The Rolex Midas is a unique and rare model from Rolex, notable for its distinctive design and luxurious appeal. Produced in the 1960s, it features an asymmetrical case shape resembling a cushion, often made from solid gold. The watch is known for its elegant style, with a minimalist dial and a combination of gold and sometimes diamond accents, making it a coveted piece among collectors. Including The King Elvis!

Price: $104,573.00 USD *That’s if you can find one, you may need the Midas Touch!

“The Midas Touch is a term referencing a legendary ability to turn everything one touches into gold, originating from the Greek myth of King Midas. It is also used metaphorically to describe the ability of individuals, particularly entrepreneurs, to be highly successful or to create wealth.”

Now if you ever wanted to be the centre of the universe this watch would definitely help. The huge Jacob & Co. Astronomia measuring in at 43.4mm is opulence at its best. Encased in a rose gold case and powered by the exclusive Jacob & Co. , the manually-wound JCAM19 calibre watch operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour.  Precious stones represent the seven planets – White Granite for Mercury, Rhodonite for Venus, Red Jasper for Mars, Pietersite for Jupiter, Tiger Eye for Saturn, Blue Calcite for Uranus and Lapis Lazuli for Neptune. The timepiece performs one full counter-clockwise revolution every 10 minutes. If your stars are aligned you can pick one up for $460,000 AUD (approx.) Buy here.

12 gold-plated signs of the zodiac

Well it’s not really the weather for this at the moment here in Oz, but when summer comes this is the perfect get around. Those guys at Deus Ex Machina, Sydney have departed from their usual style of bike to produce this odd one ‘The Goof Bike’. The GB is a collaboration between alternative Byron Bay artist Paul McNeil and their main honcho mechanic Jeremy Tagand aka Frenchie, and what they’ve produced is something old school, and just down right cool. Just imagine after a big day at the office you come home and cruise to beach for a surf on your Goof Bike. With a free flowing exhaust, big ass seat, ape-hanger handlebars this stripped back Suzuki RV90 has no mirrors or indicators, now that’s worth a karate kick! For enquiries in Sydney, email bikes@au.deuscustoms.com.

Photos: Deus Ex Machina, Paul McNeil

Tony Hadley, the former lead singer of Spandau Ballet, is set to perform at the Odeon Theatre in Hobart on Thursday, 30 January 2025.

The concert will feature classic hits like “True,” “Gold,” “Only When You Leave,” and “Round & Round,” as well as selections from his solo career, accompanied by The Fabulous TH Band. Doors open at 6:30 PM. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.

Johnnie Walker White…

Photo: Scott Gelston

The inclemency of Hobart’s weather was in fine form this summer in Hobart, Tasmania when ‘TheNews.com.au -The Finer Things in Life’ ran the gauntlet of rain and bluster to make their way to the sanctum of Tim Freedman’s green room at the Altar to interview him on his current solo tour and new song ‘The Ballad of Bertie Kidd’.

Irreverent curiosity led him to ask us why the ‘Finer Things in Life’, known for covering all things luxurious wanted to interview him. Well here is the answer – to us luxury encompasses an awareness of a combination of senses all working together, whether it be a gastronomic immersion into the unctuous aged indulgence of Le Dauphin cheese (an unusual hexagonal cheese that takes its name from the term once used to describe the heir apparent to the throne of France), or the searing pick me up of a penetrating piccolo, both of which we have heard Freedman is partial to, but in this case it was to absorb the sound, energy and vibe of one of Aussies truly creative musicians – the experience of Tim Freedman live in action.

Relaxed and hospitable, Freedman told us that he was in a good mood because he had just finished a great show, including some funny banter with the audience – a member playfully referenced Tinder dating, and with razor sharp wit Freedman responded “…I can’t go on Tinder I’m too well known, probably lucky for me, I’ve heard it’s a minefield, my profile would just say 56, shaved, sexy, wants to do it all day and a silhouette and guess who?…” This performer, we are quickly learning, turns moments into creative nuggets with his witty and creative improvisational skills – if you can keep up – the actual lyrics from ‘No Aphrodisiac’ (Verse 4) are: “Forty, shaved, sexy, wants to do it all day” and then there’s the silhouette.

Speaking about quick improvisation, the song ‘No Aphrodisiac’, from the album ‘Eternal Nightcap’ in the late 1990’s took Freedman just 15 minutes to write. Freedman said at that time, he would have liked the film clip to be simply a black screen. This gives us thought to ponder the creative mystery that surrounds the black square/screen -think the ending of the Sopranos, and Malevich’s ‘Black Square’. At this time The Whitlams had not made it big, however after their album ‘Eternal Nightcap’ won the 1997 Triple j top 100, Triple j joined the party, and gave a lot air time to the band and from there they took off.

