Simple tourbillon watch lovers are probably thrilled with the offerings this year. Many brands are releasing uncomplicated (relatively speaking), classic tourbillon based watches - and here is Girard-Perregaux’s entry. The watch is meant to celebrate the 220th anniversary of the brand that began in 1791. They call it the 1966 Tourbillon with Gold Bridge 220th Anniversary Edition watch - it looks lovely in a 40mm wide 18k gold case with a warm dial with blued steel hands and Breguet style Arabic numerals. The tourbillon has a bit of a unique look with one of Girard-Perregaux’s iconic “golden” bridges over the tourbillon. Extremely classic and handsome. The movement is the in-house made GP 9610 that is manually wound and has 48 hours of power reserve. On the back of the watch are some special commemorative engravings for this special Anniversary Edition watch. Girard-Perregaux will produce just 50 1966 Tourbillon 220th Anniversary edition pieces - look for them soon.
Ariel Adams publishes the wrist watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
The Russian billionaire, Yuri Milner, has paid $100 million for a second home in California’s Silicon Valley, in Los Altos Hills. According to the Wall Street Journal’s Market Watch, March 30th, it is the highest known amount paid for a home in the United States.
This home is 25,500 square feet of living area, and was inspired by 18th-century French chateaux (see above). It has 25,000+ square feet of living space with five bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a central entry court, ballroom, home theater, wine cellar, spa/gym, a tennis court, car wash, swimming pool and formal gardens. The living areas are all located on the second floor to take advantage of the dramatic San Francisco Bay Bay view. It was designed by the prestigious Hablinski + Manion Architectural & Planning Group.
Mr. Milner’s primary residence is in Moscow, where he lives with his wife and two daughters, but he is a frequent visitor to the high-tech enclave in northern California.
The 47-year-old Internet tycoon appeared on the cover of the most recent issue of Forbes magazine and has invested heavily in Facebook, Zynga and Groupon through his investment firm DST Global. His company is said to control about 10 percent, or $5 billion worth, of Facebook’s shares. He also has had positive dealings with the Russian online company Mail.ru.
The home was bought from another tycoon, Fred Chan, founder of ESS Technology, who has reportedly decided to live in Hawaii after building the Silicon Valley mansion.
Mr Milner reportedly made the transaction through a limited liability company called La Paloma Property. After years of relative market flatness, this sale has been seen as a sign that the market in high-end properties on the West Coast are becoming more, well, effervescent.
‘Tis the season to break out your spring wardrobe (if old man winter would ever go away). But if you don’t have this season’s take on stripes, polka dots and plaids, get thee to a boutique toute de suite. This is not a time for wallflowers.
These prints have very little in common with the classics. This year, designers painted stripes with a bold brush, used variously-sized polka dots head-to-toe, and paired plaids with floral blouses.
The key is to break every rule your mother taught you: Mix and match patterns. Select stripes in contrasting colors, pair the polka dots with stripes and spice up florals with any geometric design. Just make sure the contrasting patterns have a consistent theme, use the same color palette, or same motif.
Prada and Jil Sander presented some of the best collections of the season. Sander sent out a floor-length gown contrasting vertical black-and-sheer stripes on the bodice with the skirt’s pink-and-white horizontal stripes. Prada took a white blouse with a navy monkey print and paired it with a black-and-fuchsia striped skirt. That same skirt served as the foundation for a blue-white-black-green striped top.
I haven’t written up a Gucci bag in awhile but not for any reason other than I’ve just had so many others bombarding my attention. This Marrakech Medium Leather Shoulder Bag is a classic and a cutie with its flap-over tasseled front, pouchy shaping, and thoughtful details like the tiny braiding along the top rim. Monochromatic layers of light brown leather get the light goldtone hardware treatment, double braided top handles, and an beige twill lined interior with both pouch and zip pockets. Fun fact: the designer calls this color ‘New Banana.’ $2,290
Ashley Watson is based out of Vancouver, Canada and all their bags are one of a kind and handcrafted using exclusively recycled materials. Her line of recycled leather handbags was originally inspired by the softness of gently worn leather jackets purchased at charity and thrift stores and the one featured here is called the Flicker. Made of recycled black patterned leather it’s styled a little like a backpack and has a large flap front with both buckle and magnet closures. Inside there are two compartments fully lined with hemp/cotton twill. $310
Louvre, hyperphoto by Jean-Francois Rauzier, Waterhouse & Dodd
Is it all about money or art? The answer is probably both but if you’re in the Art 101 category, you can catapult up to PhD level at The European Fine Art Fair in Maastricht, the Netherlands.
