In unveiling the 42 mm Octa Divine, independent watchmaker F.P. Journe found the perfect excuse to reinvent and make a few subtle changes from the previous 38 mm version. Having reworked the Octa Lune last year, the Swiss watchmaker has entered 2016 with an elegant spark. A key difference in this update is the seconds’ display. Replacing the seconds dial is a disk. This works aesthetically with the sapphire moon phase disk right beside it, for a clean and elegant display. Sharing the dial are the power reserve indicator (10 o’clock), moon phase indicator (8 o’clock) and oversized double-disc date display window (11 o’clock). Encircling these displays is a polished steel circle that is screwed to the dial. The outermost ring features Arabic hour numerals of varying sizes, which is a delightful if potentially divisive move. Overall, this evolution of the Octa Divine is far more quirky than its smaller predecessor. Beneath the dial, the timekeeping magic comes from a unidirectional automatic winding movement, the in-house F.P.Journe Calibre 1300.3 in 18k gold (all F.P.Journe movements are in this precious metal). The bridges are decorated with Côtes de Genève, which you can observe at leisure via the exhibition case back. Hand-polished steel components are chamfered and counter-sunk. Available in either platinum or 18k red gold, it comes with leather straps. The watch is also available in a 40mm variant, with the same calibre.

Meliá Hotels International has made further progress in its growth and positioning strategy in emerging Middle East markets with the announcement of a new hotel in Doha (Qatar). The hotel will be operated under the Innside by Meliá brand, which becomes the third of the Spanish company’s brands to achieve a presence in the destination. The hotel will be located on a prime area immediately adjacent to‎ the new Qatar National Museum, the new Doha Metro station, government and commercial offices, with views of the West Bay skyline and easy access to Doha’s Hamad international Airport. The Innside Doha will open in 2017, becoming the third hotel for the company in Qatar, together with the Meliá Doha, which opened in 2015, and the future ME Doha. It will have 192 rooms, a signature restaurant, lobby lounge, business centre, fitness centre with spa, a rooftop terrace with a pool deck area and a club F&B concept on the 13th floor. The elegant and functional Innside by Meliá hotels are perfectly adapted to the needs of modern city visitors, offering a combination of business lifestyle, cutting-edge design, smart technology and personalized, simple and efficient service. The brand is also attracting the interest of investors and hotel owners worldwide thanks to the value the hotels provide to guests and their profitability. It currently operates 16 hotels and has 21 hotels in the pipeline, in the UK, USA, Germany, Chile, Venezuela, UAE, China, Indonesia, Malasia, Italy, Colombia and Brazil. Qatar is the country with the highest income per capita, globally, and Doha has become a focal point in the Middle East, landing the winning bid for the 2022 World Cup. The city, which is a predominantly corporate destination (65%) is undergoing a transformation in the hospitality sector with new hotels opening on a monthly basis: the current pipeline expects to increase the hotel supply by 77%, dominated by luxury upper upscale and upscale properties. Significant infrastructural and real estate projects in Qatar will be completed during the coming decade, driving the growth of demand for transient accommodation in Doha.

The new Jaguar F-TYPE SVR is set to make its global debut at the Geneva Motor Show this March, and will hit the showrooms in summer this year. Capable of 200mph (320km/h), the new F-TYPE SVR is the first Jaguar SVR and is developed to exploit the two-seat aluminium sports car’s full potential while retaining its day-to-day usability. Lighter, faster and more powerful, the new F-TYPE SVR takes performance, dynamics and driver involvement to a new level yet retains the comfort and duality of character inherent to all Jaguar cars. “The new F-TYPE SVR is the first series production Jaguar to be developed by Special Vehicle Operations and benefits from everything we know about precision engineering, performance and design. The result is a 200mph, all-weather supercar that you can drive every day – we even made a Convertible version so that enthusiasts can revel in the sound from the new titanium exhaust system.” says John Edwards, Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations.

The Prancing Horse has taken on a journey to the Middle East for a special tribute. Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari has released a stunning video celebrating the cultures of the region drawing inspiration from the deep-rooted traditions of the Middle East with their brand new campaign titled Deserto Rosso. This breathtaking short movie has captured visuals of the majestic desert juxtaposed with the smooth and classy design of the cars. Deserto Rosso, the Italian phrase meaning Red Desert, is shot on the crimson dunes of Arabia’s deepest deserts surrounding the Liwa Oasis. It has some of the highest sand dunes in the world. Taking the shades of nature and the car, the film captures the natural beauty of the location through 24 hours-right from sunrise to sunset. It shows two California T models driving fiercely across the mystical terrain. The video is a must-watch for those who hold within them immense love for Ferrari.

Austria-based Unibro Design studio specializes in giving new life and use to vintage car parts & tools, transforming them into eye-catching Automotive Furniture ($Inquire) with a story. The company offers unique pieces including writing desks (sourced from vehicles like the BMW ‘Alpina’, the 1967 Mustang Coupe and Opel Admiral), welded with four adjustable aluminum legs and painted in the original automotive colour, as well as standing lamps made from old engine filters and American muscle car hood filters, ‘drill’ lamps that use standard stationary tools paired with Edison bulbs, and World War II injunction pumps fitted with lightbulbs.  The industrial-looking furniture sells like hot cakes—so if you want an item that’s already sold, you can order an identical model and the guys at Unibro Design will make it and deliver it to your doorstep.

