Robb Interview: Mark Webber & Sir Jackie Stewart

We sat down with the two F1 legends – to talk Rolex, Ricciardo, the future of Melbourne’s GP
and why Max Verstappen needs swap the Red Bull for “some valium.”

By Stephen Corby 09/04/2022

No less a luminary than Sir Jackie Stewart, a three-time world champion, thinks Aussie F1 star Daniel Ricciardo’s struggles at McLaren are “all in his head”.

“The thing about driving in Formula One is, it’s all about mind management,” Stewart, speaking yesterday at a Rolex-hosted event at Albert Park in Melbourne, explained to Robb Report.

“It’s all in the head, he really must be suffering a lot right now, with the way he’s struggled to get used to that car at McLaren. He had a very tough year last year.

Will he be able to get it back this year?

“We’ll have to wait and see, but it’s a shame, because he’s a really good racing driver. The thing is, he used to be one of the young pups but he’s not so young anymore.”

Ricciardo’s compatriot and fellow F1-racing legend, Mark Webber, doesn’t like the local hero’s outlook much this weekend in Melbourne, either — largely because of the way to his car has been off the pace in the first to events of the season in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia (Ricciardo had a DNF in the first and finished 14th in the second).

Asked to rate Ricciardo’s chances, the always straight-talking Webber shook his head and chimed: “pretty low.”

Robb Report sat down with the two highly experienced Formula One racers to talk everything from watches to Las Vegas, Leclerc to Verstappen, Drive to Survive and the expected battles of this year’s highly anticipated season.

 

Robb Report: What was the first F1 race you ever attended, Mark — was it the Australian GP, back when it was in Adelaide?

Mark Webber: It was the first, 1987 — I was 10, Gerhard Berger in Ferrari won (Jackie interjects, [“Come on Mark, surely you were only four then?”] I remember the first guy that went past was Martin Brundle in the Brabham and I remember I was sitting on the front straight with my mouth open just going, ‘No way, there’s just no way there’s a human being driving that, it’s just not possible. No human could do that.’ I saw a helmet, but I couldn’t believe there was a person in there — it was just too fast. But I loved it, I was climbing trees, trying to get a better view. I just couldn’t get enough of it, I loved it. And back then I hadn’t even started racing go-karts, I was still just mucking around on motorbikes.”

 

RR: Australia has quite a history with F1, doesn’t it?

MW: It’s amazing, the history we’ve had here for a country this small, pound for pound, it’s amazing how well we’ve done for a country of our size. We should never have been so lucky.

 

RR: Do you believe, as F1 adds more races in the US and with Las Vegas now signed up for 2023 and only a certain number of events allowed in the calendar, that we might one day lose our race in Melbourne?

MW: No, no chance — we’ll be fine. I’m highly confident we’ll be fine in Australia because this is one of the best grands prix in the world, the drivers love it, the teams love it.

And it needs to be a global sport — you can’t just hang around in the northern hemisphere. We will see this weekend what’s going to happen, we’ve got 130,000 people here, and you need that kind of excitement. The sport has moved on, but we will go with the times – and you saw the Dutch GP with 120,000 people there, screaming for Max [Verstappen]. What’s happened in the past two years in this sport, the growth has been like nothing before. We’ve had to build extra grandstands here in Melbourne this year and we will hit that new level that we’ve seen around the world. With the Netflix show [Drive to Survive], the drivers are even bigger superstars than ever before. The impact of that show, particularly in the US, has been phenomenal.
My sister loves Toto Wolff and Lando Norris and my nephew loves him/ Look, the patriotic angle will always be strong here in Australia but the sport has gotten so much bigger, there are so many more people being talked about, and the fans feel like they’re closer to them.

 

RR: Is it true Mark that you purchased your first Rolex yourself – we thought F1 drivers were simply gifted them?

MW: Yes, after winning my first GP in 2009. I thought it was something worth celebrating properly so I bought myself one. But Jackie got given his first one, I’m pretty sure, for winning a race — your first win in Monaco wasn’t it?

