Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel in Windermere, Cumbria has recently served the world’s most expensive dessert to a British diamond merchant, Carl Weininger. The 3 inch by 3 inch chocolate flavored cake, made to appear like a Frabrege egg, was infused with peach, orange and whiskey and layered with champagne jelly and a light biscuit […]

When we type a word into google, we generally don’t think about how much companies pay to ensure that word generates their ads at the top of the search results.  Thanks to a study conducted by Wordstream, a company whose software helps users create search engine marketing campaigns, we now know which keywords garner the […]

In the movie Stardust Memories, Woody Allen echoed the sentiment of many Americans when he referred to pigeons as ‘rats with wings’.  Each society has their own set of rules when it comes to the ranking and treatment of different animals, so it comes as no surprise that the storied past time of pigeon racing, […]

Hardly an icon of luxury, the vacuum is more commonly viewed as the weapon of choice for janitors, maids, stay at home moms, and those who rank somewhere along the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder spectrum.  Companies like Dyson, Kirby, and Hoover may offer state-of-the-art sucking technology; but the offensively loud, droning, cat-terrorizing machine is still seen as […]

Wayne Gretsky, also known as ‘The Great One’, is likely the most well known hockey player in the world. He also previously owned the most expensive baseball card, Honus Wagner tobacco card which later sold for $2.35 million. One card of Gretsky himself recently sold for an astonishing $94,163. The 1979-80 Wayne Gretzky O-Pee-Chee rookie […]

Filed under: Handbags

The Alexander McQueen Iris Plexiglas Box Clutch is one of those statement pieces that’s sure to garner glances and comments and envy whenever and wherever you carry it. The construction is pretty simple considering its impact: molded plexigas topped with a Swarovski-embellished gold metal clasp depicting a skull sitting inside a fully opened iris bloom. Very gothic-chic (as the brand does so well) but with a decidedly lighter vibe this time. Features are basic but include a gold metal frame and inside there’s white leather trim. $2,295

Alexander McQueen Iris Plexiglas Box Clutch, Handbag of the Day originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 16 May 2011 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handbags

Add a bit of princess-like pink sparkle to your evenings out with this Marano Glitter-Finish Leather Clutch by Anya Hindmarch. Easily paired with neutral, gray, white, or black this clutch could be the timeless investment piece that always makes you feel uber feminine and gorgeous, without going overboard into gaudy territory. Glitter-sprayed leather on a gold frame features a designer-stamped push clasp fastener on top and an interior lined in light suede with a single, pink-trimmed pouch pocket. Heads up there’s no shoulder strap, detachable or otherwise. $550

Anya Hindmarch Marano Glitter-Finish Clutch, Handbag of the Day originally appeared on Luxist on Sun, 15 May 2011 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

In the watch world diamonds seem to make just about everything better. This Ref. 5839 Marine Troubillon High Jewellery watch is a diamond encrusted version of the Ref. 5937 from a few years ago. Breguet outfitted the watch case and dial with an impressive amount of diamonds, but still was able to retain that signature Breguet Marine watch look.

The 43mm wide 18k white gold case as about 11.77 carats of stones on it. One of the neatest parts is how Breguet was able to maintain the coined edge of the case using specially cut diamonds. Also not the unique pattern the diamonds create for the bezel. On the dial smaller diamonds are set in the middle of the dial and don’t overshadow the hands. The dial itself is silvered 18k gold. Overall Breguet did a great job giving a men’s jewelry watch a functional face.

Inside the watch is a Breguet caliber 554.4 manually wound tourbillon movement with the time and a chronograph complication. The watch has 50 hours of power reserve with special features that include a silicium balance spring and escapement wheel.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Breguet Marine Tourbillon Ref. 5839 High Jewellery Chronograph Watch originally appeared on Luxist on Sun, 15 May 2011 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handbags

The subtle sheen on this Snake-Effect Leather Shoulder Bag by Milly gives the casual bucket-bag styling a nice “resort glam” upgrade, with just a hint of bohemian energy. Features on this shimmery cutie include a single bamboo top handle (a bit of matte earthy contrast) plus a detachable textured-leather shoulder strap, drawstring closure with bamboo-embellished leather tassels, goldtone hardware, protective feet, and a designer-stamped hanging charm. Inside it’s lined in olive green twill (again with the earthiness) and has several pockets. A great summer essential that will go with practically everything. $475

Milly Snake-Effect Leather Shoulder Bag, Handbag of the Day originally appeared on Luxist on Sat, 14 May 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Art

There is an almost eerie quality to this one of a kind custom made statue depicting Napoleon Bonaparte as he enters Cario during his campaign in Egypt. The small statue was made by famed French artist Jean-Léon Gérôme as a smaller version of a larger bronze statue. It was made around 1897. The statue is done in an ancient style known as “chryselephantine.” The inner part of the statue is wood, while it is overlaid with gold and ivory. Ivory is used for Napoleon’s face to simulate a more realistic flesh like look. The statue is about 16 and a half inches high.

