luxury

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Anyone who claims that timepieces are merely for telling the time simply hasn't worn enough nice watches. Even before watches were able to measure the time in a halfway decent manner they were made out of precious materials and dutifully decorated. It seems that the timepiece and luxury have been cooperating since the very beginning. It was not until the 20th century that the watch became mainstream through mass production - and even modest wage earners could afford one. Rather than destroy the elite status of having a watch, all this did was strengthen the high-end watch market as timepieces at this level needed to try even harder to separate themselves from their distant, more affordable cousins.

Writing about very expensive timepieces and the world that conceives them has been an interesting journey for me as one with no elite upbringing or sense of entitlement to the "nicest things life has to offer." This have given me a unique perspective on wearing luxury watches and the people that consume them.

There is no coincidence that this Edox watch sounds as though it was named after a boat. The "Royal Lady Luxury" is meat to be a yacht themed ladies piece from the Swiss brand that comes with a relatively affordable price. The Royal Lady Luxury Chronograph watch is 36mm wide in steel with blue segments in the bezel and a mother of pearl dial. The look is stately and bold. Attractive, but not in too girly a manner.

Inside the watch is a Swiss Ronda quartz chronograph movement. I like the steel outlined chronograph subdials on the face against the mother of pearl. The case is attached to a white rubber strap and retails for $2,100.

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

Hublot's main intent behind their women's pieces is to shock and tantalize. I find it fascinating that they employ a very unique approach to making women's watches versus men's watches, as many brands have women's watches that are just mini versions of their men's collection.

One of Hublot's more noteworthy lady's line piece for 2011 is the Big Bang Leopard -- a new look for the 41mm Big Bang that is influenced by Hublot's appreciation of leopard print skin designs that exist in elsewhere in pieces such as one particular Rolex Daytona from a few years ago with a similar leopard print dial and strap. Hublot takes the concept and applies it to their 41mm wide Big Bang collection watches. If are drawn to the look, the piece is actually rather cohesive. The strap is actually leopard print denim with a matching dial style. On the dial are 18k red gold hands and yellow diamond hour markers.

The case itself is 41mm wide and done in 18k red gold. A large size for many women, but small for many Hublot timepieces. Around the bezel are jewels means to compliments the leopard print. There you'll find a mix of smoked quartz, andalusites, and citrine stones -- all in baguette cuts. Inside the watch is an HUB4300 automatic chronograph movement. No doubt the piece is highly polarizing, but you know the right person will be able to pull off the look wildly.

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

You don't have to ski or snowboard to have a good time in Park City, Utah. Besides the Sundance Film Festival and all things Robert Redford, there are a slew of other fabulous ways to spend your days and nights in the resort town. Park City proves itself well in the luxury category.

We put together a list of ways to live well in the city known for having the "Greatest Snow On Earth" (and being the site of a few scenes in Dumb and Dumber), and all without having to ever put on those godforsaken foot and calf-suffocating ski boots.

Apres Ski
In a way, resort hopping the apres ski scene is Park City's other great sporting event. The French term specifically refers to the drinking and revelry that ensues after a long day of skiing or snowboarding. The art of the cocktail is nothing to scoff at in snow country and up in these mountains the Mormon influence shunning drinking and nightlife is forgotten. Alta Resort's Sitzmark Bar is a classic. Off-resort, check out High West Distillery and Saloon. They make their own whiskey and vodka and have a killer, innovative cocktail list with drinks like the High West Silver Julep using High West's Silver Oat Whiskey and Rendezvous Rye. Park City's Main Street features a collection of classic, mountain and Western motif bars and nightclubs like No Name Saloon, The Sidecar, and The Spur. There's also Downstairs, owned by Danny Masterson of "That 70s Show" fame, a hip rocker lounge that celebrities typically flock to when they're in town.

Shop
Ski bunny fashion is no joke in Park City. Locals and pros sport some of the slickest and brightest colored gear and pseudo-gear from brands like The North Face, Patagonia, and Lululemon, or, hanging in resort shopping areas in Park City Mountain Resort, Deer Valley Resort and The Canyons. It's hard to resist not purchasing a brilliant blue fleece when witness to everyone else looking fashionably ski hip. There's shopping too for the fashion-forward who prefer to wear something that's also stylish away from the resorts. Along Main Street are adorable boutiques like Bunya Bunya and Mary Jane's with clothing and accessories handmade by local artists and independent designers. Park City also has the largest collection of factory outlet stores in northern Utah.