Jackie Stewart: It was for setting the fastest lap in qualifying in 1967. And I’ve still got that one.

MW: Wow, that would be worth a bit — probably about the same as the Australian Defense Budget.

JS: I’ve been with Rolex for a long time, more than 50 years and not a lot of sponsorships last that long. And I do love them. I’m staying at Crown Towers and I saw they had a Rolex shop there so I went in yesterday and the guy in the shop didn’t recognise me – which the people with me thought was very funny – so I went up to the guy and said, ‘I’m interested in buying a watch, I’ll have a couple of Daytonas if you don’t mind.’ And he was, ‘Oh, I’m sorry sir, you cannot get those’. I’ve got six Rolexes with me here in Australia, I like to wear different ones during the day and at night.

RR: Qualifying today is so competitive, and so important, with the top six often separated by less than a second — was it like that in your day Sir Jackie?

JS: I never bothered with it. When I was in Formula One, the only thing that mattered was setting the car up properly for the race. Pole position was never very important in my day, all I wanted to do in qualifying was make sure that my car was right. It’s very different today. But like any sport, motor racing is all in the mind. And I worked out, early on, that if I removed emotion from racing, I was better off and most of my races I won, they were won in the first five laps, because everyone else was too uptight in those five laps. I just tried to stay calm.

MW: I remember Jackie telling me that years ago, and it’s so true, being calm in the car is so important, you don’t want to be emotional in there.

JS: It’s a dangerous thing, emotion; it’s dangerous in courting; it’s dangerous in marriage and it’s dangerous in a race car. People make mistakes on the first corner, you see it all the time, and I just couldn’t get that, why would you make a mistake like that? You’ve got 60 laps left, just stay calm. To finish first, first you must finish… You see the same weakness today — too many people diving into the first corner and making mistakes. It’s all about timing – and sometimes Max Verstappen does that, he can be a little over the top. A little valium would help him, I think. More valium, less Red Bull. I think he’s the fastest driver on the track right now, but I still think he’s got an emotional vulnerability. You know, that little kiss he and Lewis Hamilton had at Silverstone last year — there was no reason for that to happen, you just can’t doing things like that. And that was a huge accident. If you had an accident like that in my day, you’d be dead. Simple as that.

“The cockpit of an F1 car today is a survival cell. In the 1960s and ‘70s, I tell everyone that at that time, motor racing was dangerous and sex was safe. That was the swinging ‘60s.

Fifty seven of my friends died during my time racing. Fifty seven! All my best friends died, Graham Hill died in an air crash, but everyone else died on the racing track. The safety levels of the cars today are absolutely incredible. And what the doctors can do. I remember Mika Hakkinen died, twice, in Australia, in Adelaide, after a huge accident. And the doctor, Sid Watkins, got him going again. Twice! That would not have happened in my day, either.

 

RR: With the cars being so much safer these days, do you think that encourages drivers to perhaps take more risks?

MW: Absolutely, you feel that the consequences are lower, but they still crash, and also the weight of the cars has gone up a lot, so the inertia of these crashes is higher. The human body can only take so much, so ultimately you will have these crashes, like that one at Silverstone last year — that was a big, big impact for Max.

 

RR: As you say, the cars this year are heavier and you believe that’s made them easier to drive and that the lighter the car, the better a driver has to be to control it – why is that?

MW: It’s all about the power to weight ratio. When the car is lighter it’s more flighty — it’s trickier to predict. You put more weight in it, it gets easier, like a Touring Car, they’re so much heavier – it’s like an A380 while an F1 car is more like a fighter jet. As drivers, we feel a difference of as little as 50kg. If you make the cars heavier, it’s not as much fun, the drivers want them lighter. There’s no doubt they’re a bit more docile this year, but the drivers have still got to put the tyre on the limit, it’s still a hard job.

 

RR: Have the design changes this year helped with overtaking — have they got the balance right?

