing his head back for a real guffaw and laugh. I suppose that’s what comes of being a contented man and so he should be. As well as presenting some great travel shows and documentaries he’s had some cracking roles. But of all the great parts he has played over the years in shows like ‘Men Behaving Badly’, ‘William and Mary’ or ‘Goodbye Mr. Chips’ and ‘Reggie Perrin’ with its stunning location and great ensemble cast, ‘Doc Martin’ is, he agrees, his dream role.

“Oh God yeah, not that I haven’t enjoyed all of them,” he enthuses. “From what you saw, it’s a lovely place to be and we do absolutely all of it down there. We’ve got a little studio in a barn where we do the interiors, so there’s no coming to London, so I just diddle between Dorset and Cornwall and I just love playing that part. you can be very self-conscious when you’re at large in the real world dressed up as a fictitious character. We’d be doing William and Mary and I would be standing next to some hearse in Ealing and you just feel very exposed. But for some reason, and we get crowds of two or three hundred watching the filming sometimes, I don’t feel remotely self-conscious

down there. It just seems the most natural thing in the world to dress up as that horrible man and strut around that lovely village.”

Martin was encouraged in the business by his cousin the late Jeremy Brett. “He was terrific just when I left drama school he was back from LA to start talking about Sherlock Holmes. He was just fantastically supportive. He was a lovely giving man. He was right there for me. My own dad was an actor but he died when I was eight so he just gave me all that push and bolster and stuff and it was great.”

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sheep, guinea pigs, cats and dogs and every year for the last four years they have held the Buckham Fair Pony and Dog Show at their home, raising funds for charity. He made a wonderful television documentary charting the family tree of his dogs so it’s not surprising that unlike the Doc he has a soft spot for the hardest working actor of all in the series, Dodger the Jack Russell who was chosen to play the part of Buddy. “He can do anything.” Martin said with the air of a proud father. “He’ll keep it coming throughout the day. Dear old Gremlin, our last dog, who sadly died, was great at looking gorgeous and hairy. His audition piece was that he let me drag him along the

There have been countless pictures of him in the press holding six babies and in actual fact over the four-and-a-half month filming period he apparently wrestled with and winded 12 different ones, giving the impression that he was happy to hand one over for another if there was too much going on at either end! It’s funny isn’t it that in this ‘anything goes’ society it seems I am not alone in wanting him to make an honest woman of Louisa.

“I was in Tesco once ” he told me, “and a lad asked me for my autograph and I gave it to him and walked off and an old man tapped me on the shoulder and said ‘I don’t want your autograph, just marry that girl before I die!’”

floor, without minding. But he didn’t do a lot in terms of acting, except turn up, which was fine because that’s all we asked of him – while Dodger has got so many tricks. He’ll cock his leg on anything on cue, without weeing. He’s just brilliant. He’ll hit his mark and will keep going throughout the day, which is a true terrier.”

It’s not dogs Martin has to worry about in the latest series but a baby – or rather babies! Louisa, his lovely on/off schoolmistress girlfriend, gave birth to his baby at the end of the last series so it seems that there are plenty of avenues to explore. “Oh God help us, yes a little bat-eared child in a suit and a possible stab at co-habiting!” Martin laughs.

theatrelifeisa


ll the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players,” as Shakespeare put it in As You Like

It. Looking at the theatre in the UK today, it certainly does seem that the stage is bigger than it has been in a long time. News and impressive figures over recent years point to as much. Box office and audience figures are, reportedly, breaking records year after year, with West End revenues topping £500m for the first time. The Ambassador Theatre Group has expanded its portfolio of 23 theatres to 39 by spending £90m buying up those of Live Nation, making it Britain’s largest theatre owner. Other theatres have been restored, often for the first time in several decades. Producers are wrestling power over Theatreland back from landlords.

A number of further reasons have also been suggested for the theatre’s apparent boom, none convincing in isolation: that entertainment picks up during a recession as people demand escapism; low interest rates mean more disposable cash for the generally middle-class theatre audience; that rather than travel abroad, we are holidaying at home – and more ready than usual to partake of homegrown entertainment; or that, tired of the virtual world of the internet, of a life lived through gadgets, even of the cinema – given how films can more conveniently be viewed at home now (although box office figures don’t suggest this) – we are seeking out the live experience: real people doing real things, there, in front of us, now.

But perhaps the simplest and most convincing reason for theatre’s renewed fortunes is that the quality has improved over recent years. Of course, the fact that big name

“A

even in diffiCult finAnCiAl tiMeS the Art of theAtre hAS Continued to CAptivAte And inSpire, With theAtre-GoerS hAppy to pAy the hefty priCeS for A niGht in front of the biG StAGe. Josh Sims asks is theatre worth all the drama?

movie stars now regularly return to the stage – in part to stretch their talents, in part to improve their credentials as real actors – has certainly drawn a new audience fuelled by the all-pervasive celebrity culture. The list of such names over the last decade – over which time a West End performance has become something of a CV essential – has certainly been impressive: Rachel Weisz and Gillian Anderson, Jeff Goldblum and Kevin Spacey, Kathleen Turner and Brendan Fraser, Nicole Kidman, Kiera Knightley, Kim Cattrall, Damien Lewis and Jude Law, who has most recently scrubbed-down to play an old, scraggy-bearded sea-salt in ‘Anna Christie’.

But, more than this, theatre itself has become more adventurous, in part perhaps a result of the cultural legacy of the last Labour government, with its emphasis on the arts as accessible rather than elitist. As Nicholas Hytner, director of the National Theatre, has put it: “The straight play has been doing very nicely for 2,500 years but there is at the moment a tremendous appetite for good work of substance and complexity. If you are an alert theatre-goer, there is work of verve and imagination across the country. It’s almost as if we are preparing ourselves for 10 lean years by limbering up intellectually.” Or, as Michael Grandage, artistic director of the Donmar Warehouse, has noted: “There’s a boom in demand for great stories, great themes, great discussions on our stages.”

Theatre itself has broadened, now less just the canon of classics as live events touching on arts as diverse as the circus, cabaret and performance art. Artistic directors with a feel for what a audience wants in terms of an experience rich in both emotional and

entertainment terms – the likes of Grandage or Kevin Spacey at London’s Old Vic – have been bold in their choices and treatments. New plays with an edge that is fresh and topical are getting into production, the likes of Lucy Prebble’s ‘Enron’, about the financial scandal, which sold out for its initial run in Chichester and then at London’s Royal Court.

Regional playhouses – the likes of the Royal Exchange in Manchester, the Liverpool Everyman or the West yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds – have seen audience numbers hold too despite imposing cuts and seem more than ever as capable of breaking new talent and showcasing new work as London theatres. And new emerging theatre companies the likes of Kneehigh, Punchdrunk and Shunt are exploring original ideas for playful theatrical experiences, often ones immersive for the audience. No wonder there is more applause.

Not everyone, however, is convinced that British theatre is in rude health. They point out, for example, that media coverage represents it as either in a state of crisis or of boom, when actually, since London West End theatres don’t release weekly box office grosses (unlike on Broadway), struggling theatres and shows are hidden in figures that may show a picture of overall buoyancy for the industry, while figures that are released tend to be so only when a show is a hit. The economy has also become an easy excuse for the failure of a show – rather than its not being any good, a fact that tends to surface in what is, more than many others, an art form whose bums on seats are determined by reviews and word of mouth recommendation.

Unlike the cinema, theatre’s hefty ticket prices – the few new competitive pricing

There’saboomindemandforgreatstories,greatthemes,greatdiscussionsonourstages.

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schemes initiated by some theatres aside – mean few people will gamble on a new production. As the theatre critic Nicholas de Jong has noted, the prices are just too exorbitantly high. That is not his only complaint: most Victorian and Edwardian theatres still hardly make for a great evening, he adds, being cramped and offering paltry amenities.

What of the big success stories too – not just the critically-acclaimed performances by Shakespearean actors, but the really big success stories, the likes of ‘Wicked’ and ‘Mamma Mia!’, ‘We Will Rock you’ and ‘The Lion King’, largely performed by people you have never heard of but packing in the punters? Others, perhaps snobbishly, will argue that this more populist form of theatre hardly represents a revival for the theatre proper – the more intimate experience that perhaps tackles more complex issues in less upbeat fashion. Rather, it is little more than pantomime for adults, or the easily if unthinkingly digested volume and pace of blockbuster cinema transposed to the stage.

And yet this underscores the nuances of the business. With musicals making £5 for every £1 made by a straight play, producers can hardly be blamed – last year ‘Wicked’ took £1m at the box office, a West End record; 26.2 per cent of theatre-goers went to see straight plays – up just 0.7 per cent on 2009 – gently denting the nearly 60 per cent of them who went to see a musical. Theatre is still a business. And, for anyone interested in theatre’s future, or in how to pique interest in theatre-going, musicals get audiences through the doors.

Indeed, for all the claims that theatre in its broadest measure is in high spirits, it still, like many businesses in the current climate, walks a tightrope. Private and corporate sponsorship is waning; Arts Council grants to theatre organisations – crucial for getting the likes of ‘An Inspector Calls’ and ‘War Horse’ (soon to be a Steven Spielberg film) transferred to the commercial stage – have undergone sweeping reappraisal this year, cut by 30 per cent, and spare public money is being hoovered up by the 2012 Olympics; now regular sales of some 80 per cent of seats are required just to keep a production ticking over; and more and more agents discourage their actors, and especially the stars, from committing to a run much longer than four months, rather than the six or seven months that could generate a profit.

So don’t, as Shakespeare had it in ‘Macbeth’, quite yet enjoy a restful “sleep that knits up the ravell’d sleeve of care”. Theatre may be thriving in ways that the old guard may not fully approve of. Not everyone will be singing ‘Thank you For The Music’. And it may cost a packet. But it is not without its troubles still. Consider its regeneration a thrilling first act, with twists and turns yet to come.

TheTheatreRoyal,PlymouthThe Theatre Royal, Plymouth is the largest regional producing theatre in the UK. Its work is diverse – the theatre itself has two performance spaces, the Theatre Royal and the Drum Theatre, in addition to an award-winning production and education centre.

The theatre hosts major touring drama and musical productions, and performances from leading opera and dance companies, in addition to its own drama and musical productions each year. The accompanying Drum Theatre produces and presents new plays, and has been credited with ‘maximising the potential of those who could be the great theatre-makers of tomorrow.’

