Collectors are looking and thinking. They might take action, but it's still too soon to tell. The action at Foire Internationale d'Art Contemporain (FIAC) in Paris is deliberate: nobody's rushing to put their cash on the table. However, there are signs that some pricey and prestigious pieces may sell.

Last week, a painting by Piet Mondrian was put on reserve, at a price between $30 million and $40 million. One of Pablo Picasso's works was reserved, as well, at $24 million. Back in the art boom, these pieces would have been snapped up already, but dealers are saying that it's taking longer to complete sales at FIAC this year than last year. Even billionaires need convincing in this market, it seems.

Also, there's a greater desire to stay under the radar. Whether it's to maintain some privacy or hide the fact that they have the means to spend more than they like, some owners and buyers are turning to private sales. Bargains, thus, won't make it into the public record – sparing sellers the embarrassment and preventing the other holdings of all collectors from sustaining a measurable decline in value. If premiums are paid, buyers won't have to reveal that they have the cash to pay more, preventing prices from increasing broadly.

Last year we wrote about the $30,000 Damascene razor from Hommage, the Parisian purveyor of luxury grooming equipment, skincare and spa services for men. Now the brand, a favorite of celebs like Anthony Hopkins, Hugh Laurie and Robert Sean Leonard, has come out with ShaveCare Emollient: Relieve, formulated for the time-restricted man who wants a flawless, mistake-free, professional-level shave at home, and on-the-go. The water-resistant, transparent oil-gel does not melt off the skin like normal gels and creams, making it the ideal in-shower shaving tool. Core Relieve ingredient, the NMF (Natural Moisturizing Factor) Complex, smoothes and arms the skin while softening the hair for a perfectly quick, close shave. The emollient leaves skin nourished, soft and protected without the need for after-shaves or moisturizers. The new ShaveCare Emollient: Relieve is available in single capsules as well as a Home and Travel Set (above) for $100, available at Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman and Paul Labrecque Spas.

What happens when you drop an exclusive and highly limited edition A. Lange & Sohne Tourbograph Pour le Merite into a vat of molten hot baguette cut diamonds? Well this special edition version of the watch for Dubail of course! Dubail is a luxury watch and jewelery store is Paris, and is blessed enough to have what just might be the world's most expensive new A. Lange & Sohne watch - limited edition of just one piece.

The Tourbograph Pour le Merite was outstanding enough, but this 'piece unique' takes the luxury to a different level by adding 201 diamonds on the case, and another 175 on the bracelet. There are over 40 carats of diamonds on this 41.2mm wide watch done in white gold.

Looking closely you can see that so many parts of the watch have diamonds in them. Even the crown and chronograph pushers. What is interesting about the watch, is that the inside of the watch is just as stunning as the outside. You can see it through the sapphire exhibition caseback. Although a diamond covered watch like this is of course gaudy, I think that it is as tastefully done as could have been. The watch itself has a manufacture made caliber L903.0 tourbillon movement, with a 30 minute chronograph and power reserve indicator. My recollection is that the movement alone takes about a year to make. The watch will be available at the Dubai store with a retail price of 1.2 million euros (or about $1.75 million).

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

If you ever decide to purchase a historic home in Paris and give it a few updates beware of the power of the Parisians. Prince Abdullah Bin Abdullah Al-thani of Qatar purchased a 17th century mansion back in 2007 for $88 million with plans to spend $50 million more in renovations. When word leaked that he intended to add 21st century amenities such as an elevator, central air and an underground parking garage the locals were able to secure a court order to halt his progress. Known to have housed Chopin while writing his musical masterpieces as well as Voltaire's mistress, the historically prominent property needs to be both preserved and cared for by a wealthy investor if it ever hopes to be restored to its prior glory. I don't know anything about restoring old properties but I'd be happy to keep an eye on things as a resident!

Check out Jared's post and gallery of this historic site too!

I'm writing this one up for the picture alone. The "Dinner in the Sky" outfit has taken their cranes and dining table with the strapped-down seats to Paris for a unique charity event that offers meals with a beautiful city view. A French gourmet magazine is sponsoring the five-day event which includes lunches and dinners cooked by some of Paris's best chefs. For 924 euros a person guests will be suspended above the Tuileries Gardens while they dine on gourmet specialties. For each customer 100 euros goes to France's Federation of Rare Diseases, which funds research into unknown diseases. The nighttime meals are lit by a pair of chandeliers and three large lights and of course the beauty of the City of Lights itself.

