Author Archives: Teri Chong

Apollo and Artemis Diamond Earrings Fetch Record-Breaking $57.4 million at Sotheby’s Auction

We previously wrote that this pair of earrings were likely to be the most valuable earrings to appear in auction—and we were right. Two spectacular diamonds— the Apollo Blue and Artemis Pink—mounted as earrings fetched a record $57.4-million (51.8 million euros) at auction on May 16 in Geneva, with an unnamed Asia-based buyer netting both, Sotheby’s said.

After protracted bidding, the flawless and vivid Type IIb diamond “The Apollo Blue” fetched $42.087-million. The equally intensely luminescent “The Artemis Pink” went for $15.33-million, buyers premium included. The earrings were sold as separate lots.

The earrings, named after the twin Greek gods, had respectively been valued at between $38-million and $50-million and $12.5-million and $18-million.The 14.54-carat “Apollo Blue” is the largest gemstone in its category ever to be auctioned and has been cut and polished to a pear shape.

The 16-carat “Artemis Pink” is near identical in shape. It is also one of the world’s most “chemically pure” diamonds, according to the Gemological Institute of America, which experts say gives the stone such a high degree of transparency.

Bonham’s Auctions Mercedes Benz 300SL for Over a Million in Belgium

The Mercedes-Benz has long been a classic car favourite, boasting sleek lines and finishes that are iconic even today. In true classic car fashion, a 1958 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster fetched an astonishing €1,127,000 at a recent Bonhams auction held alongside the Spa-Classic meeting at the Spa-Francorchamps motor racing circuit in Belgium. Originally estimated at €600,000 to €800,000, it is the only model to have broken the €1 million mark.

The 1958 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster was part of a prestigious collection of 12 cars recently discovered in a Swiss château. All of the models were snapped up, for a total of more than two million euros. As well as the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster, the collection included a 1969 Maserati Ghibli SS 4.9-Litre Coupé (which sold for €174,800), a 1980 Aston Martin V8 Volante Convertible (€172,500) and a 1933 Rolls-Royce 40/50hp Phantom II Roadster (€111,550).

Of all the lots in the sale, Porsche models reached particularly dizzying heights, with sales including a 1958 356A Super Speedster (€322,000), a 1989 911 3.2-Litre Speedster (€280,000) and a 1993 911 Turbo 3.6-Litre Type 964 Coupé (€195,500). A few Ferraris also changed hands, including a 2006 575 Superamerica F1 (€293,250) and a 1996 F355 Challenge Coupé (€158,500).

The next Bonhams car auction will be held at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK, June 30, 2017.

Patek Philippe Presents ‘The Art of Watches, Grand Exhibition’ in New York

Luxury Swiss watchmaker Patek Philippe celebrates its long history and prowess in watch making with a 10-day exhibition. The show, titled ‘The Art of Watches, Grand Exhibition New York 2017’ is slated to take place from July 13 to 23 at Ciprani 42^nd Street. A showcase of the Swiss watchmaker’s 178-year-old history, the exhibition covers the tradition of haute horologerie and the brand’s heritage, giving visitors the chance to peak into the world of the last privately family owned Geneva Watch Company.

Watches and timepieces from 1530 will be put on show in a space of 13,218 square feet. The exhibition consists of 10 different rooms, each created to showcase different bits of history. Amongst these is the Napoleon room, which will display limited edition timepieces created specifically for the US market. For a trip back in time, visit the Museum room. Some of the greatest historical timepieces from the last five centuries, including the oldest timepieces to date will be put on view. Not to be missed is the Grand Complication room: Dedicated to Patek Philippe’s most complicated and innovative timepieces, this collection will no doubt showcase the brand’s mastery in horology.

Other than browsing through the informative sections, feast your eyes on Watchmaker and Artisan demonstrations at the Interactive room. Dive into the inner workings of luxury watchmaking by taking part in these activities. For a quick break, the Patek Philippe Café is a great place for rest and relaxation.

Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon

According to Jasmina Steele, the International Communication & Public Relations Director of Patek Philippe, the aim of the Grand Exhibition is to recreate elements of the company that will provide an unforgettable experience for each visitor as close as possible to the feeling Patek Philippe guests have when they visit the company’s manufacture in Geneva, The Museum, and the historical Salons on the Rue du Rhone. “By offering visitors an immersion inside the world of Patek Philippe, we really want to share our passion for watchmaking and hope visitors will come out of the Exhibition with a greater knowledge and appreciation of the art of watches”, says Jasmina.

