Sports Savvy

Jay-Z to Become a Certified Sports Agent in Baseball, Basketball & Football

Malcolm Phipps — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:49:08 +0000

New York Yankee Second Baseman Robinson Cano w/Jay-Z

Thanks to business ventures ranging from Rocawear, Roc Nation, and his 40/40 Clubs to executive production on NBA 2K13, a highly successful memoir, and his stake and influence on the Brooklyn Nets, Jay-Z‘s reach has long extended beyond the realm of hip-hop. Now, it appears the iconic rapper and business mogul is set to make further moves into the world of sports as New York Yankess second baseman Robinson Cano has left agent Scott Boras in order to sign with CAA Sports and hire Hov as his representative. The move is the first for the Jay-Z/CAA partnership, which will eventually evolve into Roc Nation Sports as another wing under the Roc Nation umbrella.

Furthermore, ESPN’s Buster Olney has reported that Jay-Z himself is extremely interested in becoming a certified sports agent, first in baseball and, eventually, in football and basketball – a move that would force him to relinquish his minority stake in the Brooklyn Nets. Jay-Z went on to state, “Because of my love of sports, it was a natural progression to form a company where we can help top athletes in various sports the same way we have been helping artists in the music industry for years.” Cano is the latest addition to Roc Nation’s overall star-studded roster, which notably includes Rihanna, M.I.A., Timbaland, Santigold, Casey Veggies and many more. Stay tuned for further developments and sound off on the establishment of Roc Nation Sports below.

Top 10 Living Legend Watches To Own

Malcolm Phipps — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:32:41 +0000

If you look at many of the most popular watch brands, you’ll notice that their collections usually contain a few (or many) classics whose names have been around for years. Brands like Rolex don’t really release new models, but rather continue to improve on their core collection over time. Models like the Submariner and Datejust have been around for generations. Other brands also keep tradition alive by continuing to offer modern versions of designs that have proved successful for many years. To recognize and help suggest those watches which are “living legends” we’ve come up with a list of the top 10 worth owning. To be clear, to be a living legend, a watch must have historic roots and still be produced today. We know we couldn’t include them all so mention your favorites in the comments below.

1. Rolex Submariner

It was 1954 that Rolex originally released the Submariner, and the watch industry hasn’t been the same since. The Submariner was never released as a luxury product, but rather a professional diver’s watch that anyone could enjoy. It attained a cult status for being a damn good sports watch and later in the 1980s when the mechanical watch gained a more luxury status and Rolex began its long path to become the world’s most desirable luxury timepiece brand. The Submariner is their most popular model for good reason. Durable and legible, its slick style remains timeless, and most importantly – suitable for most any man (and many women) regardless of look, style, or age. It goes without saying that the perennially good design of the Rolex Submariner is alive and well today in its newest renditions featuring 40mm wide cases available in steel, two-tone, or 18k white or yellow gold. Pricey with an average price of about $8,500, but sure to be timeless and retain value. rolex.com

2. Omega Speedmaster

Regardless of price, prestige, history or technology, the Omega Speedmaster is widely considered to be the quintessential sports chronograph. You want a handsome but not showy chronograph with a great history, distinctive look, and a long enough life to offer many different versions? That’s a Speedmaster. Why? The Omega Speedmaster was good enough for NASA and one was strapped to Buzz Aldrin for his 1969 moonwalk. The Moonwatch is basically the Submariner of chronographs, there are lots of versions, plenty in the used market, they hold their value well and have evolved relatively slowly. Whether you fancy a manually wound 3570.50 or the updated co-axial automatic Speedmaster 9300, you really cannot go wrong and you’ll own a piece of horological history Priced from about $4,500 – $8,700 for steel versions..omegawatches.com

3. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak

Facing bankruptcy in the expanding wake of the quartz revolution, the Royal Oak is the watch that saved Audemars Piguet and made them the brand they are today. Knowing they needed revolution and not evolution, Audemars Piguet brought in none other than Gerald Genta to design a watch that could introduce the brand to a bigger market. Genta created the AP Royal Oak ref 5402ST which launched in 1972 with a price tag so aggressive that not only did it vastly exceed the price of any of its competition, it even out-priced most gold watches on the market. The world had no reference for a steel luxury sport watch, making the Royal Oak an all-in play by Audemars Piguet. While the Royal Oak may have been a polarizing idea from its inception, it created a new watch archetype, the luxury steel sport watch, and acceptance grew fast enough to keep Audemars Piguet in business and the distinctive Genta design is a now an integral part of their brand iconography Starting around $20,000. audemarspiguet.com

4. Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso

1931 saw the debut of the Reverso, which was one of the original partnerships between Jaeger and LeCoultre, which subsequently merged to form a singular brand. From the start the Reverso was destined to be a high-end watch being made for members of Britain’s elite society as a timepiece to be worn while playing polo in then colonial India. While the flipping case concept seems simple by today’s standards, it proved complex to initially industrialize. The rectangular case originally flipped to display a solid metal back to protect itself. The art deco styling and handsome mannerisms of the angular timepiece made it a quick hit among high-society folk especially in Europe. The middle of the 20th century saw a halt to Reverso production and it wasn’t until the 1980s that the Reverso started to come back. This was especially the case in the last 20 years. Its handsome styling is of course classic, but also timeless and inherently masculine. Jaeger-LeCoultre has also offered a dizzying array of Reverso styles and sizes to appeal to most luxury watch customers. The Reverso case and movement are made totally in-house by Jaeger-LeCoultre. Prices average around $10,000. jaeger-lecoultre.com

5. Rolex Datejust

Easily Rolex’s most fundamental watch, the Datejust has been around since 1945 when Rolex added a date feature to their Bubbleback watch. The Datejust is evidence to what Rolex believes to be most essential in a watch. Rolex is a conservative brand and the Datejust is their most practical model, offering everything you need in an everyday piece and nothing more. While a 41mm version was lunched in 2009, the Datejust was previously available only in smaller sizes including 36mm (mens), 31mm (mid size) and 26mm for the ladies. This enduring model has been worn by many famous individuals including President Dwight Eisenhower, literally countless actors, and even Tony Soprano. One of the quintessential Rolex models, the Datejust offers excellent versatility, working just as well with jeans and a t-shirt as it would with a suit and tie. Prices start around $9,000 (for the Datejust II), but the sky is the limit if you like yellow gold and pave diamonds. rolex.com

6. Tag Heuer Monaco

The Heuer Monaco was launched in 1969 as one of the first automatic chronographs in existence and one that Jack Heuer named in honor of the famous Monaco GP Formula One course. With its square case and now-famous Calibre 11 automatic movement, the Monaco was even seen on Steve McQueen’s wrist in the 1971 film Le Mans. An absolute classic in the chronograph world, the Monaco was discontinued after only a few years but the design saw a McQueen reissue in 1998 and was later relaunched by Tag Heuer in 2003. Vintage and limited edition Monacos are extremely desirable and claim a considerable fee in the used market. Whether you’re channeling Steve McQueen or Walter White, a Monaco will provide about as unique a wrist presence as can be found today From about $4,500. tagheuer.com

7. Glashutte Original Senator Navigator

In addition to diver-style watches, the most popular sport watches are pilot-style timepieces – and there are tons of them. Pilot watches are some of the original “big watches” and it is hard to pinpoint exactly who created them first. People tend to agree that many of the early ones were German and Swiss from as early as the 1920s. This particular quintessential design is sometimes referred to by the “B-uhr” name and has been reproduced by dozens of brands. Because we like them, we chose the Original Senator Navigator by Glashutte Original to represent this iconic living legend watch as there is no clear “living parent” to the design. Glashutte Original makes a few pieces in their Original Senator Navigator pilot watch collection with an average price of about $7,000 and they are very high in quality even though they are rare to be found even where Glashutte Original watches are sold. Other brands who offer this design sell them at prices from a few hundred to many thousands of dollars. glashuette-original.com

8. Breitling Navitimer

The early 1950s heralded in the era of another famous pilot watch – the Navitimer by Breitling. What made this piece famous was its combination of chronograph and slide-rule bezel. While not the first Breitling piece to offer these complications, the Navitimer was quickly adopted by military and professional pilots as a useful tool because in addition to telling time, it was able to offer a range of necessary inflight calculations. This was thanks to the slide-rule and chronograph combo. When cockpits went digital, the utility of the Navitimer subsided, but today many pilots are still trained using traditional analog calculation systems as a backup if electronics fail. The Breitling Navitimer is much more than a tool having attained the status as a high-end tool watch for the discriminating and intelligent active guy. Today, Breitling offers version of the Navitimer with their own in-house movements and it remains one of the brand’s top sellers. Price is about $9,000. breitling.com

