Graff Unveils The Most Valuable, And Quite Possibly The Ugliest, Watch In The World.

At this year's Baselworld, the annual horology show, Graff unseated Hublot as having the world's most expensive watch.

A $16.3 Million Solid Gold Bassinet and Luxury Cribs For The Insanely Indulged Infant.

Dear Celine Dion... just kidding. But clearly I'm hanging out with the wrong crowd because I don't know many -if any- parents who can spoil their kids with products like these. Baby furniture and accessories company Suommo, who I first introduced you to in 2010 with their modern white baby furnishings, is now touting themselves as 'luxury for baby' with fewer products, but far fancier ones- all designed by Ximo Talamantes.

High Tech Desk With High Price Tag Has High Hopes: The Stir Kinetic Desk

Many of us spend a good portion of our waking hours at desks, using computers and other devices to communicate and collaborate with the world around us. The folks at Stir felt that there was an incredible opportunity to re-imagine the desk as something powerful, life-changing and even lovable and that's how they came up with the pricey $3,890 Stir Kinetic Desk.



The people behind Stir are from places you’ve heard of: Apple, Disney, and IDEO to name a few. This includes industrial designers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, software developers, user-interface designers, marketers, media folks, and a whole bunch of smart business creators.

In recent news Stir has secured $1.5 million in a seed funding round led by Vegas TechFund and Zach Ware. Josh Makower, John R. Woodard, Richard Klein, and other Apple alumni also contributed to the round, according to TechCrunch.

The startup will use the new capital for the expansion of its production and distribution. It will also develop more ways to increase the functionality of the kinetic desk, the report added.

So what makes an almost $4000 desk a worthwhile investment?



Here's how it works:
The Stir Kinetic Desk is driven by software, and adapts to your work style. It knows when you arrive, and tracks standing time and extra calories burned.


The Stir Kinetic Desk also learns from your patterns and preferences. In active mode, the Whisperbreath feature gently moves the desk up and down one inch, inviting you to change position. It’s a gentle, tactile reminder to breathe deeply and change things up. The desk learns when it’s best to remind you, so that being more active is effortless.



Beneath the desk’s sleek exterior, sophisticated electronics learn users’ patterns and preferences and coordinate the desk functions with user goals. A presence sensor identifies when a user is at the desk so that calorie burn and percent-standing metrics are accurate. A database tracks each user’s goals and progress and automatically invites movement at appropriate times. The “active mode” switch on the front of the desk turns on and off reminders. A color display with a touch-sensitive interface provides user interaction and feedback.



The user interacts with the desk through a 4.3-inch color LCD touchscreen (approx. 2” x 3.5”). A user can command and control the desk with gestures through the simple touch-sensitive interface.



Data on progress and history are provided through a series of graphical and text-based data visualization tools. These tools allow a user to be in touch with fitness progress toward individual fitness and health goals each day, week, or longer.



Working at a desk also means connecting to power sources and accessory devices. The Stir Kinetic Desk is equipped with bluetooth and wi-fi hardware and has built-in ports for both AC and USB power. Your desk will be neat, clean, and free of pesky cords that can distract you from being inspired or anchor you in a sitting position.



The Stir Kinetic Desk has a set of proprietary algorithms and custom interfaces to allow the desk to sense, learn, and adapt to the needs of each individual user. The firmware also tracks usage and remembers data and preferences.

Health and Wellness
Stir's surveys indicate that less than 30% of other sit/stand workstations successfully engage their owners and deliver the full health and wellness benefits of sitting less. They are either too hard to use, disrupt other worktop equipment, or simply get left in one position for too long because you’re thinking about something else. The Stir Kinetic Desk was created to eliminate these barriers.

People around the world are studying the ill effects of what is now being referred to as the "sitting disease" and below are a few examples:

• ”Sitting is the smoking of our generation.“ - Harvard Business Review

• Each 8-hour day sitting can cut 2.5 hours off of life expectancy. - British Journal of Sports Medicine reference in NYT

• ”When you sit for an extended period of time, your body starts to shut down at the metabolic level.“ - Marc Hamilton, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri (Women's Health: Your Body's Biggest Enemy - The dangers of living a sedentary life)

• 50-minute daily productivity improvement with sit/stand - Miami University Study