Not only a champion of new theatre, the Royal has also hosted international performances, such as the world premiere of Matthew Bourne’s production of Dorian Gray, and co-produced and launched the worldwide tour of Disney’s ‘Mary Poppins’.

www.theatreroyal.com

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Landrian House • 59-60 Lemon Street • Truro TR1 2PE

T: 01872 273473 www.waterfrontandcountryhomes.com email: [email protected]

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jewellery catalogue


Pear cut diamond collar POA


1

3

2

56

4

7

8

1 £9,9502 £3,9503 £1,7504 £12,5005 £3,0506 £1,9957 £5,9508 £2,500


2

3

1

7

6

5

diamond

solitaires

1 £13,9502 £3,5503 £1,9504 £4,5505 £29,5006 £7,9507 £6,500

4

2

3

1

7

6

5

4


1 £3,7502 £5,7503 £2,7504 £29,5005 £8,9506 £4,5007 £2,750

diamond

bracelets


Asscher cut diamond braceletPOA

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2

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7

diamond

solitaires


1 £29,5002 £29,5003 £17,5004 £12,5005 £9,2506 £7,7507 £4,950

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diamondsbrilliant cut


1 £29,5002 £14,5003 £19,500

2

1

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5

6


1 £6,7502 £8,5003 £6,5004 £4,9505 £3,5006 £6,500

4

3

2

1

diamond

jewellery


1 £3,6502 £7,9953 £2,3504 £2,650

1

2

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5

diamondspavÉ


1 £25,5002 £1,9503 £3,6504 £6,5005 £7,500

2

1

3

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6diamond

clusters


1 £3,4502 £4,9503 £3,5504 £1,9955 £2,1506 £2,500

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diamonds

three stone


1 £16,9502 £5,9503 £3,9954 £1,6955 £12,5006 £9,9507 £4,7508 £2,995

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2

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5

3

diamondswavy


1 £8,9952 £1,9953 £3,2504 £2,9505 £1,950

3

4

1

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diamond &

pearls


1 £4,3952 £2,6953 £1,7754 £1,295

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diamondsblack


1 £1,0502 £1,2503 £1,9454 £2,3955 £2,0956 £2,095

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1 £11,5002 £4,2503 £1,7954 £2,2505 £3,8506 £3,450

7

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ringseternity


1 £2,0952 £3,5003 £3,9504 £2,7505 £3,7506 £6,5007 £7,950


6

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3

1

2

1 £2,0952 £2,0503 £1,3954 £1,3955 £1,0506 £2,695

diamond &

pearls

2

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colour &

swirls


1 £3,5002 £2,9503 £2,6954 £3,5005 £2,850

5

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1 £5,9992 £3,9953 £9,7504 £18,5005 £5,2506 £18,000

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diamond &

colours


1 £6,9502 £1,5953 £2,7504 £6,9505 £4,500

24

1

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& diamondstanzanite


1 £2,5002 £2,6503 £2,9504 £2,2505 £1,995

1

2

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& diamondssapphire


1 £6,5002 £9,7503 £2,2504 £4,2505 £7,9506 £2,2507 £3,650

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& diamondsruby


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1 £5,9502 £2,5003 £8,9504 £2,1455 £1,4506 £3,9507 £3,5008 £1,950

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& diamondsemerald


1 £29,5002 £3,5003 £2,3504 £2,5005 £1,8956 £2,9507 £8,950


5

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1 £1,0502 £4753 £9754 £1,1955 £4506 £8957 £4958 £1,195


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1 £1,3502 £9753 £1,2954 £1,6505 £1,3506 £1,995

ichael Spiers’ director Michael Cox has been in the jewellery business since 1966 and began studying diamonds

and gemstones in 1970. Today, he’s revered throughout the trade – not just in the UK, but worldwide. His expert knowledge of diamonds and gemstones is such that he was elected to sit on the World Diamond Council (established by the diamond and jewellery industry in 2000 to address the challenge of conflict diamonds), followed by his appointment to the World Federation of Diamond Bourses. A ‘bourse’ is an exchange trading in rough and polished diamonds and gemstones; the name comes from the house of Ter Beurze in Bruges where the traders first met. Michael is also one of the main judges for the Platinum Guild. Michael has just returned from the International Jewellery Fair in London, where he was judging design, presentation and new ideas in jewellery design for the trade.

Michael says; “This has been an exciting year for me. There are a lot of new trends coming into focus and so many new designs emerging. At present there is great demand

for certificated diamonds which I am sure will continue. Last year I was honoured to be asked to take part in ‘The Great Debate’, a forum to discuss the issue of sourcing ethical diamonds and gold. All the diamonds and gemstones I purchase for Michael Spiers are ethically sourced, and their origin can be traced back to where the rough stones came from prior to cutting. As a company, we do everything to ensure that we abide by the Kimberley Process. This process was designed to certify the origins of rough diamonds from sources which are free from conflict and it applies not only to diamonds, but also to gemstones, platinum, gold and silver, which ensures these are all ethically sourced.”

He went on to say, “I think the trade has altered tremendously in the last few years and is now doing some wonderful things for the mining regions in Africa and other parts

of the world. The mining companies – be it diamonds, gemstones or gold – have realised they have a great responsibility to the people and country of origin, and are building schools for children and hospitals for people working in the mines and their families.”

Michael buys cut, polished diamonds and precious stones. “At the start, Michael Spiers used to buy jewellery from wholesalers and manufacturers for the stores, but about 30 years ago I realised I could design and create superior jewellery than the suppliers we used to buy from, so I started the manufacturing side of the business, which instantly took off. I

Mlike to think that we’ve gone from strength to strength and will continue to improve with new ideas and designs – we will never stand still!”

All the diamonds and precious stones are specially selected by Michael and made into exquisite pieces of jewellery by Michael Spiers’ own workshops. Currently, the number one

choice of diamond for Michael Spiers’ customers is the Brilliant cut, a round diamond with exceptional fire and brilliance, followed by the Princess square-cut diamond – also showing similar properties.

“What I love about the trade is that every day is different,” says Michael. “As our company has expanded over the years, so have the people we deal with. I can speak with people in London, Geneva, Bangkok, Dubai, Mumbai, Hong Kong, all in a single day! It’s very interesting

and extremely rewarding, I still get very excited when I’m sorting through parcel after parcel of diamonds and suddenly come across a stone that’s outstanding ... the same with emeralds, rubies, sapphires ... I really am passionate about what I do.”

Michael was invited by the Platinum Guild to attend the UK Jewellery awards 2011 at the Grosvenor House in London. This is the event of the year for the jewellery business to celebrate and honour the best in the industry. Michael took the stage with the CEO of the Platinum Guild and his colleagues – a great honour indeed! He is also invited to and will attend, the Antwerp Diamond Fair next year, the capital of the world diamond trade and one of the biggest fairs for diamonds, followed by the Geneva and Basel fairs. Certainly a busy year ahead!

CArol WilSon MeetS diAMond expert And direCtor MiChAel Cox to diSCuSS the MiChAel SpierS’ queSt for diAMond quAlity.

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Michael Cox sharing ideas with Jackie Williams and Adam Spiers

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he Michael Spiers’ workshop in Plymouth is an essential part of the business. It’s here that repairs,

remounts, resizings and commissions are carried out together with the production of the company’s own bespoke Michael Spiers collections. Likewise it is here that any jewellery you have languishing in a drawer can be remodelled and turned into something fabulous.

Assistant Manager, Chris Higman, trained in craft design at art college. After serving an apprenticeship as a goldsmith, he went to work for Michael Spiers and has now been with the company for over 18 years. He tells me that he and his fellow goldsmiths are kept constantly busy with a variety of work. “A typical day involves jewellery repairs from all the stores, commissions and ring resizings. We also make bespoke pieces for the shops and remodel and refurbish pre-owned and antique pieces for customers.

“It’s a really busy environment. We’re all experienced and we all have our own areas of expertise. I model the wax prototypes – a customer has an idea or brings in a rough

sketch, so I would prepare some drawings to start with, and then the customer chooses a design. If it’s a ring for instance, I’d make a wax prototype so the customer can actually see the finished design and even try it on. We can then either hand make or cast. Once the mount is made, I’ll set the stones, do the final polish and present it to the customer.

“We’ve had some really beautiful pieces to work on. One that sticks in my mind was from a gentleman whose wedding anniversary was on Halloween. He wanted some ideas for a gift for his wife, so I sketched some designs. He chose a pumpkin – in 18 carat gold with the ribs set with diamonds for a pendant. It was an unusual piece to make and looked really impressive. The same customer was interested in water jugs so I made a tiny 18 carat white gold jug set at an angle, with diamonds that looked like drops of water. He was so pleased that I’d managed to realise his ideas in jewellery.”

Like the rest of the Michael Spiers teams, the goldsmiths visit other workshops and manufacturers to see how they work and learn new techniques. Chris comments: “Both Bruce

and I spent three days at the Rolex workshops in Bexley, training in their polishing rooms under their European head of workshops. It was fascinating, after decades in this business we really thought we knew everything about polishing a watch case and bracelet! I recently spent a few days in our workshops in Hatton Garden where I was looking at the new laser soldering techniques which give a finer, sharper finish when working with platinum.”

Chris is proud that the workshop has an outstanding reputation. “We pride ourselves on being the best. That’s not bigheaded, it’s knowing that we have the skills and we can do the job. Experience is everything in our profession and everyone in the workshop has been here a very long time. Ninety per cent of the work is done by hand; it’s intense and needs concentration and dexterity. We never know what will come up, so it’s constantly challenging. The feedback we get from satisfied customers makes it all worthwhile. Michael Spiers is a great company to work for and we are all proud to be part of this local family business.”

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After heArinG WorKShop MAnAGer, bruCe bAKer’S vieWS in the lASt iSSue, We deCided to ASK jeWellery CrAftSMAn ChriS hiGMAn About hiS thouGhtS And pASSion for the buSineSS. Carol Wilson enquires more about jeWellery Commissions, repairs and miChael spiers’ outstanding reputation for quality and Creativity.

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original logo


Three questions have dogged me all my life.

“Are you anything to do with the jewellers?”“ Is/was Michael your father?” and “ How do you pronounce your name …is it Spyers or Spears?”

To answer them in order “yes, no and Spiers as in Richard Briers.”

JUdi SPiERS REMINISCES OF THE EARLy LOOE DAyS WHERE HER BROTHER MICHAEL FOUNDED THE BUSINESS.

ichael Spiers Jewellers was started by my big bruvver Michael back in the 50’s when he opened his first shop in Looe. Over the years it was

almost a rite of passage for all of us siblings and Michael’s children to cut our teeth behind the counter. Old enough to stand on a box – old enough to stand behind a counter with a pair of pliers putting St Christopher’s and charms on chains and bracelets. Health and safety would have had a field day. The first shop was in Higher Market Street and was forever lovingly known as ‘the Antique shop,’ but it wasn’t the jewellery that interested me – it was what lay behind that curtain in the office-cum-staff room. Michael loved to tell the tale of a legendary underwater passage that led all the way out to sea and Looe Island and would constantly promise me ‘we’re

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MichaelwouldhavebeenextremelyproudthatallofthestoreshavebeenawardedRecommendedRetailerstatusbythePlatinumGuildInternational(PGI).

going to open it this week!’ – in reality it was a stock cupboard but he kept me going for years!

Of course it was no hardship to spend the long hot summer holidays in a picturesque fishing village with your big brother who let you eat as many pasties and ice creams as you wanted. I never would have imagined it could have got better – but it did when my sister Rita joined Michael to run ‘The Witches Cauldron’ the first coffee bar to open in Looe…and West Looe at that!

Oh we thought it was the dog’s knees! Rita made a huge witch and suspended her over a cauldron in the window and the local teenagers made a beeline for their first frothy coffees! The non-too extensive menu consisted of sandwiches and light lunches the highlight of which was a grated cheese salad with cold

IMAGE COURTESy OF MIKE ALSFORD

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HENRI LLOYDwww.henrilloyd.com

HLAW11_MichaelSpiers.indd 1 2011-08-10 11.03


baked beans…the height of sophistication…. well it was the 60’s. Rita was the culinary genius I was allowed to wait tables and Michael would come and be ‘mein amiable host’ after he’d closed the ‘antique shop’ at night. We all lived over the coffee bar in a trendy flat with a drinks bar! When I say drinks bar it was the sort Vera Duckworth had in Coronation Street.

It was the ‘Witches Cauldron’ where Michael first stumbled upon the boy who in latter years was to become a vital part of his business, Michael Cox – a qualified gemologist, diamond expert, member of the London Diamond Bourse and World Diamond Council.

