Swiss luxury watchmaking brand Hublot announced at the Guangzhou International Auto Show that the brand has become the watchmaking partner of Ferrari.
Hublot took this occasion to unveil the Big Bang Chrono Tourbillon Ferrari; the first Hublot timepiece made with its partner.
There will only be 20 of the Big Bang Chrono Tourbillon Ferrari timepieces available, which also marks the 20th anniversary of the automaker’s presence in China.
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Mainland luxury Chinese consumers are becoming increasingly open to shopping for, and finding information about, luxury brands online with news portals.
Weibo is one of the most popular sources for information, according to the results of a survey released November 28 by PR group Ruder Finn Asia.
The survey was conducted among 1057 Mainland Chinese luxury shoppers by Ruder Finn Asia as part of its China Luxury Forecast.
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A campaign, in the London Daily Mail, is afoot to build a new megayacht for the Queen of England and the British Royal Family .
Their previous vessel, the 412 ft. Royal Brittania built in 1953, was retired in 1997.
Codenamed FSP21 (Future Ship Project 21st Century), the 515-ft. vessel would be the third largest in the world, after those of Roman Abramovich and the ruler of Dubai.
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Ultra-luxury automotive brand Maybach will be killed off by parent Daimler within two years, according to reports.
The Maybach brand, one of the world’s most prestigious luxury names and a favorite of business tycoons, footballers and government officials the world over, could be shuttered in favor of top-of-the-line Mercedes-Benz models by 2013.
A Daimler spokesman reportedly said Friday that production will end when the company introduces a new generation S model in its main Mercedes-Benz range.
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Tokyo has now more Michelin three star restaurants than Paris, according to the latest edition of the gastronomical guide.
Japan as a whole also beats France, with 32 establishments granted the maximum grade, against 25 in the guide’s home country. Paris has just 10 three star eateries.
Of Tokyo’s 160,000 restaurants, 16 were awarded top marks, 52 got two stars and 179 were deemed worthy of one star by the authors of the Red Guide.
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Victoria Beckham‘s elevation into the fashion industry’s elite was confirmed Monday when she was awarded a major prize at Britain’s most prestigious design awards.
The singer won the Best Designer Brand prize at the British Fashion Awards ceremony held in central London’s exclusive Savoy Hotel.
Wearing a black halter-neck gown, Beckham claimed the ‘fashion Oscar’ after beating off competition from industry giants Stella McCartney, Tom Ford and Burberry.
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Less than a month after its widely successful collaboration with Versace, H&M has announced that it’s next designer team up is with Marni.
Its earlier collaborations with high-end brands such as Lanvin and Sonia Rykiel have been similarly successful.
The label’s founder Consuelo Castiglioni has created the clothing and accessories line inspired by Marni‘s original prints, which is for both men and women.
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The Swiss watch industry is in rude health with exports leaping once again last month and watchmakers set to notch up a record year thanks to Chinese consumers
Despite the the effect of the global debt crisis, the demand for Swiss watches hit a peak in October, putting smiles on the faces of the country’s 600 watchmakers.
Data from the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH) showed exports rose to 1.9 billion Swiss francs ($2.0 billion), up 18.6 percent on the same month last year.
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Toyota has released the first images of its new sports car, confirming that it will go on sale next year as the GT 86.
Built on an all-new platform, the model is hoped to reestablish the Japanese brand as a sporty name following the dominance of best-selling but mainstream models such as the Camry sedan and Prius hybrid.
The GT 86 is a compact model boasting a 197 hp 2.0-liter engine which should give the car quick performance when combined with its light curb weight.
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Bing, the decision engine from Microsoft, recently pulled together its search trends for 2011 and below is the top 10 searched fashion brands of 2011.
Gucci reigns supreme for a second year in a row and beat out top brands including Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Y-3 and Louis Vuitton.
Guess and J.Crew proved to be forces amongst the high-end labels that made the list, taking the number 6 and 7 spots respectively.
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Yachtmakers from around the world are gearing up to launch new products at the Nautic boat show, which gets underway next weekend in Paris.
Nautic traditionally focuses on the newest craft from luxury French names — although there is plenty on offer for those of varying budgets and interests.
Chief among the stars will be Bénéteau which has launched a slew of new models recently it intends to showcase in Paris.
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A 40-story hotel development could be about to crown the emergence of one of New York’s formerly rough districts as one of the coolest places to be in the city.
Hotel developer Jon Lam is looking to construct a new hotel and retail emporium in the district known as NoMad, a district of Manhattan north of Madison Square Park.
The development could see a 30- to 40-story, 600-room property rise out of existing properties on 846 Avenue of the Americas and 1227 Broadway.
Although a firm to run the hotels hasn’t yet been decided, Lam reportedly wants the property to be “affordable and casual,” with a significant retail space at the base which will make it ideal for visitors to the city.
