Indholdsfortegnelse for July 2023 i Robb Report Singapore

WE SHOULD HAVE seen this coming: humans trying to outsmart the machines that we have created. American science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov had been writing stories about it. We have watched The Terminator movies. Now, Geoffrey Hinton, the so-called ‘godfather of AI (artificial intelligence)’ has quit Google, just so that he could speak freely about the dangers of the technology he helped create over a decade ago. It is “quite scary”, Hinton told BBC in an interview. “Right now, they’re not more intelligent than us, but I think they soon may be.” AI is fast taking over the ways we work and play. Especially so, for workers who labour in the fields of art. The shadow of AI persists to demonstrate (in half-jest, for now) that artists, writers, musicians, screenwriters, photographers—the…

THE MORE I travel the world, the more convinced I become that a sense of place is everything. A deep dive into the culture, people, customs and architectural and design vernacular of a place is so crucial to what we do at Blink Design Group. It truly is the wellspring of inspiration and where it all begins. I like to call it ‘placemaking'. Examples? Two recent projects come to mind. A deep dive into Vietnamese architectural and design traditions gave rise to some creative interpretations of the Bovi roof truss system and Gian Nha, a kind of compartmentalised home design of interconnected rooms and courtyards, as well as embracing traditional duck eggshell lacquerwork as features of the flagship Regent Phu Quoc. The second would be the Japanese concept of daisugi,…

THE CREATIVE COLLECTIVE ISSUE GENIUS AT WORK FIRST PRINTINGS OF popular titles such as To Kill a Mockingbird or The Old Man and the Sea can fetch upwards of US$100,000—but not if their covers are battered, their dust jackets missing or their delicate pages detached. Although returning damaged classics to their original condition may be impossible, having them finely bound can save cherished copies from the dustbin. Unlike antiques such as furniture and decor, the worth of which can be greatly diminished by restoration, literary works can recoup some of their monetary value (and extend their longevity) if properly refurbished. Chelsea Bindery in Battersea, London, takes the endeavour one step further by transforming first editions into objects even more decorative than the originals. “A particularly artistic or lavish binding adds to…

Dream Machines | WHEELS THE THING TO remember about Ferrari is that it marches, firmly and unfailingly, to the beat of its own batterista. At least that's the story it likes to tell, and if you happen to suggest otherwise, then someone with a fashionable haircut will, firmly and unfailingly, try to steer you back on course. Ferrari, you understand, is utterly immune to what other, lesser brands are up to; its vehicles are never born of anything so pedestrian as demand. So how to explain its first SUV, the Purosangue? (Say it like the Italians do: poo-roh-SAN-gway.) First, don't call it an SUV. Ferrari certainly won't, which at first seems like the carmaker stubbornly refusing to admit it has been knuckled into producing what it has long considered an…

AT ITS HEIGHT in the early 1970s, the Concorde was the Champagne-and-caviar incarnation of supersonic travel, and it remained so until noise and emissions restrictions sunsetted the quixotic aircraft in 2003. Two decades after the Concorde's final flight, Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic, is again extolling the potential of flying faster than the speed of sound. “Speed is not just about going fast,” he says. “It's about who we can spend time with, who we fall in love with and where we can do business.” He's hardly alone in his infatuation with the idea of a supersonic revival. Other ventures attempting to resuscitate the genre include Spike Aerospace, which is developing a supersonic corporate jet, and Lockheed Martin, which is contracted to build NASA's X-59 for possible…

MODERN SUPERYACHTS HAVE become oversized toy chests, with new technologies and designs pushing the boundaries of aquatic recreation well beyond paddling around in a kayak or careening down a giant inflatable slide. From piloting your own personal submersible beneath the waves to foiling across the surf, the following high-tech playthings represent a sea change in open-ocean fun. U-Boat Worx Nemo With a footprint similar to a pair of Jet Skis, the Nemo submersible was designed for transport on any yacht in the 100ft-and-above range, though it's compact enough to be trailered behind a large SUV or pickup truck. Allowing one to travel in covert-operative style, the Nemo comes in singleor double-seat configurations (from €590,000) with both versions able to reach a maximum depth of 330ft. The battery-powered propulsion lasts up…

