Timelessness isn’t made. It must be earned.
Timelessness begins at the very beginning – with the designer,architect, engineer, artist or maker. The individuals that painstakingly craft an idea into something that’s not only aesthetically beautiful, but immensely functional.
As a general rule, nobody sets out to make something timeless. That takes, appropriately, a whole lot of time to earn the designation. They do, however, set out to make something that’s never been done before. And quite often, they do it all by hand.
Typically, a timeless item contains all of the following:
- Craftsmanship
- Uniqueness
- Ultra-High Quality
- Time-Tested
- A Good Story
- A Devoted Following
Joe’s Porsche 911
53 years ago, Joe bought a brand new Porsche. Little did he know that this car would become the most timeless car, maybe even object, in the world. It only makes sense that it is a direct descendant of another remarkably timeless vehicle, the Volkswagen Beetle (designed by Ferdinand Porsche).
“My Dad purchased his 911 in October 1967. Soon thereafter, he began dating a woman who lived 100 miles away. Given his love for the car and the woman who would become his wife of almost 51 years, he managed to put over 33,000 miles on the Porsche in just the first 15 months of ownership. With a busy career and the demands of his two sons in the 70s, the Porsche spent most of its time in the garage. Then, in 2000, with both of his sons finished with college, my Dad embarked on a mechanical restoration of the Porsche. Today, my Dad’s 911 remains in impeccable, original condition and drives like the day it rolled off the showroom floor.”
– Willie (Joe’s son)
Joe passed away two weeks ago. His memory, and that car, will surely last forever. Because that’s how they were built.
Graham’s Rolex GMT Master (the author)
The GMT Master was originally crafted for Pan Am pilots in the 50’s so that they could navigate in two time zones. GMT, of course, stands for Greenwich Mean Time. Today, this watch has changed very little since its origin. In fact, it’s now one of the most popular (and timeless) watches in the world.
They call it the “Pepsi,” which is exactly what attracted me to this watch in the first place. For the bezel is painted blue & red, like a Pepsi bottle. When I was a kid, my Dad was obsessed with Pepsi and always kept a 2-liter bottle in the fridge. Everyday, he came home from work, went directly to the fridge and took a huge glug of Pepsi straight from the bottle.
When I got older and discovered the watch that always reminded me of Dad, I knew I had to have one. I finally got my GMT Master 10-years ago as a wedding gift from my wife. Everyday when I slip in on my wrist, I whisper the words… “I do.”
The Future of Timelessness
Automation and mass production has diminished the amount of truly unique items that are currently being created. So it’s up to us to recognize and seek out the things that might just stand the test of time, today.
Do we know if our hand blown glasses will be considered timeless? Well, that’s not entirely up to us. Time will tell. But we do make sure to respect the tenants of timelessness. Always one-of-kind and hand blown by our maker (and #hotshopmama), Cheryl Saban. Always beautiful, highly functional and incredibly sturdy.
As for the stories, those are yet to come. But we know they will involve friends, family and a timeless bottle of whiskey or wine to pour within.
To all the timeless Dad’s: Happy Father’s Day from all of us at Saban Glass.