Creative laboratory MB&F has long been in the business of partnering with horological artisans and artists to produce three-dimensional watches. They have just released their latest creation: the limited edition HM4 Razzle Dazzle ad the HM4 Double Trouble.

Designed and created for individuals who have peculiar taste, these luxury watches will be running very small numbers in the market. The timepieces were made to honor MB&F founder Max Busser’s love of airplanes with two engine style pods for the time and power reserve indicator. Rivets on the titanium fuselage gives the piece an aged look for the lume on the dials. There is also a bomber-jacket inspired strap and there is some of the most famous pinup art on the case body.

The pinup art is a throw back to Air Force service men who used to celebrate their aircraft by painting images of women and other things as tokens of good luck just as sailors use to do with figureheads on the bows of ships. Geneva-based artist Isabelle Villa brough the artwork to life by putting hand-painted figures on the sides of the watchcase for both the HM4 Razzle Dazzle and Double Trouble models.

Source: Elite Choice

After the intense fall social scene and the flurry of holiday parties, one’s hair can be dull and drab after all that teasing, styling and ironing.   Add on the San Francisco winter weather and your hair ends up damaged and dilapidated.  Time to give that special someone the treatment they deserve and the look they’ve always desired.  Sassoon Salon is offering a limited edition gift card and package this holiday season so you can treat a spouse, partner, or friend as they sit back, relax and receive the ultimate hair experience.  Or just treat yourself after a long day of power shopping in Union Square.  Between November 28^th and 30^th December 2011 to take advantage of  this holiday offer.   Services can be redeemed immediately in case you need some pampering before the company holiday party.

The regular price of $215 for the Ladies Indulgence package which includes a cut, single process color, treatment and blow-dry has been reduced to $175 whereas the Ladies Indulgence package plus which incorporates a cut, highlight, treatment and blow-dry has dropped from $330 to just $280.

It’s not only ladies who can reap the benefits this holiday season because Sassoon Salon is also offering a fantastic saving for male clients as well. The original price of the Men’s Sprucing package which consists of a cut, treatment, blow-dry and brow trim totaled $155 but for this period only Sassoon Salon is offering it at the fabulous price of $105.   This makes for the perfect holiday gift for the male partner in your life.

Sequence Package prices have also been reduced so you or that special someone in your life can have perfectly healthy looking hair for the holiday season and beyond.  Sequence packages are bundled services.

Three Haircuts & Blow-dries for $285 (regularly $315)
Three Single Process Colors & Blow-dries for $210 (regularly $240)
Three Highlights & Blow-dries for $525 (regularly $600)
Three Treatments & Blow-dries for $180 (regularly $210)

The very best part is that once purchased, the Gift Cards have no expiry so can be used as a present or to revamp your own style or simply indulge your hair.

Sassoon
359 Sutter Street.  For appointments, please call 415.397.5105.

Designer Berry Brown of BB Jewels Gramercy Park will show her unique one-of-a-kind vintage inspired creations at a Special Holiday Trunk Show at Gramercy Park’s trendy Kage Boutique on December 8 from 3pm to 9pm. There will be festive complimentary drinks and giveaways for guests.

In just a few short years, Brown has become well-known to discerning collectors for her unique necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings that exemplify Berry’s passion and design aesthetic to create modern interpretations of elegant, timeless style for BB Jewels. Her company’s mission is to create new treasures that are inspired by beautiful antique designs.

The Holiday Collection features an array of pendant necklaces, bracelets with antique trimmings as bands, stackable rings, vintage lockets dangling from bead or pearl chains and a myriad of one-of-a-kind creations all incorporating vintage elements for a demure but contemporary look. Her jewelry collections in silver and gold, worn by celebrity fans such as Brooke Shields, feature antique elements combined with precious and semi-precious gems, pearls and rare glass beads.

Kage

72 ½ Irving Place, between 18^th & 19^th Streets

Gramercy Park, NY 10003

For more information visit www.BBjewels.com

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Fashionistas can now have Bal Harbour Shops (BHS) at their fingertips with a new proprietary smart phone and tablet application developed by the luxury shopping destination that allows instant access to the newest in fashion.

