The Big Idea: Virtual Insanity
The digital basketball sneaker is an avatar for our age, in no small part because it is, literally, an avatar. There is no consumer good so perfectly Veblenian as name-brand virtual athletic apparel: Digitally rendered ankles don’t need digitally rendered support any more than virtual pets require virtual food. And yet in April, Nike, in collaboration with RTFKT, the NFT collectibles brand acquired by the sportswear giant four months prior, released a digital iteration of its famous Dunk sneaker; within hours, examples of the virtual footwear were being listed on the OpenSea marketplace for an average price of 3 Ethereum, or about $9,000.
For those who didn’t grow up gaming—a demographic that’s shrinking by the day—it’s easy to miss just how profoundly that industry has transformed, and exponentially expanded, the retail universe. Globally, gaming is bigger than streaming music and movies combined, and most of its revenue comes not from the titles themselves but from in-game purchases within those worlds, everything from virtual weapons and land to tools, toys and transportation. Entire generations have now grown up socializing, and spending lavishly, in massive multiplayer online games. Is it any wonder that branded virtual gear has made it onto digital shelves?
It’s easy to be cynical about intangible goods, but cynicism misses the point. Shared virtual worlds—collectively referred to as the metaverse—constitute a major economy whether you’ve visited or not, no different than Macau. And after luxury companies largely sniffed at the need for a digital presence during the advent of Internet 2.0 only to find themselves playing catch-up for the next decade, they’re not going to be caught flat-footed again—especially when it means connecting with the coveted, free-spending youth consumer who might not otherwise stumble across their wares in real life. At the moment, digital collectibles, whether as NFTs or limited-edition in-game purchases, are a frictionless, supply-chain-proof opportunity to transform brand cachet into revenue, and as with all collectibles, from vintage cameras to classic hunting rifles, value is based not on utility but on whatever the market deems it to be.
So while the idea of, say, a name-brand virtual surfboard may seem silly, consider that many would say the same about a mechanical watch in the smartphone age. What matters is demand, and craving for luxury-branded digital goods is not only real but significant and bound to become more so. Companies used to making products for the physical world need to figure out a way to serve that demand if they want to stay relevant.
Besides, it’s not like there’s no such thing as digital craftsmanship, as anyone who has seen the difference between clumsy and hyper-realistic CGI can attest. And after two years of pandemic-induced remote interactions, the idea of mainstream virtual gatherings is no longer so far-fetched. Which begs the question: When it’s time for your virtual off-site atop a meticulously reproduced Courchevel, do you plan to show up with the same generic digital skis as everyone else, or a pair of gorgeously rendered Zai Spadas?
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Turntable: Nagra Reference Anniversary
Image Credit: Courtesy of Nagra Nagra celebrates its 70-year anniversary with its first turntable, a component as uncompromising in design and execution as the tape recorders that made the Swiss electronics manufacturer famous. References to luxury watches are a dime a dozen in the audio world, but this table and tonearm, which were four years in development and incorporate technology and design from Nagra’s flagship HD Line of electronic components, deserve the comparison. A rubber belt system derived from the original Nagra recorders rotates a 14-pound platter centrifugally cast in an aerospace alloy that features extreme damping properties and 60 percent greater density than titanium; essential for good sound, the rotational-speed accuracy is assured via a pair of Swiss-made brushless DC motors, calibrated during playback by a high-precision quartz reference. Inspired by Swiss skeleton-watch movements, the top of the platter uses transparent, anti-static methacrylate through which the precision drive components can be seen. The non-resonant aluminum-and-phenolic chassis is suspended by four feet of spring and hydraulic damping. Completing the package: a supercapacitor-based external AC-power supply and Nagra’s own 10.5-inch tonearm. $175,000, limited to 70 units
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Bike: Pinarello Dogma F
Image Credit: Courtesy of Pinarello When the winningest bike manufacturer in modern Tour de France history releases a new halo competition model, the cycling world takes notice. And with Pinarello’s latest Dogma F—it succeeds the Dogma F12, though the numerical naming system has been ditched—that attention is directed to a number of subtle but significant upgrades for a machine that keeps much of the previous generation’s geometry (and muscular good looks). Aero improvements include a rear triangle redesigned using computational fluid dynamics and a reworked down-tube for improved airflow coming off the fork—the blades of which now act as sails, helping produce forward momentum in crosswinds.
