Ok its Monday…lets start with a little X factor

The Sunday Ride…Ok so I'm back on the all new BMW 3…new video

Absolut Crystal Pinstripe Bottle

Created by Swedish design duo Magnus Skogsberg and Mimmi Smart, the Absolut Crystal Pinstripe Bottle is a grandiose reinterpretation of the iconic Absolut bottle. Limited to 800 examples, the bottles ($1,500) were made from crystal sourced from Reijmyre Glassworks of Sweden and each individually numbered by the bottle's master crafter. There will also be a black variation released in a very limited run of 10 units and will be priced at $10,000

The new Creative Director for Tradition…..

Taylor Stitch x Ebbets Field Mission Reds Ballcaps

Taylor Stitch is showing some hometown love with a special run of caps celebrating the 1930s San Francisco Mission Reds baseball team. To create the caps Taylor Stitch teamed up with heritage cap experts Ebbets Field to reproduce one of their old flannel ballcap styles with a shorter brim.

The Thursday Cocktail Recipe…for the Weekend

Juniper Flower

2 oz  Organic Gin

1 oz   Jasmine Liquor

1/2 0z Lemon Juice

1/2 oz Simple Syrup

Shake and Pour in rocks Glass

Garnish with Edible Flower

Our Legacy Fall/Winter 2011 Lookbook

From Swedish label Our Legacy comes a look at their Fall 2011 lookbook entitled, “Impressions.” The looks feature a wide range of offerings including blazers, outerwear and fine knits. The fabrics vary as we’re told Italian tweed wools, wax cotton and cashmere have all been utilized to make this magnificent collection.

Swiss KubiK Watch Winder

Automatic watches are cool but collect a couple and you suddenly have the chore of winding and setting them regularly, or you have to maintain a strict schedule of wearing them to keep them running, which is no fun. A watch winder, which simulates the movement of the watch on your wrist, eliminates the annoying need to wind and set your automatic timepiece if you haven’t worn it for a few days, as well as keeping it in top running order. You see, a mechanical watch is designed to run at an optimal and predictable rate when its mainspring is kept at a constant tension. Keeping a watch wound also means you’re not manipulating the crown as often, a practice that can increase wear on the crown, stem, threads, seals and winding mechanism.

A watch winder is not just a luxury gadget for that hedge fund manager with a timepiece collection worth more than most suburban homes. It’s a very practical tool for the guy who has a couple of automatics that he alternates wearing Monday through Friday and then on the weekend. The trouble is, watch winders run the spectrum in terms of quality and design. The ones you order out of the in-flight catalogs, for example, tend to have limited settings, can over- or under-wind a watch, aren’t built well and don’t last very long. Meanwhile, the ones sold in high end watch boutiques often look like a padded banquette in a Vegas lounge and cost more than many watches. But one we’ve found hits the sweet spot of ease of use, affordability and elegant design: the Swiss KubiK ($745).

Oliver Peoples 25th Anniversary

California-based Oliver Peoples has hit the big 2-5 and to celebrate, they designed a small capsule collection that’s made in Japan and available in limited numbers. The four styles include the Myriel, NDG Flip Clip, Florenz 46 and J Gold, with each piece made with the utmost care and detail.

The Sunday Ride…Bugatti 16C Galibier

When it was announced that French luxury car manufacturer Bugatti would be rolling out the 16C Galibier, car enthusiasts who could afford the pocket-draining $1.4M USD price tag waited with baited-breath. As more pictures of the conceptual look of the car become apparent, we now also know that nothing will begin going into production until at least 2015. Amongst the changes from what they thought to be the early specs include an entirely redone rear end. As for the engine, originally proposed as a detuned version of the Veyron’s 1000+horsepower W-16 with twin superchargers in place of the quad turbos, will now be reboosted up past the four-digit mark. The changes reportedly come out of feedback from current Veyron owners, half of whom have reportedly seen and sat in the Galibier concept car already.

Roberu for Streething & Leftfoot Leather Camera Strap

Streething, in collaboration with Singapore-based sneaker boutique Leftfoot, present this year’s edition of New Balance’s annual APAC project. In addition to the sneaker release, Streething has also teamed up with Roberu Leather Goods for a limited run of camera straps. The items come handmade overseas in Yokohama and are, of course, made with superb quality leathers. Details include contrast stitching with brass rivets and buckles that can hold a sizeable DSLR camera. Limited to only 40, the camera straps will be given to those who purchase all three limited edition sneakers from the ”Past, Present and Future” collection, available at Leftfoot starting October 15.

Stainless Steel Ice Cubes

Ice is pretty simple. Pour some water into a plastic tray, throw it in the freezer, and wait. If you’re impatient, you select crushed or cubed on your fancy french door fridge and stick a cup underneath the spout. Either way, you end up with a bunch of frozen chunks of water that, awesomely, makes your drink cold and, unfortunately, dilutes it to the point that it’s as much water as it is booze. You could go the whiskey stones route, but there’s also another option – Stainless Steel Ice Cubes. Four 1″ stainless steel cubes filled with a non-toxic gel that will make your drink as shiny as it is cold and delicious. $25


Read more: Cool Material - Men's gear blog featuring the latest trends in watches, gear and gadgets. http://coolmaterial.com/

The Thursday Cocktail…..The Payphone

1 oz Organic Lemon Vodka

3/4 oz Organic Gin

.5 0z Jasmine Liquor

1 oz lemon Juice

.5 Agave Nectar

2 Lavender Sprigs

Shake And Grain

Garnish with Lavender Sprig

My Favorite Jeans Opens Store in Sunny LA...

