The vote for U-boat

When one looks for functional timepieces that still make a strong fashion statement, one doesn’t have to look much further than U-Boat. During World War II, when Italian pilots and submarine officers were looking for watches that would be practically indestructible, large and thus easy to read even when under the harshest of circumstances, the first wave of U-Boat watches was created. Oversized and bold, that same concept is behind the contemporary reincarnation that owner Italo Fontana had in mind when he added on such materials as stainless steel, sterling silver, titanium, gold and ceramic to update and diversify the look of the collection. Strap options include alligator, calf leather and ostrich.

Jason and Marc Soong of ‘Bout Time, Inc. are the proud holders of the rights to distribute and retail U-Boat here in the Philippines and they continue a tradition of bringing the best to these shores  as first exemplified by their father, Willie, who represents Jaguar and the best of professional and home audio equipment. At the recently held launch at the Resorts World store, celebrities like Jericho Rosales, Gretchen Barretto, Heart Evangelista, Karylle and Tim Yap all made it known that they were U-Boat enthusiasts; with Jericho wearing the Flightdeck 50 Cab Titanium Bezel, a watch inspired by the control panel of an aircraft.

Besides the sporty Flightdeck line, there are the Classico collection and Thousands of Feet collection; all three collections available at the flagship U-Boat store found at the ground floor of Resorts World, Newport City. Hand-made, artisanal in approach and boasting of exclusivity, the U-Boat has surfaced again!

The upside of death

Whether with gonzo zombie humor, as an action/horror blockbuster of a book with vampiric roots or as a stirring police procedural, death rears its head in these three highly entertaining novels. Written with extensive research, these novels are just what the doctor  or is it funeral parlor director  ordered!

Novels that go bump in the night to our reading enjoyment!

Paul Is Undead by Alan Goldsher (available at National Bookstore): If there’s a book we can be thankful to the whole zombie genre craze for, it would have to be Goldsher’s Paul Is Undead. Written at breakneck speed, it chronicles the rise and fall of the Beatles with the premise that John was a zombie and “converted” Paul and George, while Ringo is a seventh level Ninja Master! From Liverpool and Hamburg, to the Ed Sullivan show and Shea Stadium breakthroughs, to the Manila concert and the Let It Be sessions that lead to the band’s break-up, all is faithfully rendered, but filtered through hilarious zombie lenses. Cameos by Mick Jagger as a zombie hunter and Rod Argent perpetually aggravated by the fact that his own group the Zombies, aren’t the real thing, add to the absurd, dizzy mix.

The Fall by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan (available at Fully Booked): The second book in the planned trilogy authored by film director del Toro and suspense master Hogan, The Fall takes the set of characters we met in The Strain to the next phase of the Master’s fight against the Ancients, and how New York (and the rest of the world) handles the vampire virus that has been let loose. As with the first novel, the pace is adrenaline-pushed, very cinematic in nature, and yet, written with a lot of heart. Characters like Fet, the exterminator, and Gus, the Chicano gang member, shine in this outing, and there’s Angel, a retired Mexican wrestler who we won’t easily forget. Suspense/horror rarely comes as fulfilling as this, and we can’t wait for the third and final chapter!

Dead Like You by Peter James (available at Fully Booked): A true master of crime/suspense novels, James is back with a chilling story. It’s a double-helix narrative that deals with rape, copycat crime and “dead cases” spread over a 12-year span. The Shoe Man, a rapist with a fetish for high fashion women’s shoes and luxury underwear has resurfaced after an absence of over a decade. Or has he? Are the latest incidents the work of a copycat(s)? Detective Superintendant Roy Grace who worked on the original case has to find out before the next victim falls. A terse police procedural, with depthful and truly interesting characters, Dead Like You proves James is still very much at the top of his game. Brighton and Hove, James’ hometown is, once again, the setting.