Tag: women

Dua just won at Christmas nail art.

Even for the world’s oldest known watchmaker, the $2 million Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie is nothing less than a staggering horological achievement, with an eye-popping price tag and the specs to match.

The astronomically- priced timepiece represents a decidedly intricate high horology masterpiece from a watchmaker perhaps best known for the dive-ready utility of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. Built off more than eight years of development and 1,200 technical drawings, an eye-popping 1,053 components went into the Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie, the design of which resulted in a remarkable 21 patents. Blancpain proudly notes the refined timepiece was “entirely conceived, produced, decorated and assembled in-house,” and to that end, only two models will be produced per year: Indescribably rare doesn’t begin to cover it.

The horologist notes the watch is “the most complicated watch in Blancpain’s history,” packed with a slew of features seemingly impossible to incorporate into one timepiece (perhaps resulting in its 47mm case diameter). The Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie features everything from a flying tourbillon to a fully integrated retrograde perpetual calendar, a minute repeater and a movement design that’s entirely secured within the watch and its 18-karat case and bridgeplate construction. Most striking is the duo of sonnerie complications (one grande melody, one petite melody, both switchable within the watch itself).

Even more incredibly, one of the melodies was composed by watch collector Eric Singer, who just so happens to be the drummer in KISS (yes, KISS). Billed by Blancpain as a “symphony of innovation, artistry, and emotion,” the Sonnerie complication doubles the number of notes found in a traditional chiming mechanism, using the notes E,G,F and B with four hammers and gongs.

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Singer composed the Blancpain melody, while the other selectable Sonnerie option relies on the Westminster melody. Two manually wound spring barrels, one operating the chiming mechanism, rest within the watch, while the flying tourbillon delivers stability and a striking sense of visual appeal through both the dial and its caseback. Even more impressive is its 96-hour power reserve.

The grande sonnerie, with its impressive list of complications, pushes the boundaries of horology even further than one might have thought possible from Blancpain (of course, the price tag naturally matches such a towering achievement). Accordingly, there’s a sense of triumph from the Swiss watchmaker regarding its latest masterpiece, said Blancpain President and CEO Marc A. Hayek. “Listening to a sonnerie is like tasting a grand wine,” Hayek said. “It is not merely a question of volume, but the clarity, the resonance, the persistence, the richness. Savoring the sounding of a prestige sonnerie is an emotional experience.” 

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The accomplishment raises the bar for what future Blancpain watches might be able to achieve, well beyond even the sporty-yet-luxurious appeal of its most famous model, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. And while only two incredibly fortunate owners (annually) will secure a piece of horology history, the latest experiment from Blancpain very well might set the tone for where the company goes next.

It’s my one recommendation.

No plane ticket required.

Which one is more your vibe?

Winter’s worst weather, and even the daily grind, calls for the proper approach in your menswear wardrobe: Simply build around one truly great winter coat to win the day. That coat comes in a variety of forms, from the erstwhile parka to the tough-as-nails waxed trucker jacket, and Filson has the whole lot covered this season.

Filson outerwear can assuredly be trusted “in any weather,” as the outfitter sagely notes. More than 120 years of experience in crafting some of the strongest outerwear on the planet helps see to that heritage, and many of Filson’s silhouettes harken back a century ago, to when the Seattle-based company helped outfit prospectors braving the treacherous Pacific Northwest.

You can even pair your new favorite jacket with hearty Filson x Blundstone boots or take a high-fashion approach with Filson x Junya Watanabe. While your holiday to-do list hopefully will prove more fruitful than treacherous, outerwear options abound from Filson in matters of absurdly rugged performance and style this season.

