Luxury Insider

A special creation for the Sincere World Exclusion Collection, the new Bubble Tourbillon watch from Corum is a unique embodiment of the Swiss luxury watchmaking brand's time-honored values. The watch has rhodium-plated bridges and plates, and showcases a high level of finish as well as advanced material technology. An exceptional 90 hour power reserve complements a handsome, distinctive design. Just five pieces, all exclusive to the Singaporean and Malaysian markets, will be sold.

Far East Organization and Office for Metropolitan Architecture’s (OMA) together announced a new luxury residence project to be built in Singapore. It shall take the form of a 36-story high-rise residential tower near the very heart of Singapore’s renowned Orchard Road. Its height of 153 meters and built floor area of 20,000m² shall house 68 lavish apartment units. Made of 4 towers of uniform symmetry, each tower appends from a central body at different altitudes. Moreover, such tenor in its height allows one to enjoy the sweeping view of its surrounding city skyline as well as greenery to the north as a bonus. As OMA's first architectural project in Singapore, this project is expected to contribute to new a paradigm of luxury urban living.

Since 1983, Louis Vuitton and the America's Cup have been co-organizing the challenger elimination series of the Cup, which has since been christened the Louis Vuitton Cup. The winner of this series earns the chance to win the America's Cup. As a commemorative gesture, Louis Vuitton has been creating limited-edition products such as leather goods, shoes, watches, sunglasses, and even ready-to-wear items as part of their Cup Collection, and 2007's range is now here. Combining the brand's superb workmanship with subtle nautical references, these items are set to become collector's items.

Launched at the Miami Boat Show 2007, the Porsche Design Studio-penned Fearless Yachts range was received with much adulation for its bold design and top quality finish. Their first effort, the agile Fearless 28 features a seamless deep-V hull, stainless steel intake vents, as well as luxurious non-slip teak inlays in the sumptuous cabin. Underneath the polished exterior, however, is a thundering ILMOR Viper V-10 engine which puts out 550 horsepower, enough for a maximum speed in excess of 70 knots. Comfort is also well sorted, however, with twin bucket seats and a premium audio system that is sure to nicely accompany the thundering bass from the motor with pounding tunes of its own.

Although details on their official website are scant at the moment, other, larger variants are planned for the near future. To come are 44-, 68-, 125-, and even 150-foot Fearless Yachts, with some arriving as early as next year.

The Manufacture de Haute Horlogerie Piaget, with their wealth of experience and skill, were honored to be chosen a decade ago to help restore the famed clock tower overlooking Venice's St. Mark's Square. Now that restoration is complete, the Manufacture de Haute Horlogerie Piaget has unveiled a pièce-unique edition of its Polo Tourbillon Relatif timepiece. As a superfine mechanical watch built in the traditional way by a single watchmaker, the Polo Tourbillon Relatif's form follows its noble function.

Half a decade ago, Ulysse Nardin unveiled their most famous watch to date, the timeless Freak. Its revolutionary design was, as the name implies, almost freakish in its cleverness. It is as well-loved now as it was astounding back then, not least because of its pioneering use of the material silicium by necessity, which enhanced its accuracy and lightness. Now, five years on, Ulysse Nardin have developed the new Freak DIAMonSIL watch, with a synthetic nanocrystal diamond escapement grown on a silicium raw part. This adds to the precision of the Dual Ulysse escapement, and keeps the time accurate. Just 28 of these fascinating watches will be made.

Luxury commercial air travel is a growing sector, as we have mentioned before. Australian national air carrier Qantas is introducing a new designer amenities collection featuring the products of some of the best Australian creative talents. Available to First and Business Class customers on international flights, the new designer collection is the first installment in the airline's new luxury product strategy. Renowned talents like Marc Newsom, Akira Isogawa, and Collette Dinnigan have pooled their skills to make Qantas premium travel a memorable experience.

With amenities such as a floral silk purse for female travelers, soft cotton pyjamas, and top-quality toiletries, nearly everything is taken care of. This is just the beginning of it, however, as more major upgrades to international flights are planned, including luxurious new designer furnishings, Alessi cutlery, and Noritake fine bone china. With their world-class new upgrades, Qantas is certainly flying high.

A hundred years after opening their historical Geneva boutique, Vacheron Constantin present their first-ever steel tourbillon in a limited release of just 10 pieces, all sold exclusively from that same Swiss city. Joining the classic tonneau-shaped Malte collection, the new steel tourbillon combines a traditional grand complication with modern finishing. The watch also features a “secret mark” concealed at the noon position on the opaline black nickel dial, which is laid out with pink gold hour markers and hands. And of course, taking pride of place at the six o'clock position, the Calibre 1790 tourbillon with a prominent Maltese cross motif, marking this out as a super-special Vacheron Constantin watch indeed.

Lamborghini’s latest Gallardo Superleggera (Italian for super light) is a finely crafted high-performance sports car. Boasting an additional 10 hp and carbon fiber parts, the Superleggera is 100 kg lighter than the original Gallardo, making it the car with the fastest acceleration in its class. With a weight/power ratio of only 2.5 kg/hp, the new Superleggera goes from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.8 seconds, 0.2 seconds less than the basic model.

The Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera’s powerful 4.9-liter V10 engine is the latest version of the famous 4,961 cm3 V10, capable of producing 530 hp at 8,000 rpm. To ensure a seamless transition between gearshifts, the Superleggera utilizes a mechanical ‘e-gear’ gearbox that allows the driver to shift gears without removing his hands from the steering wheel.

