180 years of brand history is nothing to sniff at, and Australian wine producer Penfolds is marking the special occasion with a stellar 2024 collection.



Aptly named the Penfolds 2024 Collection, the anniversary release comprises the fruits of Australia, China, the US, and France’s labours, featuring 25 wines made from the greatest vineyards around the world, sourced and produced under the multi-regional Penfolds house style. Under the guidance of Penfolds senior winemaker Steph Dutton, we at&nbsp;Robb Report Hong Kong&nbsp;had the opportunity to sample some of the finest reds from the collection, including the Grange, Bin 704, FWT 585, CWT 521, and Bin 389—a personal favourite—certifying our long-held belief that Penfolds is indubitably Australia’s premier vintner.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/5R6A0425-1024x683.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790351" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/5R6A0425-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/5R6A0425-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/5R6A0425-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/5R6A0425-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/5R6A0425-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Multi-regional winemaking is not just a Penfolds signature—it’s the inherent philosophy of the enterprise. Introducing the producer’s unique viniculture, Dutton says that “the strength of the different vintages in the Penfolds 2024 Collection feels especially fitting as we celebrate our 180th anniversary. Witnessing the consistent quality and style across five distinct vintages in such a milestone year makes this achievement even more significant, and underscores Penfolds unwavering commitment to excellence.”



Paired with excellent cuisine from Ocean Table, each dish complimented the taste and tannins of the red wines, and it was love at first blush as a fabulous flight of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and even Merlot (yes, it is indeed&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/food-drink/wine/what-makes-merlot-exceptional-wine-choice-1235434366/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">time to drink Merlot again</a>) was generously poured. Each tasting informed the other, an elevation of spirits that tickled our taste buds. All in company mimicked a fine nose, jotting down notes from their powers of observation, penning thoughts on aroma, acidity, tannins, sweetness, and alcohol, and rooting for that harmonious, magical alchemy, which many found in different numbered glasses. At the wine-tasting luncheon, there was no rank and file; we were all oenophiles.&nbsp;



Many a wine critic worthy of the pen has often stated that an exceptional wine need not necessarily have a great price tag. On that note, our favourite wine happened to be the humble&nbsp;2022 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz&nbsp;that displayed a remarkable array of aromas and flavours on an elegant palate structure. Perhaps the most anticipated drink was the commemorative Bin 180—Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz 2021. Released in honour of the winemaker’s 180th anniversary, a milestone year, the exquisite red was made from the 2021 Coonawarra vintage, and became an instant classic. “Our goal was to craft a landmark wine to acknowledge [our] 180th anniversary,” said Penfolds chief winemaker, Peter Gago, who has been in Beijing since early August, creating a VIP gala dinner, art exhibition, and bespoke wine experiences with Penfolds at a 600-year-old former Dongjingyuan temple. “Compellingly—the lure of outstanding parcels in barrel availed from the stellar 2021 Coonawarra harvest. Fatefully—testament to a pre-ordained and magical Australian varietal union—a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. Resultingly—Penfolds 2021 Bin 180 Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz.”&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="829" height="1024" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/PEN-MagillEstate-CellarDoor-Barrels-3-829x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790347" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/PEN-MagillEstate-CellarDoor-Barrels-3-829x1024.jpg 829w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/PEN-MagillEstate-CellarDoor-Barrels-3-243x300.jpg 243w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/PEN-MagillEstate-CellarDoor-Barrels-3-768x949.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/PEN-MagillEstate-CellarDoor-Barrels-3-1243x1536.jpg 1243w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/PEN-MagillEstate-CellarDoor-Barrels-3.jpg 1295w" sizes="(max-width: 829px) 100vw, 829px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Penfolds Magill Estate cellar door barrels.</figcaption></figure>



Penfolds prides itself in the powerful balance between the structure brought by the Cabernet and the richness that comes from the Shiraz. As we’re told, the grapes were picked from blocks five and 10, some of the oldest and most symbolic plantings in the Coonawarra&nbsp;region, and the source of some of Penfolds’s best wines—think Grange, Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon, and Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon, just to name a few.&nbsp;



Many tipped their hats to the&nbsp;2020 Grange Shiraz&nbsp;and the&nbsp;2022 Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon. For the connoisseurs, the Grange is now considered a heritage icon by the National Trust Heritage of South Australia, where the winery’s founder, Dr Christopher Rawson Penfold, lived in the 19th century, on the 500-acre Magill Estate vineyard. In fact, the wine has been referred to as the “flagship of the Penfolds wine portfolio,” and is even considered Australia’s answer to the best Bordeaux.



For those with a penchant for American Shiraz, there is the charming 2021 Bin 600 Cabernet Shiraz, and the once cinematically maligned Merlot made one heck of a comeback with the French 2021 FWT 585 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Petit Verdot.  The Penfolds 2024 Collection also welcomes the second release of Chinese Winemaking Trial (CWT) 521 Cabernet Sauvignon Marselan. According to the official launch, the 2022 vintage trial wine blends Cabernet Sauvignon from Shangri-La and Marselan from Ningxia. “In the spirit of trial and experimentation, Penfolds has married two varieties, sourced from two viticultural regions, on a continent far from home,” says Matt Woo, Penfolds red winemaker responsible for crafting CWT alongside the company’s China-based winemaking team. Although the approach sounds unusual, “the structural framework from the Cabernet Sauvignon melded with the rich, generous palate of Marselan in a harmonious synergy. [It’s a] wonderful follow up to the inaugural 2021 release.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/PEN-Shangrila-Winemakers-vineyard-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790349" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/PEN-Shangrila-Winemakers-vineyard-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/PEN-Shangrila-Winemakers-vineyard-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/PEN-Shangrila-Winemakers-vineyard-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/PEN-Shangrila-Winemakers-vineyard-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/PEN-Shangrila-Winemakers-vineyard-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Shangrila Winemakers vineyard, China. </figcaption></figure>



Among all the releases (French, Australian, American, and so on), this release from China certainly piqued our interests one of the highlights of the anniversary collection, and a new attainment in <a href="https://robbreport.hk/posts/china-best-fine-wines-wynn-signature-chinese-wine-awards" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the rise of Chinese fine wines</a>. 



Penfolds Bin 180 Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz is available in Hong Kong now. Grab it quick—there are only 180 magnums and eight jeroboams are available globally. Visit the Penfolds <a href="https://www.penfolds.com/en-sg/wines/penfolds-collection-2024?srsltid=AfmBOorMIng6YybyHXbU6xYDxA9HOp_ytNcwnUSKLzS-9emIrnnm6s-t" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">website</a>.



All images courtesy of Penfolds.

Anniversary

Penfolds

Wine

Celebrating 180 Years, the Penfolds 2024 Collection is an Oenophile’s Arcadia

<a href="https://robbreport.com/food-drink/wine/gallery/best-napa-valley-red-wine-magnums-1235451331/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon</a>&nbsp;fans, clear some space in your wine fridges. The latest shipment from the&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.winesavage.com/membership/?utm_source=edit&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;utm_campaign=q3-article-24" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Robb Report 672 Napa Valley Wine Club</a>&nbsp;features a trio of Cabs from America’s most famous wine region. While recent club offerings have included red blends,&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/food-drink/wine/gallery/best-syrah-shiraz-wine-buyers-guide-1235807599/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Syrah</a>, Malbec, and&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/food-drink/wine/gallery/best-merlot-2024-worldwide-1235659002/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Merlot</a>&nbsp;alongside bottles of Cab, this quarter the stars have aligned, and all three selections are made with the king of red grapes. Club director Dave Shefferman says that although it’s purely coincidental this time around, it’s not entirely unexpected. “While we do try to mix it up with blends and other varietals, by definition&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/napa-valley/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Napa Valley</a>&nbsp;is Cabernet-heavy,” Shefferman told us. “That said, we thought this quarter’s shipment was a fun mix of three distinctive regions: One from Atlas Peak, one from Oakville—one of the highest regarded appellations in Napa Valley—and one from across Napa Valley.”



Members already know that the club regularly replenishes its stocks of under-the-radar Napa <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/cabernet-sauvignon/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cabernet Sauvignon</a>, cuvées, and interesting single-varietal reds. Named for the number of bottles held by a standard pallet of wine, Club 672 exclusively supplies its members with red wine from Napa Valley. All are produced in very small quantities, normally just a few barrels, and they are prime examples of the valley’s best single vineyards or blended from Napa’s finest sites. Having grown his network of winemakers and winery owners over his career, Shefferman seeks small-batch offerings that usually only get sold to winery’s private club members.



“Our process starts with scouting,” he says. “Our team is regularly out and about, meeting with producers, attending industry events, and tasting wines.” Unlike many wine clubs where individual buyers make purchasing decisions, Shefferman evaluates the standout wines alongside a panel made up of winemakers, sommeliers, and WSET-certified professionals, who blind taste the submissions together and pick the very best without bias.



Every quarter begins with hundreds of wines and once selections are narrowed down to fewer than 20, we taste the wines and help Shefferman choose the final three that will be shipped to club members, who receive two bottles of each—one to enjoy now, and one to lay down for a later date. Each six-bottle pack, compiled four times a year, is priced at between US$550 and US$650 (HK$4,285 and HK$5,065), including shipping, for an average price of US$100 (HK$780) per bottle. Considering the price of many Napa Cabs, this is an amazing deal for limited-quantity, hard-to-procure Napa reds. (Full disclosure, we also write the tasting cards that are included with each shipment and the emailed producer profiles, but we do not receive any additional compensation from the <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/wine-club/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wine club</a>.)



Here are the three wines featured in the Robb Report 672 Napa Valley Wine Club’s upcoming shipment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Stringer Cellars 2021 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/RR_Club_672_Q3_Stringer-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790535" style="width:731px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/RR_Club_672_Q3_Stringer-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/RR_Club_672_Q3_Stringer-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/RR_Club_672_Q3_Stringer-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/RR_Club_672_Q3_Stringer-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/RR_Club_672_Q3_Stringer-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image courtesy of String Cellars</figcaption></figure>



Made with 96 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon and 4 per cent Petit Verdot, this wine is a true cross-section of Napa Valley. Grapes were procured from three valley-floor vineyards in Calistoga, Oakville, and Yountville, and three high-altitude sites on Howell Mountain, Atlas Peak, and Pritchard Hill. After picking by hand, grapes were fermented in stainless steel tanks and 75 per cent new oak barrels, aged separately before blending and then combined and aged for six more months. Stringer Cellars 2021 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is deep ruby in the glass and has aromas of lavender, violet, red plum, and raspberry. Polished tannins and mild acidity are wrapped around flavours of cassis, black plum, raspberry, nutmeg, and fennel pollen that dissolve into a smooth finish.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Acumen Wines 2021 Peak Cabernet Sauvignon Atlas Peak</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/RR_Club_672_Q3_Acumen-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790536" style="width:731px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/RR_Club_672_Q3_Acumen-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/RR_Club_672_Q3_Acumen-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/RR_Club_672_Q3_Acumen-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/RR_Club_672_Q3_Acumen-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/RR_Club_672_Q3_Acumen-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image courtesy of Acumen Wines</figcaption></figure>



Sourced from two different vineyards only a half mile apart, this wine combines the best of both worlds, allowing for the intensity of one to be balanced out by the more graceful characteristics of the other; a tiny amount of Merlot is blended in for equilibrium. Acumen Wines 2021 Peak Cabernet Sauvignon Atlas Peak is dark garnet to the eye. It has a nose of red plum, cherry cola, sage, and thyme. Flavours of black cherry, raspberry, cherry pipe tobacco, anisette, and dark chocolate are set into muscular tannins that gently coat the tongue and gums before drifting away.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Stanton Vineyards 2019 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/RR_Club_672_Q3_Stanton-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790537" style="width:731px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/RR_Club_672_Q3_Stanton-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/RR_Club_672_Q3_Stanton-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/RR_Club_672_Q3_Stanton-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/RR_Club_672_Q3_Stanton-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/RR_Club_672_Q3_Stanton-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image courtesy of Stanton Vineyards</figcaption></figure>



At the heart of the Oakville appellation, the Stanton family has farmed their vineyard since 1947, and they acquired it in 1952. Over the years, they have sold grapes to the likes of Newton, Phelps, Far Niente, and Groth, but from the taste of this, it seems they may keep the best fruit for themselves. Stanton Vineyards 2019 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon has aromas of cassis, cedar, and mocha. Inky garnet in colour with a violet rim, it has flavours of red plum, red currant, blackberry, milk chocolate, clove, and violet. Silky tannins and a burst of bright acidity on the finish make for a beautiful pour.

Napa Valley

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Private Club

Red Wine

Wine Club

wine tasting

Robb Report’s Napa Valley Wine Club Has 3 Stellar New Cabernet Sauvignons on the Way

Established in the late 19th century as the “Saratoga of California,” Calistoga has long lived up to its reputation as a quaint (if slightly dated) spa town surrounded by a great place to grow grapes. As a&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/wine/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wine</a>&nbsp;destination, the northernmost town in&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/napa-valley/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Napa Valley</a>&nbsp;is usually overshadowed by its down-valley neighbours; while many wine lovers spend their nights here in high-end properties run by Auberge, Four Seasons, and Rosewood, the typical Calistoga visitor is looking forward to a mud bath instead of a fantastic bottle or an unforgettable culinary experience.&nbsp;



That all changes with the opening of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.calistogadepot.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Calistoga Depot</a>, an extravagant&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/dining/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dining</a>-and-drinking complex in the town’s historic 1868 train station renovated by French vigneron Jean-Charles Boisset and opened in partnership with Michael Madden. The terminal’s original entrance now hosts Boisset’s Depot Provisions, offering gourmet goods and prepared food as well as a phenomenal wine selection that highlights Calistoga and Napa Valley favourites, plus plant-based Nova Terra Kitchen &amp; Creamery. The Great Hall, with its soaring ceiling and enormous bar fronted by miners’ shovels and topped with a pair of giant copper stills, is home to Calistoga Depot Distillery 1868, the spot to sample Boisset’s full line of proprietary small-batch spirits, from Fame &amp; Misfortune straight rye whiskey to Prosperous &amp; Penniless barrel-aged gin.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="2400" height="1600" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Calistoga_Depot1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790013" style="width:680px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Calistoga_Depot1.jpg 2400w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Calistoga_Depot1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Calistoga_Depot1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Calistoga_Depot1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Calistoga_Depot1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Calistoga_Depot1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The copper-clad Distillery Room offers several tasting experiences. Image courtesy of Scott Chebegia</figcaption></figure>



On the original platform, a series of elegantly refurbished rail cars evokes the golden age of train travel. Each has been playfully converted into a distinct destination, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earthandskychocolates.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth &amp; Sky Chocolates</a>, upscale Mexican eatery and tequila bar&nbsp;<a href="https://casaobsidiana.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Casa Obsidiana</a>, the First Millionaire’s Saloon (named after Sam Brannan, the founder of Calistoga and California’s first millionaire), and the JCB Parlor Car, offering Champagne, oysters, and caviar.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="683" height="1024" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/JCB_ParlorCar-683x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790014" style="width:840px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/JCB_ParlorCar-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/JCB_ParlorCar-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/JCB_ParlorCar-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/JCB_ParlorCar-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/JCB_ParlorCar-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/JCB_ParlorCar.jpg 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The exterior of the JCB Parlor Car. Image courtesy of Scott Chebegia</figcaption></figure>



For those who want to sample a bit of everything, Boisset recommends the Golden Ticket, a passport to exploring the various facets of the Depot. Or just take your cue from the man who runs a collection of wineries across France and California: For daytime visitors, he suggests starting with “a perfect wood- oven-fired pizza on the Provisions patio with a locally brewed beer, then on to a flight of spirits in the distillery, and concluding with a taste of Mexico and a sip of Casa Obsidiana tequila.” For those arriving at a later hour: caviar and oysters in the JCB Parlor Car, followed by a cocktail in the First Millionaire’s Saloon, then ending the evening at Casa Obsidiana with a molé feast and a tequila cocktail.&nbsp;



Though the train is long gone, cyclists still arrive regularly via the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vinetrail.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Napa Valley Vine Trail</a>, which runs the length of the valley and concludes here. Signage and images on the platform tell the story of the founding of Calistoga and Napa Valley, the history of Sam Brannan, and the long journey to bring the Depot to life. Boisset calls it a “magical building richly tied to local history,” and to be sure, he has done everything possible to make it so.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Extended Tour</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="2400" height="1600" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/WinePairing_Meal.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790015" style="width:696px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/WinePairing_Meal.jpg 2400w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/WinePairing_Meal-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/WinePairing_Meal-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/WinePairing_Meal-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/WinePairing_Meal-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/WinePairing_Meal-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image courtesy of Scott Chebegia</figcaption></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Chateau Montelena</h3>



Famous for producing the Chardonnay that won the 1973 Judgment of Paris,&nbsp;<a href="https://montelena.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chateau Montelena</a>&nbsp;dates back to 1882 and was one of Napa Valley’s largest wineries by the beginning of the 20th century. The stone château houses an impressive collection of back vintages, several of which are available via the Montelena Estate Collection and Explore Ageability tastings. Other options include the current release Taste of Montelena and the Hillside Terrace Experience, the latter of which features a vineyard tour followed by a wine tasting and a gourmet alfresco lunch. Winemaker Matt Crafton’s Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, and Riesling are among the valley’s most highly regarded.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Schramsberg</h3>



Founded by German immigrant Jacob Schram in 1862,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.schramsberg.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Schramsberg</a>&nbsp;was acquired and restored by the Davies family almost 50 years ago. Producers of some of Napa Valley’s finest sparkling wine, the vineyard offers a Blanc de Blancs that has been served at the White House by every administration since Nixon first toasted to peace with Chinese premier Zhou Enlai in 1972. Today, Hugh Davies and the Schramsberg team continue his parents’ legacy by adhering to environmentally friendly practices; by-appointment-only tastings include Schramsberg bubbles and still wines made at sister property Davies Vineyards.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Castello di Amorosa</h3>



Constructed with 8,000 tonnes of handworked local stone and nearly 1 million European bricks, <a href="https://castellodiamorosa.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Castello di Amorosa</a> is a faithful re-creation of a 14th-century medieval Tuscan castle featuring 107 rooms and a three-acre footprint. Built by fourth-generation vintner Dario Sattui, Castello di Amorosa honours his passion for architecture, his great-grandfather’s pioneering spirit, and all things Italian. In addition to Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, the winery’s offerings include Italian varieties such as Sangiovese and Pinot Grigio and even a Super Tuscan–style blend. Reservations are required for tastings, tours, and cheese and charcuterie pairings within the castle.

California

Calistoga

Calistoga Depo

dining and drinking complex

luxury dining

train

This Old-Timey Train Station in Napa Valley Was Transformed Into a Gorgeous Dining and Drinking Complex

A few months ago, a white-glove gala affair attended by connoisseurs and critics saw some of the best wines in the world feted and awarded lofty titles. Among them, the best red, white, Chardonnay, Vidal, and so on were named in a grand total of 23 categories. Upholding international competition standards, adjudicated by a panel of 27 local and international critics, the deliberation was followed by a highly anticipated awards ceremony.



On the night, the highest honour was awarded to the Fei Tswei Marselan Reserve 2021. In fact, all the winners were Chinese, as Wynn Macau and Wynn Palace hosted the first-ever Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards in April of this year. As the biggest Chinese wine competition in the world—and what we hope will become an annual affair—the event created seismic ripples in the tipple industry, and many an epicurean from Europe and the Americas were paying attention to the hitherto globally unsung labels, vineyards, and locales.



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" data-id="1234789715" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Judging-5-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789715" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Judging-5-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Judging-5-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Judging-5-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Judging-5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Judging-5-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" data-id="1234789714" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Judging-7-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789714" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Judging-7-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Judging-7-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Judging-7-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Judging-7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Judging-7-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" data-id="1234789716" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Judging-6-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789716" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Judging-6-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Judging-6-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Judging-6-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Judging-6-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Judging-6-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
</figure>



Celebrating Chinese wine excellence, the Fei Tswei Marselan Reserve 2021 took away the Best Wine of China trophy, while also earning the Best Red Wine, Best Marselan, and Best of Ningxia titles. Xige Estate N28 Chardonnay 2021 won two awards, namely Best White Wine and Best Value Wine, while Domaine Franco Chinois Petit Manseng 2018 received the Best Sweet Wine, Best Petit Manseng, and Best of North China accolades.



