In our weekly series, we bring you the latest in luxury news around the world. This week’s highlights: Orient Star introduces the M34 F8 Skeleton Hand Winding model, Dior’s necklace for Marc Jacobs’ 40th, and Maserati enters a GEN4 Era
COMO Group launches a new cookbook
When founder Christina Ong launched her first hotel in 1993 (The Halkin, London), it was complemented by a passion for delivering great food inspired by her travels. Since then, the COMO Hotels and Resorts brand have expanded to 18 properties worldwide, with a growing network of chefs that has contributed to the COMO definition of what good food stands for. This approach to deliciousness is now distilled into a new cookbook, COMO Simple, which features Ong’s favourite recipes simplified for the home cook. The repertoire includes salads, soups, meats and fish, such as South Indian curries you’d find at COMO’s Maldives resorts, nasi goreng from Bali and Malcolm Lee’s (Candlenut; Pangium) famous crab and pork ball soup. Yours for S$95.
Audemars Piguet launches AP House Seoul
Audemars Piguet just launched its first Korean flagship in Seongsu-dong on 22 November 2024. Located on the renowned Cheongdam Fashion Street, a hotspot for locals, tourists and celebrities, the six-storey complex is home to a boutique, an AP House and a customer service centre. It will be the ultimate Audemars Piguet destination in the region, welcoming watch enthusiasts and novices with tailor-made services and experiences, and a seamless blend of Swiss heritage and Korean culture.
Bottega Veneta recreates Richard Scarry’s children’s book
Bottega Veneta’s latest pre-spring offering is no child’s play, but expect the most unexpected in the form of Richard Scarry’s Biggest Word Book Ever (1985), a book the height of a toddler. Reimagined with a woven leather cover, the 62.5 x 52.5cm book, which features reprints of the original, comes along with a colourful striped Intrecciato Dust Bag, red belt, striped leather bag charm and other accessories.
Orient Star introduces the M34 F8 Skeleton Hand Winding model
Orient Star just launched the M34 F8 Skeleton Hand Winding, a stylish and modern timepiece that’s perfect for any time, any day. Inspired by the starlight that illuminates outer space, the watch features a grey skeleton movement that expresses the vastness of space and a blue gradation outer ring that symbolises the shining light. A grey plated bezel further symbolises the boundless universe. Limited to 100 pieces, the M34 F8 also comprises a hand-winding movement that’s accurate to +15 to -5 seconds a day, a silicon escape wheel and 70-hour power reserve.
A necklace for Marc Jacobs’ 40th
In honour of the 40th anniversary of the Marc Jacobs brand, creative director Kim Jones has created a necklace inspired by the iconic universe of the American designer. Distinguished by his signature styles with luxurious details, the necklace composes of a voluminous curved chain, delicate crystal tassels and the initials ‘CD’ and ‘MJ’ crafted into balloon shapes. Limited to just 20 pieces.
Maserati enters a GEN4 Era
As a way to emphasise the importance of Maserati’s electric platform, Maserati will be continue being manufacturer of the GEN4 generation of cars at the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship this Season 13 (2026/2027). Since Season 11 in November, there’s been a significant increase in performance, as seen in the GEN3 Evo. Think an output of up to 350kW, four-wheel drive at full power (at times) and an acceleration from 0 to 100 km/hr in 1.82 seconds, which is 36 per cent faster than its predecessor.
“… The bond between the track and the road is unbreakable, and the evolution of the single-seaters shows how many possibilities for development electric mobility holds. We will continue to draw major developments from the races in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, to transfer them into our 100 per cent electric range that now consists of the Grecale Folgore SUV, the iconic GranTurismo Folgore and the GranCabrio Folgore convertible,” says Maserati CEO Santo Ficilli.
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