166 GQ.COM.AU SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017WATCH
O
f late, new collection
showcases have too often
meant evening affairs that
involve boarding boats.
So many boats.
But in living up to its
new tagline #borntodare, Rolex’s little
brother, Tudor, recently upped the ante
with a celebration of its 2017 pieces featuring
a night of fun and artsy curiosity in close
collaboration with famed Tasmanian festival
Dark Mofo – put on by the genius types
responsible for MONA.
Forget hours of watch talk and instead
envisage a lavish private dinner at the sleek
Hobart restaurant Franklin – under the
wonderful stewardship of David Moyle – and
an opportunity to get up close with the new
pieces. Nothing here was forced – though we
did continue to appreciate the incredible
value Tudor delivers, a brand that truly
punches well above its pricing.While new Tudor ambassador David
Beckham wasn’t present, local brand
champions, such as acclaimed artist and
former GQ Men of the Year winner
Vincent Fantauzzo, helped heighten the
evening. Fantauzzo was joined by MONA
curator Jarrod Rawlins, who then led those
gathered on an unforgettable night,
showcasing the festival’s ‘Welcome Stranger’
event, a staggered, progressive evening that
brought together a wealth of varied and
unique experiences.
Of those, we learnt a lot about Royal
Tennis, nattered about trees to the man
behind MONA, David Walsh, experienced
the work of Melbourne artist Spike Fuck
before nodding approval to the glam punk
of sparkly, rock goddesses Bitch Diesel
(seriously, check these ladies out).
It was all rather unwatch like – driving
home that Tudor’s certainly willing to dare.
And that’s a damn good thing.TUDOR V DARK MOFO
OUR
PICK
Of the 2017 pieces,
the latest addition
to the ‘Black Bay’
family, the neatly titled
‘Heritage Black Bay
Chrono’ is a firm
standout. Clean,
uncompromised and
surprising in that the
41mm chronograph
melds a sense of the
historic with a little
something very much
of the now; a piece
that can easily do
triple duty and is sure
to become a firm
favourite for any
collector. Features
a ‘Manufacture Calibre
M T 5 8 1 3 ’, c o l u m n
wheel and vertical
clutch. $6070;
tudorwatch.comCLOCKWISE FROM
TOP LEFT: Artist
Vincent Fantauzzo
and Rolex-Tudor
General Manager,
Australia Patrick
Boutellier; guests
enjoying dinner
at Franklin; selection
of 2017 pieces;
MONA curator
Jarrod Rawlins
with Patrick
Boutellier; GQ’s
Richard Clune with
Sam van der Griend.