vending machine

Now this is something you might not have conceived of even in your fantasies, but hey—truth is always stranger than fiction. So here’s your Super car vending machine, situated in Singapore, 15 storeys tall and with a glass front, and owned by Autobahn Motors which specializes in pre-owned Luxury, Sports, Convertibles Collectables, and Special Interest automobiles. Located on Jalan Bukit Merah, ‘the largest supercar vending machine’ is actually a showroom with over 80 supercars that line the glass windows of this automobile inventory-cum-showcase. The Autobahn Motors (ABM) building utilizes the latest state-of-the-art automated system (Automotive Inventory Management System / AIMS) to manage inventory and retrieval. The system is the brainchild of Gary and Jack Hong, who own Autobahn Motors, and can be controlled by a tablet.

dragon shaped smoking pipe

In the world of bejewelled luxuries comes this new Dragon-shaped smoking pipe, which is also the most expensive in the world, priced at $ 85,000. Specially conceptualized and created by Jewelers Bon-Cadeau.ru, this unique pipe is hand-crafted and decked with 47 pieces of black and white diamonds, 38 pieces of rubies and 6 pieces of fine Sapphire, plus an exclusive piece of Blue Coral alongside four pieces of exquisite tiger eye and tourmaline. The Smoking Dragon weighs a total of 300 grams out of which 275 grams consist of silver and 22 grams of different varieties of gold. This glittering dragon pipe houses various other secrets too: it rotates seamlessly on a rack of jade, while its mouth and wings simultaneously open up with a quick press. And if that weren’t enough, the pipe’s Chibouk houses a secret camera too! Now we don’t know whether to call it a pipe or a fantasy spy instrument bedecked with treasures.

kate spade

Luxury Handbag and accessories brand Coach announced on Monday its deal to acquire Kate Spade for a sum of $2.4 million, in a bid to accelerate its growth. By combining, they expect to save about $50 million a year in inventory management and other operational efficiencies, the companies said. The deal is aimed at strengthening the brand’s position among Millenials, which was also the reason behind its marketing partnership with Selena Gomez earlier this year. Under the terms of the deal announced on Monday, Kate Spade shareholders will receive $18.50 per share in cash, a 27.5 percent premium on the price prior to media speculation about a takeover of the company.

manila

Manila in Philippines is now home to “the world’s first full-size LED running track”, and it’s the Unlimited Stadium by Nike. The 200-meter long track’s shape is inspired by the footprint of Nike’s LunarEpic running shoe: a figureeight style lined with LED screens throughout the course. Nike constructed the Unlimited Stadium with the help of BBH Singapore who conceptualized the overall project in collaboration with a team of partners. And the coolest things? The track has a capacity of 30 runners who can all take part in a virtual race against their digital avatars! Runners first set an initial lap time, managed through an attachment on each athlete’s shoe. The runners then run alongside their digital selves on the continuous LED screen, and the further and faster they run, the larger the avatars get! This is expected to challenge them continuously for better performance. Now that is sports from the future for you.

breitling

Luxury watch maker Breitling has recently been sold to CVC Capital Partners for over $870 million. The transaction between Breitling and CVC Capital Partners is expected to complete by around June 2017, subject to approval by competition authorities. This sale is a major development in the watch industry, for until now Breitling remained one of the few independently owned luxury watch makers. However, previous majority owner Theodore Schneider will remain with Breitling as part of the CVC Capital Partners deal, as he agreed to re-invest for a 20% stake in Breitling.  We’ll be watching this brand’s future closely.

nirav modi

Haute diamantaire Nirav Modi has widened his horizons eastwards with his new boutique that recently opened in Beijing. The boutique is set inside the The Peninsula Beijing hotel, and reflects Modi’s acknowledgment of the importance of the Chinese market. He terms the Chinese customers as sophisticated luxury buyers, “with an eye for detail and craftsmanship”. Modi has plans to establish more such boutiques in China over the coming years. Golden glass, mother of pearl, brushed silver and rose gold tones accentuate the interiors of this first store in Beijing, which also has VIP rooms for its clientele. Nirav Modi’s VIP clientele includes the likes of Kate Winslet, Taraji P Henson, Sonam Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra. He has already strengthened his international presence through his standalone stores in New York, London and Hong Kong.