Adding to the dialogue ignited by <a href="https://robbreport.com/food-drink/wine/china-fine-wine-new-era-1235432010/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">earlier reporting</a> by Robb Report on the rise of Chinese wines, the surge of popularity and consumption of fine Chinese labels continues, with those in the business and in the know voicing their approval from around the region. Asian sommeliers, regional wine critics and judges, and our own fine wine and rare spirit columnist put their two cents in to discuss the burgeoning billion-dollar industry that is fermenting as we speak.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Chateau-Nine-Peaks-九顶庄园-1024x683.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789719" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Chateau-Nine-Peaks-九顶庄园-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Chateau-Nine-Peaks-九顶庄园-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Chateau-Nine-Peaks-九顶庄园-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Chateau-Nine-Peaks-九顶庄园-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Chateau-Nine-Peaks-九顶庄园-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Chateau Nine Peaks in China.</figcaption></figure>



“For European wine lovers, the notion of Chinese-produced wines is still very nascent,” says Lewis Chester DipWSET, co-founder and CEO of Liquid Icons and the go-to wine expert at Robb Report, who also contributes to Robb Report Hong Kong’s annual <a href="https://robbreport.hk/posts/the-best-in-wines-spirits-from-the-macallan-to-liber-pater-and-dom-perignon">Best in Wines &amp; Spirits</a> compendium. “Part of this emanates from the ‘unobtainability’ of the wines, either in stores, merchants, or restaurant lists. Part of this is related to a perception that the wines are not of great quality. Overriding is the fact that the ‘Old World’ wines of Europe are perceived to be the best [and] already available in relative abundance at all levels of price and quality, making it hard for a newcomer to find a place in the market,” he explains. “At the fine wine level, the LVMH project, Ao Yun, has certainly made some interest and noise in the media. But the wines are still relatively young, and the feeling is that it will take a decade or more before they can be considered at or near the same level of other wines made in the LVMH portfolio.”



Change is surely afoot, as 500 international wine enthusiasts, winemakers, and industry experts populated the affair at Wynn Macau and Wynn Palace, lured to libations from a region that does not get enough love nor press. As a strong foothold to showcase the highest-quality wines from China on a global stage, Wynn went on to host the Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Month in May following the awards, further celebrating the greatness of Chinese wines.&nbsp;



“We have created the awards ceremony to serve as a global platform to allow wine experts from various regions in China to collaborate, exchange knowledge, and promote Chinese wines on a larger international stage, enhancing the reputation of Chinese premium wineries in the world,” says Linda Chen, president, vice-chairman of the board, and executive director of Wynn Macau.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="683" height="1024" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ch-wines-683x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789705" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ch-wines-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ch-wines-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ch-wines-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ch-wines-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ch-wines.jpg 1067w" sizes="(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /></figure>



According to the grapevine, we have merely tapped the top of the barrel of what lies ahead. When asked what wines from China he would recommend, Eddie McDougall, chair of judges of the Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards, took pause before answering. “It is a really difficult question to answer as there have been so many positive developments in the last three to five years. Although, I would have to say that the Chardonnays that have emerged from Shandong in the last 18 months have been very impressive; the complexity, energy, and shape of these wines are just reaching new heights for Chinese whites.”



If it seems too premature to pop Champagne in honour of the new age of fine Chinese wine, the industry is currently bubbling over with excitement. McDougall says that “the renaissance is here, it’s happening, and the acceptance of the wines from China by top industry professionals and the Chinese consumers gives a lot of confidence. It’s a very exciting time to be involved in the Chinese winemaking fraternity.”&nbsp;



However, the opinion of Gus Zhu MW, vice-chair of judges, differs a smidge. “‘Renaissance’ is a strong word—there are lots of changes and improvement, but we can’t say ‘renaissance.’ For the everyday consumer, the focus should be on discovering wines that offer accessible pricing and exceptional quality. In this regard, the Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards act as a distinguished platform that sheds light on Chinese wines on an international stage, garnering recognition, and acclaim from esteemed industry experts,” he continues. “With the notable distinction of the Best Value Wine selection, I look forward to seeing consumers embracing and celebrating these remarkable beverages.”



“I have been really enjoying some of the white wines that have been emerging. For instance, some of the Chardonnays from Shandong. I have also been enjoying some Shiraz from Shangri-La very much,” says Fongyee Walker MW, vice-chair of judges. “I still think that there is a lot of great wine to be discovered in China. And the more I go out, the more I feel that China has a lot to offer. For instance, recently, I found a beautiful Viognier in Ningxia.”



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="682" height="1024" data-id="1234789708" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_2112-682x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789708" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_2112-682x1024.jpg 682w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_2112-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_2112-768x1153.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_2112-1023x1536.jpg 1023w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_2112.jpg 1066w" sizes="(max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="682" height="1024" data-id="1234789709" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_2113-682x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789709" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_2113-682x1024.jpg 682w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_2113-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_2113-768x1153.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_2113-1023x1536.jpg 1023w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_2113.jpg 1066w" sizes="(max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="683" height="1024" data-id="1234789707" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_2115-683x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789707" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_2115-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_2115-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_2115-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_2115-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_2115.jpg 1067w" sizes="(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="682" height="1024" data-id="1234789706" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_2118-682x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789706" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_2118-682x1024.jpg 682w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_2118-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_2118-768x1153.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_2118-1023x1536.jpg 1023w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_2118.jpg 1066w" sizes="(max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px" /></figure>
</figure>



Walker’s credentials are too copious to list, but she has been featured in the award-winning documentary Red Obsession and starred in Wok ‘n Wine, pairing wines with Chinese cuisines. She illuminates, “China’s traditional drink was wine made from rice wine—the baijiu, the high-proof spirits, became more famous [in the second half of the 20th century] and that was promoted very much more as the Chinese spirit of choice. However, I still believe that the most traditional drink is rice wine in China and not high-proof spirits because that’s what the poets and all the writers would drink in the Tang, Song, Ming, Qing, and Han dynasties.”



Agreeing with us that there isn’t enough milage on media coverage of notable Chinese wines, Walker concurs, “Most people just don’t even think that China has wine and that’s the most common misconception. I think they’re worried about the source of the wine and the production process. Additionally, there’s a misconception about the quality level being lower than it is.”



And when it comes to recommendations, Walker strays away from broad brushstrokes. “You have to recommend wine to people’s tastes,” she says matter-of-factly. “If they like white wine, I recommend going for a nice fresh Chardonnay from, let’s say, Tiansai in Xinjiang, like Skyline of Gobi Reserve. If they like sweet wine, then try an ice wine from Shangri-La, or an ice wine from Liaoning. If you like big reds, then go for a Shiraz Marselan from Xinjiang—or you could go for a Cabernet from Ningxia. If you like pink, that’s a bit hard. But if you’d like something interesting and funky, then go for an Aglianico from Grace Vineyards in Shangxi. If you’d like something ‘Pinot-y’ then the best Pinot in my opinion are being produced right outside of Beijing in Huailai, Hebei at the Canaan Winery under the Chapter and Verse brand.”



A favourite quote from an oenophile comes to mind, “A bottle of wine begs to be shared; I have never met a miserly wine lover.” Walker concurs and concludes, “Go out there and drink, and drink, and drink. Try what you like, do what you like. Don’t listen to too much—just explore your own tastes and your own abilities, because that’s what’s most important. I hope that you keep an open mind, an open palate, and an open enjoyment—that’s the key to life!”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="728" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Wynn-Signature-Chinese-Wine-Awards_Award-List-1024x728.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789701" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Wynn-Signature-Chinese-Wine-Awards_Award-List-1024x728.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Wynn-Signature-Chinese-Wine-Awards_Award-List-300x213.jpeg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Wynn-Signature-Chinese-Wine-Awards_Award-List-768x546.jpeg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Wynn-Signature-Chinese-Wine-Awards_Award-List-1536x1092.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Wynn-Signature-Chinese-Wine-Awards_Award-List-2048x1456.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



All images courtesy of Wynn Macau.

Best Chinese Wines

Chinese Wine

Wynn Macau

China’s Fine Wines Continue to Rise. Here Are the Best Ones to Try Right Now.

It’s very tempting, when thinking of winery resorts, simply to recall global legends. In California’s Napa Valley, for instance, there’s Meadowood, a sprawling 250-acre rolling estate on the outskirts of St Helena. It has 36 bedrooms, and many regulars opt for a detached guest room partly hidden among the trees, say number 5, which is close to two pools, the gym, and the spa.



Meadowood has evolved from a private club launched in the 1960s, later acquired by wine guru Bill Harlan. Harlan, now 83, is quite a character. The grandson of a theology professor at Pepperdine University, his colourful past includes hitchhiking around the entire continent of Africa, professional gaming and motorbike racing, establishing his own highly successful Harlan Estate winery, and uttering such dogmatisms as “The only way to have a partner in a vineyard is if that partner also has a long-term perspective.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/The-Napa-Valley-Reserve-Bocce-Court-1024x683.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789738" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/The-Napa-Valley-Reserve-Bocce-Court-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/The-Napa-Valley-Reserve-Bocce-Court-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/The-Napa-Valley-Reserve-Bocce-Court-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/The-Napa-Valley-Reserve-Bocce-Court-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/The-Napa-Valley-Reserve-Bocce-Court-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">At The Napa Valley Reserve, over 50 acres have been planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vines. Image courtesy of The Napa Valley Reserve</figcaption></figure>



Bill Harlan remains the brains and power behind Meadowood’s adjacent sibling property, The Napa Valley Reserve, a members’ wine-growing estate described by some as a stunning golf club without any golf. What it does have, however, is vines. Over 50 acres have been planted, 90 per cent with Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest with Merlot. Members buy rows of vines to produce their own wines, and are bottled as such. Members also network at exclusive events, and they can have use of multiple facilities for private events, either bringing their own chefs or working with the resort’s talented team.



The Harlan statement is not a Napa Valley norm. 10 minutes south along the I-29 from Meadowood, for instance, lies St Supéry Estate Vineyards and Winery. It has been owned since 2015 by Alain and Gerard Wertheimer, the German brothers who are best known for also owning Chanel, in all the brand’s variants.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1X2A1149-1024x683.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789739" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1X2A1149-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1X2A1149-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1X2A1149-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1X2A1149-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1X2A1149-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Over a hundred striking sculptures are dotted around the grounds of Lympstone Manor. Image courtesy of Lympstone Manor</figcaption></figure>



In England, however, celebrity chef Michael Caines is the sole owner of the 17,500 vines that cover 11 acres of the stunning 28 waterside acres surrounding his Lympstone Manor. This man’s a Leonardo of a dynamo. He designed every detail of what is now a 21-room luxury country house hotel—a favourite is Kingfisher on the upper floor, looking down to Devon’s beautiful Exe Estuary.



There are over a hundred striking sculptures dotted around the grounds. Caines, whose youngest child, Isabeau, is just three and after whom the Lympstone sparkling rosé is named, has also added six double-sized en-suite shepherds’ huts that attract kids and their parents, and now he’s doing a fully-fledged spa to complement tennis and an Olympic-sized heated outdoor pool.



Around Michelins for as long as he can remember, Michael Caines already has one star for Lympstone (choose one of his paired tasting menus). If possible, by the way, coincide with a special Caines happening—he’s a renowned petrolhead and his latest event was Lympstone’s annual Celebration of Speed, with Ferraris, Lamborghinis, McLarens, and lots of wine—for spectators, at least.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MVC240581149-Gran-Hotel-Mas-den-Bruno-Amphitheatre-at-sunset-over-vineyard-1024x683.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789740" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MVC240581149-Gran-Hotel-Mas-den-Bruno-Amphitheatre-at-sunset-over-vineyard-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MVC240581149-Gran-Hotel-Mas-den-Bruno-Amphitheatre-at-sunset-over-vineyard-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MVC240581149-Gran-Hotel-Mas-den-Bruno-Amphitheatre-at-sunset-over-vineyard-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MVC240581149-Gran-Hotel-Mas-den-Bruno-Amphitheatre-at-sunset-over-vineyard-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MVC240581149-Gran-Hotel-Mas-den-Bruno-Amphitheatre-at-sunset-over-vineyard-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Mas d’en Bruno boasts a working fire pit overlooking vineyard terraces. Image courtesy of Mas d’en Bruno </figcaption></figure>



Priorat is one of Spain’s two major wine region—the other is Rioja—and Priorat now has its first luxury winery resort, Mas d’en Bruno. As at Lympstone Manor, wake up to a minimum 270-degree vista of fruitful vines—in this case, Grenache, farmed by some of Mas d’en Bruno’s partners. Some would choose bedrooms in the original Mas d’en Bruno farmhouse but room number 50, at the end of a modern single-floor extension, is also particularly appealing. It has a padel-sized, vine-surrounded terrace with working fire pit and a private pool, heated year-round.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Bastide-lac-cygnes_GdeLaubier_2014-1024x683.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789622" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Bastide-lac-cygnes_GdeLaubier_2014-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Bastide-lac-cygnes_GdeLaubier_2014-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Bastide-lac-cygnes_GdeLaubier_2014-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Bastide-lac-cygnes_GdeLaubier_2014-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Bastide-lac-cygnes_GdeLaubier_2014-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Les Sources de Caudalie in Bordeaux is located close to the vineyards of Château Smith Haut Lafitte. Image courtesy of Les Sources de Caudalie</figcaption></figure>



It’s obviously sensible to finish in Bordeaux, and where better than Les Sources de Caudalie, known not only for its proximity to the vineyards of Château Smith Haut Lafitte, a Grand Cru Classé de Graves, but also for its outstanding beauty and spa products and its 61-room hotel—think about the Ile aux Oiseau Suite, which is like a little house on stilts over a lake, with white-and-pastel-pink interiors. Les Sources de Caudalie’s 193-acre hospitality and winery estate is owned by the Cathiard-Thomas family of sporting and supermarket fame, and is fronted by Alice Cathiard and her husband Jérome Tourbier.

Les Sources de Caudalie

Lympstone Manor

Mas d’en Bruno

Meadowood

Wine Tourism Is Back. Here Are 5 Luxury Wine Resorts For the Perfect Summer Getaway.

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Robb Report may receive an affiliate commission.



Malbec has made quite a name for itself since it left southwest France and relocated to Argentina in the mid-19th century. While it is still grown in France, especially in Cahors, most of the best-known Malbecs are produced in Argentina. <a href="https://robbreport.com/food-drink/wine/south-american-winemakers-rival-napa-1234773112/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Argentina</a> boasts the world’s highest collective vineyard altitude, with an average height of 2,700 feet. One of the primary benefits of increased altitude is greater fluctuations in day to night temperatures—sunlight increases sugar and other complex flavours during the ripening process, while night-time cold preserves the grapes’ natural acidity.



Most of Argentina’s Malbec is grown in <a href="https://robbreport.com/food-drink/dining/how-wine-first-restaurant-born-1234827685/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mendoza</a> with vineyards ranging from 1,500 feet to 5,500 feet in altitude, with grown at even higher levels in Salta. Because of the extreme altitudes Malbec grown in Argentina has a thicker skin which leads to intense colour and stronger tannins than Malbecs made in other parts of the world. When drinking one of these seven wines you can expect dark fruit flavours of black cherry, blackberry and plum along with notes of ground pepper, dark chocolate, espresso bean, leather and pipe tobacco. This bold flavour profile alongside medium to heavy tannins makes Malbec the perfect pour when you fire up the barbecue and grill well-marbled cuts of meat. Here are seven fantastic Malbecs we’re drinking right now.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://robbreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Zuccardi_2019_Finca_Piedra_Infinita_Gravascal_Mendoza_Argentina.jpg?w=800" alt="Zuccardi 2019 Finca Piedra Infinita Gravascal Mendoza Argentina"/></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://robbreport.com/"></a>Zuccardi 2019 Finca Piedra Infinita Gravascal Mendoza Argentina</h3>



Italian immigrant Alberto Zuccardi planted vines in Maipu and began what would become a family legacy. His son Jose Alberto took over the company in 1990 and brought in third generation Sebastian Zuccardi to oversee construction of the family’s new winery in the Uco Valley. Today, the winery and the Zuccardi family focus on sustainability and make wines in varying price points. Their 2019 Finca Piedra Infinita Gravascal represents the top of their line and has aromas of olive paste, blackberry, and black plum with bright acidity, silky tannins, and flavours of slate, wet river rock, black cherry, and pomegranate. <a href="https://www.wine.com/product/zuccardi-finca-piedra-infinita-gravascal-2019/1518843?s=linkshare&amp;cid=aff_linkshare&amp;siteID=ARc2sfJrg%2AQ-kIIJoJGS6ZPDa409lCQMlQ" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Buy now.</a>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://robbreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Bodega_Catena_Zapata_2021_Argentino_Vineyard_Malbec_Mendoza_Argentina.jpg?w=800" alt="Bodega Catena Zapata 2021 Argentino Vineyard Malbec Mendoza Argentina"/></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://robbreport.com/"></a>Bodega Catena Zapata 2021 Argentino Vineyard Malbec Mendoza Argentina</h3>



<a href="https://robbreport.com/food-drink/wine/bodega-catena-zapata-adrianna-vineyard-grand-cru-1235575529/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bodega Catena Zapata</a> was founded in 1902 and is well known for its high-quality Malbec wines made both from valley floor and high-altitude vineyards. Laura Catena is the daughter of Nicolas Catena Zapata and is the untiring ambassador for the brand—there’s not a wine event we attend in the world where we don’t see her. She and her father have fostered a collaboration with the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo and University of California at Davis for research and development programs between the countries. This stunning Malbec from the Argentino Vineyard is inky purple with aromas of crushed violet petals, wet river rocks, and cassis. Tight, somewhat grippy tannins offer excellent structure for flavours of black raspberry, freshly ground pepper, red plum, espresso bean, and dark chocolate. <a href="https://www.totalwine.com/wine/red-wine/malbec/catena-zapata-malbec-argentino/p/132241750?s=303&amp;igrules=true&amp;utm_source=pepperjam&amp;utm_medium=affiliate&amp;clickId=4791291739&amp;pid=affiliate%3Apromo%3A%3Apj%3A%3A" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Buy now.</a>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://robbreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Rutini_2017_Apartado_Gran_Malbec_Mendoza_Argentina.jpg?w=800" alt="Rutini 2017 Apartado Gran Malbec Mendoza Argentina"/></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://robbreport.com/"></a>Rutini 2017 Apartado Gran Malbec Mendoza Argentina</h3>



Felipe Rutini began planting vines in the Uco Valley in 1925, and today his legacy survives him with more than 1,285 acres planted to vines. His original winery was called Bodega La Rural and it was modernised to meet increased production needs in the 1990s and was then expanded again in the early part of this century. The Apartado Gran Malbec, one of Rutini’s iconic wines, offers aromas of cigar box, dark chocolate, red plum, pipe tobacco, and red raspberry. At seven years old it still has a firm tannic backbone supporting flavours of black berry, cassis, and roasted hazelnuts. <a href="https://www.wine.com/product/rutini-apartado-gran-malbec-2017/748924?s=linkshare&amp;cid=aff_linkshare&amp;siteID=ARc2sfJrg%2AQ-fpWFYG%2FpT%2Axo%2FPCafB9dBQ" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Buy now.</a>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://robbreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Kaiken_2020_Mai_Malbec_Mendoza_Argentina.jpg?w=800" alt="Kaiken 2020 Mai Malbec Mendoza Argentina"/></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://robbreport.com/"></a>Kaiken 2020 Mai Malbec Mendoza Argentina</h3>



Kaiken was founded by Chile-based Aurelio Montes in 2002 with the idea of making great Argentine wines utilizing the joint expertise of Chilean and Argentinian winemakers. The word “Mai” means “first” in the local dialect of the Pehuenche people and is used to represent the estates iconic wine. Fruit for this delightful wine is sourced from 100-year-old vines in Vistalba, Mendoza. It is ruby garnet in color with aromas of black plum, leather, red cherry, and cigar box. Balanced acidity and silky tannins pave the way for flavours of cherry vanilla, cassis, and red raspberry. <a href="https://www.wine.com/product/kaiken-mai-malbec-2020/1477113?s=linkshare&amp;cid=aff_linkshare&amp;siteID=ARc2sfJrg%2AQ-pPf4YgiFmGadM4%2Acp0YJdg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Buy now.</a>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://robbreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Vina_Cobos_2019_Marchiori_Estate_Malbec_Mendoza_Argentina.jpg?w=800" alt="Vina Cobos 2019 Marchiori Estate Malbec Mendoza Argentina"/></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://robbreport.com/"></a>Vina Cobos 2019 Marchiori Estate Malbec Mendoza Argentina</h3>



New York raised winemaker Paul Hobbs visited Argentina in 1988 and shortly thereafter began his South American winemaking career. He is well known as one of the first Americans to make quality Malbec in Argentina and continues to do so to this day. His Marchiori Estate Malbec has deep aromas of black raspberry, plum, pencil lead, mocha, and a whiff of dried Mediterranean herbs. Powerful and bold on the palate, it has flavours of ripe dark fruits wrapped in a suede-like tannic sheath. <a href="https://www.totalwine.com/wine/red-wine/malbec/vina-cobos-malbec-marchiori-estate/p/2126222646?s=303&amp;igrules=true&amp;utm_source=pepperjam&amp;utm_medium=affiliate&amp;clickId=4791292806&amp;pid=affiliate%3Apromo%3A%3Apj%3A%3A" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Buy now.</a>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://robbreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Dona_Paula_2014_Alluvia_Parcel_Malbec_Mendoza_Argentina.jpg?w=800" alt="Doña Paula 2014 Alluvia Parcel Malbec Mendoza Argentina"/></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://robbreport.com/"></a>Doña Paula 2014 Alluvia Parcel Malbec Mendoza Argentina</h3>



Established in 1997, Doña Paula proudly makes wines with grapes grown in its own vineyards; sites include San Carlos, El Cepillo, Cordón del Plata, Gualtallary, Ugarteche, and Luján de Cuyo, which are some of the best in the country. Fruit used to make this excellent wine were grown in the Alluvia vineyard in Gualtallary. It is inky purple in color with aromas of blueberry, black raspberry, pencil lead, and black plum with firm tannins and flavours of freshly ground black pepper, red plum, cherry, and blueberry pie. <a href="https://www.wine.com/product/dona-paula-alluvia-parcel-malbec-2014/1153824?s=linkshare&amp;cid=aff_linkshare&amp;siteID=ARc2sfJrg%2AQ-Lv6jOIBuSQRriHsm0AAKzA" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Buy now.</a>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://robbreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Achaval_Ferrer_2016_Finca_Mirador_Malbec_Mendoza_Argentina.jpg?w=800" alt="Achaval Ferrer 2016 Finca Mirador Malbec Mendoza Argentina"/></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://robbreport.com/"></a>Achaval Ferrer 2016 Finca Mirador Malbec Mendoza Argentina</h3>



Grapes for this fantastic wine are grown in the Mirador vineyard, which was planted in 1921 and sits at an altitude of 2,300 feet. Many of the vines in this centenary vineyard have extremely long roots that can reach deep stratified layers of minerals and nutrients imparting minerality and freshness to the wines. The 2016 Finca Mirador is drinking beautifully at eight years and has aromas of slate, red plum, and black raspberry with flavours of cassis, black pepper, tobacco leaf, and black plum all wrapped in chalky tannins. <a href="https://www.wine.com/product/achaval-ferrer-finca-mirador-malbec-2016/1251774?s=linkshare&amp;cid=aff_linkshare&amp;siteID=ARc2sfJrg%2AQ-8bslCaSoTGpxrIF4%2AF3I8g" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Buy now.</a>

Malbec

7 Delicious Argentine Malbecs That Are Perfect for Grilling Season

There will soon be a new butterfly flying over Southern California. <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/overair/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Overair</a> today announced the completion of its full-scale Butterfly electric air-taxi prototype. The Santa Ana firm expects to begin flight tests early next year.



