Dawn Chorus: How to bag a Vacheron Constantin watch like Brad Pitt’s 222 and why London’s Sloane Street is looking better than ever

Right on time

Vacheron Constantin, the world’s oldest continuously operating watch manufacturer, is kicking off its 270th anniversary celebrations in style — with the launch of the Historique 222 in steel.

The new timepiece is in fact not that new at all because it’s derived from a heritage piece released in 1977 to mark Vacheron Constantin’s 222nd birthday. And from the yellow gold 222 which was unveiled at the 2022 iteration of Watches and Wonders with plenty of new technical improvements (Brad Pitt was later spotted wearing a vintage white-gold one at Wimbledon 2023).

Only a handful of the £53,500 (now £71,000) Historique 222 in gold were crafted, which made trying to get your hands, or rather your wrist, on one rather tricky. So, it can only be a good thing that this new version (£30,800) is now available, featuring the same 37mm ‘Jumbo’ case as the gold watch, a blue dial and a steel bracelet. And, if it’s good enough for Brad…

Buon Appetito!

In 2010, Jay Rayner popped along to review a new restaurant in Islington. He described the meal as one ‘that can restore your faith in the often grisly business of getting food cooked for you by other people in return for money’.

It’s now 2025 and the restaurant, which is called Trullo, is celebrating its 15-year anniversary with a three-month residency at Harvey Nichols.

The menus — available for lunch and for dinner — will include firm favourites such as chopped beef fillet with rosemary and anchovy, as well as soon to be firm favourites inspired by the Knightstridge surroundings. Think tagliarini with Beluga caviar and Amalfi lemon tart.

Trullo, in case you hadn’t worked it out by now, is a champion of all things Italian.

What-is-more, Trullo’s own label Gavi and Chianti wines will be available to purchase from the department store.

Trullo at Harvey Nichols will open on 3rd March for three months. Lunch service is available 12.30pm-2.45pm and supper from 6pm-8pm. A lighter menu will be served between 3pm and 5pm.

Pitch a tent

Three years ago, Alexander Darwall, who owns swathes of land in Dartmoor, made headlines for challenging a widely held interpretation of the 1985 Dartmoor Commons Act that the public right to wild camp on the moor.

Two years ago, the High Court found in Darwall’s favour and stipulated that there was no right to wild camp on Dartmoor without the landowner’s permission.

Since then, there’s been plenty of back and forth between Darwall, the Dartmoor National Park Authority, campers and protesters. In 2023, wild camping access was restored; in 2024, Darwall moved for the case to be heard in the Supreme Court.

Are you keeping up?

Last week, we published a piece by Lewis Winks on why the right to wild camp on Dartmoor is vital for us all. If you missed it, you can catch up…right here.

Strike a pose

It only took two years and £40million, but Sloane Street is finally ready for its close-up — as these hot of the press images demonstrate.

The road linking Chelsea and Knightsbridge has been extensively reworked in a 1km-long ‘green boulevard’ — designed to encourage footfall and dwell time.

A part of the Cadogan Estate, the streetscape improvements are the most significant to date since the street was commissioned by the 1st Earl Cadogan in the 18th century.

Shops that line the London shopping street include Bottega Veneta, Chanel and Loro Piana, as well as the Belmond Cadogan and Beaverbrook Townhouse hotels.