Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2018 i Robb Report

The Voorhes Adam and Robin met how many creatives meet: on set. With each new joint assignment, their abilities complemented and amplified the strengths of the other. After several years of collaboration, they officially joined forces. On their first wedding anniversary, they decided to stop working independently and become the Voorhes (the name is grammatically incorrect, but the plural version is one S too many). That was more than 10 years ago. Since then they have brainstormed, sketched, built, and photographed things for editorial and commercial clients including Popular Science, Wired, Fortune, O Magazine, GQ, Bacardi, and Jell-O. Annie Duke Annie Duke is an author and experienced corporate speaker and consultant on the behavior of decision making. In 2018, her book Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don’t…

On the last eve of the month, usher in 2019 with something worthy of your wishes for the new year. Krug has just released the Clos D’Ambonnay 2002, a Champagne made exclusively from Pinot Noir grapes, grown in a small walled plot, from a particularly excellent harvest. After patiently resting 14 years in Krug’s cellars, the 2002 creation is ready for its big toast. With aromas like gingerbread and candied orange peel, it’s so delicious you’ll need more than one flute. Each bottle ($2,200) is individually numbered. DECEMBER 31 KRUG.COM…

WHEN SOHO HOUSE first came to New York in 2003, it was both revered and reviled in equal measure—the former for its highly exclusive vibe, set by an elite coterie of founding members (including David Bowie), and the latter for the simple fact that almost nobody else could manage to get in. There were regular breakdowns in the lobby—usually a socialite turned away by the tight security at the desk—and on occasion, a breach of membership code led to a very embarrassing ejection from the club. But 15 years later, the story isn’t quite the same. New York’s former fortress of frivolity has since been joined by two more Soho House outposts and countless other clubs around the city—and getting in, well, it’s really not that hard anymore. Even if…

HERE’S A QUANDARY: What do you wear when you want to look put together but the dress code doesn’t require a shirt and tie? An open-collared shirt is an obvious choice for smart casualwear, but not terribly dynamic, and crewneck sweaters or simple T-shirts slip too far down the “lazy day” spectrum for most offices or evenings out. The solution? This season, it’s that age-old classic: the turtleneck. The style was first taken up by British polo players in the mid-1800s (hence its original name, the polo neck) but broke into mainstream fashion in the 1920s. Over the years, style icons ranging from Ivy League stalwarts to sharp-dressed rockers have layered theirs beneath trim tailored jackets for a crisp fall look. Mick Jagger wore his turtleneck (or roll-neck, as the…

...IT’S DIAMONDS. The powder-white streets of Aspen are starting to look like a snow-globe version of Rodeo Drive. That’s because they’re lined in storefronts dripping with diamonds and gold. But it’s not just the big names you already know: The mountainside enclave has become the cold-weather hot spot for some of the most creative and innovative makers of big rocks and bright baubles (all of which go surprisingly well with fur-trimmed parkas in these parts). You may be here to race downhill, but after a long day on the slopes, it can’t hurt to pick up a few shiny objects to match the scenery. Here’s where to go. All the Time If David and Michael Robinson have hundreds of hours to spend on one piece of jewelry, you have time…

NO ONE LIKES a bad drunk or a lame host. You can avoid at least one of these stinging humiliations by having the right collection of barware. Manhattan from Saint-Louis (saint-louis.com) is the French brand’s first dedicated cocktail line. It was created in collaboration with Experimental Cocktail Group (experimentalgroup.com ), the game-changing trio credited with invigorating the Paris cocktail scene via elevated drinks in chic speakeasy settings. The Art Deco–inspired 13-piece series includes glassware, bar tools, and more. But it’s not all bevel cuts and 1930s allure. ECG believes a good drink needs the right glass, so it heavily influenced the set’s shape. “Each form helps reveal the ingredients used in cocktail design,” ECG cofounder Pierre-Charles Cros says. “The shape can influence taste and perception. For instance, the open coupette…

