The tsar of bars

Raised in a pioneering fashion family, Justin Hemmes has reshaped Sydney’s dining scene- and at 70 venues and counting, shows no signs of slowing down.

By Georgina Safe 14/08/2018

It’s a stifling summer afternoon in Sydney and the city is in a heat-induced torpor. The venues that comprise the Ivy dining and entertainment complex are filled with suits and business types, but it’s languid lassitude rather than hectic hedonism that pervades. Ice cream quickly puddles on the dessert plates at Ash St. Cellar; water, not wine, is being served by the sommelier at French fine-dining restaurant Felix; chairs and belt notches are scraping outwards as the afternoon descends into inertia and indolence. But upstairs in the office of Justin Hemmes, overlooking this precinct that is part of his multi-million-dollar Merivale empire of more than 70 venues across Sydney, it’s an entirely different story.

The chief executive officer of his family’s Merivale group bounces in fresh and energetic in a casual open-neck blue shirt and chinos, with a deep tan and designer stubble accentuating his leonine features and build. Around one million visitors a month frequent Hemmes’ Merivale Group venues in Sydney, including the Coogee Pavilion, Establishment and the Ivy (the latter, home to Ash St. Cellar and Felix). He’s just opened four more, including Fred’s and Charlie Parker’s in inner-east Paddington, The Newport (on the northern beaches), and has added a further swathe of planned refurbishments and restorations to an empire that already employs around 3000 people.

If anyone should be feeling the heat, it’s Hemmes. Not so.

“I tend to have a habit of opening things just before Christmas, much to my senior management’s disdain,” he laughs, easing back into a leather designer chair at the helm of his boardroom table with views overlooking the city skyline.

“But trading-wise, it’s certainly always the most exciting and busy time. Business for me is pleasure.”


Merivale Fred’s Charlie Parker’s in Paddington: https://merivale.com/venues/charlieparkers

Even this poised and relaxed multimillionaire has to admit he’s been particularly bullish of late. In December 2016, Merivale Group opened the Queens Hotel in the inner-Sydney suburb of Enmore, purchased (for $37.5 million) the traditional Tennyson Hotel near Sydney Airport, and in the coming months would look to open The Alex in nearby Alexandria, a new level of the Coogee Pavilion and a second phase of The Newport.

“Yes, we’ve been busy,” he admits.

“It’s just a formula of our resources and the timings of purchase and opportunities that arise … It’s a combination of those elements and I think we may be getting better at it. We are in a good rhythm at the moment and we have a great team, and that just makes it easier to deliver.”

What the Merivale group has delivered since it opened its first restaurant in Potts Point in the early ’90s is a fundamental shift in the way Sydney drinks, dines, plays and stays. Where Sydney was once home to beer barns, testosterone and pub rock, Hemmes saw the potential for more aspirational venues offering cool tunes, cocktails, clever design and good food, pitched to cultured pleasure-seekers that
included women as well as men.


Merivale Fred’s Charlie Parker’s in Paddington: https://merivale.com/venues/charlieparkers

“I was fortunate enough to travel at an early age, and that opened my eyes to another way of experiencing food and beverage to what was happening in Australia,” says Hemmes.

“I wanted to bring that to Sydney so people could enjoy interesting music, good food and uplifting conversation in surroundings that were full of life, excitement and sharing.”

That was certainly the case for Hemmes growing up, when he enjoyed an idyllic bohemian childhood with his sister Bettina as the son and daughter of John and Merivale Hemmes, who ran the pioneering and uber-hip House of Merivale boutiques in the ’60s in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. Modelled on cool London stores of the Swinging Sixties, the House of Merivale introduced “modern clothes for people with a zest for life” and a new concept for fashion retail in Australia. Mick Jagger, Barry White and Liza Minnelli were among the celebrity customers of the stores that became a cultural phenomenon as the place to go for the latest trends in music, fashion and makeup.

