Looking for that elusive gift for a person who has it all? You’ve come to the right place
As part of Robb Report’s annual Ultimate Gift Guide, our editors have sourced truly incredible luxury objects across categories, from a classic Tiffany & Co. Bird on a Rock brooch by Jean Schlumberger, and a bespoke canoe by master craftsman Trent Preszler. If those don’t catch your eye, how about a rare 19th century French chateau that’s boxed up and ready for delivery anywhere in the world, or perhaps a set of six brass-movement timepieces by legendary watchmaker F.P. Journe? Whatever you choose, you can be sure the recipient will be absolutely blown away (even if that recipient is you).
Design a one-of-a-kind furnishing with Achille Salvagni
A common thread throughout Achille Salvagni’s furniture is that it’s all meticulously crafted by master Italian artisans, some of whom seldom, if ever, lend their talents to any other atelier. One Robb Report reader will have the rare chance to create a custom piece with Salvagni and this exclusive troupe, a roster that includes bronze specialists whose families have worked in the Vatican for generations, and cloistered nuns whose embroidery tradition dates back to the 12th century.
You’ll first travel to London for a one-on-one design consultation with Salvagni at his new atelier in Mayfair. The acclaimed Italian architect and designer will consider every detail, from the best quarry to source stone to the ideal lacquer artist to commission for a cabinet. You’ll get a sneak peek at his next collection before it’s exhibition in his showroom and receive a signed copy of his monograph. The furnishing will take about four months to be completed—this level of craftsmanship can’t be rushed, after all—but you’ll be involved in the creation process via Zoom every step of the way. Prices start from US$35,000 (S$47,811); contact london@achillesalvagni.com for more enquiries.
A Portrait by Fab Gorjian
Fashion fades, but style—and portraiture—is forever. Fab Gorjian is an expert in both: The London-based artist first took up the brush while creating patinas for such esteemed shoemakers as John Lobb and George Cleverely, eventually finding that his true passion was in illustrating menswear, not making it. Gorjian’s signature style is heavily informed by the elegant Art Deco advertisements of the early 20th century, using gouache paints to mimic the graphic look of vintage printed poster and paper ephemera. His dapper designs have been commissioned by many a Savile Row maker, and now he’s offering to immortalise one Robb Report reader in a timelessly handsome painting. After you sit for him in London (or dispatch him to your location), Gorjian will consult with you on the composition before rendering it on a canvas of whatever size you wish, which will be mounted in a one-of-a-kind frame of Gorjian’s design—because truly great style should be commemorated in something more dignified than a selfie. Yours for about US$8,200 (S$11,201), excluding airfare and accommodations: contact ab.gorjian@gmail.com for more information.
Tiffany & Co. Bird on a Rock Brooch by Jean Schlumberger
Over the course of its 184-year-long history, Tiffany & Co. has most often been recognised for its robin’s-egg-blue boxes, its diamond engagement rings or its famed 128-carat yellow diamond, which can be seen adorning Beyoncé’s neck in the company’s current ad campaign. That gem, which is not for sale, having remained in the house’s possession since its acquisition in 1877, once served as the centrepiece of a Jean Schlumberger Bird on a Rock brooch. First conceived by the late designer for Tiffany in 1956, the brooch remains an important historical design from the New York house. Coveted by savvy jewellery collectors, the brooches reserve their perches for some of the company’s more serious gemstones, typically weighing no less than 20 carats.
The piece offered here comes with a sizeable tanzanite, a stone that also has long been entwined with Tiffany. The jeweller introduced (and named) tanzanite in 1968 with a collection that marked the opening of its San Francisco flagship. This Schlumberger brooch, the only one of its kind in the US, features a rare emerald-cut stone over 60 carats and was unveiled in the American Museum of Natural History’s Beautiful Creatures exhibition in Manhattan this year. It sat next to other instantly identifiable animal-themed jewellery such as Belperron’s butterflies and Cartier’s panthers.
Spotting a Tiffany bird in a boutique’s vitrine, however, has become unusual. “You will not see any of these in store for a while,” says the company’s chief gemologist, Victoria Wirth Reynolds. “Recently, [sales] have been direct-to-client. There is a waiting list.”
A Bespoke Canoe by Trent Preszler
As recounted in his best-selling memoir, Little and Often, Trent Preszler built his first canoe after inheriting his estranged father’s toolbox. Today, Preszler custom vessels are intricate, sought-after floating sculptures that combine exotic woods across the hull and interior. His most recent stands at 4.8 metres, weighing about 36 kilograms, but he has built wooden watercraft from 4.2 to six metres in length.
