British Boxers Underwear, Sleepwear and a Massive Discount for Readers!

It's been too long since I first reported on what was then a new and small British underwear business, British Boxers. It has now, through sheer hard work by founder Deborah Price, become a successful British business. Making boxer shorts, stretch trunks (of which I'm a great fan) and sleepwear (there are products for both men and women - I wear the stripy pyjamas) here in the UK and in Europe, it now supplies Harrods, many independent stores and exports abroad.

See below for the generous discount offered to Grey Fox Blog readers.

Needless to say, the products are beautifully made and much thought has obviously gone into their design.

Deborah Price brought me up to date:

"We make the traditional boxer shorts, socks and polo shirts in the UK. All the packaging is made here too, Our labels and trims are made here including our waistband on the trunks. We do whatever we can here whilst maintaining quality and production capacity.

Everything else is made in small production runs in Europe and I'm really proud to shout about that now too. We don't manufacture in the Far East and everyone who makes our stuff is highly skilled and well paid. It's really important. We'll build up British production gradually and slowly but it takes time, investment and education. What I'm really passionate about is building a viable ethical business which creates British jobs".

I'm grateful to British Boxers for offering a generous discount to blog readers. Use the code GREYFOX25 to get 25% off at british-boxers.com

This feature is unsponsored. I was sent some shorts for review.

Books: Chasing Time: Vintage Wristwatches by Alistair Gibbons

Alistair Gibbons is a longterm wristwatch collector. I recall coming across him some years ago when he curated a watch forum online and sold some mouthwatering timepieces. He's used his wide experience to place on record in this book, Chasing Time, some of the many watches he collected in the early 2000s. This was a time when watch collecting took off in a big way and there were some truly magnificent watches to be found. 

I recently had the chance to ask him about the book and his watch collecting career:

GF: Alistair you've recently published Chasing Time which contains images and descriptions of some mouthwatering vintage watches. How did you come to write this?

AG: Well I have always collected watches - always liked them. I was a visual effects editor working in London when the internet came online for businesses like mine who had early broadband. I became a member of several forums; On The Dash as a Heuer collector and Equation of Time Dive Forum. At the time these were the most comfortable places for me - great people sharing historic information about these old watches and having a lot of fun at the same time. 

I decided to set up a small website to sell watches I bought to fund a collection of watches I was interested in (this is maybe 2001) it became well known. I had good watchmakers making sure all of my watches were sold and guaranteed. Within a short time I could not load my watches fast enough. I developed racing straps for the Heuers which at the time were not available and military style straps for the more robust dive watches. 

The book is made from each file of each watch I serviced, researched, photographed and loaded for sale on my site. The book is basically a history of interesting chronographs, dive watches and military watches with good historical information, technical information and photographs that can be used as a guide for watch enthusiasts. In fact I am already being told the book is being used by dealers to compare to watches for sale as all of the watches are correct and have not been messed around with.

GF: I wanted to ask which are you favourite three watches - are they in the book?

AG: Yes they are although only 3 is tough can I make it 4 ? The Rolex Submariner 5508, the black IDF (Israeli Defence Force) Heuer Autavia, The Rolex GMT Master 1675 and the Wakmann Triple date. I know there are lots of very famous watches in there but remember when these watches were bought by me to restore they were not famous or well known. I like watches for the movements, their look and their history, not because they are an investment. I know I have included two obvious Rolexes, but those two in particular meant a lot to me.

GF: When we spoke recently we talked about why we like vintage watches. I see them as stylish and often beautiful objects which add to a person's style and personality. How do you see watches?

AG: Pretty much the same. I am not ‘an obsessive’ about watches. I have loved a watch even if it has had its hands changed in service or not on the correct bracelet etc Vintage watches are at a price level that the ordinary models of yesteryear are becoming beyond the wallet of your standard collector and I suppose I am partly to blame for that, so that is why I produced the book. 

It is more of a sales catalogue really, as all of the watch profiles are informative and full of points I think are relevant - as was my style when selling them online. It is probably fairly unique in that way. Like ’The Diary of a Watch Dealer’ kind of thing. I didn’t sell just the most expensive to get the best return, but the watches that made me happy and hopefully my customers too. 

Brands like Wakmann, LeJour, Yema, were hardly known and now are as collectable as old Breitlings, Heuers or Rolexes: all of these brands are in the book and include early divers worn by Jacque Cousteau's Dive team from Aquastar and Jenny.

Q4: How can Grey Fox Blog readers buy your book?

