TGT for DRIVEN | 1968 Porsche 911
Shaped by the brilliant mind of Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, the iconic first generation 911 would come to define the Porsche marque more so than anything to date. The Classic Car Club of Manhattan invited us to immerse ourselves in the car that started it all. Spending a day in upstate New York at the Orvis Sandanona grounds for a day of sporting clays and cars, we absorbed the intoxicating vapors of performance and made realizations that only the CCCM can afford you. For more on the “Steve McQueen” Porsche 911, head on over to UrbanDaddy’s DRIVEN.
Doing It Right | The Redford Shuffle
We don’t often break protocol and bring you a Doing It Right midweek, but when we do it’s because of a moment like this.
Rockin’ Aviators better than General McArthur are few and far between, but Mr. Redford here does it like he penned the book himself. While exiting his chauffeured Buick Electra outside Mary Lasker’s in New York, a fantastic sartorial moment was caught on film. Channeling every bit of “The 3 Days of the Condor” a full year before its production, truly says a lot about the pictured gent.
Study up, most things done right have already been done before.
Watching | Nadal’s Richard Mille RM027 Tourbillion
The other day, TGT was afforded the opportunity to spend personal time with one very special watch. Capable of making most watch enthusiast’s and amateur’s chest tickers skip a beat, the Richard Mille RM027 Tourbillion confounds when in the palm of your hand. That’s because the RM027 defies the loosely held horological axiom of good watchmaking – heavy is good. The RM027 is anything but heavy. As a matter of a fact, its only 13 grams – and provokes a childlike reaction of laughter.
One of fifty in existence, it was showcased in the watchmaking world upon the wrist of Raphael Nadal during his storming of the 2010 Wimbledon tournament. This particular timepiece on our wrist, was Nadal’s personal watch worn when he won Wimbledon. Still visible along the lug profiles is the wear and grime from what was a heated tournament. Also, in case we forgot, did we mention that it is a Tourbillion?
The watch was auctioned off by Antiquorom in Monaco to benefit Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, and fetched a whopping $510,000 dollars. A bargain for a truly unique watch, considering it retailed for more and this particular one belonged to a historic tennis icon.
As for ourselves, we can’t afford to be seen with a watch that floats in our bathtub – because, that just sounds silly. (more…)
TGT for DRIVEN | Le Mans at Lime Rock Park
A few weeks ago, TGT was dispatched by UrbanDaddy’s DRIVEN to join the American Le Mans at the North Eastern home of racing, Lime Rock Park. There we spent a day with Lime Rock Driver’s Club Director, Simon Kirkby, to discuss vintage Le Mans cars and the pecularities of the track experienced behind the dashboard of a nimble BMW M3 courtesy of LRP. Secluded in the sprawling hills of Northern Connecticut, Lime Rock park functions as home of the Skip Barber Racing school and gentleman driver adrenaline-junkie’s. Head on over to UrbanDaddy’s DRIVEN for the full story.
TGT for DRIVEN | Porsche at The Monticello Motor Club
Va-Va-Vroom. Last Friday, TGT was invited to the ultra private Monticello Motor Club on behalf of UrbanDaddy’s DRIVEN to spend a day with Porsche. Enlisted to take to the road with their supercars and give our stylistic impressions on the day and the performance of the Stuttgart-bred machines, we attended with swagger characteristic of the gentleman motorist. A quick helicopter ride to upstate New York out of downtown Manhattan and we would soon be on the ground with some of the fastest land based creations for miles around. For the full article head on over to UrbanDaddy’s DRIVEN.
For more pictures of the experience, see the flickr album. (more…)
Weathered | RRL Straight Leg Raw Denim (Part 2)
The second installment of our denim journey by the hand of RRL Raw denim is at hand. Today we feature the same previously photographed jeans, however after 6 months of continuous wear. Crotch blow out imminent. Given that we plan on wearing these RRLs till they start falling off, we enlisted the support of NY based Denim Therapy for their reinforcement and rehabilitation. In the third installment of our denim journey, we will take a look at the work behind Denim Therapy that has brought its name into the public conscious, at least among individuals who invest serious coin in their jeans. More to come.
The Grinding Stone | R.W. Loveless Custom Drop-Point Knife
With a name like R.W. Loveless Knifemakers, how could one not assume they were dealing with a man that pioneered the days of rough and tough knife toting. Among the many knife makers out there that produce disposable and dulling blades, one stands out among the masses – and for lack of a better phrase, has kept its edge. The knives are part art, heirloom and tool – a partner to be held dear and outlive you, only to become a partner to those that follow.
Robert W. Loveless was an Ohio native that was widely regarded as one of the most innovative master knife makers to date. Even though he passed in September of 2010, his creations and art survive and still lasts under the home of R.W. Loveless knives. As a young man, Loveless would join the Merchant Marines during WWII, and become greatly inspired by the knife fights he would watch in foreign ports. In 1953, when Loveless looked to acquire a Walter Doane Randall knife in NYC and learned of the difficulty to obtain one, he set out to make his own. Forged from the hardened steel of a 1937 Packard coupe, Loveless would make his first knife. And it certainly wouldn’t be his last. While his first knife for Abercrombie & Fitch sold for $17, he would find himself producing such a highly sought after product, that his knives would command the coin that most high end watches would.
Doing It Right | Fisticuffs
Jack Dempsey didn’t believe in magic, and neither should you – Tonight, come out swinging. Literalism’s aside, you know what I mean. Make it happen, and dress the part.
Above : Jack Dempsey takes a swing at Harry Houdini at a publicity event with Benny Leonard, while American troops look on (Circa ~1925).
Weathered | The Bausch & Lomb Ray Ban Aviators
In 1937, Bausch & Lomb was the first manufacturer to be commissioned to create the aviator style sunglasses. Faced with the need to better equip pilot’s of the modern day against the prolonged exposure of the intense blue and white hues of the sky, Bausch and Lomb was asked to create protective eye-wear for the pilot’s eyes. They had the task of creating a lightweight pair of sunglasses that conformed to the contours of the wearer’s eye sockets, while allowing minimal light to enter during prolonged flight.
Starting out as a medical equipment manufacturer based in Rochester, New York, Bausch & Lomb would soon become the world renown makers of these iconic symbols of aviation and style. After 62 years, the creator of the Ray Ban Aviator G-15 Sunglasses found itself in a position of dwindling sales as the markets tastes shifted to prefer more modern sunglasses. In 1999, Bausch & Lomb was forced to sell Ray Ban to Italian sunglass giant Luxottica.
The Rite | Wolverine Boot Conditioning
It’s an inevitable fact that all leather will eventually dry up and crack. When we put good money into our leather accouterments, it is our responsibility to extend its usefulness in our lifetime. Enter Montana Leather Dressing. This is a unique blend by Montana, made up of pine sap, bees wax and mink oil. If you are looking to weather seal and recondition your leather, there is simply no better way to do it.
NYC Idling | Undercity
Find out about the city you tread over. Filmmaker Andrew Wonder and Steve Duncan take you to the underworld of Manhattan, wandering the long forgotten subway stops and breathes new life into them. His mini documentary is making quite the buzz, be sure to check it out after the jump.
Here we have yet another exemplary product of the possibilities afforded by todays DSLRs. Enjoy.
The Gentleman's Topcoat 