MW: We’ve had two samples, two events. Bahrain encourages passing anyway and we’re seeing the DRS [Drag Reduction System] make a big difference — I think they’ll look at whether that’s making it too easy as the season goes on. And they’ve been re-passing each other, which is very encouraging; in the past it was once someone went past they were gone, so that re-passing is a very good sign.

JS: The changes to aerodynamics and the effect it has on the cars is so different today — there’s so much that goes into it. In my day, I would have seven mechanics for two racing drivers and now they have 110 engineers on each team to look after two of these ballerina racing drivers. Technology has gone to another level. The racing is so much closer today as a result — if I got away in those first five laps, it was unlikely someone would get past me. My biggest winning margin was more than four minutes.

MW: Four minutes! Incredible. He could have a shower, get dressed, come out on the podium and the others would still be driving around.

 

RR: Physically, was racing as hard in your day, Sir Jackie?

JS: I had a much bigger neck when I was racing — you had to have those muscles. And the helmets were so much bigger and heavier, too. You had to be fit, even then, and Emmerson Fittipaldi and I were the first two drivers to really concentrate on our physical condition. No one else was worrying about it, but today everyone has to be super fit just to drive the cars.

 

RR: At the recent Saudi Arabian GP, Kevin Magnussen, who missed all the pre-season training and hasn’t had that much time in the new cars, was holding his neck and clearly in pain after the race, why is that?

MW: It’s hard to train the neck for that driving position. You can train your neck, but it’s amazing how far up your neck muscles go, and remember, you neck is only designed to hold your head up, that’s all, and to do that at 1G. So when you’re doing 3.5 lateral G, and 5Gs of inline braking, after a while your neck just says, ‘I’ve had enough, thanks very much.’ And the only way you can get used to that is in the car — you need mileage. Lots of laps in testing. You can prepare for it, but nothing replaces being in the car, so if you haven’t driven enough in the off-season, it’s going to hurt.

F

RR: So, Sir Jackie, who do you rate as a great driver in today’s field?

JS: I think Verstappen is the quickest, but I think he’s more on the limit, on the edge, a lot of time. Lewis Hamilton is not a puppy anymore and the older you get, the more you have to use this, [points to his head] instead of this [gestures enthusiastically to his groin].The fact is, Lewis has been at the top for a long time, but there are a lot of young pups around him. Now, I think if he goes on for a lot more races, I think the chances of him winning are diminishing. The cars are becoming more level, so you have to drive them harder. He must be thinking, when will I retire, and really, ideally, he wants to retire on top. If he’d won last year, he could have gone out on top…Timing in life is everything. In my day, I was driving sports cars, touring cars, Indy Cars, and F1, all at once, and that meant so much travelling around. In one year, I crossed the Atlantic 60 times with all the racing — and that’s not a sensible thing to do. But then, that same year, in 1971, I made a million pounds driving racing cars, and back then, that was a lot of money. Not for an Australian maybe, but for a Scottish boy it was. But then I got sick, I had ulcers, I burned myself out. I won the [Formula One] world championship that yea but I was so ill I couldn’t go to pick up the title. So that was a bit mad.

 

RR: What about Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, do you rate him?

JS: I think Leclerc is a man of the future, he’s not there yet, but to be there you’ve got to be right at the top, competing. He’s got all the makings of a champion, but he’s got to have the car to do the job. He’s also got a very strong teammate, so I think he’s got the potential but I think we’ll see this year how good he is.

MW: He’s good, Charles, and don’t mistake those boyish looks for the eye of the tiger — he’s got plenty of mongrel about him too. Just you wait. It’s going to be one hell of a season.

 

The Australian Grand Prix, Sunday April 10 at 3pm; rolex.com

 

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Escape from the Ordinary

Ponant, the luxury cruise line known for its meticulously planned itineraries and high-end service, ups the ante on their upcoming European Journeys that promise an unrivalled exploration of the Mediterranean.

