Bulletin Board 51
A Wm Brown summer knit polo collab, Bastille Day drinking and a very cool French independent watchmaker
WRIST CHECK
My introduction to Vasco Watch started with a DM on Instagram from Benjamin Chamfeuil who said he was living in the next village over from us in the Médoc. He had recently moved with his family from Bordeaux to Saint-Christoly-Médoc, along with his independent watch brand Vasco, a very cool small brand making utility and sports watches. I’m a big fan of their GMT—I own one! A couple weeks ago I went to his workshop in his house to talk watches and see his latest surf-inspired watches, called Surf Club, inspired by iconic surf clubs around the world from the US to Bali and the Atlantic coast of France where Vasco was born. Ben has been designing watches for bigger brands for years but decided to launch his own thing. They are smart, well designed, and very unique in their singular design. The cool thing is that there is such a great energy around the independent watch movement in France and even better tat one of my favorites is just next door.
WORK IN PROGRESS
Sure, I love the idea of a knit polo. And being an Italian-American kid from the Northeast, I’d like to think that wearing one would come naturally to me. The problem is, as soon as a knit meets the reality of a summer day over 80, you’re liable to feel more like a melting ice cream cone than Ray Liotta in Goodfellas.
So I approached my friend Nicola Radano (Italian-Italian, as in Naples) who recently founded his own eponymous label and knows a thing or two about fabric, to see if we could make a knit wool polo I could actually wear. I wanted it to be cool and breathable, yet retain that certain elegance that would suit it for everything from the beach to plane travel to a casual dinner.
On the scent, Radano found an incredible patented fabric from Zegna Baruffa called H2DRY, which is a 100% wool specifically engineered for warm weather. Compared to a typical wool, it breathes 7% more, reduces perspiration by 10% and keeps the skin feeling cooler by a factor of up to 1.5°C. Best of all, you can toss it in the washing machine!
Styling-wise we elected for a bold, noticeable rib that gives it a vintage character, and a generous spread collar that can sit under—or even over—a jacket. It has a straight hem that allows it to be tucked in or out, or even just worn over a pair of swim trunks. The fit is slightly tailored, but overall relaxed in line with that carefree summer spirit. Lastly, it’s available in just one colorway, dark navy, for maximum versatility.
We call it the Upstate, and it’s available in very limited quantities from Nicola’s website now.
HAPPY HOUR
In advance of our most recent summer issue, I spent a spring evening at Libertine in the West Village discussing all things Chartreuse with its owner, Cody Pruitt (who will soon be opening a second French concept, Chateau Royale). Not everything we discussed—and drank—made it into the resulting Happy Hour feature in print, including Pruitt’s lightly tuned-up take on a Yellow Chartreuse classic, the Champs-Élysées.
So, in honor of Bastille Day, we thought we’d share Pruitt’s rendition of the drink, which skews classic but amps things up with a handful of simple tweaks: yuzu syrup, blended bitters and a touch of salt solution —Eric Twardzik
Champs-Élysées
1.5 oz Armagnac, preferably Pellehaut Réserve
.5 oz lemon juice
.5 oz yuzu syrup*
.25oz Yellow Chartreuse
3 dashes NOLA bitters** (can substitute Peychauds in a pinch)
2 dashes salt solution***
Combine with ice and shake. Double strain into Nick & Nora or coupe glass. No garnish.
*Yuzu syrup: Combine equal parts (by weight) yuzu juice and cane sugar. Combine in a blender on high only until fully incorporated (do not blend so long that it heats up). Can be refrigerated for 3 to 5 days.
**NOLA bitters: Combine two parts Creole Bitters (preferably The Bitter Truth) with one part Angostura Aromatic Bitters. Stir to combine.
***Salt solution: Combine four parts (by weight) filtered water with one part Fleur de Sel. Stir until the salt is fully dissolved.
Grazie Matt.