Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2022 i Robb Report Singapore

IT IS THE time of the year when we cannot help but feel a little wistful. “And so this is Christmas,” John Lennon loves to remind us over the airwaves each festive season, “and what have you done?” If we think about it hard enough, compelling answers will come. In fact, we’d be surprised at just how much we have achieved in ways both big and small. Given this, it is certainly an opportune time to not just reflect, but reward ourselves and our loved ones for a fruitful 2022. This issue’s cover star, Montblanc’s Writers Edition Homage to the Brothers Grimm limitededition writing instrument, is just the sort of gift that inspires contemplation and celebration. Limited to eight pieces, the ornate collectible pays tribute to the legendary siblings who…

Ever felt like you’ve gotten drunk on the scent of a loved one? With the new fragrances from high perfumery company, Maison Psyché, launched by French spirits house Rémy Cointreau, you might just feel a tad more intoxicated. Helmed by Baptiste Loiseau, cellar master of Maison Rémy Martin, and Sophie Labbé, principal perfumer at Firmenich, Maison Psyché debuts with five alluring scents. The ultra-rare perfumes are aged in oak casks in Rémy Martin’s cellars, which allows the raw materials to interact and fragrances to flourish, and are presented in opulent, gold-adorned Baccarat crystal bottles.…

JOURNALISTS, ENTHUSIASTS AND collectors have generated countless words on the acquisition of watches, but surprisingly little has been said about selling them. I’ve been collecting for 16 years, and recently I decided to part with most of them. I have a clothing business called The Armoury in New York and Hong Kong that I love very much. I want to fund our next expansion, so I’m trading in these lovely things and putting the proceeds toward an even greater goal. I could have a pile of fine watches in my safe, or I could have a new store that brings joy to me, my colleagues and my customers. What have I collected over the years? I started quite humbly. They were barely even called vintage watches when I began; they…

Whether we allowed it or not, for many of us, our formative years were shaped by the Brothers Grimm. If you grew up believing that true love is worth waiting for after reading Rapunzel, or learnt never to trust strangers after enduring the harrowing tale of escape from Hansel and Gretel, then the Brothers Grimm were there when you were young. Firing your imagination as they entertained and educated you, as they did for billions of children the world over, since the early 19th century. Siblings Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were not only responsible for the greatest fairy tales of our time, they were cultural revivalists who now occupy the most eminent positions in German literary history. Before fables like Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White and Cinderella became ubiquitous…

Dream Machines | WATER SOME MEN NAVIGATE a midlife crisis with a new wardrobe or supercar. In 2013, Danie Ferreira, then 49 and CEO of South Africa-based Urban Brew Studios, instead made good on a dream he’d been harbouring for three decades. Ferreira grew up in subtropical South Africa; his life changed in 1983 when he became part of a 14-month expedition to Antarctica. A keen photographer, the 19-year-old was captivated by the inhospitable winter landscape – stunning white fjords and glaciers, snow-capped mountains. “The highlights were overnight field trips into the interior, far away from the ship, to establish fuel dumps for the scientists,” he says. The allure of the frozen continent was like nothing he’d ever experienced. “You’re mesmerised by her splendour, even when she beats you up.…

Special Feature COLOUR HAS BEEN one of luxury watchmaking’s most conspicuous and omnipresent trends in recent years. Watch brands large and small have taken a stab at it, but nobody does colour quite like Franck Muller. How could anyone when the Genevan manufacture literally has an entire collection of timepieces dedicated to the exploration of rainbow hues? Known as the Color Dreams series, it ranges from playfully oversized numerals in varying lacquer tones to hyper-chromatic gem-set grand complications. In recent years it has also come to include avant-garde designs, combining vivid pop colours with state-of-theart materials. After a brief dalliance with sapphire crystal on its Vanguard Skeleton Sapphire Color Dreams, Franck Muller turns to a new carbon fibre composite material called CarboTech to add another wave of provocative energy to…

