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Aston Martin: More Than a Feeling

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Aston Martin: More Than a Feeling

“There’s an abundance of leather on almost every surface and the seats are extremely comfortable.”

Aston Martin has taken it upon themselves to create the most beautiful car in the world. It’s in the plans laid out by CEO Andy Palmer, and their latest model featuring the initials of founder, David Brown, certainly points them in the right direction. However, unlike Astons of old, the new DB11 puts aerodynamics and performance first. After a recent investment from Daimler AG, great things are expected for the infamous British brand.

Aston Martin: More Than a Feeling

The design is sleek, having air intakes and lines blended into the bodywork ingeniously to add to the beauty of the aesthetics. Nothing feels chopped up on the outside of this Aston. The lines are all there for the purpose of reducing as much drag as possible, while keeping the grand tourer planted firmly on the ground. An “Aeroblade” removes the need for a rear spoiler, by using the air flowing over the rear to create a virtual one. There is, however, a pop-up spoiler for additional support and if you get down on your hands and knees, you’ll also see the undercarriage is completely smooth. This is not just a pretty body, it was designed to make you go faster.

The clamshell bonnet is so large that they almost couldn’t find a piece of aluminum big enough to fit the vehicle. It is currently the largest fitted to a production sports car and is based on the two-thirds one-third proportions ratio. And not having those opening lines across the front of the bonnet means the car is not only more aerodynamic, it is also aesthetically more pleasing. This golden ratio extends to the entirety of the car, from the amount of body to glass, to the previously mentioned lines running down the side of the body.

With any big new Aston, what you really want to know is what’s under that bonnet. Well the first version of the DB11 harbours a 5.2 litre twin-turbo V12 monster with a roaring soundtrack and the signature of its engineer engraved on a plaque right on top. When you see this, you know you’re about to start a special bond with what’s underneath. It has 600 bhp and enough torques to shred the 295 rear tyres under full acceleration. You’ll hit 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and peak at 322 km/h as you blast off into the horizon. Or if you live in the city — as most Aston drivers do — you’ll probably just blast to 90 km/h and into the next queue at the traffic lights. Fortunately, an 8-speed ZF transmission and cylinder deactivation will lower your fuel bill and impact on the environment.

The inside is very much as you’d expect. As you open those gorgeous swan doors and lower yourself into the cockpit, there’s an abundance of leather on almost every surface and the seats are extremely comfortable. It is a grand touring car so there is the typical backseat for your children, and friends you’re not too keen on. The dials are made from high quality materials and the LCD instrument gauge is leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessor in terms of legibility. The entertainment system is from Mercedes, which is a lot more advanced and easier to use than the previous one as well.

You’ll feel like you are in a one-of-a-kind, hand-built luxury car, a feeling that many brands these days tend to fail in delivering. The noise through the exhaust is superb, but when you want to cruise comfortably and listen to your favourite beats, the Bang & Olufsen stereo will blow you away. With 1,000 watts and speakers that rise out of the dash at the push of a button, not much comes close to this Danish system for the true audiophile.

The DB11 is one of the best all-round grand tourers money can buy. There’s also a high chance it will be the next Bond car and that alone would make it worth purchasing. However, it doesn’t really need to rely on the famous spy to be desirable.  It brings looks, heritage, performance and quality to the luxury coupe sector and is a clear progression from the DB9 it replaces. Aston Martin’s recent collaboration with new shareholder Daimler is proving to be a match made in heaven.

For more information, visit www.astonmartin.com.sg  or www.wearnesauto.com.

Words Robbie Wilson

Bentley: Drop That Top

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Bentley: Drop That Top

“Its muscular, sporty and masculine disposition will have you feeling like a boss from the minute you hit the engine starter button.”

When looking into the ultra-high-end cabriolet market, only a few brands and models that come to mind. However, one stands tall above the rest: the Bentley Continental GT V8 S convertible. I recently had the opportunity to drive this tour de force of a GT car through the streets of London. It was my first time in the soft top version and the suave sophistication it oozes is intoxicating.

Bentley: Drop That Top

Top up it’s quiet, comfortable and refined. However, if you want to liven things up a bit, drop the top, put it in Sport mode and hear that raspy twin-turbo 4.0L V8 come to life through the sports exhaust. Fortunately, it was quite warm in London, so the possibilities to enjoy the full range of this car’s abilities were endless. And when the temperatures did cool, a heated steering wheel kept my hands warm, vents in the seat blew warm air at my neck, while the rest of the seat kept me toasty with a massage function to boot. With a television tuner and a hugely impressive 900W audio system, I could have easily packed up my belongings and called the Continental home.

