Signe - Edition 31

AED 30 KWD 2.5 QAR 30

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VISIONS OF THE FUTURE

THE VISION MERCEDES-MAYBACH ULTIMATE LUXURY CONCEPT IS THE FUTURE OF LUXURY TR AVEL

THE ARABESQUE RETREAT

FAIRMONT FUJAIR AH BEACH RESORT’S SOPHISTICATED DESIGN MAKES IT A ONE-OF-A-KIND

DECODING LUXURY ARCHITECTURE

WHAT MAKES CARBONDALE THE MOST TRUSTED ARCHITECTURAL FIRM FOR LUXURY BRANDS?

TRIBUTE TO GALILEO The Panerai L’Astronomo Luminor 1950 Tourbillon Moon Phases Equation of Time GMT, traditional complications presented in an innovative way

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Big Bang Ferrari Magic Gold.

Case crafted using a scratch-resistant 18K gold alloy invented and patented by Hublot: Magic Gold.

In-house chronograph UNICO movement.

Interchangeable strap using patented One-Click system. Limited edition of 250 pieces.

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hublot.com

Riyadh : Boutique Ali Bin Ali : Al Tahlia, C-Center - T : +966 11 465 9339 Jeddah : Boutique David Morris El Khayyat Center - Al Tahlia, Jameel Square - T : +966 12 660 0559

Riyadh : Al Tahlia, C-Center - T : +966 11 465 9339 Jeddah : Al Tahlia, Jameel Square - T : +966 12 283 3052 www.alibinali.com

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HISTORIC SQUARES

GOTHIC MINIMALIST

We tell you more about Riccardo Tisci, the man tasked to head the creative side of Burberry

Rampley & Co’s new Historic Handkerchiefs Collection recreates famous works of art on beautiful silk pocket squares

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HANDCRAFTED EXCELLENCE

Givenchy introduced the new JAW bag for men which is perfect to weather any outdoor activity with absolute style

MERINO WOOL DESIGN TALENTS

12 fashion talents have been chosen for the 2018/19 International Woolmark Prize finals scheduled in February 2019

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PLAYFUL TRADITIONS

A review of the Brunello Cucinelli Men’s FallWinter 2018 Collection

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AN ATYPICAL STANZA

The new Galet Square Régulateur Black is one of Laurent Ferrier’s greatest hits

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An introduction to Ghawali, traditional Arabian perfumery reinterpreted in a luxurious, contemporary setting

Montblanc celebrates the legendary poet Homer with their Writers Edition this year. Franck Juhel, President of Montblanc MEIA, gives us an insight into the collection

THE MODERN RITUALS

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A talk with Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani about the art of designing watches and the Bulgari - Maserati Collaboration

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THE DIVING JAW

Signé chats with Stefano Tramonte, Corneliani’s General Merchandising Manager and Style Director, to learn more about his journey and the way forward for the brand

THE OCTO DESIGNER

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HOMAGE TO HOMER

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TRIBUTE TO GALILEO

The L’Astronomo – Luminor 1950 Tourbillon Moon Phases Equation of Time GMT, Panerai’s latest ode to Galileo Galilei is a true masterpiece. We get into the mechanical details of this gem

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MAKING VINTAGE COOL

Signé tells you more about Simon Kidston, one of the most famous personalities in the world of classic cars

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DECODING LUXURY ARCHITECTURE

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VISIONS OF THE FUTURE

The Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury concept is a reflection of Mercedes’ philosophy of Sensual Purity

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A DR. RAKUS SPECIAL

Signé explores the concept of “Luxury Architecture” as explained by Eric Carlson, founder of Carbondale

We highlight the special spa treatment package

by Dr. Rita Rakus as presented by Fairmont Hotel at the Palm

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ROYAL WARE

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A MASTERFUL FUSION

Maison Boghossían’s collaboration with Haute Couture brand Stéphane Rolland is an adroit blend of Haute Joaillerie and Haute Couture

FUSION EXPERIENCE

Wedgwood’s influence extends into fashion with long-standing collaborations with world-renowned designers Vera Wang and Jasper Conran

An artistry combination of Master Sushi Chef Katsuya Uechi and iconic Aesthete Philippe Starck at the Katsuya by Starck in the Dubai Mall

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RACE OF CHAMPIONS

RESURGENT NAVIGATOR

All you need to know about Lincoln’s luxurious all-new full-sized SUV, the Navigator

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The three-day H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum UK Endurance Festival is the ultimate endurance racing event worldwide and this year, a record-breaking prize money was awarded to the winners

The GTC4 Lusso and the GTC4 Lusso T are the latest incarnations of Ferrari’s four-seater heritage. We take you through the long triumphant line-up of Ferrari’s 4-seaters

THE ARABESQUE RETREAT

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The Barisieur makes for the best bedside companion waking you up with a hot cup of coffee or tea

The Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa is the ultimate place to be at to unwind and rejuvenate yourself

QUICK START YOUR DAY

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El Sur transports diners to Spain with its true Spanish character

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BOND IMMERSION

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ONE-OF-A-KIND

SPANISH DELIGHT

007 Elements in Sölden, Austria, celebrates the adventures of James Bond and provides guest with an immersive and informative experience

We take a closer look at what makes the Fairmont Fujairah Beach Resort stand out

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A LUXURIOUS RETREAT

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MAD MAX-MEETSTRANSFORMER

We tell you about GRANT, the genre-defying, mind-expanding, triple-tracked transformer clock created by MB&F in collaboration with L’Epée 1839

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FASHION · GOTHIC MINIMALIST

GOTHIC MINIMALIST A brief biography of Burberry’s new Chief Creative Officer, Riccardo Tisci Burberry is Britain’s largest luxury brand by sales, but things had not been going as planned with sales flatlining towards the end of the 17-year tenure of Christopher Bailey, the brand’s former Chief Executive cum Chief Creative Officer. The brand’s sales growth lagged significantly behind rivals LVMH and Kering. Burberry was, thus, a house looking for a creative transformation.

In comes Marco Gobbetti, Burberry’s new Chief Executive who is now nearing a year into his five-year plan to reenergise and reposition Burberry as a true upmarket luxury brand with better quality products, higher prices and profit margins; to match the likes of Gucci or Dior. A critical piece of Gobbetti’s restructuring plan was to bring in a new head to the creative side of the brand.

In March of this year, after months of speculation, Riccardo Tisci was introduced to the world as Burberry’s new Chief Creative Officer responsible for its menswear, womenswear and accessories.

“I am delighted that Riccardo is joining Burberry. He is one of the most talented designers of our time,” Gobbetti said in a statement following the appointment.

“Riccardo’s designs have an elegance that is contemporary, and his skill in blending streetwear with high fashion is highly relevant to today’s luxury consumer. His creative vision will reinforce the ambitions we have for Burberry and position the brand firmly in luxury.” - Marco Gobbetti, Burberry’s Chief Executive.

“I am honoured and delighted to be joining Burberry and reuniting with Marco Gobbetti,” Tisci said soon after his appointment. Being Italian is not the only thing the two men have in common.

As Givenchy’s Chief Executive in 2005, it

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was Gobbetti who hired Tisci as Creative Director of women’s haute couture and ready-to-wear lines.

Tisci presented his first Givenchy haute couture collection in July 2005 during the Fashion Week in Paris. Unlike the designers who came before him, following the departure of Hubert Givenchy, Tisci was quite successful in the haute couture department; managing to revitalise it in just two years. He told the New York Times in 2007, “when I arrived we had five customers. Now we have 29... My way of showing is very melancholic... I love romanticism and sensuality.”

Even though his early creations found traction with consumers, critics were somewhat slow to latch on. Tisci’s apparent fascination with Gothic touches and space-age minimalism did not seem to impress chunks of fashion world’s aficionados. However, influential fashion critics such as The New York Times’ Cathy Horyn and International Herald Tribune’s Suzy Menkes were able to realise his future potential for revitalising the Givenchy brand.

In May 2008, following positive results, he was given the additional responsibility of designing menswear and accessories. By the time he departed Givenchy amicably in 2017, Tisci had, according to Business of Fashion magazine, “resurrected the Parisian brand to its former profitable glory with dark, sensual and subversive collections. Impressively, the designer crafted distinct brand identities for all of Givenchy’s product categories across women’s and men’s ready-to-wear and haute couture lines.” Business of Fashion has also gone on to include Tisci in their BoF 500 list which “is the definitive

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professional index of the people shaping the $2.4 trillion fashion industry.”

So how does an Italian designer with Italian sensibilities fit into a brand so immersed into its British heritage? “You have to remember that Riccardo trained at Central St. Martins, and has always had something of a British love affair.

He really relishes that eclectic spirit;” according to Glenda Bailey, editor in chief of Harper’s Bazaar as quoted by the New York Times, 2018.

Born in Italy, in 1974, he made a bold decision at the age of eleven to quit regular school and join the Design Istituto d’Arte Applicata in Milan, the city in which he grew up. About this decision, he told the Telegraph in 2013, “I wanted to express myself, and I couldn’t really do it through words at that point. I was very, very shy, very scared of life. It sounds screwed up, but I would get bored with the kids at school who were always playing PacMan; I preferred to be at home painting or learning how to garden from my mum.”

At the age of 17, he was selected for a scholarship at Central Saint Martins, London. He graduated in 1999. Following which he worked for brands such as Puma, Antonio Berardi and Coccapani before committing to a three-year contract with Ruffo Research. He then spent time living in India, where he began to work on his own collection which he debuted during the Milan Fashion Week in September 2004. The off-calendar show generated enough buzz around it to land him the creative position at Givenchy. Given what Tisci, in collaboration with Gobbetti, achieved at Givenchy, it should come as no surprise that the fashion-world grapevine is abuzz with cautious optimism for the future of Burberry.

Riccardo Tisci, Chief Creative Officer, Burberry

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FASHION · HANDCRAFTED EXCELLENCE

HANDCRAFTED EXCELLENCE Continuing his successful innings in high-end menswear, Stefano Tramonte sets the stage for what’s coming next at the authentic Italian tailor-made brand, Corneliani With his extensive experience in merchandising high-end, luxury menswear, having garnered over 20 years’ experience with brands such as Ermenegildo Zegna and Pal Zileri, Stefano Gaudioso Tramonte was appointed as the General Merchandising Manager and Style Director of the Italian menswear brand Corneliani in September of 2016. We sit down with him to know more about his journey and the way forward for the brand.

What are the differences and similarities between the brands you have worked with?

I have covered many different roles in the past twenty years. At Ermenegildo Zegna, I was covering the retail market, then merchandising, then product development. In the process, I have collected a lot of expertise.

After having worked in companies like Zegna, Pal Zileri and Corneliani, you

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know where they come from. Even though they come from different backgrounds, their core business is the same because they all started by producing suits. The entrepreneurial idea in all of them was the same; to produce and export under their own brands.

These sort of brands that come from the menswear industry are very different from brands that come from accessories or women’s wear. It’s a totally different game because you have the industry in your background which sustains thousands of people working every day in sewing suits.

You discover that you don’t need to have a creative sole at the centre that is changing from time to time. Brands like ours need to maintain a consistency in terms of styling, identity, and creativity.

How did you come to Corneliani?

In 2016, when Investcorp decide to acquire the majority stake in Corneliani, they

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decided to hire Paolo [Roviera, CEO] and myself to drive the company into the next ten years. The hiring process started some six or seven months before the acquisition.

So, by the time the acquisition was taking place, we had already been working on our three-year, six-year plans for the company.

What were the internal structural changes implemented by your team?

In most companies, the creative mind is the focal point within the company, and the styling and merchandising are separate.

We said: let’s put together a function to make the creative process more market responsive. So, we brought the style, product development, and merchandising under my direction.

Why? Because the style department does the innovative or creative part of the collection. Product development then develops those products. Merchandising then prepare a brief, categorise those

Stefano Tramonte, General Merchandising Manager and Style Director, Corneliani SIGNÉ ¡ EDITION 31

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FASHION · HANDCRAFTED EXCELLENCE

Corneliani Fall Winter 2018 Look

products into different groups, price ranges, and so on. Merchandising is the connection between the market and the brand.

All of these parts have to work together like a perfect machine to get a good result for the collection from all the markets, and to have a market response speed that other brands don’t have.

How have you gone about defining the vision for Corneliani?

We started with the brand’s DNA, and from it, we started to pick out all the values, the keywords and other things that represent the brand. Then we put together a new Brand-book which became the basis for everything we did; to express what our values are, who is our customer, what the brand stands for, what is our USP, and so on. The Brand-book was distributed throughout the company so that everybody has a very clear idea, a clear target, knows how to work and how to behave. This was a very good exercise because we came out with the concept that

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Corneliani Spring Summer 2019 Look

we want to promote the lifestyle we want to promote, to express what Corneliani is, and what it is not.

How did you translate Corneliani’s values into a brand experience?

The overall idea was to make the brand more experiential, which means you have to communicate very well the values of the brand, the story of the brand, its savoirfaire, what is its USP, and so on.

In the first year, we, along with Cristina [Cavatore, Chief Marketing Officer, and the marketing team, worked on different key points. One is the new e-commerce platform which Christina has been working on. We have made it much more experiential, and much more inclusive with a lot of different features; including videos. It now represents the heart and soul of the brand that you can see and feel when you navigate through it.

Second, we started working on a new store concept with Marco Costanzi, the renowned Italian architect from Bologna.

We are presenting our first store with the

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new concept in Rome. The first flagship store to showcase this new concept will be our three-storey outlet in London, by the end of the year. New York will open next year. We will be opening a lot of new stores in key cities in the coming years.

The digital platform, the new store concept, are all part of a new way of communicating our values; so that when you come into the store you feel it as a customer, you understand what Corneliani is, when the salesman is telling me something, I understand as a customer, I read the storytelling behind the product.

It gives me the feeling that I am buying a unique piece.

Because of the competition, you have to offer a different experience, otherwise you are lost. At this level, you have to talk about the experience, not the product. The product development department works hand in hand with the marketing department on how to bring this experience to the customer, on how to deliver a collection to the market that is made up of different elements but must

Stefano Tramonte, General Merchandising Manager and Style Director, Corneliani

somehow be self-explaining; why the waist fits so well, why a cashmere sweater and so on.