Downloadable free of charge the app is compatible with the iPhone, iPad, and Android devices and was created to meet shoppers’ demand for the center’s more than 100 luxury retailers while on-the-go.

An extension of the Bal Harbour Shops website, the application offers long-time loyalists and aspiring customers an entrée to the exclusive Florida shopping destination. Created on the newest technology available, HTML5, so there is no app store download required, the Bal Harbour Shops app electronically maps out the luxurious shopping center, and offers one-touch connection with retailers.  Users can speak with store sales associates, make restaurant reservations, salon appointments and reach all services available at BHS.

The application main functions are:

Fashion News- stay informed with up-to-the-minute fashion news. New programming is developing daily so users receive the latest news via an instant update feature. The Exclusive Section offers vivid visuals of limited edition, one-of-a kind-items curated by BHS.

Must Haves- see something you like—perhaps the latest Chanel accessory—it can be yours via effortless connection with a Chanel sales associate.

Exclusive Videos – go behind the scenes at fashion shows, photo shoots and meet the fashion editors and tastemakers that bring Bal Harbour magazine to life.

To Download the Application:
·      Visit http://www.balharbourshops.com
·      Choose Bal Harbour Shops for iPhone or for Android
·      Enter your smart phone email address to receive an installation link
·      From your smartphone click on the link to install

OR

From a Smart Phone
·      Visit www.balharbourshops.com/app
·      When prompted to download Bal Harbour Shops Mobile App, click OK
·      Follow prompts to Add to Home Screen
·      Click Add to Home  and icon will appear on your phone home screen

Bal Harbour Shops has been a leader in the retail industry since it opened in 1965.  The center maintains highest revenue per square foot in the nation, trending at almost $2,300 per square foot for 2011, a 26 percent increase over 2010 record breaking numbers.

This year shoppers will enjoy the addition of tenants such as Breguet, Panerai and CH Carolina Herrera, which are expected to open soon. In addition:

• Stella McCartney is opening its first store outside of New York and Los Angeles.
• Bottega Venetta recently opened a newly redesigned store, almost doubling its retail space which for the first time includes its fine jewelry collection.
• Yves St. Laurent, Jimmy Choo, Dolce & Gabbana and Oxygene will open newly redesigned, larger stores.

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Located in a small village in Buckinghamshire County in England, an Elizabethan coaching inn called Shakespeare House has been listed for sale with an asking price of $2.13 million. Dating back to the year 1543, the home took on Shakespeare’s name because he is believed to have penned part of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

Reportedly, John Aubrey in his collection of biographies that linked Shakespeare to the inn and it is believed that he drew inspiration for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” while in the small Buckinghamshire County village. According to local lore, Shakespeare appears on the window of the top floor of the Shakespeare House on April 23, which is believed to be the day of both his birth and death.

Nick Underwood currently owns the property and says that the inn had previously been turned into a farmhouse with 150 acres of land. The farm was eventually sold off in pieces and two American families owned it in the 20th century. Nine years ago, Underwood and Roy Elsbury purchased the property and undertook some structural work, however every section was recreated in the original style and form. Due to the fact that the 4,250 square foot inn has retained its original character, the English Heritage organization lists it as a grade II property, which is of more than special interest.

The home features three floors and has a 400 square feet drawing room with a working fireplace and decorated leaded windows. The 250 square feet dining room is also on the ground and has an inglenook fireplace, marble floor and paneled walls decorated in a Chinese blue. Modern appliances have been fitted into a large kitchen.

The property is currently in use as a luxury guesthouse with rooms rented for £99 to £250 a night.

Source: Elite Choice

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During this year’s Art Basel Miami Beach, Havaianas, the world’s most stylish flip-flop, has partnered with Bing and the newly renovated Shelborne Hotel in Miami to bring Brazilian graffiti to life in the most unexpected and spontaneous ways.

Havaianas has commissioned the world famous Brazilian graffiti artist, Finók, to create a street art installation at the Shelborne Hotel now thru December 3rd. Finók will transform two iconic Shelborne structures— the “diving board” and “cantina” into huge pieces of eye-catching art.

