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Indian Jeweler Nirav Modi Launches In The U.S. With New York Boutique

Indian Jeweler Nirav Modi Launches In The U.S. With New York Boutique
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Nirav Modi’s first U.S. boutique in New York at 727 Madison Avenue, between 63rd and 64th Streets, opened in September.

Indian jeweler Nirav Modi officially opened his New York City boutique on Madison Avenue, his first in the United States, in September. In attendance and wearing Nirav Modi diamonds were Academy Award- and Golden Globe-nominated actress Naomi Watts, fashion model Coco Rocha, Indian actress and model Nimrat Kaur, and Indian-American model and Bollywood star Lisa Haydon.

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A. Lange & Söhne’s Zeitwerk Minute Repeater Sings A Decimal Song

A. Lange & Söhne’s Zeitwerk Minute Repeater Sings A Decimal Song

When he joined A. Lange & Söhne as director of product development in 2004, Anthony de Haas made building a striking watch a primary goal. “One thing was missing, and that was the fact that we were not making striking watches—no sonneries, no minute repeaters,” he says. “There was no knowhow.” De Haas, who had worked on grande sonneries and minute repeaters at the renowned specialty house Renaud et Papi, changed that with the introduction of 2013’s Grand Complication, featuring a grande sonnerie, petite sonnerie, and minute repeater, in addition to a perpetual calendar and monopusher split-seconds chronograph with flying seconds. “The object was to start where our grandfathers had stopped and continue,” he says. “That was the beginning of a new era at A. Lange & Söhne—the era of striking watches.”

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Breitling’s Emergency II Takes Rescue Technology To A New Level

Breitling’s Emergency II Takes Rescue Technology To A New Level

Now available in the U.S., Breitling’s Emergency II, with next–generation emergency beacon technology, could have come from Q’s British Secret Service laboratory. Introduced in 2013 and only recently approved by the FCC for U.S. sales, the new Emergency incorporates a second transmitter to pinpoint your location for search and rescue teams.

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Bulgari Lights Up Its Tourbillon Sapphir Ultranero

Bulgari Lights Up Its Tourbillon Sapphir Ultranero

“Skeleton watches have evolved to more contemporary executions, stepping away from the traditional designs and more into clean bridges that expand the empty part of the movements as much a possible,” says Guido Terreni, managing director of Bulgari Watches.

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Mansions of Mayfair: The Connaught and Claridge’s Balance History with Modern Luxury

Mansions of Mayfair: The Connaught and Claridge’s Balance History with Modern Luxury

The slate roofs of Mayfair’s characteristic red brick Queen Anne revival buildings ground the sweeping city vistas from the rooftop terrace of The Apartment, the sprawling penthouse suite at the Connaught, a London landmark that traces its history to 1815. The hotel and its sister properties, Claridge’s and the Berkeley, were sold in April to Constellation Hotels Group of Quatar, following a contentious multiyear legal battle that made headlines on both sides of The Pond. With ownership issues settled and London’s economy booming again, the hotels are poised to embark on a new era catering to the next generation of five-star travelers.

The lofty living spaces of The Apartment, designed by David Collins, evoke an arty private residence.

The lofty living spaces of The Apartment, designed by David Collins, evoke an arty private residence.

Eight floors below The Apartment, shoppers stroll around Carlos Place and Mount Street exploring the charming neighborhood’s posh boutiques offering exclusive wares that can’t be found on more famous shopping thoroughfares. Those with an eye for edgy, modern jewelry designs can’t miss the gallery-like ateliers of Jessica McCormack and Solange Azagury Partridge, while Stephen Webster showcases his bold jewels down the street. The Scottish fashion designer Christopher Kane chose the chic enclave for his first signature boutique, which opened earlier this year. And watch enthusiasts can peruse the latest timepieces from Swiss boutique brands Richard Mille and Parmigiani, while the English watch brand Bremont has a shop around the corner.

Mayfair has long been a center for luxury goods, and last summer, the Connaught launched a series of guided walking tours with Fox & Squirrel, a specialized guide service, to immerse guests in various aspects of the area’s culture of craftsmanship. ”Only the finest shops and the most acclaimed craftsmen were allowed to set up shop here, and this mantra has carried on till present day,” says Penelope Sacorafou, founder of Fox & Squirrel. “This hand-picked process is how a luxury retail street is crafted and why Mount Street with its century-old heritage is superior to them all.”

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The Connaught’s art collection consists of some 3,000 works ranging from contemporary pieces to the classical paintings that line the grand staircase.

The Connaught’s Luxury Walks take you behind closed doors into the ateliers of bespoke tailors, milliners, perfumers, and more to meet with artisans and learn about London’s luxury culture both past and present. The two-hour walks are scheduled for the first Tuesday of each month running through December and focus on selected topics, such as royal warrants, bespoke tailoring, and even five-star hotel and restaurant service. “It is not the usual Bond Street experience,” says the Connaught’s General Manager Nathalie Seiler-Hayez, who notes enthusiastic interest from fashion-savvy clientele who want a more in-depth experience. “The concept really fits with who we are—it’s an insiders’ thing.” The last stop on each walk is the Connaught’s Coburg Bar to sample a cocktail created to complement the tour’s theme.

