We here at Fake Alligator put together a list of the top 10 things in 2017.  Trying to steer clear of watches and cars (for the most part) we wanted to showcase the biggest and most exciting things of the year.  So without further ado:

10: Damien Hirst’s Venice show: Treasures From the Wreck of the Unbelievable

189 pieces in bronze, marble, malachite, rock crystal, silver and gold.   The work took 10 years to produce at a cost of over $65million USD, that’s a few Paul Newman Daytonas.  Love him or hate him, this show was the only thing I remember from Venice this year.

9: That fight scene in Atomic Blonde

It goes on and on and on and on.  Cut together to look like one take, its astonishing.  It’s 10 minutes long.  GQ has a piece on how it was shot.  The film is just ok, but worth it for some of the insane shots.

8. Semi-Frozen Yellow Yeezy Boost 350 V2s

These are possibly the ugliest yet coolest shoes of the year.  Not too much to say here.  I had a pair of Yeezys last year.  They are super comfortable, wear well with a wide variety of clothes and are often a conversation starter.  So what’s not to love?  Well this crazy tone of yellow…. released on November 18, 2017 for a retail price of $220, you can find them if you try, you just might have to pay. (Stockx)

7. N*E*R*D – Lemon

This is the best song of the year.  Why they didn’t release before summer…. who knows.  Once it’s in your headed it’s all over. Living how I get it.. for days.

This video has everything.  Bikes, women, dancing. Women dancing near bikes.  One cool thing is the featured dancer, Mette Towley,  has already been in another NERD video.  (1000).  She’s performed to the track both at Complexcon and The Jimmy Kimmel Show.  It’s cool that they’re taking her along for the ride of this album’s promotion.

6. Bitcoin.

I had one whole coin about 5 years ago, I sold it back then, for roughly $300.  I still feel like I came out on top.  It’s all going to collapse, or not.   I don’t really have a dog in the race anymore.  It’s fun to follow the wildly volatile intraday values of it.  Even more crazy is CBOE now has Bitcoin Futures trading.

5. Twin Peaks

The  broadcast network show disappears, rightly so, for 25 years.  Society catches up with how good the series was.  Showtime throws a bag of money at David Lynch and here we are.  I didn’t love the new series, but I certainly appreciate the kind of television it is.  Of all the drivel that is getting resurrected by SVOD money(Looking at you Netflix!), it’s great that Showtime decided to bring this series back.  Now what the hell happened in the last episode?!

 4. Solar Eclipse

 

August 21, 2017.  THE GREATEST AMERICAN ECLIPSE.  Everyone got onboard the eclipse train.  Births, deaths, weddings, funerals, everything happened during that eclipse.  People went nuts. My two-year old went nuts.    I’m glad planes didn’t fall from the sky and atonal music didn’t play in the street.  Y2K anyone? *Another will happen in 2021 across parts of Canada.

3. Banksy’s Walled Off Hotel in Palestine

Because who doesn’t love Banksy.  He made this hotel, you can actually stay in.  Featuring “the worst view of any hotel in the world” rooms ranged from $65-965 a night.   There’s a gift shop and apparently Banksy artwork for sale on site.

2. Mayweather vs. McGregor

 

August 26, 2017, Las Vegas, T-Mobile Arena. Seats went for $10,000.  If you watch the fight, half the people in the crowd are celebrities.  Floyd Mayweather defeats Connor McGregor in 10th round by TKO.  Who cares?  The spectacle before this was exciting.  The anticipation had been building for years.  Mayweather banked $300mill, McGregor limped along with a paltry $100mil.  Either fighter can be followed on Instagram to see how they spend their millions.   I’ll fight Mayweather AND McGregor for $1,000,000.

and finally…

1. The Paul Newman Paul Newman Daytona Auction in NYC

October 27.  The anticipation had been building for over six months.  Celebrity auctioneer Aurel Bacs in association with Phillips Auctions were given the daunting task of selling what some consider to be the holy-grail of watches.  The Paul Newman dial Rolex Daytona actually owned by Paul Newman.  The Paul Newman Daytona is basically a standard Rolex Daytona chronograph watch with an “exotic” dial from the 60s and 70s, as shown above.  White dial, black registers.  Watch people went nuts. Car people went nuts.  Woman and children went nuts.   When the dust has settled this watch gaveled for $17,752,500 making it the most expensive wristwatch ever.

 

Here’s to a great 2018!