Watch store owner and "personality" at large Laurent Picciotto is very particular about the watch brands his store Chronopassion in Paris carries. He is known to deeply invest his time and effort into expanding the brands the store carries. Why? Because it seems to be his goal that the shop only carry highly exclusive brands that are also highly original. Not a bad motive.

In the second such photo shoot that I've seen him participate in (first was for Richard Mille watches), Picciotto hangs with Corum's CEO Antonio Calce, with each wearing one of the new Corum Ti-Bridge watches. The images are meant to be sort of silly in a "I really want to be a celebrity" manner. Though the man does a good job of establishing hype, and I certainly appreciate the departure from all the stuffy pomp and circumstance of luxury watch retail. If you find yourself in Paris looking for one of the world's finest (i.e. most expensive) timepieces. Look no further than Chronopassion - where you will now also find select Corum timepieces.

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

The time to grow is when the market is suffering. This must be in the back of the mind of art market guru Larry Gagosian, who has been involved with such heavy-hitter artists as Damien Hirst and Richard Prince. While there are small signs of a recovery, much is still uncertain. However, this hasn't stopped Gagosian from making a bold move: opening a branch of the Gagosian Gallery in Paris.

Bloomberg News reports that Gagosian is in talks to pick up space in the 8th arrondissement, near la rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore. Nobody from the Gagosian camp has commented so far.

There are plenty of deep-pocketed art collectors in Paris, including Francois and Bernard Arnault, and the French market hasn't suffered as severely as those in London and New York. That said, Paris is the smallest of the western troika, but with a presence in the two largest markets already, the French capital was the next logical step.

Waring Hopkins, director of modern art specialist Hopkins-Custot – which is located in what is likely to become Gagosian's back yard – observed to Bloomberg, "Gagosian would instantly become one of the most important dealers in Paris," and that setting up shop in Paris "would be good for Gagosian and it would be good for the city."

The market itself is only part of what makes the expansion shrewd. Gagosian can use the space in Paris to show works from contemporary artists represented by competing galleries in New York and London.

S.T. Dupont, makers of the world's most expensive lighter we wrote about last month, have come out with an equally exquisite instrument for lighting one's cigarette designed as an homage to one of Paris' most famous architectural landmarks.

The Place Vendôme limited edition Ligne 2 Prestige rose gold lighter embellished with 192 diamonds (right), which sells for $47,000 and is limited to 35 pieces, is modeled on the architecture of the majestic Parisian square of that name commissioned by King Louis XIV in the 17th century.

In 1810 following his victory at Austerlitz, Napoleon enriched the square by erecting the Vendôme Column. A pen matching the lighter modeled on the column is also available. Napoleon's famous quotation is engraved on the lighter's roller and on the body of the pen: "Impossible n'est pas français" - Nothing is impossible for the French.

The Leather X Porteur bicycle covered in saddle leather is a one-off project from French designer Nicolas Yvars that's handmade using vintage parts. Yvars tells BikeRadar.com the beautiful bespoke conveyance combines his three passions – "leathercraft, street fashion and luxury" – and is modeled on a type of bicycle once used by newspaper sellers in Paris. It took him more than a year to track down the parts which he assembled himself, outsourcing only the frame painting and wheelbuilding. Bespoke touches include a hip flask attachment under the saddle and hand-stitched detailing on the leatherwork. Yvars says he has no plans to produce the bike, which combines great looks with agility and comfort, but is using it to promote his marketing company, Ateliers d'Embellie. However with think that demand for the Leather X Porteur might turn out to be so great he'll consent to assemble others for the right price.

When I first mentioned that Breguet was going to have an exhibit at the Louvre I speculated that they might include as part of the collection the special Ref. 1160 pocket watch that was a painstakingly made (over three years of work) replica of the original Breguet Marie Antoinette pocket watch that was itself completed in the 1840s after almost 40 years of efforts. The exhibit does in fact display the Ref. 1160 pocket watch nicely and fans of the Breguet brand or horological history should check out the exhibit if they are in Paris up until the 6th of September. In addition to the Ref. 1160, there are a number of very interesting Breguet pocket watches, chronometers, clocks, and other items that you'll probably never get a change to see, all in beautiful restored condition.