AG: The book is available on Amazon both in Europe and the US. Very reasonably priced between $25-$35. It contains 120 Cclassic watches, 30,000 words 500+ photographs. Here are links to some sale sites:

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com

Target,

Wallmart,

Barnes and Noble.

In Australia at Angus & Robertson

This is an unsponsored post.

Loake 1880 Legacy Range: Comfort and Style

I own and wear several pairs of Loake shoes and they always seem popular with readers of this blog. The company has now launched a new range, Loake 1880 Legacy, which is designed to celebrate Loake's legacy as English shoemakers since three brothers; John, Thomas and William Loake, opened the first Loake factory in 1880.

Derwent black calf derbies from Loake Legacy range (details of outfit below)
[Image Nyetimber]

Combining traditional shoemaking techniques with high quality materials, the range is made in Kettering and contains a number of classic derbies, oxfords, brogues, penny loafers, monk straps and Chelsea and chukka boots. They are Goodyear welted and made on a last engineered to provide increased instep support so that they can be worn all day. Vegetable tanned linings add to the comfort and they come with leather and rubber soles. Elegant and comfortable, they can be found in leather and suede in a variety of colours.

I mention my new shoes on Instagram

I've been wearing a pair of Derwent black calf derby with a brogued toecap. Elegantly shaped, they were immediately comfortable and are ideal for semi-formal or casual use, coming also in burnished conker. Priced at £240 to £270, they are available now at Loake shops and stockists. 

To celebrate the launch of their Loake 1880 Legacy Collection, customers purchasing a pair of shoes or boots from the Legacy range either in store or from the online shop this weekend will also receive an exclusive Golden Ticket! This will reveal a complimentary gift from the Loake range up to the value of £245, to be redeemed in store or by contacting Loake direct at their factory in Northamptonshire. Valid at participating retail outlets only. Please visit www.loake.co.uk/legacy to find out more. 

Details of my outfit above (image taken at the launch of Nyetimber 1086 prestige cuvee English made sparkling wine):
Velvet jacket: Favourbrook
Pocket square: Geoff Stocker
Trousers: Susannah Hall Tailor

This post is a collaboration with Loake.

Ettinger Capra Goat Leather Collection

Ettinger has launched Capra, its first goat leather collection for many decades. In the company's earlier days goatskin, known for its suppleness and durability, was used for various products which are still to be found in the Ettinger archive. The colour range was then limited, but now the Capra Collection comes in chocolate, black, marine blue and white. 

As mentioned in my previous blog feature here, I was in Florence earlier this year to help launch the Capra Collection and the photo above was taken of me with a chocolate Capra portfolio. I've also been using a white Capra card case since that time and found the goat leather to be durable and with a lovely texture to it. The white gives the product a nicely heritage feel, reminiscent of the thirties and forties. All are, of course, very well made at Ettinger's factory in Walsall in the English Midlands (see my previous feature, link above).

Available in a range of accessories, from the folio through wallets and purses to key rings, the Capra Collection can be found at various stockists or online at Ettinger here. 

This feature is part of a collaboration with Ettinger whose guest I was at Pitti Uomo. I was not paid for this piece.

Billy Tannery x Crown Northampton Kid Leather Sneakers

I've been following Billy Tannery with interest since its launch last year. Using goat leather, a by-product of the food industry, they've made some beautiful bags, but have now collaborated with British sneaker makers, Crown Northampton, to make footwear. 

Their goat hides are sourced in the UK and are also tanned here, in Billy Tannery's own tannery. The environmentally friendly tanning technique combines traditional knowledge and modern leather technology, using natural ingredients such as vegetable and bark extract. All waste products are biodegradable and composted.

Crown Northampton, established in 1908, is based less than 25 miles from Billy Tannery’s home. Together, the two companies are releasing the limited edition kid leather Overstone Derby sneaker. The style is a Crown Northampton design, made exclusively in Billy Tannery leather in black, navy & chestnut and a choice of white or gum soles.

I've had a close look at a pair and hope to try some out soon. The leather is nicely grained, soft but strong and the insoles well-padded and comfortable. Each is made-to-order, with a pre-order price of £235.00 from www.billytannery.co.uk  

Crown Northampton

Globe-Trotter: A Factory Visit

For the classic days of travel (think ocean liners, flying boats and steam trains) a decent set of luggage was required. It had to look stylish and be of solid construction with a stout pair of leather straps to hold it all securely. The brand to go to was Globe-Trotter whose suitcases and bags were (and are) used by royalty, celebrity and commoner. 