By Robb Report Team 19/02/2024

Not all cruises are created equally. Ponant, the luxury cruise line known for its meticulously planned itineraries and high-end service, ups the ante on their upcoming European Journeys that promise an unrivalled exploration of the Mediterranean. From the stunning Amalfi Coast to the pristine Greek Islands, the narrow Corinth Canal to the picturesque Dalmatian coast, historic Istanbul and beguiling Malaga, each destination is a unique adventure waiting to be unravelled. With Ponant, these aren’t just locations on a map; they’re experiences that come alive with the intimate knowledge and insight that their expert guides provide.

Ponant’s luxury cruises are renowned for their individuality, with no two journeys the same. This is not by chance. Itineraries are scrupulously designed to ensure that each passenger is left with a feeling of having embarked on a journey unlike any other.

Athens-Venise. Photograph by N.Matheus. ©PONANT

In 2025, their fleet will set sail for a combined 56 departures from March to October, exploring the dreamy locales of Greece and the Greek Islands, Malta, Italy (including Venice and Sicily), Croatia, France, Turkey, Spain and Portugal. These European Journeys offer an intimate encounter with the Mediterranean, its people and culture. As you cruise in luxury, you’ll dive deep into the heart of each destination, exploring historic sites, engaging with locals, sampling scrumptious cuisine and soaking in the vibrant atmospheres.

The company’s small, sustainable ships, which can accommodate from as few as 32 to 264 guests, have the exclusive ability to sail into ports inaccessible to larger cruise liners, affording privileged entry into some of the world’s most treasured alcoves. Picture sailing under London’s iconic Tower Bridge, crossing the Corinth Canal, or disembarking directly onto the sidewalk during ports of call in culturally rich cities like Lisbon, Barcelona, Nice and Venice, among others.

Photo by Tamar Sarkissian. ©PONANT

This singular closeness is further enriched by destination experts who unravel the tapestry of each locale’s history and traditions.

Onboard their luxurious ships, every guest is a VIP and treated to refined service and amenities akin to sailing on a private yacht. Whether at sea or ashore, their destination experts guarantee a fascinating experience, immersing you in the rich cultural and historical diversity of each region.

Indulge in the finest gastronomy at sea, inspired by none other than gastronomic virtuoso and Ponant partner, Alain Ducasse. Each voyage offers an expertly crafted dining experience, from a-la-carte meals with perfectly matched wines by the onboard Sommelier at dinner and lunch, to a French-inspired buffet breakfast, featuring all the favourite pastries, fresh bread and quality produce.

Chef Mickael Legrand. Photograph by NickRains. ©PONANT

For a more intimate discovery, consider Le Ponant, with its 16 high-class staterooms and suites—perfect for private charter—sailing eight exclusive routes between Greece and Croatia, offering guests unparalleled experiences both onboard and ashore. Ponant’s commitment to crafting unforgettable experiences extends beyond itineraries. Aboard their ships, the luxury is in every detail. Unwind in opulent cabins and suites, each offering private balconies and breathtaking views of the azure water and destinations beyond.

Ponant’s upcoming European Journeys are more than just cruises—they’re your passport to a world of cultural immersion, historical exploration, and unrivalled luxury. Don’t miss this opportunity to embark on the voyage of a lifetime: the Mediterranean is calling.

To book European 2025 sailings visit au.ponant.com; call 1300 737 178 (AU) or 0800 767 018 (NZ) or contact your preferred travel agent.

 

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Saint Laurent Just Opened a New Bookstore in Paris. Here’s a Look Inside.

The chic new outpost is located on the city’s arty Left Bank.

By Rachel Cormack 14/02/2024

Saint Laurent is taking over even more of Paris.

The French fashion house, which only just opened an epic new flagship on Champs-Élysées, has launched a chic new bookstore on the Left Bank. Located in the 7th arrondissement, Saint Laurent Babylone is a mecca of art, music, literature, and, of course, fashion.

The new outpost is a tribute to the connection that Yves Saint Laurent and partner Pierre Bergé had to the Rue Babylone, according to Women’s Wear Daily. (In 1970, the pair moved to a 6,500-square-foot duplex on the street.) It is also inspired by the house’s original ready-to-wear boutique, Saint Laurent Rive Guache, which opened in the 6th arrondissement in 1966.