Lam’s development could be the jewel in the crown for NoMad, a district which once boasted some of New York’s most decadent, historic hotels.
When the Fifth Avenue Hotel opened in the neighborhood in 1859, it was the first to offer private bathrooms and elevators.
By the latter part of the last century much of NoMad’s sheen had worn off but more recently an ambitious restoration program has encouraged trendy new restaurants and hotels to return in droves.
In 2009, hip US boutique chain Ace Hotels opened its first property in the area, with The Breslin restaurant receiving a coveted Michelin star the year after.
Soon after that, Gansevoort Park opened for the first time, its urban-resort style and rooftop pool deck quickly making it a winner with celebrities and helping to turn NoMad into one of New York’s hottest see-and-be-seen neighbourhoods.
Ritual Box by G.H Mumm is a set of luxurious objects and accessories that will help transform your tasting experience into a delightful ritual.
Individually made by Ateliers Domeau & Pérès, each Ritual Box by G.H Mumm takes not less than eight weeks and the expertise of born craftsmen to complete.
Each module consists of a wooden structure varnished white or red within, lined with foam rubber, and externally sheathed in white or red leather.
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Longchamp is launching a new weekly online web series, entitled Heels, to UK residents at the website sofeminine.co.uk.
It will subsequently be shown in France and Germany, as well as Korea, Japan, China and the US at the start of 2012.
The series will document the life of a fashion magazine editor, although identities of the show’s characters will be kept anonymous, with their faces never being shown.
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Air Canada and Virgin America have topped other North American airlines in a health ranking of on-board food.
According to DietDetective, which runs an annual survey examining the nutritional values of the food served to economy class passengers flying domestic, five-star-rated Air Canada “cares about its passengers’ health, that’s for sure.”
Virgin America was described as the best-improved airline, also being awarded five stars, with DietDetective’s Dr Charles Stuart Platkin saying that the calories and nutrient density of its on-board snacks had improved since last year.
United Airlines was in third place, slipping in score because of its merger with Continental, which has left it with “only a few decent healthy choices.”
Rounding off the list were US Airways, JetBlue Airways, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Spirit Airlines.
For some airlines, the blog suggested that it may just be easier to bring personal food, recommending easy-to-transport foods such as fruits, energy bars, sandwiches or nuts that can be taken through security checkpoints.
Source: AFPrelaxnews – Read the full analysis:
All eyes were on Macau today as the curtains raised on the highly anticipated debut of the Asian edition of Top Marques, the only live supercar show in the world.
Macau has established itself as the world’s gaming capital over the past decade, and Top Marques Macau will certainly give those gamblers plenty to think about.
Top Marques Monaco has been staged in April for the past eight years at that city’s Grimaldi Forum and has been labeled “The World’s Most Exclusive Auto Show” by The New York Times, and “The Greatest Show on Earth” by the Financial Times.
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Two new limited editions based on the MB&F Horological Machine No. 4 Thunderbolt are released today. Meet Razzle Dazzle and Double Trouble!
Inspired by the nose art of WWII aircraft, the figures are painted by Isabelle Villa and covered with clear protective lacquer to prevent damage.
In addition to the hand painted images, the pair also have hand-applied titanium rivets on the titanium case, reminiscent of the fuselage of vintage aircraft.
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Dita Von Teese has revealed the first look of her Von Follies lingerie line, which goes on sale in 2012.
Inspired by the American burlesque dancer’s penchant for vintage underwear, the line will go on sale exclusively at Australia’s department store Target in February.
The collection, which includes high-waisted briefs, garter belts and fitted corselettes, is expected to subsequently go global.
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Closing 2011 with the ultimate gesture of luxury, and upholding an annual premium tradition, Moët & Chandon presents the Golden Premium Jeroboam.
Moët & Chandon transforms the Impérial bottle into a limited-edition keepsake allowing champagne lovers to create their own masterpiece.
“Being unique is the essence of luxury: By signing its Golden Premium Jeroboam, each Moët lover can elevate an end-of-year gesture into a moment to remember.”
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A Miami Beach condo developer plans to build a new skyscraper with a robotic parking deck built in.
The Porsche Design Tower project will allow owners to ride their vehicles into a robotic elevator system that drops them and their vehicles at their doorstep.
The $560 million tower will rise in Sunny Isles Beach as part of a collaboration between Porsche Design Group and a local developer, Gil Dezer.
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Royal Caribbean‘s Splendour of the Seas is to become the first ship at sea to offer an iPad in every stateroom as part of a wider roll-out plan from the cruise line.
The ship, which will emerge from dry dock November 25, is set to offer passengers use of Apple’s hot-selling device in order to replace some of the services traditionally provided by phone, such as ordering room service and enquiring about menus.
Passengers will also be given the opportunity to browse events and activities aboard the ship, view shore excursions, check their onboard account and watch movies.
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