With hundreds of luxury accommodations accessible to you as a benefit when you join our flight club we wanted to find some of the best places you can enjoy your champagne. Luckily for us Alux curated the top 10 destinations to drink champagne. If you're ready to find out the full benefits of our flight club, let's discuss CONTACT US
The Manhattan is Embraer’s latest creation after hits such as the Japanese-inspired Kyoto Airship, the Brazil-meets-Texas Skyranch One and the celebrity-hailing Hollywood Airship. The concept aircraft is the brainchild of Embraer interior design head Jay Beever and former Disney Imagineer Eddie Sotto, who infused the fuselage with elements characteristic of Art Deco’s jewelry, buildings and furniture.
The result is a highly bespoke interior that comes with a price tag of $83 million, which includes $53 million for the Embraer’s iconic Lineage 1000E, the backbone and bearer of the Manhattan.
Lineage 1000E’s Manhattan edition, which boasts a range of close to 5,300 miles, easily accommodates between 13 to 19 passengers, who, upon entry, step into an upscale lounge instead of a galley. Next to it is a Cloud Club, complete with fold-away bar stools.
Read Full Article: HauteTime
Gulfstream has created one of the most impressive business jets on the market by adding an Extended Range prefix to the end of its G650,
With its legendary G650, Gulfstream already had a world-class private jet on its books. However, as the business world becomes even more unified, the need for a luxury bird with transoceanic capabilities becomes all the more important, and so, the G650ER was born. The ER (Extended Range) is a real technological showcase; a flying apartment, that can get you from Hong Kong to New York, Los Angeles to Melbourne, or Dubai to Atlanta in complete luxury and very quickly.
Two huge Rolls-Royce BR725 make the most of the ER’s 27,442kg fuel load, enabling her to travel 7,500 nautical miles, at Mach 0.85, with eight passengers and four crew on board. To put this into perspective, Airbus’ giant, the A380 can travel only 1000 nautical miles more at the same speed with 361,000kg of fuel in her wings. This sort of range makes Sydney a viable business trip from Dallas, or Riyadh.
There is another bonus to that fuel capacity though. With a 46,992kg maximum takeoff weight, that extra fuel can be swapped for heavier payload for shorter trips, with a top speed of Mach 0.90 achieved during short haul, low-weight missions. It also has the ability to fly between 41,000 and 51,000 feet – much higher than the weather and the crowded 39,000 feet altitude inhabited by the world’s commercial airliners.
Inside the ER, that high altitude cruise speed goes completely unnoticed by its passengers. In fact, the pressure isn’t felt at all. The air in the cabin gets replenished with 100% fresh air every two minutes, with an overall cabin altitude (air pressure) of 4,060 feet at an altitude of 45,000 feet. For the layperson, the higher the cabin altitude, the less oxygen is taken up by the blood, and the more gases within the body expand. The ER has a cabin altitude almost two times lower than that of a conventional airliner, which means passengers touchdown feeling more refreshed and alert.
The G650’s cabin also plays a part with how chilled you are on landing. Available with a choice of 12 predefined floorplans, the ER has a layout to suite any need, from single businessperson, up to a 19-player football team. Customisation is also a large part of Gulfstream ownership with any request, from a private master suite to a large conference room, realised at the factory.
With the Gulfstream Cabin Management System (GCMS) taking care of the inflight entertainment, long distance flights on board the G650ER can be as relaxed as needs be. But, as time is money, the ER’s two multichannel satellite communications systems and a wireless local network means that travelers can stay as connected on board as they are on the ground.
The Gulfstream G650ER is a remarkable business jet and one that has been racking up record after record – the recent Singapore to Las Vegas, 8,010 nautical miles nonstop, in just over 14 hours is mind-blowing. The business world has suddenly become a very small place.