luxury watch

Just when you thought you’d seen it all, comes this ‘poetic automaton’ watch from Jaquet Droz, named the Loving Butterfly. The watch is inspired by the sketches drawn by an android automaton known as “the draughtsman” and features a 90-second on-demand animation. The automaton portrays an ethereal scene: a golden butterfly pulling Cupid along on a chariot. With just one press on the crown integrated pusher, the butterfly comes to life, fluttering her wings, while the chariot wheel moves. The entire automaton is delicately delightful. With the 90 second power reserve, the wings flap 2.5 times per second while the wheel of the chariot rotates. The exclusive automaton mechanism took three years to develop and has two patents pending for it. Powered by the self-winding JD2653 AT1 caliber with silicon balance spring and pallets, the watch comes with a 68 hours power reserve for the time mechanism. All 40 parts of the automaton’s refined design are hand-engraved in-house at Jaquet-Droz. The timepiece arrives on a black rolled-edge hand-made alligator leather strap with double folding buckle in matching gold. With a 43 mm case in 18K rose or white gold, the new Jaquet-Droz Loving Butterfly is available in a limited number of 28 pieces for each metal, with a price tag of $126,000.

egerton house hotel

The Egerton House in London is welcoming pet lovers with open arms, with lavish afternoon teas waiting. Yes, now you can share an indulgent afternoon spread with the animal love of your life, a spread that includes the finest leaf teas with homemade cakes, freshly cut breads, smoked salmon sandwiches, fruit scones et al for you—while the pooch gets to savour ‘Bowl licking chicken and beef meatloaf’, a ‘Homemade doggy biscuit’ and some ‘Doggylicious ice cream’. Pet lovers, rejoice. This tea is titled the Doggy Afternoon Tea, and additionally provides a special chew toy at the end for your dog to take home! And that’s not all. The Egerton House is also offering a personal pet concierge along with facilities such as a personalized pet welcome message, food and water bowls, pet treats, an embroidered pet down, a dog sitting and walking service, grooming services, toys and special pet menus. Whew! Now that’s a luxury pet-experience!

menswear

Louis Vuitton’s men’s pre-collection FW 2017 draws inspiration from downtown New York in the 1980s and the world surrounding artists such as Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat.The colours in the collection are graphic with a focus on black and white as well as college brights. The collection includes a capsule of fun garments and accessories for the modern traveler, all focused around an imaginary group: Louis V and the Fragments. The varsity theme is fun and easy, with colorful Ivy League motifs leading into the more sophisticated mixed checks via the artistic paint splash print. The ‘Back to work’ capsule includes tailored menswear classics exclusively  made in Loro Piana fabrics.

sufi spa oils

Sufi Spa Oils at The Imperial Spa and Salon were recently adjudged the Best Spa Product India at the 10th GeoSpa asiaSpa India awards. SUFI won this award after submitting detailed nomination followed by mystery audits conducted by the audit agency of Asia Spa India. The selection happened after several rounds of short listing amidst other competitive brands. Sufi is The Imperial Spa and Salon’s signature range of body, mind and beauty treatments, launched in 2012. Initially, the range consisted of 6 individual blends for massage oils and an Eau De Toilette. Later, Sufi’s organic and botanical skincare products were added to the range. SUFI ‘Oils of Spirit’ come in signature embroidered bags and contain pure cold pressed base oils like Jojoba oil, Carrot Seed oil, Moroccan Argan oil, Sweet Almond and Apricot Kernal oil. These oils for Bath and Body are also chosen to suit individual preferences and are available in 100 ml red glass bottles at The Imperial Salon.