HAUTE TIME

2023 Aston Martin DBX707

An SUV with the heart of a lion.

BY TIM LAPPEN

ASTON MARTIN IS ONE OF THE LATEST MANUFACTURERS TO ENTER THE SUV parade, to be followed soon by Ferrari and Lotus. But not long after the Aston DBX arrived, the company delivered this fire-breather, the DBX707. And not to be outdone by others, Aston mated its beautiful, sinewy body with a 707 British horsepower (measured in PS, which makes it about 697 horsepower). And I am here to tell you that it puts all of those several hundred ponies to good use. (Note: even with the long-term James Bond connection, Aston obviously didn’t want to have to market a vehicle with only 007 horsepower, so they had to use this nameplate number.)

Aston Martin has made beautiful cars for years. In the 1950s, Ian Fleming helped immortalize Aston Martins as the cars that James Bond drove. Fleming’s verisimilitude was on several levels, with Bond partaking of various brands of drinks, weaponry, and the like, but almost everyone seems aware that Sir James drove an Aston. Also, we can thank the movies for the extensive list of options on the Bond Astons, which were replete with ejection seats, machine guns, oil slicks, and more. What a great product placement, on which Aston Martin has ridden for many years.

The more modern Astons are closer to the top supercars of these days in that they have more sculptural forms, more sophisticated technology, and more potent motors. And nowhere is that new formula more present than with the DBX707, which can rip off 0-60 mph in 3.1 seconds on its way to a claimed top speed of 193 mph. Even the quarter-mile drag race stats are impressive: 11.5 seconds with a trap speed of 119 mph. As impressive as the numbers are, the SUV feels even faster, thanks no doubt to its great exhaust note and its very fine interior.

The suggested retail price for the DBX707 is $236,000, but “mine” had a number of fine options, boosting the price to $292,186. That compares favorably to the Lamborghini Urus and the Bentley Bentayga. However, at some 700 horsepower, the DBX707 leads the power parade. No wonder it’s gotten rave reviews from many.

But back to the options. As is the case with most manufacturers these days, the DBX has many color choices, each with a price tag of note. Mine was “Satin Titanium Grey,” which added $8,900, but that was the second most-expensive option on the SUV since it also had a number of the “Twill Carbon Fibre” packages: Carbon Fibre Gloss Upper Package for $9,200; Carbon Fibre and Dark Chrome Jewelry at $3,400; and Carbon Fibre Trim Inlay for $4,500.

As I love gray cars and carbon fiber, I owe a huge shout-out to the person who configured my SUV. When you add the 23-inch forged textured black wheels at $5,700 and Arden Green Metallic Leather (stunning!) at $2,800, along with a few other bits and pieces, you can see why the sticker was some $53,000 above the base. But, personally, I would have chosen all of those options too.

Looks are good, of course, but can the performance cash the checks that the DBX is writing? Abso-Aston-lutely. We already know the stats show it’s a straight-line performer. But it was a delight to discover how the DBX707 handles the “twisties.” It’s sure-footed and corners really well, which is somewhat surprising since most of today’s primo handlers are e-cars with a very low center of gravity thanks to the batteries ensconced at or below the height of the axles. While the 707’s motor isn’t as heavy as the Aston V12, it’s still a force to be reckoned with, especially when the DBX is as tall as it is. I really like that the car has the ability to go almost in stealth mode and then, with the choice of the steering-wheel buttons for performance and suspension modes and the stomp of the pedal, it’s a real fire-breather.

I must admit that I was always a fan of the Aston Martin brand ― even the exhaust sound alone plays my favorite song ― but it has done a terrific job with the DBX707 in keeping the DNA of Aston’s performance, fit, finish, and sound while venturing into a whole different category of vehicles than they ever have before. Any nits or nats to mention? Not really, as I loved my time with the car and was very, very sorry to see it go back at the end of the week.

