An amazing example of pedigree South Australian cabernet sauvignon is the Bin 707, often cited as the cabernet sauvignon version of the legendary Grange shiraz. I really like the 707, whilst I only reserve for special occasions, there are times a 707 is warranted.

The first vintage was back in 1964; relatively young for a wine if you hail from the old world. For the rest of us from the southern hemisphere, this is relatively old. The Penfolds winery has been around since 1844, legendary winemaker Max Schubert came up with the Bin releases. The 707 is often described as the reflection of Grange, the 1998 vintage has a cellaring potential up to 2040, With the first vintages from 1964 to 1969, the drinking window is past with the exception of the 1966 vintage.

The TAG Heuer WAY201A.BA0927 is a pretty decent looking timepiece, the black teak streaked dial with black ceramic inset looks pretty decent. This is now a superseded model, but I like the older version better than the latest model.

The 43 mm case is on the larger side so will only suit bigger wrists, that works in chronograph format but is a little big for a three hand version. It took me a while to work out, the yellow Calibre 5 text on the lower section of the dial and second hand is to identify the 43 mm version. The orange text identifies the 41 mm version, the dial has applied index markers and printed text. The 300 metre water resistance comes with a screw-in case back and screw-down crown. The crown is on the larger side, I like this as it gives this watch some grunt.

There is a crown guard, the crown protrudes past the crown guard but this is ok. The case is fine brushed and polished, there are plenty of sharp edges on the case and bezel. This is a popular style although I prefer a rounded finish, this style goes all the way back to the 2000 series of the 1990s. The three link bracelet has raised centre links and a polished and brushed finish. The folding clasp with locking buttons is suitable for a dive watch. The wetsuit extension is pressed steel and feels cheap, I’m not a fan of the pin and collar link retention, once again cheapening the watch.

The Calibre 5 can be either the 25 jewel ETA 2824-2 or 26 jewel Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement. I have never pulled the case-back off, however the finish is basic and based on videos I have viewed, the movement is retained by a plastic ring. I am not a fan of the cyclops on the sapphire crystal over the 3 o’clock date window, however, this is far better than the newer version with large round cyclops over the date window at the 6 o’clock position. The older the model then more I like it – or so it seems.

I have an interest in timepieces and whilst I have purchased new watches from retailers, I research manufacturers and specific models. With the notable exception of an Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch which I will one day purchase new, I now have an interest in vintage timepieces to add to my collection, so now I have a vintage timepiece to add to my collection.

A work colleague learned of my watch collecting and brought in a box of fake watches he purchased in Malaysia and Indonesia when on holiday. Whilst I offered my new collection of fake Rolex to my friends, I found a CYMA Synchron Conquistador in the bag of fake watches. I found out from Rod that this was the property of his late father, I decided to get this timepiece with some personal significance working again. First, I needed some history on CYMA as I had no knowledge of this manufacturer but I do know they don’t have much of a presence in Australia anymore.

Much to my surprise I found the business has a history dating back to 1891 and CYMA are still active in the larger watch market of Hong Kong. That was somewhat of a surprise as I had thought this was one of the small watch manufacturers that didn’t survive past the quartz movement revolution that claimed so many other Swiss watch manufacturers. So I had myself a gold case CYMA Synchron Conquistador timepiece that looked very 1970s that has cost me nothing, I had a budget that I needed to maintain but I really wanted a vintage timepiece for more formal occasions.

The band was missing so my choice was to be a black leather band to compliment the gold case, I have enough bracelet style watches so a leather band is a nice edition. As is the trend, current watchmaking is increasing case diameter and case thickness leads to larger chunky timepieces, this vintage timepiece is the opposite.

The dial is a light sunburst gold with the date window located at the six o’clock position, there are no numerals with just hourly index – I like it. The watchmaker informed me the movement was pretty much found in all these timepieces in the display case as he waved his arms around. I enquired if this is an ETA 2824 movement and he nodded his head.

He then informed me he had spent 40 years working on these and had a handy collection of spare parts. This was required as he was going to get my non-working automatic movement going again for a budget price using second hand parts. The crown was damaged so I would have a non standard generic crown as it had been struck by a hard object – probably a hammer. The stem was damaged and further components such as gears were required.

I was looking at a six week wait and I wasn’t concerned as I had overspent already on other projects being undertaken and needed all of that time and maybe some more. That being said, I still made a 50% payment and I hoped they took as long as they needed. All in all, I will be in this for less than $450 by the time I purchase a black leather strap – I’m reasonably happy.

When I purchase illy coffee, my preference is the Classico range, this is easily the most accessible illy offering. In Perth, it was near impossible to even purchase illy coffee, there was not a lot of choice. With few exceptions, it was difficult to head down a café and get served illy in Perth, not like other places in the world. 

So I had to be content with what I got, now illy coffee is available at the supermarket so I no longer have to wait for overseas travel. I now have the choice of full beans, ground coffee or Nespresso pods, the choice has never been better for me. This has been a fantastic development, I can now drink illy coffee on a daily basis and not lead myself into financial ruin.