Working with each client to create a one-of-a-kind design, Preszler makes the hull primarily from West African sapele mahogany, and customers can choose a combination of walnut, ash, aspen, Macassar ebony, basswood or Mexican zizicote, among other woods to create a unique look for the hull and interior. The latest generation features waxed hemp and woven-leather seats, as well as a crystal-and-bronze compass.
For Robb Report readers, Preszler will design a striking Viking cutwater for the bow, paired with a baseball-stitched ring tie-down in a metal of the owner’s choice (though corrosion-resistant bronze is his preferred material), and the bronze porthole inside the boat will be custom-engraved. The watercraft’s bent tiger-maple stand with ebony tusk tenons can be reengineered as a wall-hanging bracket to transform the canoe into the centrepiece of any summer home. At just S$170,000, it’s all yours; contact trent@preszlerwoodshop.com for more information.
Editor’s note: This is only available within the USA.
State-of-the-art game table
Hokusai’s The Great Wave may be a famous image, but to the best of our knowledge, it has never served as a template for billiards and poker tables—until now. The curvaceously cantilevered Sonami game table from 11 Ravens rises out of the floor like a particularly shapely wave, lending flair to your football match or panache to your ping-pong.
Inspired by the undulating steel sculptures of Richard Serra, as well as by Hokusai, and cleverly engineered to support a 318-kilogram surface atop a slim base, the table can sit on existing flooring as a standalone furniture piece. For the full sculptural effect, it can also be built into your home during the construction of your floor for a seamlessly contoured installation.
The company was cofounded in 2011 by professional table-tennis player Michael Zaretsky, who also established the Gilbert Table Tennis Center in Los Angeles, and award-winning designer Bernard Semerdjian. Their signature, sleekly designed tables have become fixtures in hotels across the US, and the 11 Ravens customers have included Wayne Gretzky and the late Kobe Bryant.
The new Sonami is available in a variety of styles, including pool, table tennis, foosball, blackjack and shuffleboard—or even as a dining table—and is completely customisable, with a wide selection of high-end finishes to fit your taste and decor. Yours for S$86,000 without installation into flooring, or price upon request for integrated flooring installation; contact info@11Ravens.com for a consultation.
Editor’s note: Integrated flooring installation is only available within the USA.
Jewellery and portrait by Wilfredo Rosado and David LaChapelle
New York–based Puerto Rican jewellery designer Wilfredo Rosado first met photographer David LaChapelle in the early 1980s, when both were members of Andy Warhol’s entourage. Their 40-year friendship underpins this gift, which sees these creative minds partnering on a never-to-be-repeated project for one Robb Report reader.
Rosado is known for his subversive, witty riffs on luxury: Note how he nodded to the chains favored by hip-hop artists in the pearl necklace he designed for Vice President Kamala Harris to wear when she took her oath of office at the 2021 inauguration. He’ll bring that same sensibility to a bespoke piece designed in concert with you, though he won’t simply invite you over to his atelier. Instead, Rosado will whisk you first-class on Emirates to Milan, which he knows well from his former longtime role as Giorgio Armani’s fashion director. After showing off the city, he’ll lead a trip to the jewellery-making center of Valenza, where your piece will be crafted.
Eight weeks later, once the jewel is finished, LaChapelle will take the reins. The photographer, who has captured countless celebrities, from Mariah Carey to Hillary Rodham Clinton, in highly stylized portraits, will conduct a two-day portrait shoot—the ideal time to spotlight that brand-new heirloom-to-be. Hair and makeup, plus a local stylist, will be part of the experience, and when you’re not under the lights, you can relax in your suite at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Rosado and LaChapelle together will host a celebratory dinner to cap off the experience. The personalised framed portrait will be delivered four weeks later. The price of US$600,000 (S$817,680), includes first-class air travel, hotel accommodations, airport transfers, spa service, meals, local transportation and portrait. Jewellery materials and production not included; contact gabriela@wrosado.com for enquiries.
A set of six F. P. Journe brass-movement watches from Watchbox
Watchbox, one of the largest pre-owned watch dealers in the world, is known for having a vault of coveted and collectible models from the hottest independent makers—in addition to the usual suspects from big-name brands. The Philadelphia-based company is offering one Robb Report reader a unique opportunity to acquire a set of six F. P. Journe watches, something even the most connected collectors would be hard-pressed to score in one fell one swoop. The collection includes an Octa Calendrier, a Chronomètre à Résonance, an Octa Chronographe, an Octa Réserve de Marche, a Tourbillon Souverain and an Octa Lune.
