Info on Willet's new collab with Wolves, the all-new Spyderco Mule Team knife and IWC's latest Big Pilot's watches.
As we noted at the top of this week, game-changing designer Virgil Abloh passed away last Sunday at the age of 41. In a continuation of his legacy (and a sign of just how many things the multi-hypenate was working on), Mercedes-Benz is honoring Abloh's legacy by presenting his concept car design in Miami this week, dubbed Project MAYBACH. Effectively an off-road luxury vehicle, it's an embodiment of Abloh's design aesthetic, fusing high and low; chunky wheels with a two-seater sports car-like coupé build. Speaking on the partnership, Mercedes-Benz said, "The power of Abloh’s work is not only from the product design, but also the exploratory conversations that his work ignited. Whilst the Project MAYBACH show car was inspired by how one could explore nature within a uniquely luxury context with Maybach, the Mercedes-Benz teams thank Virgil Abloh for the inspiration to explore every day the power of cross-industry dialogue to imagine a better, more inclusive future.” We're not just looking at design concepts today; there's some impressive news worth studying up on before you head into the weekend. Willet's new collab with Wolves to adidas's latest edition of its hyper-popular UltraBoost sneaker, this is Today in Gear.
Today in Gear is our daily roundup of all the latest product announcements, drops and news. Want your question featured in our weekly "Ask an Expert" column? Send your most pressing product questions to tig@gearpatrol.com.
On's Active Pant embodies this philosophy, designed to prioritize comfort while looking stylish. These hit the marks when it comes to sport-centered details, including adjustable hemlines at the ankle, a drawstring waist (for easy on-and-off) and a techy Polyamide exterior that delivers light insulation, soft hand feel and a UV protective fabric that also dries quickly when wet.
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Based in Sonoma County, Wolves (helmed, in part, by Jon Buscemi) is changing the face of American Whiskey. It's tapping the Kentucky icon Willet Distillery for "The Rye Project, Volume One". Rooted upon a very low-content (51 percent) rye whiskey aged for 6 years in new American oak, the whiskey was blended with 6- and 7-year-old barrels of Willett straight rye whiskey with a 74 percent rye mash bill. As an online-focused brand and with insanely limited quantities, consider getting your hands on this whiskey as much an investment as a bottle of uniquely made rye whiskey.
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IWC Big Pilot's Watch 43 adds two new Spitfire models to its well-established series, with streamlined and subtle (but still unique) detailing. One watch is inspired by older observation watches, featuring 60-second measurement on the outer ring face and traditional 12-hour measurement on the inner ring of the black watch face. The other model combines a green dial with a bronze case and crown. Both watches are powered by IWC's 82100 caliber movement.
In the knife industry, a "mule" is effectively a blade designed for testing purposes. Spyderco opens up the testing process to the general public with its "Mule Team" series, giving fans a chance to check out new tech. The tech being tested in this case is the newly-developed powder metallurgy steel, known as CPM MagnaCut. Bearing a mid-size fixed blade, with a 3.5-inch length and no handle scales (which also keeps the price for the knife fairly affordable), the new blade represents the latest chapter in something Spyderco has been doing since 2007.
German sportswear giant adidas has unveiled the latest edition of its UltraBoost silhouette for 2022, launching on December 6. While fans of the silhouette will find the classic PrimeKnit upper and Boost midsole, the shoe's upper is now made in part (at least 50 percent) with Parley recycled ocean plastic.
A Gear Patrol reader asks: "Going into the holiday season, I tend to find that candles make the perfect gift and can be tailored to the tastes of whoever is receiving the gift. What are some candle brands that you recommend that look and feel expensive (without being as conventional as, say a Diptyque candle)?"
The Expert(s): There's a few ways you can go with this depending on your budget and preference for smell profiles. We'll try to list off a few options from a few producers we like.
"PF Candle Co is cheap and looks pretty, but it's pretty ubiquitous compared to others because Madewell used to be a huge stockist. Boy Smells is one of my favorite nowadays, but we'd also recommend Maude, and DS & Durga. If you've got a little more money to spend, we think Frederic Malle makes a luxe candle worth checking out. Le Labo also has really classy and classic candles — and you can even personalize them." - Will Price, Assistant Editor, Home and Design & Tyler Chin, Associate Staff Writer
BMW has always been daring with its vehicle design evolution, but the new MX Hybrid performance SUV is a stretch, even in context. We'll have to see what the production car ends up looking like; for now, we'll just kind of... hope. Also in this episode, we discuss the legacy of the late Virgil Abloh, and ponder whether we'd buy home furnishings made by LEGO. Would you?
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