The Resource | ART & DESIGN ART LOVERS IN Singapore are in for a treat. The inaugural Art SG, billed as Southeast Asia’s largest art fair and Asia Pacific’s biggest art fair launch in a decade, is taking place at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre from 12 to 15 January 2023. More than 150 galleries from 30 countries are expected at the first-of-its-kind art event. Apart from presenting the best in contemporary art today, Art SG will showcase large-scale installations as well as experimental digital and blockchain art. Seven sectors, each featuring a different medium or focus, will ensure that there’s something for everyone. Budding enthusiasts can sign up for the educational Talks programme, while the VIP programme will ensure that seasoned art collectors are well taken care…

RESIDENCE 22D AT QUAY TOWER NEW YORK, THE US When it comes to celebrity enclaves, few can rival Brooklyn Heights, where properties have been purchased for several million dollars. In 2018, actor Matt Damon bought a penthouse at The Standish for US$16.7 million. Other stars who have lived in this exclusive neighbourhood include Keri Russell, Michelle Williams and Paul Giamatti. The latest is singer and actress Zendaya, who bought a 2,050 sq ft apartment at Quay Tower for US$4.9 million in 2020. It’s one of 126 units housed in the 30-storey tower, which is located on Brooklyn’s Pier 6. Designed by ODA Architects with interiors by Marmol Radziner, Quay Tower offers unmatched views, private elevators for all west-facing units, two indoor/outdoor roof lounges for residents, a state-of-the-art 2,500 sq ft…

Anyone’s first trip to the Maldives ought to be dreamy. You know, perpetual sunshine, incredible seafood and that first dip into the Indian Ocean met with a friendly dolphin, splashing around and breaking the early morning ocean calm. All in the company of your best friend, your other half, the love of your life. At least, that’s what I wanted for myself. I have always associated the Maldives with endless romance and, if not, a way to heal from the loss of a relationship and channel all that grief into yoga. After all, sadness can sometimes benefit from space and perhaps, flexibility? I encountered tremendous grief in July when my sweet dog of 14 years died in my arms. She was a half-whippet rescue that was black, beautiful and, like…

OBJECTIFIED Who would have thought that a 19th-century clock sitting atop an old opera house would one day be a symbol of progressive high-end German watchmaking? A Lange & Söhne did. Inspired by the 181-year-old Five Minute Clock at Dresden Semper Opera House, A Lange & Söhne introduced the Zeitwerk in 2009. A sophisticated mechanical wristwatch, it bore a digital display with jumping numerals that was unlike anything the world had ever seen. This year, the elite German watchmaker introduces new versions of the now-iconic Zeitwerk. The 2022 models thrill with all their predecessors’ signature design features, bolstered by greater ease of use and more power under the hood. Available in pink gold or platinum, they feature a new pusher system that advances the hour display independently for easy time-setting.…

Objectified Want to party but still keep it classy – and mobile? King of cognacs, Louis XIII, posits that you partake of its worldrenowned concoction of the finest Grande Champagne eaux-de-vie on the go, in single centilitre (10ml) bottles. Appropriately christened, The Drop, each miniature decanter is stamped with the house’s fleur-de-lys coat of arms and contains the exclusive cognac in tiny but no less exquisite doses to drink directly from the bottle. You can choose from a variety of coloured tops to echo your mood - Loud, Glow, Bold, Smooth and Bright -or better yet, have them all in a set. Most pertinently for cognac connoisseurs, if you are stuck at an establishment or a party where the dram is less than stellar, The Drop will give things a…

IF YOU WANT to understand the story of the new Porsche 911 GT3 RS, just look at the wing - and, really, where else would you look? The latest 911 variant had been rumoured to receive a 4.2-litre mill, the same displacement as the feral GT3 R race car, but Porsche says the bigger engine wouldn’t have met emissions standards. So, to solve how to build a better sports car without boosting its brawn, the German marque leaned into the wind. It’s here where we point out that the 518hp, naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six engine is no slouch, with a dizzying 9,000rpm redline and six individual throttle bodies - inherited from the GT3 - that provide a gratifyingly sharp response from the right pedal. But it’s an evolution of an…

IT’S ALWAYS A special moment when Hermès cuts the ribbons to a new boutique. At the opening of its New York flagship, the excitement could be felt not just inside the store but all around the neighbourhood. In full-fledged celebratory mode, the maison took its festivities to the streets, closing off several buildings and roads around Madison Avenue, and taking over parts of the main thoroughfare for a jaunty block party themed Love Around The Block. For one night, 706 Madison Avenue and its surroundings were transformed into a vibrant musical set. The show started in the store, moved to an outdoor stage, before finishing with a final act at the maison’s former location across the street. A cavalcade of food trucks lined each venue, serving iconic New York street…