“It was all about creating this wonderful environment for a customer to come into, to buy a beautiful gown and to walk out and feel like their life was better and more exciting. That’s the same business model we use now, but with food and beverage,” says Hemmes.

As the fashion side of the business later began to wane, it shifted to hospitality with the opening of Merivale restaurant in Potts Point. John and Merivale turned their attention to expanding that side of the Merivale Group in tandem with Justin and Bettina. The two siblings continue to operate it in line with their parents’ founding principles, although John passed away in 2015 after a lengthy battle with cancer.

“Mum and Dad instilled in us a passion and zest for life, and taught us not to be afraid to try something different,” says Hemmes.


Merivale Fred’s Charlie Parker’s in Paddington: https://merivale.com/venues/charlieparkers

The 44-year-old has grown into a shrewd businessman, renowned for an unerring instinct for scouting talent and properties, holding staff to exacting standards, and rewarding them with lavish overseas trips and other glamorous perks. But he admits his first foray into business was an unmitigated disaster.

“Shares!” he sighs, cradling his head in his hands.

Hemmes was 17 when some friends introduced him to playing the stock market, and he quickly caught the bug.

“Somehow I ended up getting a Reuters screen – back then you could geta Reuters screen set up in your office – and I was buying and selling shares and it just turned into a colossal mess,” he says.

“Here I was, thinking that it was easy to make a buck, and I think my dad knew that it would be a disaster – but he let it happen, just to teach me a lesson. When it all went to shit, he really came down on me and that was the last time I touched shares,” he chuckles.

“I felt so bad for losing my parents’ money, but it was the most valuable lesson to learn at an early age that there is no such thing as fast money, and in the long run I’ve never looked back.”


Merivale Queens Hotel in Newtown: https://merivale.com/venues/queenshotel

That fierce work ethic continues to drive Hemmes today in a business that straddles hospitality and property development by acquiring, then re-imagining venues to improve their value. A regular at Australia’s most glamorous parties and fundraisers – many at his own venues – Hemmes is as comfortable in a hard hat on a building site as in a tuxedo at a black tie dinner. They’re both parts of a handson approach to business that includes scouting every new property himself.

“I’d like to say there is a big team, but it’s just me,” he says.

“When I walk into a property, I just have a gut feeling and know instantly if I can do something wonderful with that building or not.”

While he started in the family business as a dish-hand and waiter at Merivale restaurant in Potts Point, it was not until he worked for two years on a construction site that he discovered his love of property.


Merivale Queens Hotel in Newtown: https://merivale.com/venues/queenshotel

“An opportunity came up with one of the developments that mum and dad were doing in the city and I went and worked as a brickie’s labourer,” he says.

“It was only going to be two weeks, but I just fell in love with construction and everything that makes a building come to life in terms of the structure, the electricals, the plumbing and the craftsmanship.”

His focus on the details extends to tasting the cocktails and dishes for every new venue, where he is usually on site up to 14 hours a day in the lead-up to an opening, as well as eyeballing the figures coming in each day for every single shift at all 70 of his venues.

“The way we run the business is that we lead from the top, and to lead by example you need to know the detail of every job as well as, if not better than, the person you are expecting to take it on. That’s something I learned from Mum and Dad.”

Hemmes is now a father himself, to daughter Alexa, whom he welcomed into the world with his partner Kate Fowler in November 2015.

“It’s the next step in the evolution of life for me,” says the man who was once described by CNN as Sydney’s ultimate playboy. His past is one of youthful hedonism filled with beautiful girlfriends, fast cars and close calls, including once flipping his speedboat on Sydney Harbour. These days you’re more likely to find him unwinding at home with his family in Vaucluse, or at Glasshouse Rocks, their reported $7.5 million, 60-hectare seaside property near Narooma, on NSW’s far south coast. There, he indulges his passion for outdoor pursuits including free diving, windsurfing, mountain bike riding and spear fishing.

