Robb Report November Issue 2016

The latest men’s bags are designed to meet every stow-and-go need. Now is the time for a bag upgrade. Fall’s best new options boast the clear benefit of old-world tanning and manufacturing techniques—a lustrous patina that gets better with time. Our favorite options this season include playful patterned accessories from Moore & Giles (mooreandgiles.com) that were […]

Chanel debuts its movement-making capability with a creative foray into men’s timepieces. First and foremost, we wanted to design a beautiful movement and give some style to it,” says Nicolas Beau, international watch director at Chanel. “Romain Gauthier was the perfect guy to do it.” For the construction of its first mechanical watch movement, Chanel’s selection […]

While Bovet’s obvious flair for movement architecture has lately seen the brand removing swaths of material from its mechanisms, the new Bovet Récital 18 The Shooting Star watch ($315,000, bovet.com) features a dramatic return to dimensionality. With an oblique case and two jutting, rotating hemispheres for world-time and moon-phase complications, the displays seem to jump out at […]

The term “vintage jewelry” can conjure up images of Grandma’s bland brooches, but some of the most stylish designs are, in fact, vintage. Carrie and Matthew Imberman are intent on debunking the misconception that old means out of fashion. The sister and brother are the third-generation owners of Manhattan-based Kentshire (kentshire.com), which recently opened a […]

A member of the Kapurthala Indian royal family—in fact, a great-grandson of the maharaja of the former Kapurthala State—Hanut Singh (hanutsingh.com) grew up surrounded by magnificent jewels and gemstones. He became fascinated with jewelry and now designs his own collection of earrings, necklaces, and rings that embody elements of Indian culture and his modern sensibility. […]

Greg Kwiat, a partner in the jewelry company Kwiat (kwiat.com), describes Ashoka-cut diamonds as having “a fiery brilliance unlike any other diamond.” The New York–based diamond house William Goldberg (williamgoldberg.com) patented the cut in 1999, naming it after an Indian monarch who converted to Buddhism in the third century BC. It’s a modified rectangular cut […]

In November, when the John Hardy (johnhardy.com) jewelry company opens its two-story flagship location in Manhattan, visitors will be able to view Balinese craftspeople using wax carving, chain weaving, and other generations-old techniques to create the brand’s intricate designs. The presentation is part of the company’s Artisans in Residence series, an ongoing exhibition that will showcase the […]

Ducati salutes nine decades with a special-edition Panigale. An exquisite new superbike, the Ducati 1299 Panigale S Anniversario (ducati.com) was introduced earlier this year to mark the brand’s 90th anniversary. It’s a special edition of the 1299 Panigale S and features the same aluminum monocoque chassis and 1,285 cc L-twin engine, as well as all-new supersophisticated […]

Hyundai’s new luxury brand launches a flagship sedan, and it is good. If Genesis is to Hyundai as Lexus is to Toyota, then the Genesis G90 (genesismotorsusa.com) is analogous to the Lexus LS—and to the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Not to be confused with the Hyundai Genesis, the new luxury brand’s flagship arrives […]

The general manager of Genesis speaks with Robb Report’s Laura Burstein about the brand’s origin and its plans for the future. How did the idea for making Genesis a separate brand come about? When the Genesis model launched in 2008—before I was with Hyundai—there was a lot of inside push to make it a separate brand. But […]

The Superformance version looks and feels a lot like the legendary original. What better way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Ford GT40’s monumental performance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans than to own an example of the car—or a very close likeness to it? With its slinky design lines, muscle-bound bulges, and […]

“We don’t make very many of these,” confided winemaker Peter Gago as a 6-liter bottle of Penfolds Grange, Australia’s most celebrated wine, was poured into glinting decanters before the widening eyes of guests at a special fete in Paris this past spring.  Gago’s remark was certainly an understatement: Penfolds produces just a handful of 6-liter […]

Northern Italy’s Gardone Riviera has long been a low-key—and equally lovely—alternative to Lake Como. With the arrival of Villa Eden Gardone (villa-eden-gardone.com), a new resort on the shores of Lake Garda, the jet set may soon follow. Some of architecture’s biggest names, from Richard Meier and David Chipperfield to the Italian Matteo Thun, came together […]