To find out if the three resorts in the Park City, Utah area really do represent "The Greatest Snow on Earth", we skied and apres-skied and learned first-hand how fabulous the town and it's amenities have become. Indeed, the area has come a long way from the area's poor, silver mining history.

During the recent Sundance Film Festival, Park City, Utah was teeming with glittery Hollywood types littering local restaurants and bars, meanwhile abandoning the perfectly powdered slopes. Over the ten-day stretch, those idyllic resort town slopes– located less than an hour's drive from the Salt Lake City airport, stand virtually empty. It's an insider secret that the week and a half is ideal for powder junkies hungry for crowd-free runs during high season.

(Good luck finding a hotel room though!) As it turns out Hollywood isn't so into that kind of snow.

Fortunately out west ski and snowboard season run long. A good year means soft, fluffy snow starts falling just after Thanksgiving until -- if you're really, really lucky -- as late as Cinco de Mayo. Utah doesn't claim "Greatest Snow on Earth" for nothing -- the trademarked white stuff maintains a unique blend of "consistency, abundance and quality," says Ski Utah's Director of Communications Jessica Kunzer, "Anyone who skis dreams of skiing out west. You might like skiing wherever you're from originally -- if it's Minnesota, or, out east in Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, [but] the general wish is to experience our soft, ice-free slopes."

The fleeting effects of Sundance come and go, but the snow steadily falls and the apres ski scene never dies. Here are three stellar spots to kick back and relax between smooth runs and story-worthy wipe-outs.

With just how advanced the computer industry is, it is incredibly odd that there is no coherent and definable "luxury computer" market. I mean, there are "luxury" branded computers, but they would hardly pass muster to any even basic computer enthusiast. I am sorry, but adorning a laptop with a leather wrap or building a desktop computer out of mostly varnished wood is not my idea of a luxury computer. Especially when it is what is on the inside that counts.

If you see a computer being advertised as for the well-to-do-segment, it is often a ruse with a semi fancy exterior, and nothing special happening on the inside. This doesn't cover everything out there of course, but has been most of what I could find.

You might argue that computers are tools and advance too fast for someone to invest a lot of money in one as a luxury item. Regardless of whether you are right or not, the automotive market has for years been making luxury cars that aren't the peak of technology for very long, and then there Is that almost amusing high-luxury mobile phone market. It appears that there are plenty of consumers wanting nice items, even if they only remain "special" in the short term. It isn't that I am not a fan of luxury. Quite the opposite – I making a living by writing about luxury. It is rather that I see a big hole open for a luxury computer industry - and I want it filled with something satisfying. The good news is that there is a luxury computer industry, but it isn't called by that name, and luxury consumers could quite easily miss it.

Never thought the day would come that I would see a solid gold Hot Wheel cars. Please allow me to put my lawyer hat on and reiterate that Ultima Jewelry has no connection with Hot Wheels, or any other toy or model car maker. I use such names for example and comparison purposes. I just had some odd feeling Mattel lawyers would be particularly litigious.

Anyhow, for the super luxury toy and model lover comes these 1/43 scale model Lamborghinis (and other custom creations) in gold and platinum. Here is a Lambo Reventon that has been fun sized. The headlights are diamonds and the tail lights are rubies. Prices start at about 25,000 euros in silver, and go way up from there. Gold models start at 55,000 euros, while the platinum version starts at 88,000 euros. Fully customizable, and fun to play with on the floor with your 6 year old. "Look daddy, I'm gonna make the car crash really hard!"

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

One of Japan's best kept horological secrets - Grand Seiko - will very soon be available world wide. For years (and years) watch lovers longingly looked to Japan at the prestigious high-end Grand Seiko timepieces that were available exclusively in that domestic market. Grand Seiko has been around for 50 years, and this month will officially be available around the world. Until now, only a few places like Hong Kong (I believe) were able to sell Grand Seiko timepieces.