WHOLE AIRCRAFT OWNERSHIP Seven- or eight-figure capital outlay for the asset purchase, with ongoing expenses for maintenance, crew, fuel, and more. FRACTIONAL SHARE OWNERSHIP Six-figure up-front fees, monthly management costs, and notoriously strict contracts that include use-it-or-lose-it policies for hours. JET CARDS Six-figure advance purchase, minimum-hour requirement, and loss of unused hours. Cardholders are often locked into a specific aircraft type regardless of their mission. WHEELS UP One-time membership fee of $17,500, low annual dues starting in year two, and reasonable, fixed hourly rates. No hidden costs. No minimum-hour requirement or long-term commitment. No hassle. WHEELS UP DOES NOT OPERATE AIRCRAFT; FAA LICENSED AND DOT REGISTERED AIR CARRIERS PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM EXERCISE FULL OPERATIONAL CONTROL OF ALL FLIGHTS OFFERED BY OR ARRANGED THROUGH WHEELS UP. ALL AIRCRAFT OWNED OR…

The design house Pininfarina SpA (pinin farina.com) and separately owned Automobili Pininfarina have recently partnered on the all-electric 2,000 hp Pininfarina PF0 hyper-car, which will reportedly have a $2.3 million price tag. Carlo Bonzanigo, Pininfarina SpA’s design director, gives us more details on the inspiration behind this futuristic automotive statement. How did you balance a bold vision with Pininfarina’s storied design history? Automobili Pininfarina came to us with a clear brief: design an electric hypercar that would express high technology and breathless beauty, all within the luxury values of the brand. So we had to form a design language that clearly expressed that without betraying the Pininfarina values of purity, clarity of expression, and elegance. We placed the air intakes on the upper part of the car, for example. This…

THE COLLECTOR-CAR world’s longest-running auction company, Barrett-Jackson (barrett-jackson.com) sends thousands of top-tier automobiles over the block every year. We asked the auction house’s chairman and CEO, Craig Jackson—a serious collector and enthusiast himself—to give us his take on the market’s changing tastes and favorites, with the upsides and downsides of each. Perennial Top Performer - Some Porsches ran up artificially—and too fast. Currently, it’s the contemporary models that are on the rise. But it’s not uncommon in the collector-car market to see a surge of interest in a particular model—like the 911s, for example—which drives up a temporary demand, but it will eventually wane. Gaining Ground in Demand + What are Gen Xers and millennials collecting? Japanese cars are on the rise. And they’re strong—at our 2018 Las Vegas Auction…

Our flying-car future may still be frustratingly elusive, but for residents of Manhattan, Blade (fly-blade.com) is the next best thing, especially for those looking to get from Downtown to the airport as the charter’s helicopters launch from three city-central lounges. And now, weary urban dwellers in search of a winter escape can book a weekend trip to Miami through Blade. Travelers board a chopper for a 15-minute flight to Westchester County Airport and land on the ramp right next to a private Bombardier CRJ200 jet. Originally designed to carry up to 60 passengers, the jet has been comfortably refitted for just 16. Less than three hours later, it lands in Opa-locka, Fla., and a 15-minute car ride brings guests to accommodations at oceanfront Faena Miami Beach hotel. Flights began November…

Turn on the news, and watch the devastation caused by the latest hurricane or wildfire to rip through the United States or tsunami to hit Asia. What’s your response? Do you change the channel? Do you well up with emotion and donate whatever you can to a relief organization? Do you start to envision a way to build sturdier houses or encourage people to move to higher ground? Your response says a lot about what kind of philanthropist you might be. If you’re in the first group, you’re likely not philanthropically inclined. But the second two define the eternal battle of givers as their wealth and aspiration climb. The people who well up are motivated by the emotion that empathetic people feel when they see others in need. Those watching…

