The $360,000 Vertu SIGNATURE Cobra limited edition is a dazzling piece of ruby-encrusted tech, but surprise—it’s not a smartphone! In the days of smartphones vying with each other for the most advanced upgrade, this cellphone has no qualms in sticking to its old-fashioned origins. Having been created in partnership with French royal jewelry brand Boucheron, this bejewelled marvel is encrusted with 439 rubies that take the form of a cobra sliding up one side at the front of the phone, with its tail sliding across the other side. Two emeralds form the eyes. Apart from the spectacular appearance, the phone has several other note-worthy features, including 388 different parts, all hand-assembled in the UK. Only 8 of these phones will be created and just one, yes one, will be available in the home country of China. And guess what, Vertu has revealed that each of these exquisite creations will literally be air-delivered— by helicopter. Ain’t that a grand entry befitting a grand phone!
BMW finally drew back the curtains on the M4 GT4 at a special exhibition event at the Nurburgring. Built by the BMW Motorsport factory that produces the brand’s works vehicles, the GT4 M4 will be eligible to compete in North America in IMSA’s Continental Tire Series within the Grand Sport class, and in the Pirelli World Challenge series’ GTS category. Powered by a twin-turbo six-cylinder engine, the M4 GT4 is positioned between the M235i Racing and the M6 GT3 in the BMW Motorsport family. The racer is touted to be able to produce more than 431 hp, but its novelty lies in the fact that it’s the first BMW Motorsport car to be fitted with power sticks. These power sticks can be pre-programmed for different engine performance levels and can be easily plugged-and-played by the racing team, giving the flexibility to change ‘balance of performance’ depending upon the racing regulations.
After venturing into tuxedo land with a designer collaboration, Rolls Royce is now rolling out exclusive umbrellas for its customers—carbon-fibred and engineered “to perfection”, which means they’ll never flip inside out and you won’t have to slide the umbrella all the way up to open them (if that counts as the ultimate in luxury). Interestingly, of course, they are designed to be just right for that unique slot nestled in the side doors of every Rolls Royce, the slot that comes with special drainage points and warm air pumps to dry your special umbrellas. They come with price tags of $700, and you get two with the Rolls Royce Phantom.
Here’s another for your bucket list. The world’s largest spokeless Ferris Wheel that’s even taller than the London Eye and comes complete with built in TV sets and wi-fi! Erected in the city of Weifang in China, this is the ‘Bailang River Bridge Ferris Wheel’—built upon the 1,771ft Bailang River Bridge. Measuring 145 meters high, it is 10 meters taller than even the London Eye and has 36 carts with the capacity to carry 10 passengers each! With dazzling views of the Bailang River and the Weifang city, the wheel takes 28 minutes to complete a full rotation, giving you all the time in the world for taking pictures to your heart’s content. It’s also the world’s first spokeless Ferris Wheel with a grid design, having criss-crossing steel beams—dragon spine, as they’re called—holding it all together. The Ferris Wheel will soon be open for the public.
Designer fashion brand Not So Serious opened its flagship store in the capital recently, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the label owned by Pallavi and Siddharth Mohan. The store features a theme based on Alice in Wonderland, peppered with quirky, whimsical accents straight from the pages of Lewis Carroll’s book, like the looking glass, eccentric hares and clouded mirror panelling. The flagship store’s look and feel is all the handiwork of Anica Kochchar, principal architect of architectural design studio Phenotype. The space is supposed to echo the idea of an Indian home, where you can relax and experience warmth and ease.
Huntsman Savile Row’s ready to wear Spring Summer 17 collection provides a versatile selection that reflects their tradition of bespoke creations. Designed by Creative Director and Head Cutter Campbell Carey and hand tailored in England, the collection features the signature one-button silhouette, with suiting being the backbone of the collection, cut in lightweight cloths that combine a bespoke character with high- performance. Among the highlights of the collection are the navy and mid-grey sharkskin two-piece suits, both tailored in lightweight worsted with a smooth finish. Complementing these two pieces, the Savile Row house also have their signature navy tonic suit, refined for 2017. A key piece for the season, the design uses a 60% mohair cloth, which lends its strength, lightness and a clean-cut finish—perfect for business with a pale striped shirt and tie, or with an open-collared poplin shirt for dinner or drinks in the evenings. Notable pieces of the collection include a 100% bamboo sports jacket made with a precious and sustainable bamboo cloth that behaves like silk and is just as breathable and more hard-wearing. There’s also the new Huntsman shirt, made from handpicked 100% Egyptian cotton, woven in Italy and hand-dyed in Europe, created in collaboration with Jermyn Street’s Turnbull & Asser.
The Grand Frank Italian Suede Bomber Jackets are perfect for the man that creates his distinct style. The jackets use fine leather from a small factory in Naples, Italy, and sport two distinct designs. The Limoges model sports a classic collar, two magnetically closed chest pockets, and two inner pockets, while the Marloes has the flat bomber collar, dual front zipper, outer sliding side pockets, and the same two inner pockets. Interestingly both jackets use leather that is specially treated to resist water and staining, unlike regular suede. Available in six colors, these jackets are priced at $260.