Overair joins other California-based <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/evtol/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eVTOL</a> competitors <a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/aviation/joby-electric-air-taxi-first-piloted-flight-1235268626/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Joby </a>and <a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/aviation/archer-midnight-evtol-aircraft-flight-launch-1235386743/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Archer</a>, as well as European firms like <a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/aviation/voloconnect-evtol-completes-maiden-flight-1234689152/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Volocopter,</a> <a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/aviation/lilium-special-edition-electric-jet-1234751448/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lillium</a> and <a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/aviation/vertical-aerospace-first-evtol-flight-1234753186/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Vertical Aerospace</a>, in testing their electric air taxis. A number of these manufacturers expect to have FAA certification by 2025, with commercial operations starting shortly afterwards.



Overair CEO Ben Tigner, according to the <a href="https://www.ocbj.com/technology/ben-tigner-taking-overair-to-the-skies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Orange County Business Journal</a>, expects FAA certification in 2027. “Shortly thereafter we should be able to begin commercial operations,” he told the paper.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="563" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2.-Prototype-Group-Image85.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-1234782634" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2.-Prototype-Group-Image85.webp 1000w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2.-Prototype-Group-Image85-300x169.webp 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2.-Prototype-Group-Image85-768x432.webp 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Butterfly prototype will soon begin flight testing. Image courtesy of Overair</figcaption></figure>



The Butterfly incorporates four 20-foot-long rotors—about twice as large as other eVTOL models—into its design. Overair says the Optimum Speed Tilt Rotor (OSTR) and Individual Blade Control (IBC) technologies also differentiate its electric aircraft from competitors. OSTR varies propeller revolutions per minute to increase efficiency across vertical, transitional, and forward flight phases. It can also reduce power demand during the hover phase—the most energy-consuming part of an eVTOL flight—by 60 per cent. IBC also reduces vibration and propeller loads, resulting in a smoother, quieter flight, according to the company.



“Together, these technologies deliver an efficient, quiet, and reliable propulsion system in almost any weather, temperature, or altitude,” said a company statement. Tigner co-founded Overair in 2020 with Predator&nbsp;drone pioneer&nbsp;Abe Karem, who remains closely involved with the Butterfly project.



The Butterfly will have space for a pilot, five passengers and bags. The zero-emissions craft will have a 100-mile range and 200-mph top end, and theoretically, will be the quietest eVTOL on the market. The company it is designed to have no single point of failure, with the ability to hover on two of its four propellers.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="563" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2.-runway_night_V003.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-1234782633" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2.-runway_night_V003.webp 1000w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2.-runway_night_V003-300x169.webp 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2.-runway_night_V003-768x432.webp 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The company claims the Butterfly will be the quietest eVTOL on the market, producing decibel levels similar to a normal human conversation. Image courtesy of Overair</figcaption></figure>



After initial testing in Santa Ana, the prototype will move to Overair’s flight centre in Victorville, California, to test in different flight and weather conditions, as well as validating its 55-decibel noise target—equivalent to a normal conversation between two people. The Butterfly can be configured for different markets, including passenger, medical, cargo and military applications.



Overair has signed development agreements with authorities in Arlington, Texas, and Dallas-Fort Worth to explore eVTOL transport from those airports, as well as recently taking orders for 20 aircraft for South Korea air taxis and police. It recently received a US$145 million investment from a South Korean backer, according to the Business Journal.

This New Butterfly-Shaped eVTOL Aims to Be the Quietest and Safest in the Sky

The Best in Aviation, From Bombardier’s Global 8000 to Icon Aircraft’s Icon A5

The&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/aviation/starliner-spacecraft-launch-details-1235600665/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starliner spacecraft</a>&nbsp;hasn’t had the smoothest ride thus far, but it will soon attempt its return home.



The&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/aviation/nasa-starliner-spacecraft-fly-international-space-station-april-1235487687/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boeing vessel</a>&nbsp;is scheduled to come back to Earth on Friday evening,&nbsp;The New York Times&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/04/science/space/boeing-starliner-space-station-nasa.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday, parachuting into White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico six hours after undocking from the International Space Station. The return will take place a full three months after Starliner arrived at the ISS in June, but it will leave behind the astronauts it delivered to the space station.



“We have confidence in the vehicle,” Steve Stich, the manager of <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/nasa/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>’s commercial crew programme, said during a news conference, according to the Times. “We’ve had two good landings with Starliner so far, and we’re expecting another one Friday.”



In the works&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/aviation/boeing-starliner-iss-launch-1234680879/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">for years</a>, Starliner finally took off for the ISS with astronauts in tow earlier this summer. But as the craft approached the space station, it encountered propulsion system problems,&nbsp;The New York Times&nbsp;noted. NASA officials said they’re still not sure what caused those issues, but they don’t expect them to reoccur upon Starliner’s return.



Still, NASA decided that the vessel should come back sans the astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore. The duo will stay on the ISS until February, the Times wrote, when they’ll return to Earth aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. Dana Weigel, NASA’s programme manager for the space station, told the newspaper that Williams and Wilmore both trained for a longer mission, and that they know how to perform spacewalks and operate the ISS’s robotic arm.



“We had them well prepared to move into this role,” she said.



As for what will happen with Starliner after it returns to Earth, it’s not clear what NASA has planned. The most recent flight to the ISS was supposed to be the space agency’s last step in making sure that the craft could take astronauts to the space station once a year,&nbsp;The New York Times&nbsp;reported. Now, NASA could ask&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/boeing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boeing</a>&nbsp;to undertake another crewed test flight before those more regular trips begin. (Last month, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said that Kelly Ortberg, the new CEO of Boeing, had told him that the company would continue to work on Starliner.)



The first step, though, will be the craft’s return home tomorrow. If weather or technical issues force a delay, backup dates are set for 10, 14, and 18 September.

boeing starliner

starliner spacecraft return

Boeing’s Starliner Spacecraft Is Coming Back to Earth—Without NASA Astronauts

Jet-setters just got a luxurious new way to travel between&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/italy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Italy</a> and the dreamy islands of South Asia.



<a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/beond/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Beond</a>, which markets itself as “the world’s first <a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/aviation/beond-aviation-start-up-maldives-1235562349/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">luxury leisure airline</a>,” recently <a href="https://flybeond.com/latestnews" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">launched flights</a> between <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/milan/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milan</a> and the <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/maldives/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Maldives</a>. The new route connects Malpensa (MXP) and Malé (MLE), with a 45-minute refuelling break in Dubai in between. (Guests remain onboard during the brief stopover.) The flight takes roughly 12 hours and runs twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays.



Milan is the third addition to Beond’s European network, which includes Munich, Germany, and Zurich, Switzerland. The airline recently decided to reduce flights to Munich (MUC) and Zurich (ZRH) due to seasonal demand and therefore could launch the new service.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Beond_1-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790465" style="width:680px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Beond_1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Beond_1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Beond_1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Beond_1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Beond_1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The seats were designed by Optimares and upholstered by Poltrona Frau. Image courtesy of Matheen Faiz</figcaption></figure>



Beond enlisted Poltrona Frau to help glamorise the first aircraft on the Milan-Malé route. The renowned Italian furniture brand upholstered all 44 lie-flat <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/business-class/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">business-class</a> seats on the specially designed Airbus A319. Designed by Optimares, each seat was handmade by artisans using full-grain Pelle Frau leather from Poltrona Frau. They also feature unique quilting that ensures more comfort than the typical aircraft seat, according to Beond.



“Partners like Poltrona Frau and Optimares were instrumental in the design of our luxurious cabin,” Beond CEO Tero Taskila said in a statement. “They understood from the outset our vision for customer comfort.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="683" height="1024" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Beond_4-683x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790466" style="width:680px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Beond_4-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Beond_4-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Beond_4-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Beond_4-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Beond_4-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Beond_4.jpg 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The lie-flat seat.</figcaption></figure>



The cabin décor echoes the dark charcoal livery of the A319. The white leather seats and light walls are elegantly juxtaposed with dark flooring. Seats are in pairs on both sides of the aisle, with enough room in between that each passenger can stretch out and catch Zs. In the air, fliers can expect professional service, top-notch fare, iPads, and Bose headphones.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Beond_3-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790467" style="width:680px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Beond_3-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Beond_3-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Beond_3-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Beond_3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Beond_3-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The iPad and Bose headphones.</figcaption></figure>



For the unversed, Beond offers three types of “experiences”: Delight, Bliss, or Opulence. Delight is the least expensive fare and offers the fewest perks. Bliss includes access to the airport lounges and premium seat selection. Opulence has those perks, plus a private chauffeur transfer, a more generous baggage allowance, free booking changes, and access to an&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/aviation/beond-maldives-apple-vision-pro-1235524165/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple Vision Pro</a>&nbsp;headset.&nbsp;Robb Report&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/aviation/beond-aviation-start-up-maldives-1235562349/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recently flew “Bliss”</a>&nbsp;from Zurich to the Malé, awarding the overall experience four stars out of five.



Beond recently took delivery of a second aircraft, with the Airbus A321 currently undergoing refurbishment. Look for more new routes soon, then.

Beond

italy

jetsetting

luxury aircrafts

luxury leisure

Maldives

Milan

Luxury Airline Beond Is Now Flying Between Milan and the Maldives

Heart Aerospace is almost ready for takeoff.



The Swedish outfit is set to launch its&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/hybrid/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hybrid</a>-electric airplane in 2028, after reaching several significant milestones in the past few months.



First unveiled in 2022, the&nbsp;<a href="https://heartaerospace.com/newsroom/heart-aerospace-unveils-new-airplane-design-confirms-air-canada-and-saab-as-new-shareholders/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ES-30</a>&nbsp;is designed to make regional travel cleaner and more efficient. (<a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/aviation/gallery/regional-aircraft-electric-vtols-1235523846/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nine other companies</a>&nbsp;have developed concepts to do the same.) The hybrid can run on either lithium-ion batteries or sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), meaning it will produce fewer emissions than traditional&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/aircraft/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">aircraft</a>. It will also be cheaper to operate than conventional competitors, according to Heart.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="2400" height="1600" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Heart_ES_301.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790041" style="width:680px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Heart_ES_301.jpg 2400w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Heart_ES_301-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Heart_ES_301-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Heart_ES_301-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Heart_ES_301-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Heart_ES_301-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The onboard batteries. Image courtesy of Heart Aerospace</figcaption></figure>



Powered by four electric motors, the ES-30 can fly 124 miles in emissions-free “electric mode” or 249 miles in “hybrid mode” with the help of two turbo generators. The reserve-hybrid system means that the generators only kick in when additional grunt is needed on longer routes. The ES-30 will also be quieter than gas-powered craft and can take off from runways as short as 3,609 feet.



The ES-30 will offer all the usual creature comforts, too. The spacious cabin features three-abreast seating that can accommodate up to 30 fliers. (Having 25 passengers aboard increases the hybrid range to 497 miles.) The interior also features a galley, a lavatory, and large overhead bins to ensure a comfortable in-flight experience.



Heart has a rather aggressive timeline, but is making solid progress. The company opened a new research and development hub in the United States in May to speed up the development of the ES-30. The team plans to test the propulsion system on a full-scale demonstrator and showcase fully electric flight in 2025. It will then pursue type certification in 2028.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="2400" height="1600" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Heart_ES_303.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790042" style="width:680px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Heart_ES_303.jpg 2400w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Heart_ES_303-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Heart_ES_303-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Heart_ES_303-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Heart_ES_303-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Heart_ES_303-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The ES-30 in flight. Image courtesy of Heart Aerospace</figcaption></figure>



Heart has a decent amount of backing, too. It has already raised US$145 million (HK$1.13 billion) in development funding from significant industry players like <a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/aviation/united-airlines-100-electric-planes-from-swedish-1234625038/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">United Airlines</a>, Air Canada, and Saab.



“Heart Aerospace has just entered an exciting new phase of hardware testing, and our aim is to have a hybrid-electric passenger plane on the market before the end of this decade;” Heart Aerospace CEO and co-founder Anders Forslund said in a <a href="https://heartaerospace.com/newsroom/swedish-region-gotland-partners-with-heart-aerospace-for-sustainable-aviation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a>. “As we get closer to this goal, collaborations with airports, operators, and regional authorities are crucial to ensure the eco-system needed to support electric aviation.



Heart has secured 250 orders for the ES-30, with purchase rights for another 120 planes. It has also received letters of intent for a further 191 aircraft.

Airplane

clean travel

electric aviation

Heart Aerospace

hybrid-electric airplane

Swedish

This New Hybrid-Electric Airliner Could Hit the Skies by 2028

In terms both of size and exclusivity, the pinnacle of private aviation has long been contested between just two parties: <a href="https://businessjets.boeing.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boeing Business Jets</a> (BBJ) and <a href="https://www.acj.airbus.com/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Airbus Corporate Jets</a> (<a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/acj/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACJ</a>). Each converts its large commercial aircraft into lavish, sometimes outlandish, business jets commissioned by captains of industry, world leaders, and royalty. Yet these duelling giants have seen shrinking market shares against competitors such as <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/gulfstream/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gulfstream</a>, <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/bombardier/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bombardier</a>, and <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/dassault/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dassault</a>—and in the bizliner biz, less is never more. 



“The biggest wide-bodies comprise only about 5 per cent of the bizliner world,” says Richard Gaona, chairman of <a href="https://comlux.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Comlux</a>, a Zurich-based provider of aviation services certified for both BBJ and ACJ interior completions. Gaona notes that, in this rarefied segment, “most interiors tend to be subtle and elegant, designed for heads of state who want their aircraft to represent their countries,” which means total customisation has always been a given. 



After recognising that this elite customer base was an underserved market, <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/boeing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boeing</a> launched its BBJ arm in 1996. The first four years saw annual deliveries to their interior-completions partners range from 18 to 20 units, but from 2002 through 2015 the number dipped to about 10 examples per year. Since 2019, following Boeing’s second 737 Max incident, demand has steadily declined to the point where, in 2023, BBJ sold only four jets.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/BBJ_Interiors-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789909" style="width:840px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/BBJ_Interiors-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/BBJ_Interiors-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/BBJ_Interiors-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/BBJ_Interiors-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/BBJ_Interiors-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">An office and bedroom from a pre-engineered BBJ Select. Image courtesy of Boeing</figcaption></figure>



Last year, the company pivoted by launching&nbsp;<a href="https://businessjets.boeing.com/select/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BBJ Select</a>, for the first time offering semi-custom, modular interiors for the program’s 737-7 model; between layout and material choices, 216 cabin configurations are available. Compared to one of BBJ’s bespoke interiors, the pre-engineered Select versions can drastically reduce variable costs while also saving up to six months of engineering time. “It’s appealing to those who don’t want to design a clean-sheet interior yet want the amenities of a turnkey BBJ,” says BBJ president Joe Benson.&nbsp;



Those hundreds of pre-engineered options from BBJ Select, and the similar <a href="https://www.acj.airbus.com/en/acj-twotwenty" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACJ TwoTwenty</a> programme from Airbus, are return salvos against dedicated business-jet competitors including Gulfstream, Dassault, and Bombardier, which represent the bulk of the ultra-long-range market. These three have also invested heavily over the past decade in larger and more amenity-rich flagships. The resulting aircraft offer faster speeds and longer ranges than the BBJ 737, which can cost up to 50 per cent more thanks to the fully tailored cabin. 



The BBJ Select 737-7, though, can drop that price by at least US$25 million (HK$194.4 million), while the ACJ TwoTwenty is set to compete directly with the Gulfstream G700, Bombardier’s Global 7500, and Dassault’s new 10X flagship. These allow BBJ and ACJ to offer bizliners boasting significantly larger cabins and lower operating expenditures, plus a more luxurious in-flight experience. “We’ve reduced costs, production times, and, frankly, the risks involved with bespoke interiors,” says Chadi Saade, ACJ’s president. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ACJ_MainLounge-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789906" style="width:840px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ACJ_MainLounge-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ACJ_MainLounge-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ACJ_MainLounge-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ACJ_MainLounge-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ACJ_MainLounge-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A social area on a recently delivered ACJ TwoTwenty. Image courtesy of Adrien Daste/Airbus</figcaption></figure>



ACJ claimed nine orders when it announced the ACJ TwoTwenty programme in 2020 and has since delivered two aircraft. The third is currently being completed by Comlux (the company was contracted for the first 15 interiors) at its Indianapolis facility, which has “the capacity to do four or five per year,” according to Gaona. 



The big question now is whether BBJ Select can revive Boeing’s flagging bizliner figures in the same way the ACJ TwoTwenty initiative made Airbus a more viable competitor. According to ACJ’s Saade, annual bizliner conversions typically number in the mid-single digits—a small slice of the market compared to last year’s total sales of 164 long-range aircraft from Gulfstream and Bombardier. Boeing’s 737 Max issues will also likely continue to impact BBJ sales, though Benson insists the division is experiencing “continued growth and strong demand” via repeat clients.&nbsp;



“Our customers are already ordering new models that will be introduced and enter service over the next few years,” says Benson, likely referring to BBJ’s 777X, with its 3,700-square-foot cabin and 11,000-mile range. With a projected first delivery in 2025, the 777X is poised to be the world’s largest and most prestigious business aircraft—one on which Boeing, in its struggle to maintain market relevance, is betting big.&nbsp;

Boeing

custom

Luxury Travel

Private Jet

Boeing’s New Configurator Lets You Design a Semi-Custom Private Jet

<a href="https://robbreport.hk/brands/sothebys/stories" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sotheby’s</a>&nbsp;has unveiled its new&nbsp;maison&nbsp;at Landmark Chater in the heart of Central, Hong Kong. A dazzling testament to the auction house’s finest curation of grand art, the opening puts divine Asian sculptures, rare books and first editions, vintage artefacts, large-scale ink drawings, paintings, diptychs, triptychs, rare antiquities, and a dinosaur skeleton on display to showcase the breadth of its collection.&nbsp;



Sotheby’s has morphed what was once prime retail real estate—goodbye, Armani café, Armani Fiori, and more blue-chip brands that were housed there before—into a 24,000-square-foot exhibition and retail space; some of the collections on show within the salons (the first floor is divided into thematic rooms) are available now, others will eventually be auctioned off to a discerning global clientele at calendar-scheduled auctions.