WATCHMAKERS WHO HAVE been toiling long enough at their craft will tell you that the simplest watches are hardest to make. And you'd believe them. After all, how much more can one do with a ‘standard’ round-cased watch designed to conform to the standards and rigours of corporate workwear? Well, quite a lot, say the same watchmakers. Brimming with stateliness, finesse and technical refinement, these superlative dress watches are a testament to Leonardo da Vinci's observation that “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”. Hermès Slim d'Hermès Panthere One look and you know that the Slim d'Hermès Panthere is not your run-of-the-mill dress watch. Reserved for days when you feel like baring your claws, the automatic watch's 39mm rose gold case frames an image of a panther, looking all purposeful and menacing.…

THE JOY OF discovery is an emotion that Montblanc always strives for, especially with its famed High Artistry writing instruments. Whether paying homage to the Great Wall of China or celebrating the first ascent of Mont Blanc, each High Artistry creation is more objet d'art than writing instrument; handcrafted in Montblanc's Hamburg-based atelier and carefully imbued with meaning and backstories. For 2023, Montblanc embarks on yet another artistic adventure with the High Artistry A Journey on the Orient Express Limited Edition collections. A series of writing instruments brimming with unencumbered creativity and decorative techniques, they attempt to manifest the romance and magic of travel on the Orient Express—and arrive with stunning results. Intricately sculpted gold motifs, handcrafted wood marquetry, traditional enamel technique and gorgeous gemstones are lavished on the creations.…

THE NUMBER 42 may be the “answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything” as science-fiction author Douglas Adams once wrote, but it is certainly not the answer to the question, how much is this bottle? The 42 (S$12,488) is a rare assemblage of four of the oldest casks at The Glenrothes, yielding a mere 1,134 bottles. It is the first time that the distillery has released a bottle of that age in its storied history. Master whisky maker Laura Rampling described her work as “part science, part alchemy and a little bit of magic” and it is certainly the answer to the question, why is this whisky so good? The 42 is as vibrant as the colourful, contoured packaging it resides in. After surprising you with…

OVER THE PAST decade, Bangkok has emerged as one of Southeast Asia's most sought-after luxury real estate destinations, with the demand for premium apartments and condominiums at a near all-time high. Situated in the heart of the city is Scope Langsuan, a freehold luxury residence that is poised to be one of its most highly prized developments. Designed by renowned architects Kohn Pederson Fox and Thomas Juul-Hansen, its landmark facade features intricate glass ‘creases’ and stainless steel fins reminiscent of traditional Thai weaving patterns. The property's extensive range of fivestar amenities and facilities are also to be coveted, from a 25-seat private cinema and temperature-controlled marble pool, to a fitness centre and posh business lounge. In May, Robb Report Singapore and SC Asset co-hosted an exclusive group of readers for…

Objectified Flower Power The sun's out, the skies are clear and, if you are partial to some glitter, it is time to step out with Harry Winston's floral-themed fine jewellery creations. For all-out exuberance, we direct your attention to the Sunflower collection. Like the cheery bloom it takes inspiration from, the Sunflower assortment of rings and pendants are bold and vivacious. The designs echo a sunflower's shape with a circle of diamonds radiating from a round brilliant centre stone, illustrated here by the glamorous Sunflower Twin Ring in platinum. The eye-catching ring features two centre stones paired with 36 round brilliantcut diamonds. For extra radiance, you may choose to accentuate the look with the Premier Sunflower Automatic watch. Limited to 30 pieces, this blazing beauty in white gold bursts with…

FOR THE LAST couple of decades, there's been an undeniable spike in global attention towards contemporary African art. The popularity of visual expression from the continent has highlighted collectible works by some of the most exciting names from the art world, which in turn, has created inroads into the luxury market. Older, long-established names such as Ghanaian sculptor El Anatsui hit the auction headlines in 2021 when his work, New Layout, went under the hammer for US$1.5 million at Christie's New York. In the meantime, younger artists such as BritishGhanaian Lynette Yiadom-Boakye have been making waves internationally. In the UK, two highly successful retrospectives at Tate Britain saw Yiadom-Boakye's’ fictional and figurative series of Black lives in motion showcased for national and international audiences. An early works series, Highpower (previously…

