It is unfortunate that many in our community of watch enthusiasts may never get the opportunity to visit one of the great Swiss watch houses. There is more to the allure of fine watches than the little machines that beat within and animate them. Unlike most of the products of our technical age, these machines bear the imprint of the personalities of the people who design and built them. When one has visited a great house, as we were fortunate to do at Audemars, that imprint, or with another metaphor that voice of Audemars is ever more palpable than it was before our visit. The personality of Audemars was a mélange of one of the oldest and most traditional businesses in the world - family owned for two and half centuries (match that to six month dot com wonders !), hi-tech design and modern machines all funneling down to individual craftsman to give birth to the final product. Holding all of the watches we saw, I could sense every one of those elements in the piece. Magnificently!

We then had a favor to repay. Michael Goldstein of Audemars USA had been kind enough to arrange for our re-discovery tour. The awesome burden then fell upon me to teach him what I knew about Switzerland. Sure it is exciting and stimulating to learn what lies behind these machines that so mesmerize us. But that per force ends by 5 o’clock. A purely daytime avocation. Evening comes and it is time for great wine and food. Leaving Renaud & Papi, it fell to me to squire Michael (to whom both the name and experience would be new) and Hans and Kevin (both of whom had been subject to rhapsodic e-mails sent by me over several weeks) to the Le Pont de Brent for dinner. Michelin has three categories for great restaurants: one star (good kitchen), two stars (worthy of a detour - no restaurant in the US can get beyond this level) and three stars (worthy of the whole voyage). Pont de Brent, bears three stars. That night it merited the voyages of all of us. 

This beaming gentleman isn't a watch maker on his lunch break but Monsieur Gerard Rabaey, the owner and chef of the Pont de Brent, who together with his team entertained us so regally that night. For the watch lover, the article now ends, but for the gourmet, this report wouldn't be complete without at least a few words about our time there. Wolfram Siebeck, Germany's best known restaurant critic and cook-book author, called the Pont de Brent the "most unpretentious three-star restaurant in Europe" meaning it has a warm, almost family-like atmosphere without stiff waiters standing at attention or the guests having to worry if they're using the right fork.  I've been to some fine French restaurants in and around Switzerland in my time but never have the expectations - fueled by Jeff's glowing accounts about previous visits - been quite so high.

The evening started off with glass of champagne enhanced with a shot of peach syrup (yummm ! Don't make the mistake to knock it if you haven't tried it like I first did) which we enjoyed together with a plate of tiny warm puff pastries and the amuse bouche, a composition of thinly sliced crab. We then switched to a white Burgundy which was lovely with the three appetizers: foie gras wrapped in young leek with a timbale of rabbit sweetbreads and lentils, frog leg ravioli with stuffed morel mushrooms (for me the culinary highlight of the evening) and a lightly grilled fish on a bed of young artichokes and broth. For the main course, a fragrant red Burgundy complemented the wonderfully tender breast of pigeon and the offerings from the cheese wagon that followed. "Always leave room for desert", this rule is particularly important when you visit the Pont de Brent. A frozen mocha parfait and then a warm rhubarb-crumble with strawberry ice-cream would make even the most insatiable sweet-tooth happy but as our waiter smilingly said when he brought the huge plate of petit fours, "It's not over yet".  So I'm extremely embarrassed to say that all this didn't deter the four of us to make short work of the tray of pralines and chocolate truffles that was later served with coffee. 

Anybody visiting the area who would like experience a meal on this level of perfection but may be worried that the bill won't fit their budget, take note: The Pont de Brent's prices are extremely fair. Without beverages, the full menu came to just about the price of a Swatch Body & Soul. Most highly recommended !

Appetite sparked by the breathtaking view from my hotel room, only eight hours later I was sitting at the breakfast table happily loading  jam on to my croissants and savoring the last moments of my short holiday in Watchland. Time for our departure came all too quickly so with vows to continue our horological adventures in the future, we said our goodbyes. I'd like to extend my thanks to Jeff for putting this remarkable  trip together, Michael for so enthusiastically supporting the project, Kevin for bringing along a tie for me to wear and finally all the people at Audemars Piguet and Renaud & Papi who were so willing to receive us and so generous with their time and the information they shared.

I concur with everything that Jeff and Hans have said about the Pont de Brent. I had my doubts, and the knives were out, since Jeff had built it up so much.  I mean, I just couldn't get the man to stop raving about it!  Jeff and I had earlier in the year dined at one of London's finest, a high profile restaurant with an even higher profile chef.  Also the bearer of three Michelin stars, our dining experience turned out to be less than stellar.  Disillusioned by this, I was sure that the Pont de Brent was bound to fail in some way.  Only it didn't.  It was, without doubt, the best dining experience I have ever had, period.  Fantastic food and wine, fantastic atmosphere and fantastic company: what more could you ask for?  The only thing I might do differently next time is to go for the duck, which was served at the table opposite ours.  As delicious as our own food was, I remember us all turning our heads to, and salivating at, the duck when it was served.  I'm not sure if I've ever smelled anything better!  

Our day was one of those rare occurrences, where everything turns out just right.  The hospitality and generosity of Audemars Piguet and Renaud & Papi was fantastic.  I too would like to thank them, as well as Michael Goldstein, for organizing the formal VIP tours.  As for Jeff and Hans, thanks a million guys for actually making this happen and for extending the invite to me.