Monaco

A Lexus for Monaco's Royal Wedding

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Events

While attention around the world is focused on the impending marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton, further south in Europe they're preparing for another royal wedding: that of Prince Albert II of Monaco to Miss Charlese Wittstock. And they've just announced the vehicle that will be used in the July 2 wedding.

This Lexus LS600h has been specially outfitted with the royal flag, "MC 01" license plate and flashing lights. As a hybrid, it will be able to drive at a parade pace on pure electric mode, and has elevated Lexus to the status of Official Supplier to the principality in the process.

Tags: grimaldi, lexus, lexus ls 600h, lexus ls600h, ls 600h, ls600h, monaco, prince albert, prince albert ii, royal wedding

Coachbuilt Italian Corvettes to Debut at Top Marques Monaco

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Each year, the Top Marques show in Monaco brings out some of the finest pieces of craftsmanship, from cars to watches. And this year's event is sure not to disappoint. Among the many debuts scheduled for the Monte Carlo exposition are a pair of custom supercars crafted in Italy and based on the Chevrolet Corvette.

Source

Tags: chevrolet corvette, codatronca, corvette, monaco, monte carlo, soleil anadi, spada, spada codatronca, spada codatronca monza, top marques, top marques monaco

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Aston Martin Delivers the First One-77 to Monaco

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

It's here at long last: the first Aston Martin One-77 has officially been delivered to its first customer, officially catapulting Aston Martin into the upper stratosphere of the supercar arena.

The first of 77 examples to be produced, this black example was delivered to Monaco, no less, at Monte Carlo's famous Hotel de Paris. The last example is set to leave the factory by the end of the year.

There are reportedly still a few places left on the list, but to get one you'll need to fork over an additional $240,000 on top of the initial $1.8 million sticker price for a grand total of $2.04 million. That's a lot of cash for one car, but a lot of car it is indeed.

Source

Tags: aston martin, aston martin one-77, hotel de paris, monaco, monte carlo, one-77

Tag Heuer Monaco V4 Watch In Rose Gold Ruthenium And Ceramic

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

It was such a success they needed to make more. Tag Heuer's ultra luxury Monaco V4 didn't appeal to everyone, but it still delighted them. Based on the Monaco watch case, the V4 was a tour de force of watch design and technology. The movement used small belts rather than gear trains for much of the movement. The first watch was done in platinum in a limited edition of 150 pieces. I wrote about the original Tag Heuer Monaco V4 watch here, and here.

Now Tag Heuer is bringing the Monaco V4 back, in a slightly larger case (41mm wide versus 39mm wide) and in rose gold ruthenium and ceramic. The dial is almost black with various colors as well as rose gold elements. This time it will be limited to just 60 pieces. While I was a fan of the original, I like this one even more. The new contrast on the dial is great, and the larger size will suit the design - which needed the size to match its boldness. Why just 60 pieces? Not sure, but sources seem to indicate that Tag Heuer has some other exciting things in store for 2011. Not sure about price, the original was $80,000 and each sold out. This one could be a bit less as it is not in platinum.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: 2010, 2011, ceramic, gold, limited edition, monaco, tag heuer, v4, watch

The $100,000 Monte Carlo Desk from Viscount Linley

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Architecture & Design

Viscount David Linley, the bespoke cabinetmaker who's a nephew of the Queen of England, has created an incredible one-of-a-kind $100,000 writing desk in homage to one of Monaco's most notable landmarks – the Monte Carlo Casino. Featuring the famed Beaux-Arts building as its central gallery, with stylized archways on either side, it bears marquetry detailing in various veneers representing the windows, columns, galleries and balusters of the casino, which was used as a location for the James Bond films Never Say Never Again, GoldenEye, and of course Casino Royale. The main body of the desk is constructed in American walnut with inlays of Santos rosewood and sycamore, while the writing surface is covered in rich dark red leather. On the underside of the domed lid of the architectural box is a marquetry depiction of Monaco's flag in red sycamore and holly. Six hand-carved figurines surmount the rooftop, and six secret drawers are each opened by a different mechanism.