Seiko announced that Grand Seiko would be available world wide last March, but didn't disclose any specific schedule. News has just been released that this month Seiko will offer the entire Grand Seiko collection (with the likely exclusion of a few special models) to 20 new markets around the world - including in North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Oceania.

Grand Seiko watches are hand-made in Japan by highly skilled watch makers - probably the very best in the country. I personally visited these manufactures and wrote about them here. Most watch lovers agree that Seiko has 'gold' with Grand Seiko. The collection includes timepieces of three varieties based on the movement. One collection has quartz movements, another has purely mechanical movements, and the third collection contains Seiko's now famous Spring Drive movements (that is a beautiful combo of mechanical watches with high accuracy quartz regulation).

A brand new website has been released for Grand Seiko here. The well-done site includes information on all the available models, and clearly describes the many benefits and selling points of Grand Seiko watches (not everyone has someone like me to sit there and passionately explain why they should like these timepieces). I am not alone in my ability to be impressed by these watches. The designs are classic, the quality is superb, and the movements are beloved among collectors. The best part is that compared to their distant Swiss cousins, these watches are a good value. Prices (for mechanical and Spring Drive models) generally seem to be in the $4,400 - $9,700 range. My current favorite model is the Grand Seiko SBGE001 with a GMT Spring Drive movement. When Grand Seiko watches come to a store near you (there is a store locator on the site), I highly recommend you check them out.

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

I am a big fan of Booq products. The company makes some of the best laptop bags and backpacks that I know of. At the same time, the design of their products is usually pretty "techie." You'll often find bright splashes of orange and futuristic surface designs. What is the low-key design lover to do when they want a quality, ergonomically designed bag for your laptop computer and gadget accessories? Well Booq has a new collection of high-end more sophisticated looking laptop bags made with the durability and core philosophy that people have come to expect from the brand. I previously reviewed their Boa Flow M Backpack here.

The new Cobra collection is comprised of a few products of different sizes. Each are shoulder or messenger style bags made from 1680 denier ballistic nylon in black. The metal hardware is done in a gunmetal finish. While the ballistic nylon is coated with a water-resistant material on the outside, the inside of the bags are lined with Nappa leather. The bags are design to look good, be durable for whatever you put them through, hold all your gear, and be comfortable in the process.

Booq will initially offer several Cobra products including the Cobra Case L. Cobra Brief L, Cobra Brief L, Cobra Slim L, and Cobra Courier XS. Prices are between $145 - $345. I am waiting eagerly in the hopes that they release a Cobra backpack soon. You can view and buy the full Cobra collection at Booq here.

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

I remember when I was about 16 years old and I got a package in the mail from Gillette. It was a shaving razor, a few blades, and a can of Gillette shaving cream. I never asked for the kit. The clever marketing move done by Gillette gets men to use their products at a young age. Gillette taught me the "supermarket" approach to shaving, but I didn't learn what a "good shave" was until years later. The truth is that most men these days aren't familiar with the "art of shaving" (which is coincidentally the name a retail chain).

The modern gentlemen is expected to have knowledge in a number of areas, but topics concerning traditional forms of men's grooming are becoming lost. It is a shame, because the "supermarket" shaving experience doesn't even come close to what a proper shave can offer.

While not alone in this pursuit, new brand TwinLuxe is trying to get the "message" out there to men that a 'good shave' is a luxurious experience. In a sense it certainly is. A good shave is a process that requires good tools and a little bit of skill. Those wanting the modern convenience of a safety razor can forgot the straight razor experience, and still enjoy much of what a traditional shave has to offer. TwinLuxe intends to cater to the discerning individual by offering a high-end (according to TwinLuxe, they offer the most expensive regular production shave set currently on the market) shaving kit and accompanying men's skin products - each specially formulated by TwinLuxe.

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]

Luxury health care? You don't hear the term very often. From a social perspective it is a bit of a tricky concept. To imply that some types of health care and medical treatments are 'excessive' and for the well-to-do only seems to contrast with the humanitarian concepts of treating the ill or injured. In fact, luxury heath care has been around for eons. The tonics a king would drinks, the ointments of an emperor. Things not necessarily meant to cure, but enhance or enliven.

