Nicholas Foulkes

Spear’s Review

Journalist, author, aesthete, orator, historian, tastemaker – Nicholas Foulkes has many strings to his bow. 

The combination has made him one of the most influential figures in the world of ‘luxury’ – although Foulkes himself is unlikely to describe his metier in such a sweeping manner.

The Oxford graduate (Hertford College) has authored books including Time Tamed (‘the remarkable story of humanity’s quest to measure time’) and Cigars: A Guide, as well as titles focusing on individual luxury marques such as Patek Philippe and Louis Vuitton.

Although a student of history (he has also written a book about high society in the 19th century) Foulkes has embraced new fashions, formats and platforms throughout his career. His Instagram feed has garnered some 50,000 followers, while a series of YouTube videos on the subject of cigars – which is produced with sons Max and Freddie – has been a resounding hit.

His horological expertise – and the trust that is placed in him by the bastions of Swiss watchmaking – saw Foulkes become president of the jury for the 2021 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG). 

Writing in his regular, long-standing Spear’s column, Foulkes asserted that the ceremony holds such importance that, ‘in Switzerland they call the Oscars “the GPHG of film”’. Readers probably took this as un petit blague. But perhaps the essence of Foulkes’ particular brand of magic is that one can never quite be sure.