“This ultra-rare collection represents the foundation of F. P. Journe as a brand and includes six extraordinary pieces with 38 mm platinum cases, 18-karat yellow- gold dials and brass movements,” says Danny Govberg, cofounder and executive chairman of Watchbox. “F. P. Journe, the man, is one of the finest living watchmakers of our time, and he has rightfully earned the respect of the global watch community. All six of these watches could take years to find and collect individually.”
That may be an understatement given Journe’s skyrocketing trajectory in the marketplace. The company is reportedly nearly sold out of its inventory through 2023, and prices have been exploding on the secondary market: A 38 mm platinum-cased Chronomètre à Résonance “Souscription” from 2000, with an estimate between S$119,134 and S$238,542, sold for S$1,495,000 at Phillips in 2020, and a 38 mm Tourbillon Souverain “Souscription” from 1999, which had a top estimate of S$447,100 went for S$2,0127,40 in the same auction.
The six watches from Watchbox are an exceedingly rare opportunity to own a chunk, rather than a piece, of watchmaking history that, given the current market, may continue to rise in value. Consider the fact that Journe stopped producing yellow-gold dials and brass movements in 2004 and put a halt to 38 mm models in 2015, and you have yourself one of the most exceptional offerings that money can, immediately, buy. Yours for US$3 million (S$4.9 million); contactrr@thewatchbox.com for enquiries.
A wardrobe of bespoke Turnbull & Asser shirts
The foundation of any great outfit is a superlative shirt, and Turnbull & Asser’s are among the finest one can own. Founded in 1885, the British Royal Warranted haberdasher has dressed distinguished men from Winston Churchill to Pablo Picasso and Sean Connery. The brand’s bespoke service represents the very height of its abilities and, exclusively for Robb Report readers, the company will provide a collection of its best shirts, made expressly for you. After a fitting at the New York or London stores, you will make selections from over a thousand fabrics—everything from linen to cashmere flannel—25 collar and cuff options, 20 monogram styles and various collar linings. Your specified designs will be handmade in Turnbull & Asser’s workshops and dispatched to your door, two at a time, every month for a year. Whether you stick to the classics or opt for something unusual in each delivery, you can rest assured that your wardrobe will always be stocked in style. Prices start from US$11,160 (S$15,212); Contact bespoke@turnbullandasser.co.uk or bespoke@turnbullandasser.com for more enquiries.
A golden ticket to a year of RR1 Special Events
Every year, Robb Report curates the finest experiences imaginable for a select group of bon viveurs. This year, we’ve created a golden ticket that grants two people access to all of 2022’s events, normally available only to members of the RR1 private community.
Start your engines in June at California Coastal, a five-day automotive adventure along 965 kilometres of iconic coastline. Each morning drivers will take their favorite car, rally-style, through breathtaking countryside to a new luxury destination. The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is an automotive escape of a more classic kind. In August, you’ll join in that five-day vintage car showcase, enjoying exclusive driving experiences with the world’s top marques.
September brings Dream Machines Las Vegas, an adrenaline-fueled weekend of road-testing elite machines, including a helicopter trip into the Grand Canyon. In October, the world’s best chefs congregate at the Culinary Masters, a foodie festival at the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, with private dining, a golf tournament, a charity auction and a gala dinner.
Next, join a truffle-foraging party in Italy. Finally, in November, test-drive and judge each model in the 20th Car of the Year awards in Napa Valley. Yours for US$100,000 (S$136,300), including airport transportation (not airfare), tickets for two people per experience, food and beverage, two spa treatments per experience. Dates are subject to change, terms and conditions apply; contact carolineb@robbreport.com for more enquiries.
Get a good night sleep with Hästens
Sleep is one of the most important elements of good physical and mental health, but the challenge is in getting those eight hours regularly. It’s a lot easier with a top-of-the-line mattress beneath you, so revered Swedish manufacturer Hästens is offering one Robb Report reader the opportunity to leap-frog the wait list for its premier model—and snag a host of bonus services to further enhance their slumber.
The mattress, dubbed the Grand Vividus, was created in partnership with interior designer Ferris Rafauli, who’s best known for decorating rapper Drake’s over-the-top Toronto digs. Rafauli’s bed is similarly spare-no-expense: The mattress, which has Hästens signature checkerboard pattern, is made with horsehair, wool, cotton and flax. The company will fly you to Miami to take a “test drive” at its Sleep Spa. You’ll also Zoom with psychologist Michael Breus, a sleep expert who has consulted on products and programs for Princess Cruises and Six Senses resorts.