Weight savings were achieved in part by the frame’s cutting-edge carbon-fiber material with nanoalloy technology, used in aerospace applications, but in larger part by analyzing each and every component for “marginal gains,” the mantra of the Ineos Grenadiers (formerly Team Sky) that last rode Pinarello to Tour victory in 2019: The seat-tube, seatpost top clamp, headset, thru axles, fork and handlebar were all subject to notable weight cuts. As usual, this Dogma platform is an all-in-one racer, and can be fitted with either disc or rim brakes. And with 11 frame sizes, 16 different combinations of handlebar and stem size and a pair of seatpost setback options, you’ll have 352 possible bike combinations to choose from. $6,950 for frame, fork and seatpost
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Virtual-Reality Headset: HTC Vive Pro 2
Image Credit: Courtesy of HTC HTC’s new Vive Pro is not the simplest or most user-friendly VR headset on the market—that’s still the Meta (née Oculus) Quest 2—but for pure capability, there’s no competition. To get the most out of the system, you’ll need to purchase a pair of compatible base stations and motion controllers (conveniently, you can buy those components packaged with the headset) and tether the unit to a PC with hefty processing power. Once that’s accomplished, you’ve got an unbeatable world-rendering machine: industry-leading 5K resolution at 2,488 pixels x 2,488 pixels per eye; a 120-degree field of view thanks to the dual stacked-lens configuration; and 3-D sound from headphones with high-res-audio certification. The playback, picture and fidelity are astoundingly realistic, befitting a headset that was designed for both the corporate and consumer markets. $1,399 for the set
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Electric Surfboard: Awake Rävik S 22
Image Credit: Courtesy of Awake If you know electric surfboards, you know Awake, the Swedish company behind the award-winning Rävik S. Its newest iteration of that top-of-the-line model features a 12-kw brushless motor and redesigned impeller that increase both torque and acceleration—all the better to take advantage of the board’s squared-off body and channel-shaped carbon-fiber hull, designed to cut through the water with ease. The motor has three riding modes—Eco, Sport and Extreme—and can accelerate from zero to 31 mph in just four seconds on its way to a top speed of around 36 mph, which is two mph faster than the 2020 edition. The wireless speed-control system has also been redesigned, dropping throttle response to a mere 0.02 seconds, making it that much easier to time jumps, tricks and turns. The board is powered by a 1.9 kw battery pack good for between 15 and 20 minutes of ride time or an extended-range battery good for double that. And the batteries are swappable, meaning it’s easy to extend a session, provided you have a spare pack charged and ready to go. $18,900 with extended-range battery
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Preamplifier: Dan D’Agostino Master Audio Systems Relentless
Image Credit: Courtesy of Dan D’Agostino The nucleus of every great stereo is the preamp, and the 132-pound, three-piece Relentless Preamplifier is one of the most sophisticated system-control centers in the world of two-channel audio. While the preamp’s job of sending low-level source signals to a power amplifier may seem simple, the signal at that stage is small and particularly subject to noise and distortion. About his team’s recent creation, company founder Dan D’Agostino, with more than 40 years of landmark designs to his credit, calls the Relentless “our all-out assault on the preamplifier category.” It’s not an overstatement, with the component’s architecture requiring three separate chassis stacked atop one another; exquisitely machined in aluminum and copper, these include dedicated audio chassis for both left and right channels. Front and center is D’Agostino’s volume control with Breguet-style numerals—a design signature—although the preamp can be operated from afar via remote. The power supply and source controller are sandwiched between the two audio chassis, an architecture that ensures ultimate channel separation and prevents the power supply from interfering with delicate audio signals. $164,450, including optional Digital Streaming Module
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Loudspeaker: Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4
Image Credit: Courtesy of Bowers & Wilkins Think of the new 801 D4, the fourth generation of Bowers & Wilkins’s flagship Diamond Series loudspeaker, which debuted in 1979 with the 801, as artful sculpture capable of world-class sound. At four feet tall and weighing 221 pounds, this big floor-stander is distinguished by a novel three-piece enclosure, advanced driver technology and immaculate fit and finish that combine to give it a presence, both visually and sonically, that far exceeds its price. The curved main cabinet of the 801 D4 comes in wood-veneer or gloss-paint finishes and houses a pair of 10-inch Aerofoil cone drivers that can plumb bass depths to 18 Hz. The shapely Turbine Head midrange enclosure in the center is made of cast aluminum to eliminate resonances; covered in black or gray Connolly leather, it houses a six-inch midrange surrounded by a stiff aluminum chassis, with a cone made of a proprietary composite called Continuum. The one-inch diamond dome tweeter (from which the speaker gets its name) is housed within a tapered tube milled from solid aluminum. A true full-range speaker manufactured in the UK, the 801 D4 delights in reproducing all musical genres at realistic levels, and even though it can get by on 50 watts, considerably more power will let them truly sing. $35,000 per pair