In addition, as guests enjoy cocktails and poolside parties throughout the week, they will also be able to bring home a piece of the artist’s work with a pair of limited edition graffiti flip flops:

It remains a total mystery how the Porsche team manages each and every year to improve upon what seems to have already been the ultimate high performance sports car. But somehow they do just that consistently without fail. This is a practice that has gone on for nearly 50 years since the 911’s inception.

The 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera and Carrera S coupe have both gotten infinitely better than last year’s models. The new generation 911 emerges from a major developmental process – one of the most significant in the history of this classic sports car with nearly 90 percent of all of its components having been redesigned or redeveloped. The lightweight body is completely new, with drivetrain and suspension systems, which combine to deliver improvements in the Porsche Intelligent Performance philosophy. Driving dynamics have benefited along with a 16 percent lower fuel consumption and lower emissions, not to mention enhanced practicality and functionality.

Power for this latest iteration 911 will come from two sources: a 3.4-liter boxer 6-cylinder engine with 350 horsepower for the base 911 Carrera and a 3.8-liter boxer 6-cylinder for the 911 Carrera S, which produces 400 horsepower along with a whopping 440 pound feet of torque. Both engines feature direct fuel injection and drive the rear wheels, with power geared through either a 7-speed manual gearbox (it’s the first passenger car in the world to feature a 7-speed manual as standard fare), or an optionally available PDK automatic with electronically controlled rear differential and PTV Plus (Porsche Torque Vectoring).

This latest 911 Carrera appears to be smaller at first glance. But in actuality it sports a longer wheelbase and a wider track while riding on 20-inch wheels and tires. The overall length is also increased by 56 mm, while overhangs have been shortened by 32 mm up front and 12 mm in the rear. The roofline is 7 mm lower on the Carrera and 6 mm on the Carrera S. It is the most compact sports car in its class. Despite all its modifications, the 911 Carrera’s styling is essentially evolutionary rather than revolutionary, and it weighs less.

Complementing the fresh, racier exterior, the interior draws visual inspiration from the Porsche Carrera GT and functional control treatment and placement from the Panamera and Cayenne. The center console rises forward housing the gearshift lever and larger 7-inch touch screen information center. Both driver and front passenger are treated to newly developed sport seats with electric four way adjustments.

The interior layout presents optimal and ergonomically satisfying functionality in the placement of controls and switchgear. The only negative issue encountered was the windshield wiper speed, which proved ineffective when switched to maximum speed at normal freeway speeds in heavy inclement weather.

All in all, this latest example of the Porsche 911 Carrera S is an incredible sports car – something that Porsche is best noted for producing year after year with continual and progressive improvements. It is a truly amazing machine on the road or on the track. Safety systems and features abound and are in place to save both driver and car at less than a moment’s notice.

Is it inexpensive? We don’t think so. Is it worth it? Yes!

Automotive Rhythms (AR) is the multi-national lifestyle firm that blends evaluations of the latest cars, trucks, SUVs, and bikes around music, fashion, travel and technology. Consisting of Internet, print, radio, network TV, online video and event properties, AR is a multi-media and marketing gateway for receiving real time data and information on new rides, car shows, vehicle technology, green energy projects, customization, motorsports, celebrity profiles and auto lifestyle experiences. www.automotiverhythms.c

Canadian Baywatch star and actress Pamela Anderson recently put her Malibu beach home up for rent for $20,000 per week or $75,000 per month. The home has just been renovated and the mother of two says she is “willing to share her masterpiece in Malibu because she’s travelling so much these days and enjoying more time in her native Canada.”

The three bedroom, two and a half bathroom home is listed as a pet-friendly estate that sits on the landward side of the guard-gated and celebrity stocked Malibu Colony enclave. Anderson decorated the home herself.

A discreet gate at the street leads to a small front courtyard where the listing states there is an ultra-wide swinging door that opens to the teak-floored open-plan interior spaces of the home. The house features a fireplace, baby grand piano and massive sliding glass doors that when open obliterates the division between indoors and out. There is a well-equipped kitchen that has high-grade appliances and push activated cabinets and drawers.

There is a teak staircase that climbs to the second floor of the home where two guest/family bedrooms each have computer desks, flat screen HD TVs with surround sound and wireless Apple systems. The bedrooms on the second floor share a bathroom with a steam shower.