THE CLASSIC EXTERIOR of Omega’s Olympic 1932 Chrono Chime is based on two important historical watches: the first minute repeater wristwatch created by Omega in 1892, and the pocket chronographs the watchmaker used in the 1932 Olympic Games, which marked its debut as official timekeeper. It is powered by the CoAxial Master Chronometer Calibre 1932, which is created in partnership with Swatch Group stablemate Blancpain. The result of six years of development, the calibre is the brand’s most complicated movement to date. It was designed from the ground up to be a completely integrated implementation of a split-seconds chronograph and minute repeater. Manually wound with 60-hour power reserve, the Calibre 1932 features Omega’s signature Co-Axial escapement, which had been reworked to adopt a higher beat rate of 5Hz in order…

Hamamoto The omakase experience is fraught with jeopardy. After all, you are putting an entire night’s worth of gastronomic expectations in the hands of a stranger, whom you hope has the same tastes as you do. Thankfully, you can dispense with trust issues at Hamamoto. Here, the menu is wellbalanced, acceptably exotic and excellently proportioned. The adventure starts with an amuse-bouche and quickly enters binchotan territory, where hamo (daggertooth pike conger) is gently licked with fire for a bite that is pleasantly rich in fattiness. The lobster, uni and caviar dish that follows is quite simply one of the best we have tasted. Redolent of the sea, the extraordinary combination of ingredients is put together with an expert balance that demonstrates chef Kazuhiro Hamamoto’s experience, which spans more than 20…

The Resource | TRAVEL THE INSPIRATION FOR the new InterContinental Khao Yai stretches all the way back to the 1800s, when Thailand’s King Rama V was among the first Asian monarchs to visit many of Europe’s key capitals, including Paris, Vienna and London. Much of it conducted by rail, his grand tour was a revelation for the king - and consequential for his homeland encouraging him to support the introduction of train travel to Thailand. The story of Rama V’s trailblazing European odyssey always resonated with architect and designer Bill Bensley, who once spent summers “taking groups of old ladies on a train from Vancouver Island all the way to Quebec”, which even today he describes as “a great job”. And when he was asked to conceptualise a new resort…

Objectified Italy’s renown for made-to-measure luxuries is expertly demonstrated in the gorgeous Sanlorenzo SL86. A picture of elegance and performance, the 26.8m yacht sets out to sea powered by two MTU 12V2000 M96L (1,947hp) engines that can reach a maximum speed of 32 knots. Flanked by the dark windows and streamlined silhouette that distinguish Sanlorenzo’s builds, the SL86’s sophisticated styling extends to its interiors: starting from a naturally illuminated living saloon with enormous windows that are accentuated by a sweeping sheer line, to the ‘floating’ stairs that lead to an impressive flybridge on the upper deck that holds a large central dining table and sundecks for you to soak up the views. Moving through the seamlessly integrated spaces, it is hard not to take in the craft and attention to…

Dream Machines | WINGS THE FLYING-CAR SECTOR has been caught in a holding pattern between pie-in-the-sky promises and a marketable reality for decades. But the industry may be approaching a tipping point, with three outfits now close to ushering the concept -and to be clear, we’re not talking electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, but roadlegal cars with wings or rotors – into production. Unlike eVTOLs, flying cars actually fit into existing regulatory structures. Of the three models being readied for market, two will initially be sold as kits, which requires a less arduous approval process. The US$300,000 Liberty Sport, from Dutch operation PAL-V International, is testing to be sanctioned by the European Aviation Safety Agency as a turnkey flying machine (a process that will take at least 18…

The Goods | TIME IS 2022 THE year when The Great Vacation makes its comeback? Reports show that revenue for air travel this year has rebounded to almost 84 per cent of pre-pandemic levels – an astounding return to normalcy, aided in no small measure by eager travellers finally set free to fly and soak in a change of scenery. Of course, the planning of every grand holiday includes the happy conundrum of where to visit, what to do and, consequently, what to pack. For the latter, an essential but overlooked accompaniment is a travel watch. Otherwise known as a two-time zone or multi-time zone watch, it is a timepiece that tells the time of your present location as well as that of another city (or multiple cities) across different…