For this exclusive gift, Hästens is committed to helping you rest easy even after you’ve taken delivery. Members of the team will come to massage, flip and rotate the mattress four times a year, scheduled at your discretion, for 25 years after purchase, which helps keep the bed soft and supple, effectively extending its already-long lifespan. The brand’s wellness experts will also be at your disposal; you can arrange for 10 home appointments that run the gamut from acupuncture to yoga and life coaching. And, for a firsthand look at how Grand Vividus is made (it takes 600 hours altogether), a trip to the Hästens factory in Sweden is also included. Yours for S$691,000; contact miami@hastensstores.com for more enquiries.
A rare French château, boxed up and ready for delivery
Once upon a time, American industrialists of the Gilded Age could tour Europe snapping up a crumbling French monastery here, a neglected Venetian palazzo there, and have them rebuilt back home. Today, such architectural shopping sprees are constrained by European Union cultural-protection laws, which typically forbid the export of national treasures.
A Robb Report reader, however, has a unique opportunity to play the modern-day Rockefeller and import a rare neoclassical château from France for reconstruction in their own backyard. The 14,000-square-foot building is exempt from the French cultural-export ban because it was dismantled in 1989, three years before the relevant laws took effect.
Alisanne Frew, an American antiques dealer who specialises in sourcing French architectural materials (her company is called Alisanne Wonderland), discovered the château’s stones boxed up in a Bordeaux warehouse in late 2020. The owners, aristocrats whose great-grandfather had built it as a hunting lodge in 1890, sold the contents and disassembled the building when they could no longer afford to maintain it. The stonemason who took it apart by hand cataloged 5,389 hand-carved limestone blocks and decorative features, which collectively weigh around 812 kilograms and are stored on 432 pallets, ready to ship anywhere in the world.
The stonework consists of the four complete facades of the original château. The front and back each measure 134 feet wide and feature pediments. The remaining facades are 45 feet wide, and the tallest point is 46 feet high. The roof terraces include balustrades. Frew has recruited a team of expert craftsmen who, for an additional fee, can reassemble the walls along with a new interior in matching Bordeaux limestone, or as freestanding palatial elements in a garden, or reconfigured as part of an expanded estate compound.
Frew, who guarantees compliance with French law, believes it is the only period château available to leave France. She is offering it exclusively until January 31. Prospective buyers are invited to visit Bordeaux to inspect the warehouse and meet her team and the 88-year-old stonemason who dismantled the château more than three decades ago. US$7.5 million (S$10.2 million) for the sale and shipping to agreed-upon international port, reconstruction not included; contact alisannefrew@me.com for more enquiries.
Commission your dream motorcycle
A custom, hand-built motorcycle has a spirit unlike any off-the-shelf bike. Revival Cycles in Austin, Texas—among the most accomplished custom-motorcycle fabricators in the world—is offering one Robb Report reader the opportunity to jump to the head of a multiyear queue. The experience begin when you meet the team, take a shop tour, then sit down for a design kick-off session with Revival founder and CEO Alan Stulberg to chart the course of your dream build over the next 12 months.
After a personal fitting to determine the perfect size and stretch of the bike, you’ll select the style and engine type, dialing in the frame, bodywork, exhaust and accessories to establish the aesthetic direction of your one-of-one creation. You’ll be involved throughout the entire design and build process, going behind the scenes via professional video and photography (or visiting in person) to observe the welding, machining, mechanical assembly, metal fabrication and painting.
Upon completion, you’ll don your new custom leathers, gloves, boots and Hedon helmet painted to match the bike—naturally—and a professional photographer will capture your long-anticipated moment of delivery. Then you have two equally exciting choices: Experience either a private track day with Revival Cycles at Circuit of the Americas or enjoy a scenic ride with Stulberg through Austin’s hill country on some of the best motorcycle roads in the US.
And in April 2023, you and your bike will return to Austin, where your creation—securely transported there and back—will be exhibited at the world-renowned Handbuilt Motorcycle Show. There you’ll be presented with your Supporter Gift Box and participate in the Builder’s Circle with collectors and industry celebrities. For US$500,000 (S$682,000), it includes first-class airfare and five-star accommodations for the initial meeting and the Handbuilt Show 2023; contact custom@revivalcycles.com for more enquiries.
Editor’s note: This is only available within the USA.