1 Custom Hazan Bike If the rumbling refrain of a V-twin engine gets your adrenaline pumping, we have a set of wheels made just for you that will rival anything else on the road. Renowned builder Max Hazan, founder of Los Angeles–based Hazan Motorworks, has offered to create a custom bike for a Robb Report reader. An artisan who works at the crossroads of counterculture and craftsmanship, Hazan specializes in one-of-a-kind hand-built motorcycles designed and engineered to manifest the customer’s individuality. Past projects have included an example framed around the power plant of a 1949 BSA, and another inspired by a 1930s Bugatti racecar. “I usually find a vintage engine that fits the client’s aesthetic, put it on the table, place a blank sheet of aluminum behind it, and start…

14 Dinner on China’s Great Wall China’s Great Wall is a must-see for tourists and business travelers alike, but few (if anyone) can say they have hosted a lavish dinner on the historic site—that is, until now. The Peninsula Beijing is offering one Robb Report reader the opportunity to go down in history as truly the host with the most by throwing the ultimate wine-and-dine bash on the Great Wall of China. The hotel will cater the party with a cocktail hour and multicourse feast on a secluded section of the wall, and guests will be chauffeured to dinner via the Peninsula’s custom fleet of BMWs. The only dilemma will be the guest list: just eight seats are available. Make it eight who will appreciate dining atop a structure that…

25 Canyon Ranch Takeover Surprising your spouse with a gym membership is one of the best ways to start divorce proceedings. But this gift from Canyon Ranch—a three-day buyout of the entire Tucson resort for you and up to 249 of your closest friends—is impossible to get mad about. The famed wellness retreat isn’t just a place to drop a few pounds: It’s a way to get totally rewired for the New Year, with stress-relief and sleep programs, nutritional education, and spa treatments in addition to the usual fitness classes and sports. You’ll have the run of the house, with a team of doctors, trainers, and therapists at the ready to manage your health needs. And you’ll call the shots at the restaurant, too, regulating how decadent (or not) the…

Hurricane Irma CATEGORY: 5 Barbuda, St. Martin, St. Barts, Anguilla, Virgin Islands, Cuba, Puerto Rico, TCI, Bahamas HIGHEST WINDS: 180 mph FORMED: Aug. 30 DISSIPATED: Sept. 13 DAMAGE: $64.76 billion FATALITIES: 52 direct; 82 indirect Hurricane Maria CATEGORY: 5 Dominica/USVI/Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, TCI, Bahamas HIGHEST WINDS: 175 mph FORMED: Sept. 16 DISSIPATED: Oct. 2 DAMAGE: $91.61 billion FATALITIES: 3,057 total Hurricane Nate CATEGORY: 1 Cayman Islands, Cuba, Yucatan Peninsula, Costa Rica (costliest natural disaster in Costa Rican history) HIGHEST WINDS: 90 mph FORMED: Oct. 4 DISSIPATED: Oct. 11 DAMAGE: $787 million FATALITIES: 48 total…

Between hosting for 20 and trying to appease toddlers and grandparents and everyone in between, there’s the joy of gift giving. And actually, that is fun. There’s nothing like seeing the face of the ones you love turn from excitement and curiosity to thrill and delight once they uncover the perfectly chosen gift you have thoughtfully acquired—something they never knew they wanted and would never buy for themselves. At least, that’s the plan. When I was editing the British edition of Robb Report, we asked notable critic and author Stephen Bayley for his take on the whole present business, because it can be a vexatious subject. His response was that he once bought his wife a chain saw because he hoped it “cleverly advertised my sophisticated and revolutionary approach to…

Epic Pass VS. Ikon Pass TOTAL SKI RESORTS 65 on four continents 36 on three continents SKIABLE ACRES 145,000+ 74,322 TOTAL SKI LIFTS 525+ 614 COST $949 $1,049 MOST BRAG-WORTHY NEW RESORT Les Trois Vallées, which includes the glamorous French resorts of Courchevel and Meribel. Australia’s Thredbo (skiing in July!) and Japan’s Niseko United tie for the win. TOTAL VERTICAL DROP, IN FEET 42,000 88,257 CLAIM TO FAME Epic is king of Colorado, with territory in Telluride, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, and Crested Butte—but not Aspen. Ikon is the best in the West. Its California resorts include most of the favorites—Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Mammoth, and Big Bear—minus Northstar and Heavenly. LONGEST SKI RUN, IN MILES 6.8 Whistler Mountain’s Peak to Creek 9.5 Revelstoke Mountain Resort’s Last Spike APRÈS-SKI SCENE…