TEFAF is the most sophisticated, highly vetted, and elegant art fair anywhere. All true, but it is also a place where the minute the doors swing open to VIP guests, there’s a stampede to the jewelry booths where for the most part glitz not glamour dominates.
Collectors, museum curators often accompanied by their trustees, and general connoisseurs attend to browse, to see and be seen, and to bring home treasures. This year, some 73,000 visitors attended. Most are Dutch, followed by Germans and Belgians, English, French, Italians, Americans and an impressively growing numbers of Russians and Chinese. Among a handful of Arab sheiks, most prominent this year was Sheikh Saud al-Thani, the art-hungry collector who is a cousin of the ruling Emir of Qatar. He surely arrived on one of the 154 private jets that landed on the tarmac of the tiny Maastricht-Aachen airport.
Van Gelder Antique Indian Jewelry
At the blue chip opening one of the first pieces to be snapped up was by a Russian collector: a billowing tapestry made of beaten red and gold bottle tops by the Ganaian artist El Anatsui. The price was $965,532. You can see his aesthetically beautiful “Earth and Heaven” sculpture installed in the African art galleries at the Met. In another gallery in the modern section, a well-heeled collector bought Spanish artist Joan Miro’s sculpture, “Oiseau Lunaire,” or moon bird, a wooden surreal, bird-like figure for $5 million. A bronze version of a moon bird by Miro is in the Nasher Sculptural Center in Dallas. That same day, March 18, Russian TV didn’t waste a minute filming at the booth of Van Gelder Indian Jewelry which showcased some fabulous South Sea pearls and antique jewelry.
Tickets to the private first day are distributed to dealers who then invite their most important clients. The next day, all are welcome at a tab of €50 or about $75.
Now if you don’t fit into the curator or collector category, what would draw you to TEFAF? Without a doubt, it is a remarkable learning experience for anyone who loves art. As Michelin says, it’s worth the voyage, merely to see some 5,000 years of impeccable art, exquisitely presented. It could be that some TEFAF director handed down guidelines to the presenting dealers insisting that they treat every inquiry with respect. You won’t find any condescending brush offs here.
Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo, Rembrandt
One item that drew large crowds was a fragment of an Egyptian water clock depicting Alexander the Great from about 332 BC at Belgium’s Harmakhis Galerie. Old Dutch masters, especially a portrait by Rembrandt, “Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo” from 1658 and Renoir’s “Woman Picking Flowers,” depicting Camille Monet in a field of flowers also gained a lot of attention. A major attraction was a Helmut Newton solo exhibition of 40 photos from London’s Hamiltons Gallery. Other standouts were Joana Vasconselos sensual feminine crocheted canvases at Haunch of Venison, Secessionist furniture at Kolomon Moser, beautiful Chinese textiles from Jacqueline Simcox in London. Only a BMW art car designed by Jeff Koons looked as if it had driven in by mistake.
TEFAF, first organized in 1975, invites 260 dealers from 16 countries all of whom undergo tremendous scrutiny to assure the quality, condition, and authenticity of their objects. About 100 dealers apparently are on a waiting list hoping to make it another year. Think of it as an art melting pot presented in an aura of gentility. It’s the most promising, sophisticated, and enjoyable fair for specialists and the general public.
A very special Ferrari is set to cross the auction block in May. One of only 1,400 examples made, and only 158 in right-hand drive, this metallic blue 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona has some very prominent provenance indeed.
Chassis #16531 most recently appeared on an episode of the hit BBC television program Top Gear, where celebrity presenter Richard Hammond drove it along the riviera from Portofino to Saint-Tropez while his co-host James May raced him in a speedboat. But long before the filming of the episode, its first owner was none other than HRH Charles, Prince of Wales. The car is being auctioned by Historics at Brooklands and is expected to fetch around £180,000 - £210,000.
British watch brand Backes & Strauss sort of specializes in timepieces decorated with large, luxurious diamonds. This piece is The Piccadilly Princess, set with 327 ideal cut diamonds, this is the new dream watch for diamond loving ladies. Available in 18k rose or white gold the round case has a bezel set with 27 diamonds, with more diamonds set on the dial with a mother-of-pearl center and Roman numerals. There is another large diamonds in the crown.
Inside the watch is a Swiss automatic movement with a platinum rotor. What really makes the watch special is the bracelet which is comprised of four connected strands of diamonds set in gold. The entire watch is said to have 23.34 carats of stones on/in it. Based on other Backes & Strauss watch The Piccadilly Princess is north of $500,000 and perhaps close to the $1,000,000 border.