TIME VORTEX VORTEX

G-Timeless Planetarium From left to right: 18k pink gold case, dial with a central tourbillon with a star diamonds set as decoration, surrounded by 12 rotating tsavorite stones with a brown alligator strap; 18k yellow gold case, dial with a central tourbillon with a star diamonds set as decoration, surrounded by 12 rotating beryls stones with a brown alligator strap; 18k white gold case, dial with a central tourbillon with star diamonds, surrounded by 12 rotating tanzanite stones with a black alligator strap

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Gucci Swiss Timepieces, Gucci unveiled its second high watchmaking collection this year, catapulting the timepieces into the modern universe. The new collection introduces high watchmaking masterpieces like the Gucci 25H Skeleton Tourbillon (with the new Gucci exclusive caliber flying tourbillon) as well as updates to the signature Grip Sapphire mechanical collection. With Gucci’s creative director, Alessandro Michele, at the helm of the incredibly innovative designs, the new timepiece repertoire boasts unique celestial design details and elevated materials while also proving to be a technical horological feat of this time.

FASHION & CREATIVE DIRECTION: ADRIENNE FAUROTE PHOTOGRAPHY: JEFFREY WESTBROOK PROP STYLING: CHRISTINE MOTTAU ALL TIMEPIECES BY GUCCI

G-Timeless Moonlight Left: 18k pink gold case, meteorite dial with dark grey meteorite moonphase disc, and brown alligator strap Right: 18k pink gold case, meteorite dial with blue meteorite moonphase disc, and brown alligator strap

G-Timeless Dancing Bees 18k yellow gold case set with diamonds, tiger eye dial with 18k yellow gold moving bees, and tourbillon at 12 o’clock set with diamonds with 18k yellow gold bracelet set with diamonds

Grip From left to right: Green mint-colored sapphire case, transparent sapphire hour and minutes windows, turquoise disks, jumping hour movement with a transparent green mint rubber strap with GG motif; Transparent sapphire case, smoked pink and yellow colored sapphire hour and minutes windows, jumping hour movement with a transparent rubber strap with GG motif; Green colored sapphire case, smoked pink and yellow colored sapphire hour and minutes windows, jumping hour movement with a transparent green rubber strap with GG motif

Gucci 25H Left: 18k white gold multi-layered case, skeleton dial with flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock with black rubber strap with GG logo Right: 18k white gold multi-layered case, skeleton dial with flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock with night blue rubber strap with GG logo

Hublot Loves Football

For its fourth consecutive edition, Hublot is the official timekeeper of the FIFA World Cup, the iconic global sports competition.

BY GABRIEL PESSOA

AHEAD OF THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED 2022 FIFA WORLD Cup in Qatar, Hublot unveils a new Big Bang model created to commemorate the world’s most popular sporting event. The Big Bang e FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ is a connected watch with a new “timeline” function that will take fans right into the heart of the action — even before it begins.

“We’ve waited four years — the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is coming! Hublot has always been ‘unique, first, different,’ becoming the first fine watchmaking brand in football in 2006,” notes Ricardo Guadalupe, the CEO of Hublot. “Today, Hublot is the first name in football timekeeping. For this year’s tournament, we wanted to do something that expresses our belief in a free, diverse, and unified world in a new and memorable way. Football is the world’s game and has a unique power to carry a message of hope to every corner of the Earth, connecting us and showcasing everything that brings us together.”

The Big Bang e FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is the highest- performing and most exciting Big Bang to date, sporting exclusive technical elements. From the countdown to the finals, Hublot will be at the heart of the action. Once a game kicks off, the watch will automatically enter “match mode” and activate “timeline,” a feature created exclusively for this watch that will help fans capture the most memorable and most important moments in soccer.

The outer edge of the dial features a scale split into five sections, indicating the first and second halves, additional time allowed in each half, and halftime. If a goal is scored, the watch will show a match event animation mentioning the player’s name, and a soccer ball will appear at the appropriate minute mark on the scale. It functions the same way if there is a yellow card, a red card, or a penalty. And, if a match goes beyond normal time, the watch display will automatically switch into “extra time mode,” and then again into “shootout mode” in the event a match goes to penalties. Each penalty is recorded by a soccer ball with a green or red outline to indicate whether the attempt was successful. A final “match period animation” shows when the game is over and the final score. At any point during a game, the wearer can replay these events by scrolling around the dial using the watch’s crown.