What part does Mantua, Corneliani’s hometown, play in the brand’s image?

Mantua is very well expressed in the brand. While other brands are based in Industrial cities, we come from a city that is cultural and unique. Normally you produce beauty, but we also live in beauty. It makes the creative process easy because you are inspired by every corner. This is also why we have Mantua into our ethos. It doesn’t have to be central to our image, because we are very much a global brand, and we think global. We want to express the style of

your life, but Mantua has to be part of the story.

With regards to the Middle-east region, what is the response from the market, and your future plans?

It is one of the most important areas along with Italy and Russia that we were developing for the evolution of the brand.

Right now, we have a partnership with Salam [Studio and Stores], and we have plans to expand in the region, but I cannot go into the details right now.

What is your understanding of the Middle-east customers?

It is really difficult to define the Middleeast customer because there is so much diversity. The one thing that is

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important is the service. It has to be really impeccable and personal. The relationship the customers build with the manager of the store is very important.

In terms of collection, we have to focus on trans-seasonal items because of the weather. What we try to have is a collection in a store that is always saleable in every season. The bright colours are particularly liked by the Middle-east customers.

Another characteristic unique to the Middle-east region is that unlike other markets where you have some items that are entry-level, here the higher the segment of the products in the store, the better it is. This is because people are attracted by nicer things, by higher quality.

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FASHION · MERINO WOOL DESIGN TALENTS

MERINO WOOL DESIGN TALENTS 12 most promising fashion design talents from across the globe are set to compete for the 2018/19 International Woolmark Prize in February 2019 Chosen from more than 300 applicants from across 46 countries, the 12 fashion labels to compete in the global final of the 2018/19 International Woolmark Prize have been decided, following three semi-final events held in Hong Kong, London and New York. The winners are amongst the most promising fashion design talents from across the globe and will each gain a financial contribution of AU$ 70,000 for the development of their business and capsule collection.

“Now in its seventh year, the International Woolmark Prize has evolved into one of the biggest fashion awards of its calibre, and so we have restructured the program to ensure our nominees and finalists receive the highest level of industry support and guidance,” explains The Woolmark Company Managing Director Stuart McCullough.

“The exceptional quality demonstrated by this year’s designers not only reinforces the strength of the award but also proves Australian wool’s relevance on the global stage. Wool’s inherent benefits combined with its eco-credentials provide designers with countless possibilities, and I am excited to see what innovative designs are showcased at the global final next year,” he added.

The prestigious global final will be held in London in February 2019. For the next seven months, the 12 finalists will be required to develop a capsule collection of six looks in Merino wool, to be showcased at the finals. They will also receive mentoring support from a global panel of experts and a Woolmark licence.

One menswear and one womenswear winner will receive a further AU$ 200,000 financial contribution at the global final, as well as mentoring from industry experts to help propel their business to the next stage.

One finalist will also be selected for the second edition of the Innovation Award which celebrates the most innovative and creative wool fabrications, process, or development and rewards the finalist with a financial contribution of AU$100,000.

The total combined amount a prize winner has the potential to win is AU$ 370,000.

In addition, winners will have the opportunity to have their collection distributed through the prize’s prestigious international retail partner network which includes Boutique 1, Boon The Shop, David Jones, Harvey Nichols, Hudson’s Bay Company,

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FASHION · MERINO WOOL DESIGN TALENTS

London Finalists for the 2018/19 International Woolmark Prize

New York Finalists for the 2018/19 International Woolmark Prize

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Hong Kong Finalists for the 2018/19 International Woolmark Prize

Lane Crawford, Leclaireur, Mytheresa.com, Parlour X, Ssense. com, Sugar, Takashimaya, Tata Cliq Luxury and Ordre.com.

The four Hong-kong finalists are i-am-chen, Angel Chen, Yohei Ohno and YOUSER. i-am-chen from Hong Kong is a designer whose origins lie in engineering, with a vision free of fashion norms and is instead inspired by 20th-century artists, blurring the lines between fashion, art, textiles and technology.

Angel Chen from China took inspiration from the lifestyle, independent spirit and determination of deep-sea female diver Haenyeo from the Hado Village, in Jeju, South Korea.

Yohei Ohno from Japan-based their collection on their research of Japanese archival fabrics where they discovered a unique deadstock summer-weight fabric from Bishu, famous for wool production in Japan. For menswear label YOUSER from Korea, the inspiration for the collection came from the Native American warrior group, Windigokan, from the Ojibwa nation living in the plains.

The four London finalists are DANIEL w. FLETCHER, Edward Crutchley and Nicholas Daley from the UK, and CMMN SWDN from Sweden. DANIEL w. FLETCHER’s collection is inspired by traditional British clothing, and focused on technologically advanced iterations of wool, offering a new take on the historical British fabric. The starting point for Edward Crutchley’s collection began by looking at textiles within the material culture and the role they play in the expression of identity.

Nicholas Daley’s collection SLYGO takes its name from his father’s DJ alias and draws inspiration from his parents’ club night known as The Reggae Klub, which ran from 1978-1982, in and around Scotland. CMMN SWDN’s signature use of unexpected pairings is at play across all elements of the collection. Wellloved garments are recreated in Merino wool through knowingly awkward proportions and are paired against technical base-layer seamless sheer knits.

Three of the four New York finalists - Brandon Maxwell, Colovos and Willy Chavarria - are US based. The fourth, Australian ALBUS LUMEN’s all-white capsule collection, titled ‘Para Interna,’ highlights the ethereal lightness of Merino wool and focuses on the textural possibilities of the fabrics.

Brandon Maxwell’s collection of a more chic athleisure wear is created to make the wearer look fabulous doing anything or nothing at all. Colovos’ collection references classic wool sportswear and workwear throughout history, updated with modern proportions and patterning techniques. Willy Chavarria worked with The Bear Scouts and the Suedwolle Group in Germany to source the best sustainable yarns and suppliers to develop body map base-layer garments for both athletic and leisure wear.

The Woolmark Company is the global authority on wool and a subsidiary of Australian Wool Innovation, a not-for-profit enterprise that conducts research, development and marketing along the worldwide supply chain for Australian wool on behalf of about 60,000 woolgrowers.

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FASHION · PL AYFUL TRADITIONS

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PLAYFUL TRADITIONS Here’s how Brunello Cucinelli Men’s Fall-Winter 2018 Collection reveals the art of blending conventional style with a modern spirited sophistication Classic patterns form modern lines on innovative elements in Brunello Cucinelli’s Men’s Fall-Winter 2018 Collection. Soft, exquisite fabrics are enhanced by the natural quality and lightness of weight, designed for overlapping and matching or contrasting combinations.

“Style, like the new, natural rhythm of a poem, is the fruit of a familiarity with the canons of traditional elegance, skilfully combined with modern, unconventional inspirations.” Brunello Cucinelli.

The palette features a variety of neutral colours from the lightest beiges of chalk and sand, to the warm nuances of camel and crumble. Alongside the noble blues and metropolitan greys are shades of reds, violets, and oranges, which have been toned down and slightly greyed. The result is the ease of mixing and matching that contributes to the expression of character and style.

Coats, cabans, and other outerwear create soft, modern silhouettes and are enriched with details such as collars of soft shearling, knit inserts, bibs, and removable paddings; everything

contributes to making each model unique, maintaining its identity intact. Jackets set the standard for elegance, close to the body as always, to flatter the male shape. The volume of trousers is softer and more modern.

Leather outerwear, straddling between fine quality and informality, features a wide selection from warm shearlings to soft nappa leathers, from splendid natural surfaces to aged and uneven effects. The patterns created in the knits are brightened with a new style: colour blocks, links, and geometric shapes produce a harmony of colours. Various classic stitches are combined in the same piece to enrich the surface character: stocking, cable, and rib stitches alternate in a natural manner.

A rich range of accessories accompanies the collection.

Exquisite materials and workmanship endow each element with character and purpose. The footwear focuses on lightness and comfort. The traditional shapes are given new life with light, warm colours such as cognac, sand, camel, and cord. The sneakers collection offers a rich, varied selection featuring new models, materials, and effects.

Brunello Cucinelli Fall Winter 2018 Collection

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FASHION · PL AYFUL TRADITIONS

Brunello Cucinelli Fall Winter 2018 Collection 24

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“Style, like the new, natural rhythm of a poem, is the fruit of a familiarity with the canons of traditional elegance, skilfully combined with modern, unconventional inspirations.”

Brunello Cucinelli

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SELECTIONS · FASHION ACCESSORIES

HISTORIC SQUARES Rampley & Co was “born out of a desire to create elegant pocket squares through unique designs and high-quality materials to showcase British luxury to a global audience. The core company principles are to create unique fashion accessories through innovative design, exquisite materials and quality craftsmanship.”

Rampley & Co’s new Historic Handkerchiefs Collection aims to recreate famous works of art on beautiful silk pocket squares.

The company worked in collaboration with the renowned Museum of London to get access to the original works of art and to photograph them.

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Once designs were finalised, expert colourists painstakingly worked to ensure that the sampling process produced the closest possible match to the original painting before producing the finished product. The task of replicating printings with complicated images and with multiple colour blends onto silk is a difficult one, to say the least, but seems worth it, given the stunning final hand rolled silk pocket squares that have come into fruition.

In addition to pocket squares, Rampley & Co also offers premium handmade ties, braces, socks, and umbrellas.

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THE DIVING JAW Givenchy’s new scuba gear is the JAW bag that not only offers a number of carrying options but is also made from coated-canvas that will easily conceal bumps and scratches. It keeps essentials dry during diving excursions.

Designed for double duty as an urban backpack or a versatile weekender, the

JAW combines water-resistant canvas emblazoned with the Givenchy logo with luxurious leather details.

The bag has a zippered bottom compartment which makes it possible to tote voluminous items such as shoes separately, while a Velcro closure gives the flap a dash of sporty style.

The top and side handles of the bag

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can be used to carry it has a handbag.

Alternatively, the bag can be worn as a crossbody or a backpack using the detachable straps that come with it.

The JAW is available in two formats: a large hybrid and a medium size.

It is available at all Givenchy stores and is priced at $1465 for the medium size and $1655 for the large bag.

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SELECTIONS · THE MODERN RITUALS

THE MODERN RITUALS High-quality ingredients presented within a luxurious contemporary setting. Ghawali reinterprets the age-old tradition of Oriental fragrances within a modern context Ghawali, founded in 2016, represents the next generation of oriental fragrances. Its luxurious perfumes, ouds, oils, bokhours, and bath-and-body products offer a contemporary interpretation of a time-honoured tradition. Experts in layering, Ghawali’s variety of products are specially created to be worn together, caressing the skin with a beautiful harmony of fragrance.

Fitted out with full customisation services and a Bokhour majlis, Ghawali boutiques celebrate the rituals of traditional Arabian perfumery, in a luxurious, contemporary setting.

“Ghalia” is a word originating from the early development of perfumes in the region. It was used to describe the precious scents that travelling merchants brought to this region, and which they offered to the nobles as their own exclusive scents, or “Ghawalis” as they came to be known.

“Ghawali understands your need to possess your own precious “Ghalia” and the desire to remain linked with culture and heritage through these fragrances,” reads a statement from the perfumery.

“We have developed our luxurious collections specifically for the layering ritual, allowing the heady scents to envelop your skin at every touch point. From our Purifying Shower Gel to the final spray of our long-lasting Parfum, your skin and senses will be treated to layer upon layer of beautiful fragrances and formulas.” - Ghawali Fragrance layering is the art of having a common base fragrance across all items in a collection consisting of bath-and-body products plus perfume. This base fragrance is then aromatically complimented by the additional ingredients in each of the individual products within that collection. This method optimises the impact of the base fragrance and allows it to have a lasting effect, but never overpowering.

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Ghawali stores are a seamless blend of traditional and contemporary appointments keeping in line with the brand’s ideals of being a bridge between traditional rituals and modern requirements

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SELECTIONS · THE MODERN RITUALS

Keeping in mind the art of fragrance layering, seven signature scents have been translated into products across Bath and Body, Personal Fragrances and Bokhour

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Only the highest quality ingredients are used across the Ghawali range including the Bokhour products such as Oud Mouattar

Ghawali have sourced the world’s finest ingredients such as Amber, Damask Rose, Sandalwood, as well as the finest Ouds from India to create seven fragrances that form the aromatic base of its layering oriented collections: Al Abiq commences with warm notes of Cloves and Taif Rose followed by a woody base of Sandalwood and Amber; Al Barez has an inspiring composition with Citrusy top notes of Bergamot, a deep base which includes Musk and Patchouli, with floral highlights of Jasmine and Violet; Al Thara unveils a Raspberry aroma, followed by the emergence of Rose and Warm Leather; Al Athal combines traditional aromatic Luban Incense with Amber and Musk to create a warm and cocooning feel; Al Ezz features a woody Cedarwood note that is beautifully complemented by Vanilla, Apricot and Ylang Ylang; Al Nobl has citrusy top notes combined with Lilly of the Valley while Cedarwood and Sultan form the strong base; Al Azal features the oriental timelessness of Saffron and Cardamom in combination with Vanilla and Praline.

Customization and personalisation, along with layering, embody the spirit of Ghawali. This is why its luxurious collections have been developed to provide each client with the option of choosing their unique layering requirements.

The Ghawali layering journey starts with the Bath and Body collection which includes purifying shower gel, luxurious

body cream and precious hair & body oil. Then there are the signature fragrances and concentrated perfumes available with and without Oud. Finally, the Bokhour Range offers oud mouattar and dokhouns featuring Dehn-el-Ouds and Agarwood Chips. Each step from Bath and Body, to Fragrance and Oud, Oil and Bokhour, comes in matching scents to achieve an effective layering.

Customization can be taken a step further as Ghawali offers its clients the opportunity to create their own personalised fragrance and blend through its specialised Bespoke station where clients can choose from up to 30 different oils. Ghawali’s trained staff assist clients to better understand the finer nuances of each scent, and create the unique blend depending on one’s likes, personality, style and occasion. Ghawali’s collection of luxury gift-sets are also tailor-made to the client’s specification, including the complimentary engraving service.