Gallery: Monte Carlo Desk by Viscount Linley

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: architecture, Beaux-Arts, casino, Casino Royale, David Linley, desk, furniture, gambling, James Bond, leather, Monaco, Monte Carlo, Queen of England, viscount+linley, viscountlinley

Billionaires Demand Military-Grade Security on Their Superyachts

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Wealth

In an effort to boost the flagging superyacht market, manufacturers are fitting them out with increasingly complex, military-grade security systems aimed at assuaging the fears of paranoid billionaires. Bloomberg News reports from the Monaco Yacht Show that security systems similar to the ones on Roman Abramovich's enormous Eclipse are now standard issue for high-end craft. Pascal Wiscour-Conter, chief executive officer of Equisea Yacht Management in Monte Carlo, says that any billionaire buying a superyacht these days shells out an extra $400,000 at least for additional defensive measures, including bulletproof glass and "NATO military technology integrated with NASA satellite tracking to create an invisible offensive security bubble with underwater sonic cannons and surface lasers that evaluate and take out anyone who lays siege to the vessel." Wiscour-Conter notes that the high-tech system "knows the difference between a malicious scuba diver and a curious dolphin, and we transmit all the information to your iPhone four times a day."

Tags: billionaire, Monaco, Monte Carlo, Roman Abramovich, security, superyacht, wealth, yacht

Ulysse Nardin Monaco 2010 Marine Diver Limited Edition Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Once again Ulysse Nardin is a sponsor of the Monaco Yacht Show (Sept. 22-25), probably one of the most important yacht shows around (ritzy ritzy!). Each year they have a special limited edition watch for the event, and this year the piece take a dark, sinister tone. The watch is in all black save for some midnight blue elements on the dial (hands and some of the markers). The steel case is actually covered in a matte black vulcanized rubber coating. This has been places on other dive watches in the past (think IWC), and it makes for a cool, professional type of look. Aside from perhaps parts of bezel, there will be no glitz to this watch. The case is 45.8mm wide (200 meters water resistant) and has a rotating diver's bezel and a rubber strap with a black ceramic link in each end. The clasp is also in black ceramic.

Inside the watch is a standard Ulysse Nardin automatic movement (UN-26) with a subsidiary seconds dial and power reserve indicator. On the back of the watch you can see the movement along with a special "Monaco" image on the sapphire exhibition window. The Ulysse Nardin Monaco 2010 Marine Diver watch will be limited to just 100 pieces.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: 2010, diver, limited edition, marine, Monaco, Ulysse Nardin, watch

UPDATE: Buyer of $308 Million Monaco Penthouse Was Dubai Royal

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Wealth

It seems we were not in full possession of the facts when we relayed a report the other day that the world's most expensive penthouse, the $308 million former Safra property in Monaco (above), may have been sold to Greek billionaire Constantine Alexander-Goulandris. While Alexander-Goulandris was indeed involved in the sale, an insider now tells us it was actually in an advisory capacity and that the real purchaser was a member of Dubai's royal family, the Al-Mahktoums, headed by the immensely wealthy Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum. Though incredibly expensive the purchase is seen as a wise investment by the Al-Mahktoums, we're told. In the wake of Dubai's financial difficulties, which caused Sheikh Mohammed's personal fortune to plummet by $7.5 billion last year, the family has been advised to acquire more (and more stable) assets outside of the UAE rather than sinking it all into Dubai's volatile economy. Alexander-Goulandris, being a resident of Monaco and an intimate of the Al-Mahktoum family, strongly urged the purchase of the Safra penthouse for the sake of diversification. It's not a bad place to hang out in either.

Gallery: $308 Million in Monaco

Tags: billionaire, Constantine Alexander-Goulandris, Dubai, Lily Safra, Monaco, monaco+penthouse, monacopenthouse, penthouse, royalty, sheikh, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, UAE, worlds most expensive

$308 Million Monaco Penthouse Purchased by Abramovich Associate? [UPDATED]

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Wealth

A well-connected Luxist follower has written in to inform us of the identity of the buyer of the record-shattering $308 million Monaco penthouse (above) we just reported on. The new owner of the world's most expensive apartment we're told is Greek billionaire Constantine Alexander-Goulandris, a close friend and business associate of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. According to Wikipedia, the American-born Alexander-Goulandris, 47, who's based in Monaco, is an influential adviser to the Saudi royal family and the emirs of Qatar and Kuwait, as well as the leaders of the UAE and many of the world's largest oil companies.

