Luxury Insider

Though the excellence of the chassis and drivetrain was never in question, the looks of Jaguar's XJ luxury saloon have divided opinion. But now, in its facelifted form, it offers the same peerless deluxe motoring experience wrapped in a bolder, 21st Century package. The Daimler Super Eight is the bespoke flagship of the Jaguar range, and it features the thrilling, supercharged 400bhp V8 from the sporting XJR fitted to the long-wheelbase XJ body. Twenty-inch wheels, different bumpers front and rear, while a re-trimmed, plush interior with deep pile carpeting and expanded entertainment options cosset lucky passengers. The XJ is arguably one of the best driving, best riding luxury cars out there, and the Daimler Super Eight variant is sure to please plutocrats even more.

www.daimlercars.com

Collectors in search of a one-of-a-kind Panerai take note. To be held this September, Only Watch 2007 is an auction of pièce unique timepieces, the proceeds of which will go to the Monaco Association Against Muscular Dystrophy. Italian watchmakers Panerai have revealed their unique watch to be auctioned at Only Watch 2007. The Radiomir 10 Days GMT Pink Gold has a Panerai-designed automatic mechanical movement, an anti-shock device, and an exceptional 10-day power reserve. The 45mm case is made of pink gold, while the dial is a sophisticated shade of deepest blue, creating a startling contrast.

Namiki luxury writing instruments are handcrafted in the millennium-old Japanese tradition of using the finest techniques and materials. Their latest Maki-e lacquer collection, the Emperor Mandarin Duck, celebrates love and fidelity, which is reflected by the pair of lavishly-colored Mandarin Ducks represented on each pen. The ducks are lovingly applied onto the pens using the Maki-e technique, which means that the motifs are created from the sap of the Japanese lacquer tree (Urushi), which is then painstakingly sprinkled with gold and silver dust to form the design before it dries. Each pen, as a result, takes a few months to create. As a cultural note, the Mandarin Duck is an auspicious symbol in Japanese literature and poetry, endowing the new Namiki pens with an aura of good luck.

Armani/Casa, the Armani Group's Home Furnishings collection, opened its first dedicated store in Singapore at the legendary Raffles Hotel. Introduced to the vibrant island nation by luxury retail group Genesis-Alliance Retail, the store will carry the distinctive and harmonious products that typify the Armani/Casa range, from furniture to fabrics, for day or for night. The display areas are modern and luxurious in feel, with plenty of atmospheric, glossy black surfaces and metal finishings to help showcase Armani/Casa's modern, luxurious collections. “Sophisticated comfort” is the underlying theme, and this is sure to appeal to the up-and-coming new-rich of Singapore, and soon, according to Genesis-Alliance, Malaysia as well, where the group has plans to open a store imminently.

From luxury writing instruments to fine timepieces, Montblanc has a broad range of accessories for the discerning lady as well. New to the Montblanc Star collection is the Star Lady Automatic Moonphase Diamonds, which has an 18K white gold, 36mm diameter case, an automatic-winding mechanical movement with moonphase display, as well as a small date indicator set atop a mother-of-pearl dial that is studded with eight diamonds. The alligator strap is hand-trimmed, and comes in either a light blue or a white color for you to choose from.

The Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold luxury mobile phone must be one of the classiest handsets out there. With a depth of engineering that extends from the bespoke ringtones to the sapphire-coated glass front, the 8800 Sirocco Gold appeals to both connoisseurs of craftsmanship as well as business people who need modern features. The presence of email, Java support, an adequate amount of on-board memory, as well as Internet and other connectivity solutions mean Nokia's flagship really does combine the best of all worlds, with classiness and business rolled into one.

What started life some five years ago as a rather anonymous, inoffensive Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class coupé has morphed into something rather more extreme, and in a very function-meets-form kind of way, rather beautiful. The new, CLK 63 AMG Black Series, shown at the New York Auto Show earlier this year, is the latest product from the Mercedes-AMG stable, meaning much upgraded performance and handling.

The Black Edition line, kicked off by the SLK version last year, is the more driver-focused line of AMG products, which are meant to appeal to both road and track users. The resulting CLK 63 AMG Black Series thus makes full use of its 500-plus horses, with a chassis that is up to the task. Much like the superb, limited-edition CLK DTM, the new CLK Black is good driver's car by all accounts, and yet costs half what the limited version did, whilst offering near-identical performance and capability. The good news is, it sacrifices little in the way of comfort, making it a highly desirable sports GT.