The Irrawaddy River—the long and lyrical waterway stretching from the Himalayas to the Andaman Sea—inspired Rudyard Kipling to write of “spicy garlic smells” and “tinkly temple-bells.” Still the lifeblood of modern-day Myanmar, the Irrawaddy and its intoxicating sights, scents, and sounds can be experienced aboard the new Strand Cruise (thestrandcruise.com), a luxury riverboat that made […]

You’ve probably never heard of Michel Quissac, but if you fly often, chances are you’ve tasted his cuisine. The Paris-based chef, who runs Air France’s (airfrance.com) Servair culinary division, has collaborated with some of the most prominent names in gastronomy—from Guy Martin to Joël Robuchon—to ensure that their in-flight menus sing in the sky. “We […]

 From power forward to patron of the arts, the longtime NBA star is stepping up in a big way as a curator and activist.   The NBA great Amar’e Stoudemire—a six-time all-star and the first player ever signed out of high school to be named Rookie of the Year—has a new mission since retiring from […]

How do you discreetly carry $100 million in your pocket? In the form of diamonds. A handful of top-quality stones can be worth that much or more. Take, for instance, the Oppenheimer, a 14.6-carat fancy vivid-blue diamond about the size of an almond that sold in May at Christie’s for $58 million; or the Blue Moon, a […]

Photography by Jeff Harris Styling by Wendy Schelah    Watchmaking’s latest design trend proves that less is more. Led by brands like Richard Mille, the watch industry has put itself on a diet, designing new timepieces that barely tip the scales. “Lightness had already existed for high-end luxury sports cars, bicycles, and motorcycles for several years,” recalls Richard […]

Photography by Lorenzo Marcinno     Like the FF that preceded it, the Ferrari GTC4Lusso is a stunning and powerful GT with plenty of room for four occupants, plus their ski and overnight bags.  On a steep slope overlooking the narrow Campilltal valley in Italy’s South Tyrol province, an old farmer in a white hat […]

The Ferrari 275 GTB/4 convertible in Reggie Jackson’s collection is tantalizingly close to being a type that has sold for $27.5 million. Over the past five decades, hundreds of cars have zoomed in and out of Reggie Jackson’s life. Long before he became Mr. October and a baseball Hall of Famer, the Pennsylvania native was tinkering […]

Collectors can regard their cars as parents do their children: They won’t pick a favorite. However, Reggie Jackson does acknowledge a particular fondness for these three gems in his garage. 1977 Rolls-Royce Corniche Convertible On the morning of October 19, 1977, the day after he hit home runs in three consecutive at-bats in the clinching […]

With its arsenal of top-flight chefs and iPhone-friendly dishes, the casual-culinary revolution has a rich tradition in terminal condition. Looking back, I can pinpoint the date, the time, the place, even the exact cost of the meal. It was, for me, the day fine dining died. It was 6:29 pm on July 22, 2007, at Momofuku Ssäm Bar in New York. […]

Master sommelier Ian Cauble founded SommSelect to serve collectors who are more interested in laying down wines to drink than saving them for auction. Here, Cauble shares insights on under-explored regions, cellar-worthy wines that pay dividends in complexity and taste, and trophy bottlings that may disappoint. In 2014, Ian Cauble and Brandon Carneiro decided to give their […]

Tom Dixon for Bronte.  Since it opened in July on the Strand, Bronte (bronte.co.uk) has been creating considerable buzz—and not just for its wide-ranging, daylong food-and-drink menus overseen by executive head chef Andrew Lassetter. Its vibrant interiors are giving the Trafalgar Square restaurant a serious pulse, attracting diners who may be design buffs first and […]

A stay at a 21c property promises to surprise and delight. Anyone who pauses to admire the brick, steel, and glass exterior of Oklahoma City’s old Ford Motor Company assembly plant could become enveloped in a sudden cloud of mist issuing from Woozy Blossom. The 16-foot-high perforated steel skeleton of a tree planted in the sidewalk is […]