I SUPPOSE THIS is it. The beginning of the end. No, not even that. The end of the end. Before me, poised like a scorpion on a hot rock and looking slick in Ligurian satin black, is Jaguar's F-Type R75 Coupe, a 567hp, 5.0-litre clenched fist of supercharged V8. It looks fantastic. Like it would pick a fight in a nunnery. It's also the last sports car fit solely with an internal-combustion engine that the British marque will ever make, 75 years after its first, the peerless XK120. Strange and heavy words to write. We've known for years that the automotive sector would be sending petrol-guzzling cars the way of sunbeds, but even so, Jaguar's clean-sheet strategy feels all too soon. Its electrified fleet is due in 2025, along with…

Dream Machines | TECHNOLOGY MODERN SENSIBILITIES HAVE hardened against the idea of magic. We don't even need to look at the world outside our window because the most culpable of all the culprits for our cynicism towards logic-defying phenomena is in the room with us: technology. In our evolution towards the endpoint-less destination that is progress, we've broken the sound barrier, advanced machine learning to the point where we've become afraid of it, and flown so close to the sun that we constantly need to detox/unplug from our flight. Still, there is technology that genuinely, viscerally and compellingly inspires awe. The kind that exists in plain sight but whose workings are, in a word, unbelievable. The kind that powers and informs Beosound A5, Bang & Olufsen's latest high-end portable speaker…

WATCH AFICIONADOS WHO desire contemporary swag on their wrists can trust Franck Muller to do them right. The self-styled Master of Complications isn't just an esteemed name when it comes to creating technically complex timepieces—the company is equally adept at imbuing these watches with a progressive spirit and avant-garde aesthetics that make high-end horology desirable and relevant for the collectors of today. Case in point: Franck Muller's new Grand Central Tourbillon Flash CX36. The star of the watch, the tourbillon, is a mechanism that was introduced way back in 1801. In the hands of Franck Muller, however, the traditional complication not only performs its mechanical duties with improved reliability, it is injected with dynamism and youthful ostentation that begs for a night out in town. The watch takes its ‘Flash’…

VINTAGE CARTIER HAS always been a hot commodity, and the Parisian jeweller has always sold a selection of such pieces in its flagship boutiques. But with the secondary market through the roof in nearly every luxury sector, the house has decided to up the offering. “We have a huge demand with a lot of requests from clients,” says Pierre Rainero, Cartier's longtime director of image, heritage and style. The commercial vintage programme, known as Cartier Tradition, officially began in 1996 and was conceived by Rainero, who has been with the company in various roles since the 1980s. It has grown from a handful of pieces to an inventory large enough to fill a wing of an exhibition space. While some items are still displayed behind vitrines in-store, most of the…

Jo Malone The Highlands In this new, limited-edition collection, global head of fragrance Céline Roux, together with perfumers Anne Flipo, Marie Salamagne and Yann Vasnier, looked to the rugged beauty of the Scottish Highlands, dotted by misty moors, hills and ancient castles. The collection comprises four distinct colognes: Melancholy Thistle, Highland Heather, Wild Achillea and Mallow On The Moor. For added complexity, Melancholy Thistle, a woody scent with notes of thistle heart and English ivy, can be layered with the other scents in the collection. It takes on a more floral character, for example, when paired with Mallow On The Moor, which contains violet leaf, mallow and heliotrope. Tom Ford Eye Colour Quad Strut in style with Tom Ford's three latest colourways from its popular Eye Colour Quad series. Fit…