Core Club Breaking the golden rule of snubbing the Wall Street set, this Midtown Manhattan club embraces the one percent. The $50,000 joining fee alone weeds out the riffraff and adds some decadent allure. (thecoreclub.com) San Vicente Bungalows West Hollywood’s new invitation-only oasis is so secret, nonmembers can’t even get past the website’s home page. We’re intrigued. (sanvicentebungalows.com) Annabel’s If you’re going to join a London club, you’d better do it right. This wildly over-the-top reboot of a louche 1960s nightclub on Berkeley Square is the city’s funnest, with a jungle nightclub and elephant-themed lounge. (annabels.co.uk) Little Beach House Malibu Soho House introduced its club-within-a-club concept with this beachside outpost, whose members enjoy access to all the brand’s other clubs—but the feeling isn’t mutual. (littlebeach housemalibu.com)…

What do you do when your favorite hotel brand launches a skin-care collection? If that hotel brand is Aman (aman.com), you get straight to grooming. The cult label has launched 30 products, from face creams to pulse-point remedies, that use the native ingredients found at resorts like Bhutan’s Amankora (sea-buckthorn oil) and Bali’s Amandari (vetiver). But as good as they smell, they look even better: The slick black bottles designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma will stand proud amongst the other goods in your medicine cabinet. JACKIE CARADONIO…

Like it or not, the ’90s are back. Iconic brands have been revisiting their greatest hits from the era for the last few years, but Giorgio Armani’s (giorgioarmani.com) update on the repeat decade is one of the first that’s actually built to last. The Italian house’s new Neve line, which is based on its first skiwear collection from nearly three decades ago, looks as fresh on the powder today as it did way back when. This time around, however, outerwear in Armani’s signature midnight-blue hue comes padded in cashmere flakes—a process that avoids the use of down while still keeping everything warm, lightweight, and durable. The collection also includes velvet ski suits and cashmere zip-up sweaters, plus helmets, boots, and accessories. Our favorite item? The stone-cold coat that looks like…

NEXT YEAR, central Edinburgh will get its first single-malt whisky distillery in 90 years, reviving a tradition lost with the closing of the city’s last distillery in the 1920s. A quick jog off the Royal Mile, Holyrood Distillery (holyrooddistillery.co.uk)—so named for its proximity to the Holyrood Palace—is currently taking shape in a historic engine shed. But what does a distillery do before its warehouses are full of barrels of mature whisky? It sells gin. In October, Holyrood opened a tasting bar and shop directly across the lane from its mother ship and filled it with prototypes. The goal: to find out what people like to drink. Though the move sounds more like a Silicon Valley start-up than an old-world operation, the distillery’s clear spirits don’t swing too far from tradition.…

IN 1948, Ferrari (ferrari.com) introduced the 166 MM, an open-top two-seater designed for long-distance endurance runs. When Italian industrialist Gianni Agnelli laid eyes on the car’s long hood and sleek body coachbuilt by Carrozzeria Touring, he reportedly dubbed it barchetta, Italian for “little boat.” Named for the 166 cc displacement of its V-12 engine and the famous Mille Miglia contest, the 166 MM went on to win that race as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Targa Florio, and the Spa 24 Hours. A few years later, Ferrari introduced the Monza, a series of competitive cars powered by a new generation of four-cylinder engines. To celebrate these storied racers, Ferrari has produced the Monza SP1 and SP2, a pair of contemporary barchettas that will be limited to…