A step into the Ghawali showroom is a journey through rituals and layering and is highlighted by the signature Bokhour room which recreates a majlis sense where clients are enveloped with the heady scent of smoke trail. In the UAE, Ghawali stores are located in Dubai Festival City, Dubai City Walk 2, The Dubai Mall Perfume & Co, the Dubai Mall Galeries Lafayette, and Al Ain Mall Abu Dhabi.

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TRIBUTE TO GALILEO Panerai’s new L’Astronomo is a watch that that is designed to reconnect us with the essence of astronomy. Presented in a contemporary setting, the second Panerai dedicated to Galileo is a masterful fusion of art, science and emotions Panerai’s latest creation, L’Astronomo Luminor 1950 Tourbillon Moon Phases Equation of Time GMT, is their second watch dedicated to Galileo Galilei and debuted at this year’s SIHH, Genève. Its Luminor 1950 case encloses a concentration of technical solutions that demonstrate the ability of the Florentine brand to interpret traditional complications in new and innovative ways.

The first Panerai L’Astronomo, presented in 2010 on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the celestial observations made by Galileo, was the first timepiece created by Panerai with a tourbillon regulator, calendar, equation of time indication and the display of the times of sunrise and sunset.

Like its predecessor, the new L’Astronomo is made to order, and the skeletonised movement, the P.2005/GLS (standing for Galileo Luna Scheletrato), is personalised to operate in accordance with the geographical coordinates of a place chosen by the client. It provides the same range of functions as the first L’Astronomo, along with three additions: GMT, Moon Phase indicator, and Polarized Crystal date display.

The Moon Phase indicator is a classic complication of high-quality watchmaking which Panerai has interpreted in its own way and with an accuracy of a century. On the back of the new L’Astronomo’s P.2005/GLS movement is a day/night indicator which also clearly displays the phases of the moon, by means of a system consisting of two superimposed discs which rotate in combination. The upper disc – which is read by a small external index fixed onto the movement – displays the 24 hours of the day, showing the sun during the hours of daylight and the stars of the sky at night. At the centre of the starry sky is a little round window through which the lower disc can be seen; on this appears the moon, its shape evolving day by day as a result of a small supplementary rotation of this disc of about 6.1° per day, a figure based on the exact duration of one lunar cycle (an average of 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 3 seconds).

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WAT C H E S · T R I B U T E T O G A L I L E O

L’Astronomo has two indicators that display the time of Sunrise and Sunset according to the coordinates of latitude and longitude originally specified by the client

The Polarized Crystal Date display in which the numbers are virtually invisible in all positions except for the one that is aligned with the date window, where a further polarized crystal, situated above the date disc, causes the number to appear so that it is perfectly legible

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The Panerai L’Astronomo - Luminor 1950 Tourbillon Moon Phases Equation of Time GMT

In a watch with this construction, a date disc designed in the traditional way would to some extent conceal the fascination of the skeletonised movement, because it would cover part of the components. The Laboratorio di Idee at the Manufacture in Neuchâtel has therefore developed the Polarized Crystal date display, a system pending patent by Panerai, in which, the date disc is made of borosilicate glass and the numbers of the days have laser-modified optical properties. The numbers are virtually invisible in all positions except for the one that is aligned with the little date window, where a further polarised crystal, situated above the date disc, causes the number to appear so that it is perfectly legible.

The complications can be admired both from the front as well as from the back of the watch thanks to the sophisticated work of skeletonising the movement and the absence of an actual dial. All the elements which would be found in a traditional dial appear on the movement or the flange. The two spring barrels, which store enough power to last at least four days, are visible through the open back, which also enables the power reserve indicator mounted on the movement to be read.

The tourbillon’s rotation on the new L’Astronomo is different from that of the classic tourbillon. The cage of the balance rotates continuously on itself, to correct any alterations caused

by gravity and possible friction. In this innovative mechanism patented by Panerai, the cage rotates on an axis at right angles to the balance, not parallel with it. Also, while the traditional tourbillon rotates once in one minute, that of the P.2005/GLS rotates once in 30 seconds, and its rotation can be seen by an indicator in the small seconds counter at 9 o’clock. The higher speed and the particular arrangement of the mechanism mean that any possible alterations of rate are adequately compensated, resulting in more accurate timekeeping.

At the six o’clock position is the linear indicator for the equation of time, which displays the difference between actual time (solar time) and conventional time as displayed by the watch. This difference can range between plus-15-minutes and minus-15-minutes, according to the time of the year.

In addition to the technical personalisation of the P.2005/GLS movement, customers can further individualise their watches by selecting the material and finish of the case, the colour of the hands, the colour of the alligator strap, and that of the SuperLumiNova which illuminate the watch’s indications in the dark.

They can also choose between a red-gold, white-gold or brushedtitanium case for the basic version of the L’Astronomo. In each instance, the watch is water-resistant to 10 bar (a depth of about 100 metres).

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WAT C H E S · T R I B U T E T O G A L I L E O

The Moon Phase indicator at the back of L’Astronomo’s P.2005/GLS movement

Galileo Galilei To the world of watchmaking, the name Galileo Galilei carries with it much weight. The oldest son of Vincenzo Galilei, a musician who made important contributions to the theory and practice of music, Galileo went on to make pioneering contributions of his own as an astronomer, mathematician, physicist, philosopher and as a professor.

Galileo was born in Pisa, Tuscany, on February 15, 1564. In the early 1570s, the family moved to Florence where Galileo attended the monastery school at Vallombrosa. He returned to Pisa for his matriculation at the University of Pisa, where he was to study medicine. It was here that he made his first significant contribution to the future world of mechanical clock manufacturing.

While at a chapel, he noticed a swinging chandelier which air currents had caused to swing about in larger and smaller arcs. To Galileo, it seemed that the chandelier took the same amount of time to swing back and forth, no matter how far it was swinging. He measured time in this instance by comparing it to his heartbeat.

When he returned home, he set up two pendulums of equal length but swung one with a large sweep than the other. He found that they kept time together. Galileo’s discoveries with regards to the properties of the pendulum directly influenced the work of Christiaan Huygens, almost one hundred years later, when the tautochrone nature of a swinging pendulum was used to create an accurate timepiece; thus, setting in motion what would go on to become the modern-day watchmaking industry.

In the early 1600s, Galileo became interested in the mechanics and optics of the telescope and soon put together one of his own. He demonstrated his creation to some of the Venetian merchants, who saw its value for spotting ships and while sailing and gave Galileo orders to manufacture them. It was inevitable that Galileo’s curiosity would lead him to use the telescope to explore the universe.

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Galileo made observations of the moon. Then he observed that Venus had phases like the moon, thus proving that it rotated around the sun, which refuted the Aristotelian doctrine that the Earth was the centre of the universe. He discovered that Jupiter had revolving moons that didn’t revolve around planet Earth.

He observed the existence of sunspots, which further refuted Aristotelian doctrine that the sun was perfect. Galileo’s findings gathered an increasing mass of support based on the strong observational evidence he presented.

When Galileo was making these observations, the majority opinion subscribed to the Aristotelian geocentric view of the universe which stated that the earth was the centre of the universe and that all heavenly bodies revolved around the Earth.

Copernicus had argued in favour of a heliocentric worldview in which the sun was at the centre instead of the Earth. His arguments were not taken seriously until Galileo’s contributions.

As Galileo’s arguments became stronger, and his support base grew larger, so did the religious opposition to the heliocentric model of the Universe. The opposition’s arguments were based on Biblical references which they claimed spoke irrefutably in favour of a geocentric world. By 1615, Galileo’s writings on heliocentrism had been submitted to the Roman Inquisition on charges that Galileo and his followers were attempting to reinterpret the Bible, which was seen as a violation of the Council of Trent and that their activities looked dangerously like Protestantism.

Although the Church was able to significantly hinder Galileo’s research, they could not stop the inevitable march of time and innovation that had been set loose through the Renaissance, and later through the industrial revolution. His work on the movement of the celestial objects was the other significant contribution to the evolution of the highly accurate timekeepers of today, along with several other minor contributions such as his work with weights, gravitational acceleration and the scientific method itself.

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The L’Astronomo - Luminor 1950 Tourbillon Moon Phases Equation of Time GMT (Back View) is Panerai's second watch dedicated to Galileo Galilei

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Equation of time If the Earth had orbited the Sun in a perfectly circular orbit on a plane perpendicular to the Earth’s axis and it had a constant speed, then the Sun-cycle would have been identical every day of the year, and thus would have been a perfect timekeeper.

However, the orbit of the Earth is an ellipse, it is not centred on the Sun, and according to Kepler’s laws of planetary motion, its speed varies between 30.287 and 29.291 kmps.

The Equation of Time gives the discrepancy between the Solar Time, which varies every day owing to the Earth’s eccentricities stated above, and the time shown by the watch, which is the

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universally adopted Mean Solar Time. Solar Time is measured using a Sundial. Mean Solar Time tracks a theoretical mean of the Sun with noons 24 hours apart such that, over the course of a year, its differences with the Solar Time at any one location on the globe resolve itself to zero.

The means of measuring time has preoccupied man from his earliest days. Ancient civilisations developed elaborate tools for measuring time-based on the sun-cycle. Ptolemy in Book III of his Almagest discusses the correction needed to convert the meridian crossing of the Sun to a Mean Solar Time. Based

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The Equation of Time indicator on the L’Astronomo

on Ptolemy’s discussion, medieval Islamic astronomers such as al-Khwarizmi, al-Battani, Kushyar ibn Labban, Jamshīd al-Kāshī and others, made improvements to the solar tables.

The next substantial increment in the computation didn’t come until Kepler’s final upset of the geocentric astronomy of the ancients. With the advent of the Industrial Revolution came the mechanical and then the electronic clocks with ever increasing accuracy.

So, the word ‘equation’ in ‘The Equation of Time’ is used in the medieval sense of “to reconcile a difference” and is derived from the medieval Latin aequātiō diērum, meaning “equation of

days” or “difference of days.” These differences reach a peak of just over 14 minutes in mid-February when Solar Time is slow relative to Mean Time, and just over 16 minutes at the beginning of November when Solar Time is fast relative to Mean Time.

There are also two minor peaks in mid-May when the Solar Time is nearly four minutes faster and in late July when it is over five minutes slower. During four days of the year, the Solar Time and the Mean Time coincide: on December 25, April 15, June 14 and September 2. The linear indicator of the equation of time on Panerai’s new L’Astronomo tracks this difference over the course of the year.

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WAT C H E S · T H E O C T O D E S I G N E R

THE OCTO DESIGNER Bulgari has creatively reimagined the boundaries of high-end watchmaking through its Octo range of modern watches. We have a chat with Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, the Creative Director at Bulgari watches about the art of design thinking and the latest Bulgari & Maserati Collaboration Born in Naples and trained as an Industrial Designer at the Istituto Superiore Industrie Artistiche in Rome, Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani first worked in Turin at the Fiat Style Centre before being invited in 2001 by Paolo Bulgari to join the Roman brand’s creative team. He is responsible for the design of all new men’s, women’s, grand complication and jewel watch collections.

You trained as an Industrial Designer, what attracted you to watch design?

I love watches; I have a passion for watches. If you don’t, it becomes very difficult to design the entire mechanics in just 42 to 45 mm. During my career, I have designed a lot of things like jewelry, cars, motorbikes, shoes, furniture, sunglasses, ball-point pens, etc. It is really important for a designer to understand very well the DNA of the brand and its various categories and you have to understand the technology behind the product.

For example, the technology you have behind cars and watches is completely different. But sometimes we have some elements in common.

For example, the clients that love cars, also love watches. They love the mechanical parts of the watches.

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Can you give us a sense of what it’s like to transition from designing other products to watches?

It was not that great a change for me. I make the same type of sketches in the same size of paper for all the products.

So, whether I am drawing a car or a watch the size of the paper is the same. The difference is just that when you sketch a watch, it is 20 times bigger than the actual product. So, you can sketch a lot of details that you cannot replicate on the real product because it is too small.

You just need an idea, a very strong and very clear idea, and you have to then transform these ideas in a way that makes sense with the brand, and with the clients of the brand as well.

When you joined Bulgari, how did you assimilate your ideas with the existing legacy of the brand?

Let me give you an example. When we did Gérald Genta or Daniel Roth, our plan was to develop the Gérald Genta brand. When we designed the Octo in our design office in Rome, our inspiration was a jewellery collection that was introduced in the late 70s or early 80s. In this collection, you can find a coin with a round bezel bound within an octagonal shape. This collection is a very important legacy for us because

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when Gianni Bulgari asked Gérald Genta to develop the ideas for these products, the designs were made by Gianni Bulgari himself. So, when we decided to revamp the Gérald Genta brand, the obvious choice was the Octo.

Bulgari watches today are known as much for their technical innovation as for their design. Was this part of the plan?

Yes, this is again a combination of two different worlds. Bulgari as a brand can bring together Italian design rules and Swiss watchmaking into one because we are an Italian brand, but we have our manufacturing site in Switzerland.

At Bulgari, we have a tradition of using common materials in unusual ways. That’s why when we produced and launched the famous ‘Minute Repeater’ in titanium [Octo Finissimo Répétition Minutes] it had a great wow effect. That’s why this year we combined the most technical components of Swiss watchmaking with the most contemporary, trendy material that we can find today, which is carbon. This is also what happened in the 70’s when Bulgari began to experiment with glass-fibre and eventually turned it into a luxury item. At Bulgari, we love to play with pure elements, simple things, but in unconventional ways.

Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Senior Director, Bulgari Watch Design Center

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WAT C H E S · T H E O C T O D E S I G N E R

“I love watches; I have a passion for watches. If you don’t, it becomes very difficult to design the entire mechanics in just 42 to 45 mm.”

Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Director of Bulgari Watches Design Center.

The Bulgari Octo Maserati GranLusso (Left) and GranSport (Right)

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Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani

The Bulgari & Maserati collaboration: How did it come about?

Maserati needed a partner in the watchmaking industry, and we needed one in the automotive industry. It was because we have similar client profiles and we find that these two brands have a lot of elements in common. Two brands not just driven by performance but also by their passion for beauty.

