THE SURFING FINANCIER
BREITLING, TOP TIME TRIUMPH CHRONOGRAPH
YOU will have seen him on the terrace of George, where he holds his afternoon meetings. During the week, he is a model modern Mayfair hedgie, whose working uniform is dictated by the social-media feeds of half a dozen modern-classic menswear influencers: Gaziano & Girling made-to-order slip-ons (not bespoke, yet), flannel trousers from Brunello Cucinelli (slimline, of course) and a close-fitting, soft-shouldered cashmere blazer (when formality requires). Peeking out from underneath the cuff of his white shirt (open neck), amid a tangle of man bangles and beach bracelets testifying to the diving holiday in Thailand to which he treated himself last bonus time, you will see the ice-blue dial of his Breitling Top Time Triumph chronograph. It is a watch that reveals the man he becomes as soon as the markets close on a Friday, when, in his leathers and on his Triumph Thruxton RS 1200, he is to be found heading west on the A303 to pursue his passion for surfing and commune with his inner he-man. But, his is a personality in tension between his high-powered motorbikes and his concern about the environment (don’t get him started on the state of our rivers). To assuage his guilt, he has devised his own personal for the 107th time and promising himself that this is the year he will chuck in the job and follow waves around the world… but reality prevails and, by Monday, he is back safe and sound on the terrace at George.