Ariel Adams publishes the wrist watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
Spring is here and with it backyard barbecues and weekends spent lounging on the patio. The audio experts at Altec Lansing would hate for you to miss out on hearing any of your favorite tunes while you’re out and about, so the inMotion Air was created to be an ultra portable and easy-to-use mobile audio solution. It uses Bluetooth technology to stream music wirelessly from your iPhone, iPad, smartphone, or other stereo Bluetooth device and if you use the included USB transmitter the range is more than 300ft.
I was able to try one out personally and found it to be a sleek and lightweight compact speaker system. After charging it for a couple hours pairing it to my cell phone via Bluetooth took just a few seconds and music playback started as soon as I hit the play button. Pairing it with my laptop via the USB transmitter was also quick and simple — just plugged the transmitter into a USB slot and adjusted the computer audio output settings to USB.
In terms of sound the speaker puts out crisp, full audio with deeper bass than I expected considering its small size. Battery life is excellent — once fully charged it played for an entire evening without missing a beat. I was also surprised at how loud it could get when I cranked up the volume (or more accurately when I accidentally turned it with the volume all the way up!).
Other features include a handy and comfortable carrying handle on the back, options for wired access to non-Bluetooth/non-USB devices, and a remote control (accesses basic functions in most music players, iTunes included) that tucks neatly into a slot onto the back of the speaker so it won’t get lost. It’s also small and light, which means it’s easy to tote around (it almost fits in my handbag) and can fit into tight spaces like a bathroom.
The Altec Lansing inMotion Air is an excellent option for portable audio when earbuds and headphones just won’t do. Available online for $199.95.
What are the world’s top luxury toys for men? Uber-luxe German publisher teNeues has the answer with its newest super-sized volume, Luxury Toys: For Men. The awesome Aston Martin One-77, so named because of its limited 77-example run and $1.7 million pricetag, appears on the cover.
Other supercars that make the cut, including the Audi R8 GT, Rolls-Royce Ghost, Jaguar XKR Special Edition, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S Awards Edition, and Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible. Quite the garage.
Covering transportation, style, accessories and dream vacations, the massive 220-page volume features 138 giant full-color photographs and text in English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian. Not based merely on price, the selections show how “emotion and finesse can be combined with spectacular aesthetic purity.”
Last week we reported on the host of international celebrities, creative icons, industry leaders and conservationists joining together with famed auction house Christie’s to support the 2011 Green Auction, a momentous live event and companion online auction raising funds and awareness for the preservation and sustainability of the planet.
Christie’s has partnered with luxury charity auction site charitybuzz.com to put more than 200 coveted auction packages online from now through April 7 to raise funds for Oceana, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Conservation International and the Central Park Conservancy. Supporters can make a Bid to Save the Earth at www.charitybuzz.com/BidtoSavetheEarth.
A companion invite-only event and live fantasy auction hosted by Seth Meyers will be held at Christie’s New York on March 29 in partnership with Vogue’s Runway to Green. The event will feature a fashion show sponsored by Tiffany & Co. on the night of the live auction, with designer collection selections available online through Net-A-Porter.com.
In part one of our report on the incredible experiences on offer, we focused on the big ticket items estimated at over $100,000 apiece, including a ride with Harrison Ford on his private plane. Now we’re selecting some of our favorite lots across a range of expected prices (N.B.: Lagerfeld and Ducasse are being auctioned off live tonight):
Having this enormous pop of sunny yellow on your arm would make it impossible to be in a bad mood. It’s the Willa Tote by William & Son of London and it’s been redone for the 2011 spring season in this shade as well as a rich orange. Handcrafted of high quality cow hide and Italian hardware its features include double top handles, an adjustable detachable shoulder strap, signature lining, and all kinds of pockets for everything from your sunglasses to your water bottle to “all those little things in life” we all tote around. £1,100
Commuters passing through the busy Zurich Bahnhof over the course of a week in February got a special treat. There Volvo set up its latest S60 luxury sedan against a white backdrop as an “art car” project, and invited ten graffiti artists to share their vision. The process was captured by camera at 10-second intervals to make a three-minute time-lapse video you can watch after the jump.
The only difference here from last year’s 1966 Full Calendar watch is it being in 18k white gold for 2011. The new colors look sharp, but these are the only real changes. The 1966 Full Calendar watch from Girard-Perregaux gets a nice “tuxedo timepiece” demeanor with its white or black case matched to the white gold case (that is 40mm wide). I first wrote about this range here with a hands-on look at the palladium version. The elegant dial is easy to read and has an annual calendar and moon phase indicator thanks to the in-house made GP033M0 automatic movement. While the white dialed version has some nice blue accenting, the black dialed version tries to do this in red - but I don’t like it. I think the “31″ marker of the date should have been white. The red is distracting, and a splash of color has already been added to the dial via the gold moon and stars in the moon phase indicator. Still the watches are quite nice and the 1966 range from GP feels desirable as ever. Price will be in the $20,000 range.