Origin: Haute Time
Roger Dubuis releases it's third version of a new (limited) edition Excalibur Knights of the Round Table. Limited to 28 pieces
Roger Dubuis uses pink gold to craft the knights from, and despite their polygonal appearance it takes dedicated craftsmanship and a lot of patience to create each of them. All twelve of them are also finished to perfection before they take their place at the round table inside the 45mm Excalibur case. Each dial takes on average 45 hours to complete.
As is traditional with the ‘Knights of the Round Table’ editions of Roger Dubuis, it has the pledge engraved on it, along with a blue, transparent case back with below it Calibre RD 821. This self-winding movement is made in-house by Roger Dubuis, has a power reserve of 48 hours and comes with the prestigious Geneva Seal, testifying further for its exquisite make and finish.
Read Full Article: Haute Time
The independent, international jury of the prestigious Red Dot Award has announced the HYT H0 timepiece as one of its 2018 winners. This unique union between fluid technology and the flow of time, with its patented fluidic module, impressed with its high design quality among submissions from 59 countries. The prize will be presented at a special gala in Essen on July 9, 2018. This date also marks the opening of a related exhibition in the city’s Red Dot Design Museum, the largest museum for contemporary design worldwide. The H0 Black will feature in the Red Dot Design Yearbook, on https://red-dot-21.com and in the accompanying app. HYT is proud that the product it regards as the purest expression of its technical expertise and philosophy on time’s passage has achieved this best-in-class status.
HYT was born of a question. Time flows and only gains meaning through content. So why limit its measurement to indicating the now in splendid isolation, with needle-sharp hands or fleeting digital displays? Determined that its rebellion should make statements and waves, a multi-disciplinary think-tank set out to create timepieces that visibly connect the past, present and future. The HYT answer is a watch that overcomes the force of gravity to indicate the passage of time with liquids. Highly advanced technology took its cue from philosophy to mirror time’s intrinsic fluidity.
The rest is history. To be precise, it’s history that began 3,400 years ago with the Clepsydras, or water clocks, of the Pharaohs. These so-called “water thieves” transported H2O from one container to another to measure elapsed or “stolen” time. This meaningful visualization of the transition of time seemingly disappeared until 2012, when HYT broke new scientific ground, inventing a wristwatch integrating a patented fluidic module. A colored liquid documents the recent past; a transparent fluid indicates the foreseeable future. Their meeting point is a meniscus, aka the now.
Today HYT is an ecosystem that unites science, hi-technology, philosophy, art and design. Based in Neuchâtel, at the heart of the traditional Swiss watchmaking region, a dedicated team of 43 individuals makes liquid time real time. Their radical wristwatches harmoniously incorporate a mechanical watch movement as the trigger to the fluid propulsion. They make total sense of time – time and time again.
Music producer and all-around multi-talent Swizz Beatz has also expanded the collection he made in collaboration with Zenith. Next to the diamond set titanium Defy El Primero 21, he now added a Defy El Primero 21 to his collection made from white ceramic, which looks particularly stunning in combination with the orange details. The same can be said for the Defy Zero G, featuring the unique complication which Zenith redevised from the original version.
acob & Co thought that the Twin Turbo, with two triple-axis tourbillons and a minute repeater which was introduced in 2006, could be made more complicated and the result is the Twin Turbo Furious. With redesigned tourbillons, the watch now also features a monopusher chronograph. While that alone would be too simple for the watchmakers at Jacob & Co, so they also included a clever device in which you can set a reference time, for example for your fastest lap on a race track, and race against this time. At the end, you can simply see how many seconds you went under or over.
Crafted from Fairmined gold, the Chopard All-in-One is sustainable in more than one way. This highly complicated watch combines a perpetual calendar, with a tourbillon, orbital moon-phase display, equation of time, sunrise- and sunset time. But perhaps most impressive is that despite all these complications, Chopard was still able to give it a seven day power reserve!