9. Cartier Santos

The Cartier Santos is a surprisingly enduring design that is actually quite closely linked with the birth of manned flight. Alberto Santos-Dumont was the first man to achieve sustained flight in a fixed wing aircraft circa 1906. Dumont was close friends with a French jeweler named Louis Cartier and had shared with him the difficulty he experienced when trying to check his pocket watch while flying. Cartier set about to design a wrist-mounted watch that would allow Dumont to view the time without removing a hand from the flight controls. In helping Dumont with a practical problem, Cartier created the first pilot’s watch and likely kick-started the trend of men wearing watches on their wrists, which was generally only done by women at the time. The original Santos design lives on today as the Santos 100 in which the distinctive square-style case and roman numeral dial have been updated to a modern 51 x 41.3 mm size. The Santos has endured because of both its origins and its functional sporting design which looks great despite being over 100 years old. Starting from about $6,700.cartier.com

10. IWC Portuguese

The story of the IWC Portuguese collection starts with its name. According to IWC, a group of Portuguese ship merchants traveled to their manufacture in Switzerland in the 1930s asking for a legible and highly precise watch able to be worn while onboard a ship. At the time it was necessary to have precise marine chronometer clocks while at sea because there was no way for the ship to update its clocks while far from land. The men from Portugal wanted precise wrist watches as opposed to having to rely on stationary clocks. While it is unknown how precise these original clocks ended up being, what is known is that the watches to come out of the relationship proved very popular. Their design is based on ship instrumentation and marine clocks, and they remain extremely popular sellers for IWC today. The Portuguese comes in a range of styles but each has that large-size dial look with applied Arabic numerals and properly proportioned hands. To many, it is watch design perfection, and by all accordingly a living legend. Average price is about $10,000. iwc.com

Notable Top 10 Living Legend Watch runner-ups: Breguet Classique, Bell & Ross BR 01, Junghans Max Bill, Patek Philippe 5270, Hublot Big Bang, and Movado Museum Dial.

source: ablogtoread.com

Tiger Roars Back to the No. 1 Ranking

Malcolm Phipps — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 17:47:22 +0000

Missing a long — and we do mean long — putt on the 18th green might have made Tiger Woods wince and curse in the past.

But on Monday, as he finished up his victory in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, this Tiger Woods just smiled and jokingly bit his putter after a 73-foot attempt just barely missed the cup. Who is this new guy? The simple answer is that this Tiger Woods had just won for the third time in 2013, putting him back atop the world rankings for the first time in 29 months and moving him within five wins of tying Sam Snead’s PGA Tour record of 82.

But there are other contributing factors, too. Woods wasn’t going to say that it has anything to do with being in a relationship with skier Lindsey Vonn, but he sounded happy when he spoke of taking a few days off and getting away.

He would, however, talk about his golf game. He has droned on so about reworking his game and recovering from injuries that it was easy to tune out the talk about his process. “You’ve got to be able to do it at home first, that’s where it all starts,” he said. “Then it feeds into coming out here and doing it on a Thursday, Friday and maybe a Saturday afternoon and then ultimately down the stretch on Sunday.

“Then, you’ve got to do it at a major championship. That process has been evolving and you can see the steppingstones. You can see it throughout my career when I’ve made changes . . . the incremental progress that I’ve made. Then eventually I get to a point where I start winning golf tournaments.”

He’s won six of them over the last 53 weeks and believes in himself and in his game. Now healthy, he’s winning — and winning decisively, just the way he used to.

“I know I can play this game at a high level,” he said. “I know I can be where I’m contending in every event, contending in major championships and being consistent day-in and day-out . . . if I got healthy.”

He heads into the Masters, which begins April 11, as the favorite to win his fifth green jacket. For a change, people are talking about his chase to catch Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major championships. They’re speaking respectfully of his game again; less often is he a punchline anymore. Woods knows full well that he has been stuck on 14 since the 2008 U.S. Open. He also knows that he measures his career by wins in majors.