Gerome, the artist, favored such older Roman and Greek sculpting techniques. The original bronze statue was bought by the French government for public display. This work is an amazing historical reference as well as example of neo-classic revival in the 19th century that has since never been better. Price is $198,000 at Rau Antiques. Learn more here.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Napoleon Entering Cairo Statue Available At Rau Antiques originally appeared on Luxist on Sat, 14 May 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Jewelry, Timepieces / Watches

For half a million dollars you can get a lot of watches or this lovely new high jewelry watch from Swiss Girard-Perregaux. The Cat’s Eye Tourbillon Haute Joaillerie timepiece has an 18k white gold case and is 32mm wide by 38mm tall in the typical Cat’s Eye oval shape. It has a stunning amount of large diamonds all over it. According to Girard-Perregaux the watch required over 700 hours of work to create, containing over 20 carats of diamonds. The precious stones come in various cuts and are placed all over the case, crown, and dial.

Inside the watch is a Girard-Perregaux in-house made caliber GP09700-0006 manually wound tourbillon movement. The Tourbillon escapement is visible on the dial using a traditional GP style bridge. The movement has a power reserve of about three days. Attached to the strap is a gray satin strap with a white gold buckle… and more diamonds. Price for this very impressive haute joaillerie watch is $490,000.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews website aBlogtoRead.com.

Girard-Perregaux Cat’s Eye Tourbillon Haute Joaillerie Watch originally appeared on Luxist on Sat, 14 May 2011 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Open Magic is the newest collection of luxury timepieces for women from DeLaneau. I have a deep level of respect for the brand and am waiting for them to hopefully design a men’s watch - not sure if that will ever happen as they seem pretty dedicated to be a watch for sophisticate women, by a sophisticated woman. The Open Magic watch comes in a few styles. The main designer elements include the unique strap and lugs system. A gold coil connects to the satin strap - that on the other end has double straps. The attractive case is almost Bell Epoque and art deco in style.

The watch dial itself is done in black onyx with triangular segments in mother-of-pearl (or vice versa). It has dauphine style hands and diamond hour markers. Diamond are found all over the bezel and case - with varying amounts of stones available as the Open Magic watch is offered with about 1.56 carats of diamonds to 5 carats of diamonds. Inside the watch is a Swiss mechanical movement. Really a stunning item and worthy of the Delaneau name.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

DeLaneau Open Magic Watch originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 13 May 2011 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handbags

Casual meets evening in this Studded Leather Clutch by Gucci. Generously sized it’s made of perforated tan leather with a subtle degradé finish. There’s both fine and heavy stitching details on the trim and small golden studs arranged in a grid pattern throughout.The fold-over flap front secures with a bamboo-detailed braided wrap-around strap that finishes in a pair of tassels with decorative knots and holds a signature “G” charm. Under the flap it has a zippered top closure and inside it’s lined with a combination of brown suede and twill. Great for dressing up day-wear or a casual night on the town. $2,400

Gucci Studded Leather Clutch, Handbag of the Day originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 13 May 2011 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Gadgets

Not being an audiophile, it takes a lot to impress me when reviewing a speaker system. I didn’t think much of reviewing Aperion’s new sound bar style speaker as it seemed like a pretty straight forward device. The idea of a sound bar (soundbar) style speaker is to offer an external speaker when using many of today’s flat panel television sets because the native speakers they have usually aren’t very good or get very loud. Rather than getting a more complicated and space intensive speaker set, a sound bar offers a total package in a thin speaker strip. At least that is the idea. Usually these compact devices have serious drawbacks in the interest of being small. What I found however is that Aperion loaded the Signature collection SLIMstage30 with a ton of features and options to make it one of the best and most comprehensive speaker systems I have ever used - all in a one-piece device.