The Champagne Room at the Connaught, where vintage bubbly is served in Baccarat crystal stemware. (Photo: Jamie McGregor Smith)

The Champagne Room at the Connaught, where vintage bubbly is served in Baccarat crystal stemware. (Photo: Jamie McGregor Smith)

If champers is more your style, the Connaught recently unveiled its Champagne Room, a secluded, intimate bar tucked behind velvet curtains. Inspired by Jules Verne, Guy Oliver designed the cozy space in soothing neutral tones with blue undertones that play up the artwork, including Sophie Dickens’ life-size bronze sculpture of a diver who appears ready to splash through the oval skylight. Gilles Bensimon’s abstract underwater flower photographs underscore the aquatic theme. The brass bar, which evokes a steampunk submersible, serves eight prestige bubblies and 40 rare vintages by the bottle, or you can choose from sommelier-selected wines and rare spirits, all served in custom Baccarat crystal glassware.

The Champagne Room is the newest development since the hotel underwent a massive renovation, refurbishment, and expansion in 2007, adding a contemporary wing plus an underground Aman spa, which recently introduced complimentary daily meditation sessions. The addition expanded the hotel’s accommodations to 121 rooms, including 34 suites (from £720 or about $1,100), the pinnacle of which is the 3,000-plus-square-foot Apartment behind violet-painted, hand-carved double doors on the top floor of the original building. David Collins designed the sprawling lofty rooms as a residence in shades of white, blue, and purple with commissioned contemporary artworks and stacks of art books on the tables. A dedicated butler is on call to attend to your every need and whim. Following the renovation, in 2008, the hotel also opened a new gastronomy restaurant with French chef Hélène Darroze, who created a menu that earned her a second Michelin star.

The Connaught's Espelette Conservatory

The Connaught’s Espelette Conservatory

Updating a historic landmark can be tricky, as longtime clientele tend to balk at drastic changes. Aware of this sensitivity among established patrons, yet keen to attract newcomers, the Connaught carefully manages to preserve its rich character and historical essence while infusing the spaces with a fresh and modern spirit to appeal to today’s younger, style-conscious jetsetters. The warm and personalized service remains unchanged. Even first timers will feel recognized and welcomed from the moment they arrive. As Peter Mayle wrote in his book Expensive Habits: “To hell with stream-lined and faceless modernity: give me the pleasure of being looked after by polite, well-trained smiling people. In other words, give me a room at The Connaught.”

Claridge’s fuses history with high glamour as the Connaught’s bold, big sister hotel.

Claridge’s fuses history with high glamour as the Connaught’s bold, big sister hotel.

A short stroll away, Claridge’s remains a scene in which to be seen among London’s movers and shakers and international A-Listers. The hotel’s illustrious legacy dates to the early 19th century when William and Marianne Claridge ran a hotel in their home. After acquiring five adjacent buildings, they opened Claridge’s in 1856, and it has famously hosted royals and rock stars, sheiks, and starlets ever since. “If you are a movie star who is launching a film, you go to Claridge’s,” says the Connaught’s Seiler-Hayez. “That same movie star who comes back to London with family stays at the Connaught. You go to Claridge’s for the glamour, to be seen. You go to the Connaught for understated luxury and discretion.” The proximity of the hotels let you sample the best of both worlds within a five-minute walk.

The Fumoir at Claridge's oozes retro mystique.

The Fumoir at Claridge’s oozes retro mystique.

A magnet for the Hollywood and fashion sets, Claridge’s bustling Deco-style public spaces hum with the energy of attention-seekers, celebs, and those who want to share their rarefied orbits. If you prefer to keep a lower profile, you can slip into the dark, retro Fumoir bar for cocktails before dining at Fera. In May 2014, British Michelin-starred chef Simon Rogan assumed the space formerly occupied by Gordon Ramsay’s eponymous restaurant.

Fera, which opened in May 2014, pairs elegant ambience with Simon Rogan’s fresh and flavorful “naturalist” cuisine.

Fera, which opened in May 2014, pairs elegant ambience with Simon Rogan’s fresh and flavorful “naturalist” cuisine.

The Art Deco-infused room, also designed by Guy Oliver, serves as an elegant and dramatic backdrop for Rogan’s “naturalist” culinary creations that draw heavily on seasonal organic, local ingredients, some from his own farm. Fera is Latin for “wild,” which alludes to Rogan’s devotion to nature, yet the atmosphere is refined and splendid. The ever-changing £105 six-course tasting menu presents an array of temptations, including raw rose veal and kohirabi, oysters, marigold, and apple with kohlrabi juice and New Forest asparagus, with smoked yolk, perilla, St George mushrooms, and crisp ham. For a taste of the sea, there’s turbot, tomato, and mussels braised in seaweed butter with grilled fennel and rapeseed oil. Each delectable course blends imaginative flavor combinations that are colorfully presented to please the eye as well as the palate.