In addition to Abramovich he's also close to Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin. Though not on Forbes' list of the world's richest people, he's said to be worth an estimated $15 billion thanks to investments in petroleum and energy shipping and real estate, including the Olympic Tower building in NYC. In addition to Monaco Alexander-Goulandris reportedly maintains residences in Paris, London, Antibes, New York and Hawaii. He also owns one of the largest yachts in the world, the Dubai-registered, 279-ft. Delma, and jets around on a Boeing 767 and two Gulfstream G550s.

UPDATE: The buyer was in fact a member of Dubai's royal family; Alexander-Goulandris acted as an adviser - read more here.

Gallery: $308 Million in Monaco

Tags: apartment, Dubai, Lily Safra, Monaco, most expensive, oil, penthouse, real estate, Roman Abramovich, Saudi, UAE, Vladimir Putin, wealth, worlds most expensive

World's Most Expensive Penthouse Sells for $308 Million in Monaco

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Wealth

Barely a month after we reported that a London penthouse had sold for $220 million, making it the world's most expensive private residence, the record has been shattered with the $308 million sale of a palatial penthouse in Monaco (above). The Monaco property, called La Belle Epoque, has quite a history; formerly the home of billionaire banker Edmund Safra, it's where he was found dead following a mysterious fire that gutted the apartment in 1999. The three-bedroom, 17,500-sq-.ft. duplex penthouse, which includes a double-height library and vast roof terraces complete with mature 15-foot trees and an infinity pool, is thought to have been purchased by an Arab sheikh, the Economic Times reports.

The apartment's luxe features include a panic room with reinforced glass and surveillance cameras, cinema screens which emerge from walls at the touch of a button, numerous walk-in wardrobes and dressing rooms, a leisure room with billiard tables and arcade video games, a Jacuzzi and spa, and a media room with special executive chairs which convert into beds. The penthouse was sold by British property developers Christian and Nick Candy, who acquired the space relatively cheaply following the fire from Lily Safra and hired designer Martin Kemp to oversee $40 million in renovations, including a dining room (above) with a platinum leaf ceiling.

Gallery: $308 Million in Monaco

Tags: Arab, Candy Brothers, Edmund Safra, Lily Safra, London, Monaco, penthouse, worlds most expensive

Nine Ferraris & More Shatter Million-Dollar Mark at RM's Monterey Sale

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

An exceptional 1954 Ferrari 375 MM Berlinetta (above), the fifth of only seven examples ever built, sold for an astounding $4.6 million at RM's Sports & Classics of Monterey sale on Saturday night, leading an impressive group of 14 individual sales (including eight other Ferraris) which shattered the magic million dollar mark. TV personality and former racer Alain de Cadenet joined auctioneer Max Girardo onstage for the six-hour sale, which saw 84 motor cars cross the podium before a packed house. The Saturday night sale marked the conclusion of RM's 2010 Classics of Monterey event, which attracted record bidder registrations from 29 countries, including Monaco, Brazil, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates. After the jump, find the complete list of million-dollar-plus sales from the incredible auction:

Gallery: RM's Million-Dollar Ferraris in Monterey

1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/6C Alloy Berlinetta

1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder

1959 Ferrari 410 Superamerica Series III

Tags: classic cars, Delahaye, Duesenberg, Ferrari, Jaguar D-Type, Japan, Monaco, Monterey, Packard, United Arab Emirates

Continue reading “Nine Ferraris & More Shatter Million-Dollar Mark at RM's Monterey Sale”

University of Monaco Offers Courses on Luxury

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Students at the International University of Monaco will be able to spend their time studying luxury. The university has created a masters degree program in luxury retail management. Brands including Gucci, Ermenegildo Zegna, Façonnable, Ralph Lauren, Loro Piana and Salvatore Ferragamo are involved with the courses which prepare students for retail careers in luxury boutiqes. The program begins with a study of the history of luxury and then moves into the particular management issues involved in operating a luxury store. The course will also include a tour of luxury companies and a seven-month immersion internship in a luxury boutique. Monaco remains one of the world's hub for luxury with streets stuffed with luxury boutiques and plenty of wealthy tourists and locals for students to practice their new luxury selling skills on.