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="684" data-id="1234789814" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00723-1024x684.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789814" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00723-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00723-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00723-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00723-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00723-2048x1367.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="739" data-id="1234789815" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00815-1024x739.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789815" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00815-1024x739.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00815-300x216.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00815-768x554.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00815-1536x1108.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00815-2048x1477.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="777" data-id="1234789817" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00904-1024x777.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789817" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00904-1024x777.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00904-300x228.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00904-768x583.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00904-1536x1166.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00904-2048x1555.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="684" data-id="1234789816" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc01059-1024x684.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789816" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc01059-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc01059-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc01059-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc01059-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc01059-2048x1367.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
</figure>



However, there are rare exceptions. Not up for auction, Gerhard Richter’s 1982 masterpiece&nbsp;Eisberg&nbsp;is on loan from the Long Museum, Shanghai, and an exceptionally rare Ru brush washer from circa 1,100 AD is housed and displayed in its own enclave, paired with the sounds of an ever-raging storm to enhance the multi-sensory experience. Similarly, Banksy’s unfailingly popular half-shredded canvas,&nbsp;Girl with Balloon [Girl without Balloon, renamed after the shredding!] , is on full view, on loan from its owner.



Embracing great art and priceless relics in novel perspectives could be the seminal theme of the entire enterprise, a new way of looking at often-historic things of rare vintage and provenance. Pieces are brought to light and to music, and palpable and sensorial experiences invite the visitor to set sight on visionary works beyond dusty archives and secluded storage spaces. Where else can you find samurai armour, a first edition of HG Wells’s&nbsp;The War of the Worlds, Kim Dong-jun’s&nbsp;Moon Jar, and a signed edition of Picasso’s&nbsp;Profil de Jacqueline&nbsp;in one place?



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="774" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00785-enhanced-nr-1024x774.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789818" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00785-enhanced-nr-1024x774.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00785-enhanced-nr-300x227.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00785-enhanced-nr-768x581.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00785-enhanced-nr-1536x1161.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00785-enhanced-nr-2048x1549.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Nicolas Chow, chairman of Sotheby’s Asia, and worldwide head of Asian art.</figcaption></figure>



&nbsp;“Sotheby’s salons drive a tension between objects—these unexpected juxtapositions tell a story of diverse cultures, across time and geography, and narratives intertwine like the pages of a compelling book,” says Nicolas Chow, chairman of Sotheby’s Asia, and worldwide head of Asian art. “This diversity [and] synthesis creates an emotion that will resonate with the discerning eye and the curious soul.”



In more ways than one, Chow leads the way as he showcases what might seem incongruous—a prehistoric woolly mammoth skull close to&nbsp;A Collection of Record Covers with Cover Art&nbsp;by Andy Warhol—but is perfectly in harmony in the salons.&nbsp;



While many of us are used to the austere hush of most exhibits, the soundtracks are a key component of the salons, altering the reception of art works by enhancing one’s reaction to it. Ambrosius Benson’s&nbsp;Circle, The Virgin and Child with the Veil&nbsp;looks very different when observed with&nbsp;Carmina&nbsp;Burana’s&nbsp;O Fortuna&nbsp;playing in the background versus The Beatles’&nbsp;Baby It’s You.



“Music has the power to intensify emotions, and the perception of a piece of art can evolve based on the setting and sensory experience,” says Chow. “At Sotheby’s, we strive to create a multi-sensory experience that enriches the way we engage with art, inviting individuals to delve into a realm where different forms of expression blur. Our endeavour is to cultivate a space where art resonates on a deeper level, sparking new perspectives and emotions within each observer.”



“To see rare, exceptional work must be an experiential process,” Chow continues as he leads a group through Sotheby’s salons for a preview of the space, where the popular can meet the esoteric, where the curated and the kitsch keep each other company. On one of the glass partitions, a quote by HG Wells reads, “I was a battleground of fear and curiosity.”



Yoshitomo Nara’s&nbsp;Agent Orange (In the Milky Lake)&nbsp;is in fine company near Banksy. Yuichi Hirako’s&nbsp;Tree Ring&nbsp;warrants explanation, while an oft-photographed Cartier brooch dazzles not far from a limited-edition Hermès White Matte Niloticus Crocodile Himalaya Birkin. If you were wondering, the Birkin is up for grabs for a cool HK$1.8 million. From bags to riches, there are multiple narratives at constant play at Sotheby’s.



“Our new&nbsp;maison&nbsp;promises to be a destination where history is told and made,” says Chow, “a place where the most remarkable tales come to life.”&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="684" data-id="1234789827" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00828-1024x684.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789827" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00828-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00828-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00828-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00828-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00828-2048x1367.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="770" data-id="1234789826" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00820-1024x770.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789826" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00820-1024x770.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00820-300x226.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00820-768x577.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00820-1536x1155.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00820-2048x1540.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
</figure>



While the first floor features a finely honed retail experience, with art and luxury showcased in bell-jar salons spanning 80 million years of history (the slack-jawed dinosaur skeleton will make you pause) and prices range from HK$5,000 to HK$50 million, there’s another section that has us captivated. Go down the rabbit hole, or, in this case, the wood-panel pathway designed by Rotterdam-based architecture studio MVRDV, to enter a whole new world, the debut exhibition of Bodhi: Masterpieces of Buddhist Art.



An entirely contrasting feel takes over the ground floor as sculptures and statues repose in a darkened, high-ceilinged hall. “I wanted it to be a totally different experience upstairs and downstairs, night and day,” remarks Chow to a stunned audience.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="684" data-id="1234789823" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00938-1024x684.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789823" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00938-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00938-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00938-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00938-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00938-2048x1367.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="684" height="1024" data-id="1234789819" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00963-684x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789819" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00963-684x1024.jpg 684w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00963-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00963-768x1151.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00963-1025x1536.jpg 1025w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00963.jpg 1068w" sizes="(max-width: 684px) 100vw, 684px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="684" height="1024" data-id="1234789821" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00964-684x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789821" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00964-684x1024.jpg 684w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00964-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00964-768x1151.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00964-1025x1536.jpg 1025w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00964.jpg 1068w" sizes="(max-width: 684px) 100vw, 684px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="684" height="1024" data-id="1234789822" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00987-684x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789822" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00987-684x1024.jpg 684w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00987-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00987-768x1151.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00987-1025x1536.jpg 1025w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc00987.jpg 1068w" sizes="(max-width: 684px) 100vw, 684px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="684" height="1024" data-id="1234789820" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc01032-684x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789820" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc01032-684x1024.jpg 684w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc01032-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc01032-768x1151.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc01032-1025x1536.jpg 1025w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dsc01032.jpg 1068w" sizes="(max-width: 684px) 100vw, 684px" /></figure>
</figure>



Mission accomplished: the larger-than-life sculptures astound. The grey schist standing figure of Buddha from the Kushan period, the wood figure of a seated Bodhisattva dating back to the Song dynasty, or any of the statues and sculptures arranged under the arc lights are presented with such exalted elegance that the serene series will have you lost in nirvana. The cynosure of all eyes, mystifying from every angle, is the seated bronze figure of Buddha from the Ming dynasty, dating back to the fifteenth or early sixteenth century.&nbsp;



“Another world embodies the philosophy of our&nbsp;maison&nbsp;in Central,” affirms Chow, “a place where visitors will be able to enjoy both unique museum experiences as well as an extraordinary retail journey across art and luxury spanning millions of years to the present day, from all cultures and civilisations, 365 days a year.”



<a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/videos/happening-now-in-hong-kong-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sotheby’s Maison</a>



Landmark Chater, 8 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong



All original images by Chris Yau, shot exclusively for Robb Report Hong Kong.&nbsp;

Hong Kong

Sotheby's

Sotheby's Maison

Sotheby’s New Maison at Landmark Chater Features Artwork Ranging From HK$5,000 to HK$50 Million, Encompassing a Timeline of 80 Million Years

Close to 70 international and local galleries from around the world gathered at Pacifico Yokohama over the first weekend of July for the sophomore edition of <a href="https://tokyogendai.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tokyo Gendai</a>.



From 5 to 7 July, collectors, artists, connoisseurs, gallerists, and art lovers from 40 countries and territories congregated to witness a diverse showcase of contemporary collections that featured the likes of Lois Weinberger, Roby Dwi Antono, Ozaki Satoru, Tsujimura Shiro, Ando Miya, and Robert Longo, whose new set of drawings, presented by Pace Gallery, was among the most expensive lots that found placement with buyers.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="1007" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Longo-Robert-Study-of-Split-Roaring-Tiger-2023-Ink-and-charcoal-on-vellum-1024x1007.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789502" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Longo-Robert-Study-of-Split-Roaring-Tiger-2023-Ink-and-charcoal-on-vellum-1024x1007.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Longo-Robert-Study-of-Split-Roaring-Tiger-2023-Ink-and-charcoal-on-vellum-300x295.jpeg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Longo-Robert-Study-of-Split-Roaring-Tiger-2023-Ink-and-charcoal-on-vellum-768x755.jpeg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Longo-Robert-Study-of-Split-Roaring-Tiger-2023-Ink-and-charcoal-on-vellum-1536x1510.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Longo-Robert-Study-of-Split-Roaring-Tiger-2023-Ink-and-charcoal-on-vellum-2048x2014.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Robert Longo’s Study of Split Roaring Tiger was presented by Pace Gallery. Image courtesy of Robert Longo and Pace Gallery</figcaption></figure>



For its second year, the fair welcomed notable private collectors, museum directors, patrons, and curators, and even a few art-loving celebrities. Reporting robust sales, Tokyo Gendai 2024 marks an ambitious step forward in its bid to promote and expand the contemporary art market in the country. Local gallery A Lighthouse called Kanata secured sales for six seminal pieces, while a pair of works titled Waterfall on Colours by Senju Hiroshi went for US$570,000 (HK$4.44 million) and US$385,000 (HK$3 million). Trevor Shimizu’s Water and Branches (2) was sold by Misako &amp; Rosen for US$85,000 (HK$663,360).



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/許寧-Xu-Ning-Painting-Fairytale-2023.-Oil-on-canvas.-113.5-x-163.5cm.-Photo-by-Kenji-Takahashi.-Courtesy-of-Tomio-Koyama-Gallery-1024x683.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789497" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/許寧-Xu-Ning-Painting-Fairytale-2023.-Oil-on-canvas.-113.5-x-163.5cm.-Photo-by-Kenji-Takahashi.-Courtesy-of-Tomio-Koyama-Gallery-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/許寧-Xu-Ning-Painting-Fairytale-2023.-Oil-on-canvas.-113.5-x-163.5cm.-Photo-by-Kenji-Takahashi.-Courtesy-of-Tomio-Koyama-Gallery-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/許寧-Xu-Ning-Painting-Fairytale-2023.-Oil-on-canvas.-113.5-x-163.5cm.-Photo-by-Kenji-Takahashi.-Courtesy-of-Tomio-Koyama-Gallery-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/許寧-Xu-Ning-Painting-Fairytale-2023.-Oil-on-canvas.-113.5-x-163.5cm.-Photo-by-Kenji-Takahashi.-Courtesy-of-Tomio-Koyama-Gallery-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/許寧-Xu-Ning-Painting-Fairytale-2023.-Oil-on-canvas.-113.5-x-163.5cm.-Photo-by-Kenji-Takahashi.-Courtesy-of-Tomio-Koyama-Gallery-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Xu Ning’s 2023 Fairytale painting was one among several pieces that made up her sold-out show. Photo by Kenji Takahashi. Image courtesy of Tomio Koyama Gallery</figcaption></figure>



Blum fetched US$160,000 (HK$1.24 million) for a canvas by Okazaki Kenjiro. Beijist artist Xu Ning—featured in Tomio Koyama Gallery’s booth in the fair’s Hana section—experienced a sell-out show for her pieces. Both contemporary and traditional mediums found success with collectors during the fair, from large-scale works, tapestries, ceramics, and paintings to drawings, sculptures, and photography.



In addition to the fair sectors, Tokyo Gendai offered attendees the opportunity to participate in special VIP events, openings, and exhibitions, in collaboration with Artizon Museum, Mori Art Museum, the Tokyo National Museum, Kiyoharu Art Colony, Pola Art Museum, Enoura Observatory, and more to showcase Japan’s art scene.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Tokyo-Gendai-2024-3-1024x683.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789498" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Tokyo-Gendai-2024-3-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Tokyo-Gendai-2024-3-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Tokyo-Gendai-2024-3-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Tokyo-Gendai-2024-3-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Tokyo-Gendai-2024-3-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Yoshitomo Nara’s Puff Marshie on display, courtesy of Blum. Image courtesy of Tokyo Gendai</figcaption></figure>



Kojima Reiri, general manager of Tokyo Gendai, says, “It was incredible to feel the energy and enthusiasm from both returning and new visitors alike. While the art market in Japan is still growing, we were very encouraged to hear that visitors were delighted by the galleries’ presentations, as well as the public and VIP programmes that connected Japan’s many cultural institutions to the global art world.”



Similarly, co-founder Magnus Renfrew adds that “the second edition of Tokyo Gendai built on the solid foundations laid last year. We were thrilled by the response to the fair by both the Japanese art community and international collectors. Consensus is emerging that Japan has the potential to play a much bigger role in the global art market and we are honoured to be playing an important role in both putting the spotlight on the incredible art scene in Tokyo and connecting Japan to the global art world. We are excited to have secured new autumn dates that will allow the potential for greater participation from galleries, collectors, and international visitors.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Tokyo-Gendai-2024-7-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789499" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Tokyo-Gendai-2024-7-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Tokyo-Gendai-2024-7-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Tokyo-Gendai-2024-7-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Tokyo-Gendai-2024-7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Tokyo-Gendai-2024-7-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Nan Ke Gallery’s booth featured Meng Zhou’s Mount Top sculpture. Image courtesy of Tokyo Gendai</figcaption></figure>



Following feedback from attendees and gallerists, the upcoming third edition of the Tokyo Gendai fair will return next year in autumn, with dates set for 12 to 14 September 2025, while the preview and vernissage will take place on 11 September 2025. Stay tuned for more information.

Japan

Tokyo Gendai

Tokyo Gendai 2024

Tokyo Gendai 2024 Concludes With Robust Sales and Sell-Out Shows, Counting Robert Longo Drawings Among Most Expensive Lots

The wealthy are only getting wealthier.



Super-rich families are set to be worth a bonkers US$9.5 trillion (HK$74 trillion) by 2030, Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-09-04/ultra-rich-families-set-to-control-9-5-trillion-by-2030-deloitte-says?srnd=wealth" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a> on Wednesday. That sky-high number, from a new Deloitte report that surveyed family offices, is an impressive 73 per cent increase from the US$5.5 trillion (HK$42.8 trillion) currently owned by people with such businesses. In that same time span, the number of family offices is expected to jump by one-third to 10,720.



In recent years, family offices have become more popular with those wealthy enough to have them, Bloomberg noted. It’s become easier to open a family office, for example, and they have fewer restrictions than a hedge fund. Because of that, though, they can also lead to major problems—take the case of Bill Hwang: The investor’s Archegos Capital Management defaulted in 2021, and in July, he was found guilty of criminal charges related to the collapse.



The family offices assessed in the Deloitte report managed an average of US$2 billion (HK$15.5 billion) in assets, according to Bloomberg. With just about 15 employees, only one-third were led by someone outside the family in question. “It can definitely be risky managing that much <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/wealth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wealth</a>,” Rebecca Gooch, global head of insights for Deloitte Private, told the outlet. “Family offices really need to be careful about who they bring on board.”



The new data are just the latest signal that the super-rich are controlling more money than ever before. To even be considered a member of the 1 per cent in the United States, you would need to have at least US$5.8 million (HK$45.2 million), a report from earlier this year <a href="https://robbreport.com/lifestyle/finance/world-1-percent-threshold-1235527233/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">showed</a>. That’s a 15 per cent increase from 2023. (If you live in Monaco, you would need an even more hefty US$12.8 million/HK$99.7 million to meet that threshold.) And just last month, another report noted that the world’s ultra-wealthy population—those with a net worth of US$30 million (HK$233.8 million) or more—is <a href="https://robbreport.com/lifestyle/news/ultra-wealthy-population-growth-report-1235789531/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">expected</a> to grow 38 per cent by 2028.



Those numbers pale in comparison to the wealth depicted in Deloitte’s report, which is largely focused on <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/billionaires/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">billionaires</a> rather than millionaires. And in fact, the 500 richest people in the world collectively got <a href="https://robbreport.com/lifestyle/finance/richest-people-2023-wealth-gains-1235459176/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">US$1.5 trillion (HK$11.6 trillion) wealthier</a> last year. They’re on track to bring in only more dough in the next six years.

billionaires

family offices

ultra-wealthy

wealth

Ultra-Wealthy Families Will Be Worth HK$74 Trillion by 2030, a New Report Says

Real estate in any region is always worthy of inspection, a fine harbinger charting the state of the economy, mood of a city, and even demarking times of historical significance. Just ask Georgina Atkinson of Origin Private Office, who only works on prime global real estate and ultra-luxury properties for a clientele with global interest.



Several images, graphs, and reports on Hong Kong property and rental price indexes show dramatic highs followed by incremental dips, and, almost inevitably, staggering heights again. But if you take a step back, you’ll notice the overall arc, an incline that has grown exponentially over the past century. In a world with no surefire bets, dealing in property in Hong Kong has served UHNW individuals exceedingly well.



In conversation with Origin’s new Private Office, dedicated to “ultra-prime” real estate,&nbsp;Robb Report Hong Kong&nbsp;learns about how the company deals bespoke client services within the real estate sector to VVIPs.



“At the moment, we don’t have an office in Hong Kong, or currently a project in the city, but we do have many clients who are based in Hong Kong, which brings me back often,” says Atkinson as we mull over the markets. “I’ve had the privilege to travel back and forth to Hong Kong regularly and it is considered a global powerhouse and financial hub that attracts foreign talent and foreign investment, which has an impact on the real estate sector, and because of the geological scarcity of land, it supports prime pricing in real estate.”



“Despite market trends, which obviously come and go in every real estate market around the world, Hong Kong continues to witness strong demand for ultra-prime real estate from both local and international buyers.”



Chances are, this will never change. Looking at the property sales graph of Hong Kong, it appears like the erratic heartbeat of an island, one where luxury property prices are surreal. Ultra-high net worth individuals in Hong Kong don’t just dabble in real estate—their net worth and it are one and the same.



“In Asia, wealth preservation and diversification in real estate is a primary purchasing driver,” says Atkinson, “and we see Asian ultra-high net worths view prime real estate as a store of value, and, of course, as a hedge against inflation.



“We see sustained demand for ultra-luxury real estate, both domestically in Asia, and internationally; and we continue to see this appetite for homes in the ultra-prime, ultra-luxury segment of the market. Buyers from Asia enjoy exclusivity, privacy, access to the very best amenities and service, and, of course, they enjoy unique, beautifully tailored finishes.”



What&nbsp;has&nbsp;changed in recent years is the role of women in wealth. The recent tangent brought to business has not gone unnoticed by savvy purveyors of property ownership. And the number of female-led ones is only growing.



“We’ve seen it increase considerably, and I think this will only continue,” agrees Atkinson, who herself mentors women working in real estate, and counsels high-net-worth women buyers. “Particularly in Asia. Today, more than ever, we are seeing women make an enormous difference in business, but also, obviously, that then transpires into the wealth side of many women now owning real estate in different markets around the world. We are acting for several prominent Asian women at present who are building portfolios in different markets. For example, I was recently in New York with some celebrity clients of ours from Asia—myself and my colleague took them over for the weekend to view property in Manhattan. We looked at real estate, we ate together, we shopped together, we met some of our partners on the ground together. It is incredible to see the rise of female wealth.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="682" height="1024" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/GA-Headshot-Colour-2-682x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789643" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/GA-Headshot-Colour-2-682x1024.jpg 682w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/GA-Headshot-Colour-2-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/GA-Headshot-Colour-2-768x1153.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/GA-Headshot-Colour-2-1023x1536.jpg 1023w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/GA-Headshot-Colour-2.jpg 1066w" sizes="(max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Georgina Atkinson of Origin Private Office.</figcaption></figure>



For the Origin team, led by Ross Savas, Georgina Atkinson, and Scott Tanner, Zoom calls are part of the gig, and so is hopscotching the world, either to meet a client or to view developments in the most stunning—you know it—location, location, locations!



