Expen$ive Gadget$ - Too Loud Speakers

Kharma Grand Enigma



Don't be embarrassed if you don't have one in your audio room - only one was ever made. In my last trip to the CES convention in Las Vegas I was introduced to some very expensive speakers ($200 -300K). At the time I said to myself, God damn, that's expensive, of curse until I was introduced to the hefty priced Grand Enigma. With a cool price tag of $1,000,000, the Grand Enigma is the most expensive speaker in the world. Website

Infinite Wisdom Grande

If you have enough space in your house to accommodate this giant system, than go for it. The Infinite Grand boasts a mounded three section planar-magnetic arrays over 13 feet tall, low frequency assemblies over 8 feet tall and a total weight of almost two tons.
The system comes with twelve 12-inch, underhung 3-inch voice coil low frequency regenerators per channel. If you are a super-rich audiophile this system will set you back $600,000. Website

Futuristic Lux Hotels

Waterworld

Designed by Atkin’s Architecture Group deservedly won the first prize award last year in an international design competition. The 400-bed resort hotel features underwater public areas, guest rooms, cafes, and restaurants. The major attraction is the extreme sporting facilities including a luxurious swimming pool, rock climbing and bungee jumping

Commercial Space Station Skywalker

The concept is a big challenge while it tests inflatable technology and fights to survive in hazardous conditions. Hope it’s made to face the wrath of the meteorites, though the hull of each module is made of three protective layers with an outer 18-inch-thick shield made of alternating woven graphite composite and foam to protect against orbital debris.

The Lunatic Hotel

The Lunatic Hotel (concept) will allow tourists to indulge in low-gravity games with the help of two 160-meters high slanting towers. The towers will be equipped with teardrop-shaped ‘habitation capsules’ which will serve as spaceship like suits for tourists. The 50-cms thick hull made of Moon rock and layers holding water will protect inhabitants from the harsh lunar environment including extreme temperatures and lethal cosmic rays and solar particles. Will this ever materialize? Time will tell.

The Hydropolis: Undersea Resort

The Hydropolis was designed keeping in mind that we’re around 60% water, endeavors to deliver the serene beauty of the ocean in its true colors. Tourists can enjoy their stay in 220 theme suites within the submarine leisure complex. It is one of the largest contemporary construction projects in the world, covering an area of 260 hectares, about the size of London’s Hyde Park. Website

The Apeiron Island Hotel

The Apeiron Island Hotel is a seven star resort with a total floor area of 200,000m². It is 185-m high and boasts of over 350 luxury apartment suites. The building apears to rise from the ocean like a beatiful fountain. Unfortuanately, this is just an artist's rendition of the conceptual resort wit a price tag of $500 million. The artists Torquil McIntosh and Simon Mitchell have few other structures that I think someone will eventually built. Website

The Poseidon Undersea Resort

The world’s first underwater resort will be ready by the end of next year with breathtaking coral reefs where you can literally immerse yourself. Surrounded by 5,000-acre lagoon, the Bruce Jones’ the Poseidon Mystery Island offers luxurious 550 square feet large suites. Website

Aeroscraft: The flying luxury hotel of tomorrow

Aeroscraft is a gigantic 400-ton blimp designed to carry passengers in its spacious luxury cosmos on board. With an area equal to two football fields hangs in air with 14 million cubic feet of helium, huge electric and hydrogen fuel cell powered propellers and six turbofan jet engines. The hotel can accommodate 250 passengers driving them at a speed of 174 miles per hour up to 6, 000 miles. Designer Igor Pasternak has also plans to float a cargo-carrying version too once the project takes off. Website

Foldable Hotel Pods

Foldable Pods are for traveling geeks who find it hard to shun all the amenities of their luxurious life. The pods will be self-sustainable, and guests can choose the images they want to be projected on the walls. When a destination falls out of fashion, whether due to demand or terrorism, the pod can simply be folded up and moved. Now, someone just have to pay to built it - estimates are between $72 to $104 million.

The Hotel Burj al-Arab

Considered, unofficially, the world’s first and only 7-star hotel, the Burj al-Arab is a truly the most luxurious hotel imaginable.
The tallest, 321-metres (1,053 ft), hotel, designed as a sail of a dhow, is constructed on an artificial island 280-metres (919 ft) out from Jumeirah beach. The hotel boasts of the world’s tallest atrium, which is 180-meters (590 feet) tall. Website

The Diamond Ring Hotel

The Diamond Ring Hotel in Abu-Dhabi is a project in the works. I don't have any further information as to when it will be completed.
Dubai is taking the architectural game to a whole new level.