In later years Michael bought ‘the arcade’ which included a children’s shop, washeteria, a restaurant and the new look Michael Spiers – a taste of things to come. By this time I was no longer at school but drama school and couldn’t wait to join Michael for the summer months and stay in yet another ‘fab’ apartment! I also got paid now, could wear the jewellery and was taken out to eat by the boss most nights. It was a great life and Michael loved it too. He loved getting up in the morning cleaning the windows washing down the front of the shop and strolling down the high street saying hello to everyone he passed. Most days he spent on a sunbed on the roof terrace one eye on a close circuit television ready to leap into a sales pitch should we need him. I don’t think he ever really wanted to put on a suit and work in an office that’s why he and my brother-in-law Keith

complimented each other so well in business. Michael would have been extremely proud

that all of the stores have been awarded Recommended Retailer status by the Platinum Guild International (PGI). I did have to smile to myself when Ben Grainger, UK Trade Manager for the PGI said: “When customers come into any Michael Spiers store, they can be certain that the service they receive will be exceptional, not merely satisfactory.”

I was reminded of the time a rather large American came into the Looe shop on a particularly busy day. He looked like a reject from Hawaii 5.0. complete with garish shirt and pair of shorts that wouldn’t have looked out of place on Lofty from ‘It ‘Aint ‘Alf ‘Hot Mum’ and he had a huge paparazzi type camera slung over his shoulder. In a very loud he voice exclaimed to Michael,

“Those diamonds are SOOOO CHEAP they cannot be real!”

There was a communal intake of breath from all of the staff and time seemed to standstill.

Michael narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice. This was not a good sign we knew.

“Cheap?” he said in a disbelieving voice. “Cheap? you come in here dressed like that and have the nerve to call my jewellery cheap?”

With that the American threw back his head and roared with laughter…and eventually left with one of the ‘cheapest’ diamond rings we had! Hank returned every year and became a great friend of Michael’s.

It was a sad day I know for all of us when Michael Spiers packed up shop in Looe particularly Adam, Michael’s son, who started out married life in the flat above the shop, but times change and the business has moved on – but from little acorns…

Oh the stories I could tell about our days in Looe – and will, but at another time!

The Antique Shop

The ‘new look’ Michael Spiers – 1970s

www.twsteeluk.com

“This is my time” David Coulthard


hen Michael Spiers first considered upgrading and developing their West Country stores, and started the difficult task of selecting a suitable contractor,

little did they realise that they were in the ideal location to make use of the skills of a nationally renowned shopfitting company situated on their doorstep.

The brief for the development was to create bespoke Rolex and Patek Philippe boutiques within their Truro store and extend the Plymouth store into the recently acquired adjoining unit. The two boutiques within the Truro store would showcase the quality of the brands while offering customers a unique and relaxing environment in which to make their purchase.

For the Plymouth store an expansion was needed in order to offer customers further space to browse and more room for Michael Spiers to showcase their expansive range of brands and the jewellers’ own designs.

Some of the world’s leading watch brands advised Michael Spiers that the Benbow Group, based in Newton Abbot, were approved manufacturing and installation contractors, and specialists in shopfitting for the jewellery trade. Impressed by their catalogue of high-

A NEW LOOK FOR MICHAEL SPIERSIt has been a busy year for Michael Spiers with a shop extension and a collection of stylish in store watch boutiques under their belt – developers Benbow group tell us more about the refits.

quality work and excellent eye for detail, Michael Spiers appointed the Benbow team to work on both the Truro and Plymouth stores.

TRURO

The design for the new watch brand area for the Truro shop was developed and approved, and Benbow appointed as manufacturer and installer.

This new prestige section on the raised floor area, which included floor strengthening works, new steps and structural glass balustrading, was installed over a four-week site period with very little disruption to normal retail trading.

Previously an office and sales area, the raised level is now the shared location for prestigious brands Rolex and Patek Philippe with clear branding and displays, offering a calming environment in which to browse and shop.

PLYMOUTH

After initial consultation meetings, sampling and design development, working with designer Stephen Pearce, the pricing for the larger project in Plymouth was finalised and once again Benbow appointed as main contractors.

After protracted planning approval processes, the project started in April 2011 and was carried out in three separate phases over a 16-week period. Forming the new openings between the shops was a challenging task due to the differing levels and the wall being some two-feet thick due to the previous banking occupants!

The new shop includes a luxury mezzanine presentation area and a champagne reception bar in attractive highly figured Santos Rosewood finish with polished chrome and stainless-steel features combined with soft leather. The ground floor area houses some of the world’s leading watch brands in their own specialist designs.

The attention to detail and high quality finishes present clients with an interesting and prestigious interior giving the discerning customer a comfortable atmosphere in which to browse and select from Michael Spiers’ range of fine jewellery and watch brands.

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THE MicHAEL SPiERS TEAM SHOWcASE THEiR fAvOURiTE

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favouritemy

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SiMon heWittManager, Leath of Taunton

Rolex Explorer ii – £5,530

The launch of a new Rolex sports watch is a rare event eagerly anticipated by watch enthusiasts everywhere.

This year sees the re-birth of the classic Rolex Explorer II. Originally created in 1971 for professional explorers, its 24 hour display allowed polar explorers to distinguish night from day and has formed part of the essential equipment on many expeditions.

In their new watch Rolex have updated the original design with their customary panache, enlarging the case to 42mm and giving the dial a bolder index. It also has an orange 24 hour hand reminiscent of the original 1971 model. The result is a watch which proclaims its heritage but also feels very contemporary.

In my opinion this is one of the most desirable watches out there and the good news is that it will look just as good with a smart suit as it will with arctic survival gear.

jACKie WilliAMSManager, Plymouth

Hans Kreiger diamond ring – £3,995

I truly love the formation of this unusual diamond ring. The craftsmanship of this fine piece by the German designer, Hans Krieger, is exceptional. Brilliant white and rich cognac coloured diamonds, beautifully set in 18ct white and rose gold, complement their vibrancy perfectly. A rare piece of jewellery to grace any lady’s collection.

viCtoriA phillipS-SlAdePlymouth

Rosabella diamond pendant – £3,650

This Rosabella pendant is a show-stopping piece. With a carat and a half

of diamonds scattered over the circles, it sparkles beautifully. The combination of

the contemporary design together with the timeless elegance of diamonds make this the

ideal gift for any lady.

ben frAnKlinWatch Manager, Truro

Patek Philippe nautilus chronograph – £34,460

At the top of my list is the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5980/1A. From its launch in 1976

the Nautilus has earned cult status amongst watch collectors the world over. With its iconic porthole inspired octagonal case,

beautiful mix of polished and satin finishes and its horizontally embossed dial emphasising

a subtle change in colour, it is the most attractive sports watch on the market. Put all

of that together with a complicated CH 28-520 C chronograph movement and in

my opinion, you’ve hit the horological jackpot!


KAtie elvinTruro

gucci bamboo jewellery from £1,240

I love the truly iconic Gucci 18ct gold Bamboo collection. This original Gucci design, taken from one of the first Gucci handbags in 1947, has been modernised into a bold statement of easily wearable pieces. Perfect for any fashionista! The whole collection is incredible and I can’t decide which individual piece is my favourite – so I’ll put them all on my wish list!

Alex younGManager, Leath of Taunton

Mother of pearl pendant and earrings from £475

My choice is this stunning 18ct gold and mother of pearl pendant and matching earrings. A perfect gift – unusual, fashionable and sophisticated, its subtle tones will enhance any outfit. While the pendant looks fabulous on a silk ribbon, it will look equally great on a gold chain changing its look completely, making it a versatile and striking set.

dAvid briGnAllAssistant Manager, Truro

Omega Planet Ocean – £3,800

At the top of my wish list this year is the stunning new Omega Planet Ocean. With

its updated design and new co axial calibre movement it is both stylish and technically

innovative. Omega created a modern classic when they launched the Planet Ocean, and the latest incarnation is no

exception. Combining materials such as Si14, Superluminova and ceramics this watch fits

perfectly into my sporting and social lifestyle.

lAurA reubenSPlymouth

gucci U-Play watch – £435

The Gucci U Play is the perfect combination of Swiss watchmaking quality and high fashion jewellery. The mesh bracelet and bezel are practical enough for everyday wear and dressy enough to carry you through to the evening. The bezel and strap are interchangeable, and with so many colour options available it is the ideal watch for every outfit.


favouritemy

things

iSobel GorMAnTruro

chanel J12 chromatic £8,525

My favourite thing this year, is the incredible Chanel Chromatic J12, with a striking

diamond bezel and dial. New technology combines iconic Chanel ceramic with titanium, creating a dazzling finish and a uniquely stylish statement.

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BrasiliaRoman 233x285 Michael_Spiers.indd 1 29/07/11 15:37

oliver peppiAttWatch Manager, Plymouth

Bell & Ross BR03 carbon – £2,600

My Bell & Ross BR03 Carbon hasn’t left my wrist since I first wore it! I love the oversize square case, the stealth carbon finish and the military styling. It comes with a sleek rubber strap, spare canvas flight strap, and tool kit to change them. Keep an eye out for the Limited Edition Airborne and Radar, they’ll blow you away!

toM tAylorManager, Exeter

Sapphire and diamond cluster ring – £2,250

This stylish traditional sapphire and diamond cluster ring, has without doubt met with royal appeal, set in 18ct white gold which creates a stunning contrast to the vibrant blue hue of the sapphire, depicting each diamond to its finest brilliance, styled to perfection by our own craftsman, I am sure owning such a ring would make every occasion a royal one.

Adele AtKinSonTruro

Emerald cut diamond ring – £12,500

For me it has to be this truly elegant, breathtaking and exceptional emerald cut diamond solitaire ring. Its quite simple rectangular shape only emphasises its beauty, with fewer facets than most modern day cuts, it allows the beholder to view right into the diamond and creates a very unique and timeless fire. Set in platinum, to me, this could not be any more beautiful.

Meriel WriGleyManager, Leath of Taunton

Pearl and diamond pendant – £1,395

This year I have chosen this beautiful pearl and diamond pendant. The gorgeous pearl will flatter any skin tone and is perfectly complemented by a fabulous circlet of diamonds, chosen to reflect the light and enhance the pearl. A timeless piece, that takes its inspiration from Edwardian jewellery but is still perfectly on trend today. A fusion of classic elegance and contemporary design, this pendant would be ideal for any occasion, however glamorous.

jAMeS WAlKerGroup Manager

diamond Solitaire Ring – £29,500

Classic and timeless, this stunning diamond solitaire ring is set in the king of metals, platinum. The brilliant cut diamond with its 57 facets, catches the light and throws it back creating a beautiful fire. This has to be the ultimate romantic gesture.

66 www.michaelspiers.co.ukA member of the Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton family

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Thesapphireis

saidtorepresent

sincerityand

faithfulness,which

makesittheideal

choiceforan

engagementring


SAPPHIRES HAVE BEEN TREASURED By ANCIENT CIVILISATIONS AND ROyALTy FOR CENTURIES, AND THE

REVIVAL OF PRINCESS DIANA’S ENGAGEMENT RING By CATHERINE MIDDLETON – NOW THE DUCHESS

OF CAMBRIDGE – HAS RE-STOKED PUBLIC INTEREST IN THE GEM. ReBeCCA ellWood lookS AT The

SApphiRe pAST And pReSenT, And WhAT MAkeS iT The ideAl engAgeMenT STone.

sapphiressophisticated

ost of us know the bare facts about the sapphire: it is the birthstone for September, it is the assigned gift for the 5th, 23rd and 45th wedding anniversaries, and it’s blue – but not necessarily. Although the

word ‘sapphire’ is derived from the Latin word ‘saphirus’ – meaning blue – and the stones are most commonly known for having a deep blue hue, sapphires can actually come in a huge array of colours, including yellow, orange, pink, gold, black and white. The one exception is red, as red sapphires are, in actual fact, rubies: chemically and structurally, they are the same as sapphires, and both are derived from the same mineral, corundum. Sapphires are most commonly sourced in Sri Lanka and India, but have been found in many places around the world. Orange-pink Padparadscha sapphires are the most valuable of the fancy sapphires, and are most commonly found in Sri Lanka.