The master suite is also located on the second floor and features a marble wood-burning fireplace, burled wood closet doors, a wall of sliding windows that open to a large private deck that overlooks the backyard swimming pool and mountains. The master suite is open to the bathroom, which has a glass-enclosed shower, detoxifying Finnish sauna equipped with a TV and a long vanity with plenty of room for perfume and/or make-up application.

The master bedroom has a private staircase that climbs to the roof terrace with poured concrete fireplace, views over the Malibu Lagoon and media mogul Jerrold Perenchio’s private golf course.

The estate also features a green egg charcoal barbeque that extends off the rear of the home’s main floor and surrounds a saltwater swimming pool with swim-up wet bar. In the backyard, there are large fig and avocado trees, a vegetable and herb garden and a wigwam. Other amenities renters will enjoy are a two-car enclosed garage, direct and nearby access to one of the most prized stretches of sand in all of Malibu, celebrity-style security complete with closed-circuit cameras, WiFi, an integrated home theater system and a high-tech home automation system controlled by custom remotes and iPads set into flush-mounted iPorts.

The $20,000 per week or $75,000 per month price tag covers housekeeping services and a vegetarian chef can be added for an additional charges.

In the fall of 2009 while Anderson’s home was under construction, reports swirled that she had fallen on hard financial times and didn’t have enough money to complete the multi-million dollar renovations. Anderson admitted that she was in dispute with a number of subcontractors who filed legal claims over unpaid bills for work they performed at the home but she adamantly denies the issue was about whether she could afford to pay the bills. According to Anderson, any financial issues were simply about whether the bills she received were fair and accurate.

Source: Real Estalker

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Philippe Merk, CEO of Audemars Piguet just announced a new partnership with the American Patrons of Tate (APT), the independent charity that supports the Tate Galleries in the United Kingdom. To make the announcement official, a cocktail reception on Thursday, December 1st at the Raleigh Hotel during Art Basel Miami Beach with special guest Chris Dercon, the new Director of Tate Modern.

Drawing parallels between haute horlogerie and fine art, this partnership establishes Audemars Piguet’s position in the art world and offers both parties widespread opportunities to reach broader audiences including the international network of donors and VIPs of the American Patrons of Tate. Audemars Piguet will also have the opportunity to work with APT to incorporate art pieces from the Tate’s vast collection as well as provide access to curators for events.

This event will coincide with the launch of Audemars Piguet’s new watch, the Millenary 4101.  With its oval shape, the Millenary 4101 is the brand’s most contemporary design distinguished by the reveal of the movement from the front as opposed to from the caseback side of the watch.

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Grimaldi’s Pizzeria under the Manhattan Bridge overpass in Dumbo has been going through a rent dispute with its landlord and decided to move around the corner to a new location. Now that landlord announced his new tenant: Patsy Grimaldi. Haute Living explains.

The landlord, Mr. Waxman, who owns the space of former Grimaldi’s Pizzeria in Dumbo told the press that he was keeping his restaurant’s coal oven and promised a “very popular pizza establishment.” Turns out, he had 80-year-old pizza king Patsy Grimaldi in mind, who made his name at the very same Brooklyn pizzeria in 1990.

Confused? Keep in mind that in 1998 Patsy Grimaldi sold his pizzeria (Grimaldi’s Pizzeria) to its current owner Frank Coilli. To keep things separate, the new place will not be called Grimaldi’s or Patsy’s. Instead, the new pizzeria will be called Juliana’s after Patsy Grimaldi’s late mother. The restaurant is scheduled to open in March 2012.

When Patsy Grimaldi sold his pizzeria to Coilli, he reportedly regretted it. “A year after I sold Grimaldi’s, I was very sorry. So when Mr. Waxman called me and asked if I wanted to come back, I thought I was dreaming. I couldn’t say ‘yes’ fast enough.”

Back in 1990 when Patsy Grimaldi first opened his Dumbo restaurant, he called it Patsy’s, after his uncle Patsy Lancieri’s East Harlem pizzeria where he had worked growing up. In 1995 he was forced to change the restaurant’s name to Grimaldi’s after new owners took the East Harlem pizzeria and name.

The current Grimaldi’s (owned by Coilli) should be up and running at it’s new location at 1 Front Street around November 29.

Source: Gothamist

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