Chicago

Sorry, Kate, but there’s a new princess we’ve got our eyes on at the moment... as well as her new watch. South African Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock became Charlene Princess of Monaco last Friday and, in celebration, the principality’s independent luxe watch brand Ateliers deMonaco created its inaugural ladies watch, La Sirene. The glitzy stunner apparently received official approval from the new princess and her husband, Prince Albert II, who also got a custom blue Lexus LS 600h L Landaulet for his big day.

Whether you’re a die-hard audiophile or just a fan of technology’s finer things, everyone can surely appreciate the new S Series from Steinway Lyngdorf speaker system. The common myth that gargantuan speakers produce better sound may be dismissed with these sleek and discreet pieces, which are small and design-conscious, yet able to produce big, powerful sound that will delight discerning ears. The system makes great use of little space, making it the ultimate audio setup for home, office, yacht… anywhere where space is a premium and sacrifice of quality is not.

Like the cherry on top, superyachts need that one final touch to complete it. RS Sailing will soon be launching their RS Venture sailing dinghy – the perfect accompaniment to your haute yacht. With versatility in mind, the multi-role family dinghy is 16 feet in length and capable of fitting up to 6 people – or a maximum weight of 500kg – making it perfect for anchoring down and exploring that hidden cove or enjoying a leisurely tour up the creek during a stopover. Additionally, owners can have the dinghy named to match the yacht and choose special color-way sails to make the RS Venture the superyacht’s perfect sidekick.

It seems like a new cell phone comes out every day, always promising to do more than yours currently can… even if you’ve just purchased that innovative new must-have. Recently, a host of mind-blowing new cell phone concepts has surfaced and, while they probably surpass your phone’s technological know-how, they’re still just concepts… for now…

Imagine taking a swig of the world’s oldest champagne, dating back to 1841. This bubbly was not only recovered from a 19th century shipwreck in the Baltic Sea, but also believed to have been en route to the court of the Russian czsar in St. Petersberg as they were adrift. In the hands of Singapore-based restauranteur, Julia Sherstyuk, the bottle of Veuve Cliquot Champagne cost her a whopping €30,000 (US$42,758), which she purchased from auction house Acker Merrall & Condit.

MINI announced the pricing for their anticipated model collaboration with luxury automotive icon Rolls-Royce during the UK’s Goodwood Festival of Speed on June 30. The “MINI Inspired by Goodwood”, which was on display throughout the festival, will start at £41,000 ($65,850) with deliveries slated to begin next March. According to Luxuo, the new special-edition run of just 1,000 models will be nearly four times as expensive as the standard MINI First hatch model.

Compact and modest are words that describe the quintessential components that a childhood treehouse suggests. Kiddies find refuge in these age-old dwellings, where they play “house” and stash their beetle collection. Innocence at its best.

Renowned British artist Damien Hirst has graced the art world with his prized work in sculpture, painting, drawing, and printmaking. Now the acclaimed visionary is set to add one more medium to his accomplished portfolio with a collection of skateboard decks. His works, which confront the scientific, philosophical, and religious aspects of the human, is bringing his philosophy to the streets with this collection of decks, produced by Supreme and to launch through Other Criteria, who will be holding a launch celebration in-store on Tuesday, July 12 from 6-8 p.m.

The Mini just got a whole lot more luxurious. Rolls Royce and Mini Cooper, both owned by BMW, have teamed up to create a special edition vehicle— The Mini inspired by Goodwood.

The ultra-rich already hold a privileged role in the world, but nothing quite speaks of exclusivity like owning your own private island, cloistered away from the rest of the world on a personal piece of Paradise. According to Born Rich, these owners have acquired such pieces of prime island real estate and, what’s more, have had them tailored to their own leisurely needs.

On Friday, July 1, renowned aircraft design brand Design Q released their latest concept for the Avro Business Jet (ABJ), the ABJ Eleganté. Stylish private fliers should be familiar with the brand and their establishment in the field of futuristic aircraft design, including the ABJ Fusion and Air Deck, both innovative firsts in aviation.

Vacheron Constantin has been credited with producing some of horological history’s greatest pieces over their more than 250-year existence as a renowned time brand. While managing to create consistently beautiful timepieces, the house also places an ever-imperative emphasis on tradition in their watch making processes – all while remaining innovative.