Detailed Technical Specifications*


• Dimensions
Top Dimensions: 58.5” x 29.5” x 3.5”
• Adjustable height:
Approximately 25” – 51”, electrically actuated
• Weight: ~150 lbs.
• Dynamic load capacity: 75 lbs.
• Static load capacity 200 lbs.
• Capacitive Touchscreen input: color 4.3” screen
• Power ports: 8 AC & 4 USB
Two (2) power ports at back corners of desk, with 4 AC and 2 USB each
Each port compartment is 12” x 8.5” x 2.5” and can be used to hide or store cables or other power equipment

Materials and Colors:


• Desktop is a hardwood core with a variety of premium finishes including hardwood and hard-coated polymer options
• Power port covers are powder coated metal, hinged in coordinated colors
• Desk legs are powder-coated metal, available in coordinated colors
• Desk underside is lacquered high density fiberboard, available in 4 colors
Green: Pantone 361C
Ultramarine: Pantone 2728C
Crimson: Pantone 200C
Charcoal: Pantone 426C
Electronics
• Line Voltage: 100-120V AC
• Frequency: 50Hz to 60Hz, single phase
• Operating Temperature: 50° to 85° F (10° to 29° C)
• Relative Humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing

Simple assembly required including attaching legs with bolts and attaching the middle underside panel.



* Specifications subject to change. Product includes wifi and bluetooth hardware. Software to use these features has not yet been developed. Wifi and bluetooth features will not be enabled initially and the timing for offering any additional features using wireless communication functions will be at Stir's sole discretion, and with terms of use to be determined by Stir. User presence sensing accuracy can be impacted by some environmental factors; 100% accuracy not guaranteed. Stir desktops are made from natural hardwoods and are hand crafted and finished and therefore may have irregularities in the surface and finish.

Order the Stir Kinetic Desk here

Visit Stir for more information

Pininfarina & Napkin Collaborate To Create A Pen That Never Needs Ink. Ever.

Italian design and engineering firm, Pininfarina, combines their seductive styling with Napkin's technology to introduce the 4.EVER Pininfarina Cambiano, a revolutionary writing instrument. The pen was made in conjunction with Napkin, who created the first stylus made of aluminum with a tip made of Ethergraf®, a particular metal alloy patented by Chic Trading. With this special metal alloy, the pen can write indefinitely with no ink and no refill.



The body of the 4.EVER Pininfarina Cambiano combines aluminum and wood, design cues taken from Pinafarina's Cambiano Concept Car. Add to that the technology developed by Napkin for their own 4.Ever stylus which comes in four colors (blue avio, black, titanium and aluminium) and you have the latest innovative writing object to come out of Italy.



The 4.EVER Pininfarina Cambiano will be matched with a notebook realized in stone paper, a paper manufactured from the stone powder, stronger than the traditional one and water resistant, an eco-friendly material with a minimal environmental impact. The notebook is enriched by the original sketches of the Cambiano concept car.


above: sketches of Pininfarina's Cambiano

In the meantime, if you want an inkless pen, you can purchase on of Napkin's 4.Ever stylus here

What Ballers Are Drinking Tonight: Moët's $6200 Luxury Leopard Methuselah Of Rosé Champagne.

As you're toasting the new year tonight with your $20 bottle of champagne from the local liquor outlet, the hip crowd at the most exclusive night clubs and a select number of the elite (or perhaps, extravagant) will be sipping something from a bottle they don't dare to trash once it's empty.



Moët & Chandon Nectar Rose has presented 60 huge fancy schmancy bottles of bubbly - the Luxury Leopard Methuselah: a six liter bottle (the equivalent of eight regular sized bottles) hand-decorated with 22 carat gold leaf.



The majestic six-liter bottle of Moët & Chandon Nectar Impérial Rosé Leopard Luxury Edition's exterior is finely covered in a luxurious layer of 22 carat golden leaves, delicately adorned with the design of the leopard's noble rosettes:



For this new coat, Moët & Chandon called upon the expertise of renowned French jewelers and engravers Arthus-Bertrand.



Only 60 bottles were produced worldwide, a rarity available only in the most select nightclubs or through Sherry-Lehmann Wine & Spirits in New York for $6,200.



Moët Nectar Impérial Rosé distinguishes itself by its extravagant fruitiness and delightfully crisp finish. The refined and sophisticated richness of Nectar Impérial Rosé is a champagne crafted to please the senses.


Moet & Chandon

Price $6200 USD
Buy it here 

Whatever you're drinking, here's to a Happy 2014 with love from If It's Hip, It's Here.

Ring In The New Year With The $3000 Bottle Of Bubbly Wrapped In Carbon Fiber: Cuvée Carbon Champagne.