Maserati, after the second world war made fantastic cars, not just in terms of performance but also fantastic cars in terms of style. So too with Bulgari watches. When you see the ‘Minute Repeater,’ the first reaction you have is wow this watch is fantastic, its super thin and it is a Minute Repeater. There is a layered escalation in appreciation. You have the same reaction to a Maserati car.

At first sight, it is a beautiful car, with a very impressive engine, with a very unique heritage and DNA. When you combine these two brands, you can make beautiful products.

How do you approach the design of a product of this nature? What was Maserati’s input in this process?

It is a Bulgari watch made for Maserati.

So, it speaks the language of the Maserati brand as well as the Bulgari brand. In

our third collaborative collection, we have for the first time, the Maserati logo on the dial. Why? Because this time the idea was to recall the dashboard with the retrograde instruments and we had enough space on the dial to put the Maserati trident on it. We used the same font, the same attention to detail you find on the Maserati dashboard. Of course, we discussed the theme and color with the design team of Maserati to find the best formula.

Did the idea for a retrograde display come first and then the idea of a dashboard replica or was it the other way round?

When we began we said, we have already done the Octo Quadri-Retro and the Octo Velocissimo chronograph, it doesn’t make sense for us to make a new edition of the same watch. Each time we have to produce a ‘wow’ effect, we must have a new approach. So, we decided to use the retrograde movement because the idea was to have a dashboard on the wrist.

This is an unusual way to read the time.

And thanks to our movements that we produce in-house we were able to do it.

The Maserati watch is unique for Bulgari watches, sold only

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to Maserati owners. What is the thinking going forward for this design concept?

The idea was to give the Maserati owner the opportunity to own a special, limited edition watch. This was the idea at the beginning, but we have some ideas coming from the marketing teams of Maserati and Bulgari on what is the right way to go forward with the product. We have to be sure we have the right strategy because you can make a beautiful product, but if the strategy behind it is completely wrong, then that would be a pity.

What are the future plans for this collaboration, and for Bulgari watches?

We will see. We launched this collection last year, and the Maserati team are very happy. Today it is difficult to say, but we will be happy to work with them in the future.

At Bulgari, we will continue to develop our three pillars. At the moment, our manufacturing can produce fantastic movements. I will try my best to give these movements the best design possible. We will continue to develop the Finissimo and the Octo design. We will see in January in Geneva and after that in Basel!

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WATCHES · AN ATYPICAL STANZA

AN ATYPICAL STANZA

Regulator clocks were traditionally used by watchmakers to set their watches and by scientists for taking essential measurements.

They are distinguished by separate mechanics for the hours and minutes to increase legibility and precision. While regulators, by their very inception, are utilitarian and functional, the new regulator introduced by Laurent Ferrier is anything but prosaic.

The Laurent Ferrier Galet Square Régulateur Black is distinguished from regular watches by the hallmark separation of the three most important indicators.

The minute hand is large and centrallypositioned. Above the centre, at 12 o’clock is the much smaller hours display, while below, at 6 o’clock is the seconds subdial.

The precision movement is the LF Caliber 228.01, with automatic winding courtesy of a pawl-fitted micro-rotor, delivering a 72hour power reserve.

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The 41mm red gold case has a distinctive praised square shape. It is water resistant to 30 m and is fitted with sapphire crystals for front and back, for a perfect view of the movement.

The dial is extremely clean and refined using Opaline black nickel. The hour and seconds counters are recessed and contracted with a nickel black snailed finish. The small hours dial bears powdered silver-toned Roman numerals. The minutes are displayed on a “railway track” ring with four Arabic numerals at 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes. The hour hand is “leaf-shaped,” the minutes dial has an “assegai-shaped” hand, and there is a baton-shaped hand for the seconds. All three hands are in red gold (5N).

Alongside the Côtes-de-Genève motif on the bridges and the circular graining on the main plate, the wheel spokes are bevelled, the screw heads are chamfered and polished, and the interior angles are hand-crafted.

The Galet Square Régulateur Black is available with Laurent Ferrier agents.

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Laurent Ferrier Galet Square Régulateur Black (Back)

SSIIG GN NÉÉ ·· EED DIITTIIO ON N 3311

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SELECTIONS · HOMAGE TO HOMER

HOMAGE TO HOMER The custodian of fine writing traditions, Mont Blanc, recently unveiled a collection in honour of the legendary author and poet, Homer. We catch up with Franck Juhel, President of Montblanc MEIA, at the official regional launch of the collection to discuss the written word, writing instruments and the importance of collectors The Iliad and the Odyssey, two monumental epics that are among the most enduring legends known to the western world. They were instrumental in taking the oral verse to the then-new technique of alphabetic writing. Therefore, it is no surprise that they are widely regarded as the foundation of Western literature.

Montblanc has chosen to celebrate the legendary poet Homer, responsible for Iliad and the Odyssey, through this year’s Writers Edition. The regional launch of the collection was hosted by Franck Juhel, President of Montblanc Middle East, India and Africa (MEIA) in Costa Navarino, southern Greece, the region where much of Homer’s Odyssey took place.

The challenge with the Homer collection, Franck told Signé in an exclusive interview during the launch, was “to bring to life two books that are almost 700 pages. With all the stories you have in it, we had to identify the one that makes the most sense while at the same time being the most relevant and well known.” Then the theme has to be represented “in all the details that we can see, even the smallest one. Montblanc is not about glitter, but about all the non-obvious and small details, which when you put together makes the perfect writing instruments.”

The Trojan horse, Odysseus’ famous stratagem, is reflected in the ‘Homage to Homer’ special edition’s silhouette evoking the

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head and body of the wooden horse in stylised form. The matte black precious resin of the cap and barrel of the writing instrument is paired with champagne-tone gold coated fittings to echo the Greek black-figure pottery often decorated with scenes from Homeric poetry.

Achilles features prominently in the edition, with his legendary spear that no other hero fighting at Troy was willing to wield in Homer’s Iliad being the inspiration for the shape of the goldcoated clip, while Achilles’ helmet adorns the handcrafted gold nib as a fine engraving.

Homer used the strict form of the hexameter consisting of six units, or ‘feet’ in his epics. This is referenced in the finely engraved Greek meander frieze on the champagne gold-coated fittings, with every sixth pattern repeat emphasised by a cube ornament.

Crowned with the Montblanc emblem in precious resin, this edition is available as a Fountain Pen, Roller Ball and Ballpoint Pen. There is also a Mechanical Pencil which is only available as part of a set.

The Homage to Homer collection also includes the Limited Edition 1581, a limitation number that references the year Homer’s Iliad was translated into English. The Trojan Horse with the same distinctive equine silhouette also features but evokes a second prominent colour of classical Greek pottery. The cap and barrel are

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Montblanc Writers Edition Homage to Homer Limited Edition 1581

Montblanc Writers Edition Homage to Homer

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SELECTIONS · HOMAGE TO HOMER

Montblanc Writers Edition Homage to Homer Limited Edition 1581

crafted from precious coral resin. The gold coated inlay on the cap is inspired by the armour of the legendary warrior Achilles.

The champagne tone gold coated cap top, cap ring, cone and forepart are all decorated with a special engraving that once again represents the dactylic hexameter.

Complementing the Homage to Homer collection is a new special blue colour ink. The blue is a reference to traditional Greek houses and the seas around. Also, in Greek blue is a lined notebook made of leather and inspired by one of the most famous sculptures of Homer.

“Any writer edition in Montblanc takes between 4 to 5 years to develop, from the first time we start talking about it to the time it arrives in the market. The development of the pen is a joint effort between our in-house team of historians, designers and craftsmen.” - Franck Juhel, President of Montblanc MEIA He continued, “First, a committee including the heads of the various departments of the maison sits with our historians to arrive at a list of names to work on for the next ten years. After

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that, the historians, designers and the craftsmen work together to bring to life the story, either through the techniques that we already have in-house or by new techniques that do not exist.

Sometimes it may require us to bring in specialist craftsmen in order to bring a story to life.”

For Montblanc, the launch event is a significant and integral part of the storytelling of any collection. Members of the press are invited to reiterate the story that the maison wishes to convey. More importantly, though, the maison also invites renowned collectors from various regions to attend.

The Launch event “provides us with the opportunity to spend time with our collectors. We have two days with them, in this case, to not only talk about Homer, but also the over 100 pieces of limited edition writing instruments and watches on display here.” - Franck Juhel, President of Montblanc MEIA The relationship between Montblanc and its collectors is fundamental to the maison. “They are the real ambassadors for our brand. We have collectors who have been following the

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Montblanc Writers Edition Homage to Homer

brand for years and some who have all of the 27 writers editions.

At the same time, it’s also a kind of partnership because when we work on a special edition, we also take their input on what they expect to see. An example of this is found in the Homer collection. It is the first time that we have used the nib 149 in a writers edition. This is the biggest nib we have in production at Montblanc, and it was included at the request of our collectors.”

“Many of our collectors had seen the Homer collection as a prototype, almost a year ago, and had reserved. It is a relationship where we expect them to give us input or feedback, and they expect from us the preview of the products and to also organise gatherings like these and others where the collectors can come together and talk about the pens.”

One of the reasons that collectors have such loyalty to the brand is that “since 1906, we have always been true to our values,” says Frank. “Any product we bring to the market has the same quality requirements, irrespective of whether it is a regular masterstroke or a limited edition, the nib will be tested

the same way; one by one, hand by hand.” Another reason is consistency. For example, “the writer edition has been around for 27 years now. We have not changed, and we are not going to change the collection from one year to another, as others sometimes do.”

Talking about the future, Frank is confidently optimistic, even with the ever-increasing digitisation of the world. “Like any company, we have thought about how digitisation would or could impact us. However, we have never seen higher growth in the demand for writing instruments as in the past few years. It is difficult to find a link between these two events. My personal feeling is that because our world is becoming more digital, we need more hard goods to bring us back to reality.

There is nothing more real than writing. I have a first-hand example at home. My 8 and ten-year-olds spend a lot of time on their tablets as most kids do today. However, they refuse to read books on their tablet. They want paper; they want the real thing.”

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A U T O M OT I V E · M A K I N G V I N TA G E C O O L

MAKING VINTAGE COOL Simon Kidston is a name that needs no introduction in the world of classic cars.

His expertise and far-reaching contribution to the industry make him one of the go-to names in the business. He opens the first international affiliate of his Classic Car advisory firm in Dubai, Kidston DMCC Dr. Costantino Franchi, Co-Founder and Organizer for 25 Years of the Historic Mille Miglia, said: “I have come into contact with many specialists around the world, but I have always found Simon Kidston to be particularly well prepared and above all serious, and he is always my first recommendation; he’s sure to make a good impression with new collectors.”

Simon Kidston is a British classic car collector, dealer, consultant, commentator, journalist and film-maker. His father was Commander Home Kidston, a British naval officer who owned and raced cars. Simon is the nephew of Glen Kidston, also a British naval officer, a record-breaking aviator, and more famously, a Le Mans winner as one of the ‘Bentley Boys’.

With a family background like his, it’s hardly surprising that Simon Kidston has carved for himself a career related to all things classic cars. Simon started his career in 1988 in the car auction department at Coys, London, and was running it three years later. In 1996, he co-founded Brooks (now Bonhams)

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Europe in Geneva and over the next decade was responsible for staging high-profile events such as the annual Les Grandes Marques à Monaco Sale in Monte Carlo, the Ferrari auction in Gstaad, and the Pur Sang à Longchamp Sale in Paris. Then in early 2006, Simon founded the eponymous Kidston SA based in Geneva, a consultancy for aspiring and high-level collectors. The firm has since become synonymous with Private Treaty sales of the world’s rarest and most beautiful motor cars.

The classic car market is rife with misinformation, shady practices and dubious dealers. To bring greater transparency and reduce the risk of dealing in such a high-value market, Simon devised and launched K500, an online resource giving what he calls “honest opinion and unbiased insight into the classic car market.”

He explains further: “We have built our name on honesty and expertise. No single sale is more important than our reputation, and K500 is an example of our investment in genuinely useful

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“Although the importance of the Middle Eastern [classic car] market is no secret to the global community, there is a relative lack of reliable specialist advisers based here... As I spend so much time here these days, it made sense to establish a base in Dubai.”

Simon Kidston, founder of Kidston DMCC

Simon Kidston (Left) with the McLaren F1 Prototype 'XP3' sold for designer Gordon Murray (Right) - world record price for any McLaren SIGNÉ · EDITION 31

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A U T O M OT I V E · M A K I N G V I N TA G E C O O L

Glen Kidston in his Bugatti Type 35 Grand Prix car at Brooklands, Easter 1925

The 1962 Ferrari 250GTO sold by Simon Kidston

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The Kidston Team in Geneva, June 2018

market information. We offer subscribers from-the-event reporting, so they are the first to know how the top cars are selling at auction, and candid market commentary; but it’s far more than a website. K500 is an online tool for collectors, utilising vast amounts of data that can accurately track values and historical auction results, right back to 1994. It’s possible to see how individual cars, or models, or market sectors have performed over any timescale. When combined with our advice on ‘what’s hot’, K500 really does help to guide the classic car investor. You can’t get this data anywhere else.”

Given the inherently global nature of the business, Simon has opened Kidston SA’s first international affiliate, Kidston DMCC in Dubai this year. “Although the importance of the Middle Eastern market is no secret to the global community,” explains Simon, “there is a relative lack of reliable specialist advisers based here.

I find myself travelling more and more frequently to Dubai and the Middle East to meet prospects and advise on investing in classic cars – whether it’s to discuss potential acquisitions with highly experienced clients, or to provide basic ‘dos and don’ts’ to novice buyers, aiming to help them avoid the all-too-common pitfalls. As I spend so much time here these days, it made sense to establish a base in Dubai.”

Not surprisingly, Simon is himself an avid classic car collector.

McLaren F1, Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing, Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS and Lamborghini Miura SV are just some of the

cars in his possession. He spent years tracking down a 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Cabriolet first owned by his father. He also tracked down and bought a Gipsy Moth racing biplane his father flew in New Zealand 75 years ago.