So, it’s comfortable, refined and has all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a Bentley. But I know you’re wondering what it’s like to drive. Does it live up to the pedigree, or has it gone all soft?

For a car that weighs more than 2.4 kg, it’s faster than you’d think. That’s thanks to 521 hp, all-wheel drive, and a slick 8-speed ZF transmission. The GT V8 S convertible will hit 100 km/h in 4.7 secs and go on to a top speed of 308 km/h.

Bentley has managed to create a very responsive and unadulterated driving experience. Lag is limited and thanks to hot-side inside technology of placing the turbos inside the V of the V8 cylinders, the Continental is more efficient with reduced weight and energy wastage. The 10mm lower suspension over the regular V8 model and enhanced aerodynamics mean that high-speed stability and handling are improved and will keep you planted, even if you’re driving like your hair is on fire. And mine came fitted with large ceramic brakes that promptly dealt with stopping at any speed, which comes in pretty useful for driving in vehicle-dense London.

Cruising around the city – like most Bentley owners will do – is a breeze in the Continental. It also looks the part, with 21-inch diamond turned wheels, beluga glossed body panels and a chrome tipped sports exhaust. Its muscular, sporty and masculine disposition will have you feeling like a boss from the minute you hit the engine starter button.

To take luxury to an entirely new level, in-house specialist Mulliner is at hand to offer a range of options to make your Bentley one-of-a-kind. Owners can customise everything, from bodywork to interior trims and even bespoke luggage to fit special items easily into your vehicle.

The car that I drove featured a Mulliner package which included special black and diamond wheels, diamond-quilted and perforated hide seats (my personal favourite feature of the car) and embroidered Bentley emblems, to name but a few.

Driving the Continental GT V8 S convertible was better than I expected. I knew it would be good, but the levels of refinement and composure are something else. It’s spacious while still feeling sporty enough to remind you that it’s capable of catching a bullet train. If you’re looking for a luxury drop-top grand tourer, then look no further.

 

Visit the official websites of Bentley and Wearnes Automotive for more information.

 

Words by Robbie Wilson

World’s Sexiest 50 Year Old: Italian Millionaire Gianluca Vacchi

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World’s Sexiest 50 Year Old: Italian Millionaire Gianluca Vacchi

For a couple of years now, American Internet personality and “professional poker player” (apparently he doesn’t win all that much) Dan Bilzerian has been an instagram media star mostly known for his lavish lifestyle. Well, he has just lost his crown to Italian millionaire and entrepreneur Gianluca Vacchi.

Sartorially gifted, Vacchi has plenty of moves himself. A physical specimen of masculinity, Gianluca Vachi has been living the sweet life, first with a long term wife, Giorgia Gabriele, and then lately with Miss Colombia herself, Ariadna Gutierrez. Vacchi recently eclipsed Bilzerian as the hottest social media star when a video of him dancing went viral on Instagram.

World’s Sexiest 50 Year Old: Italian Millionaire Gianluca Vacchi

In the Italian Millionaire’s latest post, Vacchi was clad in a pair of white jeans paired with a Captain America shield and high-cut sneakers where he showed off sexy dance moves and grooved to the tune of Timbaland’s 2007 smash hit ‘Give It To Me’.

Gianluca Vacchi was spotted pretty much the same way, dancing with this wife Gabriele a year and a half ago in skimpy swimwear. Vacchi and Gabriele ended their relationship at the beginning of the summer 2017.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BINOhcvjBxz/

At the turn of adulthood, Vacchi went into the family businesses after finishing his studies in economics where he successfully restructured some of his family’s corporate holdings and turned them around. Once the Vacchi business interests were thriving, Gianluca listed them on the stock exchange and has never looked back since.

Four years later at 29, Vacchi relinquished executive powers in the business and became a shareholder instead, going into private equity where he bought and sold companies in different sectors. After boring of wealth accumulation, Vacchi turned to more decadent pursuits, indulging his curiosity and baser instincts.

Gianlucca Vacchi stands out effortlessly, whether by his sartorial instincts or his well-cut physique. On some days, he shares pictures of himself dressed in made-to-measure suits with matching stylish pocket squares or neck-ties, casual knee-rip jeans and gorgeous footwear. Other days, he bares his chest to show his tattoos.

Vacchi is known for living a lavish lifestyle full of yachts, mansions, fast cars, private jets (and now beauty queens). Owning a stake in the Casalunga Golf Club, he has gathered about 11.3m followers on his social media site and is also the proud owner of a few villas.