As this time of year rolls around, I like to point out unusual, highly exclusive vintages and bottles of Champagne. Having exposed you to the fabulously fun and bizarre Zarb Champagne, the Prestige Cuvées of Goût de Diamants (Taste of Diamonds), and the celeb-favorite Angel Champagne, it's time to turn you onto the elegant and luxurious Devravry House's Carbon Cuvée Champagne, a bit of bubbly clad in a carbon fiber wrapped bottle, costing $3000 a pop.



The House of Devavry started in 1946 with Bertrand Devavry. Jean Loup, following his footsteps, while adding his personal touch, keeps on creating his wines solely from the “cuvée” (the “vintage”) using a traditional wine press without going for the malolactic fermentation in order to preserve the quality, vivacity and better aging of his wines.



Alexandre Mea-Devavry, the youngest son of Bertrand and Gisele Devavry, inspired by the legacy of his family and his culture of striving to the best at all times, created from the best vines located on the famous slopes of the Champagne region the Cuvee Carbon.



With a wine created from only the best grapes in the Grand and Premier cru rated vineyards, and superb vines located on the famous slopes of the Champagne region, the House of Devavry has both the know how and the experience.



Carefully kept in their cellars with rigorous measures to assure the best aging possible, all the conditions are reunited to guarantee the finest quality that is the standard of the Devravry House since the beginning.




The Grapes:
A clever mix of the greatest grapes from the Côte des Blancs chardonnay and the Marne Valley Pinot Noir gives it a subtle mixture of strength and finesse, elegance and structured freshness.



The Magic of Carbon vintage is the result of complex and harmonious association of these two grapes comprised of up to 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir.

Vines Avize, Chouilly, Oger make up the Chardonnay grape. Located on the Kingdom of the Côte des Blancs, synonymous with delicacy and finesse but also highly accurate in its purity, a character that remains a beautiful presence in the mouth.

For the Pinot noir grape, the vineyards of Ay are selected : brilliant power and consistency to develop its specific aroma of red fruits.

The Bottle Design:


As the most precious jewels should be protected in the most beautiful cases, Alexandre Mea taught that the valuable heritage that his family passes from generation to generation was meant to be kept in an iconic bottle.



Therefore he thought that the Carbon would both keep the wine safe from alteration and give to the container the prestige that deserves the Cuvée. Which lead him to create this bottle, embodiment of the family’s philosophy.



Well known for its qualities of lightness and strength, Carbon is a highly sought after material and courted by the best designers who strive to innovation in their creations.



Each bottle is unique and bears the signature of the craftsman, a true artist. The achievement of each bottle requires six days of work before receiving therein the precious nectar of the Cuvée.



Collection:
For every moment of joy and type of meal, Cuvée Carbon is perfect accompaniment, with a collection of different champagnes having each one their own character. Vintage 2006, Vintage Rosé 2005 and Blanc de Blancs

•Vintage 2006 - The original and most famous of the collection, there is no type of festivity that doesn’t suit perfectly with this bottle.

•Vintage Rosé 2005 - Exquisite with Salmon, Poultry, Game and even red fruits based desserts.

•Blanc De Blanc - Great as appetizer, with light hors-d’oeuvre, seafood, or fish.


above: Available in Magnum (1,5L), Jéroboam (3L), Nabuchodonosor (15L), and Melchizedek (30L)




Carbon Cuvée Champagne

Vanhulsteijn Designs 9 Special Edition Japanese Lacquer and Gold Leaf Bikes for Sotheby's.

The Urushi Bicycle Project consists of 9 exclusively designed bicycles for Sotheby’s by Herman van Hulsteijn. Sotheby's approached the Dutch designer after seeing his unusual bikes on the internet with their distinctive curved frame. Herman van Hulsteijn suggested designing a tailor-made bike for them using an ancient process that had intrigued him for years.

A Look At Bugatti's New Lifestyle Collection Including Their High End Hookah.

Bugatti created a buzz during the Milan Fashion's Week launching its new Lifestyle Collection under the headline of "Art, Forme, Technique." The renowned Academy of Fine Arts, the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera, in Milan set the stage for Bugatti’s launch event which hosted 750 international guests and the Bugatti Brand Lifestyle Team including Franca Sozzani (editor-in-chief of Vogue Italia), Jonathan Newhouse (Chairman & Chief Executive Condé Nast international), Jean Alesi, Lapo Elkann, Daniele Cavalli, Teresa Missoni, James Goldstein, Hofit Golan and many others.