A limited-edition pen by Pineider
Founded in Florence in 1774, Pineider was the stationer of choice for the likes of Napoleon and Lord Byron. Since then, the firm’s sleek writing instruments, which are still hand-crafted in Tuscany, have been regarded as one of the most refined ways of putting ink to paper. The latest entrant to its collection is the Taormina, a fountain pen inspired by the dynamic designs of Italian Futurism. It features a body in pearlized, ultra-durable resin, a large, flexible quill nib in 18-karat rose gold and Pineider’s patented magnetic lock closure. The limited-edition run of 50 pieces will be released in February, but Robb Report readers are being given access to the first five models now. Whether or not you opt for the “RR” engraving alongside the edition number on each cap, this is a writing instrument fit for the most discerning stylophiles—a pen mighty enough to persuade you to transcribe your thoughts in a notebook rather than on a screen. Yours for US$995 (S$1,356); contact rockcenter@pineider.com for more enquiries.
A rare Bovet Récital 26 Brainstorm Chapter Two and private visit to the Swiss Headquarters
The independent watchmaker Bovet is offering one Robb Report reader the opportunity to acquire its Bovet Récital 26 Brainstorm Chapter Two Sunshine—an ultra-complicated timepiece that is fifth in a series limited to just seven worldwide. The model’s convex yellow dial, set within a sloped full-sapphire crystal case, is positioned at 12 o’clock and was inspired by the sun at its zenith as it appears in the sky above the brand’s manufacture in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. A Super-LumiNova treatment allows the dial to absorb sunlight by day and transform into a glowing green hue by night.
But this piece is much more than just a luminous face. It packs serious watchmaking gravitas recognized by the Grand Prix de la Haute Horlogerie (aka the Oscars of horology) with the award for Mechanical Exception. It comes with four different patents: for its double-face flying tourbillon; a radial guidance system, which increases the power reserve to five days; a writing slope case; and a 3-D V-shaped needle at three o’clock that indicates the time zone of the collector’s choice. The universal time-zone function, however, allows for a reading of 24 time zones simultaneously. It also sports a 3-D moon phase at nine o’clock. Flip it over and you will find the hand-engraved movement in full view, and as a bonus, Bovet will custom-engrave the piece with your initials.
To bring its exceptional craftsmanship and technical expertise full circle, Bovet will also arrange a three-day, two-night reception at the Château de Môtiers, the company’s unique manufacture, set within a 14th-century castle on a hilltop overlooking the scenic landscape of Val-de-Travers in Neuchâtel, to see its artisans and watchmakers in action. The trip also comes with the chance to meet the lord of the manor, owner Pascal Raffy, who, as a collector himself, is known for being deeply passionate and can speak about his watches in a way that is as vibrant and poetic as the timepieces themselves.
The offer is valid through January and includes business-class travel from the US to Geneva. The client must communicate travel plans 30 days in advance of departure. Blackout dates, including weekends and summer, may apply. Prices start at US$409,000 (S$558,000), excluding sales tax and GST; contact bovet.northamerica@bovet.com for more enquiries.
Editor’s note: This is only available within the USA.
Portraits of you and your pet by a top animal photographer
Jim Dratfield specializes in capturing the grace, humor and character of horses and pets in spirited color and black-and-white portraits. His photographs have been exhibited in galleries throughout the country, and he counts Elton John, Jennifer Aniston, Laura Dern, Billy Joel, Charlize Theron and their animal companions among his clientele.
Dratfield’s latest project, a coffee-table book titled Her Horse, is an exploration and veneration of the relationship between horses and their female owners, featuring actresses (Dratfield is a former actor) as well as prominent equestrians such as Olympic silver medalist Jessica Springsteen and Georgina Bloomberg, who wrote the foreword.
For Robb Report readers who similarly wish to encapsulate and celebrate their own love of horses—or any pet—Dratfield will travel to your home or a location of your choice in the continental US, where he will spend half a day photographing you and your animal companions. You will receive three portraits from the sitting suitable for hanging, including one in a contemporary black frame. The package also features two limited-edition signed prints from Dratfield’s collection of dog, cat and horse photographs and an autographed copy of Her Horse, published by G Editions. Yours for US$7,500 (S$10,200); contact fulfillment@geditions.com for more enquiries.
Editor’s note: This is only available within the USA.
A set of Buccellati dominoes in solid silver
Mario Buccellati may have been nicknamed the Prince of Goldsmiths after rising to prominence in the ’20s, but he was just as celebrated for his intricately crafted silver objects as for his gilded jewels. Today the family-run firm keeps the tradition alive with an array of decorative designs and, most recently, some exquisite additions to game night. After introducing high-rolling backgammon set in 2017, Buccellati is now offering to create a one-of-a-kind set of dominoes with sleek, solid sterling-silver tiles housed in a glossy wood box, all made by hand at the company’s Milanese workshops for one Robb Report reader. Regardless of your skill, these pips will certainly step up your game. Yours for US$17,000 (S$23,200).