We featured the Marq on Paterson Hill before, but the official launch has just been announced, along with pricing. In a word, the pricing, like the proposed design, is astonishing. The Marq is one of the pioneers of the new breed of Singapore super-luxury condominiums, which have broken away from the mass-market style of building as many smaller units into the permissible floor area as possible. Two 24-story towers with just 66 units in total will make up the development. One of the towers is named the Signature Tower, which will have 21 large apartments of 5 bedrooms each, averaging 6,195 sq ft apiece, with their own heated, cantilevered, infinity-edge lap pool hung from every single unit's own terrace.

The Premier Tower will have 42, 4-bedroom condos averaging 3,000 sq ft each, the double-height living room ceilings adding to the feeling of space and luxury. There is also a pair of super-penthouses that will reportedly fetch US$20 million or so, making the Marq on Paterson one of Asia's most exclusive private properties.

The makers of the world's best luxury mobile phones, Vertu, have launched new additions to their Signature Diamonds collection. Bejeweled, handcrafted Vertu handsets have been with us for some time, but the new range features a pair of phones with a more delicate motif. The Signature Rose Gold Pink Diamonds and the Signature Rose Gold Pink Sapphires come with 923 or 385 brilliant-cut white diamonds respectively (of color G and clarity VS for those in the know), and these are set into a rose gold bezel. While the specification of the craftsmanship reads very much like a luxury watch, the Vertu handsets remain superb communication devices with high-resolution dynamic displays, a simple but effective feature set, and of course the company's trademark concierge service for all its customers.

Astrium, a subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) that deals in the space industry, from launch capabilities to orbital systems, and even to manned space systems. They have just unveiled a new “space plane” that will be used for space tourism in the near future. Shaped and sized like a business jet, the new vehicle can carry four passengers 100km – the very definition of outer space – thus yielding over three minutes of weightless, or “zero G” time. The interior is designed by renowned industrial designer Marc Newson, and the jet will take off and land at normal airports. Powered by both jet- and rocket engines, the Astrium space jet can reach 60km altitude in under a minute and a half. With development planned for 2008 with a launch goal of 2012, the new space plane may fly tourists into space sooner than that we would have imagined. At roughly €150,000 to €200,000 per person per flight, this possible first step towards mainstream space tourism may not be cheap, but it is definitely a step towards true accessibility. 

Masters of the high life Hermès have added another new collection of luxury lifestyle products to their plate – literally. Their new Fil d'Argent dinner service range is a 14-piece set that was designed by Henri d'Origny. Longtime Hermès customers will know Henri d'Origny from his iconic designs that have adorned Hermès' neckties for close to five decades. The interlocking chain pattern interacts with the Arabesques, while the muted white and gray colors exude a soothing and modern sophistication. The key to this look is the process of chromolithography that applies the engraved platinum relief in both matte and polished form. The Fil d'Argent would make a handsome addition to any contemporary home.

Fashionable design houses such as Prada and now, Porsche Design, are lending their aesthetic expertise to the normally-staid world of mobile phones. Style and function synergize handsomely in the new P'9521 phone, which is created from a solid aluminum billet. Like all of Porsche Design's designs, the sleek and functional new handset is modern and practical with an extra helping of style. Innovative features include a fingerprint recognition security function, created in conjunction with mobile phone makers Sagem, as well as an aluminum-hinged 180° rotating screen for added flexibility. An advanced, 2.2-inch AM-OLED screen shows the images from the 3.2 megapixel camera beautifully. The handily-sized GSM quadband phone weighs just 140 grams, despite looking deceptively large and being made of metal. Unfortunately for Japanese, Korean, and US buyers, the phone will not be made available in those countries.

We treasure highly the unique charms of old-world opulence and British craftsmanship, so the Bentley Brooklands has a fond place on these pages. Clearly, wealthy car enthusiasts agree, and with just 550 units ever to be produced, the Brooklands has already sold out this year's production allotment. Perhaps its down to its defiantly classical looks, perhaps it is the huge 530 horsepower V8 mated to ZF's excellent 6-speed automatic gearbox; whatever, we can't wait for it to appear before they are all snapped up.

www.bentleymotors.com

We have discussed it before, and finally the much-hyped ThinkPad Reserve Edition laptop from Lenovo has been revealed, in all its premium hide-bound glory. Diminutive and tactile, the Reserve has a 160GB internal hard drive, an 80GB external drive, a 12.1” screen, 2GB of RAM, and an Intel Centrino Pro Core 2 Duo L7500 processor. You could get that in pretty much any laptop these days, but few come with a comprehensive concierge service. Executive assistance by phone, email, or a direct button on the computer is available 24/7, perhaps taking a cue from the likes of Vertu. Unfortunately, we were expecting a little bit more for the hefty rumored US$5000 asking price, though there is little doubt that with its classy looks and doubtless superb build quality, the limited-edition ThinkPad Reserve is a surefire hit.