Ok, so what does the Classico range offer the coffee drinker. Firstly, I drink both the ground coffee and Nespresso capsules. Does this offer any differences? Well the ground coffee is deep in flavour without the residual bitterness, the capsules are purely espresso while the ground coffee is either plunger [at work] or espresso machine at home.  

I was well aware of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, I had always thought the Patek Philippe Nautilus was somewhat similar. Little did I know both timepieces were designed by Gérald Genta, the Royal Oak was inspired by a diving helmet with exposed screws on the faceplate.

Add the IWC Ingenieur to the list, that is a pretty distinguished collection of designs to your name. Then I found out Genta was involved with Universal Genève Polerouter Microtors, Bvlgari and the Omega Constellation. Whilst the iconic designs for Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Omega, IWC and Bulgari are well known, Genta also designed timepieces for Cartier, Chaumet, Hamilton, Van Cleef & Arpels, Seiko, and Timex.

Apparently, Audemars Piguet Managing Director Georges Golay contacted Genta seeking a totally new design for a waterproof steel sports watch. Even more interesting is he wanted the design by the next morning, the Royal Oak design was based on scaphander’s helmet with eight screws visible from the exterior.

Keeping the nautical inspiration, Patek Philippe approached Genta in 1976, this time the design inspiration was taken from the porthole of transatlantic ships. The Nautilus name is in reference to the submarine Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The design is much smoother and more rounded than the Royal Oak that is almost impossible to purchase owing to the popularity of the timepiece.

With the Chinese expansionism in the South China Sea, the Australian requirement for more self-reliance in defence is clearly necessary. Sure, we have allies and security deals, but you do not want to solely rely on such measures.

Looking at what has happened in Ukraine, with support of NATO and a number of countries, the Ukrainian resistance has been fierce, they have humbled the second largest military in the world. This was all without an effective navy or air force, however, Ukrainian ground forces have molested the Russians so badly that they do not have air superiority over Ukraine. As we have seen, they are vulnerable in places where they thought they were safe.

Australia needs a strong navy, as an exporting nation, we require protection of our sea lanes and our critical infrastructure. As a regional power, harassment of enemy shipping prevents their resupply as well as offensive moves, air power will play a major role in the engagement of enemy shipping.

Whilst I would not consider Indonesia a major threat to Australia, a naval force traversing through the Indonesian archipelago does constitute a threat to Australian sovereignty. This is where the Royal Australian Air Force will be vital in protecting national interests. The F-35 will be vital in protecting the Australian mainland from naval attack, this is way too close to the Australian mainland to be comfortable.

According to official figures, the straight line range of the F-35 is 2200 km, RAAF Base Williamtown in NSW is 3938 km, so the aircraft is unable to fly from RAAF Base Learmonth to Perth without refuelling. Darwin to Perth distance is 2653 km, still outside the listed range of the F-35, so aircraft cannot get to Western Australia without refuelling requirements.

That is just getting there, they then require fuel for operations, so there may be two indirect refuelling actions required. It is feasible that Chinese naval vessels could approach vital mining and port facilities on the west coast through Indonesia. There is significant oil and gas facilities in the north west region that are vulnerable to attack. It is simple, Australia requires at least one F-35 fighter Squadron based in Western Australia.

All air bases require upgrading, it would be ideal if one F-35 squadron was based at Pearce, just 35 km north of Perth and another Squadron based at RAAF Base Curtin to protect the northern approaches to Australia. It is feasible to have F-35 aircraft link up with aircraft from Darwin to provide a defensive shield.

It will be too late to upgrade facilities at RAAF Base Learmonth when we are under attack. We require infrastructure well in advance, this is fuel facilities, weapons, food and water, maintenance, and accommodation for families. In short, we need an operational base in the north west capable of defending the nation, not a strip used for two weeks once a year.

The Russian propagandists are really having a crack at the Azov Regiment, so for a balanced viewpoint, I thought I would take a look at the origins of the Azov Regiment and where they are now. Let us keep in mind that Ukraine has a democratically elected government and Russia is a fascist dictatorship – it is really that simple.

Since 2014 Russian backed separatists have been operating in the Donbas region bordering Russia, it is well known that Russia is supporting the separatist movement arming the militia and providing financial support. Then there was the invasion and occupation of Crimea also in 2014, the Ukrainian military was too weak to resist and they lost that territory. When the Azov Battalion was formed to drive the Russians out, there was claims about far right ideology and torture. I am not here to defend them, I am just doing some internet searching to identify the genesis of this organisation.

So this is where the Azov Regiment really began to build strength. Are they a right wing nationalist organisation? Well, based on the criteria that they have had their sovereign territory invaded and occupied, this provides a fertile recruiting basis for Ukrainian nationalism to evict these invaders from their territory. Is the Azov Regiment a Nazi organisation? I severely doubt it, are they fascists, nope. Are there fascists in Ukraine? You bet there is, they are easy to identify, they are the ones with the Z symbol on their military hardware.