Patek Philippe President Thierry Stern commented “From its earliest days, when our founder Antoine Norbert de Patek made his first journey to America in the 1850’s until today, the importance of America to Patek Philippe can be seen through our history exhibited in the Grand Exhibition in New York. Moreover, it is a tradition in my family that the owners of Patek Philippe train in the new world, following the path of my grandfather Henri who founded in 1946 the Henri Stern Watch Agency in the Rockefeller Center and my father Philippe, I trained in the US when I started in the company. I am very proud that American visitors will be able to learn more about the historic and contemporary ties between our company and the American market.”

The Art of Watches, Grand Exhibition opens on July 13 and will be open to the general public. Admissions are free of charge from 10am-7pm on Monday to Sunday, with extended evening hours on Thursday, July 20 from 10am-9pm

Car Museum in Ausburg, Germany: Mazda Classic – Automobil Museum Frey Features Classic Vintage Wheels

Mazda Museum in Germany

For the first time ever, car manufacturer Mazda has opened a museum outside of its home country, Japan. The museum, dubbed Mazda Classic – Automobil Museum Frey, is a joint project between Mazda Germany and the Frey family, owners of a German Mazda dealership, Auto Frey. Located in the university town of Ausburg, Germany, the museum houses vintage Mazdas from the company’s vast collection.

The museum is housed in a refurbished, converted train depot dating from 1897 in Angsburg, Bavaria. Officially opening this week, the centerpiece exhibit will be 45 classic Mazdas including a 1967 Cosmo Sport, a 1969 Luce R130, a 1966 Familia 1000 coupé, a 1976 Mazda 616 and a mid-engined AZ-1 sportscar from 1992.

Each of the vehicles on display comes from the Frey’s personal collection and many were restored personally by family members. Collecting Mazdas became a huge household passion and led to Patriarch Walter and his sons Markus and Joachim travelling the world in search of new rare finds. In fact, the collection currently runs to 120 vehicles, meaning that the display will be constantly refreshed and rotated so that regular visitors will always see something new.

“Uniquely impressive, the first Mazda museum outside Japan represents a dream come true for the Frey family to share with the public its one-of-a-kind collection of vintage Mazdas from around the world,” said Mazda Motor Corporation Executive Vice President Akira Marumoto.

“Everyone at Mazda headquarters is very proud that the Freys are a part of our organization and have created something so extraordinary,” Marumoto said.

The Mazda Classic – Automobile Museum Frey is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10am to 6pm.

Ferretti Group’s CRN Yachts Delivers the M/Y Cloud 9 to the Mediterranean

M/Y Cloud 9

Now cruising in the Mediterranean, the 74-metre M/Y Cloud 9 was recently successfully delivered by CRN yachts — part of the Ferretti group — to the Ancona-based shipyard’s marina. A bespoke custom steel and aluminium vessel, the M/Y Cloud 9 is a collaboration between CRN Shipyard, Zuccon International Project and Winch Designs. The yacht is the shipyard’s second largest to date, after the 80-metre Chopi-Chopi, and has a maximum speed of 16.5 knots.

Launched on January 21, the CRN’s 74-metre length is impressive to the eye. More that 10,000 square feet of living space awaits passengers, spread out over five decks. A spacious alfresco area sits just in front of the master suite as a perfect intimate lounge area. This megayacht will surely make guests feel like they are on cloud nine: a beach club with an extendable platform, gym and barbecue are just a handful of the amenities onboard.

On charter, the yacht sleeps up to 12 guests in eight rooms, including the master suite, one VIP stateroom, four double cabins and two twin cabins. It can hold up to 16 guests on a private cruise. The Cloud 9 can carry up to 22 crew members on board to ensure a comfortable luxury yacht experience for all guests.

Boasting clean, sleek lines, this expansive yacht proves the strong design prowess of all firms involved. Providing only the top quality results, Italian shipbuilder CRN is continuously dedicated to the construction of fully custom, steel and aluminium yachts.

Burgess Yachts will represent the 74-metre Cloud 9 for charter in the Mediterranean this summer as worldwide central agents.