The GyroGraff Drive is Graff sharing its passion for cars through intricate miniature paintings on the dial, combined with exclusive complications. Cleverly integrated into the scene on the dial is not only a triple-axis tourbillon but also a three dimensional moon phase hand carved from 18 karat gold. But the work of art also extends to the bezel, where 7.73 carats of diamonds are expertly set, so that no metal shows. A masterpiece in every sense of the word!
Bulgari is also using carbon this year, for their Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater Carbon nonetheless! Not only the case of this ultra-thin minute repeater is crafted from this material, but also the dial, and even the bracelet. The result is a featherlight watch, yet a heavy weight horological piece of art. The minute repeater sounds actually even better in the new carbon case, which is quite an achievement, as it already sounded amazing in the titanium version that was introduced in 2016.
Keeping a private plane on hand is a costly business that even the mega wealthy may not indulge in.
According to new research, the cost of owning and maintaining a private jet is so great that the estimated mean average wealth of such a person is calculated at around $1.5 billion. Much less than that and the numbers simply don't stack up.
For example, a long-range Falcon 2000DX is estimated to cost around $40 million, and that's only the upfront purchase price. This has led to the rise of alternative models such as a membership program, fractional ownership or buying by the hour.
But why even use a private jet? Could first class commercial travel not offer all the comfort needed, at a fraction of the cost?
It doesn't matter if you are seat 1A in first class, as you will still have to be processed through security. Ultra-High Net Worth individuals (those with more than $30 million in assets) are not comfortable to wait around, according to the survey, and appreciate that they can drive right up and fly at a moment's notice.
Other perceived savings come in the form of purchasing and booking time as well as the logic that private aviation can save time if the final destination is near a smaller airfield.
The rich can often be fastidious about controlling elements of their life and travel is a common concern. One VistaJet customer noted that if a meeting overran, it provided no stress as the jet would be there waiting.
The drive for control also extended to the on-board experience. Many flyers said they want the experience to be an extension of their normal lifestyle. They don't view private jet travel as a luxury experience and rarely drink champagne.
Report co-author Winston Chesterfield noted that one private jet flyer liked to know that if he wanted a burger and fries, it was not going to be a problem.
Managing risk is a common skill for the wealthy and often a high-end traveller will consider private travel to be safer than a commercial offering. The report claimed that the two dominant factors are the age of the plane and the visual condition of both its exterior and cabin.
The report said that many wealthy individuals don't like to travel on older aircraft and that commercial airlines cannot guarantee a newer plane.
One person quoted in the survey said that the presentation of the plane and staff was important because it suggested a high level of care was also being placed on operation and maintenance.
A private jet allows individuals to fly without being recognized. Many clients are operating under a corporate banner and business trips involving well-known executives can be conducted in relative secrecy.
Jet owners also said they feel more secure as they have full control over the pilot and other staff on the aircraft. This of course is less obvious on a membership or fractional ownership basis but can be achieved to a degree.
There is one big downside, however, as full ownership of a plane means that as it flies around, others will know who is likely on board and where they are going.
There is no comparison between private jet travel and commercial airlines when it comes to cost. And the survey found that, even if affordable, a private flight was not always preferred.
The report suggested many private flyers see the benefit of private aviation for domestic flights within the U.S. or across Europe.
But when it comes to longer flights, however, often commercial is winning out among those surveyed. Many noted that loyalty rewards for first class travel can be very generous and can be used to offset future costs.
Private jet flyers are separated into three groups in the report. Owners, who own all or part of an aircraft; members who are part of a private-flying program; and the rest who may use a variety of methods to fly — including using first class commercial.
The report found that a typical traveler in all three segments would be overwhelmingly male (around 90 percent) and has about a one-in-five likelihood of working within the finance world.
Other well represented industries included real estate, industrial conglomerates and technology.
The mean average age ranged from 65 for full owners, 61 for members and 60 for the rest.
Three out of four jet owners have self-made wealth, while the figure falls to around two-in-three for the other segments.