Filson Reversible Pile Fleece Jacket

The fleece jacket is all grown up, complete with a surprisingly stylish yet high-performing blend of ripstop nylon on one side, and cozy fleece on the other. When your next winter outing calls for a grab-and-go jacket, one you needn’t fuss over, reach for this casually cool fleece option from Filson. $199

Filson Mackinaw Wool Jac-Shirt

Not every winter day brings with it a blizzard bearing down. For layering up atop a henley or a chambray shirt during an upstate retreat, look towards the humble yet hard-working hybrid design of the shirt jacket. Filson uses extra-thick Mackinaw Wool that should prove warm and insulating even when wet. $329

Filson Down Cruiser Parka

At times, your outerwear rotation can do with plenty of bells and whistles, like a host of handy everyday carry pockets, a large adjustable hood and a sturdy waxed finish to repel snow and wind. Add in warm down filling and fashion it all from Filson’s classically rugged Otter Green waxed fabric, and you’ve got a winter parka cut out for anything. $699

Filson Down Bomber Jacket

The military performance of the bomber jacket fuses with Filson’s no-nonsense, signature waxed cotton exterior and a 650-fill power insulated build. Even the pockets are lined in wool for the utmost in casually rugged warmth, and the silhouette is especially apt at wearing with indigo denim jeans and brown leather moc toe boots. $459

Filson Tin Cloth Short Lined Cruiser Jacket

Filson says its take on the trucker jacket, the Cruiser Jacket fashioned from its famously strong yet supple water-resistant Tin Cloth fabric, is ” often imitated and never replicated,” and they’re largely correct. Water, wind and rain are no match for this tough-as-nails jacket which is especially appealing in a whiskey-esque shade of Dark Tan. $359

Filson Mackinaw Wool Cruiser Jacket

The Mackinaw Cruiser Jacket, which lands somewhere between a field coat and a trucker jacket, has been a Filson staple since it was patented in 1914. The same heritage holds steadfast today, built from thick 100% virgin wool with weather-resistant properties and sewn-in-Seattle pedigree. $599

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While Oasis undeniably had the biggest rock comeback of 2025 with their Oasis Live ’25 reunion tour, it doesn’t look like the Gallagher brothers are ready to release new music anytime soon.

Aside from packing stadiums in Europe and the U.S., the British rockers led by Noel and Liam Gallagher were suddenly everywhere, from partnerships with Land Rover Defender and Stone Island parkas to a “Liam and Noel” oil painting auctioned off at Sotheby’s.

But now that the band has been reunited for months, fans are openly wondering if the comeback tour could lead to a new Oasis album, which would be the band’s first since 2008’s Dig Out Your Soul, reports Uproxx.

But Liam Gallagher doesn’t seem remotely interested in dropping any new Oasis tracks. On November 25, a fan tweeted at Gallagher, “beg your brother for a new album PLEASE I really need it I feel so lost right now,” and he memorably replied, “New music is for WANKERS.” Another user wrote, “i feel like a new album is coming and you’re just hiding it really well,” and Gallagher responded:

“It’s not I honestly do t see the point it won’t be as good as the old stuff im quite happy singing the old stuff I’m not 1 of those WANKERS that need to keep pushing it forward or sideways or backwards in some cases NOSTALGIA forever.”

Meanwhile, Liam also continued to plug potential additional tour dates, tweeting, “There’s loads more classics we need to play for you when we go out again I mean happy Christmas.” In response to a user asking Gallagher what he wants for Christmas, he responded, “A European tour.”

Electric cars and trucks have been around long enough to take a health share of the automotive market, but the era of the electric motorcycle is still in its infancy. Can-Am—a company best known for its off-road vehicles and killer trikes—is getting in on the ground floor with fully electric bikes like the street-ready Pulse and the versatile Origin. While EVs might not be for everyone, could an electric motorcycle be for every rider?

On initial inspection, the Pulse turns heads. Available in black, white or a special sterling-silver satin, the fairings and “gas tank” play second fiddle to the bold yellow bulk of the bike’s body, which houses the massive battery that allows the Pulse to transform electricity into pure adrenaline. Without looking closely, there’s really nothing that outs the Pulse as an EV when compared to its combustion-engine brethren. It’s just a good-looking bike. 

On the performance front, like most EVs, acceleration is astounding. In Sport+ mode, the mode I rode in most, the 0-60 mph time was consistently under four seconds, and snapping the throttle immediately delivered more than enough power to get the front wheel up in the air; a shocking development when I discovered it, but an absolute joy every time thereafter. Similarly, the Pulse was equally up to the task of burnouts and any other oddball motorcycle trick I’d try to test on gas-powered bike. 

Of course, Sport+ mode showcased the Pulse’s raw power. But two other modes, Normal and Eco, are available for those looking to go the distance, whether that means battery longevity or range. In my experience, riding the Pulse in Normal mode surprisingly didn’t differ much from Sport+. There was still plenty of torque and acceleration available when riding in Normal, and I could see average commuter making that their default mode. 