“Anything with a bit of action involved,” he says. “If we go away for the weekend, I make it my necessity to go spear fishing, to catch the food we will eat. We often don’t bring anything with us, so that I am forced to forage for whatever is in the ocean; whiting, abalone, trevally, lobsters and flathead …I’ll catch it all.”

In pleasure as well as business, for Hemmes the thrill of the chase is as enjoyable as savouring the spoils.

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How Off-the-Rack Suits Got Sophisticated Enough to Win Over Bespoke Guys

Ready-to-wear tailoring has never been better, and it offers even the most particular dressers a fast, easy platform for experimenting with their look.

By Aleks Cvetkovic 18/02/2025

The world moves fast—and for once, tailoring is moving a little bit faster.

Guys around the globe are rediscovering their love of suits, but many have determined that they can’t stomach the monthslong wait for bespoke. The good news? Ready-to-wear tailoring has never been better.

That’s in part because bespoke makers are beefing up their off-the-rack offerings. Anderson & Sheppard’s shop-in-store at N.Y.C.’s Bergdorf Goodman—the first outpost beyond its London flagship— opened in December with, among other things, a sharp wool-and-cashmere jacket in a delightful shade of teal. Huntsman’s recent fall-winter collection, billed as its most comprehensive assortment yet, offered everything from tuxedos to shooting breeches. Even Leonard Logsdail, Hollywood’s highly esteemed bespoke purveyor, is experimenting with hem-and-go models.

But non-custom tailors are upping the ante, too. Some of the best ready-to-wear suits on the market come from such brands, whose wholly distinctive points of view provide a welcome departure from the rigidity of many bespoke tailors’ house styles. The preponderance and diversity of such high-quality, easy-to-access threads has recast off-the-rack suits as the ultimate way to experiment with your look, not just a way for some to get dressed on the cheap. What’s more, it reflects the new reality that even people who suit up regularly might want to show up looking different on Thursday night than they did on Tuesday morning.

“Life nowadays is much more fluid,” says Chris Modoo, a London-based stylist who once worked as a tailor on Savile Row. “Things happen, invitations appear. You might get an invite for a black-tie party in the South of France for next Saturday.” Ready-to-wear is the obvious solution when you’re in a last-minute menswear quandary, but “it also means you can try new things.”

One maker worth a test-drive is Husbands Paris, founded by Nicolas Gabard, who sees his role as an “archivist of the past.” His look, inspired by stylish men such as Yves Saint Laurent, David Hemmings, and Gary Cooper, is unabashedly striking—think long, fully canvased jackets, broad lapels, structured shoulders, and wide-leg, high-waisted trousers. These wares are made in small workshops in Italy and Portugal, where craftspeople infuse them with high-end details such as hand-sewn buttonholes and silk bar tacks, a form of stitching that reinforces seams and pockets.

Thom Sweeney L.A. store Brett Wood

They’re the kind of touches any menswear enthusiast can appreciate—even if they’re the trees to Gabard’s style forest. Clothes like this are designed as a form of wearable self-assurance, enhancing what Gabard calls a “classically masculine” silhouette: broad shoulders, slim waist, narrow hips.

“Of course, tailoring has to fit well, but it also has to bring something else,” he says. “More and more [Husbands] customers want to be confident, powerful, and sexy in their outfit.”

When you want to look more suave than soigné, turn to the indie Milanese brand Massimo Alba, which is known for its chic casualwear but made its name with easygoing tailoring. “A great suit is not just about the way it fits but about the way it makes you feel,” says the eponymous label’s founder of his relaxed approach. “For me, the essence lies in balance, between structure and softness, elegance and ease. In my opinion, a suit should adapt to the wearer, not the other way around.”

Alba’s creations are cut from plush materials such as corduroy and flannel, featuring natural shoulders and only the lightest of canvasing in the chest, which results in a less-formal look. Which is not to say they aren’t workhorses: Daniel Craig wore one of Alba’s Sloop suits to dodge bullets in 2021’s James Bond film No Time to Die. “I always focus on fabrics that move with the body, details that whisper rather than shout, and cuts that allow for freedom,” Alba adds.