“I’m in Dubai now and it’s a wonderful time to get business done. The UAE market is fast paced and very exciting—we continue to see buyers from around the world gravitate to Dubai in particular, and we are now witnessing new developments come forward every day. I think the UAE government has created some extraordinarily strong initiatives, and they are putting incredible infrastructure into place for their residents. From a lifestyle perspective, there are many pluses.”



As with any agency of this calibre, there really is no singular country that has all its attention, but a global market that includes Australia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, the US, the UK, and the UAE. Also of note, the recent global health crisis shifted the wants and needs of buyers who turned introspective, looking at health as a priority.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="640" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/IMG-r342r-1024x640.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234791031" style="width:840px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/IMG-r342r-1024x640.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/IMG-r342r-300x188.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/IMG-r342r-768x480.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/IMG-r342r-1536x960.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/IMG-r342r-2048x1280.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">888 Brickell, Dolce &amp; Gabbana, Ballroom, JDS Development Group.</figcaption></figure>



“We absolutely see wellness now as a preference when it comes to purchasing real estate,” concurs Atkinson. “On the development side, we see many offerings of customised health and fitness programmes that are delivered in-house. We are seeing fully integrated medical facilities; we’re seeing open space be prioritised more so than ever. And we are seeing the incorporation of multi-functional wellness spaces into home design from the outset. Healthcare and wellness is definitely become an increasing trend that we’re seeing particularly in the new development segment of the market.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="677" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Af10Eld4-1024x677.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790998" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Af10Eld4-1024x677.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Af10Eld4-300x198.jpeg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Af10Eld4-768x508.jpeg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Af10Eld4-1536x1015.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Af10Eld4-2048x1353.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">111 West 57th Street, New York.</figcaption></figure>



One of the many perks of the job, Atkinson gets a first look to locations that will eventually be sold for staggering figures. The world loves to get a glimpse of how the one per cent lives.&nbsp;



“I have just returned from New York; there is a building that is complete, called 111 West 57th Street, which sits central on Central Park South. It is the former Steinway Building—it is incredibly elegant and truly unique,” says Atkinson, listing off some of the most memorable places that are, or soon will be, on the market. “The developer is Michael Stern’s JDS Development Group.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/shop-architects-site-santa-fe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SHoP Architects</a>&nbsp;designed&nbsp;the exterior, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/inside-the-new-york-offices-of-ad100-firm-studio-sofield" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AD100 designer Studio Sofield</a>&nbsp;designed the interiors. What it has brought to the table, probably for me, is one of the most iconic residential buildings in the world. You have the sweeping full floor and duplex residences overlooking the park; however, what also it really represents is a marriage of the old and the new: the former historic Steinway Building co-existing with the new tower that rises above.”



And what of properties in Asia that have caught her—and many Asian buyers’ eye? “In Asia, in respect of city destinations, I love Aman. I think Aman creates incredible spaces and homes. The brand really sets a benchmark when it comes to the ultra-luxury segment of the market. On that level, if you just look at, for example, Aman in&nbsp;Azabudai Hills,&nbsp;Tokyo; this is Aman’s very first standalone private residences. Overlooking Tokyo Tower, you have residences that really offer owners a sanctuary within the city, surrounded by art, dining, cultural experiences, and an international school, all within a beautiful urban green space in central Tokyo. Aman across Asia and globally deliver a truly special product.”



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="715" data-id="1234790985" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/EgBncafL-1024x715.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790985" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/EgBncafL-1024x715.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/EgBncafL-300x210.jpeg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/EgBncafL-768x536.jpeg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/EgBncafL-1536x1073.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/EgBncafL-2048x1430.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Nihi Sumba in Indonesia.</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="575" data-id="1234790983" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/AZke4Y0l-1024x575.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790983" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/AZke4Y0l-1024x575.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/AZke4Y0l-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/AZke4Y0l-768x431.jpeg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/AZke4Y0l-1536x863.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/AZke4Y0l-2048x1150.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Nihi Sumba in Indonesia.</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="779" data-id="1234790986" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/uKj73oOq-1024x779.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790986" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/uKj73oOq-1024x779.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/uKj73oOq-300x228.jpeg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/uKj73oOq-768x584.jpeg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/uKj73oOq-1536x1168.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/uKj73oOq-2048x1557.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Nihi Sumba in Indonesia.</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" data-id="1234790984" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/ReadMcKendree_2017-06-09-Nihiwatu-51-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790984" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/ReadMcKendree_2017-06-09-Nihiwatu-51-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/ReadMcKendree_2017-06-09-Nihiwatu-51-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/ReadMcKendree_2017-06-09-Nihiwatu-51-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/ReadMcKendree_2017-06-09-Nihiwatu-51-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/ReadMcKendree_2017-06-09-Nihiwatu-51-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Nihi Sumba in Indonesia.</figcaption></figure>
</figure>



For those seeking something off the beaten path, there’s always the exotic, the eccentric, the island, and the not-on-the-map destination that can intrigue the average billionaire buyer. “I recently had the privilege of spending time in <a href="https://www.robbreport.hk/posts/inside-nihi-sumba-where-you-can-stay-in-all-inclusive-treehouses-and-get-chocolate-spa-treatments" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nihi Sumba</a> in Indonesia; this was developed by Christopher Burch and James McBride. I can only describe it as magic. I’ve been lucky enough to experience many ‘luxury’ hotels around the world. However, this, for me, is, hands down, one of the most magical places on earth. It is barefoot luxury, leaning into its finest. You have the hotel, and then you have a handful of very special private residences. Owners of the residences in Sumba are offered award-winning, uniquely designed villas, which really make you feel you are sitting on the edge of wilderness. You have an array of wonderful amenities, wellness activities, and programming on your doorstep coupled with exceptional local&nbsp;Sumbanese service, which&nbsp;only enhances what I would call ‘paradise.’ The Nihi Group are currently developing their new resort and private residences in Santo Tomas, Costa Rica, which will be coming forward in 2026—given what has been created in Indonesia, I have no doubt that Costa Rica will be just as magical.”



All in all, when it comes to today’s UHNW market, it’s not just square foot that is considered, but amenities, the news, the weather—everything is a touchpoint that can affect the mood of the market. “I wake up to Bloomberg! But of course, absolutely, so many things affect a client’s proclivity to purchase—and rightly so. Currency, the weather, political and economic stability, education, transport, amenities, cultural destinations. There are many factors that go into that decision of where to purchase property.”

Hong Kong Property

property

Real Estate

Hong Kong Will Always Be a High-Interest Ultra-Luxury Property Market. Here’s Why. 

For some time now, branded residences by household names like Armani and Fendi have attracted those with a lust for designer luxury. Car makers have entered the <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/real-estate-2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">real estate</a> market, too, with unique offerings by Bugatti and Bentley as well as <a href="https://www.porsche-design.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Porsche Design</a>, which has launched residential towers in Stuttgart, Germany, and Miami, Florida. The German lifestyle brand, founded by Ferdinand Alexander <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/porsche/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Porsche</a>, creator of the iconic Porsche 911, now has plans to take their real estate endeavours to Asia. 



On Tuesday, the company unveiled it’s third real estate development, a collaboration with Ananda Development, a&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/thailand/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Thailand</a>-based developer, to introduce the Porsche Design Tower&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/bangkok/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bangkok</a>. Construction on the 21-story tower begins next year and is set to wrap by the end of 2028. The ultra-luxury condo will be located on Sukhumvit 38, one of the most prestigious addresses in Bangkok.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Porsche_Bangkok1-1024x683.png" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790937" style="width:840px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Porsche_Bangkok1-1024x683.png 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Porsche_Bangkok1-300x200.png 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Porsche_Bangkok1-768x512.png 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Porsche_Bangkok1-1536x1024.png 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Porsche_Bangkok1-2048x1365.png 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Residences will have double-height living spaces with aerodynamically curved walls of glass. Image courtesy of Porsche Design</figcaption></figure>



“The Porsche Design Tower Bangkok is the next big thing for Porsche in Southeast Asia,” says Lutz Meschke, deputy chairman of the executive board at Porsche AG, in a statement. The region is becoming increasingly important for us, which is highlighted by major events taking place here these days. To name just one example: in January we celebrated the world premiere of the new all-electric Macan in Singapore.”



The tower’s striking design, as seen in renderings, is inspired by the kinetic movement of the 911 Targa roof mechanism, according to a press release. Its exposed pedestal structure, called “X-Frame,” takes cues from the design of the auto brand’s Mission R concept car and its exoskeleton structured to create a unique entry experience. A vibrant red light strip crowns the building, mirroring light displays on Porsche’s iconic sports cars.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Porsche_Bangkok7-1024x683.png" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790938" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Porsche_Bangkok7-1024x683.png 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Porsche_Bangkok7-300x200.png 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Porsche_Bangkok7-768x512.png 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Porsche_Bangkok7-1536x1024.png 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Porsche_Bangkok7-2048x1365.png 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Inside one of the “passion spaces,” which can be tailored to fit the needs of residents. Image courtesy of Porsche Design</figcaption></figure>



The tower will house 22 exclusive duplex and quadplex “Sky Villas,” aimed at attracting “ultra-high net-worth individuals,” according to a press release. The abodes will range from 5,651 to 12,217 square feet, with a price range of US$15 million to US$40 million (HK$116.9 million to HK$311.9 million). Owners can expect to find luxury furnishings and high-end appliances throughout the residences and the building that evoke the car company’s commitment to elegance, power, and flawless craftsmanship.



The complex’s many amenities will include an 82-foot-long swimming pool, fitness centre, spa, social lounge, and a luxury garage with “passion spaces,” similar to showrooms, that can be tailored to the individual liking of residents. Upscale restaurants and shopping malls are located nearby for a variety of entertainment options. Visit <a href="https://www.pdtowerbangkok.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pdtowerbangkok.com</a> for more details.



Click <a href="https://robbreport.com/shelter/homes-for-sale/gallery/porsche-design-tower-bangkok-photos-1235832636" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a> for additional renderings.

porsche bangkok condo

porsche design bangkok

porsche real estate

porsche thailand

Porsche Design Unveils a Luxury Residential Tower in Bangkok

Julien’s&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/auctions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Auctions</a>&nbsp;may mostly sell Hollywood memorabilia, but the auction house is gearing up to take its wares all the way across the globe.



Next month, Julien’s will hold its very first auction in <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/hong-kong/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hong Kong</a>, the company announced on Thursday. “Legends in Motion” will encompass 89 lots, spanning items that once belonged to <a href="https://robbreport.com/shelter/art-collectibles/music-memorabilia-from-michael-jackson-john-lennon-to-auction-1235332972/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Michael Jackson</a>, Bruce Lee, Taylor Swift, <a href="https://robbreport.com/shelter/art-collectibles/kobe-bryant-rookie-jersey-auction-record-1234615181/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kobe Bryant</a>, and more stars. Leading the way is a signed Tompkins and Bush embellished denim jacket that Jackson wore in 2002, expected to hammer down for up to US$200,000 (HK$1.55 million).



“Julien’s is thrilled to kick off our first auction in the dynamic city of Hong Kong with this stellar line-up of iconic items from Hong Kong hero Bruce Lee to other legends in motion including Taylor Swift, BTS,&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/michael-jackson/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Michael Jackson</a>, as well as winning sports memorabilia from FIFA, the NBA and more,” David Goodman, the CEO of Julien’s, said in a statement. “We look forward to being a part of the tremendous excitement Hong Kong is creating in the art and auction world and welcome the public to discover these incredible objects at our museum-like exhibition at Pacific Place.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Bruce-Lee-Chops-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790514" style="width:731px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Bruce-Lee-Chops-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Bruce-Lee-Chops-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Bruce-Lee-Chops-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Bruce-Lee-Chops-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Bruce-Lee-Chops-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Bruce Lee’s onyx chops. Image courtesy of Julien’s Auctions</figcaption></figure>



Almost half of the lots are dedicated to Lee, the martial-arts legend and film star who became known for Enter the Dragon, one of the most profitable Warner Bros. movies of all time, according to the auction house. The highlight of Lee’s memorabilia is a pair of onyx chops that feature the icon’s signature (estimated at US$80,000 to US$100,000/HK$623,345 to HK$779,180). Lee used the chops to endorse contracts, personal letters, official certificates, and more. Elsewhere, Julien’s is offering a stunt nunchaku from Enter the Dragon made to Lee’s specifications (up to US$50,000/HK$389,585), screen-used nunchakus from Fist of Fury (US$30,000/HK$233,750), and vale-tudo gloves (also US$30,000/HK$233,750).



With the realms of movies and music covered, Julien’s is also bringing to the block pieces of sports history—notably, a game-worn Bryant jersey that the Los Angeles Lakers star wore during the 2013–14 NBA season. Expected to fetch up to US$100,000 (HK$779,180), the jersey was worn by Bryant during two road games.



Prior to the auction on 28 September, the public will have the chance to view the various lots during an exhibition open 14 to 27 September in Hong Kong. Then the bidding begins—for Julien’s, the first time the company gets to see the city’s appetite for its offerings.

auctions

Bruce Lee

Hong Kong auction

Kobe Bryant

Michael Jackson

Pacific Place

Taylor Swift

Julien’s First Hong Kong Auction Will Offer Memorabilia From Bruce Lee to Taylor Swift

Robb Report Hong Kong&nbsp;is delighted to announce that the first&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rr1hongkong.com/leaders-of-luxury" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Leaders of Luxury Summit</a>&nbsp;will be held in Hong Kong at the spectacular Regent Hong Kong from 26 to 28 November 2024 for what is expected to be the most exciting international luxury event to take place in Hong Kong this year.



Organised by&nbsp;Robb Report Hong Kong, the leading voice in the global luxury market, the Leaders of Luxury Summit will gather luxury leaders, heads of international luxury companies, top business leaders and entrepreneurs, C-level executives, and international&nbsp;Robb Report&nbsp;editions to deep-dive into the dominant trends, disruptions, and direction of the global luxury industry through a series of engaging talks, thought-provoking panel discussions, and stimulating keynote speeches under the theme “Redefining Luxury Through a Global Lens.”



<figure class="wp-block-video"><video controls src="https://video.wixstatic.com/video/86217e_d6e7d4883e814c81904cdddb202c021e/1080p/mp4/file.mp4"></video></figure>



From exploring the Greater Bay Area and how family offices can drive luxury growth, to the impact of AI on luxury commerce, and the role sustainability plays while defining the financial forces impacting the global luxury market, a rich variety of seminal topics will explore the direction of the luxury industry and how current economic development in the region is creating opportunities for global luxury markets. 



Major tentpole topics covered by&nbsp;Robb Report Hong Kong&nbsp;pages, such as wheels, wings, and water, as well as travel, fashion, watches, and all matters of lifestyle, will be discussed at length as the Leaders of Luxury Summit represents a platform for speakers to engage, enlighten, and inform a gathering of influential guests and fellow industry players.



“I am delighted to announce that Hong Kong has been chosen as the city to host the inaugural&nbsp;Leaders of Luxury Summit,” says Tak Man, CEO and publisher of&nbsp;Robb Report Hong Kong. “For the first time ever in Asia, to bring this kind of event to Hong Kong is exciting on a global level—an event like this sets the stage to announce that Hong Kong is the definitive luxury hub of Asia, and we are thrilled to be the host.”



Hong Kong remains a dynamic luxury consumer hub and an all-important gateway to mainland China, one of the most significant markets for any brand worthy of its stripes.&nbsp;The Leaders of Luxury Summit sets out to zero in on Hong Kong’s position as the defining luxury hub of Asia, analysing its unique position as a leading consumer of luxury goods and services, as well as a driver of redefining luxury on a global scale.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="628" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/botb--1024x628.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790842" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/botb--1024x628.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/botb--300x184.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/botb--768x471.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/botb--1536x943.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/botb--2048x1257.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Capping off the entire event, the spectacular&nbsp;Best of the Best themed black-tie gala dinner will be held in the grand ballroom of Regent Hong Kong on 27 November 2024 to honour the finest in luxury, burnished by an exclusive awards presentation. It will be attended by top leaders of luxury and the global publishers and editors of international&nbsp;Robb Report&nbsp;editions.



Click <a href="https://www.rr1hongkong.com/leaders-of-luxury" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.rr1hongkong.com/leaders-of-luxury" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a> for more information.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/IMG_-2024-09-11-at-10.49.17 AM-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234791214" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/IMG_-2024-09-11-at-10.49.17 AM-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/IMG_-2024-09-11-at-10.49.17 AM-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/IMG_-2024-09-11-at-10.49.17 AM-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/IMG_-2024-09-11-at-10.49.17 AM-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/IMG_-2024-09-11-at-10.49.17 AM-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>

Leaders of Luxury

Robb Report

Robb Report Hong Kong

Summit

Robb Report Hong Kong Launches Inaugural Leaders of Luxury Summit this November

A gastronomic powerhouse is making his presence felt at Galaxy Macau this summer.



Miyakawa Maasaki, one of only six sushi masters in Japan to be honoured with three Michelin stars, has landed at <a href="https://robbreport.hk/posts/what-its-like-to-stay-at-raffles-at-galaxy-macau-the-groups-largest-suite-only-hotel" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Raffles</a> in Macau with his new restaurant, the first outside of his native Japan. Sushi Kissho by Miyakawa distils the essence of traditional Edomae-style sushi into a refined dining ritual, where the meticulous preparation of seasonal ingredients at their peak shapes the sophisticated heart of the intimate experience.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1707" height="2560" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Masaaki-Miyakawa-scaled.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789960" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Masaaki-Miyakawa-scaled.jpeg 1707w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Masaaki-Miyakawa-200x300.jpeg 200w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Masaaki-Miyakawa-683x1024.jpeg 683w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Masaaki-Miyakawa-768x1152.jpeg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Masaaki-Miyakawa-1024x1536.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Masaaki-Miyakawa-1365x2048.jpeg 1365w" sizes="(max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Miyakawa Maasaki is one of only six sushi masters in Japan to be honoured with three Michelin stars.</figcaption></figure>



Diners might recognise Miyakawa from Sushi Yoshitake’s Hong Kong outpost, where he had led the restaurant to achieve three Michelin stars in the mid-2010s. He later returned to Hokkaido to set up the equally lauded Sushi Miyakawa, another establishment conferred with three-star status in the 2017 edition of the Michelin Guide Hokkaido. Sushi Shin by Miyakawa in Niseko and at the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo hotel soon followed, as did the acclaim and praise from guests, critics, and press alike.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1707" height="2560" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/20240524-Sushi-Kissho0185-v1-1-scaled.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789963" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/20240524-Sushi-Kissho0185-v1-1-scaled.jpeg 1707w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/20240524-Sushi-Kissho0185-v1-1-200x300.jpeg 200w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/20240524-Sushi-Kissho0185-v1-1-683x1024.jpeg 683w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/20240524-Sushi-Kissho0185-v1-1-768x1152.jpeg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/20240524-Sushi-Kissho0185-v1-1-1024x1536.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/20240524-Sushi-Kissho0185-v1-1-1365x2048.jpeg 1365w" sizes="(max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Sushi Kissho’s concept is inspired by wabi-sabi, the art of finding beauty in the simple, imperfect state of things.</figcaption></figure>



Now, in Macau, Miyakawa has set yet another stage to further the art of sushi, in a simple, wabi-sabi way that celebrates this delicate Japanese cuisine through a trinity of honouring tradition, taste, and trust between chef and diner. Miyakawa is a soft-spoken conductor—a small smile is perched upon his face throughout the refined omakase dinner as he leads the gastronomic action, deftly slicing through aged otoro tuna, shaping bite-sized pieces of seasoned shari rice, and preparing a delicate nishin herring roll with shiso leaf. 