As one of the most iconic legends of the silver screen and music world, Marlene Dietrich was adored and idolized in her lifetime, and now she is being elegantly commemorated by creator of luxury writing instruments Montblanc. The new Montblanc Marlene Dietrich Special Edition and 1901 Commemoration Edition pens pay tribute to the multi-talented lady. The Special Edition has a black precious resin finish, and is crowned with a mother-of-pearl inlay on the pen cap enclosing a hand-made, 18K gold nib with a heart-shaped aperture. The sparkling, diamond-set 1901 Commemoration Edition is made of 925 sterling silver, which is covered in a fine, herring-bone guilloche finish. Once more, a fine gold nib with heart-shaped opening complete the picture of an elegant homage to a great woman.

Thailand's vibrant beaches and fascinating tourism are a perpetual draw. Pattaya's beaches in particular are famed for their friendly atmosphere and beautiful scenery, luring up to 5 million visitors every year. With this as a backdrop, the Ocean 1 Tower, planned for completion in 2010, will have quite possibly some of the most amazing views available anywhere from its super high-rise structure. Rising 91 stories above the ground, Ocean 1 Tower's larger units on its upper floors are fast selling-out, with buyers no doubt drawn by the chance to own a part of one of the world's tallest residential buildings – and Thailand's tallest building, at 327 meters. The combination of good location, striking concept, and incredible views makes Ocean 1 Tower a luxury property to watch closely.

The legendary luxury house Cartier revealed their highly-desirable La Doña de Cartier watch last year, which was a timepiece inspired by the late, great screen actress María Félix. This year, the range has been subtly updated with a new choice of leather straps, which is truly apt given the crocodilian theme that was first seen in the range a year ago. The trapezoidal case and intertwining steel bracelet are now joined by reptilian leather straps in either vivid red for the yellow gold variant, candy pink for the white gold case, and Maison burgundy for the pink gold version. All versions come with an accurate quartz movement, and share the elegant, bold lines of the original range. 

The Best Car in the World” was how the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost was once famously described. After riding in the new Phantom motorcar, it seems to us that in so many ways, the cars made by Rolls-Royce arguably still are. To commemorate 100 years since the introduction of the legendary Silver Ghost, Rolls-Royce is building 25 limited-edition Phantom “Silver” edition cars, with unique “Metallic Ghost Silver” paint, a solid silver key, and a solid silver Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament, as well as other sterling accouterments inside and out. Mechanically, the limited edition version remains the same as the standard Phantom, meaning that fantastic six and three-quarter liter V12 surge is still present beneath the glitzy new trimmings.

Also new at Rolls-Royce is the news from Car Magazine that the British carmaker is mulling plans to engage the services of renowned coachbuilders such as Zagato of Italy to fit bespoke bodies on pre-built rolling chassis. That is, wealthy individuals – who presumably are not satisfied by the standard Phantom's imposing looks – can design their own car based upon the mechanically-superb limousine's engine, gearbox, and suspension. As we have featured before, the fine art of coachbuilding is making a comeback, with some pretty astounding new designs improving on great cars, so the new, individualized Phantoms could prove to be very special indeed.

www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com

Always flamboyant and distinctive, the watches of Roger Dubuis – both for men and women – attract attention wherever they are worn. Their Excalibur range is one of their signatures, and two new ladies' models (above) join the fray. Both have a 39 mm case, but differ in the choice of dial material and color combination. One has a sand colored, sunburst patterned dial (limited to 888 pieces) while the other has a black, mother-of-pearl dial with a diamond-set heart motif, and is limited to just 28 pieces. Both use the RD21 movement, which is an automatic winding mechanical movement with the Geneva seal of quality.

The other new ladies' timepiece from Roger Dubuis is the GoldenSquare, seen below, which has a rectangular case of 34 mm width, in 18K satin-finish rose gold. The dial has a black mother-of-pearl and diamond-set checkerboard motif, for an elegant interplay between the glittering diamonds and the geometric shapes. Like the jeweled Excalibur model, the new ladies' GoldenSquare – also fitted with the venerable RD21 automatic movement – is limited to just 28 exclusive pieces.

The gruelling, 5000-mile 2007 Peking to Paris classic car rally is being sponsored solely by luxury watchmaker Blancpain. To commemorate the event, which has only been run twice before, Blancpain has conceived a special limited edition watch - named the Blancpain Léman Chronographe Flyback Grande Date “Peking to Paris” - based upon the Léman Chronographe Flyback Grande Date. Just 260 examples – the same amount as the number of drivers taking part – will be made, and this is made up of 130 sets of two stainless steel watches each.