The university already offers a masters degree course in luxury goods, a 10-month project that focuses on the business of luxury with courses like Managing Luxury Brands and Capitalizing the Luxury Venture.

[via BBC News]

Tags: luxury, luxury education, monaco

Wally Supercar Concept for the Superyacht Set

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Luxury Cars & Autos

Monaco-based boatbuilder Wally, known for its avant-garde yacht designs, is responsible for some of the most eye-catching craft plying the waters. As we reported last year they also make some of the world's coolest high-performance skis. Now Matthew Hockham, an automotive design graduate of the UK's Coventry University, has come up with a Wally supercar concept inspired by both of the company's passions. Hockham's brief was to take Wally's distinctive design language and apply it to a suitably high-end and high-tech automotive concept. "The aim is to bring the essence of Wally onto the land and offer an exclusive user experience," he tells Car Body Design. Hockham's design uses Wally's trademark futuristic form language with sharp edges, black glass surfaces and hi-tech gray tones. The side profile was inspired by the lines of the stunning 118 WallyPower yacht. The interior makes extensive use of carbon fiber and teak, two materials used widely by Wally, and the elongated chassis is especially designed to transport a pair of Wally carbon fiber skis.

Gallery: Wally Supercar Concept

Tags: car design, carbon fiber, concept car, design, industrial design, Monaco, skis, supercar, teak, UK, Wally, yacht

Prince Albert Of Monaco Gets Engaged To Charlene Wittstock

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Monaco has a royal wedding in its future. Prince Albert of Monaco has announced his engagement to Charlene Wittstock, a beautiful blonde former Olympic swimmer for South Africa. This would give the principality its first crown princess since Grace Kelly died in 1982. Wittstock bears more than a passing resemblance to a young Princess Grace. At 32, she is 20 years younger than her groom. The announcement did not include a wedding date but according to protocol royal couples must wait at least six months between the engagement and wedding day.

The two first met in 2000 and she has lived in Monaco since 2006. This will be the first marriage of a reigning prince since the marriage of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III in 1956. Prince Albert has two children which were born out of wedlock but has remained a lifelong bachelor. Fearing that he might never settle down with a wife, in 2002, the Parliament changed the constitution to allow one of his sisters' sons to take the throne if he never produces a legitimate heir. No details on the ring have been released yet but diamond watchers are agog at what appears to be one hefty sparkler.

Tags: charlene wittstock, monaco, prince albert, Prince Albert of Monaco, royal engagement, royal wedding

Steinmetz Encrusts McLaren Gear with Diamonds for Monaco Grand Prix

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Luxury Cars & Autos, Sports

In the fast-paced, weight-obsessed, space-age world of Formula One racing, there's not much room for ornamentation. Except maybe in Monaco, the most glamorous race on the calendar. That's where the F1 circus is heading this weekend, and it's also where Steinmetz Diamonds will be unveiling a unique tribute to the McLaren team and its world champion drivers.

Steimetz has taken the helmets and steering wheels of both Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, and embellished them with Forevermark diamonds. The pieces were unveiled at Villa la Vigie – once owned by Karl Lagerfeld and now the home of the Steinmetz Salon Privé – on Wednesday. Both world champions – Button 2009 and Lewis 2008 – will be sporting their diamond-encrusted helmets and steering wheels at this weekend's grand prix, where Hamilton, for one, hopes to recreate his 2008 Monaco GP win, where he also wore Steinmetz diamonds on his helmet.

Gallery: McLaren helmets and steering wheels by Steinmetz