Los Angeles When the actor and self-taught designer Kristoffer Winters purchased a 5,000-square-foot home in west Los Angeles’s affluent Holmby Hills neighborhood in 2010, he envisioned for the property an Art Deco–influenced overhaul. With the help of architect Philip Vertoch, builder Gordon Gibson, and landscape designer Stephen Block, he transformed the original home—built in 1959 […]

The San Francisco–based firm Qardio has made a practice of creating best-in-class health monitors that are beautifully designed, and their latest offering is no different. The QardioBase ($150) is an attractive digital scale for modern measurements—not only does it capture weight, it also calculates BMI, lean muscle mass, and body-fat percentage, which are more significant […]

Another reason to add more physical activity to a daily routine: Sedentary behavior has been found to increase depression and negatively affect mood and mental health in a recent study. The results, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, report a decline in mood and an increase in depression in participants who were asked to eliminate all […]

A new skincare line, Kayo, introduces body creams that you will want to use on your face. Until now, multiproduct routines have dominated the realm of face care; but Kayo takes that level of quality attention to the skin on our limbs and torsos. The debut line, free of harmful preservatives, includes layering serums and […]

Montage Palmetto Bluff, located in South Carolina’s Lowcountry along the May River, debuted a 13,000-square-foot wellness oasis this fall as part of its new inn. The 13 treatment rooms include a couple’s suite with two teacup soaking tubs. Therapeutic and fitness programs at the new spa draw inspiration from the river and marshlands—from stand-up paddleboarding […]

Boutique cruise line Seabourn has partnered with integrative medicine expert Andrew Weil, MD, to offer a mindful-living program on its cruises. The experience launches with the inaugural sailing of Seabourn Encore in January 2017 and will be rolled out across the entire fleet during the next year. The program will include complimentary daily yoga and […]

This next generation of wearable trackers goes beyond the mere measurement of steps taken (though it does that, too) to chart breathing patterns, which may give users insight into their state of mind throughout the day or week. The clip-on Spire ($100), designed to look like a smooth stone, vibrates to remind wearers to take […]

Staying in prime shape, sans injury, is a lifestyle choice. Those who have spent 30 years taking jarring bike runs down the face of a mountain or running road races might be as at risk for injury as a sedentary 50-year-old who wants to start walking for better heart health or the golfer who wants to […]

Improve memory, focus, and cognition with these simple strategies from one of the country’s leading experts on longevity. Of all of the concerns on your mind, your mind likely ranks lowest among them. After all, client meetings, board commitments, and family dynamics probably seem much more urgent than what you can be doing to heighten your […]

A perennial favorite adds turbos and other bells and whistles that never sounded—or felt—so good. No one is as obstinate as the owners of old rear-engine Porsches. Resistance to change seems to be woven into their collective DNA. They grumbled when the 6-cylinder 911 replaced the 356 “bathtub” in 1964, and by the time the […]

Interior designer Barclay Butera puts his spin on a client’s custom Rolls-Royce Dawn. On the Southern California coast, in Newport Beach, Barclay Butera (barclaybutera.com) first made inroads into the design realm. Today, more than 20 years later, he is known well beyond the seaside city, not only for the coastal-luxury-inspired interiors that launched his career […]

Unconventionality sets the tone for Breguet’s Tradition Minute Repeater Tourbillon 7087. “We wanted to choose the sound and then develop the watch around the sound, and not the other way around,” says Nakis Karapatis, vice president and head of operations for Breguet (breguet.com). The methodology he describes makes its appearance in the company’s Tradition Minute […]

David Bowie’s treasures hit the auction block. David Bowie hid his art in plain sight. The late British rock star regularly lent works from his extensive collection to major institutions—among them the Tate St. Ives in London and Manhattan’s Paul Kasmin Gallery—often with his name displayed on the wall next to them. Still, the announcement […]

Where jewelry is concerned, Fiona Druckenmiller has an exceptional eye—not only for beautiful design and precise execution but also for rarity. Her unerring judgment and passion for finely wrought pieces have brought international attention to FD Gallery, which she opened 6 years ago as a source for important vintage pieces and designs by modern masters. […]