The watches themselves have a 40 mm stainless steel case, a two-button chronograph movement with a flyback feature and a smooth, jump-free action. At the rear, the solid gold winding rotor of the automatic movement is visible, and bears the 2007 Peking to Paris rally logo. The watches will be offered first to the participants of the Peking to Paris rally, and then to those of two other classic car rallies sponsored by Blancpain later this year.

Luxury Property in the Middle East is constantly on the rise every day, and Sorouh Real Estate is Abu Dhabi's leading developer, with vast projects all over the biggest of the United Arab Emirates. Shams Abu Dhabi in Reem Island is a waterfront development with a number of luxury residential properties that are in various stages of construction, with Mangrove Place being the latest mid-rise building to be kicked off. Spectacular views, top-range finished, and superb amenities abound at Mangrove Place, which is adjacent to the stunning Gate District commercial project pictured here. With Abu Dhabi's strong rate of economic and touristic development increasing every day, the new Mangrove Place and other Sorouh developments like it are set to raise the bar of luxury living.

Luxury electronics is a movement that is definitely on the rise. High-end phones, hi-fi, and now laptop computers are increasingly being made to higher standards of craftsmanship, attracting a wealthier clientèle. Now, Lenovo (formerly IBM) is releasing their new Thinkpad Reserve laptop, (seen in this picture shown on Gizmodo) which is significantly more expensive than its top-line mass-produced models. This is down to the “generations of craftsmen, bringing together innovative design and passionate service” to the world of laptop computing. Fast and beautiful, the Thinkpad Reserve Edition will no doubt be the swanky businessman's best friend. Like the Luvaglio laptop we reported about earlier, the Thinkpad Reserve site and all the details it could hold are blocked by a password, revealed by invitation only.

Officine Panerai, known for their now-iconic instrument-style watches, have launched a new, certified-chronometer watch following in the company's historic tradition of watches supplied to the Italian Navy. The Luminor 1950 Submersible Depth Gauge has an automatic-winding movement cased inside a distinctive, 47 mm-diameter, brushed steel Luminor case water resistant to 120 meters. The aforementioned depth gauge which makes this a true, professional divers' watch has an in-built electronic device which measures the maximum depth attained during a particular dive. 600 examples will be built this year.

A massive US$600 million luxury resort is being developed by Qatari Diar in Tangier, Morocco. With its stunning, distinctly North African landscape overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar, the Al Houara Resort promises to inspire and pamper visitors to the resort hotel as well as its wealthy owner-occupiers of the spacious beachside villas and apartments. Those with the luxury of choice will be pleased to note the availability of a number of vast “Ocean View Palaces” which are stunning in all their tradition Moroccan finery. With such completeness and luxury all contained withing the massive development, which also houses three hotels, a gold course, and higher-end commercial space, there will be something for everyone to enjoy about the upcoming Al Houara.

The M3 is arguably BMW's most sporting passenger car, and its fiercely loyal following are already in raptures with the news of their all-new, V8-powered, decidedly rear-drive hero. The big news, however, is the much-rumored, and newly-confirmed introduction of BMW's new double-clutch automated manual, paddle-operated gearbox, which promises near-instant, imperceptible ratio swaps; similar to Volkswagen's oft-praised robotized 'box. It will be called M DCT, with seven ratios now, and the upshot of this is a theoretical enhancement in raw acceleration figures, increased convenience in town driving, and best of all, an other-worldly exhaust note. Though yet to be officially announced by the company, the news of this forward-looking gearbox was apparently inadvertently leaked in a memo sent to the BMW dealer network. Purists, of course, will be pleased to note the persistence of a traditional, H-pattern, three-pedal manual gearbox on the spec list.

The long-awaited Nokia 8600 Luna is finally here. Precision engineered from glass, the Luna’s unique combination of nearly opaque smoked glass and soft-touch stainless steel gives it an avant-garde yet sleek appearance. Those looking for an unforgettable tactile experience won’t be disappointed. A gentle keypad illumination pulsates from beneath the glass case while the phone awaits a call, creating the illusion of a “heartbeat”. When a call does come in, the signature slide movement is carefully balanced to smoothly raise the ergonomic keypad from within its glass cocoon. Quad-band GSM support allows owners to stay connected while on the road, and the large, easy-to-read display screen is perfect for sharing images captured with the two-megapixel camera. The Nokia 8600 Luna will launch soon for a price around €700.