Editor’s Picks: Motorcycle helmet, Breitling Thunderball watch and Table Tennis desk
From a limited edition bottle of Cointreau perfect for your home bar to a drinks trolley to create said home bar, this is what we want this week…
We don’t know about you, but we’re starting to settle into this working-from-home lark. We’ve got our morning coffee routine mapped out, our daily lunchtime jog pencilled in and have, so far, abstained from flicking on Homes Under the Hammer. But that’s not to say we can’t refine our routine further.
For this week’s Editor’s Picks, we’ve found some choice items that will help streamline your working day; from a nifty watch to keep track of time and a workstation with hidden talents, to a speaker to keep the tunes playing loud and a bar trolley for that all-important end-of-day drink. Enjoy!
Shake things up: Cointreau Limited Edition Vincent Darré
Let’s kick things off with a drink, because good God don’t we all need one? Thankfully, this limited edition bottle of Cointreau, with a label designed by Surrealism and Dadaism-inspired French artist Vincent Darré, can be used to create some of the smoothest cocktails we know how to shake — from the Cuban Sidecar to the Man O’War. Plus, it’s such a handsome looking thing that it’ll still deserve pride of place on your home bar long after it runs dry.
Ace-point: Alexandra Llewellyn Zodiac Backgammon Board
If you’ve always wanted to learn how to play backgammon, what better time is there than a lockdown? We’d recommend going for one of British boardmaker Alexandra Llewyllyn’s blue leather, satin wood and mother of pearl Zodiac boards. But, as this round bespoke board takes up to four months to craft-to-order, the brand are offering free, exclusive print-at-home boards so you can hone your skills in the meantime.
It strikes like Thunderball: Breitling Top Time Limited Edition
Now this is big news. The original Breitling Top Time — released by the Swiss brand during the swinging sixties as a way to bring chronographs to ‘young, cool people’ — was not only a Bond watch, but the first Bond watch that Q got his hands on. That’s right. In Thunderball, Connery’s Bond made use of a Geiger counter hidden behind that monochromatic ‘Zorro’ dial. Half a century later, and there are 2,000 more hitting the market.
Chin-chin: Soho Home Brass Drinks Trolley
If you haven’t yet entered our bar bundle competition — and you really should, you’ll have the coolest self-isolation speakeasy in town — we’ve found another ideal addition to your home bar set-up. From Soho Home, this classic antiqued brass drinks trolley has two glass shelves, four working wheels and endless roaring twenties allure. Make mine a Boulevardier, Gatsby.
Your serve: RS Barcelona Black Walnut Ping-Pong Table and Desk
Oh yes, you read that correctly. Ping-pong table and desk. It really is the perfect versatile solution for you budding sportsmen out there currently yearning for the courts, pitches and fields where you usually play. Adopt a more at-home sport, and buy yourself a workstation that doubles up as your equipment. Simple. The fact that RS Barcelona’s table is crafted from Iroko wood and black walnut, and looks just unreasonably good as a result, is simply a bonus.
Call sign: Omega Pilot Style Sunglasses
Spring has sprung from winter, and our sunglasses have sprung from their cases. But, if you’re on the hunt for a new pair to unfold this year (we know we’ve been giving it a lot of thought) then Omega have both you and your eyes oh-so stylishly covered. These pilot style frames, in a pale gold colour, feature ‘dark havana’ tortoiseshell inserts — and a pair of gradient green Barbieri lenses to round out the cool.
Power forward: Unseen Footwear Clement Sneaker
The Clement design from Unseen Footwear is something of a sporting callback. Drawing its simple silhouette from traditional basketball shoes, it is clean, minimal and unbranded with a subtle logo embossment on the tongue. With an extra pair of contrasting laces included, we can’t think of a more subtle, yet versatile shoe to slip on for your once-a-day walks.
Turn it up: Vifa Copenhagen 2.0 Speaker
It can be oddly quiet working from home. You don’t have the usual playlists playing, there’s no industrial printer whirring over by the water cooler and Geoffrey from accounts isn’t perching on your desk for a chat every two minutes. But we all need a bit of background noise, and Vifa’s award-winning speaker is just the ticket for these troubling times. Turn it on, turn up the tunes and work your way through the day.
The open road: Hedon Epicurist Motorcycle Helmet
Has anyone else been spending their weekends with maps spread out across the kitchen table, fastidiously planning their first post-pandemic roadtrip? We know we have. And we’re not just going to adventure in earnest when the lockdown has lifted — we’re also going to do so in style. The Epicurist helmet from Hedon is crafted from carbon-reinforced fiberglass, has a premium calf leather trim and itching to hit the open road.
Want more of the best gear money can buy? Check out last week’s Editor’s Picks…
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