The exposed concrete in contrasted by sleek marble accents. SAINT LAURENT

With a minimalist, art gallery-like aesthetic, the space is anchored by a hefty marble bench and large black shelves. The raw, textured concrete on the walls is juxtaposed by a soft blue and white rug, a wooden Pierre Jeanneret desk, and sleek Donald Judd stools.

The wares within Saint Laurent Babylone are the most important part, of course. Curated by Saint Laurent’s creative director Anthony Vaccarello, the collection includes everything from photos by British artist Rose Finn-Kelcey to books published by Saint Laurent itself. Some tomes on offer are so rare that white gloves are required for handling.

The store also offers an enviable selection of records that are no longer being pressed. Highlights include Sade’s Promise, Kate Bush’s Hounds of Love, and the debut studio album of electronic band Kraftwerk.

Other notable items on the shelves include Leica cameras, chocolates made in collaboration with pastry chef François Daubinet, prints by Juergen Teller, and brass skull sculptures. You’ll also find an assortment of YSL merch, including pens, lighters, and cups.

To top it off, Saint Laurent Babylone will double as an event space, hosting live music sessions, DJ sets, book readings, and author signings over the coming months.

Saint Laurent’s latest endeavor isn’t exactly surprising. With Vaccarello at the helm, the Kering-owned fashion house has entered new cultural realms. Only last year, the label established a film production company and debuted its first movie at Cannes.

The space is fitted with a Pierre Jeanneret desk and Donald Judd stools.
SAINT LAURENT

Perhaps Saint Laurent film reels and movie posters will soon be available at Babylone, too.

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The Best Watches at the Grammys, From Maluma’s Jacob & Co. to Jon Batiste’s Vacheron Constantin

Music’s biggest names sported some outstanding watches on Sunday evening.

By Rachel Mccormack 08/02/2024

Weird yet wonderful watches punctuated this year’s Grammys.

The woman of the moment, Taylor Swift, who made history by winning Album of the Year for an unprecedented fourth time, wore an unconventional Lorraine Schwartz choker watch to the annual awards ceremony on Sunday night. That was just the tip of the horological iceberg, though.

Colombian singer-songwriter Maluma elevated a classic Dolce & Gabbana suit with a dazzling Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon and a pair of custom, diamond-encrusted Bose earbuds, while American musician Jon Batiste topped off a stylish Versace ensemble with a sleek Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillon. Not to be outdone, rapper Busta Rhymes busted out a rare Audemars Piguet Royal Oak for the occasion.

There was more understated wrist candy on display, too, such as Jack Antonoff’s Cartier Tank LC and Noah Kahan’s Panerai Luminor Quaranta BiTempo.

For the rest of the best watches we saw on the Grammys 2024 red carpet, read on.

Maluma: Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon

Maluma busted out some truly spectacular bling for this year’s Grammys. The Colombian singer-songwriter paired a classic Dolce & Gabbana suit with a dazzling Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon and a pair of custom, diamond-encrusted Bose earbuds. The sculptural wrist candy sees a four-arm movement floating in front of a breathtaking dial adorned with no less than 257 rubies. For added pizzaz, the lugs of the 18-karat rose-gold case are invisibly set with 80 baguette-cut white diamonds. Limited to just nine examples, the rarity is priced at $1.5 million.

Asake: Hublot Big Bang Essential Grey

Nigerian singer-songwriter Asake may not have won the Grammy for Best African Music Performance for “Amapiano,” but did wear a winning Hublot Big Bang at Sunday’s proceedings. Released in 2023, the Essential Grey model is made purely of titanium for a sleek, uniform feel. The 42 mm timepiece was limited to just 100 pieces and cost $37,000 a pop.

John Legend: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding

Multihyphenate John Legend wore a legendary Audemars Piguet with silky Saint Laurent on Sunday evening. The self-winding Royal Oak in question features a 34 mm black ceramic case, a black grande tapisserie dial, and striking pink gold accents. The watchmaker’s signature is also displayed in gold under the sapphire crystal. The piece will set you back $81,000.