Master Bedroom in The Apartment at The Connaught

Master Bedroom in The Apartment at The Connaught

Upon returning to The Apartment’s serene haven above the pitched rooftops and peaceful streets, I pour a nightcap and stand barefoot on the terrace among the Connaught’s towering gables, feeling like a princess of Mayfair.

Flower Power: Vacheron Constantin’s Métiers d’Art Florilège

Flower Power: Vacheron Constantin’s Métiers d’Art Florilège
For the first time since it launched its limited edition Métiers d’Art collection, Vacheron Constantin dedicated this year’s series to the fairer sex. The Métiers d’Art Florilège trilogy presents three designs, each referencing a beautifully rendered botanical illustration from Robert John Thornton’s The Temple of Flora, published in 1799. The reference book, featuring artwork by the top botanical illustrators and painters of the time, remains a valued reference even more than two centuries later. Three of the book’s 90 plates—the strelitzia, the white lily, and the China Limodoron—have been reproduced on watch dials using the ancient decorative crafts of enameling, guilloché engraving, and gem setting. Vacheron Constantin will produce 20 pieces of each variation with round diamonds, plus another five pieces, designated for Vacheron Constantin boutiques, set with baguette diamonds. Along with its in-house team of craftspeople, Vacheron Constantin commissioned independent artisan Anita Porchet, who is regarded as Switzerland’s most revered enamellist. Porchet signs each dial with her initials.

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Leading Ladies: Glashütte Original Debuts Its Pavonina Collection

Leading Ladies: Glashütte Original Debuts Its Pavonina Collection

At the 63rd Berlinale International Film Festival last February, film critics showered praise on Juliette Binoche and Paulina García for their performances, while off-screen, event sponsor Glashütte Original debuted its new leading lady, the Pavonina watch collection. German celebrities including Iris Berben, Natalia Wörner, and Katarina Witt
 attended Pavonina’s premiere on February 11 at the Direktorenhaus, a historic building that was transformed into a hip event venue for Berlin’s design and art scene.

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Girard-Perregaux Builds A Le Corbusier Watch Trilogy

Girard-Perregaux Builds A Le Corbusier Watch Trilogy
Girard-Perregaux’s Le Corbusier Trilogy pays tribute to the pioneer of modern architecture and design who shares the brand’s hometown of La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Three Vintage 1945 watches—each limited to five pieces—are named for La Chaux-de-Fonds, Paris, and Marseille, all significant cities in Le Corbusier’s personal history. The designs draw upon the work and aesthetic principles of the famed architect who was a contemporary of Mies Van der Rohe and Walter Gropius.

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On The Road to Mandalay: A Mission of Burma

On The Road to Mandalay: A Mission of Burma
Orient Express' Road to Mandalay sails the Irrawaddy River.

Orient Express’s Road to Mandalay.

At dusk each day, a small crowd assembles at the top of the Shwesandaw Pagoda in Bagan, Myanmar, also known as Burma. Travelers from far and near—including Buddhist monks clad in maroon robes—make the steep climb up battered, timeworn steps to watch the sun sink behind the horizon and the mighty Irrawaddy River in the distance. Orient Express’s river cruiser, Road to Mandalay, is anchored in the muddy waters awaiting a four-night sojourn that will take us 128 nautical miles upriver to the fabled city of Mandalay. Despite some clouds, the afterglow casts a golden hue over the dusty plain dotted with thousands of red sandstone pagodas of all shapes and sizes. More than 2,000 of the original 13,000 structures have survived or have been reconstructed after being toppled by earthquakes over the ages.

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Road Show: The Louis Vuitton Classic Serenissima Run

Road Show: The Louis Vuitton Classic Serenissima Run

A 1936 Lancia Astura

The throaty roar of revving engines echoed off Monte Carlo’s famous casino and the neighboring Hotel de Paris as drivers prepared for the start of the Louis Vuitton Classic Serenissima Run last April. The brand, which celebrates travel, has sponsored seven of these elite classic rallies around the world since 1993. Christian Philippsen, who is in charge of the jury and car selection, reviewed more than 120 applications for the 42 slots, selecting only exceptional cars to create a jaw-dropping $300-million field that included William Evans’ 1913 Isotta Frachini IM, Arturo Keller’s 1938 Mercedes-Benz 500K (which was awarded the best of show prize), Bruce Meyer’s 1929 Bentley 4 ½ liter, Michael Leventhal’s 1950 Ferrari 166MM, and Thomas Price’s 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, a car so rare that a similar model recently sold for more than $30 million.

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  • A. Lange & Söhne’s Zeitwerk Minute Repeater Sings A Decimal Song
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