Cruise-expeditions to the South and North poles or to the untamed wilds of the Amazon and Komodo Island bring the best of both worlds to the adventure-seeking luxe traveller
Travel trends have a way of veering towards the most edgy, most adventurous, most off-the-track styles. The search for novelty in luxury travel has led to the emergence of expedition-style cruises, what you might call ‘Cruise-peditions.’ These cruise-peditions let travelers explore some of the most remote places in the world, while still being surrounded by all the creature comforts demanded by an indulgent experience. So if this is the idea that appeals to you, here are five destinations with cruise-expeditions leading to them:
Antarctica
Basecamp Ortelius expedition is a unique way to explore Antarctica
Despite perennially freezing temperatures, Antarctica is literally the hottest destination for cruisepeditions. The continent offers a unique combination of amazing wildlife and breathtaking landscapes frozen in time and the Basecamp Ortelius expedition is a unique way to spend your time here. It offers you Antarctic exploration where the Ortelius acts as a floating base camp. It remains anchored for several days in specific locations, as you go about on your explorations. Kayaks and zodiacs are provided for exploration on the water or you could choose to go hiking in snowshoes. Still more adventurous? Try mountaineering in Antarctica. You’ll have stories to narrate for a lifetime.
North Pole
‘50 Years of Victory’ is the world’s largest and most powerful nuclear icebreaker
A sojourn into the Arctic and the North Pole has been considered the mother of all expeditions. The particular flora and fauna, the awe-inducing landscapes, the dazzling natural phenomena, and not to mention the feeling of being at the top of the world—everything comes together here. And the perfect channel for your expedition is provided by Quark Expeditions in the form of 50 Years of Victory, the world’s largest and most powerful nuclear icebreaker! Twenty years in the making, 50 Years of Victory is the first Arktika-class icebreaker to have a spoon-shaped bow, capable of breaking through ice up to 2.5 meters (9.2 feet) thick! Complete with a helicopter for shore excursions, Victory is sure to make your Arctic dreams come true.
Galápagos Islands
National Geographic Endeavour II is equipped with a wide range of tools for exploration
After the ends of the earth—the North Pole and the South Pole, we move to something wilder and teeming with life. Let sea lions and gigantic sea tortoises get up close and personal, or explore the fantastic marine life. Each island from the archipelago boasts its own unique landscape, from black, volcanic rocks to white sand beaches. The Galapagos Islands offer many expedition experiences but particularly noteworthy is the Lindblad Expeditions’ impressive National Geographic Endeavour II, equipped with a wide range of tools for exploration that help you experience “the full range of wildness on a Galápagos island trip.”
Amazon River
Delfin Amazon cruises offer you activities such as jungle trekking, canopy walking and swimming with river dolphins
Caimans, Piranha and other exotic, scary creatures that you’ve only ever seen in movies. How’s that for an expedition cruise? River cruises through the jungles of Amazon promise to be everything you’ve ever imagined, and more. Of course, it wouldn’t be at all like the horror flicks you’ve seen about the Amazon, for you always have the option to retreat to the indulgence of your ‘base-camp’. Delfin Amazon Cruises would be quite right for exploring this wild, untamed part of the world, aboard the Delfin III. You are offered a range of activities such as jungle-trekking, kayaking, canopy-walking, night expeditions and yes—swimming with pink river dolphins, too.
Indonesian Archipelago
Nothing gets more exotic and wild than a cruise to the Komodo Islands with real living Komodo ‘dragons’
The Indonesian Archipelago holds surprises you couldn’t imagine: Venom-dripping Komodos at Komodo National Park and Indonesia’s Lesser Sunda Islands, among a host of natural wonders including pink beaches, await you as you cruise through the islands. The 24-passenger Ombak Putih offers possibly everything you could think of, from remote beaches to forbidding jungles on the mountain side, from volcanoes to mysterious lakes, and of course, not forgetting the awe-inducing Komodo Dragons.
Swiss watchmaker Tudor’s latest timepiece is the Black Bay Bronze Blue Special Edition, created in collaboration with Swiss-based retailer Bucherer, which is celebrating its 130th anniversary next year. To commemorate this occasion, Bucherer have teamed up with the who’s who of horology to create special edition timepieces. All of these, interestingly, sport the retailer’s signature blue hue. In this Tudor edition, the brown dial and aluminium bezel of the standard Black Bay Bronze has been replaced by navy blue components and enhanced by a blue fabric strap with a single bronze stripe. Other than that, though, the watch remains the same with a 43mm bronze case and a COSC-certified in-house automatic movement. The super exclusive anniversary watch is available only through Bucherer’s retailers.
Swedish luxury car maker Volvo has revealed it will commence local assembly operations in India by the end of 2017. Volvo’s car assembly operations will be located near Bengaluru and focus on models based on Volvo’s SPA’s modular vehicle architecture. Unlike its German rivals Mercedes Benz AG, BMW AG and Audi AG, Volvo has been importing cars to India instead of assembling them locally. Volvo established its presence in the country in the year 2010 when it began selling its cars.