Galactic Suite

The Galactic Suite Designer Xavier Claramunt has tried to imbibe things. The Galactic Suite will have around 22 rooms, measuring 7X4 meters, free of straight lines or angles and huge windows. It is termed as the first global project of its kind, next to Robert Bigelow’s space hotel. Different capsules will act as bars, restaurants, reception, and more. Website

Bling Talk

King of Snakes

Vertu signature $310,000 limited edition (8 made only) Cobra. Designed by the French jeweler Boucheron it features one pear-cut diamond, one round white diamond, two emerald eyes and 439 rubies. Nothing on features on it, the precious stones are there to boost the price tag. Website

Black Diamond

The Black Diamond is a ultra high-end Sony Ericsson manufactured by Swiss company VIPN, Singapore-based industrial designer Jaren Goh. It features Windows Mobile 5.0-powered handset features a 2-inch display, 400MHz XScale processor, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 128MB of internal memory, an SD memory card slot, and a touch-sensitive keypad. Website

Goldvish

The million dollar cell phone design by Emmanuel Gueit sports a one-of-a-kind quad-band handset and a blinding 120 carats worth of VVS-1 grade diamonds. Features such amenities as Bluetooth, a camera with 8x digital zoom, MP3 playback, FM radio, included 2GB memory card and an EDGE connection (no 3G option or WiFi -- it seems a million bucks isn't what it used to be).
Website

Moneual Lab Million Dollar PC

The Baroque, an 18K gold, "hand-fabricated" PC, encrusted with an estimated 11 carats of fine diamonds from F-G/VS to VVS quality and 128.5 carats of top blue sapphires; the Renaissance, which mixes 18K white and yellow gold with a larger amount of diamonds, or 38.38 carats of F-G/VS to VVS diamonds, 3.14 carats of emeralds, and 52.56 carats of rubies; and the Rococo, which combines 18K yellow and white gold, 55.18 carats of F-G/VS to VVS diamonds, 3.5 carats of blue sapphires. 7.40 carats of fine Burmese rubies, and 3.5 carats of blue sapphires. Designed by jewelry designer Lee Charles Buckingham, the Baroque will become the first million dollar personal computer. Will that be cash or charge?

The World's Most Desired Notebook???

Ego Gold and Diamond Notebook

Do you have an extra $300K + burning a hole in your pocket? That's how much your EGO will set you back.

The handbag-shaped notebook is studded with 470 flawless diamonds that adorn the Otazu Ego model in tulip, heart, and Otazu logos. Produced in limited edition of 100 copies... Is there one hundred people who would buy it? Website

Lux Events

Millionaire Fair

The Millionaire Fair is the largest exhibition of luxury goods and services in the world. Participants are only companies that offers interesting and unique goods. Website

AMEX Luxury Summit

The American Express Publishing Luxury Summit, created by the editors in chief of the influential affluent lifestyle magazines, Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, Departures, and Travel + Leisure Golf, is a two-day, by-invitation-only event featuring keynote presentations, case studies, research findings, and panel discussions on the state of the global luxury sector. Website

My Fav Lux Hotels

Jumeirah Essex House
New York

If you are staying in New York for either business or pleasure, Jumeirah is located in the heart of the Big Apple. Celebrities and world leaders are constant guests. Website

The Carlyle
New York

The Carlyle offers great views of Central Park and easy access to the Upper East galleries, boutiques and is nearby the so called Museum Mile. The suites are priced by size and exposure. Website






Conrad Chicago
Chicago, IL

Located in the heart of the Wind City's Financial District, above the Westfield North Bridge and within walking distance of the Loop, The Lake Michigan and Merchandise Mart. The hotel offers you 12,000 square feet of technologically advanced meeting and conference facilities. Website





The Hay-Adams Hotel
Washington

The Hay-Adams is as close as anyone can get to staying at the White House. The Hay-Addams get its name from its earlier residents: John Hay, private assistant to President Lincoln and John Quincy Adams.
Located within walking distance from Washington's D.C. Landmarks in Lafayette Square, the Hay Adams is the perfect place for both leisure or business traveler. Website