Just before boat-show season kicked off, Franco Fusignani moved into the CEO position at yachting giant Benetti (benetti yachts.it) after 25-year veteran Vincenzo Poerio. We asked Fusignani about his vision for the venerable company and the industry overall. What changes do you think are needed in the industry as a whole? I think the most significant is to improve the quality of the final product and reduce the cost of production. One of my primary goals is to introduce new production patterns to meet these areas of change. For example, during the design phase when all the technical details are defined, we design what’s requested by our customers directly with suppliers. This has proven successful in drastically reducing the time spent in the production phase by at least 10 percent.…

BUYING AN AIRCRAFT can easily turn into a cross-border activity, as the right plane often turns up on the wrong continent. North America and Europe are the two largest private-plane markets, so you would think that buying an aircraft in one continent and getting it to the other would be a piece of cake—but no. Only the biggest private jets have the range to cross the Atlantic in a single hop. All others have to work their way in stages across vast stretches of ocean—where the water is always cold and the waves are often mountainous—and, in some cases, via airports that may be the only bulldozed patches of snow and ice for hundreds of miles. Given the dangers, the easiest way to get your shiny new conveyance across the…

Growing up on his family’s vineyard in Napa Valley, Christian Palmaz knew exactly what he wanted to be: a winemaker. But after apprenticing, he learned he couldn’t quite read the wines the way a winemaker should. But that didn’t stop him from wanting to help make a great wine. He turned to his other passion instead, computer science. He spent six years developing a smart fermentation tank that would help the winemakers make better vino by alerting them to changes in temperature and when oxygen levels were too low for healthy yeast do to its thing, among other metrics. The tanks are so smart that when the team had to abandon the property in the 2017 wildfires, the tanks adjusted themselves and saved about $10 million worth of juice. Now…

You can’t talk about the Caribbean without talking about the hurricanes. Ever since last fall, when the names Irma and Maria became forever synonymous with destruction—causing more than 3,000 deaths, the vast majority of which occurred in Puerto Rico—the conversation surrounding this idyllic chain of isles has been one of concern at best and anger at worst. But more than a year later, it’s time to change the subject. Ask anyone: From the Bahamas to Barbados, the word on the sand is that the future of these islands is happening right now. That’s not to say everything is back to how it was before. But that’s the point: More than a year of blood, sweat, and tears—not to mention a whole lot of money (see page 219 for more on…

Juliana Gonzalez CAÑA “This is my first time cooking Puerto Rican food in a restaurant,” Juliana Gonzalez confides. “It’s a whole new challenge to combine the food of my childhood with the techniques that I know today.” “REALLY, WHAT PUERTO RICAN DOESN’T DREAM OF GOING BACK?” Though Gonzalez, who hails from the southwestern beach town of Cabo Rojo, first discovered her passion for food through the dishes her mother and grandmother made, her tastes during adulthood pivoted often as she embraced one international cuisine after another, from French (which she learned at David Bouley’s Evolution) to Japanese (at Nobu and SushiSamba) to Spanish (which she serves at her critically hailed Miami tapas restaurant Barceloneta). The desire to cook her native cuisine on her native soil, however, always remained a hopeful…

The most famous photo of Terry Simms shows the legendary longboarder leaning so far into a wave that he’s practically horizontal. The thin sliver of his surfboard’s edge cuts through the water like a warm knife through butter. His fingers casually graze the barrel of the wave. His face is the picture of composure. This is the guy you want to surf with—and now, thanks to a partnership with Panama’s Sweet Bocas (sweetbocaspanama.com ), you can. Simms, who in his retirement coaches serious newbies and pros alike, is taking aspiring wave chasers who rent the seven-bedroom overwater villa on an intense week of bathymetry, map reading, theory, technique, and, of course, all-out surfing among the Caribbean coast’s best breaks. By week’s end, you’ll look pretty damn cool on a board—if…

3 Thermal Club Ownership If it’s high-performance cars and competition that fuel him, this gift will give him license to speed without the penalty of a traffic ticket. The exclusive Burning It Up at Thermal gift package offers ownership and track membership at the Thermal Club, a private racecourse and residential community 25 miles from Palm Springs, Calif. The package offers the purchase of a 7,600-square-foot trackside villa with four bedrooms, six bathrooms, and a large deck that extends over the circuit’s sound wall. To seal the deal, it comes with a personal garage that can accommodate 16 cars (without stacking). To help load up the latter, the gift comes with a new McLaren GT4 racecar and two go-karts. Included is an individual membership, five years of dues and associated…