Simon is also a regular contributor to automotive magazines such as Classic Cars, Sports Car Market, and Top Gear. He is head judge of the Cartier Travel with Style Concours in India. He is an adviser and the official commentator at the oldest classic car concours in the world, the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.

Between 2007–2014, he was the commentator for the Mille Miglia historic rally. The Mercedes-Benz Museum invited him in 2009 to drive the 300 SLR ‘Uhlenhaut’ coupe, widely regarded as the most valuable car in the world.

Simon would also “like to contribute to a proper record of the greatest cars in the world while the people who helped build them are still alive to reveal their backstories, and to make vintage cool.” As an extension of this ambition, Simon made several dozen evocative short films about some of the greatest classic cars. Among those deserving an honourable mention are: The Reunion, documenting the re-introduction of Lamborghini test driver Valentino Balboni to the very first Miura he drove; The Forgotten Supercar, an emotional uncovering of the Bugatti EB110 adventure; and Coming Home, a deeply personal story about Simon’s 30-year quest to own his father’s 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Cabriolet.

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AUTOMOTIVE · VISIONS OF THE FUTURE

VISIONS OF THE FUTURE The Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury concept presents a glimpse into the future of luxury travel for the discerning few True to the principle of creating “the very best from the very best,” the Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury concept is a crossover between an exclusive high-end saloon and an SUV, combining the strengths of both body styles to create a luxury experience of the highest level. The overall design language is an application of Mercedes’ “philosophy of Sensual Purity.”

The exterior features smooth, extravagant surfaces with no beads or sharp edges. The distinctive chrome-plated radiator grille dominates the front view of the vehicle. The fine vertical bars, in the style of a pinstripe suit, takes its inspiration from the grille of the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 coupé.

The upright C-pillar, long, gently forward-sloping bonnet and compact notchback dominate the profile of the car. The muscular volume of the flank is accentuated by a long wheelbase and short rear overhangs. The overall appearance is rounded off by 24-inch turbine-look wheels. A continuous trim strip extends from the split bonnet across the roof through to the rear end. The vehicle is accentuated by subtle chrome trim throughout.

At the rear end, the three-part lamps are reminiscent of the design of the front headlamps. Situated above them is the vertically split rear window.

Another striking feature is the modelled underride guard with a diffuser look.

The goal of the interior designers was to provide echoes of the seriesproduced vehicles while also giving an idea of the coming generations of Mercedes-Maybach models. Overall, the interior creates an atmosphere of luxurious cosiness that allows the occupants to relax pleasantly. The high-contrast colours employed are typical of the brand, such as rosé gold, crystal white, pearl grey, shades of brown and polished aluminium. The entire interior space is surrounded by a large-area trim level of dark-ebony with wave-like, flowing lines of light integrated into the wood surface.

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“The Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury is a totally new archetype... With sensuality and pure sophistication, we have created a timeless vehicle that underscores the position of MercedesMaybach as the ultimate luxury brand.”

Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer, Daimler AG.

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As the concept was conceived primarily as a chauffeur-driven car, its interior design is strongly focused on the rear passengers.

The seats impress with their adjustment kinematics. Unlike in a conventional saloon, the backrest is adjusted separately while the footwell and seat reference point remain unchanged.

The cushion can be adjusted separately, while the seat angle and height adjustment are combined. Extra-soft knee cushions afford protection and comfort. The reclining seats feature a calf support, which is freely adjustable for length and angle. The crystal white Nappa leather seats are enhanced by diamond stitching in rosé gold.

The wide centre console extends through to the rear. It is equipped with an integral, heated tray with teapot and cups.

The tea service is integrated into a sculpted wooden tray made of ebony, known as “Magic Wood”. At the press of a button, the handmade service of finest china can be electrically retracted into the console under a sliding cover finished in high-gloss black.

The driver’s area and cockpit are reduced to the essentials.

Air vents, which reflect the design of the radiator grille, surround the free-standing Widescreen Cockpit with dual 12.3inch displays. The feeling of spaciousness is further enhanced by a light, contrasting bottom part of the instrument panel as well as by the reduced height of the dashboard.

Like a butler, the Mercedes-Maybach concept is designed to act with anticipation, instead of offering long menus and lists.

The vehicle plays music to match the current mood, knows the appointment calendar and plans the routes accordingly.

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The holistic comfort and infotainment system can be individually programmed. Energizing comfort control has been carried over from the S-Class. Systems such as massage, fragrancing, light and music are combined, helping to regenerate and improve concentration.

The highlight of the user experience is the comprehensive touch control concept – a combination of touchscreen and touchpad on the centre console, and Touch Control buttons in the steering wheel. Alongside the intuitive control experience, reduced driver distraction is a further advantage.

The control of the free-standing Widescreen Cockpit comprises three levels with rising information density: home screen, base screen and a submenu. The voice control adjusts to the user’s voice and adapts new vogue words or changed use of language. In addition, the system does not employ stereotypical responses but uses interactive variations.

The Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury is conceived as an electric car. Thanks to its four compact permanent-magnet synchronous motors, it offers fully variable all-wheel drive.

The output from the powertrain is 750 hp. The flat underfloor battery has a usable capacity of around 80 kWh, producing a range of over 500 kilometres. The top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h. The fast-charging system allows a charging capacity of up to 350 kW. In just five minutes, enough power can be charged to achieve an additional range of around 100 kilometres. The battery can be charged by cable, or by induction, whereby current is transmitted without contact by an electromagnetic field below the car.

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The Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury concept

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SELECTIONS · A MASTERFUL FUSION

A MASTERFUL FUSION Maison Boghossían recently collaborated with Haute Couture brand Stéphane Rolland for the latter’s Spring-Summer 2018 Maison Boghossían of Geneva brings with it more than a hundred years of deeprooted knowledge in the art of precious stones and fine jewellery. A family journey that began in Armenia, via Syria, Lebanon and Antwerp, is now in its 6th generation. The brand they founded has positioned itself at the cutting-edge of design, surpassing the classic principles of jewellery design. With a family philosophy that dictates that they strive to be more than just another jeweller, Boghossian brings revolutionary ideas to the jewellery world.

The maison is now famous for their mastery of the intricate art of ‘inlaying,’ a technique that involves delicately carving and seamlessly setting one stone within another. On example is the “Reveal” which features transparent precious stones such as heliodore, morganite and amethysts fit within solid-coloured stones like black jade, pink opal and chaorite. The maison also invented ‘Les Merveilles’ technique in which tiny square prongs secure stones in a gradation of sizes to create a piece that appears as though it was made of solid diamonds.

The maison recently collaborated with Haute Couture brand Stéphane Rolland for their Spring-Summer 2018 collection which introduced a masterful fusion of Haute Joaillerie and Haute Couture. The collaboration produced a great synergy between the two brands, thanks to a common element in their respective DNAs; their obsession with contrasts.

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Statement necklace with specially-cut flame-shaped diamonds married to diamond briolettes

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SELECTIONS · A MASTERFUL FUSION

Albert Boghossian, CEO of Maison Boghossian

Merveilles Collection

Albert Boghossian (Right) with Stéphane Rolland (Left)

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“Our own story, built on one hand from the Middle East, with its softness, the attention they give to details and to opulence, and on the other hand, from the West with its contemporary audacity and its technology. Our pieces are a natural fusion of this reflection.”

Albert Boghossian, CEO of Maison Boghossian

“We’re really a company that excels in contrast... but in everything we do, there is harmony”, Albert Boghossian, the CEO of the family-owned Haute Joaillerie brand once told Swiss Style magazine. Stéphane Rolland’s mother worked at Pictorial Service, one of the most famous Parisian photographic studios, exposing him to some of the finest black-and-white photographs. He once told Couture Notebook magazine: “Everything was black-and-white; everything was about volume and contrast. My eyes were trained early on with these concepts, and everything I do is about contrast, volume and movement.

It’s in my DNA.” The collection was unveiled at an event held during the Paris Fashion Week at the Opéra-Comique where more than a thousand people from all over the world came together to discover the first collaboration. The operatic ambience of the theatre where art meets culture seemed the perfect setting to embrace Stéphane Rolland’s Haute Couture collaboration with Boghossian’s Haute Joaillerie.

The atmosphere was majestic; the models walked the runway to the rhythm of a cellist with the grace and rhythm that one finds in an opera or theatrical show. The show reached its climax

as ‘Le Choeur Parisien’ interpreted ‘Le Coeur des Pèlerins de Tannhäuser’ by Wagner. This powerful finale created an emotional tension and a real connection between the show and its audience.

“To me, fine jewellery and haute couture have the same guideline: make the woman who wears them dream and travel to the limits of what is possible. Starting from a concrete moment such as a wedding or a ball and creating an atmosphere that propels a person to the borders of imagination, that is the will of Haute Couture and Fine Jewellery.” - Albert Boghossian, CEO of Maison Boghossian.

Commenting on the collaboration, Albert Boghossian remarked: “Stéphane perfectly described the essence of our Maison. It’s the reflection of our own story, built on one hand from the Middle East, with its softness, the attention they give to details and to opulence, and on the other hand, from the West with its contemporary audacity and its technology.

Our pieces are a natural fusion of this reflection. What I love about Stéphane and his style is the structured side to his cuts, combined with fantasy and creative freedom. You can really tell there is a will to break free from the rules and take his designs to the borders of creativity”.

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A U T O M O T I V E · R E S U R G E N T N AV I G AT O R

RESURGENT NAVIGATOR With an unparalleled blend of luxury and power, the 2018 Lincoln Navigator is confirmation that the glorious age of full-sized SUVs has only just begun. Al Tayer Motors has started delivering the Lincoln’s all-new, fullsize SUV to customers across the UAE The all-new Navigator, which made its regional debut at the Dubai International Motor Show in November to an enthusiastic response in the UAE, is now available through Al Tayer Motors showrooms in Dubai and the Northern Emirates and Premier Motors showrooms in Abu Dhabi.

“Interest from customers is very strong, and we are excited about the resurgence of this American luxury brand, which began with the Continental last year,” said Ashok Khanna, Chief Executive Officer, Al Tayer Motors. “The all-new Navigator is an exceptional product in the seven to eight seat luxury SUV segment, and we look forward to a strong performance from the vehicle in the UAE.” The new Navigator’s elegance is on display before the doors even open. Upon approach, the chrome Lincoln star logo on the grille softly illuminates, then the LED lighting in the lower front body and tail-lamps subtly engages, and a luminous Lincoln welcome mat appears beneath the front doors. At night, interior ambient lights sequentially illuminate each of the SUV’s three rows. During the day, a panoramic roof fills the cabin with natural light.

The two words that have always been associated with the Navigator are spacious and luxurious. Spaciousness comes in all three rows in an interior layout that is clean and uncluttered, with a simple, soothing ambience.

“When designing the Navigator, we put an emphasis on ultraluxury touch points. We took everything the client would see and touch and made sure it would look and feel a little more exuberant, a little more indulgent and incredibly beautiful.”David Woodhouse, Lincoln design director.

For owners desiring a more personalised look, Navigator comes with three Lincoln Presidential options which offer an exclusive collection of interior design themes and materials, plus a host of membership privileges.

Navigator is designed to be intuitive and easy to use.

A 12-inch configurable instrument cluster allows drivers

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“When designing the Navigator, we put an emphasis on ultra-luxury touch points.

We took everything the client would see and touch and made sure it would look and feel a little more exuberant, a little more indulgent and incredibly beautiful.”

David Woodhouse, Lincoln Design Director.

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Lincoln Navigator Interior

to choose the information they want to be displayed. An optional Head-Up Display shows selected information on the windshield instead of the instrument cluster. The HUD is one of the brightest in the segment, with class-exclusive polarised sunglasses support.

The Navigator offers speed-dependent adaptive lighting, a new Lincoln technology that provides a broader spread of light at lower speeds for increased visibility, particularly helpful when driving through residential areas. As the vehicle accelerates, the beam of light narrows to help eliminate the glare off signs or other distractions. With the turn of a dial, the driver can adapt the Navigator to changing road or weather conditions.

The driver and front-seat passenger seats offer massage, heating and cooling functionality, and can be adjusted up to 30 different ways. The second-row is available in three configurations: three-person bench, two captain’s chairs with a console, or two captain’s chairs with the convenience of a pass through.

The second-row passengers have their own climate control and two 10-inch adjustable screens, each capable of displaying different content. They are capable of streaming content wirelessly with an Android device or through SD cards, HDMI cable or USB drive. Coupled with the Revel Ultima audio featuring 20 speakers that work in concert with the interior design and acoustics, the navigator’s cabin transforms into a personal theatre.

Navigator’s advanced cargo management system offers an adjustable shelf behind the rear reclinable seats that allows

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clients to create storage customised to their needs. Even with the vehicle parked on an incline, the feature ensures groceries won’t roll out when the liftgate is opened. For customers wanting more storage, the Navigator L adds more than 430 litres of extra space behind the third row.

The Navigator is awash with tech-toys. Six USB ports, four 12volt power outlets, and a 230-volt plug. Lincoln’s new Personal Profile uses the key fob to recall individual driver preferences for adapting seat, mirror and pedal positions, as well as climate control and entertainment settings. To reduce the stress from parking, the 360-degree camera and Enhanced Park Assist integrate views from four cameras to create an overhead image so that the driver can see all around the vehicle. Adaptive Cruise Control reduces the stress of dealing with stop-and-go traffic.

Available as an option is the wireless phone charger in the firstrow centre console. Another option is the Standard SYNC 3 with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility which enables clients to manage audio, phone, navigation and more from the vehicle touch screen or steering wheel-mounted controls.

The new Navigator is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre engine which delivers class-leading 450 horsepower and 691 Nm of torque. The twin-turbocharged engine technology offers better fuel economy without compromising on power and performance. The all-new 10-speed SelectShift automatic transmission delivers smooth and effortless gear changes. Steering wheel mounted paddle activation gives the driver manual control of the gear shifts.