For the launch in Milan, Oscar-winning actor and producer Adrien Brody - special guest of the blue carpet evening - was wearing an Ettore Bugatti Signature tailor-made suit from the new collection.


above: actor Adrien Brody in front of a Bugatti Type 57 Atalante

above: actor Adrien Brody wears an Ettore Bugatti Signature Tailor Made Suit from the new collection

The Bugatti Lifestyle Collection represents the first authentic expression of luxury lifestyle in an automotive brand and includes two lines; the Ettore Bugatti Monogram Line (The EB Collection) and the Extreme Performance Line. In addition to these two lines there will be a Tailor Made / Bespoke programme, which will be available exclusively to Bugatti customers. The collection will concentrate on clothing and accessories in its starting phase to be complemented by design ‘objets’ at a later stage (The $100,000 Desvall Shisha - or Hookah pipe- is part of this collection).



The Desvall Bugatti Branded Shisha (Hookah pipe) is made of Bugatti Blue Carbon Fiber and is stamped with the Ettore Bugatti's initials like the other new items in the EB Monogram line. The Desvall Bugatti Shisha is priced at $100,000 USD  (like the other Desvall Luxury Hookahs)





Massimiliano Ferrari, Managing Director of Bugatti International and in charge of Brand Lifestyle says of the new Lifestyle Collection “It builds on the brand’s deep-rooted heritage and the remarkable vision of its founder. The brand today is a combination of its Italian roots in art and creativity, French passion for luxury and German engineering. The same winning alchemy will now be extended to include accessories, clothing and design articles.”



Bugatti will start in its major markets with exclusive single-brand boutiques, flagship stores and shop-in-shops in the finest department stores, all centered around a striking new retail concept. The retail project also involves prestigious partners, including premium brands in the luxury sector such as Parmigiani Fleurier Swiss watches and Lalique.

The Ettore Bugatti Monogram Line (aka The EB Collection):


The EB Collection was created to express Ettore Bugatti’s self-confident personality and way of living as well as the heritage of his iconic creations in terms of design codes and materials.



The EB pieces impress with their clean, sartorial lines and intensely sophisticated textiles. The largely Italian creative team worked with passion and great craftsmanship and managed to distill Bugatti’s main design cues and transfer them into fashion design: jacket linings and the lower outlines of collars echo the form of Bugatti’s car radiator grills. They took inspiration from historic Bugatti car models, such as the Royale or the Atlantic with its distinctive Center Line, and created dynamic forms expressed as a stripe on the back of cashmere knitwear and inside shirt collars.



Symbols of the brand such as the famous Dancing Elephant, drawn by Ettore’s younger brother and world-class sculptor Rembrandt, make their return in the form of brooches to be flaunted or worn below the collar, as a perfect accessory for the self-confident personality.

The Extreme Performance Line


The Extreme Performance line bears the Bugatti logo, the so-called Macaron, and adds a stunning and extreme range to the world of leisure wear, featuring exclusive technical and high performing fabrics, stretch materials with graphics and reflective tape. The nine layers of the tinted, exposed carbon fibre body, another strength of Bugatti engineering, are a key element in the design of these fashion pieces, together with the aerodynamic lines and cutting-edge materials used in modern Bugatti cars. This line talks about Bugatti’s expertise in using innovative materials, developing advanced technologies, power and excellence.



Each piece of this line is limited to 431 units, commemorating the land speed record time achieved by the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport in 2010 and thus making it the world’s fastest production sports car.

Both the EB and the Extreme Performance lines are very distinctive in their individual characters and yet complementary in bringing together the brand’s dual spirit of performance and elegance.



All three collections bear the distinctive “Fabriqué en Italie” logo and are strictly “Limited Edition”. They were designed to meet the taste of a highly sophisticated personality, who loves luxury and performance and is a leader in his field. Customers can choose from a selection of suits, outerwear and accessories, enhanced by a lavish tie collection and a series of bags with unique characteristics, their shapes drawn from the design of the customers’ cars and translated into the line of the garments.



The blue color, which is the brand’s signature code, is a key feature of this first collection.
Although the collection launches mainly as a men’s collection, the designers created one piece for women: a very exclusive blue crocodile skin bag (shown below), the shape of it inspired by the unique horseshoe of the Bugatti’s front grille, another characteristic symbol of both classic and modern Bugatti cars.



A video of the launch in Milan:


The company is opening two mono-brand stores in Hong Kong and Beijing next January, with a target of 35 mono-brand stores within 5 years, most of them in franchising. The showroom and headquarters of Bugatti Lifestyle company will be inaugurated in Milan, in October this year, in a spacious location in the Sant’Ambrogio area of the city.

images and information courtesy of Bugatti