His team is equally composed, each man at his station, well-oiled cogs in a culinary machine to advance the seamless procession of the meal. Executive chefs Satake Hironori and Maeda Norihisa and their cadre of skilled sushi chefs stationed at Kissho, all trained by Miyakawa himself, are positioned across the culinary stage of the open kitchen, demonstrating every step that results in the lengthy, almost 20-course omakase menu, from mochi-pounding to unagi-roasting over a live fire.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Chu-Toro-Sushi-Kissho-by-Miyakawa-1024x683.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789964" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Chu-Toro-Sushi-Kissho-by-Miyakawa-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Chu-Toro-Sushi-Kissho-by-Miyakawa-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Chu-Toro-Sushi-Kissho-by-Miyakawa-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Chu-Toro-Sushi-Kissho-by-Miyakawa-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Chu-Toro-Sushi-Kissho-by-Miyakawa-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Chu-toro medium fatty tuna is one of the sushi courses on the omakase menu. </figcaption></figure>



A symphony of flavours is the result, beginning with a Hokkaido corn pudding with sea urchin that perfectly captures the essence of the season, followed by appetisers such as tender Shimane black abalone dressed in a rich liver sauce and Nagasaki beltfish, among others. 10 sushi courses follow in efficient succession, from chu-toro medium fatty tuna, delicately prepared kohada gizzard shad, and kuruma-ebi prawn to arguably the most fawned-over moment of the night: Hadate’s Murasaki uni, the highest-rated batch of sea urchin available that day, a highly sought-after item that Miyakawa had successfully secured for the day’s service. From one nigiri to another, Sushi Kissho takes diners on an oceanic adventure, hopping from prefecture to prefecture for a taste of the freshest catches and regional specialities.



Its curation of accompanying sake is just as painstaking and features rare homegrown labels including the likes of Kokuryu, Mutsu Hassen, Hakurakusei, and Tatenokawa, which boasts a 180-year-old history. Sushi Kissho is also one of the few establishments that offers a taste of Wa8, a private-label junmai daiginjo sake developed by Sumikawa Shozo Brewery and Wa Creations.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Kohada-Sushi-Kissho-by-Miyakawa0-1024x683.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789966" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Kohada-Sushi-Kissho-by-Miyakawa0-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Kohada-Sushi-Kissho-by-Miyakawa0-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Kohada-Sushi-Kissho-by-Miyakawa0-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Kohada-Sushi-Kissho-by-Miyakawa0-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Kohada-Sushi-Kissho-by-Miyakawa0-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Kohada gizzard shad. </figcaption></figure>



Guests, meanwhile, spectate the goings-on from behind an imposing 300-year-old kiso hinoki cypress slab inlaid with momiji maple-leaf motifs, crafted by a seasoned Japanese carpenter who specialises in constructing counters for sushi restaurants. Hand-installed on-site, this fine centrepiece anchors the minimalist dining space, punctuated by exquisite handmade pottery sourced from generations-old producers and workshops in Japan. Ceramics made by the Miyagawa family, specialists in the delicate art since the Edo period, and antique ikebana baskets add character to the natural setting. As expected of an experience this exclusive, Sushi Kissho seats just 10 at the main carved counter, with another 10 in a private dining room, but you really want to be close to the action to take in the meticulous artistry practised by the masters.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Sushi-Counter-Sushi-Kissho-by-Miyakawa1-1024x683.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789961" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Sushi-Counter-Sushi-Kissho-by-Miyakawa1-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Sushi-Counter-Sushi-Kissho-by-Miyakawa1-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Sushi-Counter-Sushi-Kissho-by-Miyakawa1-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Sushi-Counter-Sushi-Kissho-by-Miyakawa1-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Sushi-Counter-Sushi-Kissho-by-Miyakawa1-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Diners spectate the preparation of the omakase meal while seated at a 300-year-old kiso hinoki cypress counter.</figcaption></figure>



As luck would have it, the restaurant recently announced that Miyakawa will return to Sushi Kissho from 1 to 4 August to offer an exclusive, limited-time omakase menu and curated beverage pairing featuring Japanese wines and spirits that will tantalise the senses. In these bimonthly visits, the chef, alongside his team, will showcase seasonal ingredients sourced from a trusted roster of farmers, foragers, and fishermen.



Run, don’t walk, to make your booking—this is one sushi dinner you don’t want to miss.



<a href="https://www.galaxymacau.com/dining/restaurants/sushi-kissho-miyakawa/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sushi Kissho by Miyakawa</a>



2/F, Raffles at Galaxy Macau, Cotai, Macau



Tel: (+853) 8883 2221



All images courtesy of Sushi Kissho.

Japanese Cuisine

Macau

Miyakawa Maasaki

Omakase

Raffles at Galaxy Macau

Sushi

Sushi Kissho

Inside Sushi Kissho by Miyakawa, a New Edomae-Style Sushi Restaurant Helmed By a 3-Michelin-Starred Chef

Forget a resort. On your next European jaunt, you’ll have a slew of stylish estates where you can rest your head. &nbsp;



Luxury travel company Red Savannah just unveiled its <a href="https://www.redsavannah.com/ultimate-estates/ultimate-estates?filter=%7B%22continent%22%3A%22%22%2C%22country%22%3A%22%22%2C%22region%22%3A%22%22%2C%22priceRange%22%3A%5B35400%2C219900%5D%2C%22currency%22%3A%22GBP%22%2C%22guests%22%3A%5B%5D%2C%22rooms%22%3A%5B%5D%2C%22greatFor%22%3A%5B%5D%2C%22amenities%22%3A%5B%5D%2C%22sortMethod%22%3A%22featured%22%2C%22itemsPerPage%22%3A999999%2C%22currentPage%22%3A0%2C%22product%22%3A%22%22%7D" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ultimate Estates</a> collection, an assembly of private vacation rentals scattered across Italy, France, Greece, and Spain, to name a few. The 21 properties essentially function as a five-star hotel, with the added bonus of not having to share your space. 



Want to stay in an English manor in the Cotswolds? How about a beach club-inspired villa in <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/ibiza/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ibiza</a>? You can expect to find a minimum of six bedrooms no matter the booking, plus epic amenities like spas, private boats, gyms, tennis courts, wine cellars, and home movie theatres. In addition, each reservation comes with a full team of staff including chefs and a 24/7 concierge contact. 



“These highly experienced travel specialists act as personal travel assistants to organise bespoke itineraries, secure one-of-a-kind experiences, and ensure a flawless stay,” Red Savannah said in a statement. “Past arrangements have included delivering a Steinway grand piano by helicopter to Villa La Cassinella and arranging for a soprano from Milan’s La Scala to serenade guests during dinner on a wisteria-draped terrace overlooking Lake Como.” 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Villa-Xi.jpg-1024x683.png" alt="" class="wp-image-1234791188" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Villa-Xi.jpg-1024x683.png 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Villa-Xi.jpg-300x200.png 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Villa-Xi.jpg-768x512.png 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Villa-Xi.jpg-1536x1024.png 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Villa-Xi.jpg-2048x1365.png 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Villa Xi on Ibiza. Image courtesy of Red Savannah</figcaption></figure>



For bigger parties and a glitzy beach-club vibe, look no further than the 10-bed Villa Xi on Ibiza. At the property—which is just down the road from the iconic Blue Marlin on Cala Jondal—you and your family can tuck your toes in a sandy bar area nestled underneath pine trees and, by night, hang by the palm-shaded Jacuzzi. The villa’s generous 10 acres offer up plenty of opportunities to stay active, from playing volleyball to swimming in the over-80-foot pool. The villa itself was recently completed in 2017 and is decked out with modern interiors that merge Scandinavian and Indonesian designs: Think en-suite bedrooms with Balinese-style showers and tropical shrubs. &nbsp;



Nestled in the heart of the French Riviera on the Cap d’Antibes, Red Savannah’s Domaine de la Garoupe is perfect for smaller groups perhaps seeking a respite from the famous Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc. The château has nine total bedrooms, split between a main house (known as La Palombière) and two separate dwellings dubbed&nbsp;La Maison du Cap and La Petite Palombière. Altogether, the abode can sleep up to 18 guests and packs a ton of perks such as a private spa, a salon for hair and nail treatments, a gym, a wine cellar, and a 15-seat cinema. La Palombière acts as the property’s hub with a marble-clad kitchen, a drawing room overlooking the garden, and an outdoor swimming pool.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/The-Great-House.jpg-1024x683.png" alt="" class="wp-image-1234791189" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/The-Great-House.jpg-1024x683.png 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/The-Great-House.jpg-300x200.png 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/The-Great-House.jpg-768x512.png 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/The-Great-House.jpg-1536x1024.png 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/The-Great-House.jpg-2048x1365.png 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Great House in <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/barbados/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Barbados</a>. Image courtesy of Red Savannah</figcaption></figure>



If you’re looking for something with say, a tropical flair, the Ultimate Estates collection includes the&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/caribbean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Caribbean</a>, too. There’s a massive 12-suite spread in Barbados planted right on the beach on the island’s northwest coast. The Great House, as it’s known, can sleep up to 30 people between its main digs, the Hillaby House, and two cottages. However, you’ll most likely spend a lot of time outdoors enjoying the alfresco perks. Chief among them is a beach bar with a pizza oven, a 33-foot motorboat, kayaks, and water toys. &nbsp;



As for any non-estate escapes, Red Savannah’s got you covered there, too. One of&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/travel/destinations/red-savannah-yves-saint-laurent-trip-1235737638/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">its newest itineraries</a>&nbsp;will let you explore Marrakech just like Yves Saint Laurent, or you can opt for a litany of&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/travel/destinations/gallery/literary-themed-travel-1235780266/o-41/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">literary-themed activities</a>&nbsp;in the brand’s In the Footsteps of the Great Detectives series.

latest europe private estate

new european private estate

red savannah new estate

This Collection of Lavish Private Estates Is Ready for Your Next European Vacation

Robb Report Hong Kong is excited to announce the debut of the <a href="https://www.rr1hongkong.com/leaders-of-luxury" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Leaders of Luxury Summit</a>, taking place in Hong Kong as the host city. With the welcomed support of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the inaugural Leaders of Luxury Summit highlights the city’s position as a hub of luxury lifestyle and an important destination for international luxury brands.



Organised by&nbsp;Robb Report Hong Kong,&nbsp;the highly anticipated Leaders of Luxury Summit will be held at Regent Hong Kong from 26 to 28 November 2024. It is set to be the most exciting international luxury event to take place in the city this year. A host of world-class speakers and panellists are expected to attend the event for thoughtful discussions centred around this year’s summit theme, “Redefining Luxury Through a Global Lens.”



Heads of international luxury companies, top business leaders, global entrepreneurs, C-level executives, and international&nbsp;Robb Report&nbsp;editors will deep-dive into the dominant trends, disruptions, and direction of the global luxury industry through a series of engaging talks, thought-provoking panel discussions, and stimulating keynote speeches.



Additionally, the publishers and editors of&nbsp;Robb Report&nbsp;titles around the world have been invited to attend the Leaders of Luxury Summit and participate in this significant event that has global implications on the luxury front.



An important day of discussion will lead to a glamorous night of entertainment, as a by-invitation-only black-tie gala dinner will cap off the summit. Under the theme “Best of the Best,” an awards presentation and exciting evening with luxury leaders are on the agenda.



Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rr1hongkong.com/leaders-of-luxury" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>&nbsp;for more information.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/IMG_-2024-09-11-at-10.49.17 AM-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234791301" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/IMG_-2024-09-11-at-10.49.17 AM-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/IMG_-2024-09-11-at-10.49.17 AM-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/IMG_-2024-09-11-at-10.49.17 AM-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/IMG_-2024-09-11-at-10.49.17 AM-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/IMG_-2024-09-11-at-10.49.17 AM-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>

Leaders of Luxury Summit

Robb Report Hong Kong Joins Hands with Hong Kong Tourism Board to Bring Inaugural Leaders of Luxury Summit to the City

Bali

Nirjhara

Tabanan

What It’s Like to Stay at Nirjhara, a Boutique Luxury Retreat in Tabanan, the “Rice Bowl” of Bali

Gary Lowe, 66, and his wife, Pam, 69, have long been adventurous travellers, but two years ago, the couple challenged themselves to the ultimate trip: circumnavigating the globe—solo. Their inspiration wasn’t The Amazing Race, but rather the book that likely inspired that show, Jules Verne’s Around The World in 80 Days. Published in 1873, Verne’s novel follows eccentric protagonist Phileas Fogg and his loyal valet, Jean Passepartout, as they attempt to win a wager and prove that then-novel modes of transport—like the steam train—have made it possible to circumnavigate the world in less than three months (Spoiler alert: Fogg wins the bet, albeit only just). To see if they could match Fogg’s jaunt the Lowes, who live between rural England and Cataluña in Spain, the Lowes traveled using a combination of planes, trains, and buses. They spent around US$85,000 (HK$662,740) on the entire trip, creating extraordinary memories along the way.



This is their story.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Plans and Prep</h2>



They dreamed up their ambitious adventure on a whim—sitting in a restaurant in Italy one winter day, dreaming of warmer climes.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RR_Around_the_World_in_80_Days_l-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234791059" style="width:711px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RR_Around_the_World_in_80_Days_l-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RR_Around_the_World_in_80_Days_l-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RR_Around_the_World_in_80_Days_l-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RR_Around_the_World_in_80_Days_l-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RR_Around_the_World_in_80_Days_l-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Gary and Pam Lowe landed in <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/sydney/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sydney</a> after a club hopping in <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/malaysia/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Malaysia</a>. Image courtesy of Gary and Pam Lowe</figcaption></figure>



We thought about doing this in January 2022, and we departed on 2 October that year, so we didn’t have an awful lot of time to make detailed preparations. I had a fairly clear idea of where I wanted to go, and we got the basic itinerary drawn on a placement in a restaurant. We were paying lip service to Jules Verne’s novel and wanted to go round the world in exactly 80 days, and to a number of the places Phileas Fogg went. But obviously, he couldn’t use air transport. We didn’t want to suffer, but we also didn’t want to do it in the most luxurious way, either; so we didn’t consider one of those air cruises.



Instead, we flew business everywhere we could, and the airlines themselves were terrific—Qatar especially, because of the cleanliness of the plane, and the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Adventure Begins</h2>



The first leg of the trip: Europe and the Middle East, with a detour to North Africa.



When Phileas Fogg did his trip, he went from London to Paris to Turin, which we did, too. But we also decided to stay longer in places we thought we’d need more time to see, like&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/rome/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rome</a>. We walked everywhere, in all the cities. My belief is that you can’t really get the feel of a place without walking it, so we walked and walked and walked.



We went to Jerusalem, Cairo, and Alexandria, too. Cairo was probably Pam’s least favourite place: big, dirty, and busy. It was almost impossible to cross the road. But we took the train from Cairo to Alexandria, which cost around £5 [HK$50] in first class for a three-and-a-half-hour journey, and it was very comfortable. We needed somewhere luxurious to stay at the end of that, but the Four Seasons there was disappointing. It was under construction, so the bars and swimming pool were not available. In Alexandria, you feel the history but not in the same way as in, perhaps, Istanbul.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Highlight</h2>



Both Gary and Pam treated&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/india/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">India</a>&nbsp;as the crown jewel of their trip.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RR_Around_the_World_in_80_Days_i-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234791060" style="width:711px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RR_Around_the_World_in_80_Days_i-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RR_Around_the_World_in_80_Days_i-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RR_Around_the_World_in_80_Days_i-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RR_Around_the_World_in_80_Days_i-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RR_Around_the_World_in_80_Days_i-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">India was a highlight of the journey. Image courtesy of Gary and Pam Lowe</figcaption></figure>



India was the central focus—the driving force behind the whole trip. We picked a train called the <a href="https://www.the-maharajas.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Maharajas Express</a> around the Golden Triangle and really enjoyed it. I’d absolutely recommend it unreservedly.



We slept pretty well, though some people found that difficult. The most important feature was the logistics: We were travelling at night, at low speed. That’s how we got to Bombay. Phileas Fogg went to Bombay by going down the Suez Canal. We thought about maybe doing that, as we have a friend who’s in shipping and said “I can get you down there, no problem, any day of the week.” But I wasn’t sure we really wanted to travel on a container ship, or finish up in Yemen, because it’s a conflict zone.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A Change in Itinerary</h2>



Lingering pandemic-era restrictions forced the Lowes to deviate further from Fogg’s journey.



From Bombay, Fogg went to Calcutta, Singapore, and Hong Kong. But Covid was still a problem in China [in late 2022], and if we had gone there, it would have been very risky, as we could have got stuck. So we went to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, as we have a very good friend there, and neither of us had been. We stayed with friends and Pam booked our hotels. A few of the clubs had reciprocals for mine in Europe. We’re also part of the <a href="https://www.cresta-run.com/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cresta Run Club</a> in Switzerland, and we played golf with the grandson of the most recent king, who’s also ridden the Cresta with us. That was terrific.



From here, Fogg went to Japan before taking the steamer from Yokohama to San Francisco. He never went south of the equator. But we deviated again, going down to stay with more friends who are members of the Cresta, this time in Sydney. Pam’s oldest son lives in Perth in Western Australia, and he came over for a few days. They played golf together. I’m a keen cyclist, so I rented a bike to cycle down the south of Sydney to a place called Wollongong, with such a beautiful coastline. It was a thrill for me.



We went from there to Santiago. It took some persuading for Pam to drive over the Andes, going from Santiago to Mendoza. It was a very long trip, but it had to be done, and in the end, it was on a fabulous coach that was quite luxurious as coaches go. It took about 10 hours, but that included a three-hour stop at the border as you go into Argentina. Goodness knows why it takes so long, but it’s well known to happen.&nbsp;We flew back. That took one hour.



After time in Lima and California, plus a brief stop to see Chicago’s skyscrapers, the couple was on the home stretch.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="683" height="1024" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RR_Around_the_World_in_80_Days_o-683x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234791061" style="width:711px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RR_Around_the_World_in_80_Days_o-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RR_Around_the_World_in_80_Days_o-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RR_Around_the_World_in_80_Days_o-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RR_Around_the_World_in_80_Days_o-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RR_Around_the_World_in_80_Days_o-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RR_Around_the_World_in_80_Days_o.jpg 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/new-york/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York</a> was an opportunity for indulgence. Image courtesy of Gary and Pam Lowe</figcaption></figure>



I had lived in the States, and we went to New York where our friends put us up and threw a big party—we’d been relatively abstemious on the trip. But that night we definitely had too much to drink. I was celebrating my birthday on 17 December. Then we flew home the next day, just in time for Pam’s birthday on 19 December.



Famously, in the novel, Fogg got his timings wrong because of the dateline, so we thought the sensible thing to do in case anything went wrong was to build in a two-day buffer, which we didn’t end up needing. Then we went to the Reform Club, as he had, on the 80th day after leaving, for a nice lunch with some Champagne. It was December 21, the same day as Fogg.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Travel Hacks</h2>



The two biggest tips from Lowe: cutting costs on laundry, and a need-to-read book in prep.



One of the great problems is how to manage your clothing situation. We travelled with quite a lot of luggage—two hard suitcases and a backpack, each—which was no problem on airlines, but became a problem when we took the train. For the most part, it was hot everywhere we went; in fact, all the way until we got to North America. So we had sent a suitcase ahead to our friends in Los Angeles, full of warm clothes, and that’s when we switched.



Pam also became an expert on the laundromats of the world. Most places, you have serviced laundry done, with all your clothes washed and ironed back within 24 hours. We didn’t use the hotel laundry service, which saved us a fortune.



I read the Jules Verne novel maybe once or twice before we planned our trip, and re-read it again while we did. But there’s another book that’s just as interesting, by this fascinating woman who wrote under the pen name Nellie Bly. She did a round the world trip, more or less on his route, as a woman alone, in the 1880s, and wrote&nbsp;Around The World in Seventy-Two Days.&nbsp;That’s quite a story.

around the world

Around The World in Eighty Days

global travel

India

London

New York

rome

We Recreated Jules Verne’s ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ and Had the Journey of a Lifetime

Since its introduction late last year, the&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/rolls-royce-spectre-arrival-1234864752/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rolls-Royce Spectre</a>&nbsp;has made quite some wafting ripples in the luxury EV landscape. Enough, in fact, for&nbsp;Robb Report&nbsp;editors to have named it the&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/best-of-the-best/gallery/2024-botb-automotive-1235638998/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Best of the Best&nbsp;</a><a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/electric-vehicle/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Electric Vehicle</a>&nbsp;for 2024. Its substantial presence and performance make it an obvious choice, with the latter every bit the equal of that found in any of Goodwood’s V-12-engined cars.



What makes the&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/rolls-royce-spectre-ev-on-sale-blacklist-1235497187/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Spectre&nbsp;</a>a standout among other zero-emissions models is its very EV-ness as it embodies the&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/rolls-royce-facts-2900540/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rolls-Royce&nbsp;</a>ethos of silent comportment and refined luxury, something to which even the most muffled&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/the-dirty-dozen-why-12-cylinder-engines-remain-magical-2747474/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">V-12</a>&nbsp;can never match. (It’s to be noted that the original 2004 Phantom did not have visible exhaust tailpipes, so discreet and elegant was its design.)