Ariel Adams publishes the wrist watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
The Tory BurchViva Leather Shopper will not only get you through spring and summer but if you’re so inclined well into next fall as well, thanks to its mustard and vermillion color scheme. It’s basically an extra tall color block tote bag with a leather disc at center perforated with the designer’s logo. It has tall double top handles, tiny stitch detailing all around the seams and edges, and inside it has a large zippered pouch pocket that’s detachable for use as a coin purse or clutch of sorts. Fully lined in red/gold leather. $325
Pierre Hardy wants women to take preppy chic to a whole new level. While the traditional boat shoe provides comfort and an effortlessly classic flair, Hardy’s High-Heeled Boat Shoes ($1109) offers casual sexiness and unique appeal.
Styled in black pebbled leather and decorated with contrasting white stitching, brown leather laces, and a golden buckle, these leather heels maintain their classic aura but with a modern update. Hardy’s High-Heeled Boat Shoes are just shy of four inches, so you’ll get height, but hopefully the rugged rubber sole will counterbalance the pressure on the balls of your feet.
Pair with loose fitting shorts and a linen button down shirt for a casual, yet polished look.
For over 100 years, the Minnesota-based Red Wing Shoe Company has been carefully crafting premium quality footwear made for specific work environments. Designed for duty on factory floors, construction sites, refineries and railroads, their rugged style has also been adopted by many who do nothing more perilous than cross a Brooklyn subway platform at rush hour. These days you can even find them at J. Crew.
The Red Wing Heritage collection pays homage to the company’s history of hardcore work boots with some styles designed for the Range Rover set as well. We are, admittedly, in the latter camp. Regardless of which style suits you, the boots and shoes are still crafted with skill and treated like fine tools for the wearer. Premium Red Wing Shoes leather, tanned at the company’s own S.B Foot Tanning Company, is triple stitched with waxed thread for quality. The video above shows the process in action.
Charles Beckman, a Red Wing, Minnesota merchant who saw a need for durable and comfortable work boots, founded the firm in 1905. Today, a third generation of employees, located just down the road from the original factory, continues the tradition he established by using the same craftsmanship and attention to detail. The tannery video is one in a series showing all facets of Red Wing’s time-honored operation. You can check them all out here.
Swedish gun and rifle maker VO Vapen, founded in 1977 by master gunsmith Viggo Olsson, fashions the world’s most exclusive handmade hunting rifles. Their newest creation, the VO Falcon Edition (above), is the world’s most expensive priced at about $820,000. The VO Falcon Edition is a tribute to the deep rooted traditions of falconry in the Arabian world, covered by beautiful engravings of Peregrine and Saker falcons among other luxurious finishes.
China based Longio is a watch brand and supplier. I have praised them in the past for imbuing their designs with some interesting Chinese character as opposed to just mimicking European designs. Longio’s proudest model for 2011 is this Mythos watch with a tourbillon movement, 18k gold hand-engraved Phoenix on the dial, and a case and bracelet made out of white jade. The Mythos may not be a watch I would consider my style, but it is really interesting and attractive. Longio further claims that this is the first watch ever with a case and bracelet made out of white jade (the most valuable form of jade).
The Mythos is made as a one-of-a-kind timepiece and contains a Chinese-made tourbillon movement with an expose tourbillon carriage. The black dial contrasts well with the golden Phoenix bird. I wonder if we will start to see more jade cased watches, it could happen.
Ariel Adams publishes the wrist watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
In 1811, just a year after they were married, Pierre Nicolas Perrier and Rose Adélaїde Jouët released the first bottling of Perrier-Jouët champagne. Even at 200 it is among the youngest of the champagne brands that make Americans giddy: Moët-Chandon (makers of Dom Perignon), Veuve Clicquot and Roederer (makers of Cristal) are 18th century institutions.
When it comes to taste and quality, though, Perrier-Jouët can easily go bubble-for-bubble with its older compatriots. And when it came to celebrating its two-hundredth year, if you ask the house itself, it might have outdone them. Luxist attended the event in Paris, where we’re told, “To celebrate its Bicentennary, Perrier-Jouët is initiating a conversation with time.”
It is a conversation that begins with the Perrier-Jouët Bi-Centenaire sculpture and that will last nearly 100 years. And it involves lots and lots of champagne…
Girard-Perregaux 1966 Tourbillon 220th Anniversary Limited Edition Watch originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
‘Tis the season to break out your 