“I still think he’ll break my record,” Nicklaus said at the Honda Classic in early March. “Tiger’s talent, at 37 … it’s not that old. I won four after that. They were spread out. It wasn’t that difficult. I don’t think for Tiger to get four or five more – or six or seven – is that big a stretch.”

source: Washington Post

Game Changer: Carlyne Cerf Dudzeele

Malcolm Phipps — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 11:15:12 +0000

Carlyne Cerf De Dudzeele is one of the fashion industry’s legendary stylists. She’s the one responsible for Anna Wintour’s now iconic first Vogue cover, where she did the unthinkable by putting model Michaela Bercu in an embellished Christian LaCroix couture top and Guess jeans–the original high/low. And with her penchant for styling models with watches and bracelets stacked up their arms, you might say she’s the inventor of the “arm party.” Her flashy style helped create the look of the late ’80s and early ’90s, but when minimalism and grunge started to dominate the fashion scene, De Dudzeele’s style fell out of favor.

But now, at 63 Her style inspired Eddie Borgo’s spring collection and she styled Jeremy Scott’s latest show. You probably saw her or read about her in this year’s most talked about fashion documentary, HBO’s In Vogue: The Editor’s Eye, where De Dudzeele emerged, unquestionably, as the star, on account of her boundless energy and emphatic way of speaking.

We caught up with De Dudzeele after a show in Paris. We asked her to weigh in about sticking it out in the fashion industry and for her thoughts on the never ending fashion circus debate.

Anna Wintour’s first Vogue cover, styled by De Dudzeele

Fashionista: I know you’ve been styling a bit more–I saw you did Jeremy Scott’s show in New York. What else are you working on right now?
Carlyne Cerf De Dudzeele: I’m working on a lot of projects. I worked a lot for VMagazine, I do Italian Vogue with Steven [Meisel], with Mario [Testino] I have a lot of fun. And a lot with Inez and Vinoodh, I do advertising with them. Love.

I’m in love with your outfit today [she was wearing a leopard print Prada coat, a Chanel cross body bag, track pants and Uggs]. A lot of people are afraid of Uggs, so what do you think about them?
About what?

Your footwear! Some people poo-poo it.
I don’t care! I love these things. Nothing for me is démodé in the world. I do my own thing, I don’t care what people think. My Chanel bag that I got 20 years ago is never démodé. It’s just how to put things together. People have to try to think that trendy is chic, mais c’est pas vrai. It’s not true. It’s because they don’t have personal style. As soon as you know how to put yourself together, it’s perfect.

So what do you think now about the people outside the shows who try to get photographed?
Ridiculous. Because I remember, you know, Bill Cunningham, who was the first one, you never knew he was taking pictures of you. He was around you, but you never see him. But now it’s ridiculous. It’s all these people and they ask you to stop and pose. I mean, it should not be like this. The street–me, I love the real street, and this is not what I call the real street. They all dress to be photographed and I don’t think this is real.

So it’s gotten contrived, right?
It’s fake! Like a lot of things today.

What is real today?
Real is to have taste, to LOVE fashion, to know what to do, and not because you have the bag of this one or this one, or this coat of the season. I say what is démodé is to wear the thing of the season, it doesn’t work. It doesn’t work, and then they LOVE to be all the same, and they love to be recognized that they have, you know, the name.

I’m wearing Prada from years ago, and it’s still divine, still perfection. Nothing is démodé for me, nothing, nothing, NOTHING!

Linda Evangelista styled by De Dudzeele for Italian Vogue

What do you make of the attention you got after the Vogue documentary? I think you emerged as the star!
Yeah it’s fun! Because you know, I am myself. I ADORE what I do, I’m passionate and I have this inside. Nothing is fake, I just do things like I do it. Because I LOVE! You ask me now to work, I put everything together, bop bop bop bop bop. I am not someone who is infringed by trends, I HATE trends, hate, hate.

So what is the key to success in fashion?
Because I have this inside, I repeat! You need to be BORN with all this. It’s nothing you can LEARN. I see them all doing efforts to have a look, it doesn’t work! La simplicité, la chic, and money doesn’t do chic. You know? Money doesn’t do chic.