Of course the need for high quality luggage still exists and while waiting for hours in overcrowded airports doesn't cut the romantic mustard any more, it adds a little pleasure to an often tiresome journey to have a good suitcase. I've been using a Globe-Trotter luggage for a few months and everywhere I go it gets admired by hotel porters, airline check-in personnel and fellow travellers.

Arriving at the Globe-Trotter factory in Hertfordshire

I'm delighted to be able to report on my recent visit to the Globetrotter factory in Hoddesdon, North London. Founded in Germany in 1897, the company moved to the UK in 1932. Over the years its products have been used by the likes of Captain Robert Falcon Scott, Sir Edmund Hilary and Sir Winston Churchill. HM the Queen Elizabeth used Globe-Trotter for her honeymoon luggage in 1947 and continues to use her cases to this day. It was even James Bond’s luggage of choice in the film ‘Spectre’.

A corner of the Globe-Trotter archive

So, how are these cases made? The main structure is made from a special fibreboard - several sheets of paper bonded together using a secret process that involves vulcanised rubber. This produces a material that matures and strengthens throughout the first few years of it life and is as strong and light as aluminium. The fibreboard is cut to shape using laser technology and then carefully moulded using heat to prevent it from cracking. Leather corners, soaked for several days to make them flexible, are added and the case is bonded and riveted together. Leather handles and straps are added, giving the finished product its classic yet timeless style.

Shaping the fibreboard

Leather corners drying

Much careful hand work goes into each case

The older technology still works - presses for leather corners

Stitching the leather handles

Machine for stitching leather

Each case is hand assembeld and carefully checked

One of the great attractions of Globe-Trotter luggage is the combinations of colours available. A rich green case might be given tan leather corners and straps, or, as in the recent RAF100 Collection, a riveted aluminium-like finish is enhanced with black leather corners and a grey and black striped RAF belt. In fact, you can order your own bespoke set of luggage and have all the pleasure of selecting your own favourite colour scheme.

In common with many other British factories, Globe-Trotter appreciates the value of older technologies. Many machines at the factory have been used for decades to stitch handles, press leather corners or cut the materials used to construct each case. New technologies are used where needed, but sometimes the benefits of beautifully engineered mechanical tools are so great that they are kept in use and lovingly maintained.

Linings are added to the cases and checks made to ensure that locks align and work properly. Seeing the amount of hand work and quality checking that goes into each item drove home to me how these are products that are made to last and, unlike lesser suitcases, will not be going into landfill after a couple of seasons battering in airports, car boots and hotel luggage stores.

For more information visit Globe-Trotter. 

Note: I was a guest of Globe-Trotter at their Hertfordshire factory. This is an unsponsored post. I am using some Globe-Trotter luggage and will report back on its use from time to time here and on Instagram.

The Globe-Trotter Land Rover

Crockett & Jones: A Factory Visit

Visiting the Northampton factory and HQ of shoemakers Crockett & Jones meets all my criteria for the ultimately successful British factory visit. The mix of heritage, skills, pride and modernity of thought and design encapsulate all that is making British manufacturers so successful abroad. In the Far East, US and elsewhere there's a recognition that the UK has a rich history to build on when it comes to making high quality clothing and accessories. After all, it was here that the machinery and skills for mass-production were developed over the last two centuries, building on skills such as tailoring and leather working which had existed for centuries beforehand. Furthermore, the company has been family-owned since its foundation in 1879.

The leather store

The shaped knives that cut the uppers to shape

The clicker and his leather apron. The clicker cuts the leather to shape using shaped knives or templates

A few of the parts that go to make the uppers of a shoe

The closing room where the uppers are stitched together

 

The uppers of a grain leather boot with broguing

The last store. The lasts are the forms around which the leather uppers will be formed

Lasting: in this remarkable operation the leather uppers are shaped around the lasts before welting and soling

Stitching the welt before heel and sole are added

The sole and heel have been added and in one skilled action they are cut to shape

Finished shoes waiting to be checked before packing and despatch

Shoes on display

 

Businesses like Crockett & Jones have not only preserved these skills, often through hard times, but have built on them by developing manufacturing and design techniques to keep up to date with modern production and consumer demands. They bring employment and, as one of the handful of shoemakers still in the area, they preserve Northampton's centuries-old shoemaking skills through training and apprenticeships.

Pride is evident at every stage, from the design and pattern cutting to the leather selection and the manufacture of the footwear. In the pattern cutting room modern technology enables the designers to keep ahead of the demands of consumers and fashion and of the differing properties of leather by subtly altering designs and shoe shapes - designs never stand still. 