Continue reading Aperion Signature SLIMstage30 Speaker Bar Review

Aperion Signature SLIMstage30 Speaker Bar Review originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 12 May 2011 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handbags

Frilly western fringe in bright magenta python makes for a little urban boho fun on this Costa Besace Appliqued Python Bag by Antik Batik. The shoulder bag base is embellished with long fringe as well as leather appliques in purple, cream, and fuchsia. It features no top handles but a braided double shoulder strap (not detachable), a fold-over flap front that holds the fringe and a concealed magnetic closure, and a zippered pocket on the exterior under the flap. The inside is lined in bright purple with has two more zippered pockets and a designer stamp. $390

Antik Batik Costa Besace Appliqued Python Bag, Handbag of the Day originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 12 May 2011 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Chopard expands on its Happy Diamond Sport collection with a summer offering called the Happy Sport La Vie En Rose. The famous Edith Piaf song lends itself to these timepieces that have silhouette style roses on the dials - with or without diamonds. Perhaps this is also an unofficial watch from Chopard to its fans in France.

The 36mm wide watches are in steel or 18k rose gold (or steel with an 18k rose gold bezel). The loveliest models have rose colored sapphires set in the bezel - as well as diamonds mixed into the decor on the dial. Like all Happy Diamond watches, a few floating diamonds are sandwiched between two sapphire crystals and move around freely over the dial. The collection has a few dial styles and straps to choose from, presumably all in tones that will match rose colors. The entire Happy Sport La Vie En Rose collection will be limited to about 525 pieces total. Inside the watches are Swiss quartz movements. Look for them soon.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Chopard Happy Sport La Vie En Rose Watches originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 12 May 2011 12:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

A few years ago this would have never been something a high-end conservative watch brand like Jaeger-LeCoultre would have dreamed of doing. Traditionally, services like watch customization and personalization were to be done in a chic boutique with an authorized dealer over a glass of champagne and cookies. Now that model has changed and brands realize that people want to shop at home online.

The iconic Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso has a case that flips around to reveal a solid caseback - offering a perfect palette for personalization. The new Reverso customization website allows customers to pick a watch and create any number of custom engravings and art on the back of a Reverso watch. This includes a large number of pre-selected options, as well as truly customizable engravings and enamel work. Options include having initials, a special message, coat of arms, imagery, or anything else that fits on the space. You can even have precious stones set in the back of the watch case.

The website uses a Flash based application for navigation and is rather straight forward. Really a fun thing to play around with and choose your ideal personalized Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso watch.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews website aBlogtoRead.com.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Launches Online Service To Personalize Reverso Watches originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 11 May 2011 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handbags

Easter may be over for this year but this little golden egg is a seasonless one that you can carry all year long. What really makes this Minaudiere Metal Oval Clutch by Lanvin so special is its decorative (and detachable) multistranded golden chain shoulder strap — when you wear the bag cross-body style it acts as an extra embellishment, almost like a large statement necklace of sorts. The bag itself is a gold metal covered oval miniaudiere with a push lock clasp closure and a fully lined black satin interior. $2,825

Lanvin Minaudiere Metal Oval Clutch, Handbag of the Day originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 11 May 2011 17:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Sports

Longines, now the official timekeeper of the Kentucky Derby and its home track Churchill Downs, recently was able to award the winners of the 2011 Kentucky Derby with a Longines Column-Wheel Chronograph watch. Longines recorded a winning time of 2.04 minutes as the running time for “Animal Kingdom” the winning horse. The Swiss brand rewarded the horse owner Barry Irwin, jockey Johnny Velazquez, and trainer Graham Motion each with the classically inspired timepiece. The link above will take you to a previous article that discusses the piece further along with Longines’ involvement with them famous horse race. Participation with the well-known high-society event is important to the historic brand that is fighting for a larger share of the US high-end watch market. It is also part of an overall trend of watch brands taking more of a key role in popular US cultural events.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Longines, Official Timekeeper Of Kentucky Derby, Gifts Watches To Race Winners originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 09 May 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

The best new Certina watches for 2011 were the “Action Divers.” The name of the collection sounds as youthful as Certina wants the watches to be. Certina once made very impressive diving watches and are seemingly trying to return that image a bit. While intended to be for the mainstream buyer, these DS Action Divers are a nice watch and a good value that are also diving capable. They come in a few styles and colors, and on metal bracelets or straps. Size is just right at 43mm wide for most people. The dial is an amalgamated look from a range of successful high-end divers from brands such as Rolex and Omega. Certina sort of melded a few together to come up with this attractive look. The same concept applied to the steel case and bezel - not wholly original, but satisfying.

I love the clean integration of the date. None of the hour indicators needed to be removed, and the date disc is black to match the dial being placed between hour indicators. The watch case has a sapphire crystal and is water resistant to 200 meters. Inside the watch is a Swiss ETA 2824 automatic movement. Overall a great daily wear at a price that feels comfortable in the $800 - $1000 range.

Ariel Adams publishes the wrist watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Certina DS Action Diver Watch originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 10 May 2011 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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