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“It’s a slick, heavily marketed brand!” echos the common refrain from the novice collector looking to impress his veteran betters. Perhaps for a time, it might even have been considered true; But if there was any doubt whether Hublot was a serious watchmaker, the question was definitively answered in 2010. And the answer was, “Yes.” The […]
February 27, 2012
The rich are spending more on luxury goods these days. According to the research service MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, the luxury category has posted 10 consecutive months of sales increases compared with the year earlier. In July, the luxury segment had an 11.6 percent increase, the biggest monthly gain in more than a year. Luxury good […]
February 19, 2012
A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that 1,100 people went through the station, most of them on their way […]
January 5, 2012
Not many people think of shantytowns, illegal street vendors, and unlicensed roadside hawkers as major economic players. But according to journalist Robert Neuwirth, that’s exactly what they’ve become. In his new book, Stealth of Nations: The Global Rise of the Informal Economy, Neuwirth points out that small, illegal, off-the-books businesses collectively account for trillions of […]
December 22, 2011
The Argument Against Income Inequality Imagine four families sharing a large, jointly owned backyard area. The families would like to install a swing set, slide, etc. for their children to share. The set costs $1,200, and they need to figure out how to pay for it. One of the households is fairly well off and […]
December 9, 2011
Readers of “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” first encounter George Smiley, the puzzled problem-solver of the novel’s maze, as he hastens along a rainy London street. It is by no means his first appearance in the pages of le Carré. He was in “Call for the Dead,” and then in “A Murder of Quality” (1962), in […]
October 7, 2011
How America Puts You on a List Targeted for Termination The process involves “going through the National Security Council, then it eventually goes to the president, but the National Security Council does the investigation, they have lawyers, they review, they look at the situation, you have input from the military- Bang! You are targeted for […]
September 22, 2011
We have all been there before– Peaked lapel or notched? Two button or one? Should I ditch the cummerbund? For an experienced shopper- the answers are 1. Peaked (personal preference) 2. Doesn’t matter 3. Definitely Yes. That said, when faced with decisions of greater complexity like “You have $200 should you spend it on a boat […]
September 7, 2011
As the memorial date for September 11 looms, Slate has seen fit to re-present the 9/11 report. But it isn’t any 9/11 report we’re familiar with- this work of art is by far the most gripping and emotional take on events of September 11 I have ever read; Additionally, it’s presented in a format that […]
September 6, 2011
A new series of article summaries to help true gentlemen- Monsieurs, get a better handle on things going on globally, culturally and nationally. Consider this a cheat sheet for intellectual conversations. 1. The Power of Erotic Capital In a recent New York Times article, an economics professor explained that if you’re in the bottom of the looks department, […]
The Monsieur 
January 5, 2016
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