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Lincoln Navigator

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AUTOMOTIVE · FOUR-SEATER HERITAGE

ONE OF A KIND Successors to the long and triumphant line-up of Ferrari 4-seaters, the GTC4 Lusso and the GTC4 Lusso T are the latest incarnation of Ferrari’s fourseater heritage. To say the least, the authoritative combination of driving comfort mated with raw performance ensures that they have no parallel in the present-day or the past Ferrari’s GTC4Lusso T, built on the success of GTC4Lusso, introduces a whole new Ferrari GT concept. It is the first four-seater in Ferrari’s illustrious history to sport a V8 turbo engine and is aimed at owners seeking a car that is sporty and versatile but also perfect for everyday driving.

The 3.9-litre V8 turbo powering the Lusso T is the latest evolution of the engine family named overall “2016 International Engine of the Year”. It delivers a maximum power output of 602 hp at 7,500 rpm to the rear wheels, which in the real world translates to a 0-to-100 kmph acceleration in 3.5 seconds on the way to its top speed of 320 kmph.

The V8 turbo’s signature characteristics suit day-to-day driving in urban contexts: a rich, powerful soundtrack at high speeds that becomes more muted at lower speeds. It is nimble and responsive courtesy of the versatile, modular torque delivery across a wide range. The Lusso T also features further refinements to its shooting brake coupé lines which takes it closer to an almost fastback-like silhouette.

The rear-wheel-drive Lusso T and the V12 all-wheel-drive Ferrari GTC4Lusso are the latest interpretation of the four-seater concept to come from Maranello. The concept combines performance with seating for the driver and three passengers. The history of the fourseater at Ferrari is long and illustrious and begins in 1948.

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AUTOMOTIVE · FOUR-SEATER HERITAGE

The 166 Inter, introduced in 1948, was Ferrari’s first ever two-door four-seater road-going model and thus, the first true predecessor of today’s Lusso. It was based on the 166 sports racing models, such as the 166 MM Barchetta, with which it shared a slightly lower-powered version of the sophisticated 2-litre V12.

Typical for those years, no two cars were alike, and one of the most popular coachbuilders of the Inter was Carrozzeria Touring.

Then in 1960, the 250 GT 2+2 became the first four-seater Ferrari to be produced in large numbers. In fact, nearly 1,000 cars were built between the model’s launch at Le Mans 24 Hours in 1960 and 1963. Although there had been other Ferrari models designated 2+2s in the early 1950s, the 250 GT 2+2 was the first with proper four-seat accommodation, and the concept proved to be extremely popular, accounting for about two-thirds of the total Ferrari 250 GT road car production of the period. The Pininfarina-designed car was equipped with the 3-litre version of the V12 producing 240 hp, with the last fifty examples being fitted with 4-litre engines and designated 330 America.

The 330 GT 2+2 coupé replaced the 330 America. Styled by Pininfarina, it was characterised by its front-end styling that included large quad headlights emphasised by chrome surrounds.

Upon its introduction at the Brussels Salon in January 1964, the new 2+2 model garnered much praise from the press at the time and was considered to offer substantial improvements over its predecessor. One of the most famous owners of the 330 GT 2+2 coupé was John Lennon of Beatles fame who was bought a model in 1965 by his bandmates the day he passed his driving test.

Ferrari 250 GT 1960 70

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Ferrari 166 Inter 1948

Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 1964 SIGNÉ · EDITION 31

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A U T O M O T I V E · F O U R - S E AT E R H E R I TA G E

Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 1967

Ferrari 365 GT4 1971 72

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Ferrari 456 GT 1992

In 1967, the 365 GT 2+2 was presented at the Paris Motor Show as the replacement for the 330 GT 2+2. With its elegant, imposing lines, it was the first Ferrari to feature power steering and air conditioning as standard for the American market.

The 365 GTC4 was the 1971 successor to the 365 GT 2+2. The body style was very different from the models that it replaced: gone were the graceful rounded curves and the elliptical radiator grille which were replaced by a much more angular wedge design, which was coming into vogue at the time. The more compact design of a two-seater coupé hid the fact that the car had two small rear seats which had folding backs to increase luggage space.

In 1972, Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2 was introduced featuring a brandnew design from Pininfarina, who were tasked with developing a fast, svelte and elegant 2+2 to be powered by the classic 4.4-litre V12 engine. The new design also had to break with the more classical lines of the 1967 365 GT 2+2 as well as provide greater rear seat space than the 1971 GTC4. The 365 GT4 2+2 model was announced at the 1972 Paris Salon and continued in production

until 1976. It was replaced by the 400 series which maintained the refined styling that exuded an air of sporting luxury right up until its final interpretation, the 1985 5-litre 412 which ended production in 1989.

In 1992, the 456 GT took the luxury 2+2 coupé theme to new heights and saw Ferrari return to the front-engine concept for the first time since the 1968 365 GTB4. The all-new 65° V12 provided unprecedented flexibility and power. This model may be considered the first direct predecessor of the Lusso where one finds the genesis of Lusso’s silhouette and design elements. The 456 was succeeded by the 612 Scaglietti between 2004 and 2011.

Its larger size made it a genuine four-seater with adequate space in the rear seats for adults.

Then in 2011 came the FF, a four-seater that was Ferrari’s first production four-wheel drive model which according to Ferrari, was the fastest four-seater upon its release. Its silhouette, described as a shooting-brake, a type of sporting hatchback with two doors, has transitioned into the Lusso.

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Ferrari GTC4Lusso T 2016

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Ferrari GTC4Lusso T 2016 (Interiors)

The Ferrari GTC4Lusso, first introduced in 2016 as a successor to the FF, featured updated lines and a new interior.

More importantly, the all-wheel drive on the new four-seater has four-wheel steering which allows all four wheels to steer and propel the car, which in turn allows the car to turn as fast

as it can accelerate. It also sports the latest evolution of the naturally-aspirated GT V12 powerhouse which now produces 680 horsepower, capable of accelerating the GTC4Lusso from zero to hundred kmph in 3.4 seconds on the way to its 333 kmph top speed.

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S E L E C T I O N S · Q U I C K S TA RT YO U R D AY

The Barisieur

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QUICK START YOUR DAY Coffee maker or alarm clock? This bedside companion starts its day with the most important chore for the day - brewing the perfect cup of coffee, right before it proceeds to wake you up!

The Barisieur is a premium alarm clock that does not jolt you out of your sleep, but instead, eases you into your morning with the soothing sounds of bubbling water along with the smell of the freshly brewed coffee or loose-leaf tea. It is the product of a young creative mind driven by the entrepreneurial spirit and the new phenomenon of global crowdfunding.

Joshua Renouf is a young London-based product designer with a passion for innovation and playful designs that encourage interaction and induce a cherished relationship between the product and the user. This design philosophy necessitates the use of premium materials that are made to last and age gracefully.

The Barisieur is inspired by a combination of the modern ritual of filter coffee with the visual aesthetics of a vinyl record player.

Form follows function with all aspects of this design. The scientific borosilicate glassware sits on a beautiful walnut or rubber-wood timber tray. The tray effortlessly lifts off the mid-century-styled black or white base to aid transportation of accessories. The mix of Scandinavian and timeless design makes the Barisieur feel at home whether it is placed in the kitchen, living room or bedroom.

The Barisieur’s simple base houses the underlying technology.

An induction coil is used to boil the water efficiently and safely

in the vessel above. It has a milk vessel centralised in the base that’s cooled at 3 °C thanks to an integrated peltier cooler, which detects if milk is present with the help of an infrared sensor. A retro digital display tells the time and is also used to set the alarm. The brightness of the display, managed by an integrated diode, dims in low lit environments. There is a sealed drawer to store coffee or tea powder, and the stainless-steel lid of it also holds a stainless-steel spoon.

At the set time, the water in the beaker begins to boil, lift through the tube and drop into the funnel positioned above the cup. What comes out at the bottom of the funnel is a hot, aromatic, freshly brewed coffee.

Joshua was able to take the Barisieur from a design concept and into production thanks to the mentoring he received at Virgin Start-up, including a few tips from Richard Branson himself, followed by a successful crowdfunding campaign at Kickstarter and Indiegogo by which he was able to raise US $ 700,000. The Barisieur is scheduled to go into production before Christmas and supply to the likes of Ace Hotel, Saatchi & Saatchi, Jacobs Coffee and the 2,000 lucky backers from across the globe in 2018.

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ART & DESIGN · DECODING LUXURY ARCHITECTURE

DECODING LUXURY ARCHITECTURE Signé explores the concept of “Luxury Architecture” according to Eric Carlson, founder of Carbondale “At Carbondale, we try to be leaders. We don’t follow styles; we create them. What I find fascinating about design is the opportunity to create something new for each project.

This is why we are specialists in ‘Luxury Architecture;’ because we can customise each of our works.” These are the words of Eric Carlson, elaborating on his concept of ‘Luxury Architecture,’ and about his Paris based Architectural firm Carbondale. Formerly, Carlson was the founder and Director of the Louis Vuitton Architecture Department in Paris for seven years.

“When I say we’re specialists in ‘Luxury Architecture,’ I mean we create custom designs that are unique for each client. We invent new elements and materials intrinsically based on the identity of the Client or Brand. It gives them an ownership that can only be theirs… a kind of ‘architectural copyright’ generated from the symbiosis of Architect and Client. We have many examples of this in our work.” - Eric Carlson, Carbondale founder.

The many examples of Carbondale’s “Luxury Architecture” are impressive indeed. Louis Vuitton, Longchamp, Dolce & Gabbana, Escada, TAG Heuer, Paspaley Pearls, BMW, and Tiffany & Co are some of the luxury brands that Carbondale has worked with; designing for them corporate headquarters, retail spaces, restaurants, brand-museums, penthouse apartments, bespoke mansions, and even plazas.

Carbondale’s projects are found around the globe, from Paris to London, New York, Milan, Munich, Venice, Monaco, Sao Paulo, Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Las Vegas and Switzerland. “Clients who are seeking ‘the exceptional’ are rare and come to us from all over the globe. Our work is inherently international,” explains Carlson. “For me personally, it’s the differences that excite me the most and fundamentally inspire the designs.”

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The “differences”, according to Carlson, are not just between brands, but also increasingly, within brands. “The brand strategy of creating the same architecture everywhere in the world for luxury brands has changed drastically. The need to recognise and be comforted by sameness has been replaced by the desire to find oases of distinctiveness within an increasingly industrialised society. Customers from New York visiting a luxury brand store in Tokyo do not want to see the same store as they have in New York.”

The new Venetian Dolce & Gabbana flagship store situated within the historical Palazzo Torres building is Carbondale’s latest high-profile project and aptly exemplifies Carlson’s approach to ‘Luxury Architecture.’ “When designing a store in Venice,” says Carlson, “it is essential to understand that Venice is not a shopping destination like Paris or Milan, Venice is a cultural destination.”

This implies that there must be a commitment to the Venetian artistic heritage & craftsmanship; which in turn means that the Dolce & Gabbana store should first and foremost be a “culture destination,” and should be the genesis of the architectural design direction. This approach was supported by Save Venice and Venetian Heritage associations. The fact that Carbondale has had previous experience working within the creative confines of historic buildings in London, Paris and New York came in handy.

The 800 square meter, two-level flagship store built in 1880 was a former bank, along Via XXII Marzo. It was designed by the Venetian Architect and Sculptor Giuseppe Torres in the neoVenetian renaissance style. For a brand defined by contrasts, the store’s exterior and interior design explores and accentuates the contrasts between the “historical” and the “contemporary” with a spatial design inspired by the Italian palazzo model with their distinctive rooms, each with characteristically different colours and finishes.

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The women’s evening wear room at the Dolce and Gabbana Flagship Store in Venice

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The High-Jewellery space at the Dolce and Gabbana Flagship Store in Venice

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The Dolce and Gabbana Flagship Store in Venice

Visitors are greeted on arrival by the free-standing symmetrical stone façade meticulously restored and displaying the brand’s accessories for men and women. This space is lavishly detailed with intricately carved dark wood walls and ceilings and elaborately patterned inlay mosaic stone floor. The contemporary furniture is delicately designed to disappear or to reflect and accentuate the historical envelope.

The journey then leads to a linear architectural “atriumcanal,” flooded with natural light and a spectacular 20-meter long by 4.5-meter high wall of 24-karat gold glass mosaic tiles that were handmade locally in Venice by traditional mosaic craftsmen Orsoni and Friul. The mosaic wall supports 45 floating brass shelves displaying the latest bags and accessories.

The large women’s ready-to-wear room is red, lined with Rosso Levanto marble and stone mosaic tiles while the men’s ready-towear is green with Verde Menta marble and mosaics. The highjewellery space is blue, lined with dark blue glass mosaic walls punctuated with glimmering gold glass mosaic stars inspired by the 10th-century arched portico of the Basilica at Piazza San Marco. The stair tower space is green, lined in Verde Antigua marble and leads visitors up to a 20-meter long wall mirror which visually and magically doubles the size of each room.

The men’s formal-wear rooms are blue and green. They are wrapped in blue silk Damasks made by the historic Venetian Bevilaqcua weavers, and Irish Green and Italian Blue Boquira marbles. The women’s evening-wear room is gold, defined with wood inlaid flooring, brilliant gold Damask and Giallo Siena Marble. The spatial experience crescendos in three exceptional rooms from the 1800’s meticulously restored and finely inhabited with exquisitely designed furniture to accommodate the Dolce & Gabbana’s men’s Sartoria and women’s Serra creations.

Given the use of extravagant materials in Venice, one may be forgiven for assuming that they are an essential part of Carlson’s concept of luxury.

“It is a common misconception that materials make the project luxurious. In fact, it is the quality of the ideas, of the strategy and the quality of the fabrication of those ideas that determine a luxurious result. To achieve this level requires resources for the thinking, and for the making of the architecture.” - Eric Carlson, Carbondale founder.

The “fabrication” of Luxury for Carlson also extends to using the latest digital technology on offer. “Because Luxury Architecture offers opportunities for exploration, it will likely be at the forefront of how this new technology or new material will be manifested. However, like any material, it’s important to understand that ‘the digital’ is not a solution, but it is only a tool that when combined with ideas can improve practical aspects of our lives but also the way we experience our environment. For our projects, we collaborate with digital specialists who master the technical hardware and software aspects to conceive new ideas. Our BMW Avenue George V Paris Showroom-Museum is an excellent example of how this new type of collaboration can produce innovative digital based ideas.”