And freedom is precisely what this newfound inventory of great ready-to-wear tailoring provides. Modoo advises some clients to look to bespoke tailors for investment-level garments, such as morning suits, tuxedos, or the dark, serious stuff you might need for a funeral or odd courtroom appearance. “You know you’re going to wear these for 10 or 15 years,” he says. Let the new class of distinctive ready-to-wear step in when you want to try something that just wouldn’t make sense as a bespoke order. “Your pink-velvet blazer for the Christmas party? How well does that need to fit?”

London bespoke tailor Caroline Andrew is one of many who admits ready-to-wear has its place. Courtesy of Caroline Andrew

Fortunately, with so many options available, the fit is easier to dial in. You can expect most high-end operations to make a long list of changes, from ensuring that the seat of the trousers drapes appropriately to cutting working buttonholes on the jacket. For a peerless experience, you can always reach for garments from one of the many talented bespoke tailors offering ready-to-wear. At Thom Sweeney, such clothes are “all influenced by our bespoke cut,” says Thom Whiddett, who cofounded the brand with Luke Sweeney in 2007. “You try on [our ready-to-wear] jacket, and you immediately get a sense of the proportions and shapes that we put into a bespoke garment.”

That alluring sense of near-instant gratification is the point. For some, nothing will ever replace the distinguished feeling of slipping into a bench-made suit—and plenty are willing to wait for it.

“You have to mentally buy into the process and enjoy it,” says Caroline Andrew, a London bespoke specialist. “The journey is just as important as the finished product.” But ready-to-wear sets the time-strapped tailoring enthusiast down a different path: discovering new facets of your personal style at a record pace.

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Tom Brady Wears a Jacob & Co. Watch Decked in Yellow Sapphires to the Super Bowl

The $740,000 Caviar Tourbillon was an opulent choice for the former NFL star.

By 17/02/2025

Tom Brady was on the field tonight at the 59th annual Super Bowl game, and while the retired NFL hero—a seven-time Super Bowl winner (the most of any footballer in history)—wasn’t playing, he came dressed to impress with a $116,400 Jacob & Co. watch on his wrist.

Brady, who is a notable watch collector, recently sold off several of his timepieces at a Sotheby’s auction called “The GOAT Collection: Watches and Treasures from Tom Brady” this past December. Those timepieces ran the gamut from a Rolex Daytona Ref. 6241 to a unique Audemars Piguet Royal Oak with his name spelled out in diamonds across the salmon-colored tapisserie dial. His Rolex Daytona sold for over $1.5 million, and, in total, his auction raked in around $7 million. So, he’s well-equipped for a new watch purchase.

Whether or not he owns the six-figure sapphire stunner or it was a paid spot, the watch certainly stood out against his conservative but immaculately fit gray suit. “Tom Brady is the epitome of excellence, both on and off the field,” said Benjamin Arabov, CEO of Jacob & Co, in a press release sent out by the company shortly after Brady’s appearance. “We’re thrilled to see him wearing two of our most prestigious timepieces on the biggest stage in sports. The Billionaire Mini Ashoka and Caviar Tourbillon embody the precision, luxury, and innovation that define Jacob & Co. We’re honored to have him represent the artistry and craftsmanship behind every piece we create.”

Like much of Brady’s wrist candy, his 44 by 15.8 mm Caviar Tourbillon is not easy to come by. It is limited to just 18 pieces. It features hours, minutes, and a one-minute flying tourbillon in the JCAA43 movement with 216 components and 72 hours of power reserve. The movement itself is set with 338 brilliant-cut diamonds, while a total of 337 yellow sapphires adorn the case and dial. The clasp is decorated with another 18 baguette-cut yellow sapphires, and the crown comes with 14 baguette-cut yellow sapphires and one rose-cut yellow sapphire. As far as gem setting goes, this is one extraordinary piece, but it certainly seemed like a surprising choice for Brady, who was otherwise dressed like he just stepped out of a boardroom or a Ralph Lauren catalog.