Everywhere throughout the production process, from the selection of the leather, its cutting, stitching and lasting, the welting (attaching a strip of leather to the upper to which the soles are stitched enabling future resoling - central to the Goodyear welted shoe) and heeling and soling to the finishing, workers go about their business with remarkable dexterity, working on the shoes with infinite skill and care.

When you buy British-made shoes like those from Crockett & Jones you're buying into a heritage of which we should be proud. You know that your shoes have been made from scratch in Northampton and are the result of decades of combined refinement and that  your shoes are made by well-trained and proud crafts people. 

See Crockett & Jones for more information and to buy their shoes.

I was a guest of Crockett & Jones. I received no payment for this piece and all views are mine alone.

Vertex M100B: a Stealthy Reprise of a Military-Inspired Watch

Last November, I mentioned the Vertex M100, a recreation of a watch that was produced by Vertex for the British military in 1944. The company itself had been revived by Don Cochrane, great grandson of the original founder of Vertex (in 1916), Claude Lyons. The watch, well-made and practical, is now available as a stealthy black version, the M100B.

The Vertex M100B is coated in DLC or Diamond Like Carbon, a form of carbon which is blasted onto the surface and then rapidly cooled. It’s very similar to the way synthetic diamonds are created, hence the name. The resultant finish is extremely hard-wearing. 

I was sent one to try. The coating adds a completely different feel to the watch. What was an excellent homage to a military watch is given a contemporary feel which works well. The quality of the finish and the excellent 3-dimensional luminous numerals of the dial are, as with the M100, a strong feature of the watch. It comes well presented in a Peli case with extra straps.

Vertex M100B

See below and my original review for more information on Vertex and the M100.

See Vertex Watches.

• Price £2624.40.
• The Vertex M100B is a limited edition DLC coated version of the M100.
• Only 150 M100B timepieces will be produced.
• Custom ETA 7001 mechanical movement with rhodium finish and Cotes de Geneve decoration.
• Moulded Super-LumiNova ® dial
• Brushed DLC Black case, box crystal glass, waterproof to 100m.
• Hand wound with 42 hour reserve.
• Black dial with arabic numerals to maximise legibility, in homage to the Vertex W.W.W watch of 1944.
• Packaged in a Peli case with two straps - a bespoke Vertex rubber two-piece strap, and a Vertex nylon NATO-style strap in Red with DLC metal parts.

This is an unsponsored post - I was lent the watch to try and received no payment. All views are mine alone.

British Cool: UK-made Menswear for the Heatwave

In the hottest heatwave since the late seventies here in the UK it can be difficult to find something a little more stylish to wear than a t-shirt and shorts. I thought I'd suggest a UK-made outfit that will bring British cool to your summer wardrobe.

Don't forget the sunglasses; nothing makes you cooler. Kirk Originals are made in England in many styles and at two main price points. My favourites are these tortoiseshell Harveys:

Kirk Originals Harvey sunglasses £425

I love linen's crumpled look. While not popular with some, its relaxed look is perfect for the hotter days of summer and its loose weave helps you lose heat and stay cool (Flax London shirt and Sirplus trousers below). Otherwise the cotton of the Private White V.C. Desert jacket and the Sirplus shorts will keep the temperature in check. Crockett & Jones's loafers are of lightweight unlined suede and the Panama hat from Laird Hatters will keep the sun off. A trouser/shorts option is added for those with strong preferences either way.

I've selected a variety of co-ordinating colours that won't make you look too tropical/military or like Indiana Jones in all shades of khaki (although that can be a good look too). 

Hat from Laird Hatters Alfred Panama £155

Private White V.C. Desert Jacket in warm sky £279

Short sleeved shirt from Flax London £95
All made in the UK

Sirplus oatmeal linen trousers and shorts £145 and £75

Crockett & Jones Teign unlined suede loafer in dark brown or navy £340

All made in the UK

Note: This is an unsponsored post and the only product I've tried is the Panama hat, although all are from suppliers I know. If you purchase any of these items, please mention Grey Fox Blog.

Globe-Trotter RAF100 Luggage Collection

To mark today's centenary of the Royal Air Force luggage company Globe-Trotter have launched a range of commemorative cases redolent of the riveted aluminium bodies of bye-gone aircraft such as the famous Spitfire and Hurricane. 

