Jean François Fert

PASSIONS
Jean François Fert
Head Road Captain of the Harley Club Geneva
Mad about bikes and speed all his life it was
not until he reached the age of 40 that Jean
François Fert bought his first Harley ; for him
the bike is a work of art. His greatest memory?
Route 66.
A club that shares a passion ; the HOG
In Geneva bikers get together through the
Harley Owners Group; this club is supported
by the official Harley dealership and is therefore
an official club with rules and a charter. Each
chapter is managed by a committee of around
10 people each of whom has a clearly defined
role. But what is a chapter ? Quite simply a community
or a “ family ” of Harley Davidson fans
who get together to ride, have fun and above
all share a common passion.
The HOG Geneva has 70 members who get
together every 15 days or so to ride through the
countryside to the rhythm of their legendary
machines. Each outing is organised down to the
smallest detail, Jean François Fert the Head Road
Captain leads the way and monitors safety, security
is all important. And no our bikers are not
bad boys, aged on average between 40 and 60
many of them spend their week days dressed
in suits and ties changing the look on the weekends
as they indulge their passion. They are not
all men either because the HOG also has its
ladies section.
A brief history of the Harley
In the early 1900s in Milwaukee in the USA,
William Harley and Arthur Davidson worked
in a bicycle factory, but a bicycle with a motor
is clearly more interesting, in 1903 their prototype
was ready and was sold under the name
of Harley Davidson. It was an immediate success;
15 years later the company was already the
largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world.
During the Second World War, the factory was
firing on all cylinders as Harley Davidson produced
thousands of models for the American
Army, the bikes were known as Liberators. In

the 1950’s, the brand faced tough times with the
arrival of Japan into the world market but this
passed and business thrived again in 1984 with
the arrival of the Evolution bike.
Today ; comfortable and reliable bikes
In days gone by riders had to take their tool kit
with them but the vehicles of today are more
reliable, higher in performance and even more
comfortable ! 20 models divided into 5 categories
mean that every fan can find their dream
bike, it is also easy to personalise a Harley, so
much so that it is rare to find two bikes the same.
Certain purists stick to the traditional chrome
and gold that causes heads to turn with envy.
The ride, the look and the prestige; this is what
Harley Davidson is all about.
Catherine André Valencien
Jean-François Fert
Head Road Captain
Mob. +41 79 738 48 48
headroadcaptain@genevachapter.com
Les USA en moto
Agnce JIP Tours
Tél.: + 33 (0) 380 54 90 15
www.usamotoriders.com

PASSIONS
Cartier Polo World Cup
25 years
Polo on snow is a tradition in St. Moritz and
in fact the game was invented in the resort
in the Canton of Graubünden exactly a quarter
of a century ago.
In 1985, Reto Gaudenzi, Swiss hotelier and
entrepreneur created the first polo on snow
tournament in the world on the frozen lake in
St. Moritz. 25 years later from the 29th January
to the 1st February 2009, the Cartier Polo World
on snow has become one of the most anticipated
international polo meetings of the season.
25 years later and it’s still a success
This year’s edition, hugely popular with the
public and literally bathed in sun, saw victory
in the final for the Julius Baer team composed
of Pablo MacDonough, George Milford Haven,
Jose Donoso and Richard Le Poer over the
opposing Brioni team. Cartier and Maybach
were respectively placed third and fourth after
a closely fought semi-final.
To celebrate this anniversary, the event’s sponsor
Cartier created the Maillet d’Or a new trophy
for which the teams will compete each year
in the famous ski resort in Graubünden. The
jewellers and watchmakers also created for the
occasion 25 copies of a superb timepiece featuring
a polo player on the dial; the Pasha “25th
Cartier Polo St. Moritz”. It was exclusively presented
by the CEO of Cartier Switzerland
Christophe Massoni.
www.polostmoritz.com
Christophe Chevalier

74
PASSIONS
Courchevel
Snow Arena Polo World Cup
Over a period of 3 days between 23rd and 25th
January, Courchevel was the stage for the S
Club Snow Arena Polo World Cup; the platform
of this now classic meeting of polo on
snow attracted teams of the very highest level.
In Courchevel this year, the S Club Pralong fielded
a team of well-known riders; Reto
Gaudenzi, the events organiser and Lucas Labat,
Argentine professional stood side by side with
captain Piero Dillier, delegate of the Swiss Polo
Association who has been in the tournament
since the start.
Kronometry 1999 was made up of the experienced
Batavian captain Henk van Druken,
Maurice van Druken, future talent of the famous
Dutch polo family and Matias Maques,
Argentine polo lover.
Bovet 1822, the team sponsored by Pascal Raffy,
the CEO of the well-known brand of watchmakers,
was led by Heino Ferch, German exgymnast
and without contest one of the best
players in his country, Marie-Jeanette Ferch the
only female player on the field at Courchevel
this year and the Argentine Ignacio Garrahan,
manager of the “Polo One” club in Pilar.
Finally the Bernard Orcel team included the
tournaments’ youngest player 16-year-old
Spaniard Nicolas Ruiz Guinazù noted for his
incredible speed, German captain and entrepreneur
Sebastian Schneberger, notably winner
of the famous Estimulo Cup in Argentina and
the Argentine celebrity Cesar Riuz Guinazù,
adored by the public for his amazing technique.
The first two days of the competition had to
contend with difficult weather conditions but
the sun really shone on the final when victory
fell to the Bernard Orcel team followed by S Club
Pralong and Kronometry 1999.
Christophe Chevalier