Today luxury health care often falls under the category of "elective procedures." A rather tedious concept probably coined by insurance companies. It implies that you don't need it, or rather that the patient, versus the doctor is prescribing the treatment or procedure. We often look down upon things like cosmetic surgery publicly - although it is so much a common practice world wide. So back to the initial question - are such 'elective procedures' all that is encompassed under the umbrella of luxury health care? No. In fact luxury health care is probably what health care should be in an ideal world. Proper attention, good doctors, and the time taken to properly diagnose and treat, whatever the problem may be - whether it is necessary to sustain life, or elective to enhance it.

I travel to Switzerland and visit the Clinique La Prairie (CLP) to see if I can answer my question about luxury and health care. The Clinique is a rather famous (if you swing in the right circles) "wellness center" that has been around for about 80 years. Located right on Lake Geneva in Montreux Switzerland, CLP is nestled away in a small, but highly desirable location near France. The beginnings of the Clinique are rather retro sci-fi in concept. I will let CLP give you its full history, but a doctor had an interesting idea of injecting people with young organ cells collected from sheep. The theory was that these early organ cells would stimulate cellular rejuvenation and offer a series of "wellness" benefits meant to make you feel younger and stimulate the immune system. Sounds a bit mad scientist-ish, but people much more picky than I swear by it.

Nothing like a good pair of luxury headphones to make one's audio player feel it's worth. I find it so sad that form has brutally beaten the wind out of function when it comes to audio these days. People are obsessed with style and size. You can mostly thank Apple for feeding us too many cheap headphones (earphones) with those craptastic white earbuds. I am afraid that the younger generation has no idea what good headphones sound like. Not only that, but traditional "can" headphones are healthier for your ears, as sounds aren't jammed directly into your head.

Those who still want a quality sound experience will likely go with a more tradition set of headphones - of which there are many options. Here are the Ultrasone PRO 900, a higher-end set of headphones from Ultrasone. I am not a dedicated audiophile or sound expert, so I can't comment on qualities such as sound range, etc.. What I can do is give you the low-down from the point of view of a picky person who has had a lot of headphones in their life.

What does the future of luxury look like? There's no one easy answer but the morning panels at Tuesday's sessions of the American Express Publishing Luxury Summit were dedicated to the fine art of prognostication. That's no easy task in a luxury world that's been consistently defined as uncertain. Trendwatchers say that while luxury is rising again any hint of major global turmoil could throw us all back off our feed again.

The rise of China: When it comes to predicting global growth the acronym has been BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China). That should be spelled with a really big C, says the fashionably attired Lisa Sun of McKinsey & Company who discussed the growing Chinese luxury market. The Chinese market is a growing but increasingly hard-to-define group. Chinese consumers are still new to luxury, generally young, ambitious and interested in Western brands. They are getting more concerned about social responsibility although generally at a slower rate than Western shoppers. They are on what might be defined as the early curve of the luxury education. What is also interesting is that a major part of China's luxury market isn't just clustered in the major cities. McKinsey & Company's data reveals that a full 43 percent of the Chinese luxury market comes from outside the tier one and tier two cities. Further along on the arc of luxury acquisition is the Japanese market where buyers are both older and more experienced in the luxury market and less fascinated with Western brands. Could the next big luxury brand come out of China? It is a definite possibility, the Chinese shoppers are a key part of defining the new luxury.

The "smart" shopper: I mentioned the discounts versus deals phenomenon a bit in my previous report from this summit. Today's affluent shoppers don't really want their merchandise discounted exactly but what they want to feel is that they got the best deal possible. There's a certain ego-stroking phenomenon involved here. A few years ago bragging about what you spent was appealing, these days people like to brag about what they save. No one wants to appear to be spending frivolously or inappropriately which is where the buzzwords of quality and authenticity from Monday's panels came back into play. The smart shopper is also well-connected and uses the internet and sale sites as part of their strategy. Social media isn't going anywhere but how to monetize it for social shopping remains a bit of a mystery. For the most part consumers don't want ads in their social media. For brands to enter this space they have to participate as people which leads to the next key point below.