The Goods | TIME AS CARTIER’S CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF WATCHMAKING, Marie-Laure Cérède has the task of balancing contemporary designs with historical ones, which is no mean feat considering that Cartier is one of the most celebrated watch-and-jewellery maisons to ever exist. It had become a powerhouse by the early 20th century on the strength of iconic watches such as the Santos and Tank as well as an indelible association with the golden age of Hollywood. “It was a time of beauty in a way. The first part of the 20th century was a very rich path in terms of design - it was the art deco period, after art nouveau, so there were so many things, so many new trends,” Cérède muses. “I think these trends became a DNA for…

THESE DAYS, THE only real rule in menswear is that anything goes. Tweens are suiting up, boomers are collecting sneakers, and Brad Pitt recently hit the red carpet in a skirt. And while some of the more outre moves are best left to the professionally bold and beautiful, there is one long-standing fashion taboo worth reconsidering: pyjamas in public. The entry of pyjamas into the light of day can be attributed largely to the pandemic. Days, weeks and even months of nearly uninterrupted time at home all but dissolved the line between ‘house clothes’ and clothes-clothes, which gave many a renewed appreciation for finely made loungewear. Elevated pyjamas have since turned up at the likes of Valentino and Prada, as well as on the backs of stylish dudes from Florence…

BOUTIQUE PERFUMER HENRY JACQUES has announced a rather unlikely collaboration with Rafael Nadal – tennis player, King of Clay and the man who stands alone (for now) with 22 Grand Slam singles titles – and his long-time partner in life, Maria Perello. The couple tied the knot in 2019 after dating for 14 years. The new collection, known as In All Intimacy, consists of three fragrances: Maria Perello, Rafael Nadal No. 1 and Rafael Nadal No. 2. Perello’s fragrance evokes the elegance and quiet dignity with which she has held herself throughout the years as a constant presence in Nadal’s storied career, carrying floral notes on top of sandalwood and white musk. Rafael Nadal No. 1 is a lighter, sportier scent that befits a competitor as fierce as its namesake:…

There was a time, not so long ago, when a shared bowl of drinks was practically illegal. Like so much missing from the past two years, this is a part of life we’re here to reclaim. There is a promise in punch and a conviviality; it’s a throwback to the fellowship of a bygone era. Starting with a distinctive punch sets the tone of your gathering and exercising care in its creation is practically a love language. A good punch has to be a lot of things: cold but not watered down with ice; interesting but not too esoteric; flavourful but not too intense. It may seem easy, but there’s an art to getting it right. Start with the right ingredients and some clever techniques (freeze a giant piece of…

IN A TROPICAL paradise teeming with resorts and hotels, how does a hospitality establishment set itself apart? Perhaps more than anywhere else in the world, the Maldives presents the biggest challenge. Joali, however, has overcome this obstacle with aplomb. Sitting in a league of its own – and on an island by itself – Joali distinguishes itself as Maldives’ premier luxury resort located on Muravandhoo island in Raa Atoll, one of the largest and deepest atolls in the world. The only way to reach Joali is via a 40-minute seaplane flight from Male Airport. As you step onto the curvaceous pier, you’ll find a driver and buggy waiting to escort you to your private villa. The resort offers a choice of 73 accommodation types, comprising beach and overwater villas as…

ON MAKING ONE’S mark in this world, Bruce Wayne - the fictional billionaire, philanthropist and caped vigilante once opined: “It’s not who you are underneath, but what you do that defines you.” The sentiment aptly sums up the ethos of our esteemed Thought Leaders community - a growing collective of tastemakers, opinion leaders and luxury purveyors that is forging ahead to shape the world in groundbreaking and meaningful ways. Launched in 2019, this year’s edition, presented by Glenfiddich, welcomes 28 new Thought Leaders, whose profound experiences and keen insights into the esoteric world of thought leadership encapsulate the community’s lofty raison d’etre. In early November, we hosted our new Thought Leaders and their plus-ones to a special four-course dinner at Tamarind Hill, an award-winning restaurant housed in a colonial bungalow.…