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NFT Frame: Lago Founders’ Frame
Image Credit: Courtesy of Lago Compatible with many common crypto wallets, the 33-inch, limited-edition Lago Founders’ Frame is designed to accommodate all types of minted art at its highest quality, whether layered, 3-D motion, generative or augmented reality; for digital pieces that include music or audio, there’s even an optional Lago x Master & Dynamic sound bar. The frame recognizes voice commands and hand gestures so you can interface with interactive artworks, while the connected app lets you follow artists and curators, giving exclusive access to NFT drops and private-collection sales in real time, as well the ability to track an artwork’s location, provenance of display, viewership, interactions and more. There are several options to customize the look of your frame online, or you can work directly with the company to create a bespoke enclosure that matches your taste—and decor—exactly. And with the ability to sync multiple frames, those who prefer their art at grand scale are limited only by their imagination… and available wall space. $9,000
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Camera: Leica M11
Image Credit: Courtesy of Leica Arguably as famous as some of the iconic photographers who have wielded them—think Henri Cartier-Bresson, William Eggleston and Alberto Korda—Leica’s M-System cameras are guaranteed hits the instant an updated model is released. And with the new M11 rangefinder, there’s more to love than just the hype: Improving on the M10’s difficult-to-manage battery and SD card, access is now a cinch and the rear touchscreen has double the resolution of the outgoing model. A new sensor, with a lower base ISO of 64, means better performance and less digital noise in brighter environments (the new 1/16,000 per second shutter speed provides an additional assist in bright light) even shooting with the aperture wide open, with zero over-exposure. Plus the camera now has internal memory, so you can shoot without an SD card—or use both simultaneously to back up images in real time—while three raw sizes (18, 36 and 60 megapixels) mean better file management and storage as well as a boost in resolution over the M10’s top reach of 24 megapixels. $8,995
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One to Watch: Jonathan Berent
Image Credit: Allan Kuo For someone whose main passion in life is sleep, Jonathan Berent gets a lot done. Berent is the founder and CEO of NextSense, a cutting-edge wearables company that’s developing electroencephalography (EEG) technology packaged within a pair of seemingly common earbuds. Think of it like an Apple Watch or an Oura ring but for the brain, recording key data on sleep patterns and circadian rhythms, which he says can provide insight into their effects on mood, focus and productivity.
“We sleep to be awake,” Berent says. “We want to be at our best throughout the day, and if we have dips when it’s not the optimal time to have a meeting or write a paper, we should know that.” While wearables have become a hot commodity since the awkward flameouts of the earliest attempts (Google Glass, anyone?), none have offered the ability to measure brain waves, which typically requires bulky, complicated devices involving multiple wires and adhesive patches affixed to the head. But Berent is quick to stress the more considered approach his company is taking within the space: Unlike most brands, which attempt scientific validation after finding success in the market, NextSense plans to introduce a consumer-facing product only once clinical trials, currently underway, are complete.
Berent envisions a product that, unlike today’s wearables, not only provides data but also helps make sense of it. “Humans want to know more, they want more insight,” he says. “But it’s not so much coming up with a number of how you slept—89 for last night, you know?” He describes a pyramid with data at the bottom, laddering up to information, knowledge and wisdom at the top. “Most companies stop at knowledge,” he says. “We want to be at wisdom, to actually be able to say, ‘This is your optimal time to have a presentation. This is your optimal time for writing.’ And then: ‘This is your optimal brain state.’ ”
And while the ultimate goal is a mass-market EEG device that also provides standard earbud functionalities such as taking calls, listening to music and cancelling noise, the wearable could also be invaluable for those with neurological conditions such as epilepsy, in no small part because of the ubiquitous form factor. “I looked into the hearing-aid industry a lot,” Berent says. “You would think the adoption rate in the UK, where it’s almost free, would be a lot higher—in the US it’s almost $5,000 and not covered by health care—but it’s actually not. Which means it’s not the price barrier, it’s the stigma. That’s when you realize that it has to be invisible, it has to be part of your everyday.”
