BL-24 - Flipbook - Page 156
TRIVIAL PERSUITS
The calibre of the Christiaan Van Klaauw, Grand Planetarium
INDEPENDENT
WATCHMAKING,
THE BOISDALE WAY
Alon Ben Joseph is an independent
watch journalist and co-founder of
leading watch podcast “The Real
Time Show”.
sprezzatura, that studied nonchalance,
the art of making the dif昀椀cult look
effortless. That, in essence, is
what Ranald and his exceptional
team deliver daily in the world of
hospitality. Calling it “casual luxury”
would be a disservice. It’s art. It’s
masterful.
The reason I became a Boisdale
Club member is simple: it was
love at 昀椀rst sight. The moment I
stepped into Boisdale Belgravia, I
felt as though I’d come home. Both
Boisdale establishments are a living
embodiment of their founder, Ranald
Macdonald: unique, full of character,
eclectic, soulful, and positively
dripping with quality. For those who
appreciate sartorial elegance, you’ll
be familiar with the Italian term
Over a spontaneous and thoroughly
enjoyable lunch at Boisdale of
Belgravia with Ranald, he asked me a
question that stopped me mid-sip of a
glorious Château La Mission HautBrion 2006: “Who are the true artists
of the watchmaking world, those who
still craft their own movements?”
The red wine, rich with blackcurrant,
tobacco, cedar and earthy truf昀氀e,
remained untouched as I launched
into an impassioned oration.
By Alon Ben Joseph
156
BOISDALELIFE.COM
ISSUE 24
Alon Ben Joseph
Naturally, I began with the British
Grand Masters: Roger W. Smith,
heir to the late George Daniels on
the Isle of Man; Charles Frodsham &
Co., arguably the 昀椀nest watchmaker
in the UK; Struthers Watchmakers,
a husband-and-wife duo reviving
British haute horlogerie; and Garrick
Watchmakers, known for their
bespoke craftsmanship.
From there, we journeyed swiftly to
Switzerland, home to the classicists:
Greubel Forsey, Ferdinand Berthoud,
Philippe Dufour, Kari Voutilainen,
Rexhep Rexhepi, F.P. Journe, and
Petermann Bédat, all of whom
produce watches entirely in-house.
Though not fully in-house, I must
tip my hat to the avant-garde
visionaries who have reimagined
