Capeland Shelby Cobra 1963 Limited Edition Competition watches

IMG_7740My friends, the alchemists at Baume et Mercier are at it again. Brewing up something for this fall. Its directed at all of us die-hard racing enthusiasts.  Last year, Baume & Mercier surprised and delighted us with the release of the Capeland Shelby Cobra collection. Created in partnership with Carroll Shelby Licensing Inc. in Las Vegas, the line was a complete success, so this year they are doubling down. Continue reading

White Tie, Black Tie, And Watches: Is It Ever Okay To Wear A Watch With A Tux?

Reblogged from Hodinkee WEDNESDAY MARCH 30, 2016

The trend in men’s style over the last few hundred years has been towards less and less complexity, but every once in a while, one still gets an invitation that says, “black tie.” There’s a tendency to think of the black tie dress code as something rigidly fixed, but despite that, there’s still room for sometimes very varying ideas on what, exactly, is or is not okay for a gent to don at a black tie event – and one of the subjects we’ve seen HODINKEE readers wax right wrathful over, is whether or not you should or should not wear a watch. Let’s get into this delightfully contentious subject and see whether or not, whether pro or stridently con, you’re on the right side of history and custom.

Ralph Lauren 867 Square Model, White Gold

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Something Swell at Antiquorum, The Baume Mercier Capeland Cobra

It’s no secret that I am a big fan of car themed watches. It’s also no secret that I love when teams collaborate to create something truly magnificent, and that is precisely whats going on here:

In March 2015, Baume & Mercier announced its partnership with Carroll Shelby International Inc. to create two exclusive, limited edition watches born from the DNA of Shelby’s most revered creations. Following the success of this launch, Baume & Mercier announces a second installment in its collaboration: A one-of-a-kind Capeland Shelby® Cobra timepiece that will be auctioned at Antiquorum in New York City on December 15, 2015, with all proceeds going to the Carroll Shelby Foundation.  Bids may be placed online, over the phone or in person.

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Patek Phillippe- A critical time for watchmakers- Reblog from CBS Sunday Morning

It’s about time to look at the extremes of timekeeping, including the watch on my wrist. Small in every way, except for its $25,000 price tag. Martha Teichner examines the Patek Philippe mystique:

http://www.cbsnews.com/common/video/cbsnews_video.swf

Luxury Swiss watchmaker Patek Philippe is discrete about the famous owners of its timepieces. Ostentatious, they aren’t. Expensive, they are.”We generally start about $12,000, $13,000, and we go up,” said Larry Pettinelli, president of Patek Philippe USA. “There are some very complex pieces that are over several million dollars.” Continue reading

Behind the Swell Man-Ideas by Elliot on How to be Swell

10858503_1543576439223659_7862076634773835398_nIts been a long while since I’ve made a post on How to be Swell. There have been some major changes in the swell household, and some minor ones on your favorite swell blog. I’ve got some exciting content coming up for all you swell readers, but in the meantime here is a little behind the scenes to tide you over.IMG_2067-2

11890976_10155799576100538_7578170652224433040_nI happen to be very involved and connected in the city that I live in. Recently a friend of mine, who just started this amazing podcast called Ideas by Elliot that you need to check out, invited me to do an interview. I was flattered because he is interviewing some of the movers and shakers in my small town, and somehow I became a part of that group. If you’ve wanted to hear what makes Mr. How to be Swell tick here is your chance, check it out, and while you are at it listen to the rest of his content, you won’t be disappointed.

Patek Philippe Museum-Geneva

FullSizeRender4I recently had the opportunity to do something really cool! I took a trip with one of my best friends on a whirlwind tour of all the great cities in Europe. I am sure over the course of the year I will write about most of the places that I’ve been, but I plan to start with something close to my swell readers heart. Continue reading

Something Swell from Rolex

explorerOn my recent trip to Europe I made a pilgrimage to Geneva, any good watch aficionado needs to see this at least once. The headquarters for many of the biggest brands are here, and the pulse of the entire industry can be felt. for fun I snapped some pictures at Rolex, have a peek, the visit was totally swell.

Geneva Fountain

Geneva Fountain

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Baume et Mercier Clifton Tourbillon

IMG_3567Now, I should have gotten to this much sooner, but I have had an extremely busy summer and fall, and with that How to be Swell took a bit of a back seat, sorry to leave you guys hanging. Part of what I was busy doing was hanging out in Geneva checking out some beautiful watches in their native land. I even made a stop at The Richemont group, home of Baume et Mercier. There was so much to see, and I hope this post was worth the wait. This watch I am about to tell you about certainly is, it’s the flagship of the Baume Mercier catalog. Continue reading

When And How To Tuck In Your Shirt

A friend shared this with me recently, and I thought it was the perfect article for all my swell followers as well. This was originally written by ANTONIO CENTENO for Art of Manliness, I read it on business insider. Anyway, here are a few basics for how and when to tuck, enjoy!

Why talk about something so basic?

Is there really a need to teach men something most of us have been doing since we were 5?

Well, yes, actually. Just look around. How many men do you see sporting a billowy, unkempt-looking shirt?

Or what about that guy giving a presentation who unconsciously re-tucked his shirt three times during a 5-minute talk?

Most men probably have no system for tucking in their shirts. Continue reading