The English-speaking press calls him "Mr. Zeitgeist" (Mister "spirit of the time" in German). It also attributes to him sprezzatura, the Italian Renaissance ideal of effortless elegance. Indeed, Tyler Brûlé embodies a blend of globalized and timeless trends. In his 50s, the head of Monocle, a lifestyle magazine at the peak of its hype, has that certain something that defines style.

On his sharp shoulders, a hoodie or the most ordinary jacket instantly looks stylish. With short, thick white hair, tortoiseshell glasses, Paraboot model 1927 derbies and a steely gaze, this Winnipeg native doesn't seek originality. He lives in a modernist concrete house in Zurich – "Switzerland is a safe and secure country, where nothing can happen," he explained – where he likes to gaze at the lake from a Gio Ponti chair bought at auction, surrounded by 20^th-century American, Italian and Scandinavian furniture.

In Switzerland, he skis, swims, runs and follows a light, organic diet, like many wealthy men of his generation. A unique detail: He wears a watch on each wrist, a Rolex set to Zurich time and a Swatch adjusted to the time zones he frequently crosses. On the day of our meeting in Paris, he had just returned from a week-long fast – "800 calories a day" – in the Alps. "Hungrier than ever," he dreamed of a "steak au poivre and spinach."

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