Eternal Nightcap, 1997

Ever the irreverent, Tim Freedman takes to the stage to launch the first new song written with The Whitlams in 14 years: ‘The Ballad of Bertie Kidd’. A hapless tale of a criminal caper rendered ludicrously impotent. Australians seem to love a balls up, they love to laugh with the hapless, and so through the once smoky haze and hop scented watering holes of Australia’s pubs grew the spinning yarn of Bert’s one monumentally thwarted heist, the potential crime, an orphan child of an otherwise outstanding career has been taken into the hearts of many Aussies and grown a life of its own. Four blokes en route to an art gallery in a stolen Sigma with intent to possess a collection of Pro Hart and Ken Done masterpieces don their balaclavas too early. The props of anticipation and anonymity now shriek as unintended beacons of skulduggery . They are spotted as suspicious by passing coppers. When pulled over and questioned as to their appearance, they relay to the cops that it is cold, and that they are going fishing, it didn’t wash, it’s now the art heist that never was. You can see why Aussies roar over their cans of Resches Pilsner with the retelling of this audacious grandiose stunt gone awry.

Whilst ‘The Ballad of Bertie Kidd’ is slapstick in nature, with emphasis on hilarity, the backstory of Bertie Kidd, aka ‘Bert the blue eyed killer’ himself is no joke. We must add here that Kidd is regarded as criminal Royalty. Known as an audacious safe cracker, with shadows and echoes of murder in his wake, more material is expected to surface as three volumes of his biography are being released.

Emigrating from the UK to Australia at 14 Bert Kidd is not on the average persons radar, being so underground that none of the criminals even echoed his story in daylight, due to fear of reprisal. Housed in Pentridge Prison next to Ivan Milat, Ivan is reputed to avoid walking the yard with Kidd for the belief that Bert would kill him. Bert has been out of jail for two years now, and upon release, at the age of 85 Peter Dutton attempted to have him deported, believing him to be so dangerous. By accounts, he is legendary. Legendary. We assure our readers that Freedman is safe and clear of reprisal, he took a shot through the dark, going through the channel of Bert’s biographer to get the go ahead to pen the ‘Ballad of Bertie Kidd’.

While in Tasmania, Freedman caught up with Bert, who has retired quietly in Launceston to ponder a life lived large. Freedman was gratified to hear from Bert over a quiet dinner together dinner that he had achieved about 80 to 90% accuracy in the ‘Ballad of Bertie Kidd’. Bert also revealed to Tim the true details of the words spoken between the four comrades and the police that day. Freedman says he took some artistic licence with the yarn to fit with the structure of the song.

Freedman’s solo tour is a prelude to The Whitlams ‘Gaffage and Clink’ National tour originally planned for 2020, has been rescheduled for August and September 2021. Gaffage and clink is backstage lingo referenced in a new yet-to-be released song that celebrates the relationship between the band and their long-time tour manager Greg Weaver, who passed away suddenly last year. The time off has allowed the band to write a new album, due for release in mid-2021.

‘Ballad of Bertie Kidd’

Melissa Lockley, Arts Correspondant TheNews.com.au

melissa.lockley@thenews.com.au

60 years on, the Porsche 911 continues to be one of the best sports cars on the market. Porsche is keeping the 60th-anniversary celebration rolling with the 911 S/T, a stripped-down 911 aimed squarely at the purist 911 fan. The naturally-aspirated 4.0-liter, 517-horsepower flat-six is mated to a six-speed manual transmission with a lightweight flywheel and clutch. The purist camp will enjoy a total of 70 pounds less weight than the manual 911 GT3 Touring, making it the lightest 911 you can buy new. 0-60 comes in 3.5 seconds with a terminal velocity of 186 MPH. A revised aero package is optimized for a sleek look and the road, with a Gurney flap on the retractable rear spoiler.

The interior is trimmed in Classic Cognac cloth seat centers and black pinstriping, and two-tone semi-aniline leather trim in black and Classic Cognac. 1,963 911 S/Ts will be made, with deliveries beginning in Spring 2024.

The exclusive Heritage Design Package adds Shoreblue Metallic paint and Cermica wheels, with the original Porsche crest from the first 911 throughout the exterior and cabin.

Buy from Porsche.

(Images provided – Porsche)

From Cyber Trucks, to Cyber Phones, to a  Cyber House – now this…a Cyber Mansion, when will it ever end? Cyberhouse Life is a concept from architect Alex Wyzhevsky that looks like it could easily be out of the next Bond film. Nestled in a picturesque mountain this dwelling actually consists of two buildings – a house and garage. We could go with some sort of architectural spiel, but why? Just look at it! So we’ll just give you the basics. The mansion is 1,370-square-meters with glazed walls, and is constructed of monolithic concrete, heavy-duty steel, and bulletproof glass. There you go, start dreaming.

Photos: @modern_house_spb

Photos: @modern_house_spb

CyberTrailer for Tesla’s Cybertruck

Tesla’s Cybertruck can’t tow just any camper. Living Camper is bringing its expertise in high-end campers to the CyberTrailer, a dual-axle camper with angular styling that fits the Cybertruck theme perfectly. The CyberTrailer draws power from a rooftop solar array and can act as a charging station and can even recharge the towing vehicle, although Living Vehicle hasn’t released details on battery capacity or generation. The CyberTrailer also isn’t limited to the Cybertruck, with gas-powered or other EV trucks like the F-150 Lightning or Rivian R1T being just as suitable — although not as well matched aesthetically. Living Vehicle plans to start deliveries of the CyberTrailer in 2025, with reservations available for a refundable $100 deposit.

Approx $175,000 USD