Sapphires have long held an important place in culture and history. The ancient Persians are said to have believed the world rested on a giant sapphire, which gave the sky its blue colour. Also, during the 12th century, it is said that crusaders would give their wives sapphire rings to test their fidelity, as sapphires were believed to fade and change colour when worn by an unfaithful woman. Many cultures believed that sapphires held calming and healing properties, and they were valued by many Kings, Queens and other members of royalty throughout history to defend and protect them. Indeed, St Edward’s Crown, which was used to crown Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, was set with sapphires, as are many of the precious crown jewels housed in the Tower of London.

One of the most famous sapphires in history was once owned by Queen Marie of Romania. Created by Cartier, the giant cushion-shaped sapphire – weighing an astonishing 478.68 carats – was set in a pendant worn by the Queen to the coronation of her husband, King Ferdinand in 1922. The largest sapphire to ever go

to auction, the necklace was presented by Christie’s of Geneva in November 2003, and sold for nearly one and a half million dollars. There are only two historic sapphires on record that are larger – Peter the Great’s Nose, a 547 carat polished sapphire, and the Star of India, a 563 carat cabochon star sapphire – and both of which are on display in museums in Germany and America respectively.

Of course, one of the most iconic sapphires of recent times has been the sapphire and diamond engagement ring of Diana, Princess of Wales. Prince William’s decision to present his future

bride Catherine Middleton with his mother’s ring last year truly brought the sapphire back into the limelight. The

cluster ring, originally costing £28,000, was chosen from a selection of rings from the jeweller Garrard in February 1981. It features an

18 carat oval sapphire, surrounded by 14 diamonds. Although a symbol of the past and a touching tribute to the

late Princess, the ring also represented the prospect of the future. On the young and beautiful future Duchess, the sapphire seemed young, fresh and modern once

again. Teamed with a midnight blue Issa wrap dress, the ring was perfectly showcased by Catherine at the official engagement press

call, and made the sapphire a widespread object of lust once again. Her rising presence as a style icon has cemented

the modernity and relevance of the sapphire.

Aside from its royal admirers, the sapphire has been the stone of choice for betrothed couples for hundreds of years. The sapphire is said to represent sincerity and faithfulness, which makes it the ideal choice for an engagement ring. They are also incredibly resilient – second only to diamonds when it comes to durability – which also makes it a great option for a ring that will be worn for a lifetime. Sapphires come in a variety of cuts and settings, and most commonly come in an oval or rectangular shape, to make the most of the stone. Whether teamed with diamonds or standing alone, the sapphire is a beautiful and timeless choice for an engagement ring.

M


70

adiamondiconJosh Sims pays homage to the silver screen’s leading lady and

diamond queen, the late great ELizABETH TAYLOR.

MymothersaysIdidn’t

openmyeyesforeight

daysafterIwasborn.But

whenIdidthefirstthing

Isawwasanengagement

ring–andIwashooked.

he was the most sullen, uncommunicative and beautiful woman I have ever seen. Elizabeth and I lived on

the edge of an exciting volcano. It was marvellous. But it could be murder.” When Richard Burton made this comment of his wife, ex-wife, then wife and ex-wife again, Elizabeth Taylor, the two of them were the most talked about couple on the planet. Indeed, while both excelled in their craft – Taylor picking up two Academy awards, for example – their names have come to be magnified by the mutual reflection of their tempestuous high-profile relationship.

The miner’s son from Pontrhydyfen and the London-born art dealer’s daughter met on the set of ‘Cleopatra’ – then the most expensive film ever made (in part due to Taylor’s then record-breaking $1m fee, in addition to 10 per cent of the gross) and, given its subject matter, a fitting backdrop for the almost mythological nature of their romance. But while Burton’s star was snuffed out early, aged just 58, Taylor – who died this past March, aged 79 – went on to become less an actress, not even a businesswoman or activist, so much as an icon. One, certainly, whose fame was such that, sadly, she was asked to stay away from Burton’s funeral, lest her presence turn a sombre occasion into a media circus.

What defines an icon is not easy to pin-point. The times can be an icon’s making – and Taylor, together with Burton, defined the pizzazz of the Jet Set during the 1950s and 60s, when she was also at the peak of her acting powers. One of the last exemplars of the old star-making Hollywood studio system, she continued to represent a bygone quality of glamour long after celebrity had become a more tawdry product of hype and a bedfellow of sales and marketing.

Talent is a given for an icon too, essential to any lasting credibility – and anyone who has seen Taylor’s performances in ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’, opposite fellow icon Paul Newman, or in ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’, opposite Burton, can hardly be in doubt of her having that (despite her noting that “I, along with the critics, have never taken myself very seriously”). She had, after all, been acting since she was 10, and was a star by the time she was 12, with the release of ‘National Velvet’. Burton even once suggested that Taylor suffered psychologically from being too famous too young, an insight she seemed to echo, once stating that she had “the emotions of a child in the body of a woman” and had been “rushed into womanhood for the movies”.

“S

Elizabeth Taylor and twice-married husband Richard Burton

Elizabeth Taylor inspired design © Cartier


But the beauty of that womanhood, as Burton’s comment above suggests, helped her establish her iconography too: Taylor had an easy style, making a silk scarf and headband signature accessories, yet unusual genetic quirks meant that not only were her eyes violet in colour but, thanks to a condition she was born with called distichiasis, each eye was also framed by two rows of

lashes. An anecdote has the director of one of Taylor’s earlier movies, ‘Lassie Come Home’, insisting that she be removed from the set until make-up had scrubbed off the excess mascara she was wearing. She was, of course, wearing none at all. A 1976 magazine poll saw her win the title of ‘most memorable eyebrows’ as well. The runner-up was Lassie.

A life larger than life also adds to the allure – and Taylor definitely had that, as her seven husbands (one making her a widow at 26), legendary boozing (“I could drink everyone under the table and not get drunk – my capacity was terrifying,” she once noted), and grand love of jewellery testify too. And that is arguably an understatement for a woman who owned some of the most famous ever pieces, including the 33-carat Krupp Diamond, the

Grand Duchess of Russia emeralds, the La Peregina Pearl and the 69-carat Burton-Cartier Diamond, the latter two both gifts from Burton, with the stone subsequently renamed the Burton-Taylor diamond. Eddie Fisher, her fourth husband, once said that a $50,000 diamond could keep Taylor happy for around four days. She had her own explanation: “My mother says I didn’t open my eyes for eight days after I was born. But when I did the first thing I saw was an engagement ring – and I was hooked.”

But hers was also a complex, rich life, one lived under the glare of a media attention newly critical and progressively candid after decades of sycophantic, mutually back-scratching arrangements with Hollywood. Indeed, Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor – more often known by the more familiar Liz, somewhat counter to the stratospheric elevation of her fame – was among the first stars

to leverage her celebrity power for more than personal gain.

She was a pioneer of the celebrity fragrance and jewellery markets, launching her first perfume in 1988 and becoming the first celebrity to win a FiFi award, the fragrance industry’s Oscar. But it also allowed her to survive a disregard for public opinion and work to less popular ends – a disregard perhaps only a star of her brilliance can afford to maintain. After all, she was instrumental throughout the late 80s in changing public attitudes to AIDS’ victims, auctioning off much of her jewellery to fund charities, raising some $80m in a decade for her own – when scare-mongering was still rife – helping make her a hallowed figure among gay communities in particular. Similarly, she remained a vocal and lifelong friend to Michael Jackson – another child mega-star, with whom, maybe, she shared an understanding – long after his eccentricities had made him something of a bizarre figure.

Do such qualities add up to an icon? It has been said that Elizabeth Taylor defined the modern conception of the celebrity, with her life – the child star, the romances, the excesses, addictions and illnesses – like a blueprint for the 21st century’s more fleetingly famous. The big difference? Few today will have her lasting impact.

All portrait images taken from ‘Elizabeth Taylor: Queen of the Silver Screen’, by Ian Lloyd. Published in hardback by Andre Deutsch, £14.99. Available to buy from all good bookstores and online.

Burton-Taylor diamond © Cartier


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THEY ALREAdY LOOK LiKE PROfESSiOnALS BUT EMMA fELLOWS And LAWREncE BARnES ARE STiLL TAKing THEiR fiRST TEnTATivE STEPS inTO THE MOdELLing WORLd AfTER Winning THiS YEAR’S ‘fAcE Of PLYMOUTH’ cOMPETiTiOn.

faceTHE

Of PLYMOUTH

The pair were among hundreds of hopefuls who entered the competition run by Plymouth’s daily newspaper, The Herald. Their looks and personalities got them through the interview stage of the contest and they went on to dazzle the judges – which included Plymouth watch manager, Oli Peppiatt – with their poise on the catwalk at the grand final. Emma and Lawrence now have a busy year of modelling assignments as well as public appearances as young ambassadors for Plymouth.

The ‘Face of Plymouth’ was delighted to welcome Michael Spiers as one of its major sponsors in 2011. The company’s exquisite collections of modern and traditional jewellery have added sparkle and elegance at the contest’s photo shoots and catwalk show. Lawrence and Emma look stunning in these pieces from Michael Spiers’ current collection and the photographs will form

part of the modelling portfolio they receive as part of their prize. Next year’s hunt for the ‘Faces of Plymouth’ will start in the spring with two weeks of photo shoots in the city centre. The 40 contestants who receive the most votes from readers of The Herald will go through to the semi final where they are interviewed by the judges. The lucky 16 will make it through to the grand final – a spectacular live show at Plymouth Pavilions.

Previous ‘Face of Plymouth’ winners include Charlotte Holmes, who has gone on to a modelling career after appearing on the television show ‘Britain’s Next Top Model’.

For more information about the ‘face of Plymouth’ competition visit www.thisisplymouth.co.uk



RARE, BEAUTIFUL AND RESILIENTAlison Marshall is dazzled by the world’s most precious metal.

PlatinumPerfect


ith an appealing cool glamour all of its own, platinum is today’s choice for jewellery that is as enduring as love itself. Twenty times rarer than gold and even more lovely, a strong

platinum setting makes the perfect partner for fiery diamonds, and will clasp your precious stones tight forever. It is little surprise that the world’s most fabulous diamonds, the Star of Africa and the Koh-i-Noor, are embraced in timelessly dependable platinum settings.

Platinum’s tough beauty has been heralded across the world and through time. As early as 700BC, the ancient Egyptians mastered the techniques of processing platinum.

The document casket of the high priestess Schepenupet is decorated with ornate hieroglyphics in platinum and can be seen today in the Louvre. The Spanish conquistadors and the Indians of pre-Columbian South America also realised this stunning metal’s true potential.

Charles IV of England commissioned a platinum room and, in 1780, King Louis xVI of France favoured this precious metal for royal decoration. The screen goddesses Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield were known as the ‘platinum blondes’ of the big screen, and celebrities today such as Nicole Kidman, Catherine Zeta Jones and Jennifer Lopez are reportedly bewitched by this exquisite metal.

Crafted at the very highest purity levels of any of the precious metals used for jewellery, all platinum in the UK is hallmarked to show its quality. Platinum articles are mostly 95 per cent pure and it is the purity that gives it a sensuous blue-whiteness that is exclusively its own.

No other metal used to create jewellery is so rare and difficult to mine. Found in only a few locations in the world, it is mined predominantly in Russia and South Africa.

The UK is the biggest platinum market in Europe and its appeal is clear to see. With its cool brightness, it makes the perfect partner for a diamond’s white-hot fire. And with fashion loudly applauding white metal, platinum is the must-have ultimate symbol of the rare and precious. Whether it’s combined with diamonds, sky blue sapphires, or romantic red rubies, platinum has all the attributes for a stunning piece of jewellery.

