Recently, Salvatore Ferragamo, the renowned Italian luxury brand, has also joined forces with Maserati by interpreting the outstanding class of the GranTurismo into a sleek luggage set.
There is something about luxury carmakers that makes you drool over their creations, even if the stuff they make sometimes is not exactly directly related to the four-wheeled magic. Automakers recognize that their respective rabid devotees simply can’t get enough of the car they’ve pledged fuel-injected allegiance to; these followers clamor for the clean contours, high-quality materials, and lifestyle attributes associated with the brand to crossover into more of the other things they wear or use.
Thus, some automakers collaborate with other distinguished brands to create products and accessories that translate core values of premier technology and distinctive form; others go so far as to create their own design branch. But no matter which route is chosen, the results make everyone happy. Here we present just a few of the countless ways in which you can express your love affair with your favorite ride.
The Parmigiani Fleurier Bugatti Type 370 watch was named watch of the year in 2006 mainly due to its smart and savvy design, allowing the wearer to see the time without taking their hands off the steering wheel. Parmigiani updated the timepiece to commemorate the Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermès. The special edition watch is available in a brushed white gold case with a brown dial or a rose gold case with a coffee brown dial, complementing the colors of the car. Featuring an Hermès strap, only 20 of each version exist. It’s a fitting tribute to one of the ultimate collaborations ever seen between a luxury goods maker and a supercar.
Aston Martin, in conjunction with its watch partner Jaeger LeCoultre, has come up with the AMVOX2 DBS Transponder-the first watch with the ability to control access into a luxury sports car. By integrating the transponder circuit into the body of the watch, it not only functions as a chronograph but as a key to lock and unlock, making it the ultimate accessory for a pantheonic sports car. As the driver nears the car, all he need do is press the OPEN position on the watch glass (between 8 and 9 o’clock) in order to activate the door opening system, whereas pressing between 3 and 4 o’clock will close the vehicle. The case and dial of the AMVOX2 are highly detailed, featuring a suspended metallic gray DBS symbol, a discrete Aston Martin emblem on the movement operating indicator and ruthenium gray bridges, satin finish, and a black dial that all evoke the DBS’s instrument panel. The outer dial ring also has an opening that reveals the internal mechanisms of the chronograph and transponder functions, an allusion to the exposed brake calipers visible behind the sporting wheel rims of the DBS. Only Aston Martin dealerships will be able to authorize the timepiece to communicate with the owner’s specific DBS, ensuring the utmost security.
Bentley knows that their discerning customers don’t just love everything Crewe, they also categorically trust whatever it produces (such as the Breitling for Bentley watches). Three of the most recent notable partnerships are luggage, a safe, and even a laptop. The luggage (suitcases, weekend bag, briefcase, and wash bag) is made exclusively for Bentley by Alfred Dunhill. All the pieces, designed in collaboration with Bentley’s design and styling team, are handcrafted in brown natural grain leather with a matching interior trim. The clasps and fastenings are exclusive to Bentley and feature a unique lock mechanism with knurled edges and inset “B” black inlaid feet. They also have a Bentley-branded chromed zip pull and “Alfred Dunhill for Bentley” embossed leather labels inside the bags.
The new Stockinger for Bentley safes combine technological innovation with aesthetic distinction, joining security technology with sleek designer looks; owners can now safely display the things they love. There are two editions of the limited series: The “Arnage” for watch collectors (equipped with watch winders) and the “Continental” for jewelry lovers. Both have leather linings and a brushed aluminium interior finish, along with the seven-layer lacquer and design elements typical of Bentley interiors. All standard Bentley exterior colors are available, as are 10 interior leather hides and three wood veneer panels.
The Ego Bentley is an ultra chic notebook made in association with Ego Lifestyle. It’s hand-made, and the exterior is clad in the finest selection of Bentley leather and finished with authentic Bentley crossover hand stitching. The leather exterior, which matches the deck under the hood, is available in a choice of 10 colors. A chrome handle built into the chassis is modeled after Bentley etching, known as knurling. The frames around the laptop are made of white gold.
Maserati has a long-standing partnership with Audemars Piguet, making for some astonishing watches. Recently, Salvatore Ferragamo, the renowned Italian luxury brand, has also joined forces with Maserati by interpreting the outstanding class of the GranTurismo into a sleek luggage set. Designed to fit perfectly into the trunk of the GranTurismo, the set comprises five pieces: suitcase, weekend bag, beauty case, garment holder, and dual-function shoe case with removable divider. Refined customer service allows for the personalization of the luggage, adapting it to the interior of each specific car. Customers will be able to select from a choice of two fabrics and four colors. Two types of leather are available: Vitello Box, a handmade, shiny, calf leather; or Vitello Fiordo, a sporty, scratch-resistant leather. The sophisticated design was inspired by the elegant contours of the radiator grille on the coupe and styled to satisfy the most discerning tastes.
Porsche has been offering vehicle accessories for more than 50 years. Even in the 1950s, the Porsche Boutique offered luggage collections, wallets, T-shirts, calendars, model cars, buttons, tiepins, and cufflinks developed specially for the 911. Porsche Design Group has pumped out numerous classic men’s accessories such as watches, glasses, and writing utensils, as well as many industrial products and household and consumer goods for internationally recognized clients, including streetcars for the city of Vienna and a piano for Bösendorfer.
All of the studio’s works are distinguished by a clear and functional design language, careful selection of materials, and high-quality workmanship, which combines artisan tradition with state-of-the-art technology.
Now the group is teaming up with fledgling Singapore-based yacht builder Royal Falcon Fleet on a new line of luxury catamarans and megayachts. The initial collaboration will be the high-tech, extravagant, and space-agey RFF135 catamaran that will do up to an absolutely screaming 35 knots. Porsche is designing the exterior hull and the interior. By the looks of it, this catamaran will be an unmistakable work of mobile modern architecture.
Much like its Porsche Design counterpart, there isn’t really anything BMW DesignWorks won’t try to make better, whether in regards to land (an espresso machine) or air (a custom interior for a Boeing 787 Dreamliner). So it was only a matter of time before they created something for the sea: a 60-foot offshore performance sailboat for the Zeydon boatyard of Belgium. Meant, as with any BMW, to be just almost everything to almost everyone, the yacht, christened WYSIWYG, is a regatta-oriented sailboat as fast as it is luxurious. It perfectly communicates the characteristics that determine corporate identity: progressiveness, originality, courage, strict authenticity, and infinite emotion. And, for good pedigree measure, it’s got wooden racing stripes.
The previous examples speak to the high quality craftsmanship, use of superior materials, and superb execution of luxury titans in their respective areas of expertise. When they come together, their synergies demonstrate mastery, often result in the spectacular, and all lead to endless variations on one central theme: the wheels we love.
Haute Design
October 30, 2008Luxury Toys: Top of the World