Globe-Trotter have manufactured their luggage in the UK for over 85 years and have become synonymous with adventure and travel. Think of a robust but battered suitcase, with reinforced leather corners and straps, plastered with colourful labels from exotic destinations and airlines and what you have in mind is a Globe-Trotter. 

With the riveted aluminium cases taking obvious inspiration from aircraft construction, they've come up with extremely stylish objects of desire which are at the top of my list for the Grey Fox travels.

I will be visiting the Globe-Trotter factory later this month and will be reporting in full later in the summer.

See Globe-Trotter 

The RAF Centenary

This post is unsponsored.

Buying a vintage watch

Whatever you wear, there are two items a man can own that add a touch of style to his appearance. Whether worn with formal, evening wear or weekend casual a good vintage watch and a pair of good quality shoes make up for many sartorial shortcomings.

Daniel Craig wears a vintage Rolex Daytona

Buying a new watch can, with a very few exceptions, be like buying a car - your purchase drops in value as soon as you've bought it. There are, of course, advantages to buying new - the seller's warranty and the sheer pleasure of owning a new, high quality, timepiece, but you may want to consider buying vintage.

A good collection of old Omega and Lemania watches (image Grey Fox)

If chosen with care, an older watch will reliably at least retain its value and is a pleasure to own. It will accumulate signs of its owner's character; the battered leather strap, the scratches on its case and glass and, in due course, the development of rich creams and browns to the luminous markers and dials of a watch older than 20 or so years.

Most older designs are simple and well-proportioned and, while there are many beautiful modern designs, new watches can be oversize, fussy and sometimes blingy in appearance - choose wisely.

Many makes have fascinating histories. This 1968 Omega Speedmaster is of the type worn by NASA's astronauts from the sixties through to the age of the International Space Station and was worn on the Moon. Omega still make this model, albeit with a different movement to that used in these early examples.

Omega Speedmaster Professional 1968 model - as worn on the Moon - image courtesy of Ming

The most beautiful part of an old mechanical watch is very rarely seen by the owner - the movement is a tiny glistening engine that's a marvel of micro-engineering, as this Omega movement from a simple military watch from 1953 shows -

Movement of an Omega '53 RAF pilot's watch - image courtesy of Ming

What to buy as your first vintage watch depends on your taste and the depth of your pocket. You'll rarely go wrong with a Rolex Submariner or GMT Master or older Rolex Datejust. Some models of the Omega Speedmaster or Seamaster will also be a good buys. These will be ideal starters to a larger collection or will make ideal choices as watches to wear every day if properly looked after and serviced. Mechanical watches like these are capable of being accurate to within a second or two a day.

With experience you may want to develop a theme for your collection. Some collect military watches, some chronographs, or watches of the types worn in Space, or from a particular brand. Most just buy what they like.

You can pay a few hundred pounds for a vintage watch, but it's likely to be a lesser brand, less attractive or in poor condition. To begin with, stick to well-known brands until you develop your own tastes and understanding of what to look for. They will also be more reliable investments, although I hope you buy a watch for the pleasure of ownership rather than to make money - something it is harder to do now that ten years ago. 

Always buy watches you like and will wear. There are some collectors who buy, never wear and keep their collection under lock and key. There's no pleasure in that at all. I'm of the school that likes to see the history of a watch in its patina. Be prepared to spend money on servicing the watch every five years or so. This can be pricey, but is essential.

A 1960s Tissot chronograph with Lemania movement

Quartz watches can be collectible, but they rarely have the romance of a mechanical watch, with that tiny motor ticking away n your wrist and producing remarkable accuracy and reliability. Neither will they, in general, be as good an investment as a mechanical timepiece.

If you're knowledgeable, the best place to buy such watches on watch enthusiast fora and marketplaces - but even though you will deal with trustworthy and enthusiastic sellers, you may still make mistakes. For the newcomer, a generally safer option is to buy from a well-established and reputable dealer from whom you will obtain a warranty and reasonably reliable guarantee of authenticity.

Finally, here are four useful tips for buying a vintage watch from a reader, David. I'm grateful to him for his help:

1. A fifty-year-old watch should look old. If it looks like it just came from the factory, something's off.

2. Replacement parts sink a watch's value. Take Rolex and Patek, the two most collectible brands: The original dial (the face) holds 60 to 70 percent of the watch's worth.

3. Some collectors ask for the original box and papers, but they don't matter. Few people kept them. I don't even do it now.

4. If a watch hasn't been serviced in five to ten years, plan to have it done yourself. It costs £300 or more.

5 Always ask about the return policy.

[This feature was edited and updated June 2018].