The famed multi-hyphenate made news again when his properties were reportedly seized over a €10.5 million debt, according to Italian publication Quotidiano. Sources say Gianluca Vacchi’s net worth is estimated at 300 million dollars but with the recent bank seizures, the Italian Playboy’s finances might have hit a little bit of a tough spot.

The Mad Architect: Ole Scheeren has made a career out of Deconstruction

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The Mad Architect: Ole Scheeren has made a career out of Deconstruction

Ole Scheeren is a German architect, urbanist and principal of Büro Ole Scheeren Group. On hindsight, one surmises it should have been a no brainer that Scheeren has become one of the most prominent architects of our time. From working at his father’s office designing furniture during his teens to winning the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Silver Medal in 2000 while attending architecture school, the 46 year old Scheeren has been responsible for award-winning and laws of physics confounding architectural projects across the globe.

Mad Architect Ole Scheeren has made a career out of Deconstruction

One might wonder if the prefix “mad’ might be an editorial attempt at clickbait but Luxuo assures you, it is not. As an architect, Ole Scheeren is indeed as mad as they come. Take the 234-metre, 44-story skyscraper on East Third Ring Road, Guanghua Road at the heart of Beijing’s Central Business District, Scheeren’s CCTV Headquarters is not just an architectural icon but an ode to madness – The main building is not a traditional tower, but a loop of six horizontal and vertical sections covering 5,090,000 sq ft of floor space, creating an irregular grid on the building’s facade with an open center.

Remment Lucas “Rem” Koolhaas, renowned Architectural Theorist and Professor in Practice of Architecture and Urban Design at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University once opined that Beijing’s CCTV Headquarters “could never have been conceived by the Chinese and could never have been built by Europeans”. Indeed, in 2007, Scheeren won The Times’ World’s Most Ambitious Projects award and in 2008, he made a clean sweep of Best New Global Design, Architecture’s Ten Best and Wallpaper’s Best Building Site.

Scheeren’s CCTV Headquarters is not just an architectural icon but an ode to madness
The blocks of The Interlace are stacked four high at the center to provide maximum of 24 floors, providing almost every home with a wide view of the surrounding areas.

During that time, Scheeren had also been working on The Interlace. A 1000-unit apartment building complex in Singapore, tone-deaf in terms of Feng Shui (it’s not good to live above an empty space of nothing) but an architectural masterstroke for its jenga-block design, bequeathing the award-winning development the appearance of 31 irregularly stacked bricks.

Consisting of six story blocks staggered in a hexagonal arrangements surrounding eight spatial courtyards, each with their own swimming pools that are part of the architecture and not just mere amenity features. The blocks of The Interlace are stacked four high at the center to provide maximum of 24 floors, providing almost every home with a wide view of the surrounding areas. CNBC described it as “a challenge to traditional architecture not just in Singapore, but all over the world”. By 2014, Interlace won Urban Habitat Award. By 2015, Ole Scheeren took home World Building of the Year at the year’s World Architecture Festival.

His recent architectural opus? The Mahanakhon, a new 314-metre skyscraper in Bangkok, currently Thailand’s tallest building. Opened in December 2016, Mahanakhon is a mixed-use skyscraper featuring the unconventional appearance of a glass curtain walled square tower with a cuboid-surfaced spiral cut into the side of the building. Home to 209 units of The Ritz-Carlton Residences Bangkok, it looks complete like a pixelated ribbon skyscraper which then barely survived an epic battle between giant Jaeger Robots and Pacific Rim monsters – The Mahanakhon appears to be falling apart thanks to the horizontally and vertically divided glass walls contributing to the building’s “pixelated” appearance. Priced between US$1,100,000 to US$17,000,000, it is one of the most expensive “partially constructed” condominiums in Bangkok.

Guardian Art Center currently under construction in close proximity to the Forbidden City

Scheeren is currently working on Guardian Art Center, a exhibition space and headquarters for China’s oldest art auction house currently under construction in close proximity to the Forbidden City. For all intents and purposes, the concept Guardian Art Centre is essentially a glass box sitting on top of a set of smaller grey stone structures reminiscent of the hutong or narrow alley houses of old Beijing.

Check out his TED talk on why architecture should tell a great story:

An interview with Bhavik Mehta, Founder of Family-Run Infiniti Jewels

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An interview with Bhavik Mehta, Founder of Family-Run Infiniti Jewels
Bhavik Mehta, Founder of Family-Run Infiniti Jewels

From the vaults of royalty to the elegant visages of society’s rich and famous, there’s no denying the enduring appeal of diamonds. As the market for bespoke fine jewellery grows, these covetable rocks are the epitome of exquisite beauty and investment value.

