The Material Review
Issue 089: Inside The World's Greatest Rare Rolex Shop, Your Home Without China, Airline Uniforms, Bowling Ball Revolution, A History of The World's Best Selling Chair and Q&A w/ Andrew Maness.
Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the internet.
Inside the World's Greatest Rare Rolex Shop: From Big Money Collectors to Celebrity Super Fans
“A new book celebrates 30 years of The Vintage Watch Company in London's Burlington Arcade” [Esquire]
Your Home Without China
[NYT]
The evolution of the airline uniform — a cross check
“What do flight attendants say about our culture?” [FT]
One Man’s Amazing Journey to the Center of the Bowling Ball
“Mo Pinel spent a career reshaping the ball’s inner core to harness the power of physics. He revolutionized the sport—and spared no critics along the way.” [Wired]
The history of the Monobloc: the world’s best-selling chair
“Everyone knows it, yet few remember its name. This is the story of an iconic chair – one that embodies democratic design.” [domus]
A shortlist of things we’ve got our eye on.
I Regret Almost Everything by Keith McNally
Made In Grill
Matsufuji Western Twill Shirt
Ship John Wagoner Duffel Bag
American Trench Scout Boot
Andrew Maness is the founding editor of The Motoring Journal, co-founder of One Garage in Nashville, and author of the Substack This Nice Life. With a deep appreciation for design, utility, and the joy of the drive, he brings a thoughtful and refreshingly down-to-earth perspective on the automotive world and beyond. We caught up with him to talk Pink Floyd live albums, the cars currently capturing his attention and the products to care for them properly.
What’s a memorable recent purchase you’ve made?
I’ve been buying CD’s of my all time favorite albums so I can listen to them on the factory “boomin” Bose stereo in my 2008 Boxster RS60 Spyder. Pink Floyd’s live album “The Delicate Sound of Thunder” was the most recent pickup and provides a nice trip down memory lane back every time I put it on.
What is something you’ve had your eye on?
I have been thinking about the VPC Type37 HW with Delft Blue dial everyday since I returned the loaner unit I had last summer. There are a lot of interesting micro-brands out there right now designing great looking watches, but the fit and finish of the Type37 is on another level in the sub-$5k watch category and is hands down one of the most comfortable watches I’ve ever put on at any price point.
What cars are you excited about right now? How do we feel about the Slate?
Ooooof. It’s pretty bleak out there right now in terms of new cars, at least the mainstream ones anyway. Everything pretty much looks the same, sounds the same and drives the same. Technically cars have never been better, but they’re also getting more and more boring. Most are basically phones with wheels, even if they’re not electric. That being said, the Korean brands continue to run circles around the competition in their respective segments. Aston Martin finally has interior quality and steering feel to match their always-gorgeous exteriors, so that’s exciting. With regards to the Slate (just Slate?) it looks interesting and it’s certainly something that has been needed in the marketplace in terms of the pricepoint. Building vehicles is hard, especially at scale, so we’ll see how it goes for them. I’m actually a big fan of Ford’s compact pickup, the Maverick, which is around the same price point as The Slate. I recommend that to people constantly as a daily driver, but to be completely honest, it’s hard to beat the value and charm of a well maintained 10-15 year old vehicle right now.
What are the travel items you need with you on every trip?
I like to pack light and shop when I’m on trips, so I keep it pretty simple. Either a navy or grey crewneck sweatshirt, a blue or white OCBD, an unstructured navy blazer, a pair of tailored dark selvedge jeans, a gym outfit, a pair of grey sneakers and a pair of brown loafers. Oh, and either a snapback trucker hat from General Quarters or DANTE, and my Moscot Lemtosh sunglasses. Beyond those staples, whatever Diptyque personal fragrance that’s seasonally appropriate and my “ACL Edition” Ricoh GRIIIx always make it into the bag.
Are there any niche car-related brands/items we should know about?
No matter what you drive, you should care for it like it’s priceless. That means top quality car care products like AMMO NYC for the outside, and a mini cordless vacuum like the Fanttik V10 for the inside. If you tend to track a lot of shit like sand or snow into your car, I’d recommend investing in a setup from TuxMat which has kept the carpet of our family wagon fresh through a few winters now. Also, please invest in good tires. I swear by Michelin’s “PS4S”, but honestly I don’t care what brand you buy, just don’t skimp on the thing that determines whether your car can stop and turn.