18 Age Your Own Rib Roast Wine aficionados are well acquainted with the effects of age. Buy a few bottles of a favorite vintage, lay them down, and drink them at different intervals to appreciate the influence of time on wine. It’s more difficult for steak lovers. That’s why one of the world’s great masters of meat, Adam Perry Lang, has created the exclusive Beef Club at APL Restaurant. Beneath his ode to the turn-of-the-century steak house, Lang has built a 1,000-square-foot aging room. That allows him to offer to a select few a place to age a whole rib roast—up to 12 individual portions—that they can then enjoy over multiple visits. “It’s really for the connoisseur,” he says. “You get to experience what happens to your beef as it…

28 Verdura Cuff Links It can be hard for men to infuse a sense of personality or whimsy into their wardrobe without drawing too much attention, but cuff links are a quick fix. This Verdura Night & Day pair—a mismatched globe and starry sky in enamel, gold, and diamonds—is not only stylish and fun but also has a great backstory: Fulco di Verdura created the originals for his friend, composer Cole Porter. The jewelry house has reissued a limited series of the design. $8,500. Verdura, verdura.com —J.N. 29 Magnanni Bags If his work bag is looking a little tired, give him a wardrobe upgrade with one of these Magnanni hand-painted leather bags. At first glance they look too precious to toss around, but in fact they’re handmade in top-grade durable calfskin…

When Arne Sorenson joined Marriott International as a young lawyer, no one imagined that anyone not named Marriott could lead the family hotel company. The chief executive at the time, J. W. “Bill” Marriott Jr.—whose parents founded the firm as a root-beer stand in 1927—was a legendary hotelier who obsessed on details: He largely banned Venetian blinds from Marriott hotel rooms, for example, as they were too time consuming to clean. A generation of younger Marriotts were learning the ropes of the company they expected to one day lead. Meanwhile, Sorenson, a reedy former mergers and acquisitions attorney from Washington, D.C., calmly served a progression of roles, including chief financial officer, with a soft-spoken but direct gentility. His adroit attention to corporate details, and his respect for Marriott family ties,…

No Pipe Required By toning down the burgundy jacket with sober grays and traditional derby shoes, you create a sophisticated, elegant look that’s still of the moment. Black and Blue Stand out, in the best way, at black-tie events with this jacket that looks the part without being too “look at me!” Smooth It Over Choose a velvet in a more versatile color than black, and pair it with dark-wash denim for a more casual approach to the dressed-up fabric.…

You can always count on watchmakers to take advantage of a good thing, which may account for the plethora of auto-themed watches at our fingertips today. The mix of these two passions does seem often to generate compelling design. Given the sheer variety of styles, it can’t be too hard to find something that matches what’s in your garage. Porsche Design Chronotimer Rennsport Reunion VI Porsche’s stark design aesthetic certainly has its fan base, and nearly all of them seemed to be present for the latest Rennsport Reunion, held at Laguna Seca in September. Porsche Design had the unenviable task of trying to keep the nearly 60,000 attendees happy with a 70-piece limited-edition watch ($6,850, porsche-design.com), many of which were sold before the event even started. Breitling Premier B01 Chronograph…

Nearly 20 years ago, Lesley Gracie took the spirits world by storm when she infused a gin with cucumber and rose botanicals and called it Hendrick’s (hendricksgin.com). Radical then, it’s now the drink of choice for many gin lovers worldwide. This year, the inventor is back to her old ways, toiling away in her new distillery in Scotland—dubbed the Gin Palace and featuring a pair of hothouses filled with rare flora—and launching a brand-new expression called Orbium. Every bit as groundbreaking as you’d expect, the spirit is following in its forebear’s footsteps as the next big thing to drink. Here’s a quick taste of what to expect. What makes Orbium special? Orbium is a sidestep in the category. It’s a quininated gin, with wormwood and lotus blossom. The bitter quinine…