I always have mixed everything. I have never never never taken a real runway look number 5 and put it on the girl, you know, an assistant can do it. I always mix. And see, I love the street, I love the street, I love to see women in the street.

source: Fashionista

Super Wanderism Collection

Malcolm Phipps — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:15:43 +0000

Always mixing it up with bright colorways and unique frame treatments, Super announces the Wanderism collection for Spring ’13. The bold collection features everything from leather accents, crystal matte frames, and beautiful havana tortoises. Super

United Arrows for Monocle Weekend Bag

Malcolm Phipps — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:00:17 +0000

United Arrows whips up a Weekend Bag for Monocle and you bet its not just any bag. The leather-like exterior isn’t leather at all, the bag is made from Stamskin, a sturdy material that’s water-resistant, easy to clean, and is even flame-retardant. $896, Monocle

3D Printed Snowboard

Malcolm Phipps — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 22:04:16 +0000

As part of their Every Third Thursday web series, the guys at Signal Snowboards have come up with some creative snowboard concepts in the past, including one made of glass and another embedded with a working iPad. For their latest project, the Signal crew teamed up with GROWit to create the world’s first 3D printed snowboard. The size limitations of the Connex500 printer meant the board had to be printed in parts that fit like puzzle pieces, and reinforced with metal strips for rigidity. Following the board’s completion, the guys put it through its paces in pristine Colorado powder.

Maison Martin Margiela x CASIO

Malcolm Phipps — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 22:00:10 +0000

After weeks of speculations and rumors, the long suspected collaborative timepiece between Casio G-Shock and fashion house MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA finally surfaced. Based on Casio G-Shock GA-300 model, the exclusive edition features a silver-grey minimalist casing, akin to MARGIELA’s overall design sensibility. The same visual theme extends to the analog and digital dial face, where a polarized LCD display in tonal grey provides a striking luminescent effect. A part of Casio G-Shock 30th Anniversary Celebration, about 3,000 units will be available though actual release date is still unconfirmed.

Nike Pays Tribute To A 100 Years Of Soccer

Malcolm Phipps — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 21:50:33 +0000

Nike is celebrating 100 years of US soccer with a collection inspired by the centennial Us Soccer kit, featuring casual pieces that take inspiration from classic Americana workwear for a classic but contemporary look. A standout from the range is the USA Best Jacket, built with an obsidian canvas shell filled with lightweight poly for warmth and lined with comfortable cotton twill. Ribbed detailing at the shawl collar and cuffs finishes the look. The USA Best Crew is another highlight, a French terry crewneck featuring raglan sleeves and a laser-cut rip-stop pouch pocket equipped with a bonded zipper. Screen printing on the front denotes US Soccer’s birth year. Including tees and a range of accessories, the collection is available in stores and online now.

Kobe Bryant x Hublot King Power “Black Mamba” Chronograph Watch

Malcolm Phipps — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 04:38:18 +0000

In a stars-studded event high above West Hollywood, HUBLOT announced basketball legend Los Angeles Lakers‘ Kobe Bryant to be its newest brand ambassador. With the announcement, Bryant will be among a rare company of athletes, which includes World’s Fastest Man and Olympic Gold Medalist Usain Bolt, Soccer God Diego Maradona, and fellow NBA Champ Dwayne Wade of Miami Heat. To commemorate this new partnership, HUBLOT’s CEO, Ricardo Guadalupe, was on-hand to unveil Bryant’s signature timepiece, the Kobe Bryant x HUBLOT King Power Black Mamba Chronograph Watch.

Each numbered and features Bryant’s signature in gold on the sapphire crystal case-back, the Kobe Bryant x HUBLOT King Power Black Mamba includes the HUB 4248 Self-Winding Mechanical Chronograph Movement within a 48 mm black ceramic case. Titanium and resin composites add to the watch’s durability against the elements as well as accentuate its design. A dial face in 4 zones of black and gold, with indexes in gold, black Superluminova and finished with a Snake appliqué completes the watch’s premium appearance. Comes with a python snake strap sewed on black rubber and a buckle clasp also in titanium/ceramic composite, the Kobe Bryant x HUBLOT King Power Black Mamba will be limited to only 250 pieces worldwide.