How would you like an eco-friendly villa literally embedded in the German mountainside? Villa K – located in Thüringen, Germany – combines glass, steel and concrete, into a minimal design that helps the residence integrate discreetly with the natural environment.  Its green roof and energetic sustainability make it even more of an ideal home. Placed facing south, to take advantage of the amazing views over the valley below, but also as a way to maximize sunlight efficiency, the villa features floor-to-ceiling glass walls, with a large part of the house embedded into the mountain slope, containing cold air.  The warm and cold air is being stored into a pump, which is connected to a computer system, in charge of regulating the temperature according to seasons.  The entire roof structure is covered with moss and sedum, alternated with solar cells, while a U-shaped terrace built around the house is arranged with vegetable crops and fruit trees, providing fresh produce. There’s also a pool, of course, extending perpendicularly towards the southern edge, fantastically appearing to float above the hill, as well as a hunting room and a garage with room for six cars, so you can fill it with all those fantastic German automobiles.

We never thought adjectives like “classy” or “elegant” could be used to describe skateboards, but it seems we’ve found an exception. The vintage-inspired Side Project Skateboards($225+) use recovered hardwoods and a great deal of craftsmanship, creating truly unique pieces. Just like the DIY boards from back in the 60’s, these bad boys are completely hand-built.  The decks are made of beautiful salvaged woods like American Maple, Cherry, Walnut, and Zircote, which are painted or stained, and then sealed with two coats of marine grade varnish, for a polished look.  All skateboards can be ordered bare, with black Jessup griptape (or super clear Lucid Grip), or fully assembled & ready to ride, with Bennett Vector 4.3″ Trucks, Seismic Cambria Wheels, Tekton 6-ball bearings and Horween Chromexcel leather risers.

One of the leading jet manufacturers in the world, Embraer recently launched the swanky Legacy 500 midsize jet. Jackie Chan was one of the first to learn about this model and had his own private jet customised and delivered from the brand. Talking about the jet, the star says, “In the past few years, my Legacy 650 has brought me fantastic travelling experiences and great convenience; allowing me to do more acting and philanthropic works around the world. I’m sure that the performance of the new Legacy 500 will again exceed my expectations, and become a comfortable mobile home and office for me.” The Legacy 500 has the best-in-class 6-foot flat-floor cabin compared to other jets in the category. In addition, there are eight club seats that can be made into four beds offering complete rest. The in-flight entertainment system consists of a high-definition video system, surround sound, multiple audio and video input options. It also boasts of a cabin management system, and three options for voice communications and connectivity. For the pilot, the Legacy 500 is a treat. It is the first midsize business jet with digital flight controls that are based on fly-by-wire technology and feature side sticks. The cockpit has state-of-the-art Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics suite with four 15-inch high-resolution LCD displays. This celebrity jet is powered by two Honeywell HTF7500E engines, which are eco-friendly and is capable of flying at 45,000 feet with a range of 3,125 nautical miles.

The Ulysse Nardin Skeleton timepiece is a transparent beauty, where the inner workings become the art form. It shares its fluid network of positive and negative space intertwined ever so delicately with its wearer. The seemingly infinite maze of individual movements, parts and bridges are reduced to essential composition and masterfully reinterpreted into a rare piece of work. The Royal Python Skeleton Tourbillon takes the beautiful complexity of its predecessor to an entirely new level. Natural, free-flowing light passes through the timepiece, creating radiant luminosity. Silicium technology and an in-house-developed flying tourbillon honour the mechanics of the collection, featuring a silicium balance spring, anchor and escapement wheel. Hand-painted movement bridges dotted with rubies reveals the skill and sensibility of the artist, while exhibiting the wondrous world of Ulysse Nardin’s métiers d’art. A python strap finishes the snakeskin-inspired aesthetic of the entire timepiece. Lush like the jungle, this “call of the wild” timekeeper is as original in style as it is in makeup. A limited edition of 18 pieces in rose gold 4N, the Royal Python Skeleton Tourbillon presents a fearless character intended for the uninhibited at heart.

Come 2017, The Foundation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent that works to preserve the legacy of the famous designer, will open two museums dedicated to his life and work. The foundation has selected Paris and Marrakech in Morocco as the locations in which 5,000 haute couture garments and 15,000 accessories will be on display. Also to be featured are thousand sketches, photographs and the like that the designer himself had archived since 1961, when he created his fashion house. The Parisian museum will be located in the historical couture house at 5 Avenue Marceau where Yves Saint Laurent designed his work for 30 years, from 1974 until 2002. The site has also been home to the Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent since 2004. The Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent in Paris will close in April 2016 in order to create the future museum. Stage designer Nathalie Crinière and interior designer Jacques Grange will recreate an exhibition area that will be twice as large as the existing space. The museum opening in Marrakech will coincide with that of Paris. Yves Saint Laurent owned a house in the Moroccan city and spent a great deal of time there over the years. The space will be located on Rue Yves-Saint Laurent near Jardin Majorelle, a garden that he and Pierre Bergé saved from development in 1980. It is also now home to a Berber cultural museum and cultural site that receives 700,000 visitors a year. French architectural firm Studio KO will build the 4,000 square meter structure that will comprise a museum with a permanent collection of Yves Saint Laurent’s work, a space for temporary exhibitions, an auditorium, a research library, as well as a café and restaurant.