1 Jay Fai Seventy-two-year-old Jay Fai is known for her crab omelets and for wearing goggles while working the pans over flames. Local tip: Hire a local motorbike taxi driver for 200 baht—about $6—to stand in line for you. (+66.2.223.9384) 2 Gaggan Chef Gaggan Anand’s modern Indian fare is fun and delicious and has changed global perception of the cuisine. (eatatgaggan.com) 3 The Local Located in a classic colonial-style building, the best of the old-school joints features authentic Thai food made from secret family recipes.(thelocalthaicuisine.com) 4 Ann Guay Tiew Kua Ga For a noodle dish that isn’t pad thai, head to this no-frills shop where the fried and crispy noodles are cooked over a roaring open flame. (+66.2.235.0386) 5 Bo.lan Duangporn “Bo” Songvisava and her husband, Dylan Jones, put a…

Join Pay a one-time initiation fee of $17,500 to gain access to a members-only fleet of 90-plus private aircraft, as well as the Wheels Up Flight Desk. Book With as little as 24 hours’ notice, schedule a flight by opening the Wheels Up App, visiting the member website, or calling the 24/7 Member Services Team. Fly Drive up to your aircraft 20 minutes before departure on the day of your choosing, at the specific time and airport you’ve selected. As a Wheels Up Member, you will payfixed hourly rates onlyforthe time you spend flying.…

COFFEE MUGS “Porsche’s perfectly shaped, elegant white china mug only needs the marque’s metallic crest and a ring of gold—a classic, simple, and iconic design.” POLO SHIRTS “Ferrari’s men’s polo is perfectly fitted yet a classic, comfortable cut. The shoulder bands and chest shield re-create the glamour of 1970s Ferrari drivers.” WATCHES “Breitling for Bentley’s chronograph is like wearing the jewel part of your car’s interior on your wrist. And Porsche’s sleek timepiece will go with anything.” SUNGLASSES “Bentley’s seamless wood-finish frame is timeless with a modern twist. The monotone look is a subtle yet stunning statement.” HANDBAGS “Porsche Design’s use of stripes throws a splash of color, an ultramodern look for an everyday clutch. And Bentley’s Barnato Handbag couldn’t be classier.”…

ELECTRIC PROPULSION has been sparking interest in the marine industry for a decade now, but it’s only in the past year or so that it has truly begun to resonate. When Dutch shipyard Heesen Yachts (heesenyachts.com) launched Home in 2017, it became the world’s first fast-displacement-hull-form motor yacht with hybrid propulsion. The term “hybrid” signifies a drivetrain that draws on two or more power sources for propulsion and onboard needs—commonly diesel engines and electric motors—which can be used together or individually. In the context of a hybrid car, the emphasis is usually on energy savings and reducing emissions, but hybrid propulsion at sea has a wider set of aims. Equipped with 840 hp main engines that are complemented by two water-cooled DC electric-shaft motors, Home cruises at speeds of up…

This month, aviator Robert DeLaurentis (flyingthrulife.com) will begin his 26,000-nautical-mile flight by way of the poles. The journey will start in San Diego, proceed to Antarctica, and then cross three continents to the North Pole before heading home via Alaska. He expects it to be a fantasy flight, with the potential for nightmares. Geri Ward How long will the trip take? I’m expecting three months. The goal is to experience all the continents I’ll fly through. I’ve been preparing for 14 months, so it would be wise to have a good time. Do you have a daily flight plan? There are 25 stops. The longest leg will be an 18-hour stretch over Antarctica, but the average daily flight will be about three hours. What will you eat? On Charles Lindbergh’s…