Benjamin Arabov, son of Jacob & Co. founder Jacob Arabov, is now the CEO of the company. The 32-year-old recently took to Instagram to post that he was looking for a rebranding agency with experience in visual identity and packaging. As far as marketing goes, however, with Tom Brady, he’s golden.

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This Vintage Rolex Day-Date Has an Ultra-Rare and Coveted ‘Bark’ Design

The ultra-cool piece from Wind Vintage also comes in pristine condition with a desirable patina.

By Paige Reddinger 17/02/2025

Over the last four years there has been a resurgence in interest for 18-karat yellow gold watches. Much of that is due to fatigue over the long-running craze for steel tool watches, but it is also in part due to the rising value of gold (which shows no sign of slowing), rendering these once undesirable pieces increasingly worth collecting. Add to that the fact that, in some niche and stylish circles, unusual bracelet treatments, gem-setting, and interesting dials are becoming increasingly appealing and you have a new wave of watch collecting emerging. Steel sports watches are still the bread and butter for most dealers, but as pockets of interest in more unusual timekeepers, often from younger and fashion-forward collectors, continue to rise we’re seeing some really fun pieces pop up on the market. Case in point: This 1980s Rolex Day-Date in 18-karat yellow gold with a sapphire and diamond dial from Wind Vintage currently available exclusively on The Vault.

It wasn’t that long ago that dealers had a hard time unloading an all-gold gem-set piece. Eric Wind, the notable dealer and founder of Wind Vintage, says five years ago he would have sold this piece for around $23,000 to $28,000. The asking price today? $45,000. “It is very rare,” he tells Robb Report. “I think that was all clearly hand-done. Funnily enough, bark watches were not very desirable in the past. You know, even five to 10 years ago, they were very, very hard to sell. But, over the last three to five years, there’s been such an emergence and interest in jewellery and watches and work like that engraving and other kind of artistic forms that the watches took.” The style of engraving he is referring to on this watch can be seen on the bezel and middle links of the bracelet that is referred to as “bark” for its rough tree-like appearance.

“Bark” engraving on the bezel and bracelet of the Wind Vintage 1980s Rolex Day-Date
Courtesy of Wind Vintage

And while the bracelet is certainly a notable feature that will stand out in a sea of Submariners and Daytonas, the dial is also worth bragging about. Its diamond minutes track and sapphire hour markers are executed in what is known as a “string dial” because it looks like a string of pearls. “They’ve become very popular,” says Wind. “They were very expensive back in the 80s, just because of the cost of the stones, and there are just not many that exist on the planet.” Likewise, Wind says the canary yellow matte dial is not something he comes across often, having only seen a couple of others.

An up-close look at the patina and “bark” engraving on this 1980s Day-Date from Wind Vintage.
Courtesy of Wind Vintage

Part of what makes this watch so hard to find on the market is that pieces like this often didn’t survive past their ’80s heyday. “A lot of times these watches were so undesirable that dealers would replace the bezel inserts and put on fluted inserts, or smooth bezels or fluted bezels and melt down the bracelets or polish the center link so they looked like a standard Day-Date. Those dealers should have learned that what goes around, always comes around. Now with these interesting Rolex watches on the rise, they’ll become even harder to find.

A Wind Vintage 1980s Day-Date with “bark” engraving and a gem-set “string dial”
Courtesy of Wind Vintage

If you’re interested in the piece and want to speak to Wind about it IRL, he will be at Robb Report’s House of Robb event in San Francsico today during the NBA All-Star weekend.

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Soccer Star Kylian Mbappé Is Now an Investor in Watch Marketplace Wristcheck

Just like Jay-Z.
Published on February 7, 2025

By Abby Montanez 11/02/2025

Kylian Mbappé just went from brand ambassador to investor.