ETERnALLY YOURSThe ultimate symbol of devotion, platinum conveys the rarity and brilliance of true love. With its purity of colour and spirit, it makes the ideal gift for any special occasion; from a symbol of betrothal, a promise of eternity or a gift to mark a new addition to the family.

Fashionably cool and sensibly hard wearing, platinum has become a wise choice for discerning couples for their engagement and wedding rings, and to celebrate other precious moments in their lives together.

With its immaculate virtues, platinum will not cause allergy or tarnish. It is also amazingly durable – even daily wear will not cause any loss to the metal. In fact, rather than taking on a scratched appearance over time, platinum develops its own patina, burnished with the passing years. If you are investing in beautifully cut, fiery white diamonds, you need a setting that not only complements their beauty, but will also hold them safe for years to come. Jewellers know it makes sense for you to invest in platinum. The price may be higher than gold, but platinum is pure and rare, enduringly beautiful and a luxurious classic, making it excellent value for money.

With the average couple spending in the region of £20,000 on their wedding day, It makes sense to focus on the enduring symbols of commitment: the rings. Longer lasting than the wedding cake, the flowers, and the fashion styles of the time, a platinum ring will be the constant reminder of your special day. Its astonishing strength will ensure that it will hardly alter after years of marriage.

Most couple’s financial considerations revolve around buying a house and a car, but in these times of increased travel and global awareness, even the home is not the life purchase it once was. Taking this into consideration, the rings you buy to celebrate your marriage are likely to be the most lasting purchases you make throughout your whole life. Bearing this in mind the only answer is to purchase the rings of the purest metal – platinum.

Platinum’s qualities also appeal to men and now that macho figures in the public eye are not afraid to wear

and enjoy jewellery, men have much more choice today than their fathers did years ago. Today,

matching wedding rings don’t have to mean just a complementary engraving inside a gold wedding band. The coolness and reassuringly weighty feel of platinum makes it ideal for creating rings for men.

Precious gems for the male are also proving popular – diamonds are now both

a girl’s and her man’s best friend. Favourites include brushed platinum bands featuring a

subtle solitaire embedded in the cool metal, or a secret diamond hidden inside the band. As the most precious metal jewellers can offer,

platinum’s hot-white good looks are as equally suited to classic designs as to designer creations. Whether your taste is classic or contemporary, ostentatious or subtle, platinum’s perfect attributes combine with any precious stone to create stunning jewellery, which will be as eternally beautiful and long lasting as the reason for the gift itself.

ABOUT PLATinUM

n�Platinum is the best setting for all types and colours of gems. Its brilliant white lustre reflects their true colour and its superior strength holds them securely.

n Platinum jewellery is the purest jewellery. It is totally skin-compatible and never tarnishes or loses its deep white colour.

n Platinum is 20 times rarer than gold. It is worked into jewellery by the most skilled craftsmen and is sold by the best jewellers.

n Platinum jewellery is beautiful to the touch. It has a silky polished surface and a sensuous, heavier feel and speaks of value, beauty and quality.

nPlatinum jewellery is eternal. Made to last a lifetime – and even longer– it is extremely resistant to everyday wear and tear.

n Platinum jewellery is fashionable and stylish. It combines perfectly with other metals and on its own has a classical look of quality that never goes out of fashion.

n Platinum is the metal of choice for perfect moments. Cherished emotions, boundless joy, platinum expresses all these and more.

W

he new J12 Chromatic is, by itself, an exemplary example of the creative approach taken by CHANEL. It is a determined approach that favours, above all, research, innovation, and the long-

term. It is also an approach that differentiates itself from the marketplace. The J12 Chromatic was born out of the desire by CHANEL to invent a new color, to give a new tint to ceramic, one that has never been seen before.

This determination is at the heart of the brand’s incessant watchmaking quest to offer the greatest comfort possible to the wearer of the watch, to assure the timeless quality of the piece, and to give it a very special brilliance, like no other.

The choice of ceramic perfectly meets these criteria. From an ergonometric point of view, ceramic is a safe and warm material that takes the temperature of the body, while letting it breathe. Its hardness gives it an exceptional longevity, protects it from scratches and dents, and maintains its very particular brilliance. But, the ceramic developed specifically and exclusively for the J12 Chromatic possesses even greater qualities. Incorporating titanium, it is lighter than traditional ceramic and 25 per cent harder and more resistant. And above all, it has a sparkle unlike any other.

Such brilliance can, of course, be measured in terms of rational criteria, namely the diffraction and reflection of light, but it is primarily a subjective appreciation. What really strikes the eye is the very particular quality of the brilliance of the J12 Chromatic. This Chromatic colour – let’s name this new colour ‘Chromatic’ since no other known term can by itself represent it – shimmers with a varying intensity and density according to the ambient light. To do justice to this remarkable hue, you have to wear the watch, let it live, and allow it to change as it moves.

T

J12 cHROMATic

anewera

fortheJ12This CHROMATIC colour SHIMMERS with a varying intensity and density according to the ambient light.

80 www.michaelspiers.co.uk 81www.michaelspiers.co.uk

watchingdevelopments

CREATING COVETABLE WATCH DESIGNS AND PROVOKING A RELEASE THAT IS CONSIDERED

MORE AN EAGERLy AWAITED EVENT THAN AN ACTUAL LAUNCH, PRESTIGIOUS WATCHMAKER

PATEK PHiLiPPE HAS SOME NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTS TO WATCH THIS yEAR.

1 Gondola2 Aquanaut travel time3 ladies World time

1 2

3 4 5 6

4 Self-winding perpetual calendar in platinum5 Self-winding Calatrava with an officer-style case6 ladies minute repeater wristwatch


ot many watchmakers can say that their watches combine classical style with innovative technology. Nor can

they say that their insistence on quality is as strong as their family values. Likewise not many watchmakers can say that they are Swiss watchmakers extraordinaire – Patek Philippe.

It is Patek Philippe, the last privately owned, independent Genevan watch manufacturer that blends contemporary movements with classic design, and innovative business strategy with traditional heritage. Beginning in 1844, Polish businessman Antoine Patek and French watchmaker Jean-Adrien Philippe joined together in Paris and set about changing the world with the introduction of their crown stem winding and setting system.

Together the pair continued to make classic but technologically advanced watches before the Patek Phillippe company was bought in 1932 by Charles and Jean Stern, two brothers who were also in the watch industry in Geneva. Today Patek Philippe is still owned by the Stern family, with fourth generation family member Thierry Stern having become president of the company in 2009.

Always looking for ways to develop it was in 2009 that the Patek Philippe Seal was introduced – a symbol of exclusivity, quality and independence that links to the watches that Patek Philippe are so proud to produce. The Seal is to be embossed on all mechanical Patek Philippe timepieces to assure customers that every movement, strap, dial and hand complies to Patek Philippe’s high demand for excellence.

The Patek Philippe search for excellence is clearly shown through the exhibitions on show in the Patek Philippe museum which celebrates its tenth birthday this year. The museum not only houses pieces of Patek Philippe fame but also antique timepieces ranging from the 16th to the 19th centuries – each a timepiece that has made its mark on history. A highlight of the exhibition is the Patek Philippe Caliber 89 – otherwise known as the most complicated watch in the world.

Not a company to shy away from a challenge, Patek Philippe are constantly looking to push the boundaries and develop new technologies and movements. This year’s Baselworld watch fair saw the launch of several new grand complications. Particularly acclaimed was the launch of the

men’s Triple Complication combining for the first time a minute repeater, chronograph and instantaneous perpetual calendar with aperture displays.

Perpetual calendars with retrograde date displays are a Patek Philippe speciality. With its satinated silvery dial, the new Reference 5496 comes in a timelessly sleek platinum case inspired by the famous 1930s Calatrava Reference 96. The Calatrava is Patek Philippe’s signature model; The endearing quality of the design reflects the relentless pursuit of perfection that has always been at the core of Patek Philippe’s mission.

One much talked about release this year involves the eagerly anticipated men’s Aquanaut, which has been launched for the first time with a complication. The casually contemporary Aquanaut collection is joined by a new Travel Time model with two hour hands for two time zones – local time and home time – and the convenience of the new self-winding caliber 324 S C FUS movement.

Despite exciting launches for Patek Philippe’s men’s range it has been the ladies’ designs which have really stolen the show this year, with the launch of the first ever Ladies First Minute Repeater wristwatch and the elegant Ladies World Time available. The Ladies First Minute Repeater is a stunning piece for any collector as the watch combines feminine style with technical expertise.

Equally anticipated has been the launch of the first Patek Philippe Ladies World Time model. This unique complicated timepiece features a 62 diamond-studded bezel set off perfectly by a white gold case and alligator strap. Ensuring that substance is as important as style, the Ladies World Time model includes a dial with the time of all 24-hour zones, including day and night indication. And if that wasn’t enough to tempt, as usual all the finer details have been considered with the watch also featuring a prong buckle set with 27 diamonds and a sapphire-crystal case back to really attract attention.

With no less than six grand complication and such a strong offering for ladies launched at the 2011 Baselworld show it is clear that Patek Philippe are continuing to strive forward in their mission to create eagerly awaited watches, with each design effortlessly combining the classic and the contemporary.

PatekPhilippe–thelastprivatelyowned,independentGenevanwatch

manufacturerthatblendscontemporarymovementswithclassicdesign,and

innovativebusinessstrategywithtraditionalheritage.

MichaelSpiers

Image: (L to R) Adam Spiers; Mark Hearn, Managing Director Patek Philippe UK; and Stephen Spiers.

Michael Spiers proudly introduced Patek

Philippe into their Truro store in June

of 2011 and have already shared a great

deal of success with the luxury watch

brand. The launch for the first Patek

Philippe stockist in the South West was

celebrated with an in-store exhibition

at which Michael Spiers customers were

invited to view the latest collection. In

addition, Directors of Michael Spiers

welcomed guests to an exclusive event

with Patek Philippe’s UK Managing

Director Mark Hearn.

Adam Spiers is delighted with the

association between the two companies,

“The success of Patek is based on family

values and heritage – similar in so many

ways to that of Michael Spiers. My father

would be so proud of an association

between our two companies. This is

exciting news, introducing the finest

and most prestigious timepieces to our

clientele throughout the West Country.”

n


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For more than 150 years the company has combined innovation and enduring style to conquer and master the

measurement of time in its smallest fractions. Founded by Edouard Heuer in 1860, in the little village of

St-Imier in the heart of the Jura Mountains, TAG Heuer has become the world’s top manufacturer of prestigious

chronographs with a precision of 1/10th, 1/100th and 1/1,000th of a second, and a benchmark for technology

and design.

150yearsofmasteringspeedTAGHeuercelebrates


y the time Karl Benz produced the first viable motor car in 1886, Edouard Heuer had already been making watches for more than a quarter of a century and

had established a reputation as a master of the chronograph – a device beloved of horse racing enthusiasts for its facility to record elapsed times.

So it was only natural that the focus of Heuer watches should slip seamlessly from four-legged horsepower to the four-wheeled variety as motorcars became faster and more ubiquitous and the sun came up on the age of automobile competition.

Heuer’s sons Jules-Edouard and Charles-Auguste created the ‘Time of Trip’ in 1911, the first chronograph to be specifically designed for mounting on a car dashboard; five years later came the remarkable Mikrograph, the first stop watch capable of measuring time down to 100th of a second; then, as the automobile headed towards its 1920s‘ golden era’, the first Heuer wrist chronograph appeared, followed by the sophisticated Autavia dash chronograph of the ‘30s and the ground-breaking ‘Rally Master’ board-mounted timing sets of 1958.

