Editor’s Picks: Hasselblad Camera, Cocktail Stirrer and 007 Aston Martin
From a 25-Year-Old Single Malt from the Secret Speyside collection to a face mask from Turnbull & Asser, this is what we want this week…
Words: Jonathan Wells
Well didn’t everyone decide to have a cool week? Over the past seven days, we’ve hardly been able to move for painfully sleek, impossibly chic new product launches. There’s been more black, more chrome and more effortless elegance than we almost knew what to do with.
So thank goodness for Editor’s Picks. This week, our round-up has become a repository for cool creations and contrivances; products ranging from a 007 Edition Aston Martin and retro-style Hasselblad camera to a flying prototype personal vehicle and sterling silver cocktail stirrer. Take a look below…
Wheel around: AER 557 Electric Scooter
In London, where Gentleman’s Journal HQ can be found, we had some very exciting news last month. E-scooters — those handy, zippy two-wheeled runabouts we all hire on city breaks — were made legal on our roads. Hurrah! But which to buy? We’ll tell you. Designed in Britain, and featuring 20-inch tyres and an aluminium frame, there are few options better than the four-speed, GPS-enabled AER 557.
The Living Daylights: Aston Martin Vantage 007 Edition
Timothy Dalton got a bad rap as Bond. There was plenty about his two-film tenure to be celebrated — not least of all his choice in car. The Aston Martin V8 from 1987’s The Living Daylights is so iconic that it’s back in this year’s No Time To Die. But that’s not all. Aston itself has just launched a celebratory custom 2020 Vantage — featuring a bespoke mesh grille, yellow rear diffuser and crosshairs on the paddle shifters.
Wild card: Lacoste Roland-Garros Sunglasses
As it stands, the French Open is going ahead. And we couldn’t be happier. Roland-Garros is second only to Wimbledon when it comes to displays of sporting fashion — and iconic Gallic fashion house Lacoste has been a partner of the tournament since 1971. This year, it’s serving up style with a new range of sunglasses. Dressed in matte blue — an official colour of Roland-Garros — we love these round, unisex frames.
Face it: Turnbull & Asser The Commuter Mask
‘Where did you get your mask?’ It’s a question ringing — or rather being spoken, muffled — across the country as we admire each other’s bold, bright face coverings. We’ve been erring on the understated side — and our latest go-to mask comes from heritage shirtmaker Turnbull & Asser. Crafted from Italian cotton, this adjustable offering battles bacteria using VIROFORMULA poplin filters. What’s more, £5 from every sale goes to the NHS.
The secret’s out: Caperdonich 25-Year-Old Peated
There’s something magical about the Caperdonich 25-Year-Old Peated. And that’s not just because it’s the last release from a now ‘vanished’ distillery. Or the fact that it may be the most mysterious, rich Single Malt in Pernod Ricard UK’s new Secret Speyside Collection. No, the magic comes down to the taste; smoky and fruity, with rich notes of peat smoke balanced by green apple and sweet pear, bonfire aromas and a hint of salt – resulting in a long and smooth finish.
Lift off: VRCO NeoXCraft
Looks like the stuff of science fiction, doesn’t it? And it very well could be. But the VRCO NeoXCraft — a vectored thrust high-speed vehicle that will fly, drive on land, and can land and take off on water — has been in development since 2016, and is close to completion. It is fully electric, boasts a cruising speed of 210 mph and has a suite of sensors to assist pilots on their merry, futuristic way. Will you be strapping in?
Under the hood: Asket ‘The Hoodie’
The hoodie isn’t what it used to be. It’s better. Free from the adolescent associations of rowdy teenagers, the humble hooded sweater has become a key layering piece in many a modern man’s wardrobe. So it pays to zip up the best. In this case, that’d be Asket’s 100% organic cotton offering — compete with generously sized double-lined hood, hidden side pockets and a two-way zip.
Close-up ready: Hasselblad 907X 50C
We could go on about the technical greatness of Hasselblad’s latest. We could tell you about its brilliant 50-megapixel CMOS medium format sensor, huge dynamic range of 14 stops and Natural Colour Solution technology. But, when it looks this good, do you even care? Surely that retro design, with a leatherette cover and the same chrome edges as original V System film magazines, is all the persuasion you need to buy one…
Stirred, not shaken: Patrick Mavros Stingray Cocktail Stirrer
You can always trust Patrick Mavros to bring a little flair to after-dinner drinks. And the centrepiece of the family brand’s latest collection — a range designed on the tropical island of Mauritius and inspired by the intriguing creatures of the Indian Ocean — is a series of cocktail accessories. Our favourite? This ‘sterling silver stingray stirrer’. Try saying that after a couple of cocktails…
Want more of the best gear money can buy? Check out last week’s Editor’s Picks…
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Further reading
Editor’s Picks: Grand Seiko watch, Crockett & Jones shoes, Littlemill whisky and My Style Bags watch case
A bigger splash: The best RIB brands on the market