The watch is powered by Wear OS 3, the latest version of Wear OS by Google™, and comes with its own app. Highly customizable with dozens of dial options and strap designs available through this smartphone app, the Big Bang e FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 takes personalization to the next level. The official version is designed with a burgundy dial and a black-and-burgundy-lined rubber strap inspired by the flag colors of the State of Qatar, the FIFA World Cup 2022 host country. It’s a watch designed for style-conscious people who lead active lives — and who love football.

NEW NAUTILUS

Up close with Patek Philippe’s four new Nautilus models.

BY ADRIENNE FAUROTE

OCTOBER PROVED TO BE A RATHER EXCITING MONTH FOR Patek Philippe as the Genevan luxury brand unveiled a series of new models — in particular, four new Nautilus timepieces.

REF. 5811/1G-001 NAUTILUS

Perhaps the most notable is the highly anticipated replacement for the 5711: the new Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5811/1G-001, which comes in a sleek white gold, ultimately replacing the steel of the 5711 we know and admire. While the two models are seemingly identical to the naked eye, the new 5811/1G measures one millimeter larger at 41 mm and features a new patented fold-over clasp with a bespoke lockable adjustment system. The case construction is also noteworthy, as it sports a new pull-out piece lever system on the side that replaces the split stem in response to the 5711 and a nod to the original Nautilus of 1976 with a two-part case. Perfectly complementing the new precious metal of the 5811 is the blue sunburst dial designed with a subtle black gradation, horizontally embossed — a signature design element of Patek. Behind the sapphire crystal caseback is the self-winding mechanical movement Caliber 26-330 S C, the same movement housed in the 5711. The timepiece is water resistant up to 120 m.

REF. 5990/1A-011 NAUTILUS TRAVEL TIME CHRONOGRAPH

One of Patek Philippe’s rare steel watches, the Nautilus Travel Time Chronograph, has returned with a new blue sunburst dial with the signature black-gradient rim. Still powering the timepiece is the Patek Philippe self-winding Caliber CH 28-520 C FUS movement, combining three complications: a flyback chronograph, a Travel Time function that has two time zones with two separate hour hands with the skeletonized hand showing the home time, and an analog date at 12 o’clock that is synchronized with local time.

REF. 5712/1R-001 NAUTILUS

Exuding unparalleled elegance and sophistication is the Ref. 5712/1R-001 Nautilus, sporting an analog date, moon phases, and a power reserve. Catapulting this timepiece into a new echelon is the palette pairing of the rose-gold 40 mm case and bracelet with the rich brown sunburst dial — ultimately creating a warm tonal piece. Housed within the watch is the self-winding 240 PS IRM C LU Caliber with a maximum power reserve of 48 hours.

REF. 7118/1300R NAUTILUS

Last but certainly not least is Patek Philippe’s take on haute joaillerie with the new ladies’ Nautilus, which is adorned with precious gems. Designed in luxurious rose gold, the octagonal bezel is set with two rows of 68 spessartite baguettes that feature a double color gradation from cognac at 12 and 6 o’clock to champagne at 9 and 3 o’clock. On the dial, the hour markers are made of ogiveshaped spessartite baguettes in cognac hues. And for the ultimate touch, the timepiece has the iconic horizontally embossed dial ― but with a subtle wave for feminine sophistication. Inside, the 7118/1300R Nautilus is equipped with the self-winding 324 S C movement, as seen through the sapphire caseback.

Left to right: Ref. 7118/1300R Nautilus, Ref. 5990/1A-011 Nautilus Travel Time Chronograph, Ref. 5712/1R-001 Nautilus, and Nautilus Ref. 5811/1G-001