By then, a Heuer wristwatch was the default choice of any driver who was really serious about motoring, be it on road or track – indeed, the most celebrated racer of the time, Juan-Manuel Fangio, was one of Heuer’s most dedicated patrons. But it was in 1964 that the name became inextricably linked with motorsport thanks to the creation of the now legendary Carrera, a classic wrist chronograph that Edouard Heuer’s great grandson, Jack Heuer, was inspired to create having witnessed the thrills and

spills of Mexico’s gruelling Carrera PanAmericana road race.

The Carrera marked Heuer’s true arrival at the centre of competitive driving and soon Formula One ace Jo Siffert was on board as an enthusiastic ambassador to the brand. Next, Steve McQueen wore the revolutionary, square-cased Monaco in 1971’s iconic movie Le Mans; the Ferrari F1 team recruited Heuer as its official timekeeper, and the wrist chronograph range came to include track-inspired model names such as the Montreal, Jarama, Daytona and Silverstone.

During the 1970s, Heuer embraced the accuracy of electronics with models such as the Chronosplit, the 320 Microsplit hand-held stop watch and the S/el, the watch worn by the late, great Ayrton Senna – and, in 1992, Heuer was granted motorsport’s ultimate horological accolade when it was selected as the official timekeeper of the Formula One world Championships, a role that lasted for eleven consecutive seasons.

It is little wonder, then, that TAG Heuer’s 21st century products draw so heavily on both the history of motorsport and its future. The innovative Monaco V4, for example, uses tiny, automobile-inspired drive belts to power its mechanism and, of course, takes its name from an engine configuration; the Grand Carrera line now includes models such as the RS Caliper one-tenth of a second chronograph, while the remarkable Mikrograph can lay claim to being the world’s first column wheel chronograph capable of recording elapsed time down to one 100th of a second using a central hand.

B

1 2

3

150yearsofmasteringspeedTAGHeuercelebrates

4

86

...thenamebecameinextricablylinked

withmotorsportthankstothecreationofthenowlegendary

Carrera.

Already, however, TAG Heuer has broken its own record with the creation of the Mikrotimer Flying 1,000th Concept Chronograph – a mechanical watch which will record at a mind-bending accuracy of 1,000th of a second. Its oscillator operates at 3,600,000 beats-per-hour, enabling the central chronograph hand to sweep around the dial a mesmerising 10 times per second.

Combining TAG Heuer’s forward-thinking engineering with its 150 years of motorsport heritage, meanwhile, is the Carrera 1887 chronograph which closely resembles the 1964 original but contains the Calibre 1887 movement, TAG Heuer’s first column wheel mechanism to be produced entirely in-house.

The hugely popular Formula One has also become available with a new ‘race retro’ look in the form of the Gulf edition which features a diamond pattern dial adorned with the famous blue and orange livery of the Gulf Porsches which starred alongside the Heuer Monza in ‘Le Mans’.

The Heuer Monaco of 1969 has become legendary among watches and to pay tribute to its success TAG Heuer has created two new special edition models: The Monaco 24 Racing features the superbly accurate Calibre 36 movement which is ‘suspended’ inside the distinctive square case on four tiny ‘shock absorbers’, while the Monaco Calibre 11 emulates the 1970s with a stunning silver dial with orange detailing. The Calibre 11, which was fitted to the original Monaco, was the first self-winding chronograph movement in the world, and remains instantly recognisable by its left-hand winding crown.

When Ferrari drivers Clay Regazzoni and Niki Lauda took first and third places respectively in the 1975 Monza GP, team sponsor Heuer was inspired to create the original Monza chronograph. Now the name returned on an all new Monza which takes inspiration from the 1970s version with its yellow hands and numbers and Heuer logo. Inside the 38mm cushion case however, you’ll find TAG Heuer’s state-of-the-art Calibre 36 movement, while a screw-down back ensures 100 metre water resistance. Just 1,911 examples will be available worldwide, a number that commemorates the introduction of the Time of Trip in 1911 and the start of TAG Heuer’s enduring relationship with the motor car and its drivers.

1 1958 Rally Master board-mounted timing set2 2011 Carrera Mikrograph 1/100th second chronograph3 2011 Monaco 24 Racing Calibre 36 Automatic

Chronograph4 2011 Monza Calibre 36 Re Edition Limited Edition5 Carrera Heritage Calibre 16 Automatic Chronograph

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THE SKILLED CRAFTSMEN AT EBEL HAVE BEEN CREATING ELEGANT AND ENDURING TIMEPIECES SINCE 1911.

ON THE yEAR OF THE BRAND’S CENTENARy, REBECCA ELLWOOD LOOKS INTO HOW THEy TRULy ARE ‘THE ARCHITECTS OF TIME’.

n 1911, Eugène Blum and Alice Lévy joined forces to create a watch house that would go on to become one of the most respected and recognised

brands in the world of horology. EBEL, an acronym of the couple’s initials,

(Eugène Blum et Lévy) was built on the combined masculine and feminine values of its founders. The fine craftsmanship so highly valued by the brand was implemented across all of its designs – in addition to creating elegant, feminine jewellery models and Haute Joallerie creations for the ladies, EBEL was equally accomplished in producing refined timepieces for the discerning gentleman. This coincided with the transition from pocket-watches to wristwatches, and the EBEL legacy was born.

Upholding its reputation as a pioneer in the Swiss watchmaking world, EBEL became the first Swiss watch company to use the Western Electric System. The invention, a predecessor of the Vibrograph, was the first device capable of accurately measuring and testing precision. This quest for absolute precision led to EBEL being commissioned as official watch supplier to the British Army between 1939 - 1945.

During the 1970s Blum and Levy’s grandson, Pierre Alain, joined EBEL to work with his father, Charles Blum. His vision and pioneering spirit took the company to new heights, and the signature ‘The Architects of Time’ was coined. One of Pierre-Alain’s most significant contributions to the company was the introduction of the Sports Classic collection, a revolutionary design which would be remain iconically EBEL for decades to come.

EBEL became a huge name, and during the 1980s was the title sponsor of some of the most prestigious sporting events in the world, including Formula 1, EBEL Swiss Open European Masters and the Davis Cup. Big names in the world of sport, including Boris Becker, David Gower and Niki Lauda began to choose EBEL for their defining moments. To this day, Ebel is still strongly affiliated with the sporting world, and is official Timing Partner for FC Bayern Munich, Arsenal and the Glasgow Rangers.

Along with being highly valued in the world of sport, EBEL has attracted some superstar ambassadors along the way. Dennis Hopper, Madonna, Harrison Ford and most recently,

Gisele Bündchen and Claudia Schiffer, have all lent their talents to EBEL advertising campaigns.

Throughout the 21st century, EBEL has continued to pioneer the art of watchmaking, continually developing new mechanical movements. Its generations of expertise are evident in every timepiece, from the complexity of the mechanism to the beauty of the design. To celebrate this centenary, EBEL have released the Classic 100, an elegant tribute to the brand’s 100 year history. Only 1911 pieces will be available worldwide in honour of the date of its founding. This retro design features an automatic movement, a stainless steel case and an alligator strap, for the timeless elegance that has epitomised the watch house since the very beginning.

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Driven by pioneering spirit luxury watch brand oMeGA prides itself on offering over a century of quality

timepieces. Having been there for lunar landings, marine voyages and a multitude of sporting events we

relive the highlights from this timeless brand from chronograph to style icon.

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The first OMEGA chronograph featuring large second-hands which could be stopped, started and returned to zero. Together with a 30 minute counter and 0.900 silver case the introduction of the chronograph was a groundbreaking move for the OMEGA brand.

The years between 1890-1899 saw several technological advances that would mark the onset of the 20th century. The invention of analine dye made fashion more vivacious and colourful than ever before. The very early first car models were produced in France, and several attempts were made at flying. In science, radioactivity and x-rays were discovered.

Many noteable literary works were penned, including Bram Stoker’s dracula, The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles and The

picture of dorian grey by Oscar Wilde. The first installment of Arthur Conan

Doyle’s Sherlock holmes was published in Strand magazine.

Some of Van Gogh’s most celebrated works were painted during this time. 1890

OMEGA ‘19’ CHRONOGRAPH 1898

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This unique piece was made for the 1900 World Fair, in Paris and featured a 19’’’ chronograph and 17 jewels with four settings, cut balance and Maltese Cross stopwork. Together with an 18-carat gold case, the timepiece has been designed to incorporate

many key Greek deities including the the dial painting of Cronos – god of time and on the back, Helios god of the sun.

Britain’s treasured Queen Victoria died in 1901, and King Edward VII took the throne. Many inventions and discoveries were made during the 1900s – the Wright brothers flew the first version of the aeroplane, radioactivity was discovered by Marie Curie, the first electric typewriter was invented by George Canfield Blickensderfer, the first radio receiver received a radio transmission and a patent was awarded for the steam engine. Ford produced its first car, the Model A, which was followed by the infamous Model T. Art nouveau and cubism were prominent in the world of art, and Matisse held his first solo exhibition.

1900

Created in 1916 this calibre 11’’’ offers a zoned silver dial, sun guilloché centre, minute track, Arabic numerals and blue steel Poire hands. Together with 0.900 silver two-piece rectangular curved case and leather strap ‘integrated’ in the back it speaks of

a young century eagerly looking forward to the future.

The 1910s saw the outbreak of World War I, catalysed by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. George V became the King of England, which he would remain as throughout the war and until his death in 1936. It was a period of both great tragedy and positive technological and scientific progression. In 1912, the HMS Titanic struck an iceberg and sank, killing 1,517 of its passengers and crew and horrifying millions around the world. Albert Einstein unveiled his theory of relativity to the world, the Ford Model T dominated the world of automobiles and Charlie Chaplin became a huge star.1910

Celebrating the peak of the swinging 20s this unique model was created for the Paris Decorative Arts Exhibition in 1925. Consisting of an 18-carat gold case made by Wenger, Geneva and decorated with cloisonné enamel grapes on a red-orange background and framed by marbled

green panels this timepiece represents the fashion of decade. This piece features a Nickel-plated calibre 35 ML manufactured in Geneva, gilt dial with inside crown and a face showing enameled fantasy Arabic numerals, with a ‘7’ resembling the numeral ‘2’ for aesthetic harmony.

Europe enjoyed an economic boom after World War I, and the period known as the ‘Roaring Twenties’ began. Flapper girls sported bobbed hair, short dresses and danced the Charleston, and dismissed social convention in the pursuit of enjoyment. The art deco and surrealist movements exploded in the world of art, and All Quiet on the Western Front became an Oscar winning film. It was a decade of discovery and accomplishment – Charles Lindbergh became the first person to fly solo across the atlantic ocean, the tomb of Tutankhamun was uncovered by Howard Carter, and Albert Einstein was awarded the Nobel prize in physics.

OMEGA ‘GREEK TEMPLE’ 1900

OMEGA ‘BANANA’ 1916

OMEGA ‘ART DECO’ 1925

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The first OMEGA diver watch, originally launched in 1932 offers a silvered Art Deco dial, removable double case, Calibre 19.4 SOB together with blue steel Cathedral hands, and a water-resistant steel cases with the outside made of sapphire crystal with a snap lever closing. This model was successfully

tested at 135m depth by the Swiss Watch Research Laboratory in Neuchâtel, in 1937.