The mean average wealth for a jet owner was $1.5 billion, £1.1 billion for members and $670 million for those who mix between charter and commercial first class.
As tree-to-bar chocolate makers, To'ak draws heavily from the techniques and tradition of both winemakers and whisky distilleries. As with wine, the flavor characteristics of dark chocolate vary according to the soil and climate in which the cacao was grown. At To’ak, they make their chocolate to express the land and weather idiosyncrasies of each specific year.
To’ak was born from a rainforest conservation project that co-founder Jerry Toth started in Ecuador in 2007. Through his nonprofit foundation Third Millennium Alliance (TMA), he helped create the Jama-Coaque Ecological Reserve, which currently protects over 560 hectares (1,400 acres) of tropical forest along the coastal mountain range. It was here that he began cultivating cacao trees and making chocolate by hand in a thatched bamboo house secluded in the middle of the forest.
Part of their technique is the matter of applying barrels or other aging vessels in combination with Time. As they've learned from whisky makers, about 70% of the flavor of a well-aged whisky is derived from the barrel in which it was aged. Extractable flavor compounds in the barrel are what give the whisky its defining features. To’ak is the first tree-to-bar chocolate maker that comprehensively applies this principle to chocolate.
In the middle of each To’ak chocolate bar is a single roasted cacao bean, which co-founders Carl and Jerry hand-select themselves. "We recognize there is a tendency to forget that chocolate is ultimately derived from the fruit of a tree. It is our wish to share with connoisseurs the opportunity to taste the true source of chocolate and its most fundamental element—the cacao bean itself. Although the bean inevitably expresses some of its inherent bitterness, it also reveals the more robust, unprocessed elements of its essential flavor, with a rich nutty undertone. We believe that tasting the actual cacao bean is a crucial step toward the understanding of chocolate from a deeper perspective."
Purchase To'ak Here: Experience Chocolate
Amanera was designed by architect John Head to blend with its natural surroundings. Hidden amongst more than 2,170 acres of dense jungle, Amanera is also situated against the stretch of golden sands that make up Playa Grande, one of the most scenic beaches in the Dominican Republic. A small operation with just 25 accommodations, the resort stays true to Aman’s central theme of minimalistic luxury. Dine on dishes inspired by local ingredients at The Restaurant, which overlooks the mile-long crescent beach, book a sábila aloe vera body wrap at the Amanera Wellness Casa, or reserve a tee time at the meticulously-kept Ree Jones golf course above the coastline.
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The heat is on for ardent lovers of HYT timepieces. Exclusively available in the HYT Pop Up Store Miami Design District, the H0 FEEL THE HYT edition is unfazed by rising temperatures. A patented thermal compensator inside every HYT watch ensures that liquid expansion due to temperature variation never gets in the way of time’s fluidity. An horological complication in its own right, this breakthrough technology connects art and science without any risk of getting its fingers burned. Red, the color of fire, and 18k gold with 2N purity, reflecting the power of the sun, work their magic on a creation that instantly puts Miami on watch aficionados’ radars.
Ensuring the accuracy of the red and transparent fluids that document time’s passage in the capillary tube “vein” is a third liquid in a vital component working behind the scenes. This elegant solution is contained in a small bellow within one of the main bellows of the patented fluidic module. The liquid celebration represented by H0 FEEL THE HYT edition undoubtedly has scientific and aesthetic roots. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that an invention born in a high-tech laboratory slots in perfectly to a neighborhood where design decides. The subtly curved dial surface confirms the duality. A wave pattern and power reserve display with droplet-style decoration echo the intrinsic theme of going with the flow.
Visually speaking, the H0 FEEL THE HYT edition is totally hot. A gold opaline dial has engraved markers and numerals with white Super-LumiNova®, as do the brushed and micro-blasted counters. Spanning the three sub-dials is the watch’s name in confident capitals. Its crowning glory is a sumptuous red alligator pattern leather strap with a gold and titanium folding buckle. Cooling things down slightly are grey minute and second hands. This watch can certainly take the heat. And true fans will go through fire and water to get hold of one.
