UK Cigar Scene Magazine June Issue 6 | Page 5

CHURCHILL CUFFLINKS 2015 marks the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and the 50th of Winston Churchill’s funeral and in commemoration London based TMB Art Metal are launching a very special design of cufflinks depicting Winston Churchill made of 1940 Spitfire metal and which are destined to find a special place in the hearts of cigar aficionados. The simple concept being to combine two Battle of Britain icons – Churchill, who led Britain to victory, and the Spitfire. Without doubt the most famous icons of the Battle of Britain. The legendary Supermarine Spitfire (along with the less celebrated Hawker Hurricane) provided the Royal Air Force’s defensive teeth to repel Hitler’s mighty Luftwaffe, whilst Winston Churchill, Prime Minister, led the country in its fight for survival. Churchill was an inspired orator and one of the greatest contributions he made for the people of Britain in 1940 was to stir their patriotism, resolve and morale with his powerful and emotional speeches. There will be two variants: a version of the cuff links made of aluminium with colour contrasting cigars in bronze and a limited edition of just 50 pairs with busts of Churchill in bronze and cigars in silver. In both cases the aluminium and bronze is metal recovered from Spitfire X4276 KL-B, legendary Royal Air Force ace Al Deere’s personal Spitfire for the latter stages of the Battle of Britain and 1940. The master from which these originate was meticulously hand sculpted and each Churchill cufflink created in England using lost wax casting, an ancient method employed to make the best jewellery and sculpture. It’s a painstaking and at times frustrating process, every piece being fettled, polished and finished entirely by hand. Each is unique, no two exactly alike. But the net result is that these fully three dimensional cufflinks, which are undoubtedly the finest Churchill inspired links ever created, really are amazing pieces of wearable sculptural art, made of Battle of Britain history. Both versions are fitted with arms of sterling silver. Cufflinks are supplied in very high quality wooden cases with illustrated certificates of provenance. The Spitfire aluminium cufflinks are priced at £350, whilst the Spitfire bronze ones, limited to just 50 pairs, are priced at £695. More details are available on the web site www.tmbartmetal.com “ Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves, that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, This was their finest hour.” 4