The Great Depression of the 1930s seriously affected society around the world and left several countries susceptible to authoritarian rule, including Germany, which preempted the World War that was to follow. Jazz and swing music was in favour, and radio became a form of mass media. Film and cinematography started to progress,

including the invention of the first colour film by Kodak, and ‘The Wizard of Oz’, in full technicolour, delighted audiences. Along with films, the 1930s also saw literary

classics The hobbit by J.R Tolkien and John Steinbeck’s of Mice and Men

were released. 1930

The beginning of a legacy, this model was the standard version of the very first Seamaster. Housed in a water-resistant steel case with reinforced crystal this Calibre 28.10 RA SC, Seamaster featured silvered dial with zones, inner minute circle with strokes, polished and riveted gold Arabic numerals and

hour markers with radium dots together with polished luminous Dauphine hands to see your way in the dark of the depths.

World War II dominated the 1940s, with fashion and culture temporarily repressed due to shortages and rationing. However, Hollywood produced several legendary films during this time including ‘Casablanca’, and stars such as Humphrey Bogart and Ava Gardner made their names. Swing music was popular, which gave way to Frank Sinatra towards the end of the decade.

Several noteable literary masterpieces and plays were penned during the decade, including George Orwell’s nineteen eighty-Four and Arthur Miller’s death of a Salesman.

1940

OMEGA ‘MARINE’ 1936

OMEGA ‘AUTOMATIC SEAMASTER’ 1948

1957 saw the development of the first OMEGA Speedmaster – a watch selected by NASA in 1965 to become the ‘moon watch’ for the lunar landing of 1969. Now to be seen at the OMEGA Museum this timepiece features a multitude of features, including; a hand-wound calibre 321, matt black oxidised dial, highly visible luminous hands (arrowhead hour hand), steel centre chronograph seconds with a counterweight, flat satin-brushed steel bezel with an engraved Tachymètre Base 1000 – 300-60 km/h tachymetric scale, 60-metre water-resistant stainless steel case, Plexiglas crystal and water-resistant crown to name but a few.

The 1950s were largely characterised by the clashes between communism and capitalism, but it was also a

decade of scientific discovery. In medicine, the double helix structure of DNA was discovered by Francis Crick

and James Watson, and the first successful ultrasound scan was conducted – developments which would go on to change the face of medicine forever. The world’s first nuclear plant opened in Obninsk near Moscow, and testing of nuclear weapons increased. Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to orbit the earth was launched.

Celebrity culture started to take shape with Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean as iconic film stars of the decade, and Elvis Presley attracted a huge legion of fans with his introduction of rock’n’roll music. 1950

OMEGA ‘SPEEDMASTER’ 1957

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Developed due to an advanced study of wrist anatomy, OMEGA dynamic watches are carefully designed to sit on the oval zone of the wrist. With an aerated, comfortable strap and sleek face the ‘Dynamic’ is both comfortable and legible due to contrasting coloured hands.The elliptical shape, together with a self-winding movement and 30m water resistance ensure the practicality of the watch is paired effortlessly with a stylish crown, integrated in to the case in order to keep the look as aerodynamic as its name.

The ‘Swinging Sixties’ was a decade of social revolution, and a rebellion against the conservatism of the 1950s. ‘Hippie’ culture was formed and barriers surrounding issues such as sex and race were broken. Politics became glamorous with John F Kennedy as President of the USA, while Martin Luther King made history with his famous ‘I have a dream’ speech. The Beatles had girls literally falling at their feet, and music started to have a direct influence on fashion. British fashion exploded, and London’s Carnaby Street was the epicenter of it all – Mary Quant’s mini skirt changed the face of fashion forever, while Twiggy became one of the first international supermodels. Neil Armstrong made the first landing on the moon, which was broadcast around the world.1960

With a name taken from plongeur or ‘to dive’ in French this ultra water-resistant watch is the perfect deep-sea companion. The Monocoque solid steel asymmetric case holds a screw-in crown at the 9 o’clock position allowing full wrist mobility while the watch face is made from an anti-reflective and anti-abrasive, chemically-soaked mineral crystal. Together with a flat back and

anti-slip mechanism this watch is comfortable as it is practical and with its Isofrane bracelet available in blue, red orange or yellow and luminous hands the Automatic Seamaster 600 PloProf is legible even at the depths and has been analysed by Ocean Systems Inc. in New York state to be more resistant than a submarine!

The 1970s saw the hippie revolution continue, with activism against issues such as feminism and civil rights. In politics, Richard Nixon resigned from his position as President of the USA after the Watergate scandal, while the end of the decade saw Margaret Thatcher become the UK’s first female prime minister. Fleetwood Mac, The Carpenters and Elton John were riding high in the charts, while disco music from the likes of Donna Summer and Abba dominated the last half of the decade. It was the era of iconic blockbuster films, with ‘Grease’, ‘Jaws’, ‘Superman’, ‘Star Wars Episode IV’, ‘The Exorcist’ and ‘The Godfather’ all grossly highly at the box office.1970

This popular collection, launched in 1982 combined state of the art technical aspects with pure aesthetics. Featuring a sapphire crystal glass, securely fastened by screw-in claws, set over a choice of gilt grey, or sun-brown dial the ‘Constellation Manhatten’ is the the ultimate in style. Inside polished and riveted Roman numerals are focused with tritium dots and 24-carat gold metalised hour markers. Water resistant to 30 metres and featuring a

Calibre 1431 motion with date – this is a watch that is practical as it is beautiful.

The 1980s saw great social and economic change. The most iconic image of the decade was the fall of the Berlin wall, while infamous disasters such as the Lockerbie bombing and Chernobyl shocked the world. Video gaming and computers became big business, with the invention of the Apple Macintosh and the IBM PC. A legend was born as Madonna ruled the charts and shocked the world with her liberal music and fashion, while a legend was lost with the assassination of John Lennon. The likes of Michael Jackson, Duran Duran and Prince became even bigger through the introduction of the pop video, and further musical reform came with the World Aid concert, led by Bob Geldof.

OMEGA ‘DYNAMIC WATCHES’ 1968

OMEGA ‘Ploprof’ 1970

OMEGA ‘constellation’ 1982

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Swatch Group Chairman Nicolas G.Hayek proclaimed that he wanted Omega to produce the ‘best performing and most beautiful series-produced movement in the world.’ With the Omega Co-Axial calibre, his ambition was achieved. Though originally invented by English watchmaker George Daniels in the 1970s, the Co-Axial technology was later acquired by OMEGA, whom Daniels worked with closely on the movement’s industrialization. The components of the Omega Co-Axial escapement differ considerably from those of a Swiss lever escapement: radial pulses transmit energy to the oscillator rather than the sliding movement of a Swiss lever escapement, which can create friction. The smaller contact surfaces and pushing motions significantly reduce friction in the escapement, allowing for

heightened precision.

Known as the information age, the 1990s saw the invention of the internet and rapid development of computer technology, while mobile phones became a commodity for the masses. Science also progressed at a rapid pace, and Dolly the sheep became the first mammal to be cloned. Bill Clinton was President of the United States before his famous impeachment over the Monica Lewinsky affair, while John Major was at the helm of Downing Street, before handing

over to Tony Blair. The world mourned as Princess Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris. In popular culture,

grunge music came to the fore and the Spice Girls achieved world domination, while American sitcoms such as ‘Friends’ became popular. 1990

The definitive OMEGA model of the noughties was the newly updated Seamaster Planet Ocean collection. The new models combined definitive styling with the trusted features that divers and sporting enthusiasts had come to expect from OMEGA, including water resistance up to 2000 feet. The indexes on the dials of the Planet Ocean

collection were coated with white Super-LumiNova, as were the rhodium-plated hands, allowing divers to keep track of time at a glance. Every model in the collection was updated with a revolutionary OMEGA Co-Axial movement – so reliable were the mechanisms that every timepiece was offered with a 4 year warranty.

During the noughties, globalisation excelled with the increased use of the internet. Developments in computing and wireless internet took information technology further than ever before, and Google and Facebook became social phenomenons. In science, the Human Genome Project was completed, the first human face transplant was conducted and the Large Hadron Collider was developed to recreate the first few seconds after the Big Bang. Terrorism reached an

unimaginable scale with the 2001 attack on the World Trade Centre in New york, which

sparked the Iraq ‘war on terror’, while Britain was also targeted when a series of bombs were detonated across London’s transport system in 2005. A number of devastating natural disasters

also occurred, including Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and the boxing

day tsunami in Indonesia. 2000

OMEGA ‘CO-AXIAL’ 1990

OMEGA ‘SEAMASTER PLANET OCEAN’

Originally launched in 1995, the OMEGA Ladymatic has been given a contemporary revival for 2011. The Ladymatic was one of OMEGA’s first self-winding watches to be created specially for women, and it was designed to embody the elegance and grace of its wearer. As true to that philosophy now as it was on its original launch, the new Ladymatic Collection combines groundbreaking technology with distinctive design. The 34mm cases, each crafted in 18ct red or yellow gold or stainless steel, are decorated with a unique wave pattern around the edge, and are complimented by either a polished or snow-set diamond-paved bezel. The design is completed with a bracelet either in a matching metal, or striking alligator leather.

The decade so far is proving to be a time of political reform, with uprisings in Libya and Egypt. Closer to home, the 2010 election saw the first peace-time coalition parliament since the 1930s, with Conservative leader David Cameron as Prime Minster and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg as Deputy Prime Minister. In technology, Apple’s iPad was launched and became the biggest selling technological gadget of all time. The rescue of the Chilean miners

captured the attention of the world, as did the wedding of Catherine Middleton to Prince William. In the

sporting world, the Olympic Games of 2012 and the Rugby League World Cup, due

to held in the UK in 2013, are set to bring great prosperity to

the country. 2010OMEGA ‘LADYMATIC’ 2011

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chateauofcharmWhere CAn you find beAutiful rooMS And exquiSite food toGether With A piCtureSque enGliSh Country GArden And juSt An hour froM CAlAiS? offerinG the perfeCt blend of frenCh ChArM And enGliSh hoSpitAlity – it CAn only be hotel & reStAurAnt ChâteAu de Montreuil, relAiS & ChâteAux.

ust a stone’s throw from Calais is the picturesque town of Montreuil-sur-Mer, a montage of leafy

boulevards and winding streets – and home to the beautiful hotel Château de Montreuil. Redeveloped in 1981 by chef Christian Germain and wife Lindsay the property celebrates beautiful food paired with a relaxed atmosphere and charming décor.

Set in the heart of Montreuil-sur-Mer overlooking the town the beautiful 1930’s property is favoured by all that visit.

Offering a touch of classic French style coupled with a charming English garden this elegant property is perfect for weekend breaks or a quick day-trip over the channel for a delicious lunch and some serious wine buying – especially in the bloom of spring or the height of summer. With carefully pruned grounds surrounding the hotel a peaceful stroll through the herbaceous borders or a rest in one of the many deckchairs is a delight. For those looking to fully enjoy the great outdoors, a

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swim in the outdoor pool or breakfast on the terrace is essential.

Inside the hotel, helpful staff greet guests with a warm and friendly manner and are on service to assist guests throughout their stay. With 16 rooms available in the 4-star property, each beautifully decorated with period features blending effortlessly with modern comforts, the hotel is a welcome retreat when visiting Brussels or Paris. Each room is individually decorated and offers stunning views of the front and back gardens and the town, with some looking towards the citadel.

Complete with comfortable king-size and even four-poster beds as well as carefully considered amenities, each room offers its own characteristics and style. Combined with luxurious en suites, each room is the perfect place to retire and relax as guests enjoy satellite TV and free WiFi – with rooms even offering a range of books for those looking to enjoy peace and quiet.

For guests seriously looking to get away from it all the Château’s stunning courtyard residence at the entrance of the hotel features three cottage suites each with its own

bedroom, lounge and bathroom – complete with jacuzzi bath. Guests can visit the main house to dine or enjoy tea or breakfast in the pretty terrace courtyard – surrounded by beautiful gardens they can escape from the hubbub of the outside world.