Words by Teri Chong. For more information, do visit CRN and Ferretti.

From: Luxuo.

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Legendary Sportscar Maker Celebrates Millionth Porsche 911 Production

After 54 years of continued production, the vehicle that redefined what a sportscar should be is marking yet another milestone on its iconic journey. Even in the world of the automobile, terms like legend and icon may be used far too frequently, but in the case of the Porsche 911, all superlatives are completely justified. Just recently, Porsche unveiled its millionth 911, commemorating the brand’s legacy and dedication to its work.

For over a half-century the 911 has constantly pushed the envelope in terms of performance, handling and reliability. It is the most successful car in autosport history, having won more races in more events than any other model (the 911 accounts for over half of Porsche’s entire 30,000 race wins to date) and, thanks to choosing a path of evolution over revolution in terms of outward appearance at least, despite its comparative rarity on the road, it is one of the world’s few universally recognizable cars.

“We have continued to enhance the technology of the 911, refining and perfecting the sports car,” said Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG, “that’s why it remains a state-of-the-art and technically innovative vehicle.”

However, it offers that technology in a way that the brand’s dedicated legion of fans will accept and that, more than any other reason, is why it has managed to stay relevant even as competition increases from the likes of Mercedes and McLaren. “54 years ago, I was able to take my first trips [in a 911] over the Grossglockner High Alpine Road with my father,” said Dr Wolfgang Porsche, Chairman of the Supervisory Board. “The feeling of being in a 911 is just as enjoyable now as it was then. That’s because the 911 has ensured that the core values of our brand are as visionary today as they were in the first Porsche 356/1 from 1948.”

The loyalty that the 911 stirs up in owners, along with the fact that unlike Italian automotive exotica, Porsches are built to last, is also why over 70% of all 911s ever built are still on the road today. In other words, the number of 911s currently in use is equal to the total amount of cars ever built by Aston Martin in its 103-year history.

The millionth 911 will not be offered for sale. Instead it will be going to the company’s museum, but not before it is goes on a global road trip over the course of the year where it will hit the Scottish Highlands, lap the Nurburgring and take in the US and China.

Bugatti Opens World’s Largest Luxury Hypercar Showroom in Dubai

Dubai is the single biggest market for Bugatti’s hypercars so where better to build the marque’s biggest official dealership to date? Located on the Sheikh Zayed Road, the showroom is impossible to miss despite the exclusivity of the address or of neighbouring structures, thanks to an architectural recreation of the marque’s famous horseshoe grille that serves as a four metre high arch over the plate glass doorway.

The space occupies over 240 square metres, a huge area for a dealership dealing in a single model. However, as the United Arab Emirates boasts more Bugatti owners per capita than any other region in the world, the space, created and managed by Al Habtoor Motors, needs to be something special.

“A location of this significance and appeal for our brand has earned a superlative showroom,” said Dr. Stefan Brungs, Bugatti’s global head of sales, marketing and customer service. “Many Bugatti customers who have been the closest and most loyal ambassadors of our brand for many years live in this region.”

Indeed, Al Habtoor Motors is the world’s most successful official Bugatti dealer. It maintains 55 Bugatti Veyrons for their owners and is now in the process of honouring 30 local orders for its replacement, the 1500hp multi-million-dollar Chiron.

“The UAE is always striving to be the best. Our target was, therefore, to bring the largest, most beautiful Bugatti showroom to the heart of Dubai,” said Sultan Al Habtoor, President of Al Habtoor Motors.

The experience is meant to be akin to a private art viewing while ordering a bespoke suit. Clients are welcomed into a lounge furnished with unique Bugatti furniture where they work through every conceivable option and element of personalization they would like to see on their Chiron, before examining the car itself and taking in art and design drawn from Bugatti’s rich heritage.

Such attention to detail or to personalization may seem extreme, but the average Bugatti owner also has a fleet of other equally exotic and rare automobiles and every step must be taken to make the Chiron seem like a true object of desire. “Some of [our UAE clients] are proud owners of car collections with even several Bugatti super sports cars,” said Dr Brungs, “The new showroom will not only be the perfect platform for the Chiron but also honours our special customers.”

The Chiron will be capped at exactly 500 examples. Bugatti has confirmed that over half have already been sold and that to date, 26% of all orders taken have been from clients living in the UAE.