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="2400" height="1600" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/1-w-Spectre-Semaphore-5.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790121" style="width:680px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/1-w-Spectre-Semaphore-5.jpg 2400w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/1-w-Spectre-Semaphore-5-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/1-w-Spectre-Semaphore-5-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/1-w-Spectre-Semaphore-5-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/1-w-Spectre-Semaphore-5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/1-w-Spectre-Semaphore-5-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The one-off <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/rolls-royce/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rolls-Royce</a> Spectre Semaphore. Image courtesy of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars</figcaption></figure>



Rolls-Royce automobiles, though, have never been shrinking violets. The automaker has been amenable to bespoke commissions from the very beginning, some of which have been remarkable in the extreme. Today, the latest one-off Rolls-Royce is the Spectre Semaphore, which pushes the creative envelope far afield. This unique Spectre features one-of-a-kind artwork on the bonnet (Brit-speak for a car’s hood), which is, according to Rolls-Royce, “a dramatic ‘Marbled Paint Spill’ requiring 160 hours of development by Rolls-Royce craftspeople, who applied silver lacquer and multiple layers of clear coat for a seamless finish.”



To us, it recalls paintings by Morris Lewis or Paul Jenkins, whose poured colour fields expressed lyrical abstract patterns across vast expanses of canvas or paper, though these were created in far less time than it takes to paint a bespoke Rolls-Royce. The Semaphore Yellow colour was “inspired by the informal elegance of coastal California,” according to the marque’s official statement, which we interpret as a romantic glance over the shoulder at the days when driftwood beaches instead of concours lawns were a destination for drivers coming up from bustling Los Angeles or down from freezing-in-the-summer San Francisco.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="2400" height="1600" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2-w-Spectre-Semaphore-11.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790122" style="width:680px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2-w-Spectre-Semaphore-11.jpg 2400w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2-w-Spectre-Semaphore-11-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2-w-Spectre-Semaphore-11-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2-w-Spectre-Semaphore-11-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2-w-Spectre-Semaphore-11-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2-w-Spectre-Semaphore-11-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has given the name “Marbled Paint Spill” to the abstract artistic expression adorning the hood. Image courtesy of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars</figcaption></figure>



Donovan’s hit album&nbsp;Mellow Yellow&nbsp;was all the rage in 1966, and the psychedelic patterns of the Spectre’s hood—er, bonnet—would be perfectly at home on a fluorescent Fillmore poster stapled to the wall at a Haight Ashbury love-in. Inhale (the nostalgia) deeply.



Like a field of&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/shelter/auctions/christies-auction-van-gogh-1235600846/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Van Gogh</a>&nbsp;sunflowers, yellow is carried through the Spectre’s interior in a combination of Bespoke&nbsp;Lemon Yellow and Citrine Yellow leather across the seats, Starlight doors, and above&nbsp;the instrument panel. Grace White and Slate Grey leather is enlivened by Lemon&nbsp;Yellow stitching that enhances the creative vision.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/3-w-Spectre-Semaphore-6-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790123" style="width:680px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/3-w-Spectre-Semaphore-6-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/3-w-Spectre-Semaphore-6-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/3-w-Spectre-Semaphore-6-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/3-w-Spectre-Semaphore-6-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/3-w-Spectre-Semaphore-6-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Bespoke Lemon Yellow and Citrine Yellow leather dress the interior. Image courtesy of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars</figcaption></figure>



The team at Goodwood also programmed the Spectre’s SPIRIT operating system to illuminate instrument dials in the Semaphore Yellow colourway. Highly polished wood serves as complementing trim, and is finished in Cashmere Grey paint infused with silver mica flakes that sparkle when illuminated.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/4-w-Spectre-Semaphore-9-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790124" style="width:680px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/4-w-Spectre-Semaphore-9-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/4-w-Spectre-Semaphore-9-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/4-w-Spectre-Semaphore-9-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/4-w-Spectre-Semaphore-9-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/4-w-Spectre-Semaphore-9-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Semaphore Yellow paint colour was “inspired by the informal elegance of coastal California,” according to the marque’s official statement. Image courtesy of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars</figcaption></figure>



The Rolls-Royce Spectre Semaphore is infinitely rarer than even a sealed first pressing of Yellow Submarine (The Beatles, 1969). In fact, the factory is emphatic that only one Spectre Semaphore will be built for the entire global market. This one-of-one is available exclusively through authorised dealer partners of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in the United States.



Click <a href="https://robbreport.com/?post_type=pmc-gallery&amp;p=1235801503/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a> for more photos of the Rolls-Royce Spectre Semaphore.

Best of the Best 2024

Electric Vehicle

luxury car

Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce Spectre

Rolls-Royce Spectre Semaphore

Rolls-Royce Just Unveiled a Psychedelic, One-of-a-Kind Spectre. Here’s What We Know.

<a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/ferrari/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ferrari</a>’s electric future will be before you know it.



The storied automaker’s CEO, Benedetto Vigna, has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/ferrari-boss-sets-ambitious-brief-2025-debut-ev" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">confirmed to&nbsp;Autocar</a>&nbsp;that the company’s first EV will make its debut in 2025. He also revealed that the company’s test drivers have already put thousands of miles on test mules of the vehicle.



Vigna was careful not to reveal too much about the vehicle, but he did say it will be unveiled late next year, before going on sale sometime in 2026. That timeline isn’t all surprising since Ferrari has been spotted testing out mysterious prototypes around Maranello. The executive didn’t have to say much about that other than that the company’s drivers had already put “several thousand kilometres” on the test mules. Spy shots have shown a heavily camouflaged vehicle wearing a modified version of the Maserati Levante’s body. It remains to be seen whether the finished EV will look at all like that SUV, though. Prototypes of the Ferrari Purosangue (which is pictured above) were also based on the Levante, but the production version was significantly different.



Whatever shape the battery-powered model ends up taking, Vigna is convinced it will appeal to the brand’s most ardent supporters and tech-savvy newcomers alike. That’s because, as Vigna puts it, there’s not one thing that makes a Prancing Horse a Prancing Horse—though they are all fun to drive.



“There is not a pattern really,” Vigna told the magazine. “People buy a Ferrari because when they buy a Ferrari, they have a lot of fun. They don’t buy a Ferrari because A, B, C, D or a single element. It’s a combination of things. When we do electric cars, we will produce them in the right way.”



Although Ferrari is keeping information about the model close to the vest, there has been plenty of speculation about the vehicle. Last month, Reuters reported the company’s debut EV <a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/ferraris-first-ev-will-cost-over-1235661037/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">will likely start at well over US$500,000</a> (HK$3.9 million) and that another battery-powered model is already in the works. Vigna wouldn’t comment on the report other than to say that the price likely won’t be finalized until just before launch.



An electric Prancing Horse may be on the way, but the sports car&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/ferrari-exec-says-first-ev-deliver-authentic-sound-1235650084/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">remains committed to the traditional gas-powered engine.</a>&nbsp;Vigna didn’t go into much detail about the company’s future but did say it plans to offer internal combustion, hybrid-powered, and all-electric models.

battery-powered

electric car

Ferrari

gas-powered engine

Ferrari Confirms Its First Electric Car Is Coming Next Year

Some things are even better than expected.



You can add the <a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/shelby-ford-mustang-gt500-code-red-1234742468/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shelby GT500 Code Red</a> to that list. The heavily modified <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/ford/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ford</a> Mustang is even faster than initially thought, recently <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajsZ3rrLxjs" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">running the quarter mile in just 8.59 seconds</a> at 161 mph. And what might be most impressive about the feat is that it comes more than two years after the track-only muscle car made its debut.



That quarter-mile time makes the GT500 Code Red one of the quickest accelerating cars currently available. Only four other vehicles can cover that much ground in under nine seconds,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.carscoops.com/2024/09/shelbys-1300-hp-gt500-code-red-runs-1-4-mile-in-insane-8-59-seconds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according to Car Scoops</a>. They include the&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/first-drive-lucid-air-sapphire-1234882587/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lucid Air Sapphire</a>&nbsp;(which runs the quarter-mile in 8.93 seconds), the&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/dodge-challenger-srt-demon-170-final-last-call-car-1234820866/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170</a>&nbsp;(an NHRA-certified 8.91 seconds), the&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/first-drive-pininfarina-battista-1234893734/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pininfarina Battista</a>&nbsp;(8.55 seconds), and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=rimac+nevera+robbreport&amp;rlz=1C5GCCM_en&amp;oq=rimac+nevera+robbreport&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBggAEEUYOzIGCAAQRRg7MgkIARAAGAoYgAQyDQgCEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyDQgDEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyDQgEEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyBggFEEUYPDIGCAYQRRg8MgYIBxBFGDzSAQgzMDMyajBqNKgCALACAA&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rimac Nevera</a>&nbsp;(8.23 seconds). Three of those vehicles are all-electric, including two seven-figure hypercars, while one, the Demon 170 is gas-powered. That makes the GT500 Code Red the quickest accelerating ICE car currently available.



<iframe loading="lazy" width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ajsZ3rrLxjs?si=En_C5uLLHSy1Lkr3" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>



Of course, it’s not a complete shock to see the GT500 Code Red post such a ridiculous quarter-mile time. It is, after all, the pinnacle of <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/shelby/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shelby</a>’s upgraded Mustang lineup. The hardcore muscle car was designed specifically for straight-line performance. Shelby took the already powerful Mustang GT500, the stock version of which has a 5.2-litre supercharged V-8 that makes 760 hp and 625 ft lbs of torque, and turned everything about it up to 11.



The Shelby wears a carbon-fibre wide-body kit, has a revised suspension setup, and, most importantly of all, has had its powertrain completely overhauled. Its supercharger has been swapped out for a pair of turbochargers and it’s been equipped with Manley pistons, Ferrara competition valves, and a new fuel system. Thanks to those changes the brawny setup churns out a staggering 1,300 horses and 1,000 ft lbs of twist. Shelby didn’t release performance numbers at the time of the vehicle’s debut, but, as we now know for certain, it’s awfully fast. What it isn’t though, is a series production model. Instead, the GT500 Code Red is limited to just 30 units.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/codered02-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234791208" style="width:713px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/codered02-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/codered02-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/codered02-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/codered02-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/codered02-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Shelby GT500 Code Red. Image courtesy of Shelby American</figcaption></figure>



Unsurprisingly, that kind of drag strip dominance does not come cheap. Pricing for the upgraded package starts at US$224,995 (HK$1.75 million). That figure, as Shelby notes on its website, doesn’t include the actual vehicle. When it was last available in 2022, the Mustang GT500 started at US$79,420 (HK$619,685), so you’re looking at more than US$300,000 (HK$2.34 million) for the entire build.

Ford Mustang

GT500 Code Red

modified car

new speed record

quickest accelerating ICE car

racecar

Shelby

track-only car

The Shelby GT500 Code Red Just Set a New Gas-Powered Car Speed Record

There’s more than electricity in&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/bmw/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BMW</a>’s future.



The German luxury marque has <a href="https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/global/article/detail/T0444790EN/hydrogen-pioneers:-bmw-group-and-toyota-motor-corporation-take-collaboration-to-the-next-level-to-offer-fuel-cell-electric-vehicle-fcev-options-for-passenger-cars" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced plans</a> to put its first <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/hydrogen/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hydrogen</a> car into production. You won’t have to wait long for the vehicle, either. If everything goes to plan, it will be here by 2028.



BMW is teaming up with&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/toyota/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Toyota</a>&nbsp;to develop a new generation of fuel-cell powertrains. The two automakers have worked together in the past, most notably on the&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/2021-toyota-gr-supra-review-3-0-1234577829/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">current-generation Supra</a>, but hope that pouring more resources into the partnership can help make hydrogen vehicles more viable. Up until now, the technology, which converts hydrogen into electricity while only emitting water, has failed to catch on despite the abundance of the element due to high costs and the lack of infrastructure,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-09-05/bmw-to-sell-hydrogen-cars-from-2028-in-partnership-with-toyota" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according to Bloomberg</a>. Sales of hydrogen cars, the most popular of which may be the Toyota Mirai, dwindled to just 9,000 units last year.



With 2028 still four years away, BMW’s announcement was devoid of concrete details about its first hydrogen car other than it will be integrated into the brand’s existing portfolio. The brand has previously tested a hydrogen-powered iX5 pilot fleet (pictured above), so it would not be a surprise if the vehicle is based on the mid-size SUV. The next generation of the model is expected to debut before 2028, <a href="https://www.motor1.com/news/732646/2028-bmw-hydrogen-car-confirmed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according to Motor1.com</a>, so the timing would work out nicely.



“This is a milestone in automotive history: the first-ever series production fuel cell vehicle to be offered by a global premium manufacturer. Powered by hydrogen and driven by the spirit of our cooperation, it will underscore how technological progress is shaping future mobility,”&nbsp;Oliver Zipse, the chairman of BMW’s Board of Management, said in a statement.



Don’t view BMW’s pledge to build a hydrogen car as a pivot. The company remains committed to electrifying its lineup of vehicles—and with good reason. At a time when the rest of its peers are pumping the breaks on their electrification strategy due to a lack of customer demand, BMW’s EVs are&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/bmw-sold-more-evs-in-europe-tesla-july-1235825216/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">selling better than ever before</a>. In fact, the company is expected to debut its next-generation of battery-powered vehicles, dubbed the&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/bmw-boss-confirms-neue-klasse-suv-sedan-1235612189/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Neue Klasse</a>&nbsp;lineup, next year. Instead, hydrogen vehicles will become just another segment for the automaker, along with gas-, hybrid-, and battery-powered vehicles.

hydrogen-powered car

new BMW

toyota

BMW’s First Hydrogen-Powered Car Is Coming in 2028

The&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/slideshow/robb-reports-top-10-summer-rides/aston-martin-vanquish-volante/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aston Martin Vanquish</a>&nbsp;is ready for its comeback.



The British marque has just pulled back the curtain on the third iteration of the long-running nameplate. The powerful coupé will retake its spot atop the brand’s grand tourer lineup when it goes on sale later this year and offers up the best proof yet that the company is listening to its customers.



Earlier this year, company chairman Lawrence Stroll announced that&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/aston-martin/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aston Martin</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/aston-martin-combustion-engine-shift-focus-ev-hybrids-1235580040/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">was backtracking</a>&nbsp;on a previous pledge to phase out internal combustion engine powertrains. The executive said it had become clear that a big part of the draw of its cars was the “sound and smell” of their potent gas engines, and, as such, the automaker was shifting its development focus from EVs to hybrids.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/vanquish01-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234791089" style="width:711px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/vanquish01-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/vanquish01-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/vanquish01-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/vanquish01-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/vanquish01-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">2025 Aston Martin Vanquish. Image courtesy of Aston Martin</figcaption></figure>



The new Vanquish, which is the first all-new model that’s been unveiled since Stroll’s comments, may not be a hybrid, but it does have one of those big ICE mills that the brand’s customers are so enamoured with. The two-door is powered by an all-new twin-turbocharged 5.2-litre V-12 mated to a ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox. The engine can make a very impressive 824 hp and 738 ft lbs of torque, making it significantly more potent than the V-12 in the Vanquish’s predecessor as Aston Martin’s top GT, the <a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/aston-martin-dbs-770-ultimate-flagship-goodbye-1234796507/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DBS 770 Ultimate</a>, which made 759 hp and 664 ft lbs of torque. Thanks to all that raw power, the Vanquish can sprint from zero to 62 mph in just 3.2 seconds and hit a top speed of 214 mph. The mill has also been designed and engineered to meet new stricter emission requirements.



“When you talk about some of those figures, in terms of the differences from the old [V-12] and the new engine, you’re not talking about 10 per cent, 15 per cent, actually, we’re talking about 30, 40 per cent improvements in efficiencies.” James Owen, senior manager of vehicle engineering operations, told us in July. “Because the challenge is there, from a legislative [standpoint], to keep an ICE engine in production, we have to make those steps.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/vanquish03-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234791090" style="width:711px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/vanquish03-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/vanquish03-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/vanquish03-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/vanquish03-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/vanquish03-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Inside the new Vanquish. Image courtesy of Aston Martin</figcaption></figure>



Of course, performance is only part of the grand tourer equation. Fortunately, the Vanquish more than looks the part. The car’s body, which features more carbon fibre and has a longer wheelbase than previous Aston Martin GTs, is both sophisticated and powerful. It’s not a dramatic style departure by any stretch, but it’s also got more edge thanks to a shark-like front end, sculptural insets on the hood and side panels, and Kamm tail rear. It’s the kind of car that looks as comfortable parked at the country club as it does covering winding roads at speed.



Inside, the Vanquish offers all the luxury amenities that drivers have come to expect from the brand. The cushy two-seat cabins are covered in premium materials, like quilted leather. The space is equipped with an Aston Martin-designed digital gauge cluster and infotainment system, plenty of physical buttons and switches, and a standard glass roof (though a carbon-fibre upgrade is available).



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/vanquish02-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234791091" style="width:711px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/vanquish02-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/vanquish02-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/vanquish02-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/vanquish02-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/vanquish02-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image courtesy of Aston Martin</figcaption></figure>



The new Vanquish will be limited to just 1,000 units per year. Deliveries of Aston Martin’s latest flagship are set to begin before the end of the year. The powerful coupé will start at US$429,000 (HK$3.34 million), which is about US$10,000 (HK$77,960) more than the DBS 770 Ultimate cost last year.



Click <a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/gallery/photos-new-2025-aston-martin-vanquish-1235841781/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a> for more photos of the 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish.<a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/gallery/photos-new-2025-aston-martin-vanquish-1235841781/"></a>

Ashton Martin Vanquish

British car

coupe

infotainment car system

new Aston Martin

new car

new Vanquish

Vanquish

The New Aston Martin Vanquish Is a Luxury V-12 Beast

Worried that the&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/lucid-air/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lucid Air</a>&nbsp;isn’t tough enough? You’re in luck.



<a href="https://www.usarmorgroup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">US.Armor Group</a> has just announced plans to sell an armoured version of the top-of-the-line Air Sapphire. The toughened EV offers bullet-proof cladding, “impenetrable Wi-Fi,” and the option of poison gas detection to put even the most paranoid of drivers at ease.



The Air Sapphire is easily one of the most impressive battery-powered vehicles currently on the market. The luxury sedan range-topping variant combines a sleek design with luxe amenities and boundary-pushing performance. The quad-motor powertrain produces 1,234 hp, which is enough might to rocket the car from zero to 60 mph in just 1.8 seconds. Best of all, it can run for 427 miles on a single charge and if you are short on juice you can add another 200 miles or range in just 15 minutes. The only thing missing is the ability to withstand a gunshot.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/armoredlucid02-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790944" style="width:711px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/armoredlucid02-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/armoredlucid02-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/armoredlucid02-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/armoredlucid02-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/armoredlucid02-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">US Armor Group’s bulletproof Lucid Air Sapphire. Image courtesy of US Armor Group</figcaption></figure>



That’s no longer the case thanks to US Armor Group.  The Los Angeles-based operation has equipped the four-door with a military-grade composite that’s 10 times stronger than ballistic steel and covered its windows in a transparent laminate that can withstand a shot from a .44 magnum. Despite the added toughness, the armour adds just 385 pounds, or well under 10 per cent, to the Air Sapphire’s 5,336-pound curb weight. Because of this, the sedan can still reach a top speed in excess of 200 mph, though we imagine its range has taken a hit.



“With the armoured Air Sapphire, our company has taken one of the world’s fastest production vehicles ever built and transformed it into the fastest armoured car on the planet,” US Armor Group founder Jeffrey Engen said in a statement.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/armoredlucid03-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790945" style="width:711px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/armoredlucid03-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/armoredlucid03-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/armoredlucid03-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/armoredlucid03-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/armoredlucid03-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Inside US Armor Group’s Air Sapphire. Image courtesy of US Armor Group</figcaption></figure>



Inside, the armoured EV looks almost identical to its stock counterpart but includes several updates. These features include technology that’s constantly scanning for threats, a one-touch safety outreach system, and “impenetrable Wi-Fi,” that will safeguard your personal data from hacking attempts.



Interested in the bullet-proof Air Sapphire. US Armor Group is selling upgraded examples of the EV for US$475,000 (HK$3.7 million), which is US$226,000 (HK$1.76 million) more than the EV’s sticker price. That is just a starting price. The company also offers a long list of options to further beef up security, including electric shock door handles, poison gas detection, concealed gun ports, and even stronger armour that can stop grenades and other explosives.

