Follow US
French
The Hublot 5 Million Dollar Diamond Watch
Hublot, a subsidiary of French luxury goods group LVMH, will use the high-profile event to unveil “The $5 million” a watch comprising no less than 1,282 diamonds. As per Hublot, this is the most precious watch ever created by Hublot and its long-standing partner, Atelier Bunter in Geneva.
The piece is the result of 14 months work, including that of a “master-cutter” from New York who fashioned the largest stones.
According to Jean-Claude Biver, president of the watch company, it would be difficult to make a more expensive watch “because the surface of the watch is limited.” The watch will be displayed under very tight security, and only select Baselworld attendees will even be allowed to view it.
World’s largest spirits collection
Van der Bunt, 63, who inherited part of the collection from his father and grandfather and stored it in a cellar at his home, had no children to hand it to. The collection includes a hand-blown six-litre bottle of 1795 Brugerolle cognac believed to have been requisitioned by French revolutionary army officers.
As per Laming, it is believed this bottle also accompanied Napoleon Bonaparte on his campaigns and is the only one left in the world. The bottle has an asking price of 138,000 euros, although Van der Bunt is hoping to negotiate a sale for most of the collection as a single lot. Van der Bunt who has been adding to the collection for the last 35 years bought the Brugerolle at a Christie’s auction in Chicago in 1990. The collector, who ironically does not drink alcohol, also bought bottles from famous restaurants such as Maxim’s in Paris and Le Cirque in New York.
Cars coming soon in 2012
Some astrologers have already predicted that the world will end in 2012, but for all the rest of us 2012 certainly holds many goodies of the four-wheel kind for Indian automobile consumers and connoisseurs alike. It seems like the focus is firmly shifting towards luxury, and more importantly, the arrival of new brands to add a bit of spice to the current state of things, which seem to be a tad overdosed by sensibility.
Peugeot 508
The French automaker is planning a big comeback with its latest 508 sedan by the end of next year. The 508 will bring with it sophisticated styling that the French are now quite famous for, and one good look at the car is enough to convince anyone of it. With an expected price tag of Rs. 20-25 lakh, the 508 has been designed to go up against established cars such as the Honda Accord, the Toyota Camry, the Volkswagen Passat and the Å koda Superb, which will make it the first French offering in this entry-level luxury segment.
Mini
Mini is one of those iconic car brands from yesteryear that has seen a revival, thanks to a modern-day interpretation of its classic design. And, it will be this new BMW-owned Mini which will drive into India sometime next year. The company plans to offer most of its models here. But as the company will be taking the CBU route, rather than manufacturing any of its models locally, its products will be priced such that very few of us would actually be able to drive them home. But given its exclusivity and image, nothing else would make a statement like driving a Mini.
New Volkswagen Beetle
Volkswagen revived this classic back in 1998, with a modern take on the original car, and this model has been available in India for the last couple of years or so. But this year, VW launched a brand new ‘new’ Beetle, which the designers say, is even more similar in design to the historic model, and this one will drive into India in 2012. As for pricing, the current car costs about Rs. 21 lakh, so expect the new one to be in the same range, which means what started out as a “people’s car” will remain as elitist as ever.
Audi Q3
Christened the Q3, this car is more a crossover and less SUV-perfect for those who want to flaunt muscular styling, but not be bothered with real off-roading ability. And as a compensation for its slightly lower abilities on the rough stuff, the Q3 offers excellent road manners, in tune with the best of Audi’s sedans. An expected price tag of Rs. 20-25 lakh would mean it will take on the likes of the Honda CR-V and even the Toyota Fortuner.
Vacation-Ready Villas on the Market in Belize
In a recent activity Avalon Partners has listed several properties located on a secluded peninsula in Belize at Cocoplum Residential Resort, a neighbor to Coppola’s Turtle Inn Resort.
It is amongst the largest property league at the oceanfront. It is an oceanfront three-bedroom villa with three master suites around a central court decorated with potted palms, a full sized swimming pool, and patio leading to the beach and ocean, with the property being located only 130 feet from the water. The owner has the option to put it in a rental pool to earn recurrent income or retain it exclusively for family use.
Kitchen, dining, and living area are all at the ground floor with full sized appliances including dishwasher and washer/dryer. The open plan living area enjoys wall-to-wall windows and French doors that open onto the patio, pool, and two additional bedroom units. The expansive bedrooms offer enough space for an indoor sitting area if one does not want to enjoy the terrace or the living area in the main portion of the house.
The villa also has a private staircase which leads to the upstairs master suite which encompasses the entire top floor of the villa. A large balcony overlooks the crystal pool and bright blue ocean and the suite boasts an open air shower, walk-in closet, and king size bed from which one can see and hear the waves and watch the sun rise.