Jon Batiste: Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillon

American musician Jon Batiste received four nominations but no wins at this year’s Grammys. The “Butterfly” singer can take solace in the fact that he looked ultra-sharp in Versace and Vacheron Constantin. A tribute to the spirit of travel, the Overseas Tourbillon features a 42.5 mm white-gold case, a bezel set with 60 baguette-cut diamonds, and a blue dial featuring a dazzling tourbillon cage inspired by the Maltese cross. Price upon request, naturally.

Fireboy DML: Cartier Santos

Fireboy DML’s outfit was straight fire on Sunday night. The Nigerian singer paired an MCM wool jacket with a Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet, several iced-out rings, and a sleek Cartier Santos. The timepiece features a steel case, a graduated blue dial with steel sword-shaped hands, and a seven-sided crown with synthetic faceted blue spinel.

Noah Kahan: Panerai Luminor Quaranta BiTempo

Best New Artist nominee Noah Kahan wore one of Panerai’s best new watches to Sunday’s festivities. The Luminor Quaranta BiTempo features a 40 mm polished steel case and a black dial with luminous numerals and hour markers, a date display at 3 o’clock, and a small seconds subdial at 9 o’clock. The timepiece can be yours for $14,000.

Busta Rhymes: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore

Legendary rapper Busta Rhymes busted out a chic Audemars Piguet for this year’s Grammys. The Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph in question is distinguished by a 42 mm rose-gold case and a matching pink méga tapisserie dial with an outer flange for the tachymeter scale. The face is fitted with three black subdials, large black numerals, and a black date display at 3 o’clock. You can expect to pay around $61,200 for the chronograph on the secondary market.

Jack Antonoff: Cartier Tank Louis Cartier

Producer of the year Jack Antonoff took to the red carpet with a stylish Cartier on his wrist. The Tank Louis Cartier in question appears to be a large 33.7 mm example that features an 18-carat rose-gold case, a silvered dial with black Roman numerals and blued steel hands, a beaded crown set with a sapphire cabochon, and a brown alligator strap. It’ll set you back $19,900.

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This 44-Foot Carbon-Fiber Speedboat Can Rocket to 177 KMPH

The new Mayla GT is available with a range of different powertrains, too.

By Rachel Cormack 03/02/2024

We knew the Mayla GT would be one of the most exciting boats at Boot Düsseldorf, but a deep dive into the specs shows it could be downright revolutionary.

The brainchild of German start-up Mayla, the 44-footer brings you the blistering performance of a speedboat and the luxe amenities of a motor yacht in one neat carbon-fiber package.

Inspired by the go-fast boats of the 1970s and ‘80s, the GT sports an angular, retro-futuristic body and the sleek lines of a rocket ship. Tipping the scales at just 4500 kilograms, the lightweight design features a deep-V hull with twin transversal steps and patented Petestep deflectors that help it slice through the waves with ease. In fact, Mayla says the deflectors decrease energy usage by up to 35 percent while ensuring a more efficient planing.

The range-topping GT can reach 185 kph. MAYLA

The GT is also capable of soaring at breakneck speeds, with the option of a gas, diesel, electric, or hybrid powertrain. The range-topping GTR-R model packs dual gas-powered engines that can churn out 3,100 hp for a top speed of more than 100 knots (185 kph). At the other, more sustainable end of the spectrum, the E-GT is fitted with an electric powertrain that can produce 2,200 horses for a max speed of 50 knots. The hybrid E-GTR pairs that same electric powertrain with a 294 kilowatt diesel engine for a top speed of 60 knots (111 km/h/69 mph). (The GT in the water at Boot sported two entry-level V8s good for 650 hp and a top speed of over 70 knots.)

The GT is suitable for more than just high-speed jaunts, of course. The multipurpose cockpit, which can accommodate up to eight passengers, features a sundeck with sliding loungers, a wet bar and BBQ, and a foldaway dining table for alfresco entertaining. Further toward the stern, a beach club sits atop a garage with an electric transom door.