For the last three years, every classic car that has won “Best of Show” from prestigious concours is then judged head-to-head against all the other global winners to be named “Best of the Best.” The award is a little bit like an All-Star game, except these stars come from Amelia Island, Goodwood, Quail, Pebble Beach, Concorso d’Eleganza, and other car shows around the world. The goal is to see which one rides at the absolute pinnacle of any of the classic vehicles displayed that year.
On Wednesday evening, a 1936 Bugatti Type 57 SC Coupé Atlantic owned by car connoisseur Peter Mullin won the award for top vintage car of 2017. The honor is sponsored by the Hong Kong-based Peninsula Hotels chain, and this year, the gala celebration of the honor was held at the Peninsula Paris.
The winner of the Chantilly Arts & Elégance Richard Mille concours in France, this Bugatti is one of only three extant road-going versions of this seminal French supercharged supercar. This particular vehicle was sold new to a scion of the baronial Rothschild family, and passed through a few hands before being acquired by Peter Mullin for his Mullin Automotive museum in Oxnard, Calif., for a reported sum of over $30 million. Its Streamline Moderne styling is capped by an external riveted seam that runs the length of the car, a distinctive vestige of the un-weldable (flammable!) alloy from which racing versions of the same design were made.
Read full article on all the these vintage cars at Bloomberg Pursuits
West coast beaches that stretch for miles, the bustling nightlife in St. Lawrence Gap, generous opportunities to enjoy the Caribbean waters and comfortable temperatures are just a handful of the reasons that vacationers continue to pack their bags for Barbados. The energetic island culture lends itself well to the accommodations at Sandy Lane, where guests have been pampered since 1961. The hotel gives Modern Connoisseur Flight Club Members an intimate yet lively Caribbean haven. Stay at the award-winning resort, voted the best in Barbados by Travel + Leisure, and you won't need to go far to find activities for the entire family or group.
The Luxury Ocean Room enjoys stunning beach and ocean views, a private covered patio, and an oversized private bathroom just steps from the sand.
You’ll find the Ocean Room in Sandy Lane’s Turtle Wing near the main resort entrance. Beach and ocean views await you in this comfortable 707-square-foot room made for two. Enjoy a private covered patio and a deep soaking tub also steps from the sand.
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With Modern Connoisseur Flight Club you have the option of trading in flight hours for accommodations at luxury hotels and villas around the world. We want to share with you one of our beautiful locations, Hermitage Bay in Antigua and Barbuda.
Perched on the lush hillside with magnificent panoramic views of the bay, Nevis, and Montserrat, the Hillside Pool Suite features a poolside sun deck, a covered patio with dining area, and en suite bathroom. An all-inclusive experience guarantees comfort and luxury during your stay.
In the Beachfront Suite, enjoy stand-alone beachfront accommodations with stunning panoramic views of the bay with St. Kitts and Nevis on the horizon. With an open, split-level floor plan and a sitting area with a coffee table and sofa, you can enjoy your Caribbean getaway in both style and comfort.
To find out how you can stay at this luxurious hotel as part of our flight club CONTACT US
Marina-Mansion is well known for being the market leader in luxury Real Estate in Marbella. The properties they control are in prestigious locations sought out by high net worth individuals, areas such as costa del sol, including Puerto Banus, La Zagaleta, Marbella’s Golden Mile, Sierra Blanca, Marbella Club, Puente Romano, El Madronal, Los Monteros, Gualdalmina Baja, New Golden Mile, La Quinta and Nueva Andalucia.
Marina Mansion are professionals in the market with over 20 years experience, and they stand by their highest ethical standards in ensuring consumer confidence. You will enjoy safe, secure and professional service with folks at Marina Mansion.