To reduce the Lamborghini Gallardo’s already relatively low weight, engineers replaced the rear diffuser, underbody tray, rearview mirrors, door panels and central tunnel with carbon fiber, while the engine hood is made from transparent polycarbonate.

The limited edition Superleggera is available in four colours, Midas Yellow, Borealis Orange, Telesto Gray and Noctis Black, and includes optional upgrades such as a fixed rear spoiler, a rear video camera, and carbon-ceramic brakes. Production volume is set to be lower than the standard Gallardo.

One of the hottest designers of our generation, Alexander McQueen, and purveyors of fine luggage Samsonite Black Label have teamed up to create a groundbreaking collection of luxury travel pieces. The Samsonite Black Label by Alexander McQueen collection marries a striking, modern aesthetic with the company’s core values of function and durability.

Witness the echoes of a human torso in the Al1 suitcase. Or, the Al2’s crocodile-alike texture pattern. Both these pieces are lined with a soft feather print and are available in black or bone color – matching accessories are available too. For the fashionable traveler, nothing less than a Samsonite Black Label will do, and these latest offerings are arguably the most desirable.

Luxury, style, and comfort combine in a single, handsome package. Designed by Alberto del Biondi in association with Samsonite’s own Creative Director Quentin Mackay, the collection takes into consideration the needs of the business traveler. Twenty styles for both men and women will be made, all with fine Italian leathers joined together by stretchable, breathable fabric, thus making the shoes exceptionally practical, versatile, and totally comfortable. The collection is available exclusively at Samsonite Black Label stores.

In so many ways, the 1960s was probably the coolest modern era from a stylistic point of view. Psychedelic colors and sleek fashions were the order of the day, and luggage was not exempt from the trend. In a nostalgic move, luxury luggage makers Samsonite Black Label have re-imagined their Fashionaire line, with both old and new suitcase and accessory designs bearing the familiar retro pattern. There is a choice of color between the original black-on-white, or a modern white-on-black. Each limited edition piece will be certified and numbered for extra exclusivity.

British Airways has set itself apart again by winning eight awards at the annual Business Traveller magazine “Cellars in the Sky 2006” competition. As the most-decorated airline in a field of 35 competitors, British Airways won in the ‘Best Consistency of Wines across Business and First Class’, ‘Best First Class Wild Card’, and ‘Best First Class Fortified or Sweet’ categories.

For FIRST travelers, British Airways has also bagged the ‘Best First Class Sparkling’ award for their Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millenaires 1995 offering. Indeed, with such a fine selection of wines – chosen by Culinary Council member Jancis Robinson OBE – British Airways furthers yet again its reputation as one of the world’s best airlines.

After releasing the ultimate road-going Zonda, the F Clubsport last year, Horacio Pagani set about honing his beloved – and brilliantly executed – Zonda project for the ultimate performance on the racetrack. Using the familiar M120 Mercedes-AMG V12 engine – similar to that of the Mercedes-Benz , the R will sport 750 horses – an improvement of over 100 horsepower over its road-biased brethren. But most importantly, the car will share just 10% of its components with the Zonda F. The wheelbase is longer, length is up, and the track widened. The net result of this is sure to be, much like the mythical Ferrari FXX and Maserati MC12 Corsa customer track cars, a stunningly effective and emotive experience worth every penny of the million-plus euro asking price.

London architects, Per Aquum Resorts & Spas, are currently working on their latest development – a ‘zero-carbon’ five-star resort in the Spice Island of Zanzibar.

The as-yet unnamed resort will boast of 35 completely self-sufficient villas. Energy will be drawn from the sun and wind which guarantee less carbon emissions. The developers have thought of ingenious ways to make the resort as luxurious as possible without destroying the environment; hot water runs from pipes beneath the roof’s solar panels, while water is stored in its own tank from rainwater and desalinated seawater. The restaurant is solar-powered and gets its food from its own farm. Even natural air-conditioning is created by cooling the sea breeze over the pool, before being drawn in by the villas’ specially shaped walls.

The island lies off the coast of Tanzania in the Indian Ocean, and is famous for its endless miles of white sandy beaches and clear blue ocean waters. It is no surprise that the resort, the world’s first, will complement the island’s natural environment once it opens next year.

With the most powerful V8 engine the company has ever produced, the new Bentley Brooklands four-seat full-size coupe – sort of a spiritual replacement for its venerated Continental range of the mid-1990s – is set to be a most imposing flagship of an all-luxury range. 530 horsepower, 1050 Nm of torque, a 6-speed automatic, and 20-inch wheels as standard set this powerhouse apart from its peers, of whom there are very few. Everything inside the exquisitely-trimmed interior is customizable, down to the one-piece leather roof lining which accentuates the long, sleek exterior. In the true British grand touring tradition, the Bentley Brooklands combines sheer grunt, elegance, and stately presence in one superb package.

W Hotels, a global lifestyle brand with 21 prime properties around the world, recently launched its latest spa retreat in the Maldives. W Retreat & Spa is their first ‘W’ resort in the region, and offers holiday-makers a fusion of fun and relaxation. Their philosophy, ‘whatever you want, whenever you want it’, aims to address each guest’s needs, no matter what they may be. That means a sunset dinner on a private beach via a luxury speedboat may just be a phone call away.

W Maldives offers 78 villas with private plunge pools and sun lounges attached to each villa. Some highlights of the resort include a cocktail bar, 15 Below, which is literally located 15 feet below the surface; an over-water Away® Spa offering natural healing therapy in a relaxing environment; and Down Under, a selection of world-class dive sites boasting gentle manta rays and hammerhead sharks. The resort is located in the private island of Fesdu, home to multiple reefs, and is just an hour by plane from Malé, the capital of Maldives.