Eco, on the other hand, is really for the rider who wants to squeeze as much distance out of a charge as possible. According to Can-Am, that amounts to about 100 miles. Even though I never actually used an entire charge in Eco for fear of stranding myself on the road, my experience largely corroborates that claim. However, acceleration tails off significantly and it was quite an effort to achieve the Pulse’s 80 mph top speed, which was no problem in Sport+. 

As expected, the Pulse was a joy to ride, provided a thrill like any gas-powered sport or street bike would, connected me to the road like only a motorcycle can, handled the treacherous traffic conditions around NYC with aplomb, and even cut more than a few precious minutes off my daily commute. What surprised me was how quickly it would take a full charge, even off a traditional wall outlet. I was consistently getting from 10 or 20 percent all the way to 100 percent charge in two or three hours. On a supercharger, the time to full charge is cut down to about an hour. 

That range and those charging times put the Pulse does limit its use cases. For a commute it’s brilliant—mine is about 15 miles each way, and the Pulse tore it up daily. However, when the opportunity to visit a friend about 100 miles away came up, it presented the question of whether to chance it on the Pulse, knowing I would need to recharge before heading home. In my instance, I knew I could rely on public charging options, but had I been in an area underserved by charging infrastructure, I’d have probably taken that trip in my car instead. 

There’s plenty of wonderful stuff to say about how the Pulse can go, but what’s arguably more interesting is how the Pulse can stop. There’s a unique regenerative decelerating system in addition to the traditional hand and foot brakes. The regen deceleration was initiated by rolling the throttle away from me, the opposite motion used to accelerate. For an experienced motorcyclist, this is a very counterintuitive motion that initially resulted in some very choppy stops. After a day or two, though, regenerative deceleration was my go-to means of stopping on local roads. Not only did it become a very natural motion, but it added to the bike’s range. It’s worth noting that I reverted back to traditional braking when riding the Pulse on highways for safety’s sake.

Beside the regenerative deceleration, two other characteristics stood out that are unique to nearly all electric motorcycles, the Pulse included. It’s silent, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but sometimes the best way to let the traffic around you know you’re there is to crack the throttle and announce your presence. The Pulse’s electric motor, at its loudest, emits a high-pitched hum. Its horn left some decibels to be desired, but a case can be made that anything quieter than a semi-truck’s honk falls short when you’re on the road with two wheels.

Secondly, the Pulse’s lack of a clutch was utterly jarring at the outset. There is a particular satisfaction and feel that come with using the left hand and left foot in tandem to manually move through the gearbox. That is wholly absent on all electric bikes. It took a few days before I stopped phantom clutching (pulling a handle that simply wasn’t there) while I was riding the Pulse. The upside to a clutch-less bike is the left hand is free to cycle through media controls and other stats on the Pulse’s big, bright 10-inch touchscreen display. 

Speaking of the Pulse’s HUD, Can-Am has set what I consider to be a high bar for the rest of the motorcycles produced today. My dad is a lifelong Harley rider, currently on his second CVO, and I could see the jealousy in his eyes when he saw the screen on the Pulse. Built-in Bluetooth connectivity for phone calls and music, connectable to a variety of headsets, boasting both Apple CarPlay (wired) and Android Auto, there was no shortage of modern amenities to support delightful summer afternoon cruises with tunes bumping. Can-Am tells us that wireless connectivity for CarPlay is also in the works, a feature that will make the infotainment system practically perfect when it arrives.  

Even though I was able to try both bikes during my original Brooklyn test drive, it was the Pulse that I grew to love over the course of the summer months, and I had serious separation anxiety when returning it. Colleagues did say that their experience on the off-road-ready Origin, with its taller wheels and more substantial suspension, still offered a similar experience at its core, and they felt the same remorse returning theirs. This shared experience across two distinct models speaks to the notion that the philosophy behind Can-Am’s electric motorcycle endeavor is a unified one that can be applied to any kind of bike. Hopefully that means we see even more variety from them in the future. Starting at $10,999, the Pulse starts at $10,999 is available across North America.

Expensive-looking winter finds ahead.

Can’t get over these Cyber Monday deals.