The garage has an electric transom door. MAYLA

The GT is even fit for overnight stays. Below deck lies a cabin with a double bed, sofa, wardrobe, vanity, and en suite. You can also expect a high-tech entertainment system with TVs and premium audio.

As for price, the GT with the entry-level powertrain will cost between $2.7 million and $2.9, depending on the final configuration. (You can fine-tune the layout, hull color, and interiors, naturally.) Interested buyers can set up a sea trial with Mayla, with test-drives set to begin this spring in Europe.

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Red Centre

First Nations artist Shaun Daniel Allen joins forces with Chopard to create a timepiece inspired by the Australian landscape.

By Horacio Silva 29/01/2024

Shaun Daniel Allen does not look like your typical collaborator on a prestige watch. For one, Shal, as he prefers to be known (“There are many Shauns but only one Shal,” he explains), is more heavily tattooed than your average roadie. His youthful appearance, bad-boy ink and all, belies his 38 years and leads to a disconnect. 

He recounts being recognised on the street recently by a journalist, who, unable to remember his name, shouted out, “Chopard!” “I was with a friend,” Shal says, holding court in his apartment in Sydney’s inner city, “and he’s, like, ‘What the hell? Does that happen to you often?’”

Perhaps because of his body art, he reasons, “People don’t put me and Chopard together.” It’s not hard to understand the confusion, Shal adds; even he was taken aback when Chopard reached out to him about a potential collaboration a little more than a year ago. “When I first went in to see them, I was, like, I don’t know if I’m your guy. I’m not used to being in those rooms and having those conversations.”

He’ll have to adapt quickly to his new reality. Last month Chopard released Shal’s interpretation of the Swiss brand’s storied Alpine Eagle model, which in itself was a redo of the St. Moritz, the first watch creation by Karl-Friedrich Scheufele (now Co-President of Chopard) in the late 1970s. 

Previewed at Sydney’s About Time watch fair in September, to not insignificant interest, and officially known as the Alpine Eagle Sunburnt, the exclusive timepiece—issued in a limited edition of 20—arrives as a stainless steel 41 mm with a 60-hour power reserve and a burnt red dial that brings to mind the searing Outback sun. Its see-through caseback features one of Shal’s artworks painted on sapphire glass.

When the reputable Swiss luxury brand approached Shal, they already had the red dial—a nod to the rich ochre hues of the Australian soil at different times of the day and gradated so that the shades become darker around the edges—locked in as a lure for Australian customers.

Shal was charged with designing an artful caseback and collectible hand-painted sustainable wooden case. After presenting a handful of paintings, each with his signature abstract motifs that pertain to indigenous emblems, tattoos and music, both parties landed on a serpentine image that evoked the coursing of rivers. “I have been painting a lot of water in this last body of work and the image we chose refers to the rivers at home,” he says, alluding to formative years spent at his grandfather’s, just outside of Casino.

It says a lot about Chopard, Shal points out, that they wanted to donate to a charity of his choosing. “Like everything else on this project,” he explains, “they were open to listening and taking new ideas on board and it actually felt like a collaboration, like they weren’t steering me into any corner.”

In another nice touch, a portion of the proceeds from sales of the watch will go to funding programs of the Ngunya Jarjum Aboriginal Corporation—an organisation, established in 1995 by Bundjalung elders, whose work Shal saw firsthand after the 2022 eastern Australia flood disasters ravaged their area. “Seeing Ngunya Jarjum suffer from the floods,” he says, “and knowing how much they do for the community on Bundjalung Country was heartbreaking. I want to see Bundjalung families thriving and supported.”

So what’s it been like for this booster of Australian waterways to be swimming in the luxury end of the pool? “I’ve done a few things with brands,” he offers, referring to the Louis Vuitton project earlier this year at an art gallery in Brisbane, “but nothing on this scale. It’s definitely fancier than I’m used to but I’m not complaining.” Neither are watch aficionados.

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