Closer to home, Carbondale is currently working on a project that also exemplifies Carlson’s concept of luxury but on a much bigger scale. The Plaza Building on Breakwater Island, Abu Dhabi, is a 75,000 square metre black mirrored block of offices, luxury residences and commercial space located along the corniche. Architecturally sculpted to echo the desert dunes, this contemporary building is crowned by a metallic canopy constructed of arabesque geometric patterns. The high-tech canopy is designed to filter the desert sun and supply cooling water vapour establishing a sublime vegetal Urban Oasis. The crowning features include a swimming pool, hammam and restaurant structures conceived as luxurious architectural jewels that glimmer in the desert sun.

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ART & DESIGN · ROYAL WARE

ROYAL WARE Wedgwood unveils the Vera Jardin Dinnerware collection designed by Vera Wang Wedgwood, the iconic premium lifestyle brand founded in 1759 by Josiah Wedgwood, manufactures the highest quality fine bone china dinnerware, teaware, the iconic Jasperware as well as beautifully crafted ornamental pieces. Based on the principles of design, quality and innovation, and combined with its rich heritage of over 250 years, Wedgwood has become a true British cultural icon and a testament to the British entrepreneurial spirit and craftsmanship.

Wedgwood’s influence extends into fashion with long-standing collaborations with world-renowned designers Vera Wang and Jasper Conran. The recently unveiled Vera Jardin Collection forms part of the Vera Wang Wedgwood Elements of Style Collection and is an excellent example of the collaboration. Vera has created distinctive impressions in dinnerware, stemware, flatware and giftware to expressively address the sensibilities and lifestyles of today’s consumer.

The patterns are inspired by Vera’s love affair with nature and flora, in this case, the lush surroundings and fragrant botanicals of the gardens of the temples at West Lake in Hangzhou, China.

They coalesce with Vera’s pen and ink oxalis drawings featuring fine gold tendrils, bronze petals, and shimmering leaves. These original prints compliment the table on fine white bone china, all designed to infuse positive energy into the home.

Vera Jardin Collection is the latest chapter in the long and illustrious history of the Wedgwood brand which began with Josiah Wedgwood; a master potter, inventor, pioneer, philanthropist, humanitarian, and entrepreneur. Aged just twenty-nine, Josiah

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Vera Jardin Dinnerware collection

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ART & DESIGN · ROYAL WARE

Wedgwood Ceramic Chess Pieces

Wedgwood Tray of colored Jasper trials 84

Decorative Pieces by Wedgwood SIGNÉ · EDITION 31

Wedgwood figurines

started as an independent potter and began to experiment with clay, exploring its many possibilities.

During his lifetime, Josiah Wedgwood invented and produced three of Wedgwood’s most famous ceramic bodies - Queen’s Ware (1762), Black Basalt (1768) and Jasper (1774). These remain famous to this day.

In 1762, Josiah met Thomas Bentley; a well-travelled Liverpool potter and merchant who had a sound knowledge of classical and Renaissance art. The two formed a lifelong friendship and creative partnership which yielded probably Josiah’s most creative and prosperous period. Today, the Wedgwood and Bentley collection celebrates this partnership and is the pinnacle of the product portfolio. It encompasses the finest Wedgwood ornamental ware and luxury tableware, with each item made in England and meticulously decorated by hand by Master Craftsmen.

Jasperware, or simply Jasper is the most famous of Josiah’s inventions which first appeared in 1774. A vitreous fine stoneware, it is distinguished by its matte and “unglazed biscuit” finish. It has been made in blue, green, lilac, yellow, black or white; sometimes

one piece combining three or more of these colours. The iconic light blue jasper gave rise to the expression “Wedgwood Blue” and remains a recognisable Wedgwood signature worldwide. Upon the delicately coloured grounds are applied the classical and contemporary reliefs which are still made today from moulds reproduced from the originals.

Innovation and an uncompromising commitment to quality were the foundation for Wedgwood’s enduring appeal among the world’s Royal families and Heads of State beginning with Queen Charlotte. She was so impressed with Wedgwood’s wares that she granted permission to Josiah to style himself ‘Potter to Her Majesty’ and call his innovative creamware ‘Queen’s Ware’. Since then, Wedgwood collections have graced the tables of every British monarch, the Vatican and many other illustrious Heads of State from the Kremlin to the White House. It is also the brand of choice for some of the world’s most prestigious hotels such as The Savoy, Berkeley and Connaught of London, The Langham group, India at The Ritz Carlton, Tokyo, and at the Oberon at The Hay Adams, Washington DC.

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L A D O L C E V I TA · R A C E O F C H A M P I O N S

RACE OF CHAMPIONS Meydan raises the stakes for the H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum UK Endurance Festival to 1 Million pounds making it the ultimate endurance racing event worldwide Euston Park, in the United Kingdom, hosted Britain’s largest and Europe’s richest endurance festival, the H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum UK Endurance Festival between August 16 and 19, 2018. With 1 million pounds announced as the prize and incentives pool, this is the highest-ever prize money offered for an endurance festival in Europe.

The three-day festival featured the best international, national and Pony Club riders. An Athletes’ village supported the festival, offering top international riders the very best facilities and infrastructure. The Endurance Festival was located in the beautiful parkland of the Euston Park Estate and included CEI3* 160 km, CEIO2* 120 km, CEIOYJ2* 120 km, CEI1* 80 km and CEIYJ1* 80 km international rides. National rides were also scheduled along with the Pony Club National Championships.

The 2017 running of the festival saw a remarkable 356 riders from 32 nations participate and 150 national entries. These numbers made the festival the largest endurance event ever held in Europe. Riders from as far afield as Australia, South America and the United States travelled to the UK for the festival. This year, the numbers were reported to be even higher.

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L A D O L C E V I TA · R A C E O F C H A M P I O N S

Winners of the CEIYJ2* ride at the H. H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum UK Endurance Festival 2018

Modern equestrian endurance racing has its roots in the military, the U.S. cavalry to be more precise. As part of the military horse’s training regime, they were put through a five-day, 483km ride with each horse carrying a load of over 91kg. 1955 is recognised as the birth year of organised endurance riding as a formal sport, when a group of equestrians rode from the Lake Tahoe area in California, across the Sierra Nevada Range to Auburn in under 24 hours. They followed the historic Western States Trail, and their ride soon evolved to become the Tevis Cup, which remains to be the most difficult of any “100-mile” ride in the world because of the severe terrain, high altitude, and below freezing temperatures.

Majority of American endurance rides are sanctioned by the American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC), founded in 1972, as a governing body for long-distance riding. Traditional endurance ride distances range from 50–100 miles. Two wellknown American 100-mile (160 km) endurance rides are The Western States Trail Ride, commonly known as the Tevis Cup, held in California, and the Old Dominion ride, held in Virginia.

Endurance riding migrated to Europe in the 1960s and became a recognised FEI discipline in 1978. The premier global Endurance rides are the FEI World Equestrian Games staged every four years in the middle of the Olympic cycle, the FEI World Endurance Championships held in every Olympic year, and the biannual FEI European Endurance Championships.

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The international organisation has formulated rules for the evergrowing list of Endurance events with the welfare of the horse as a top priority. One-day international competitions range between 40 and 160 km. Multi-day races tend to be longer but have daily distance limits.

The most common FEI event categorisations are as follows: CEI1* (read as CEI one star) with a minimum average distance each day of 80 to 119 km; CEI2* is 120 to 139 km in one day, or 70 to 89 km per day over two days; CEI3* is 140 to 160 km in one day, or 90 to 100 km per day over two days, or 70 to 80 km per day over three days or more; CEI4* has the Senior Championships for Young Horses with a minimum distance of 160 km in one day, the Championships for 7-year-olds with a maximum distance 130 km, plus a Junior and Young Rider Championships with 120 to 130 km in one day.

These equestrian endurance events have been described as a cross between a marathon and Nascar racing because the “pit stop strategy” is just as critical in determining the winner as is the stamina of the horse. A course is divided into phases, with a compulsory halt for a veterinary inspection, or ‘vet gate,’ about every 40km. Here each horse must be presented for inspection within a set time after arriving. The vets check the horses for soundness and dehydration and monitor its heart rate and respiration among other indicators. To continue the ride, the

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horse must pass the examination which includes reducing its heart rate below that specified for the event. Any horse deemed unfit to continue, due to lameness or excessive fatigue, for example, is eliminated from the competition. For those riders not eliminated, the horse must be held for an additional “hold time”, when it is fed and watered.

The time keeps running from the time the horses leave the start point and until they reach the finish line, so it is essential that the horses recover as soon as possible during the pit-stop. Therefore, riders have a dedicated crew of specialists to assist them during veterinary checks. Their task is to prepare the horse for the vet, and to take care of both the horse and the rider during the mandatory hold times. A good crew allows the rider a brief respite and time to concentrate all energies on the strategy and demands of the trail itself. Under the rules of the FEI, the first horse to cross the line and pass the vet check as “fit to continue” is the winner.

The 1 million pounds record prize pool awarded at UK Endurance Festival was facilitated by Meydan Group who have been sponsoring, organising and hosting world-class equestrian events in the disciplines of flat racing, endurance, dressage, show jumping and eventing. These endeavours are in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, VicePresident, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, himself a highly accomplished rider in endurance events.

His Highness’s contribution to the world of equine sport has been incomparable and, as a result of his unstinting patronage and guidance, the sport of endurance riding has been steadily increasing its footprint. These events are more than endurance rides. They act as the platform upon which sporting, economic and commercial links are strengthened between the UAE and Europe.

Meydan also set another benchmark this year when they offered one million Euros as the prize pool for HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Italy Endurance Festival, doubling last year’s prize and incentives. The Italian event was held at the San Rossore Racecourse in Pisa, one of the greatest endurance venues in the world, rich with racing tradition dating back to 1829. It now hosts several world endurance events. The 2018 running of the HH Italy Endurance Festival included a series of prestigious rides including a CEI2* 120 km ride and a CEI1* 81 km ride.

The Meydan Group also sponsors two key endurance events in Dubai organised annually by the Dubai Equestrian Club. One is the His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance Festival, the other is the Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Festival, with the former being the most prominent ride on the Dubai endurance calendar. Meydan Group has ensured that both festivals now have international editions held at premier endurance venues in Europe.

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L A D O L C E V I TA · T H E A R A B E S Q U E R E T R E AT

THE ARABESQUE RETREAT A fortress overlooking the Gulf of Oman, the Fairmont Fujairah Beach Resort is surrounded by panoramic views of the ocean and mountainous landscape. With well-appointed interiors and outdoor activities ranging from hiking to water sports on the menu, there is no better place to reconnect with nature, or rejuvenate the spirits.

The Fairmont Fujairah Beach Resort, nestled between the majestic Hajjar Mountains and the azure Sea of Oman, is Fujairah’s only art inspired resort showcasing over 50 art pieces from around the globe placed strategically throughout the resort.

The architecture is modern with subtle hints of the traditional mud houses of the region. The interior, however, is truly par excellence and befitting an art-inspired resort.

A creation of Stickman Tribe, the decor makes ample use of white and natural light and is a delightful mix of modern bohemian and art-deco with arabesque touches.

The signature design of the resort is its pool. Its distinctive floor design is inspired by a Berber carpet. Its elongated bar serves the pool deck and swim-up counter. Above it, the cantilevered deck offers private Majlis style seating with unrestricted views of the blue horizon.

The resort has just 180 guest rooms and suites which fall into three categories. All of them feature terraces with either marina or ocean views, and floor to ceiling windows. The Guest Rooms and Deluxe Guest Rooms are 40 square metres and are ideal for families. Guests needing extended areas can request connecting rooms. The rooms have an enlarged workspace, and balconies have lounge chairs. The Suites are 80 square metres and have separate sleeping, living and play areas, while the deluxe suite is fitted with an additional outdoor terrace.

The Royal Suite occupies the entire penthouse level of the resort. It is a three-bedroom suite spread lavishly across 360 square metres. It has a separate bedroom, living room, kitchen

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and dining room; all enveloped by panoramic vistas of the water. Rooms designed for those with special needs or limited mobility are available upon request.

The resort features five distinct restaurants under the stewardship of executive chef Giovanni Pugliano and his team who bring a uniquely inspired portfolio to each venue.

Canvas is an all-day-dining restaurant with live cooking stations blending flavours from different regions in the Middle East. A wrought-iron gate opens into an interior dining space that is open, light and airy.

The Copper Lobster, named after the local rock lobster, is a nautical-themed seafood restaurant with a raw, rustic and relaxed personality. The resort has partnered with local fishermen to bring the best catches daily to a market-style display room where the guests can select their preference.

The restaurant also features a London-style gastro bar where mixologist Alexander Khvastunov has created new concoctions using locally-sourced herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables.

Arteasan is a hybrid between an art gallery and a sophisticated tea room. The hotel’s tea “sommeliers,” trained

by JING Tea under a partnership agreement, have created a selection of signature tea blends using the finest of ingredients which include locally-sourced dried fruits, rosebuds, rooibos, ginger and a distinctive spice blend among others.

Café Pronto is a European-style bistro which provides tasteful bites and all-day snacks along with the finest brews.

Thanks to an exclusive partnership with Nespresso of Switzerland, Pronto’s “mixologists” use “pure origin” beans

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L A D O L C E V I TA · T H E A R A B E S Q U E R E T R E AT

The interiors of the resort is inspired

by Bohemian art fused with subtle contemporary Arabic elements

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The Royal Suite Master Bedroom

The Royal Suite Living Area

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L A D O L C E V I TA · T H E A R A B E S Q U E R E T R E AT Hotel Exterior Pool

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The Lava Beach Club

to brew exceptional classics such as Lungos, Cappuccinos and Americanos, as well as newly crafted signature iced and hot coffee drinks using home-made syrups and the finest ingredients.

Iammai, pronounced ya-mai, which literally means “I Am Water” in Arabic, is a pool lounge with a bar serving light snacks and beverages throughout the day as well as shisha from sunset. It encourages you to relax and indulge in the environment around.