I am a fan of Omega watches, this quality watchmaker has a well documented history, the collaboration with NASA has defined this watchmaker for generations. I identify with the brand, the Seamaster and Speedmaster are the two iconic timepieces in their line-up. The DeVille and Constellation ranges are lesser known, whilst I am not a fan, I appreciate their unique heritage and style.

The Speedmaster association with NASA is legendary, first seen on the wrist of Ed White on his ironic tethered space walk on the Gemini 4 mission. The Speedmaster was the only timepiece to pass all the NASA tests; as such, the Speedmaster was flight certified for all NASA missions, the only timepiece to pass all the stringent tests.

There are some pretty decent photographs of Buzz Aldrin in the Apollo 11 command module. First worn on the lunar surface by Buzz, apparently the mission timer in the LEM failed with Neil Armstrong leaving his Speedmaster in the lunar module. The Speedmaster is the pick of the lineup; however, if I had to choose between the Speedmaster and the Seamaster, the Seamaster would be my choice.

The main reason is the hesalite crystal on the Speedmaster Professional I guess, I am so worried about scratching the crystal. There are sapphire crystal models, for me, not a Speedmaster Professional I want, I only wear my Speedmaster on special occasions. The styling is old, but that doesn’t bother me, style never goes out of fashion.

The Railmaster formed one third of the trilogy, whilst not as popular as the Speedmaster and Seamaster series, the Railmaster was the anti-magnetic timepiece for engineers and scientists. Ironically, the current Seamaster collection is resistant to magnetic fields, 15,000 gauss, a higher rating than the original Railmaster. The Railmaster is a decent timepiece, but very much 1960s vintage, similar to the Seamaster 300, the Diver 300 and Planet Ocean are all newer styles of the Seamaster range – all good as a daily wear.

So I am following watch designers, Jörg Hysek has been involved in noteworthy designs from Vacheron Constantin, Breguet, Tiffany and TAG Heuer. Jörg is an outstanding designer, whilst credited with numerous designs, I am reflecting on his most famous designs, what is interesting is some designers are somewhat divisive as tastes vary, Jörg certainly meets this criteria.

I can’t say I’m a huge fan of the Vacheron Constantin 222 (1977) design a whole lot more, the steel sports watch of the 1970s. I really don’t think much of the scalloped bezel, I actually like the later model, but as the Overseas is still in production, the base design is sound even if the bezel is a little different. What I do appreciate is the respect the 222 gets, this is personal taste and I respect that I might not be seeing it this time because my tastes are inhibiting me.

Breguet is well known for elegant dress watches, so with Breguet producing a sports watch, the Marine (1990) is interesting. The wave design of the dial is distinctive, I really think Breget is under appreciated, I think it is right up there with the holy trinity of watchmaking. One of the oldest watchmakers with so many innovations, but does not have an unbroken run of production.

The TAG Heuer Kirium (1997) was a futuristic design, the liquid metal design and integrated three link bracelet. Of all of Jörg’sdesigns, this is the watch I own. Once again, an innovative and divisive design, it is a case of loving or hating it, but was a best seller for TAG Heuer in the 1990s. The Kirium is the only quartz watch I wear on a regular basis now, the rest have batteries removed and are no longer in the rotation. I do like the three hand version with the digital dial, something different.

The Tiffany Streamerica (1990) has many similarities to the Kirium, for me, this is a design that did not age well. I am aware Tiffany & Co is a very big name in jewellery, they are an international business with a very good reputation, the Tiffany blue dial is a highly sought after model and really in demand. But on this occasion, I am just not seeing it. The Streamerica looks extremely dated in my opinion, I don’t think I will see this design revisited.

The 2018 Château du Cartillon is an interesting drop for me, I liked it, I really liked it. I found this wine earthy, with blackcurrant and some nice oak overtones. According to the tasting notes, this is a 50/50 merlot/cabernet sauvignon blend. Generally a Haut-Médoc also features petit verdot, cabernet franc, malbac and carménère, so this is a fairly simple blend. If you have good fruit and good processes then this may not be an issue.

I like the Médoc style, so I need to do a little online searching so I know exactly what Haut-Médoc is. From what I can determine, Haut-Médoc is a larger district of the Bordeaux region. Ok, so what does that mean? I have not been to the Bordeaux wine region yet, but I will go at some stage in the future. As the Haut-Médoc region is larger, it apparently has a greater diversity of terroir; that is climate, soil and topography than the Médoc region. But one has to remember, these are sub-regions that are very close to each other, they are connected.

Viewing wine region maps of the greater Bordeaux, I know and like Médoc, Haut-Médoc and the Saint-Émilion regions so I have a few ideas. What I learnt is there are a whole load of sub-regions within the greater Bordeaux environment that I knew nothing about. Saint-Émilion is better known for merlot, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon wine varieties. The Médoc sub-region is known as the left bank along the Gironne/Garonne River flowing through Bordeaux. So I drank my Château du Cartillon and really liked it, I will be looking for more in this price range.