This Sunday sees one of the most charitable, gracious events on the calendar take place. The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, dreamed up by Mr Mark Hawwa, is a global unifier of sorts, resulting in thousands of motorcycle and style enthusiasts collating in a total of 90 countries worldwide. The recipe is a simple one; bring along your classic motorcycle or scooter; dress in your finest suit; and ride with other like-minded individuals in the goal of raising as much money as possible in aid of cancer research and suicide prevention. It’s a good excuse to show off your pride of joy and sartorial expertise, but of course the real importance lies in the money being raised, and for such a noble endeavour it was a no-brainer for The Rake to get involved.
In a bid to add to the DGR’s $5,000,000 worldwide goal, The Rake is holding an exclusive charity auction following the ride. Brands and friends ofThe Rake have donated some truly outstanding products and experiences, many of which aren’t even available to the general public. We’ve got one-of-a-kind motorcycles, one-off prototype watches, bespoke suits and much more all up for grabs, making it an unmissable event for the fastidious connoisseur. In this exclusive first-part preview of our DGR charity auction, you can peruse some of the lots available in our quest to raise as much money as possible.
Lot 1. Triumph Street Twin with bespoke styling by Down & Out Café Racers (similar pictured above)
A 2016 Triumph Street Twin motorcycle equipped with a fuel injected 900cc high torque engine, eight valve parallel twin engine. In standard trim the Street Twin is a great looking bike, but the lucky winner of this auction will be buying into the bespoke styling of the legendary Down & Out Café Racers, one of the world’s most innovative and thrilling artisans on the custom motorcycle scene. The winner’s bike will be transformed by Down & Out, ensuring he or she can ride in the knowledge that their motorcycle is truly unique.
This opportunity was made possible by Triumph Motorcycles, Down and Out Café racers and Mr. Mark Hawwa of the Distinguished Gentlemans Ride.
Lot 2. Zenith Pilot’s Ton Up DGR chronograph watch
A Zenith Pilot’s Ton Up DGR chronograph watch featuring the legendary El Primero movement, the world’s first integrated automatic chronograph. The El Primero also is the world’s fastest beating chronograph movement allowing you to measure accurate timing events to 1/10th of a second. The Zenith Pilot’s Ton Up DGR is one of the rarest timepieces ever produced by Zenith and will be made in only 5 examples. This timepiece is the number 00 prototype of the watch adding to its rarity.
This unique opportunity was made possible by Mr. Aldo Magada of Zenith Watches and Mr. Mark Hawwa of the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride.
Lot 3. Huntsman of Savile Row bespoke tweed suit
Huntsman is the most storied name in British bespoke tailoring, patronized by royalty such as Edward VII and Prince Albert to screen luminaries like Lawrence Olivier and Gregory Peck. Amongst Huntsman’s most legendary creations are their house tweed garments made from cloth created exclusively for Hunstman and woven at the oldest woolen mill in the Inner Hebrides. The winner of this bid will get the unique opportunity to design his very own house tweed, which will never again be repeated. He will be invited to Islay to watch the tweed being woven and the entire bolt of fabric, which can be stored for him and for the generations of his family to come. The tweed suit can be created in any variety he chooses from a shooting suit to an urban suit. The winner will be guided through the entire experience by Huntsman’s creative team.
This unique opportunity was made possible by Mr. Pierre Lagrange and Mr. Philippe Brenninkmeijer of Huntsman.
Lot 4. One-year membership to Mark's Club
A one-year membership to Mark's Club. The fabled Mark's club is one of the most revered and institutional private clubs in London. The club was revitalised in 2015 by interior designer Tino Zervudachi and today it expresses the perfect balance between its extraordinary heritage and its vibrant contemporary appeal.
This unique opportunity was made possible by Mr. Darius Namdar, Club Director Mark’s Club.
Lot 5. Turnbull &
Asser bespoke shirt-making experience
