ROME – Nothing is more necessary than the superfluous. Voltaire writes it in “Le Mondain” in 1736 and Oscar Wilde more than a century later makes this phrase popular. Today, in the glittering crossroads of life, despite the crisis, the virtual and the pandemics, people continue to search for everything that is not a primary good. There are objects that respond perfectly to this spasmodic desire, representing the goal, unattainable for many, alas!
But some products of ingenuity become for innovation, historical paths, and beauty, more powerful than their owner, in a nemesis that shows our inferiority. Rolls Royce is so strong that it overpowered John Lennon when in 1965 he had it painted as a Sicilian cart in yellow, red and green by Steve Weaver. The myth survived none other than Winston Churchill, a fat user for over 30 years.
The new Spectre it is so esoteric that it no longer has an internal combustion engine, as the founders predicted over 120 years ago. 5.45 meters of luxury for several tons will run at 250 km per hour as if on an air cushion. In there, the lucky ones will be able to admire a starry sky of hundreds of points of light, perhaps dreaming of being like Kant in the Critique of Practical Reason: “The starry sky above me and the moral law within me”. The longest ever facing doors, the largest-ever front grille and the remodeled Spirit of Ecstasy statuette make the first electric Rolls the epitome of desire.
An object that surpasses its owner in the tortuous and adventurous journey of history, just like the Rolex Perpetual Datejust. Hans Wilsdorf is a German, skilled in mathematics and languages, and has an idea: to create the best watch in the world. The name Rolex comes to mind in 1908 as he sits on the second floor of a horse-drawn public carriage along Cheapside in London, capital of Rolls Country.
The Datejust number one hundred thousand, with a white dial, was given by the founder to Churchill in his studio during the Second World War. The gift, then all in gold, represented the omen of history. The first waterproof antishock automatic watch with date window now mounts the 3235 caliber with a blue paramagnetic hairspring. White with Roman numerals is the most classic.
And classic, as well as regal, is the Barbour Beaufort, the waxed jacket that you don’t just look at but also touch your sense of smell. In 1894, patriarch John began making jackets and coats that had to withstand everything, even the first and second world wars. The absolute impermeability is strengthened by fragrant wax spread with skill. The distinctive trait of a garment that has three royal awards and that has dressed Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles and Diana, among many others. The best clothing for the worst weather. Olive green is the mythical colour.
And resisting over time is the characteristic of the reading instruments produced by the oldest independent factory on the planet, founded in 1777 by William Fraser: C.W.Dixey&Son. Still Churchill wore them for 50 years and was the instigator of two small dots on both sides of the frame, still distinctive today on the wonderful acetate structures. The largest archive in the world with the letters and prescriptions of adults, all superseded by the same object of desire. Chinese Emperor Qianlong, Ian Fleming, Boris Karlof coveted and owned a couple of occhiali Chartwell o Imperial. At the same time they were the ones possessed! Designed in Great Britain and made in France, today they continue to respect the motto “Vide Verum” that made them chosen by Queen Victoria.
Still English in Churchill’s hands was a writing instrument this time. The Best Pen Ever Made (1905): Conway Stewart, for those who love fountain pens, the point of reference. In the 1920s it was even made with casein: a poor by-product of milk.
The roads and crossroads of desire and possession become tortuous and surprising when they meet unique, innovative and formidable objects. Style and elegance are often not ours. The real protagonists are them.