PASSIONS
The Laurent-Perrier Gardens
At the Château de Coppet
Bertrand de Fleurian, President Laurent-Perrier USA, Alexandra
Pereyre de Nonancourt, Laurent-Perrier board member and
Guillaume Deglise, Director General of Laurent-Perrier Switzerland.
On the 8th of May, the champagne producers
Laurent-Perrier took place for the first
time in the 4th edition of the Jardins en Fête
at the Château de Coppet. It was a splendid
occasion paying homage to creativity.
Plants, flowers and stands in bright colours
reflecting the imagination of the gardeners and
landscapers both amateurs and professionals;
a real treat for the eyes and the nose with a
wealth of magical scents.
By there presence Laurent-Perrier continue
to play a role that is dear to them in the
world of gardens, a symbol of their roots in
the countryside.
The public was won over by the “Jardins
Laurent-Perrier” competition; the five presentations
attracted numerous visitors to the
orchards. The jury’s prize went to Hester
MacDonald and the people’s prize to Marie
Holdener.
In the presence of Monsieur Othenin
d’Haussonville, owner of the château and
the event’s organisers, Alexandra Pereyre de
Nonancourt, member of the Laurent-Perrier
board declared “we are partners in this venture
because we share common values with
those who strive to maintain our common
heritage-nature”. The company took advantage
of the ceremony to also celebrate the

Hester MacDonald, winner of the Jardins Laurent-Perrier Prize, Françoise Mottu-Bonna et Viviane Cagneux, organisers of the “Jardins en Fête” at the Château de Coppet
arrival of Guillaume Deglise, the new director
of the Swiss subsidiary who takes over
from Bertrand de Fleurian now President of
Laurent-Perrier in the United States.
www.laurent-perrier.fr/ch
www.jardinsenfete.ch
Chantal-Anne Jacot
Bertrand de Fleurian, Directeur Laurent-Perrier EU, Alexandra de Nonancourt,
propriétaire des Champagnes Laurent-Perrier, Renzo Baldino, intendant du
Château de Coppet, le Comte d’Haussonville, propriétaire du Château de
Coppet, Guillaume Deglise, Directeur de Laurent-Perrier Suisse et Pietro Mileto,
Laurent-Perrier Suisse

PASSIONS
Blancpain-Lamborghini
Shooting off!
Saturday 16th May 2009, the first race of the
season in the Lamborghini Blancpain Super
Trofeo got under way in style at the celebrated
Adria circuit in Italy. Horologers
Blancpain as principal sponsor of the
unique championship was proud to participate
in this world-calibre sporting event.
President and CEO Marc A. Hayek himself
took the controls of a gleaming Gallardo
LP560-4 wearing the brand’s colours.
The first of six rounds in the extraordinary
automobile championship sealed the partnership
of two legends; watchmakers
Blancpain and emblematic car manufacturers
Lamborghini.
During the Super Trofeo, all the new
Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 (570 horsepower
and 540 N/m torque with top speeds
of more than 300 km/h) competed jealously.
At the side of legendary Dutch driver Peter
Kox, Marc A. Hayek, President and CEO of
Blancpain competed bearing the brand’s
colours. He won the 3rd place on the podium
at the end of the second race.

To crown this world-class event, Blancpain
created a new jewel of horology the
“Chronographe Super Trofeo”. In the image
of the gleaming Gallardo, this time-piece
with flyback function has all the latest exclusive
technology. The profile of the case is inspired
by the front of the Lamborghini
Gallardo. The Calibre F184 has 40 hours of
reserve. The black dial is distinguished by
two numbers 9 and 12 in red and white, still
in the spirit of the figures supported by the
30 bolides. The gold hands are engraved with
“Super Trofeo 2009”. Entirely sporty in look
down to the last detail the “Chronographe
Super Trofeo” is limited to 300 pieces.
Fans of cars and speed that were not able to
be in Adria (Italy) in May or Norisring
(Germany) on the 26th and 28th June can
catch the next four races which will take
place as follows:
- Spa Francorchamps (Belgium) 23rd-25th
July
- Silverstone (Great Britain) 15th-16th August
- Catalunya (Spain) 18th-20th September
- Paul Ricard (France) 2nd-4th October
www.blancpain.com
Chantal-Anne Jacot

Hublot and Morgan
A Big Bang for a British Beauty!
It all took place on 10th February 2009 in
Malvern in England. The legendary carmaker
Morgan and the famous watchmakers Hublot
married their splendid mechanisms with
aplomb.
A centenary is well worth celebrating! Morgan
proudly announced its age; 100 years of creativity
and success for the British Beauties that are
the stuff of dreams. On the 10th of February,
Jean-Claude Bivet, General Manager of Hublot
unveiled in the presence of Charles Morgan
CEO, a limited edition of the Big Bang inspired
by the AeroMax car; the AeroMax Morgan. This
model in tungsten and ceramic bears the
Morgan logo at 9 o’clock on a dial adorned with
openwork revealing the chronograph movement
beneath.
A voluntary affinity is born between the famous
British sports car manufacturer and the enthusiastic
watchmakers. Committed to intrinsic
values, to savoir-faire and the latest technologies,
they wanted to join forces to celebrate a
memorable centenary.
The Aeromax, a limited series of 100 cars
constructed and fine tuned by hand inspired the
creation of the Aero Bang watch, the 100 copies
of which are reserved for AeroMax owners.
A beautiful story and magnificent adventure.
Hublot S.A.
Ch. de la Vuarpillière 33
CH-1260 Nyon 2 - Switzerland
Tel.:+41 (0)22 990 90 00
www.hublot.com
www.morgan-motor.co.uk
Chantal-Anne Jacot