For food lovers the light and airy dining room beckons – seducing guests with crisp white tablecloths and the prospect of beautifully prepared dishes and innovative flavour combinations. Owner Christian Germain is at home in the kitchen having worked with Michelin-starred chefs the Roux Brothers and is ultimately no stranger to food connoisseurs The Michelin guide, having obtained his own Michelin star in 1984.

Today Christian still revolves his menu around fantastic flavours depending on seasonality and offers a cooking style that is both classic and modern. His Michelin star is well deserved as he creates new twists on old classics and presents his dishes in his own unique style. Food lovers are not to be disappointed as Christian and his team offer a menu that includes dishes such as warm foie gras with rhubarb, Brittany lobster with garden

herbs and passion fruit soufflé with an orange-Campari sorbet among others.

Together with freshly baked bread, romantic evening candlelight or midday sun Château de Montreuil is a haven of tranquility, with staff expertly moving around guests to make their experience as enjoyable as possible. To perfectly complement Christian’s sublime flavour combinations sommelier Jean-Luc Ama is on hand to provide the wine counterpart. Offering an extensive wine list, aperitifs and specially teas and grand cru coffee, drinks can be enjoyed outside on the terrace, at your table or in the relaxing setting of the bar with its dark woods and roaring fire.

And as guests enjoy the last of their drinks and slip off up to their rooms of soft lighting, comfortable beds and beautiful décor, they can be sure that tomorrow will be another day of relaxation.

For more information, special offers or to book, please visit www.chateaudemontreuil.com

OfferingatouchofclassicFrenchstylecoupledwithacharmingEnglishgardenthiselegant

propertyisperfectforweekendbreaksoraquickday-tripoverthechannelforadeliciouslunch

andsomeseriouswinebuying-especiallyinthebloomofspringortheheightofsummer.


t was an ambitious, if not slightly bonkers, idea: when co-founder and chief executive Tim Smit announced

his intention to build two huge Biomes in a disused china clay quarry near Cornwall’s St.Austell, the quiet seaside community waited with baited breath. From its conception in 1995 through to the £86million construction project, the Eden Project finally opened to the public on 17th March 2001 – and it did not disappoint.

Unlike the fellow lottery-funded projects that were launched to mark the millennium (Millennium Dome, anybody?) – ten years down the line, the project has been, and still is, a roaring success. It has brought a £1billion+ boost to the local economy, educated the 13 million visitors that have passed through its doors and changed the lives of local communities. In its first year, hotel bookings in the local area increased by an astonishing amount, giving a much-needed boost to

the eden projeCt WAS opened to the publiC in 2001 And, ten yeArS on, ContinueS to drAW viSitorS froM Around the World. Rebecca Ellwood looks at how the attraction continues to enrich the local community too.

Cornwall’s tourist industry, of which it is so dependent. In fact, it has made such a positive change to the lives of others that Dutch-born Smit has now been made an honorary knight for his efforts, in recognition of his services to public engagement with science.

Eden flourished from the hasty drawings on the back of three napkins, which were sketched while the designers discussed the possibilities of the project over coffee. Smit, having already discovered and restored The Lost Gardens of Heligan in St Austell, and turned it into a commercial success, had something of a Midas touch when it came to bringing horticulture to the masses. For this new venture, he had a vision of replicating a natural biome through the construction of a steel frame, covered with hexagonal plastic cells. The climate-controlled dome could then house plants from tropical locations all over the world.

Today, the Biomes – one with a rainforest climate, one with a Mediterranean climate and one open-air – house millions of plants, of around 8,000 different species and cultivars. They are so vast (the Rainforest Biome could house the Tower of London) that gardeners are required to abseil to tame the tallest plants. As visitors walk around the snaking paths that lead through the domes, exotic plants from all around the world fill the atmosphere with colour and scent. Along the way there are cocoa, coffee and rubber plantations, all implemented to show the visitor how man depends on nature for food, fuel, materials and medicine.

Educating its visitors is a cause close to the heart of the Eden Project. Since its opening, the Eden Project has been strongly supportive of the local and wider community through its education initiatives and continued work with local families, children and the homeless and

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edenCORNWALL’S GARDEN OF

For further information, please visit www.edenproject.com or contact the Eden Project on 01726 811911.

unemployed. The centre itself presents a prime opportunity to engage the younger generation with science, and this has been promoted through continued workshops for schools and colleges in the Eden Education Centre, The Core.

From storytelling sessions for children to projects for the homeless, the Eden Project has become an invaluable asset to the local community. Campaigns such as ‘Mud Between your Toes’ ran from 2008 until 2010, while the ‘Big Lunch’, ‘Growing for Life’ or ‘Great Day Out’ events have also been popular. The latest ‘Bright young Things’ campaign showcases the artwork of young people in the community.

There is a real emphasis on bringing families together at Eden – one example being the ‘Seeds, Soup and Sarnies’ initiative that was created to promote sustainability and bring communities together to build towards the future. The aim of the project is to involve around 180 families from low-income communities in learning courses, day trips and events, centered around the concept of planting, growing and cooking fresh produce. The scheme is designed to bring families together, bond communities and create something positive for all involved – and so far it’s succeeded in doing just that.

Eden has become fondly regarded in the local community by all ages, and its unique marriage of nature and entertainment has truly put Cornwall back on the map. It has

guests and additional acts supporting headliners on the main stage. Pulp was the first band to ever perform at Eden, and the line-up this year was stronger than ever before, with the likes of Primal Scream, Pendulum and Brandon Flowers taking to the stages.

In addition to live music and comedy, there is plenty going on at Eden at different times of the year, including cookery demonstrations, fruit pressing and gardening question-times, and there is truly something for everybody. If you’re thinking there won’t be enough to see and do to warrant a stay locally, think again. The Christmas period is a particular joy, with ice-skating, creative workshops to inspire visitors to make their own Christmas gifts and decorations and seasonal fare to enjoy, while the gift shop is worth a visit in itself, with unique and individual food, gardening, home and children’s gifts. The cosy restaurants and cafés dotted around the site make the most of fresh local produce, and provide the perfect pit-stops between all that walking.

With so much to enjoy, it’s definitely worth popping into Eden because, contrary to the bible story, rather than seeing a spectacular downfall, it has actually been Cornwall’s success story.

also become a bona-fide concert venue, even hosting the Live 8 ‘Africa Calling’ concert in 2005. The Eden Sessions, which started in 2002, have seen some of the biggest names in British music gracing the stages at Eden, including Jarvis Cocker, Amy Winehouse, Oasis, Muse and Lily Allen. Each Sessions event sees a full day of festival-style music, with special


Scan the code with your smartphone to view further info online now.

Follow us on:The Greenbank, Harbourside, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 2SR01326 312 440 [email protected]

centuries of tradition to contemporary style, the Greenbank hotel has it all.

Clinging to the harbourside overlooking Falmouth, our unbeatable setting, inviting rooms and welcoming staff are ready and waiting to make your break simply perfect.

From stunning vistas to elegant dining

athan Outlaw has a two Michelin star restaurant in the seaside village of Rock and is one of the most talented chefs in the UK. His love of cooking started

at the tender age of fourteen when he began cooking with his father, who is also a chef. After qualifying as a chef at Thanet College in Kent, he worked his way up through the business, working with brilliant chefs such as Gary Rhodes, Eric Chavot and Rick Stein. Nathan comments “Rick Stein was a big influence on my thoughts about food. When I worked for him I learnt a lot.”

He opened his first restaurant The Black Pig in Rock, aged just 25 in 2003 and only eight months later was awarded his first Michelin star. Nathan closed the Black Pig and opened at St Ervan Manor near Padstow and again was awarded a Michelin star, less than a year after opening the restaurant. In 2009 The good Food guide predicted that Nathan will be one of the biggest chefs in the UK in the next decade.

In 2007, he opened Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, a fine dining seafood restaurant at the St Enodoc Hotel in Rock (the hotel holds three stars Gold award by Quality in Tourism for hotel standards) which was awarded two Michelin stars in the great Britain and ireland Michelin guide 2011 and

named Best Fish Restaurant by the good Food guide in 2011. Restaurant Nathan Outlaw has again been named in the top ten of the just published good Food guide Uk 2012. The expertly chosen menu of this restaurant uses seasonally available local produce and thus frequently changes. The menu choices might include John Dory with Girolles, Pine Nuts & Red Wine Dressing and Brill with Crab & Porthilly Sauce. All Nathan’s fish is fresh from the market and sourced from small Cornish boats fishing off the South West coast certified by the Responsible Fishing Scheme.

In May 2009, Nathan opened his second restaurant, the more casual Nathan Outlaw Seafood and Grill, which is open all day and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Here you’ll find imaginative and creative menu choices such as Beetroot Cured Salmon, Horseradish Cream & Treacle Bread; Roasted Port Isaac Lobster; Spatchcock Chicken, Sweet Corn & Local Salami and luscious desserts such as Chocolate & Cherry Trifle and Blueberry Cheesecake with yoghurt Sorbet. There are also vegetarian options (on request and booked in advance) on the menu, e.g. Wild Mushroom Pearl Barley with Chargrilled Baby Leeks and Baked Duck Egg with Cornish Asparagus. At the height of the season the two very busy restaurants employ thirty

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CAROL WILSON SPEAKS TO TWO MICHELIN-STARRED CHEF AND FISH LOVER nATHAn OUTLAW ABOUT HIS FOOD, HIS INSPIRATIONS AND HIS LOVE FOR ALL THINGS CORNWALL.

AND THE SEArockBETWEEN


staff. His style of cooking is deceptively simple. “I would say it’s a modern take on seafood, not in the way of molecular gastronomy, more about appreciating simple good ingredients,” comments Nathan.

Rock has a population of around just 1,400, but thanks to Nathan, is now firmly placed high on the British culinary scene. Nathan tells me that “Rock is an amazing part of the country, with good restaurants in the area. My wife is from Padstow which is just across the water”.

As well as cooking, Nathan has also been busy with television, appearing in BBC 2’s ‘Great British Menu’, ‘Saturday Kitchen’ and Good Food Channel’s ‘Market Kitchen’. This year, he was invited to take part in Fortnum & Mason’s Culinary Carnival, where customers have the opportunity to taste dishes from several Michelin-starred chefs over a fabulous fortnight of feasting in the Gallery Restaurant – each produced their signature dishes, with the focus being on regional produce.

Nathan’s first book, Modern British Seafood Cookery will be published in April 2012 by Quadrille. “It includes thirty varieties of fish and seafood found in the UK, predominantly in the southwest” says Nathan. “It’s not a ‘cheffy’ book – it has simpler, family style dishes.”

It’s clear that Nathan is passionate about local food “I’m involved with the Cornwall Food and Drink Festival, which is an annual event and I support local festivals by doing demonstrations; they’re good fun. Also at the restaurant we do seasonal master classes, with chefs Mark Hix, Michael Caines, Paul Ainsworth and Tom Kerridge. The chef and I will do a six course menu together – a mixture of our food and theirs. Mark is doing three of his dishes and I’ll do three of mine. We’ll do a demonstration together, then a question and answer session and then serve the food with wines to match and have a chat. It’s a lovely evening with about fifty to sixty people, so it’s not too big.”

What are his ambitions and plans for the future? “I think my main ambition is to take my restaurant to three Michelin stars and the hotel to Relais & Châteaux level. The Michelin stars help to identify the quality and are a reassurance to customers.” He doesn’t plan to open more restaurants; “For me it’s about working on the two restaurants, there’s no need to become bigger. I enjoy what I do and think if it got any bigger, it might be a little bit out of control.”

For more information about Nathan Outlaw please visit www.nathan-outlaw.com

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One heart Three legends

Michael Spiers 2012

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