An interview with Bhavik Mehta, Founder of Family-Run Infiniti Jewels

PALACE: Tell us a little bit about yourself, how did you grow your passion for the industry and what was the impetus behind Infiniti Jewels?

BHAVIK MEHTA: When I was a young man, I used to follow my brother to his diamond manufacturing factory to see how he was working. My passion came instantly through seeing the process of raw diamonds being cut and polished—from a diamond in the rough to a gorgeous sparkling beauty.

Our inspiration for Infiniti Jewels was to create a brand that produces high-quality jewellery with high-quality diamonds. We also wanted to offer a very bespoke experience for our clients – from diamond-selection education to the formation of inspiring designs.

What sets your brand apart from other jewellers in the local industry?

Our brand is very unique in that we have a very strong focus on a personalised experience for our clients. What I mean by that is how each customer experiences something different—from choosing the right stone together with our experts to selecting the right design in collaboration with our knowledgeable jewellery designers.

 

What kind of diamonds and precious stones do you work with and where do
you source them from?

Infiniti Jewels specialises in coloured diamonds— something that is very rare and not easily accessible—such as pink, green, yellow, and orange. We also have a variety of unique designs rendered in white diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires. These gems are sourced from a variety of different places and countries, depending on where we get the best quality and price. The majority of where we get our gems would be Belgium, Israel, and India.

The demand for bespoke luxury products is growing with more consumers today wanting something unique to exclusively call their own. From your experience, what is the most often-requested jewellery design from your clients?

When it comes to bespoke jewellery, everyone has different taste and most who want to make a bespoke piece usually go for a unique one-of-a-kind design so there is no most-often-requested design. But what is common is that most people usually request for
a bespoke ring or earrings.

What are your thoughts on the current fine jewellery market? What future trends do you see emerging?

The current trend for fine jewellery is the preference for designs that involve more than one colour of diamond—so any combination of yellow, pink, white, green, and so on. Every customer has a different opinion of what is most valued, but what is increasing in price more than anything else is coloured diamonds, possibly due to the increase in demand and shortage of supply. I see this as a future trend as well, as more people are becoming aware of coloured diamonds and designs that involve these beautiful colours.

Take us through the process of customising a unique piece of jewellery with Infiniti. What can clients expect from such a collaboration?

When new customers visit us for the first time, we first educate them on diamonds by taking them through a sample certificate. We help them understand all the different variables that are important and that they should look out for. This will help them understand what kind of diamond would be best suited for them in terms of look and budget. For example, one of the most important aspects of a diamond to look out for is the cut.

One should always look for a stone with excellent cutting as that is what will really bring out the sparkle in a diamond. After that, we consult with them regarding the occasion they would like to create the piece for (if there is one). This helps our designers better understand what kind of aesthetic would fit the client’s requirements.

Next, we show the client some loose diamonds, and after the selection of the centre stone, our designers then get to work to come up with unique design options for the client, a process which can take a week. Base on this, you can see how this is a completely personalised experience.

Your thoughts on fine jewellery and/or diamonds as forms of investment?

Diamonds are certainly a robust form of investment, especially solitaires, which give a good and safe return in the long run. What gives a better investment (in my opinion) is coloured diamonds, as those are more rare and harder to source for.

What would you say has been your favourite / most memorable project to date and could you perhaps share with us a little more about it?

My most memorable project is when we were in the process of developing our brand for the Malaysian market. We participated in some jewellery shows, and I remember how our very first show went terrible for us. We made no sales and this was perhaps because we were a new brand that not many locals knew of.

I had told my two sons not to be disappointed and to keep trying, and I pushed them to participate in more shows with the confidence that we will do well. Today, our persistence have paid off for not only have we expanded our booths at trade shows, we also make it a point to travel to Malaysia every two weeks to meet with our clients and partners.

What would be your dream design project if you haven’t already achieved it?

My dream design project would be to create a masterpiece that can be worn in more than five ways. This would give the client a variety of different ways to wear one piece, making it look unique and value for money.

Is there anything in the pipeline for Infiniti Jewels that you would like our readers to know about?