The Resort is one of only two Fairmont properties in the UAE to offer the Willow Stream Spa. It consists of four single treatment rooms and two VIP suites with separate male and female facilities, plenty of relaxation areas, sauna and steam rooms, as well as traditional hammam treatments.

A rustic theme pervades the spa with design elements that are simple, elegant and in keeping with the natural and organic treatments on offer. It creates a space that’s natural, tranquil and energising. Pure white dominates, flickering arabesque lanterns placed in discreet alcoves produce soft ambient lighting, while materials like aged timber, jute and driftwood beams, create a stylish yet un-invasive environment in which to relax and enjoy a signature spa treatment.

For those wishing to recreate their own spa experience at home, a retail space offers a range of products that can help. There is also a ladies and gents’ beauty salon to provide nail and hair care, among other services. The gym, fully fitted by Life Fitness, offers options for all fitness levels; from cardio equipment to weight machines.

Lava Beach Club is the first lifestyle beach club of its kind in the UAE. With a capacity to accommodate up to 600 guests, it offers the perfect mix of social-entertainment and sophistication for families and party-goers alike throughout the day and into the night.

The centrepiece of the club is the 840 square meters free-form swimming pool tiled in hues of red, orange and yellow. It also features six in-pool Jacuzzis, a sunken pool bar with 12 seats, an outdoor shisha terrace and a raised DJ booth for poolside evening entertainment. The pool is surrounded by its amphitheatre-style sun-loungers. Guests of the club can also avail the private and dedicated stretch of beach. For children, there is a separate pool with splash-pad water play and the “Little Sailors” kids’ club.

For food connoisseurs, the club houses a ‘MediterrAsian’ restaurant where guests can indulge in a sumptuous selection of meats, local seafood and a varied assortment of salads and sushi.

Guests can savour the delicacies indoors, or while basking in the sun poolside or on the beach.

Adjacent to the pool are five exclusive day chalets fullyequipped with sofa, TV, minibar, bathroom and outdoor lounge seating. The guests can also avail the Penthouse suite with four bedrooms.

Given the idyllic backdrop of the Fujairah coastline, the resort is an ideal place to host MICE events, weddings or other private banquets. Fairmont has a team of professional event planners to assist the clients in organising the events. The resort has three main indoor venues of varying capacities. All three feature floor-to-ceiling windows, state-of-the-art audio-visual, and presentation systems.

The largest of the three, with a capacity of 150, is Massilya. It is bright and airy with panoramic sea-views. Its multi-function space can be divided into four separate rooms. It is ideal for conferences or indoor banquets.

Thiyya is ideal for executive meetings and presentations for up to 15 persons. The seating is laid out in a U-shape, is fully catered and serviced by dedicated personnel, and has on-site audiovisual specialists.

Ittou is the cosiest meeting room at the resort with seating for eight guests. It is an elegantly fitted space filled with natural light. It features a plasma TV screen, audio systems, and recording systems.

The Pre-function Area is truly unique. Designed in the style of a minimalistic library setting, it has high ceilings, modern-day bookshelves, trinkets adorning the walls, Italian-style settees, and cushioned-backed chairs. Ideal for cocktail receptions, it provides cosy corners for networking opportunities.

In addition to the above three, the resort also offers the Lava Beach clubs’ multi-function event lawn area as an outdoor alternative.

Creating a new chapter in the Fairmont legacy, the hotel’s sophisticated and luxurious design DNA has defined a unique resort style hotel in Fujairah.

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L A D O L C E V I TA · S PA

A LUXURIOUS RETREAT Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa has unveiled a tempting bouquet of summer offers specially designed for UAE residents. It offers something for those wishing to stay overnight, or just a day visit to enjoy the truly unique spa experience in the desert.

Al Maha is a truly unique resort located in a lush palm oasis in the middle of a vast desert reserve where each suite and venue offers unobstructed views of the surrounding golden dunes. The architecture, decor and aesthetics of the resort and each of the 42 private suites encapsulate the Bedouin heritage and culture of the region.

“Through our summer offers, we aim to ensure that our esteemed guests and patrons enjoy an extraordinary experience at Al Maha. Our special day packages offer busy guests exclusive access to ultra-modern facilities to unwind and experience the unique attractions of our desert resort,” says Patrick Antaki, Complex General Manager, Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa. Marriott International manages the resort under their Luxury Collection label, and therefore, members of Marriott International’s “Wander More” loyalty can avail an exclusive

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30% discount across suite stay, dining and the Timeless Spa. Non-members can avail a 20% discount on the same services.

To take advantage of these offers, the booking has to be made at Al Maha before September 30, 2018.

For day-visitors, the resort also offers special Al Maha day packages. The Timeless Spa package, priced at AED 325, offers access to the temperature-controlled Timeless Spa Pool, where guests can unwind with complimentary fruits and juices, can relax in absolute comfort and privacy at the jacuzzi and cold plunge, and for those in favour of a deep cleanse can opt for the sauna, or steam room.

For an additional AED 625, guests can also experience the ultimate man-made comforts at the Timeless Spa. An ideal package to relieve stiffness and ease muscle tension with a 60-minute “Timeless Therapeutic” personalised massage performed by a qualified expert. This special spa package also includes a 3-course lunch at Al Diwan where guests can enjoy an assortment of meticulously prepared delicacies that draw inspiration from the culinary cultures of the East and the West.

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A DR. RAKUS SPECIAL Dr. Rita Rakus, MBBS, FBCAM, is an award-winning, London-based rejuvenation and anti-ageing aesthetic treatment pioneer with her own high-profile practice in Knightsbridge. She has been the ‘go to’ aesthetic specialist for celebrities, models, TV presenters and well-heeled clients for more than 25 years. The Fairmont Hotel at the Palm has partnered with her to bring a trio of exclusive therapies.

The “VISIA Complexion Analysis System” uses quantitative analysis and visual assessment to determine the overall skin condition by looking deep into red and brown spots, wrinkles, acne, and sebum production to provide a revolutionary new metric to guide the selection of skin care products and treatment options.

Hydrafacial MD uses the unique “Vortex-Fusion” serum delivery system to deliver a multi-step cleansing treatment that

evenly exfoliates and extracts impurities and dead skin cells while at the same time replenishing vital nutrients including Antioxidants, Peptides and Hyaluronic Acid. This treatment system helps mitigate environmental damage, reduces fine lines and wrinkles, plumps and firms the skin for long-term results.

The Exilis Elite for Face and Body is an award-winning non-invasive system for advanced body sculpting and wrinkle reduction. The treatment works by using precisely controlled heat, produced using a combination of radiofrequency and ultrasound to target and eliminate fat cells, which are then released naturally using your body’s own system.

Dr. Rakus makes regular visits to the spa for face-to-face consultations with clients upon request.

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L A D O L C E V I TA · R E S TA U R A N T S

FUSION EXPERIENCE Katsuya by Starck combines the sophisticated yet simple artistry of Master Sushi Chef Katsuya Uechi and the whimsical flair of iconic Parisian Aesthete Philippe Starck, to produce a hybrid of cultures and tastes, to marry the best of East with West.

Located at the new Fashion Avenue extension at The Dubai Mall, Katsuya is a full-service, upscale casual restaurant that skilfully translates Japanese flavours for the discerning palate. The ambience and menu welcome anyone from a busy professional to the casual shopper looking for a quick fix, or the more serious diners looking for an elaborate affair.

The restaurant offers an impeccable range of speciality mocktails, Robata grills, unique rolls and sushi platters, all

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carefully prepared by Katsuya’s team of culinary experts. However, it is the fusion element in the dishes that set it apart from the other Japanese dining experiences in Dubai. The Edamame Hummus is an excellent example of the restaurant’s fusion concept.

Guests have the option of being seated indoors at the sushi bar or the main restaurant area, or outdoors on the terrace with great views of the Dubai fountains. Guests can also opt for Starck’s ‘private dining area’ to celebrate a special occasion with loved ones.

Katsuya by Starck, Fashion Avenue, The Dubai Mall, +971 4 419 0067 / +971 4 419 0069

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SPANISH DELIGHT

El Sur has hit the Dubai gastronomic scene by storm, promising to transport diners to Spain without leaving Dubai.

The restaurant sports a true Spanish character in its look and feel with an earthy décor and uber chic artwork and interiors, and an al fresco dining on its gorgeous outdoor terrace.

The award-winning restaurant has the traditional farm-to-table concept and sources the finest and freshest handpicked ingredients from local suppliers.

The ingredients are combined to create a range of dynamic dishes such as the Angus Beef Short Ribs with Beetroot and

“Chimichurri”, El Sur black rice topped with thin shavings of dried tuna to name a few.

El Sur’s unique selection of dishes with its mellow yet sophisticated ambience is the perfect place for relaxed dining or for celebrating special occasions.

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El Sur, The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina, +971 4 399 7700

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L A D O L C E V I TA · BO N D I M M E R S I O N

BOND IMMERSION Sölden, Austria, is now home to an installation celebrating the adventures of James Bond The words “Bond, James Bond,” invoke a sense of cinematic adventure like no other. The spy thriller franchise has brought to life some of the most outrageous and memorable action sequences ever seen. Another feature of the franchise is the iconic locations where some of the scenes are set.

One such setting, appearing in the Daniel Craig starrer Spectre, is the bespoke building designed and constructed by Obermoser arch-omo zt gmbH inside the summit of the Gaislachkogl Mountain in Sölden, Austria, at 3,050 metres above sea level. In real life, the complex houses the cable car station and the “ice Q” restaurant, while in Spectre, it is the location of the Hoffler Clinic.

Sölden is renowned as a winter ski destination, and is in fact, the official training site for the US Ski team. In the summers, it offers challenging mountain trails with spectacular views for trekkers and mountain bikers alike. Now, Sölden has a new claim to fame. It is home to a brand-new installation dedicated to the world of James Bond, titled 007 Elements.

Housed inside the “Obermoser” building, the installation focuses on the most recent film, Spectre, which was shot in Sölden, but also showcases the other titles in the 24-film series. The installation is a collaboration between the project’s creative director, Neal Callow, and the creative team at Optimist Design led by Tino Schaedler. Neal Callow was the Art Director on Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall and Spectre.

Optimist Design is a Los Angeles based company that designs staging concepts for many renowned global brands like Google, Nike and the Grammy Awards.

Their collaborative installation is an immersive, interactive, and informative experience that reveals how the world of 007 is made through an ultra-modern, emotive and engaging experience. It takes visitors on a journey through a series of nine high-tech, interactive galleries, each distilling the craft of the

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signature elements that define a James Bond film; the beautiful title sequences and dramatic scores, the jaw-dropping action sequences, the cars, gadgets and technology, the breath-taking locations, iconic studio sets, and a host of compelling characters.

Visitors enter the installation through the “Barrel of the gun” corridor which alludes to the opening sequence of Spectre. It leads to the outdoor “Plaza,” and then on to the “Lobby,” where director Sam Mendes welcomes visitors and explains why Sölden was chosen as a location along with other “insider information.”

The “Mirror Cabinet” reminisces the memorable scenes of all Bond actors, from Connery to Craig, followed by a 360-degree visual experience.

The “Tech Lab” features Bond’s gimmick memorabilia as well as interactive platforms that give an insight into the workings of computer-generated tricks and special effects. The “Action Hall” houses Bond’s crashed vehicle, together with miniature figures reproducing Spectre’s climactic scene. In the “Screening Room,” visitors can relive some of the most spectacular scenes from Spectre brought to life using the best video and audio technology available today.

The spectacular location for the installation was chosen to place guests in Bond’s environment and bring the stories to life in a unique and unforgettable way. On clear days, it offers a seemingly endless panoramic view, stretching to Zugspitze summit in the north, and to the mighty Dolomites in the south. To take in the sights, visitors can also climb the peak on foot or relax on the terrace of the ice Q restaurant.

The designers wanted the location and its pristine natural Alpine surroundings to be present in the building’s interior; thus, the decision was taken not to use air conditioning.

Visitors are, therefore, advised to wear warm clothes, even in the summer months.

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007 Elements, a James Bond Museum in Sölden, Austria

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L A D O L C E V I TA · M A D M AX - M E E T S - T R A N S F O R M E R

MAD MAX-MEETS-TRANSFORMER The genre-defying, mind-expanding, triple-tracked transformer clock, Grant, is the latest creation by MB&F produced in collaboration with L’Epée 1839 MB&F and L’Epée 1839 present Grant, a robot clock on a mission: to “transform time so that you can relax and enjoy it.”

MB&F, founded by Maximilian Büsser in 2005, is an artistic and microengineering laboratory dedicated to designing and crafting small series of radical concept watches by bringing together talented horological professionals that Büsser both respects and enjoys working with. L’Epée, founded in 1839 by Auguste L’Epée, today is the premier manufacturer in Switzerland dedicated to making high-end clocks.

The two distinguished entities have come together to create Grant: a robot with a time display on his shield and a mission to slow things down when time runs too fast. There are no incessantly

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flashing digital numerals on Grant’s shield, no continually spinning second hand. Grant transforms frantic chaos into relaxing hours and minutes.

Grant can travel quickly over the messiest desk on his three operational rubber tracks. He can also transform into one of the three different modes: lying horizontally over his chassis for a low profile, crouching at 45 degrees, and sitting up 90 degrees.

Whatever the angle, Grant’s highly polished clockwork is on full display, whe`wre every click and turn of the gears can be observed. The mainspring barrel click near his ‘belly button’ is particularly mesmerising in operation. The isochronal oscillations of the regulator keeping time in Grant’s glass-domed ‘brain’ are evidence of the clockwork’s high precision.

SIGNÉ · EDITION 31

Grant’s 8-day, in-line manufacture movement features the same superlative fine finishing as found on the finest wristwatches: Geneva waves, anglage, polishing, sandblasting, plus circular and vertical satin finishing. Hand finishing a clock movement is significantly more challenging than that of a wristwatch due to the larger surface areas of the clock components.

Grant’s left arm holds a “youreally-don’t-want-to-mess-with-me” spinning disk, while his right arm clasps a removable grenade launcher which doubles as a removable winding and time-setting key for his 8-day clockwork.

Grant is available in three limited editions of 50 pieces each in Nickel, Black, and Blue.

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