The celebrated French footballer, who currently plays for Real Madrid, has taken a stake in luxury watch trading platform Wristcheck, Hypebeast reported lat week.

Off the filed, the 26-year-old soccer star is a known timepiece collector and has served as an ambassador for Swiss marque Hublot since 2018. With this new partnership, the forward joins a growing group of influential backers, including Jay-Z. The rapper and business mogul took an equity stake in the Hong Kong-based company last summer as part of a recent funding round of $7.9 million.

“I’m thrilled to join Wristcheck as an investor through Coalition Capital,” Mbappé said in a press statement. “As a Hublot ambassador and someone passionate about watches and innovation, I see Wristcheck as a platform that truly understands the next generation of collectors. They’re reshaping the watch industry with a forward-thinking approach that blends technology, transparency, and creativity.” Mbappé did not immediately respond to Robb Report‘s request for comment on his new business endeavor.

Kylian Mbappé is an investor in online watch shop Wristcheck.
Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

Launched in 2020 by renowned horophile and Instagram personality Austen Chu, Wristcheck offers a platform for collectors to buy and sell pre-owned watches that have been authenticated by Swiss-trained watchmakers. Since it was founded, the company has raised more than $21.6 million in funding from investors including the Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund, Gobi Partners GBA, and K3 Ventures.

Mbappé, meanwhile, has achieved remarkable success in his soccer career. He won the 2018 FIFA World Cup with France, becoming the youngest player to score in a final since Pelé. At PSG, he has secured multiple Ligue 1 titles and domestic cups. Individually, Mbappé has earned the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award and regularly features in top European scoring charts. And in 2020, he was ranked the world’s highest-paid player, surpassing rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

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Sotheby’s Will Put on the Largest Auction of Breguet Watches in Decades This Fall

To celebrate the revered watchmaking house’s 250th anniversary, the sale includes rare collectibles belonging to living Breguet family members.

By Paige Reddinger 11/02/2025

Interest in Breguet has experienced a quiet resurgence among savvy collectors who appreciate the brand’s deep-rooted watchmaking heritage. This growing enthusiasm will soon take center stage with an upcoming auction that shines a significant spotlight on the storied Maison.

Founded in Paris 250 years ago, Abraham-Louis Breguet was one of the most influential watchmakers in history, best known for inventing the tourbillon and the automatic winding system—along with many other groundbreaking innovations. His legacy continues to inspire modern masters such as F.P. Journe and Philippe Dufour. You can see Breguet’s influence pointedly in pieces like F.P. Journe’s famous Chronomètre à Résonance timepiece, voted one of Robb Report‘s 50 Greatest Watches of All Time.

Now, Sotheby’s has announced “the largest sale of Breguet timepieces in three decades.” Though the auction won’t take place until November, the auction house is already working to build anticipation. In the meantime, it might be wise to brush up on the most coveted Breguet references.

Breguet 1827 Perpétuelle à Tact watch made for King George IV Breguet

What may pique collectors’ interest is the sale is being curated in conjunction with Breguet and Emmanuel Breguet, the vice president and head of patrimony, who happens to be a descendant of the original Monsieur Breguet. So far, the only timekeeper publicly associated (at least visually) with the auction is the 1827 Perpétuelle à Tact watch made for King George IV. Still, it hints at the historic level of pocket watches, wristwatches, and clocks that will be on offer. Abraham-Louis Breguet was a frequent supplier of high-end and state-of-the-art timepieces for royalty, including Marie Antoinette, Napoleon Bonaparte, and King George III.

Other highlights include an open-faced montre à tact (a watch that replicates the internal hour hand on the cover of the pocket watch via an arrow so that time could be read via touch) with a calendar and moonphase indications that was the inspiration for the Ref. 3330. A pendulette with alarm, perpetual calendar and repeater, and a two-color gold open-faced tourbillon watch is said to be a part of the sale, although no images were provided as of press time. More info on what will be in the sale will come this spring.

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