For more information check out the mini site for the Breguet Louvre exhibit.

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

Earlier this year we wrote about the ultra-fashionable Chanel concept car. Now there's another Chanel vehicle on the road for real. A custom motorbike (above) was commissioned by the French fashion house for a photo shoot staged at Chanel's Rue Royale boutique in Paris by the label's kingpin Karl Lagerfeld and starring super-sexy model Lara Stone - check out her cover story in the August issue of W magazine. Based on the bike used by legendary actor Marlon Brando in The Wild One, the motorcycle was custom made in Toulouse, France. Sadly, there are no plans to put the bike into production.

[via LuxuryLaunches]

The venerable Parisian luxury goods firm of S.T. Dupont has come out with the world's most expensive lighter (right) priced at $79,000.

The Ligne 2 Champagne lighter, part of Dupont's Prestige Collection, is made of solid 18-carat white gold embellished with 468 brilliant-cut diamonds.

Also available is a matching fountain pen in solid 18-carat white gold as well with rhodium finished trims and 502 brilliant-cut diamonds for $74,000.

S.T. Dupont, founded in Paris in 1872 by Simon Tissot Dupont, made bespoke pieces for the likes of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Windsor. Daniel Craig also carried Dupont accessories as James Bond in Casino Royale.

[via JustLuxe]

In New York and London, art auction houses for ever dollar they can bring in, but the French have been able to fight back. The number of sales and lots brought to auction has remained stable year over year. And, in the first three months of the year, Paris put up better results than London or New York, thanks to the Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint-Laurent sale at the Grand Palais back in February. Historically, Paris has lagged these two cities, but its resilience this year has changed the game a bit.

For the first quarter, art prices in France came down only 5 percent, a level that's been maintained through the rest of the year, so far. Christie's bears much of the responsibility for this success, with some solid auctions this year, though Sotheby's has helped, as well, with a Contemporary Art auction that moved 95.2 percent of the lots offered. Also, Parisian auctions aren't as up-market as those in London and New York, which has muted the effects of the global financial crisis.

In addition to the Yves Saint Laurent sale, which brought in €373.5 million (€255 million for works of art), the late May auctions at Christie's and Sotheby's did perform well relative to past years. The summer is likely to be quiet, with smaller auctions in Paris, but Christie's is bringing a private collection to market with pieces by Henri Laurens, Hans Harp and Henri Michaux, among others. The numbers won't be eye-popping, but expect the momentum to continue.

Vive la resistance!

This fall the Gallerie Nationales du Grand Palais in Paris will host an exhibit of Renoir's 20th century works. Touted as the first monographic study of Renoir since 1985, it will focus on the paintings from his last decades after he bid adieu to formal impressionism. Sure to be a magnificent draw, you can spare yourself some time in line if you lodge at any of Paris' six Concorde Hotels & Resorts.

The company's "Renoir in the 20th Century package" will provide you and a guest priority access to spend time with Paul Durand-Ruel and the Woman at the Well. In addition to two tickets to the exhibition, you'll enjoy a buffet breakfast for two for every night of your stay at any of six hotels in the city of lights, love, and crepes galettes -- including the Hotel Crillon, Hotel du Louvre, and Hotel Lutetia.

The package is available from September 23, through December 21, 2009, and rates for double accommodation rooms begin at €202 ($282 US) per night, per room. You can book at www.concorde-hotels.com/renoir, and don't forget to say hello to Madame Renoir with Bob while you're there.

Even though train travel in Europe isn't quite as romantic in reality as it is in fantasy, there's stil something so wonderfully retro about traveling between storied cities via rail. (A first-class Eurail pass will get you to more than 20 countries, in a surprising amount of comfort and style, depending on the train.)

If you're looking for a reason to squeeze in a trip to Europe this summer (and maybe grab some frites), the Brussels Marriott Hotel and the Marriott Rive Gauche in Paris are offering a summer package from now until the end of 2009. Stay two nights at each property at 139 € per night for a double room with breakfast. (From Thursday through Sunday or Friday through Monday.) This summer, the Eurostar is also offering a special between the two cities on its Leisure Select class starting at $119 one way, which includes a 3-course meal and wine.