The Resource | ART & DESIGN MODULAR SOFA SYSTEMS are still very much in vogue, but Minotti's Roger takes the cake in terms of versatility and superior craftsmanship. First unveiled as part of the Italian luxury furniture brand's 2021 collection, Roger was conceived by artistic director Rodolfo Dordoni, who's also behind statement pieces like the cubic Suitcase armchair and the Sunray outdoor seating system. Flaunting clean lines, geometric shapes and sophisticated upholstery, Roger is made to blend effortlessly into any living space, whether the aesthetic leans towards mid-century modern or contemporary design. It's composed of three distinct elements: the Roger suite (a cushioned seat), Roger Spring (a monobloc seat) and the Roger Spring Sofà (an armless variation). Depending on the setting and its corresponding spatial configurations, each Roger element can…

FOOD IS A universal pleasure. But when the stakes around it are high, the accompanying gatekeeping of its upper-echelon purveyors is formidable. We are sure that you, too, have been inconvenienced by having to make alternative arrangements for restaurants with long waitlists. But now, the seas have parted. Shortening— nay, eliminating—the runway to Michelin-starred restaurants is the refreshed UOB Reserve Card. Wielders of this card are promised privileged proximity to all manner of luxurious experiences, from exclusive previews of upscale retail launches, to first-rate travel with expedited immigration, unlimited premium lounge access and bonus travel miles. For gourmands, the card entices with its Reserve Dining privilege, which unlocks the doors to an impeccable curation of Singapore's hardest-to-reserve Michelin-starred restaurants. Of the gastronomic palaces that beckon, here are three that we…

The Resource | TRAVEL THERE'S NOTHING QUITE like the thrill of stepping foot onto a Formula One track, catching an early glimpse of a gleaming racing car beneath its concealing veil or feeling the purr of a V6 turbocharged hybrid engine ripple through you. These unique experiences—the wildest fever dreams of any F1 fan—were made available to Marriott Bonvoy members at the Australian Grand Prix 2023 as part of a continuing partnership with The Ritz-Carlton and the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team. Through the Marriott Bonvoy Moments programme, loyalty members could redeem their points in exchange for access to a host of exclusive F1-related treats, starting with the glitzy Glamour on the Grid party on 29 March. The invitation-only event gave attendees their first taste of the 5.3km race circuit…

THE CREATIVE COLLECTIVE ISSUE SOME ARTISTS ARE so influential that their contributions are at risk of being taken for granted. Pablo Picasso comes to mind, as do Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns. In the realm of photography, Richard Avedon fits the bill. From embracing movement and the outdoors in fashion shoots (a practical solution to being without studio space in Paris) to staging portraits in front of stark white backdrops, his aesthetic choices have become ubiquitous among generations of followers. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Avedon's birth, and he's being treated to quite the party. The festivities kicked off in January with the opening of a Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition of his monumental murals, stretching up to 11m wide, which will be on view through…

AUTOMOTIVE PURISTS YEARN for the design and engineering of a simpler, more satisfying era. If a Jaguar E-Type was such a great car, why not just build it again? Of course, modern crash and emissions legislation put an end to that approach long ago, and the imminent bans on petrol-dependent power trains will leave most future releases mechanically unrelated to their forebears. But if there's one vehicle that gets as close as any contemporary car ever will to the atavistic ideal, it's the Ineos Grenadier. British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, a chemicals magnate and an avid outdoorsman, was aggrieved when Land Rover replaced its rugged and rudimentary old Defender with a design that shares its engineering principles with current passenger cars. When Land Rover declined to sell him the tooling…

Dream Machines | WATER THE PANDEMIC-INSPIRED SURGE in superyacht demand prompted a corresponding jump in refit work as owners unwilling to wait three years for a new build are instead opting to commission late-model makeovers. Case in point are two crafts, a 238ft Lürssen, launched in 1994, and a 184ft Benetti from 2005, each with different refurbishment objectives. Christened Coral Ocean and Galaxy, respectively, the former was considered an artifact while the latter, though well-built, was forgettable. “The last thing we wanted was a boat that age,” says Ian Malouf, owner of Coral Ocean, “but it had a fantastic original structure and was due for a generational change.” Yet what was intended as a quick US$5 million remodel grew into a two-year, US$35 million metamorphosis for the eclectic Jon Bannenberg-designed…