“EVERYONE TOLD ME NOTTO COME BACK, BUT SOMETHING WAS CALLING ME.” Lucía Merino’s canelés are delicate, precise, and, like everything at her humble patisserie, hard to come by. “We only have 16 molds, and they don’t always come out exactly right,” Merino says of the custard-filled pastries, which she makes with organic milk, eggs, butter, and dark rum sourced from local farms. “They are never officially on the menu, but we always keep them as part of a secret menu.” Secrets are hard to keep on an island as small as Puerto Rico, but at Lucía Pâtisserie, an air of mystery prevails. That’s because Merino opens her San Juan bakery for just a few hours every Saturday—from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.—and each week the menu is completely different. Frangipane…

7 A Custom Library by Alexandre Assouline The idea of a luxury book didn’t exist until Assouline. Since its founding in 1994 by the fashionable French bookworms Prosper and Martine Assouline, the publisher has produced titanic tomes on some of the world’s most stylish subjects, from Cartier to Le Corbusier. The result: Gifting a book is, now more than ever, a sign of excellent taste. Why stop at one book? Assouline is offering Robb Report readers the opportunity to gift an entire room of good taste with a custom library. Alexandre Assouline, the stylish son of Prosper and Martine, has curated one-off athenaeums for select hotels and private institutions, but until now his services have been available only by word of mouth. For this gift, the publishing scion will create…

24 Personal Portrait by Francesco Clemente If your loved one’s vast art assemblage covers their home, office, and yacht, with some even tucked away in storage, what’s next for the heavy-hitter collector? A personal portrait by none other than Francesco Clemente, known for his soulful, big-eyed self-portraits and richly colored depictions of artist friends such as Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. The artist, who has long captivated the art world with his inimitable blend of elegance, spiritualism, and cool, created his first intimate portrait of his wife, Alba, for a solo exhibition at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh. “In a day I painted a large portrait of her in a vintage Balenciaga dress and South Indian tribal jewels,” he recalls. “She doesn’t love to sit for me, and to…

31 Custom Jessica McCormack Jewelry Box Once she has the jewels that will be heirlooms for generations to come, it only makes sense to customize a jewelry box that befits that bequest. Jewelry designer Jessica McCormack is the woman for the job. Her personalized boxes—like the Lover’s Box shown here—begin as vintage Regency-era chests, which she refits with custom lining and signature gold or brass fittings. London’s Hand & Lock, holder of a Royal Warrant, embroiders personal sayings, symbols, and any other intimacies you and the recipient share. Starting at $40,000. Moda Operandi, modaoperandi.com —J.N. 32 Mimi So Guided Tour of Tucson Gem Show If she already has an impressive collection of baubles, think outside the jewelry box for a truly precious gift: insider access to the elusive world of gemstones.…

When hurricanes come crashing into the Caribbean islands—as we have seen too many times in the past few years—we are riveted and alarmed, but the news fades all too quickly. What happens in the aftermath of the storms, once the spotlight has moved on to the next tragedy, isn’t what you expect. A common chain of events often occurs: Emergency responders fall short of demand, opposing politicians take to verbal sparring, and charities struggle to ensure donations end up in the right hands—all of which protracts an already dire situation. But a new path is being forged by businesses—in particular hotels and hospitality groups—using their vast networks and on-the-ground knowledge to bypass the red tape for quicker and more effective recovery. It’s business leaders like Federico “Friedel” Stubbe who are…

ENTHUSIASM FROM BITCOIN HOLDERS WAS QUICKLY OBVIOUS; THE BIG BANG EDITION WATCH WAS ALMOST IMMEDIATELY OVERSUBSCRIBED. If you want to get your hands on the newest Hublot Big Bang watch, you’ll need to pay up in Bitcoin. The innovative Swiss watch company started taking pre-orders for this limited-edition $25,000 model in September exclusively through a partnership with Octagon Strategy Limited (OSL), a digital asset brokerage firm. Is this Hublot’s effort to expand into a new transactional system, or is this just an attention-grabbing gimmick from a brand known for its conspicuous marketing campaigns? It’s probably a mix of both. As a forerunner in the watch market, Hublot is known for pushing the boundaries in its product design and marketing, so it’s not surprising that it’s perhaps the first luxury brand…