Ask most denim retailers about Nudie and they’ll mention “introduction.” Nudie has become a household name in the denim world. Many denim geeks will mention how Nudie introduced them to the every expanding world of premium and super-premium denim. In some regard, it is a gateway denim that leads to exploration well beyond the borders of the brand.

Now, Los Angeles gets their first Nudie Jeans House, a standalone building that houses a “denim lab” that caters to a custom Nudie experience. Inside you can transform and customize your own pair of Nudie’s. Find the Nudie Jean House in West Hollywood off Melrose Avenue.

Tech Tuesday……Bose Soundlink Wireless Mobile Speaker

It’s hard to believe that there was a time when you couldn’t carry a Grammy office worth of music in your pocket with you at all times. Luckily that time is all but forgotten and we all live in the age where you can have Nine Inch Nails, Phil Collins, Skrillex, Beiber and Journey with you whenever the mood strikes. The earbuds you use to rock out in public places are great, but they’re not exactly party starters in the volume department. If you’ve got $300 and enough space in your bag for a large book, Bose has you covered with the Soundlink Wireless Mobile Speaker. The compact speaker weighs less than three pounds and clocks in at 5″ x 9.5″ x 2″. It uses Bluetooth so it’s completely wireless. Most importantly, it’s totally device agnostic. No dock connector, mini-usb, micro-whatever, Droid, iNonsense here – just crisp, wireless audio. Party on, Wayne. $300

A Prototype TAG Heuer Monaco V4 In Stainless Steel, Complete With Coolest Serial Number Ever

The Monaco V4 is a Areally important piece of TAG Heuer history. It marked the beginning of the "new" TAG Heuer - TAG Heuer the manufacture.  The concept of the V4 was introduced back in 2004, three years after the brand was acquired by LVMH and Jean-Christophe Babin was given brand control.  Behind the development of the V caliber was Jean-François Ruchonnet (of the Cabestan Winch Vertical Tourbillon) with support from Philippe Dufour - yes THAT Philippe Dufour. 

The V4 was set into production in 2009 in very limited quantities - available only in platinum and rose gold. 

But, in a recent meeting at TAG HQ in La Chaux de Fonds with Guy Semon, head of R&D, we were shown the only existing Monaco V4 produced in stainless steel. The watch belongs to Semon himself and is the original prototype of the production model.  Semon has been wearing it regularly for the past four years. This prototype also has a true prototype serial number: "No. xxx/xxx".  How bad ass is that?

The sunday Ride…Just Read its coming NOV. new BMW 3

Just signed myself up for Feit Spring 2012 Hand Sewn Reconnaissance

Some of the finest footwear we’ve seen in quite sometime, Feit’s limited edition “Hand Sewn Reconnaissance” collection for Spring 2012 features a few new models in a range of colorways. The Hand Sewn Superclean Low, High and Stitchown model combine specialized techniques such as hand-made Goodyear construction, with the heel construction of a hand sewn moccasin, and finishing in the shape and feel of a classic court sport sneaker, each style is built to completion by one master craftsman using the finest Italian leathers. Look for these to not only be available for preorder through feitdirect.com but through select retailers worldwide as well.

Parabellum Fall/Winter 2011 Collection

Union Los Angeles has taken stock of a wide range of pieces from Parabellum. Their signature bison leather goods are now available in a pumpkin finish as well as chocolate brown leather. We remember seeing last year’s black bison leather being mated with military grade ceramic detailing while this season’s goods are mated with copper.

The Thursday Cocktail…..Death’s Door White Whisky

The unaged whiskey category is alive and well, with product offerings available from heavy hitters like Buffalo Trace and artisan producers like Death’s Door.

Death’s Door White Whisky ($30) is distilled in Wisconsin and made from a blend of local wheat and malted barley. As the name implies, the spirit lacks the gold, amber or brown colors typically associated with whiskey because it’s not aged in barrels. Barrel aging gives whiskey its color and much of its flavor, often softening the spirit and rounding it out with oaky touches, like vanilla and caramel. Death’s Door, however, is rested in stainless steel vats for a few weeks to allow oxidation before bottling (technically, it does see the inside of a barrel, but just for three days to meet the legal requirements for calling a spirit “whiskey”).

The result is a whiskey that’s rich and malty and slightly vegetal – more like a pisco or tequila on the nose. Flavors range from raisins and dark fruits to malted grain notes. Whiskey drinkers will notice the creamy, whiskey-like body, but otherwise, Death’s Door White Whisky is a different thing entirely. Score some for yourself, or surprise your whiskey-hating friend (we all have a few, unfortunately) with a bottle of the crystal clear spirit.