FOR THOSE WHO believe that the main purpose of fire is to make meat taste better, the quest for the holy grail of grilling never ends. In the past half decade, advances such as infrared (IR) cooking and remote sensors have made the summertime tradition a bit more scientific. Here are four hightech systems that will turn any backyard barbecue into a sizzling success. Traeger | Timberline XL Traeger continues optimising its famed woodpellet grills to set the market standard in precise, consistent temperature control. In addition to unprecedented customisation options and patented engineering to bathe your meat in delicious woodsmoke, the US$3,799 Timberline XL features a full-colour touch screen offering a ‘set-it-and-forgetit’ mode, and will even perform regular maintenance checks. Loaded with two Meater wireless thermometers, an improved 360…

WATCH COLLECTING CAN be a wildly addictive hobby, but any seasoned aficionado will tell you it comes with its own set of risks. Five experienced connoisseurs share the lessons they learnt the hard way. William Massena Founder of Massena Lab “In the mid-1990s, I was in Germany for a business trip. I went to a store and bought a very rare Blancpain vintage diver's watch that belonged to some famous German explorer. The seller told me a wonderful story about how he got the watch while pointing out all the charming details. I bought it on the spot. Needless to say, the tales were pure fiction and the details just made up to convince me of its authenticity. These were the days before Google—a great reminder that you should always…

BULGARI IS SHEDDING its skin—again. To celebrate 75 years of its most seductive design, the Roman jeweller has managed to put a new twist on its most recognisable motif. This platinum-set diamond, onyx and cabochon-emerald choker presents a bird's-eye view of a snake's figure as it slithers around the neck. Typically, a Serpenti design forms a loop, with the animal's head meeting its tail below the wearer's collarbone. This piece embodies a thoroughly modern and less literal presentation— no small feat when you consider the design has been continuously in vogue since the mid-20th century. But in fact, the new look is, at least in concept, closest to its earliest predecessor. The first Serpenti debuted in 1948 as a square-faced wristwatch with a coiled band; it wasn't until the 1950s…

OXO TOWNHOUSES UMALAS BALI, INDONESIA Bali is home to highly skilled artisans, from silversmiths to woodcrafters, whose knowledge and expertise has been passed from generation to generation. Building on this heritage is Oxo Living, a boutique property development and management company that's based on the island. Oxo Townhouses Umalas is one of its projects located in Canggu, which was ranked fourth in Forbes’ World's Best Places to Live and Invest list in 2019. There are only six units in this exclusive community and only one is still available for purchase. Like the other five, this remaining unit is a fully equipped turnkey home that has been thoughtfully designed with integrated sustainable technologies and state-of-the-art amenities. The two-storey townhouse comes with front and back gardens, a pool and home office as…

The Resource | SAVOUR LAURA CATENA, FOURTH-GENERATION vintner and managing director of Catena Zapata Winery in Mendoza, Argentina, was always opposed to the idea of a winery restaurant—largely because she couldn't devote the time needed to make it the best in the region. That all changed when her head winemaker, Alejandro Vigil—who, along with his wife, María Sance, owns Mendoza's top restaurant, Casa Vigil—made an offer. “We were starting construction on a new vermouth distillery and hospitality centre, and he proposed the idea of adding a restaurant that he would manage,” Catena says. “I agreed on one condition: that he would make wine the star of the dining experience.” Vigil loved the idea, and Angélica Cocina Maestra, the world's inaugural wine-first restaurant, was born. While the name honours Angélica Zapata,…

AS FAR AS iconic landmarks go, few luxury properties boast a legacy as monumental as the Waldorf Astoria. Its original location on Fifth Avenue and 34th Street was the centre of society and culture in the late 1800s and early 1900s. After it made way for the Empire State Building in 1929, the Waldorf Astoria was relocated to its current Park Avenue location in 1931. Apart from being the largest and tallest hotel in the world at the time, the hotel made history for being the first to provide 24-hour room service, en suite bathrooms and electricity on every floor. Since then, it has played host to cultural luminaries, political leaders, celebrities and royals, including Mick Jagger, Ella Fitzgerald, Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth II. Sitting atop the landmark hotel…