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As Nick Foulkes put it when I interviewed him for the Luxury Dispatch podcast, the Deepsea, first launched in 2008, is “astonishing stuff. [Rolex] now have a retail product that you can wear to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. As a retail product.” Part of the Rolex magic is how the brand has straddled the intersection between retail and function so effortlessly in all its products since Mercedes Gleitze swam across the English Channel with a Rolex around her neck in 1927.

The new era of the Deepsea has arrived, with all the function, form and fortitude of a dive watch as well as the resistance it needs to combat the pressure of 3,900 metres (12,800 feet) — but now, for the first time, in 18ct yellow gold. Its seafaring credentials are highlighted by the ocean-blue lacquer dial and blue Cerachrom 60-minute bezel on the 44mm case.

The calibre 3235, introduced in 2015 with Superlative Chronometer certification, which replaced the calibre 3135, is what you will find in many of the Rolex families, including the Datejust and Yacht-Master. It provides the heartbeat of the watch while the case provides the muscle, the real body, and they work harmoniously with each other.

It is worth noting that the case is not the movement’s only protection from stress. The Parachrom hairspring, a paramagnetic alloy that Rolex designed, gives great stability even with fluctuating temperatures and shock resistance. It is also self-winding, with 70 hours’ power reserve. The thing to remember, too, is that Rolex’s diving heritage was inspired by the jet set of the 1950s. Before the space race became familiar, diving and underwater pursuits were all the rage for those who could afford boats.

This watch is therefore a bona fide jet-set watch, especially now it is made in yellow gold, and wearing it should be regarded as an inheritance of an uncommon period of exploration and recreation. If we’re not careful, someone might try to develop a ‘wellness’ watch, given that it’s all the rage, but it will never be quite as glamorous or imposing as this, or beam with as much worldliness and adventure.

When The Rake heard this model was being released, we knew our Invest column was the perfect place in which to feature it. There is no better investment than that which connects you to the great figures of the past, their feats, and the stories that unfold from them. Rolex can do no wrong.

I think this is the year of the trouser. People have in the past asked me what trends I think will emerge over the horizon, but it is not really my thing to make predictions about new stuff. However, I love it when the various codes of classic style enjoy a renaissance, and pleated trousers are back in the spotlight today.

Frankly, if you are over 30 years of age and you wear only flat- fronted trousers, I have to presume you are a svelte Italian, as they are the only people who can pull it off. Pleats are both forgiving and flattering (there is a slight difference), and men are increasingly discovering their joys. Our cover star for this issue, Rafe Spall, is not a man to leave the house sans pleats, and regards them as just as critical to his appearance as the sleeves on his jacket.

The trouble is, brands are too squeamish about using them. Perhaps they are worried about using too much fabric, or perhaps there is a misunderstanding about the effects pleats can have. There is, of course, the archetype of the braces-and-pleats-wearing club bore who stumbles out of White’s with mayo from his sandwich stuck in the corner of his mouth... but this is a tired cliché. Look at Gary Cooper, Sean Connery, Fred Astaire: lean men with no shyness around deep and razor-sharp pleats. It matters not what age, weight or creed you are, pleats are your good and loyal friend, but men’s outfitters have led you astray with tiny dimple pleats, if they have them at all.

Audemars Piguet recently celebrated 150 years of time telling. The best brands in horology harness their heritage if they have it (which Audemars Piguet certainly do) while making every effort to design with a 21st-century consumer in mind. But they need not abandon their M.O. and introduce smartwatches or A.I. devices on the wrist — aesthetics redefined for today is the goal.

Audemars Piguet have achieved that by searching their archives and finding the reference 1271 from 1929, a stunning piece that is one of only 347 jumping hour watches the brand created between 1924 and 1951. The mechanism is simple in concept but complex in execution: instead of hands, the hour appears in a window, snapping instantaneously to the next numeral every 60 minutes while the minutes tick by alongside it. It is a format that dates to 17th-century clocks, but one that has always felt slightly futuristic and precise — digital before digital.

This design has been rethought by the great horological minds at Le Brassus. The result is, in effect, the first statement of Ilaria Resta’s tenure as Audemars Piguet Chief Executive: the Neo Frame Jumping Hour. Is the statement a good one?

Initially I was not sure. The photographs did not give a sense of scale or how it would sit on the wrist. When the watch was brought to London, we wasted no time in going to see it, and our minds were made up. Usually what happens in a watch launch is that the publicity campaign builds romance, drama and a sense of wonder about the new release before the watch has been experienced. This time, the opposite was true. To see this piece is to understand it: how the angled lugs sit comfortably around the wrist; how the pink gold sits in soft harmony with the black strap and PVD-treated sapphire case, which gleams like a guardsman’s boot; and how the simple ticket windows are elegantly placed, hardly disturbing the smooth dial.

There are garments that fill a gap in a wardrobe, and there are those rare pieces that redefine it. Canali’s Nuvola suede trench is the sort of investment that might feel like an indulgence at first, but we guarantee that in 40 years’ time you won’t pull it out and think of it as a relic of ‘the days when you could pull it off ’.

Founded in 1934 in Brianza, the heartland of Italian textile craftsmanship, Canali have long occupied a distinctive position in the menswear landscape. The brand’s tailoring has always been defined by a particular sensitivity to weight, drape and comfort, a philosophy that now finds its clearest expression in the Nuvola project, whose name translates as ‘cloud’.

The idea is deceptively simple: remove everything unnecessary from a garment until only elegance remains. In practice, this means extraordinarily thoughtful engineering. The lambskin suede used here is ultra-soft and remarkably light, and it is doubled with an almost imperceptible reinforcement mesh that allows the coat to maintain structure while retaining an almost velvety suppleness. The result is a trench that carries the visual authority of a traditional overcoat while feeling closer to a finely made jacket.

That balance is precisely why this coat represents such a compelling investment. The trenchcoat itself is one of the great constants of masculine dress that has moved seamlessly from military origins to cinematic legend and everyday sophistication. By rendering the form in suede, Canali gives it a new register of texture and warmth (check out the colour) without sacrificing its timelessness.

The details reinforce this sense of longevity. The double- breasted front provides classic proportion while the adjustable belt and cuff straps allow the coat to be worn with either crisp formality or relaxed insouciance.

Crucially, it is also the sort of coat that works in a surprising range of contexts. Worn over a suit, it lends authority and quiet luxury. Paired with knitwear and flannel trousers, it becomes an elegant expression of relaxed tailoring. Even with denim it retains an effortless sophistication.

Ultimately, the value of a piece like this lies in its versatility and longevity. Fashion may turn endlessly, but certain garments transcend it entirely. A beautifully made suede trench — light enough to wear often, refined enough to elevate everything beneath it — is precisely the kind of investment that rewards a man for decades.