These villas are one or two bedroom and two and three bath floor plans with Mexican tile baths, hardwood floors, cathedral ceilings, large verandahs, expanded living areas, outdoor tub off the master suite, and fully equipped kitchens with granite countertops and top-of-the-line appliances including dishwasher and washer/dryer.
Peace Hotel’s Nine Nations Suites
The true expressions of the world’s great nations and cultures are the Nine Nations Suites in Shanghai’s Fairmont Peace Hotel. The Nine Nations Suites, several of which were a part of the original hotel then known as The Cathay Hotel when it opened in 1929, were the creation of the founder Sir Victor Sassoon. Sassoon, a businessman from a famous banking family, was a bon vivant who lived in Shanghai and often hosted known figures such as Charlie Chaplin, Bernard Shaw, and Noel Coward, who wrote “Private Lives” while in residence. It was a heady time to live in Shanghai as the city rose to global prominence. The Cathay Hotel was considered the top luxury hotel in the city for decades.
The leading hospitality designed the new suites by the interior design firm HBA / Hirsch Bedner Associates, reflect the international nature of The Peace Hotel and the spirit of 1930s luxury travel. The French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese and German suites have been redesigned by HBA in keeping with the original concept of presenting different national and historical styles, the Chinese, Indian, English and American suites have been preserved from the original Peace Hotel.
The American suite has a vintage Hollywood glamour theme. The English Suite goes Victorian with paneled walls, brick fireplaces and molded plaster ceilings. The Chinese Suite features an Imperial dragon design on the scarlet ceiling. The design is complimented by red lacquer furniture offset by gold-colored walls.
The Italian Suite evokes modern Italian design and has a marble bath room has a deep claw-foot tub with a bath-side LCD screen and a whirlpool. The Japanese Suite has tatami mats, shoji screens and furnishings suggest traditional Japanese design motifs. The French Suite presents an Art Nouveau style with classically figured wall paper; walnut carved furniture and luxuriously designed fabrics.
The Spanish Suite features rich patterns and solid wood furniture and a bathroom with a claw-foot tub with bath-side LCD screen and a whirlpool. The Indian Suite has intricate filigree plaster work on the walls, ceilings from which hang extravagant pendant lights and rich Indian carpets on the floor.
Fab Fair for Art Royalty
TEFAF is the most sophisticated, highly vetted, and elegant art fair anywhere. All true, but it is also a place where the minute the doors swing open to VIP guests, there’s a stampede to the jewelry booths where for the most part glitz not glamour dominates.
Collectors, museum curators often accompanied by their trustees, and general connoisseurs attend to browse, to see and be seen, and to bring home treasures. This year, some 73,000 visitors attended. Most are Dutch, followed by Germans and Belgians, English, French, Italians, Americans and an impressively growing numbers of Russians and Chinese. Among a handful of Arab sheiks, most prominent this year was Sheikh Saud al-Thani, the art-hungry collector who is a cousin of the ruling Emir of Qatar. He surely arrived on one of the 154 private jets that landed on the tarmac of the tiny Maastricht-Aachen airport.
The Palace of Versailles: History, Architecture & Luxury
The French are known for their wonderful tastes in art so it is of little surprise that some of the finest hotels are found in France. And now, adding to the list will be an ultra-luxe hotel within the boundaries of the famous French monument The Palace of Versailles, according to the president of the Chateau de Versailles, Jean-Jacques Aillagon.
Since the buildings in the palace require renovation, the decision has been taken to merge the renovation process with the transformation of a particular wing into a hotel. Similar projects have already been carried out in other parts of the country with successful results. Guests can now enjoy a stay within the historical palace, which was built in the 17th century and since has housed many famous people. With stunning views of the palace’s greenhouse or the ornamental lake in the garden, guests can choose from an option of 23 rooms. The hotel is expected to open its doors by late 2011.
Manufacture Royale’s Opera Is Hideous But Beautiful
The ostentatiousness makes it look ugly, but the effort to become ugly needs a lot of art, and that makes the watch beautiful. The minute hand is set in the C#. The hour hand is set in the “A”. The watch is an example f how crazy the French can really get, when it comes to manufacturing something luxurious. Or perhaps, it is a snide remark to the precision perfect watches made in the neighbourly Switzerland.
The watch case is about 50mm wide and is made of 18k rose and gray gold. Thanks to the 3 sapphires and 60 pieces of jewels, one could be sure that the watch glows and gleams through all occasions. There is also the veneered wooden box that comes along with the watch, and it is inspired by the Bastille Opera House in Paris.
News & Updates
Recent News
H&M all set to unveil...
The very famous Swedish high street giants Hennes and Mauritz, who own H&M, COS, Monki and Cheap...
Aston Martin Rapide and...
A disease gets worse when you just don’t know how it hit you. The thing gets practical in terms of...
