Kevin Spacey

It may be awards season in Hollywood but that hasn't kept stars from convening in Geneva. The Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in Geneva, also known as the International Fair of Fine Luxury Watchmaking, has brought international stars from movies, television, sports and more to Switzerland.

Some of the world's top sporting and entertainment stars came together at a special event to celebrate the launch of luxury watch brand IWC Schaffhausen's new generation of its Portofino watch family. The 'A Night in Portofino' event brought Cate Blanchett, Kevin Spacey, Matthew Fox, tennis legend Boris Becker and Elle Macpherson among others.

Around 900 guests where at the Italian style evening that included an exhibition by photographer Peter Lindbergh, whose shoot in the picturesque harbor town of Portofino featured a selection of international friends of the brands including party attendees Cate Blanchett, Kevin Spacey and Elle Macpherson.

The 21st Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie is held from January 17th to 21st 2011 in Palexpo, Geneva. The private trade fair is a landmark event for the fine watch sector, and at this year's show 19 watch brands will present their new products, including Baume & Mercier, IWC, Cartier and Mont Blanc. Other stars are also in Geneva to check out the watches including Gwyneth Paltrow who recently began working with Baume & Mercier.

The Saxon Boutique Hotel, Villas & Spa is a celebrated Johannesburg hotel which is well-known to luxury travelers as one of the finest boutique hotels in not just South Africa, but the world. The Saxon has hosted Oprah Winfrey, the Black Eyed Peas, Shakira and Kevin Spacey (how's that for a diverse sampling?) and features a distinguished collection of African art worth approximately 6.5 million South African rand (over $925,000).

If the art doesn't sway your fancies, the history will. The Saxon, a Leading Small Hotels of the World and Virtuoso member, was the private residence of insurance giant Douw Steyn until the year 2000. Nelson Mandela famously stayed there after his release from prison, and it was there that he edited his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom. The former South African president continues to visit The Saxon today, reportedly every year around the same time -- but naturally, they're not saying when.

From the NY Post's Gimme Shelter:
--Madonna has paid $7 million for the unit directly above her current 6,000-square-foot co-op at s 41 Central Park West. Last year, she filed suit against the building co-op board saying that they had wrongfully prevented her from buying the apartment. She also bought the apartment under her maiden name.
--Seagrams heir Edgar Bronfman Jr. is on the move again. The CEO of of Warner Music Group and his wife sold their East 64th Street townhouse last year for $50 million, then bought an 11-room co-op apartment at 1040 Fifth Ave. for about $19.5 million which they relisted for $24 million. They also paid $19.2 million for a 10-room penthouse condo in the Carhart Mansion but now that property is back up for sale, this time for $24.5 million. The listing is here.
--Kevin Spacey has reduced the price of his TriBeCa duplex apartment to $4.67 million. The three bedroom penthouse of nearly 2,300 square feet has a 900-square-foot terrace off the master bedroom with a built-in grill, planters with a timed irrigation system and retractable awnings. Bob at Big Time Listings unearthed the listing which can be found here.

From the NY Observer's Manhattan Transfers:
--Photographer Thomas Struth and his wife, the writer Tara Bray Smith, paid $2.1 million for a two-bedroom apartment on East 67th Street, near Park Avenue.
--Asher B. Edelman, a corporate raider-turned-art dealer and an inspiration for the character of Gordon Gekko from the movie Wall Street, has been leasing a townhouse at 134-136 East 74th Street for years. Why rent when he can afford to buy? Edelman says the market is still over-inflated. The house sold for $12 million this month to real estate magnate Laurence Gluck. Edelman just got a new one-year lease for "a little more" than $20,000 according to Gluck but he is planning to restore the building eventually.
--Brian Brille, the global head of investment banking for Bank of America, and his wife, Leslie Simmons Brille, have listed their brick mansion at 117-119 East 69th Street for $32 million after buying for $12.4 million back in 2005. The couple had plans to make it into a family home again (it had once belonged to Muppets creator Jim Henson and his company) but decided it was too much hassle and expense so they are selling the raw space.
--Carol Burnett sold her apartment at Trump International this month for $5.58 million.

From Berg Properties Big Time Listings:
--Actress Alex Kingston has listed her Hollywood Hills home for $4.75 million. it is our estate of the day later today.
--Actress Mary Lynn Rajskub has sold her 762-square-foot bungalow in Venice, CA for $1.2 million.
--Comedian Brett Butler has placed her Hollywood Hills home, shown above, on the market for $2.347 million. The listing shows that it has is in the process of being sold (it is listed as being "looking for backup"). The property website is here.

From the Real Estalker:
--Rumor has it that Veronica Hearst, who recently lost her Florida home Villa Venezia in a foreclosure fracas, has been encouraged to sell (or may have already sold) her pricey New York co-op at 4 East 66th Street before the dogs are at the gate in NYC.
--America Ferrera has picked up a house in the Hollywood Hills for $1.415 million.
--I knew Dwayne Wade's personalized house in Pinecrest, Florida would be a hard sell when I covered it as an estate of the day last year. One year later it's still on the market and the price has been reduced from $8.9 million to $4.999 million.
--Christina Aguilera and her husband Jordan Bratman have put their former residence on Devlin Drive in the Hollywood Hills on the market for $7.5995 million but the listing hasn't surfaced yet.

From the LA Times Hot Property:
--David Geffen has paid $9.8 million for a 1,473-square-foot house in Malibu that is located near his massive Malibu compound. Geffen owned the home once before, he bought it in 1996 for approximately $1.2 million and sold it two years later to Richard Lovett, president of Creative Artists Agency. In 2007, it was bought by Peter Morton, co-founder of the Hard Rock Cafe chain, who sold it back to Geffen earlier this year.
--Robert Duvall and his Argentine wife, Luciana, have sold their House of Jasmines, the seven-room boutique hotel near Salta, in northern Argentina.
--Dan Aykroyd has paid $14,500,000 to purchase a 5,244-square-foot house in Pacific Palisades.

From the Wall Street Journal's Private Properties:
--The Sonoma, CA home of Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold, who commanded U.S. Army air forces in World War II, has gone on the market for $2.65 million. The listing with Robert and Kathleen Leonard, of Sotheby's shows that it has already gone into escrow. The property includes a 2,000-square-foot house and a vineyard planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.
--The Manhattan apartment of fashion designer Fernando Sanchez has gone on sale for $6.5 million. The 4,000-square-foot co-op in the Osborne has 10 rooms on three floors, with a 27-foot entry gallery, a formal dining room, a library and four baths. The listing is here with Stephen Wald.
--Prince is renting a Beverly Hills spec house created by developer George Santopietro. The home is still listed for $50 million and Prince is paying $200,000 a month.
--An Upper East Side townhouse lived in by Eleanor Roosevelt is now listed for rent for $60,000 and is also for sale for $19.95 million. The listing is here.

From AOL Real Estate:
--10 ways to transform outdoor space.
--What $1 million buys.
--Ghost cities of the future.
--Best cities for sellers.