Visit their offerings at: Marina-Mansion
Audemars Piguet, the Swiss maker of the rugged Royal Oak watch, plans to open standalone stores to buy and sell secondhand timepieces, seeking more control over its products throughout their life cycle as the industry looks for new sources of growth.
The preowned business could be 10 to 20 times the size of the market for new watches, Chief Executive Officer Francois-Henry Bennahmias said at a show in Geneva. Until now it’s mostly been left to auction houses, independent local shops and online platforms like Amazon.com Inc. and eBay Inc., with Swiss brands focusing on building an aura of exclusivity around their new creations.
“We have to recapture that market, because we believe we can do that better,” he said in an interview at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie.
Switzerland’s four-century-old watchmaking industry is experimenting with new strategies after a multiyear slump that came amid a crackdown on corruption in China and the rise of the smartwatch. Last year’s export growth of about 3 percent was a far shot from the double-digit pace of the previous decade.
Audemars Piguet, which makes around 40,000 new timepieces annually and is one of an increasingly rare breed of large independent watchmakers in an industry dominated by Richemont, Swatch Group AG and Rolex, will open stores selling used models of its own brand within three years, Bennahmias said. The brand has tested the concept at a store in Geneva’s Grand Hotel Kempinski, and it plans to start trials in the U.S. and Japan.
It’s not the only brand looking into the secondhand business. Jean-Claude Biver, head of LVMH watch brands TAG Heuer, Hublot and Zenith, has said he’s considering entering the market.
Read Full Article: Bloomberg
One of the biggest diamonds in history has been discovered in the mountainous kingdom of Lesotho in southern Africa.
Gem Diamonds Ltd. found the 910-carat stone, about the size of two golf balls, at its Letseng mine in the country. It’s a D color Type IIa diamond, which means it has very few or no nitrogen atoms and is one of the most expensive stones. The diamond is the fifth-biggest ever found.
The Letseng mine is famous for the size and quality of the diamonds it produces and has the highest average selling price in the world. Gem sold a 357-carat stone for $19.3 million in 2015 and in 2006 found the 603-carat Lesotho Promise.
“This exceptional top-quality diamond is the largest to be mined to date and highlights the unsurpassed quality of the Letseng mine,” Chief Executive Officer Clifford Elphick said in a statement
Gem’s mega discovery follows news last week that it had found 117-carat and 110-carat stones.The biggest diamond discovered is the 3,106-carat Cullinan, found near Pretoria, in South Africa, in 1905. It was cut to form the Great Star of Africa and the Lesser Star of Africa, which are set in the Crown Jewels of Britain. Lucara’s 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona is the second-biggest, with the 995-carat Excelsior and 969-carat Star of Sierra Leone the third- and fourth-largest.
Read More: Bloomberg
Professionals, journalists, collectors and watch enthusiasts will travel from all four corners of the globe to be in Geneva from the 15th to the 19th January, 2018 for the 28th Salon International De La Haute Horlogerie, the most anticipated event in Fine Watchmaking. Members of the public will have the opportunity to attend Open Day on Friday 19th January. Tickets can be purchased directly from their website: SIHH
If you're in need of chartering a jet out to Geneva kindly get in contact with us here: Jet Charter
The Macallan Sherry Oak 40 Years Old - 2017 Release is a new limited edition single malt which marks the pinnacle of the Sherry Oak range. This is the third non-vintage release of a 40 years old expression from The Macallan.
This rare single malt was matured for 40 years in an intriguing combination of three different types of sherry-seasoned cask to create its distinctive style - complex, with a natural deep copper colour, and rich and intense character defined by dried fruits, ginger, wood spice and cinnamon.
This highly collectable release of only 465 bottles is available from December 2017 in select locations worldwide including the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa; as well as exclusive airport retail stores and The Macallan Distillery. A small number of bottles will also be available through The Macallan Online Shop in 2018 with delivery to selected countries.