All I can say is that there are exciting times ahead for our brand, which is currently collaborating with some of our exclusive partners in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Dubai for upcoming events that promise to be memorable for all. Besides also carrying an exclusive line of  diamond jewellery in our store, we are currently in the works of creating some unique coloured diamond pieces so do stay tuned for more to come!

www.infinitijewels.com.sg

Words by Olivia Lock

This story is republished from Issue 20 of Palace.

Wristwatch Review: Bell & Ross BR-X1 Black Titanium

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Wristwatch Review: Bell & Ross BR-X1 Black Titanium

Bell & Ross is a French-headquartered, Swiss watchmaker which has single handedly taken once obscure aeronautical instrumentation on cockpit readout panels and turned them into lustworthy wrist ornamentation. Nigh synonymous with aviation watches as a result, Bell & Ross became a brand iconic for their signature square wristwatches reminiscent of flight readouts.

What made the brand so compelling is their deft take on not just things related to the aeronautical sphere but also the design elements which were iconic for specific periods of human aviation history. To wit, the brand might have found widespread fame with square form watches but their genesis story is that of round watches in collaboration with Sinn. Many critics once thought it impossible for Bell & Ross to shrug their 4 cornered icon but they did, in 2013 in fact, with their Bell & Ross BR126 Sport Heritage Chronograph.

This lengthy introduction is meant to give you context for what I am about to share with regards to this wristwatch review: That the “X” in Bell & Ross BR-X1 Black Titanium is meant to denote its “experimental” nature but the watch is anything but experimental – in fact, many of the design elements which appear in the BR-X1 Black Titanium are well considered, well executed and impeccably (if industrially) decorated.

Wristwatch Review: Bell & Ross BR-X1 Black Titanium

Before we begin, let’s get a potential point of confusion clarified, the “Black Titanium” in the BR-X1 chronograph’s nomenclature refers to the 45mm titanium case (obviously) while the “black” refers to the black ceramic with rubber inserts which frames the entirety of the Bell & Ross BR-X1 chronograph. While it is not emphatically stated, the black ceramic is likely a feature meant to assuage sporadic complaints that the four cornered nature of the beloved Bell & Ross square meant that often, the rounded edges matured in a less than pristine condition.

From the get go, the face (or lack thereof) of the 45mm Bell & Ross BR-X1 Black Titanium grabs you. Like the other “experimental” X1 watches in the series, this BR-X1 chronograph has no dial. Instead, a grey-tinted sapphire dial reveals the exquisitely skeletonised modular chronograph calibre below – a high specced ETA 2892 topped with Dubois-Depraz chronograph module which makes all chronograph operation visible on the dial side. The X-bridge is not immediately apparent, but there, in between the perlage decoration which peeks through from the plate below the chronograph mechanism and the visual enticement that is the skeletonised date-wheel, the X-shaped bridge is there beneath the hour, minute and chronograph seconds hands, giving the Bell & Ross BR-X1 Black Titanium immense depth and wrist presence.

While the presence of subdials and the myriad of hands and indicators hint to its function as a chronograph, the chronograph pushers, the raised buttons on the midcase which usually telegraph the functionality of a timepiece, are integrated into the case of the BR-X1 Black Titanium: pivoted on one end, you “rock” the button rather than push, it reminds you of toggle switches on cockpit controls and it’s a signature of Bell & Ross’ X1 line.

From the four screws securing the sandwich-case together, sitting in their countersunk and chamfered opening to the clean, sandblasted finishing on the skeletonised components, all signs point to the fact that this BR-X1 chronograph isn’t your usual Bell & Ross. In fact, the skeletonised chronograph calibre and complex case architecture has been produced in cooperation with G&F Chatelain. A sister company within the Chanel group of businesses, G&F Chatelain is a specialist watch component outfit which also happens to make parts for some of the most notable names in watchmaking including Richard Mille. It was G&F Chatelain which saw Bell & Ross realise the creation of that superlative BR-X1 Chronograph Tourbillon Sapphire in 2016, it cost a cool half a million, sounds expensive but take a look around and the other watchmaking brands which exist in that rarefied arena have chronograph tourbillon sapphire watches which easily cost north of a million dollars but I digress if only to make a point.

Limited to 250 pieces, the Bell & Ross BR-X1 Black Titanium costs S$27,200, it’s not your most affordable Bell & Ross but it’s the best made and we dare you to find a matching product with the same level of finish, polish and material with an equivalent price point.

Bell & Ross BR-X1 Black Titanium Price and Specs

Case 45mm Titanium and ceramic with rubber inserts with 100m water resistance
Movement Automatic chronograph calibre BR-CAL.313 with 48 hours power reserve
Strap Woven black rubber
Price S$27,200

 

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