Air Sapphire

Armoured Vehicle

bulletproof car

military-grade

Supercar

This Armoured, Bulletproof Lucid Air Lets You Drive Through the Apocalypse Emissions-Free

Following on the heels of <a href="https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/lists/audemars-piguet-new-watches-royal-oak-mini-1235632777/royal-oak-mini-frosted-gold/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the May release of multiple Royal Oaks</a>, <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/audemars-piguet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Audemars Piguet</a> is back with a <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/41-mm/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">41 mm</a> self-winding <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/openworked/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">openworked</a> offering, now in three striking case and bracelet materials. Stainless steel is going to resonate with the traditionalists, the yellow gold with those who like a louder wrist flex, and black ceramic will offer up a stealthy, futuristic vibe.



We’ve been <a href="https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/gallery/shopping-time-audemars-piguet-royal-oak-prices-are-dropping-fast-heres-5-you-can-buy-right-now-1235684745/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reporting that Royal Oaks are coming down in price</a> on the pre-owned and <a href="https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/neo-vintage-watches-how-to-collect-them-1235624589/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">neo-vintage</a> market, and we’ve even just published <a href="https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/audemars-piguets-royal-oak-history-1234669410/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a brief history of the “RO.”</a> The <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/royal-oak/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Royal Oak</a> was originally penned by acclaimed designer <a href="https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/gerald-genta-2864111/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gerald Genta</a>, who singlehandedly revolutionised the sports watch market.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="555" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Audemars-Piguet-Royal-Oak-Openworked-41-mm-1024x555.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789172" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Audemars-Piguet-Royal-Oak-Openworked-41-mm-1024x555.webp 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Audemars-Piguet-Royal-Oak-Openworked-41-mm-300x163.webp 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Audemars-Piguet-Royal-Oak-Openworked-41-mm-768x416.webp 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Audemars-Piguet-Royal-Oak-Openworked-41-mm.webp 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Openworked 41 mm in stainless steel. Image courtesy of Audemars Piguet</figcaption></figure>



Audemars Piguet is sometimes said to have a hard time getting past its <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=patek+royal+oak+robb+report&amp;rlz=1C5GCEM_enUS1103US1104&amp;oq=patek+royal+oak+robb+report&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyCQgAEEUYORigATIGCAEQRRg8MgYIAhBFGDwyBggDEEUYPNIBCDQzNDdqMWo3qAIAsAIA&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">strong association with the Royal Oak</a>, but this doesn’t seem to be hurting the brand whatsoever. As expert collector and vintage dealer at <a href="http://shift/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Analog:Shift</a>, <a href="https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/slideshow/5-dapper-vintage-timepieces-from-the-analog-shift-x-j-press-pop-up/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">James Lamdin</a>, told us last week, “The brand is still in demand, and so [the Royal Oak] is still hard to get at the boutiques.” This situation may not come as a surprise to experienced collectors of the Royal Oak, though this new iteration may be especially difficult to get one’s hands on, as it’s at what many consider a perfect size (41 mm) with just enough technology (dual-barrel calibre 3132) and flash (openworked dial) to sing on the wrist.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="555" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Royal-Oak-Openworked-41mm-Black-Ceramic-and-Yellow-Gold-1024x555.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789173" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Royal-Oak-Openworked-41mm-Black-Ceramic-and-Yellow-Gold-1024x555.webp 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Royal-Oak-Openworked-41mm-Black-Ceramic-and-Yellow-Gold-300x163.webp 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Royal-Oak-Openworked-41mm-Black-Ceramic-and-Yellow-Gold-768x416.webp 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Royal-Oak-Openworked-41mm-Black-Ceramic-and-Yellow-Gold.webp 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Openworked 41 mm in black ceramic (left) and yellow gold. Image courtesy of Audemars Piguet</figcaption></figure>



Especially attractive here is the rose gold movement in the steel and ceramic versions. Rose gold from Audemars Piguet is especially warm due to its copper content. Against the steel, you’ve got a unique <a href="https://robbreport.hk/posts/two-tone-watches-are-having-a-comeback-here-are-5-worth-buying" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bi-metal</a> (or <a href="https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/gallery/two-tone-watches-1235484110/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">two-tone</a>) sensibility, and against the black ceramic that rose-gold movement seems to blossom like a midnight flower. Both are very chic. But it may be the yellow gold iteration that comes closest to classic Royal Oak vibes, with the long-used 18-carat case and bracelet featuring a much quieter rhodium-plated movement that’s all smoke and shadow.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="619" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/image-1024x619.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-1234789174" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/image-1024x619.webp 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/image-300x181.webp 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/image-768x464.webp 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/image-1536x929.webp 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/image.webp 1882w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The dual balance wheel mechanism of calibre 3132 helps stabilise the balance staff in its ruby mount, which improves precision. Image courtesy of Audemars Piguet</figcaption></figure>



Calibre 3132 employs a dual balance wheel, which is a unique approach to minimising the tilt of the balance staff (the axil on which the balance wheel oscillates back and forth). When the balance wheel swings, there is a tendency for it to tilt within its ruby mount, which allows gravity to have its way with it, causing timing discrepancies in different positions (known as positional variance). By adding a second balance wheel (not just a second spring, as found in some movements), Audemars Piguet has added stabilising mass to the mechanism, as well as counter-force that steadies the balance staff as it changes direction, according to Audemars Piguet.



Prices are US$76,400 (HK$596,650) for stainless, and US$101,100 (HK$789,545) for either the ceramic or yellow-gold model.

Audemars Piguet

Royal Oak

Audemars Piguet Just Unveiled 3 New Openworked Royal Oaks

Still flying under the radar, but gaining in popularity among the most discerning collectors, <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/parmigiani/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Parmigiani</a> Fleurier has slowly updated its sports watch catalogue since 2021 when the Swiss brand introduced <a href="https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/parmigiani-fleurier-tonda-pf-sport-1234857775/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the “PF” line of watches</a>. These PF models replaced previous versions, as is the case with the PF <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/tonda/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tonda</a> Sport <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/chronograph/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chronograph</a>, which stepped in for the <a href="https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/parmigiani-tondagraph-gt-hands-on-review-2940379/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">previous Tonda GT Line</a>. This most recent refresh of the Tonda Sport Chronograph brings a fresh trio of luxurious colours.



These new models feel very much on trend with <a href="https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/gallery/from-grand-seiko-to-parmigiani-pale-green-watch-dials-are-low-key-killing-it-right-now-1235586760/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">paler shades making the rounds</a> these days, as well as with the rest of<a href="https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/gallery/new-watches-watches-wonders-2024-1235570773/parmigiani-fleurier-tonda-pf-micro-rotor-_e8354c/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> the 2024 Parmigiani catalogue</a>, which blew us away at <a href="https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/gallery/new-watches-watches-wonders-2024-1235570773/a-lange-sohne-datograph-perpetual-tourbillon-honeygold-lumen-2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Watches and Wonders</a> this year. Parmigiani is calling these new colours Milano Blue, Arctic Grey, and London Grey, names evocative of entirely different locations united by a sense of adventure and/or sophistication. But what makes these new Tonda Sport Chronographs so special are rather subtle upgrades.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="1024" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Parmigiani-Macro-Tonda-Chronograph-2024.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-1234788321" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Parmigiani-Macro-Tonda-Chronograph-2024.webp 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Parmigiani-Macro-Tonda-Chronograph-2024-300x300.webp 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Parmigiani-Macro-Tonda-Chronograph-2024-150x150.webp 150w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Parmigiani-Macro-Tonda-Chronograph-2024-768x768.webp 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image courtesy of Parmigiani Fleurier</figcaption></figure>



Consider, for example, the new guillouché dial, which refines the previous engraving pattern with a subtler clou triangulaire pattern. This new pattern is akin to a clous de Paris dial, also made of pyramids, which Audemars Piguet would call a tapisserie dial. But putting French semantics aside, we can agree that this Parmigiani guillouché pattern breathes more than the chunkier pyramid-grid dials out there, lending the watch a quietness that suits the desaturated colourways.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="1024" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Parmigiani-Fleurier-Chronograph-Tonda-Black-and-Rose-Gold-2024.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-1234788320" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Parmigiani-Fleurier-Chronograph-Tonda-Black-and-Rose-Gold-2024.webp 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Parmigiani-Fleurier-Chronograph-Tonda-Black-and-Rose-Gold-2024-300x300.webp 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Parmigiani-Fleurier-Chronograph-Tonda-Black-and-Rose-Gold-2024-150x150.webp 150w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Parmigiani-Fleurier-Chronograph-Tonda-Black-and-Rose-Gold-2024-768x768.webp 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image courtesy of Parmigiani Fleurier</figcaption></figure>



Further distinguishing these chronographs is the movement. Calibre PF-070 is crafted in-house, and the beat rate of five Hz lends 10th of a second precision, a smoother sweep of the seconds hand on the sub-dial as well as the central timing hand, and—most would agree—improved precision. Rather impressively, the movement still provides 65-hours of power reserve, despite burning through power at a greater frequency than most mechanical watch movements do.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="1024" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Parmigiani-Macro-Tonda-Chronograph-2024-Back-1.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-1234788322" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Parmigiani-Macro-Tonda-Chronograph-2024-Back-1.webp 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Parmigiani-Macro-Tonda-Chronograph-2024-Back-1-300x300.webp 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Parmigiani-Macro-Tonda-Chronograph-2024-Back-1-150x150.webp 150w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Parmigiani-Macro-Tonda-Chronograph-2024-Back-1-768x768.webp 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image courtesy of Parmigiani Fleurier</figcaption></figure>



None of that may interest the person who is buying this watch to luxuriate in its immaculate elegance, and instead may turn their interest to the solid-gold oscillating weight that imitates the steering wheel of a Ferrari 250 GTO, one of the most beautiful and iconic cars of all time. A watch like the Tonda Sports Chronograph seems perfectly suited to unabashedly luxurious driving experiences, including the inevitable long lunch, glamorous destinations and high-end accommodations surely to appear on the roster when cruising in a vintage air-cooled Ferrari—or the latest electronic super car.



The watches come in satin stainless steel in the new colourways at US$30,000 (HK$234,520), or 18-carat rose gold at US$50,000 (HK$390,865).

Parmigiani Fleurier

Tonda PF

Tonda PF Sport

Parmigiani Fleurier Unveils New Tonda PF Sport Chronographs

Only seeing watches in person can suffice when it comes to meaningfully judging them. So, we recently visited the folks at&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/piaget/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Piaget</a>&nbsp;to spend some extended time with the current watch collection, which dazzled us far beyond our expectations. From amazing&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/slideshow/seeing-green-11-spring-ready-green-dial-watches/piaget-altiplano/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ultra-thins</a>, to watches fully&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/gallery/best-womens-diamond-pave-releases-1235517866/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">paved in diamonds</a>, to the tasteful solid-gold 35 mm time-only&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/altiplano/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Altiplano</a>, today’s Piaget watch collection&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/womens-collections-watches-wonders-1235578527/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">challenges horological norms</a>, just as it has since&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/piaget-watches-complete-history-1235807418/#:~:text=Like%20many%20older%20watchmaking%20concerns,movements%20with%20skill%20and%20precision." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Piaget began producing</a>&nbsp;its avant-garde, design-forward timepieces in the 1950s. &nbsp; Over the past couple of years, we have documented the&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/2024-watch-auction-data-report-suggests-trends-1235637516/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recent turn away from tool watches</a>&nbsp;toward&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/small-dress-watches-are-back-1235821302/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dress watches</a>. We’ve noticed&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/gallery/the-best-dress-watches-of-1235609724/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dress watches themselves shrinking</a>, sometimes to proportions that—like the&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/cartier-tank-louis-mini-watches-and-wonders-1235578638/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cartier’s&nbsp;new&nbsp;Tank Mini</a>—can illicit a giggle from behind a man’s well-oiled beard. However,&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/style/jewelry/men-wearing-jewelry-1235423279/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">men and broaches</a>&nbsp;are now having a little moment, as are men and&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/style/jewelry/initial-pendant-jewelry-marie-lichtenberg-harwell-godfrey-1235778191/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">initial-pendant necklaces</a>, and together all of this may explain why the daring, design-forward watches from Piaget—vintage and new—are also having a moment.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="671" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-1-1024x671.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234791076" style="width:711px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-1-1024x671.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-1-300x197.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-1-768x504.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-1-1536x1007.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-1-2048x1343.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Piaget. Image courtesy of Allen Farmelo</figcaption></figure>



This softening of style and embracing of bodily luxury hasn’t done away with our manly love of the fastest, loudest cars and motorcycles, dangerous deep-sea adventures, safaris, and all the other Hemingway-esque stuff that folks who took Feminism 101 freshman year sometimes suggest might be deployed as compensation for a lack of stature in an area Freud indicated might otherwise cause envy. But look, our masculinity—OK,&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/watches-fashion-gender-1235569136/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">our&nbsp;gender</a>—is complex, perhaps more now than ever before, and Piaget watches seem to speak to that complexity.



I’ve been known to douse myself in Chanel Blue before hopping onto my 175 hp BMW S1000R so that I can catch a bit of sweet, romantic Paris up in my otherwise not-great-smelling helmet while doubling the speed limit. I’ve seen uncouth straight men rubbernecking as a gorgeous woman passes by, all the while fidgeting with some 31.5 mm vintage gold watch on a mesh bracelet, or puffing on a lime-green anodised e-cigarette emitting a tropical fruit scent that elicits from my middle-aged memory the Kool-Aid Man crashing through the nearest wall. Men are complicated, and for some of us the surfacing of that complication in today’s fast-changing watch fashion is a good thing. It affords us a bit of freedom to explore our identities.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-2-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234791077" style="width:711px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Piaget Limelight watch with <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/diamonds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">diamonds</a>. Image courtesy of Allen Farmelo</figcaption></figure>



The good news is that you don’t have to sell your jacked-up Ford F350 to enjoy a bit of razzle-dazzle on your wrist, and in fact it may be that such a juxtaposition is what’s chic right now. And the fast lane to insanely cool, high-quality, mechanically sophisticated, ultra-tasty wrist dazzlers is none other than the modern Piaget watch collection. Mashing these dazzling <a href="https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/how-watch-collectors-styling-piaget-timepieces-today-1235582152/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">watches up with everyday fashions</a> is becoming increasingly hip.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-3-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234791078" style="width:711px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-3-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-3-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-3-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Piaget Altiplano Ultimate. Image courtesy of Allen Farmelo</figcaption></figure>



As my esteemed colleague, Paige Reddinger, wrote of<a href="https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/piaget-brings-back-all-gold-polo-watch-from-1235500996/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> the reissued Piaget Polo</a> in April of this year: “Its release has aligned with the style zeitgeist, with ‘mob aesthetic’—think luxe track suits and fur coats—trending and flashy dress watches, the kind once worn with macho suiting and a heavy dose of cologne, now seen on guys more apt to pair them with a T-shirt and APC jeans.” James Lamdin, founder and operator of Analog:Shift, recently walked us through an <a href="https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/vintage-piaget-watches-how-to-collect-1235801897/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">incredible vintage Piaget selection</a> and told Robb Report, “I didn’t expect for men to embrace it the way [they have].”   We were also recently blown away when visiting with Manhattan-based watch dealer Gai Gohari, who showed us what is likely the<a href="https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/biggest-vintage-piaget-watch-collection-north-america-gai-gohari-1235822484/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> largest vintage Piaget collection in North America</a>, if not the world. Gohari was scooping up <a href="https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/italy-vintage-watches-1235824016/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vintage Piaget in Italy</a> years ago, well ahead of the curve, and found great value there. Gohari told us, “I mean, you have a super funky watch: gold, mechanical, all in-house, made from A to Z with a stone dial, totally unique, for like, at the time, US$2,000 to US$2,500 (HK$15,595 to HK$19,490).”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-4-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234791079" style="width:711px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-4-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-4-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-4-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-4-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Piaget Limelight Gala watch with opal dial. Image courtesy of Allen Farmelo</figcaption></figure>



But vintage isn’t for everyone, with its inherent risks. And vintage Piaget—being less known and wildly varied compared to, say, vintage&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/rolex/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rolex</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/omega/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Omega</a>, which adhered to the regularity of industrial production—is particularly hard to get to know (though we’ve made strides in understanding vintage Piaget watches better lately).



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-5-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234791080" style="width:711px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-5-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-5-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-5-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-5-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Piaget Altiplano Moonphase watch. Image courtesy of Allen Farmelo</figcaption></figure>



During our appointment at the Manhattan Piaget boutique at Hudson Yards last week, we were able to feel out what the modern Piaget collection has to offer. What we found was just as mind-blowing as the vintage Piaget collections we’ve seen, but with ramped-up complications of the highest order, exceptional modern sport models in the <a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/polo/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Polo</a> line, and of course the bejewelled dazzlers that are, suddenly, seeming more “unisex” than ever before.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-6-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234791081" style="width:711px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-6-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-6-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-6-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-6-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-6-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



If there was a stand-out watch, it was unexpectedly the simplest: a 35 mm time-only watch in rose gold with a red alligator strap. This watch represents one of the very few truly vintage-sized dress watches currently available on the market today, and in so doing it seems that Piaget is, once again, ahead of the trend—or is setting it, perhaps. At around US$20,000 (HK$155,940), you’re paying quite a bit for this Altiplano, but this is a watch we’d put up against a Lange Saxonia Thin or even the modern Patek Calatrava, both of which come in at 37 mm—which really does feel large for a dress watch with a narrow bezel.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-7-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234791082" style="width:711px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-7-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-7-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-7-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Piaget-Collection-In-Person-2024-7-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Piaget Altiplano Origin watch at 35 mm. Image courtesy of Allen Farmelo</figcaption></figure>



Overall, wearing these modern Piaget watches felt like a journey into an entirely unique corner of today’s Swiss watchmaking, a corner that is filled with unabashed luxury, complication, design, jewel-setting, and—for lack of a better word—imagination. As we continue to explore Piaget’s wonderful watches, this time spent with the Piaget collection has confirmed that no other brand has done so well what Piaget continues to do: dazzle.

dress watches

Luxury watches

new Piaget watches

vintage Piaget watches

watch collection

watch collector

Vintage Piaget Watches May Be All the Rage, but the Brand’s Current Collection Is Utterly Dazzling

<a href="https://robbreport.com/tag/panerai/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Panerai</a> has been inventing new ways of illuminating dive watches as far back as the First World War. In 1916, it created a radium-based powder, dubbed Radiomir, to light up maritime instruments for the Italian Royal Navy, and by 1935 it was being used on military-dive-watch prototypes. Luminor, a tritium-based luminescent substance with low, harmless emissions was patented and approved for use by the company in 1949; 17 years later, Panerai pioneered the use of a new material called Elux, deploying it to light up command centres, internal signalling boards, and pathways for helicopters landing on military ships. And while luminescence has now become a proprietary point of differentiation among elite watchmakers—Grand Seiko has Lumibrite, Rolex offers Chromalight, etc.—Panerai continues to innovate, making things brighter with its new <a href="https://www.panerai.com/us/en/focus/elux.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Submersible Elux LAB-ID</a>. 



At first glance, the 49 mm by 21.9 mm watch looks like a standard model for the company. (The exception is its case, made of Ti-Ceramitech, a patent-pending material whereby ceramitised titanium is put through a Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation process to achieve its special matte-blue hue.) But a simple push of the clicker, located beneath the Elux-branded protector at eight o’clock, illuminates the hands, indexes, subdial, power reserve—even the triangular pip on the bezel. It’s the first mechanical watch where lume can be activated on demand, rather than by absorbing and re-emitting light, which is how Super-LumiNova, the industry standard, works. It sounds simple, yet the invention was eight years in the making in Panerai’s Laboratorio di Idee, the company’s research and development workshop, and required four patents. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Panerai_SElux2-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1234790771" style="width:711px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Panerai_SElux2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Panerai_SElux2-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Panerai_SElux2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Panerai_SElux2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.robbreport.hk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Panerai_SElux2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Close-up of the dial. Image courtesy of Panerai</figcaption></figure>



The Ref. PAM01800, which is water resistant up to 1,640 feet, achieves its glow thanks to four minuscule barrels that draw on the movement’s kinetic energy and then, at the push of the button, unwind in a microgenerator, thus converting that energy into electricity that can power the LEDs for up to 30 minutes. (Another two barrels are used to power the movement, which has a three-day power reserve.) Should time run out on the activated lume, the watch also sports Super-LumiNova on the indices, hour markers, minute hand, and bezel dot.&nbsp;



Limited to just 150 pieces at US$96,300 (HK$750,820) each, with only 50 pieces released each year through 2026, getting your hands on one is likely a shot in the dark. But for those elite Panerai obsessives who have cultivated deep collections and the connections to match, the future looks bright indeed.

Panerai’s New Dive Watch Mechanically Generates Luminescence. Here’s How.