On hunting targets......and hitting three in one shot.
May 02, 2016,03:29 AM
Forgive the meandering here........
I have a few obsessions in my life. One of them is tea. Oolong tea is a particular passion. But Darjeeling is also a particular favourite. In terms of black teas, I have found just one that I really love from the Amba Estate in Sri Lanka. I have tasted many black teas, but the Amba Estate was, to my palate, just head and shoulders above the rest. Last year, the head tea-grower at the estate decided to leave the estate. She was a genius. As a result of her departure, many tea suppliers have decided not to purchase supplies as they want to see how the estate fares under new management. So, I have about 50 grammes left of Amba tea in my stores...and very little chance of finding more for the foreseeable future.
One week ago, a few guys headed to Paris for a quick GTG. I went there with no expectations of adding to my collection or of hunting any targets. Yet....i hit three in one go.
Bang! I saw an original Polaris 65 with the JLC inscription and in superb condition. I saw it....I had to have it. It is a watch where I have some history, but I think it is fair to say I have never owned this version and it is a very good fit within my collection. A big target hit.
Up until this point, there is no watch with the same birth year as me. Now there. Within Rolex, I find it very hard to find a 1965. But now, I have a birth year watch. Bang!
And finally, with the assistance of my resident French adviser, we visited a famous French tea supplier. I bought some Oolong and saw the they had a black tea that I had never tasted before. Shangri-La Gold from Nepal. I bought 100g. I had no particular expectation of this tea other than curiosity.
Bang! I tried it on returning to the UK and it was a killer. It is, for me, on a par with Amba Estate. More importantly, I can buy it!
Three targets hit in one trip. Actually, to be fair, there was more than three targets hit. Making new friends is always a target and that certainly happened on this GTG.
This message has been edited by Baron on 2016-05-02 03:39:11
Forgive the meandering here........ I have a few obsessions in my life. One of them is tea. Oolong tea is a particular passion. But Darjeeling is also a particular favourite. In terms of black teas, I have found just one that I really love from the Amba E...
I love tea as well - whether oolongs, green tea, or black tea - each type of tea has it's time and place. I cannot imagine a day without tea! Our watches are much the same. In a busy workday, a cup of tea, a brief glimpse at what's on our wrists ... these...
......Shangri-La Gold/Amba Estate at breakfast. .......Oolong at 11am. ......Green at 2pm. A routine.......and each day a variation within the Oolongs and Greens. Each day a treasure.
To find one, and how I found it. I am so happy you found another one, my friend. Which is, moreover, not only in great shape, but I can say, in this JLC version, a bit rarer than the Lecoultre, from what I could see in the market these past ten years. Now...
Joe, thanks you for an interesting post. I know something - but not very much! - about tea but I\'ll be the first to admit my palate for the stuff is pretty unrefined. In SE Asia where I now live it\'s mostly Chinese teas (which I find pretty impenetrable...
.....i just grew into my teas. Probably like most, i started with black tea. I really only discovered Darjeeling in the last 5 years....i found that I had to drink it without milk to appreciate it. Now it is one of my favourites. From there, it is just a ...
... during a Parisian gathering I am sure that both the friends meeting as well as the place must have added charm to the thrill of finding those treasures! I wish you´ll enjoy the three so much, and look forward to know some pictures of the 1965 Rolex as...
This not only is a very rare catch, it\'s an uber-rare one AND a beauty ! And I missed seeing it, also ! .. - ll, hope we can make up for that.. Very hapy for your three in one, my friend ! Unitil next time ! Have a great week, Best, hs
.. Thus, this one has remained elusive for me. But maybe I should try for the ss TT 65, Paris Boutique version which is even more difficult, I guess. We will see.. Sooo many targets.. Best, hs
Huge congrats, my friend! This is a absolute beauty! Funny that of all the Polaris, you have the three versions I don't have. If you get a vintage LeCoultre 68 we have all the versions, but on one the same... Best Blomman