Rocco Forte Hotel De Russie
Rome, Italy

Frequented by Celebrities and Royalties the De Russie is an Historic Hotel, originating from 1816. The unique Secret Garden offers you the opportunity to relax with your favorite drink at the Famous Stravinskij Bar. Nearby are the Famous museums and Squares. Website




Raffles The Plaza

Singapore
Raffles The Plaza is ideally situated at the crossroads of Singapore Business, Cultural and Shopping Districts. The hotel features 16 restaurants and lounges and 80,000 square feet of meeting space. Website




Claridges
London, UK

The epitome of grand English style, the Claridges is situated on the corner of Brook Street and Davis Street and within easy reach of Hyde Park. Park Lane, Bond and Oxford Streets. The Clariges went to major designer restoration in 1999. New York designer Thierry Despont revitalized the Foyer. The Ballroom was completely made over in a modern Art Deco style with a Dale Chihuly chandelier as a centerpiece. Website

The Leela Kempinski

Mumbai

This 5 star deluxe hotel combines state-of-the-art technology with tasteful decor. It is set in 11 acres of lush landscaped gardens, waterfalls, swimming pools and fountains. Close to the international airport ans the Mumbai Central Business District.

Website

Waterways

My passion for custom built products extends far beyond my comprehension. My roots are simple. My closest contact with “su misura” as a child was a race car my brother and I built to compete with other kids in our neighborhood.

I was always curious about how things are made, and very often disassembled things around the house putting them back together with minor modifications. Well, very often my tampering with these already fine made objects made them stop functioning which made my father furious (the cursing Italian words he screamed at me are improper to print).

This brings me to the next product I had the pleasure to observe being built by the fine craftsman (they did not alow me to touch anything) at Magnum Marine. Magnum Offshore Speed yachts, in my opinion, are the finest offshore power yachts available to fortunate individuals with enough money to afford them.


Magnum was founded in 1966 by Don Aronow who built two hulls specifically for the offshore circuit. He then launched Magnum Marine with these two models – the magnum 27’ and 35’, and both went on to become World Offshore Champions in Open Class racing.

Salon Interior design by Andrew Winch

Magnum changed ownership a couple of years later, remaining a racing boat until 1976 when it was acquired by Marchese Filippo Theodoli, an Italian boat builder, and his wife Katrin. This acquisition brought about major changes making Magnum what it is today: A high performance technology luxury yacht.

Katrin, who since the demise of her husband in 1990 has become the only woman CEO of a high performance boat company, gave me the tour during my first visit to Magnum Marine in Aventura, Florida. The fleet of Magnum boats have made every high-end boating magazine cover including the Robb Report and Forbes.

Timeless Pleasures

About 8 years ago, I became very interested in watches. I'm not talking about the Jacob the Jeweller (NY Jeweler to the Stars) "bling" watches that most Rappers indulge upon and worship. I'm talking about the intricate handmade wonders by the true watchmakers such as Patek Philippe, A. Lange & Sohne, Breguet, IWC as well as others. From the simple time tellers to ones with many complications (complications are mechanical functions other than hours, minutes and seconds).

One of the most prestigious and costly complications to be found on a timepiece is the tourbillon movement (invented in 1795 by Abrahan-Louis Breguet). The tourbillon is an intricate mechanism that eliminates time-keeping errors caused by minute variations that result from shifts in gravity whenever a watch changes position. These watches are sooo expensive, one could buy a house for the same pricetag, or possibly a small mansion somewhere. One example is the Patek Phillipe Sky Moon Tourbillon introduced in 2002 (built on the foundation of the 1933 Star Caliber pocket watch, recently auctioned by Sotheby's for $11million). In a nut shell, the Sky Moon Tourbillon is the most complicated wristwatch produced by Patek. It's a double-faced wristwatch that features a complete presentation of the nocturnal sky on the reverse side that is produced as a limited edition (2 per year) with a price tag of around $800,000 and upwards of $1.2 mil.

My personal favorites are the Breguet and the Lange. Both companies have such great and dynamic histories. Breguet has been around since 1775 with many prominent patrons througout its existence. Royaly such as Marie-Antoiette as well as men and women of power to include Napolean Bonaprte and Winston Churchill have doned the horological artwork. Lange was established in the town of Glashutte in 1845 and was destroyed by Russian bombers in 1945 and restored again in 1990.

Both companies horological masterpieces are on my wish list. Right now I am proud of what I own: A Jaeger-Le Coultre Master Ultra Thin 1000 hours. : )