Longines, Official Timekeeper Of Kentucky Derby, Gifts Watches To Race Winners
Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
Sports
Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
Tiffany & Co. Makes San Francisco Giants World Series Ring
With the start of a new baseball season the team now gets their ring. Plus, one extra ring was made that will be raffled-off by the Giants for charity. The Tiffany & Co. made World Series ring is everything a star athlete could hope for. The ring is mostly in 18k white gold, with some yellow gold accents. It has 77 diamonds on it, which are placed in various spots on the ring. There is about 1 carat worth of stones. The top of the ring has the San Francisco Giant's "SF" logo, surrounded by the statement "World Champions." On one side (shank) of the ring is a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge with "2010." The other shank will have the name of the ring recipient engraved on it.
Really a nice ring overall and very handsome. This is the first ever ring Tiffany & Co. has made for the MLB World Series. Though Tiffany & Co. has been enlisted in the past to create championship rings for other sports such as football.
As mentioned, Tiffany & Co. has produced one extra San Francisco Giants World Championship ring that will be raffled-off to support the Giants Community Fund. The raffle for the SF Giants championship ring can be found here, and will last until July 26, 2011. As I am in San Francisco I can freely say, "Go Giants!" And thanks Tiffany.
Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
Dacia Duster 'Ecole de Ski Francais' Edition
Typically considered a budget brand, Dacia isn't a company whose products we normally cover here at Luxist. But this is no ordinary Dacia. This is a very exclusive version of their Duster sport-utility vehicle made just for French ski instructors.
The École de Ski Français edition Dacia Duster comes with such extra equipment as a ski rack on the roof, an aluminum panel to protect the oil sump underneath the engine, an extra set of wheels with snow tires, and of course the emblem of the ESF. It only costs €18,990, but you'll need to be a certified French skiing instructor to buy one.
The Classicist: Southern Proper's Timeless Style
Mint juleps, seersucker, stately plantations, belles in summer dresses and those F. Scott Fitzgerald stories where they go around saying "Good mawnin', Sally Carrol" -- all come together in the new spring collection from Southern Proper, a gentleman's outfitter from Atlanta now gaining wider recognition from natty northerners.
The Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational Golf Tournament: Celebrity, Philanthropy, and the Allure of Shadow Creek
The Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational Golf Tournament hosted by Aria Resort And Casino, was recently held at the Shadow Creek Golf Course in North Las Vegas. Luxist attended the event this past weekend and experienced first-hand the unique blend of celebrity and philanthropy. However, this year the event took place at one of the most alluring, mythic, elite golf courses in the U.S., Tom Fazio's Shadow Creek. And for the first time, the course opened to the general public.
A little more on this golf course: unlike many famous courses, this one is hard to imagine, out in the middle of the Nevada desert, and even harder to find. From the Las Vegas strip, it's about a half hour away -- north on I-15 to Craig Road, then go west, then north again, and finally, through some imposing guard gates. And then, there it is, beyond the gates -- the 350-acre, $60 million plus, exceptionally private, painfully green, Tom Fazio course looking more like courses at Pinehurst, or Kiawah, or Augusta. Anywhere, almost, but Nevada.
Shadow Creek boasts quiet streams, rushing brooks, weeping willows, waterfalls, ducks, pheasants, rabbits, and stone bridges that look eerily like the old Swilken bridge at St. Andrews. Indeed, Shadow Creek, has an untouched, impossibly perfect, movie-set look, as if few mortals would ever dare to actually play the course.
For many years, adding to this ineffable allure, is fact: for years, and even now, ONLY MGM Resort guests are permitted to play Shadow Creek. Green fees are listed at $500.00 -- with limo service to and from the course. And the players must schedule tee times at least an hour apart, giving the impression that golfers are on the course by themselves. All of this plays into an image of ultimate elitism combined with escapism, creating a course intrigue that involves rarity, mystery, and sanctuary.
The course's route runs mostly north and south so the sun's glare would miss the golfer's eyes, and Fazio with his builders, dug 50 feet into the low desert to provide for elevation changes and enough dirt to build hills around the entire property to provide another dimension of privacy. One of the stories heard, perhaps apocryphal, was that many who live close to the golf course don't know of its existence.
'American Idol's' Simon Cowell and Simon Fuller Moving on to Formula 1?
Between the two of them, Simon Cowell and Simon Fuller have no shortage of successes to claim their own. Many of those accomplishments revolve around reality television programs like "American Idol," "X Factor," "So You Think You Can Dance?" and "America's Got Talent." Bernie Ecclestone apparently thinks quite highly of their show business acumen, and is now reportedly recruiting their talents to bring an added dose of showmanship to Formula One racing.
One idea Cowell and Fuller have reportedly put forward to the billionaire F1 chief is to cut the three-day grand prix weekend to two, and to replace the customary Friday practice sessions with a second preview race.
Cowell is a known racing fan and automotive enthusiast, while Fuller has been actively involved in the sport previously. The producer/promoter headed up the Honda F1 Team's branding initiative several years ago, and recently signed former world champion Lewis Hamilton to his talent agency alongside the likes of David Beckham, Sir Michael Caine and Jennifer Lopez.
Win a VIP Trip to the Kentucky Derby with Woodford Reserve
Woodford Reserve, the Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby, is once again honoring the country's favorite horse race with the release of a Kentucky Derby commemorative bottle (pictured above) full of their celebrated whiskey. The 2011 limited edition design features the work of award-winning artist and Virginia native Brett Amory.
Amory showcases two horses racing in those final moments towards the finish line with the only splash of color on the bottle. "The build up to the Derby is unlike any other sporting event," Amory notes. "Louisville is absolutely transformed, and people from all over the world come to join the excitement. I wanted to capture on canvas that one key moment they all came to see."
The limited edition liter-size bottle will be available in early April in 42 US states at a suggested retail price of $42.99. In addition to purchasing a true collector's item, consumers can enter Woodford Reserve's Kentucky Derby Sweepstakes with a chance to win a VIP trip to the 2012 Derby. They can enter by either registering their bottle's unique number printed on the neck label, by entering any random five digit code at www.WellCraftedDerby.com, or by mail.
Upon registering, entrants will be given a randomly-generated post position, from 1-20, for the 2011 Kentucky Derby. If the horse that starts from their assigned post position wins, he/she will be entered in the grand prize trip drawing. Official Rules are available at www.WellCraftedDerby.com; no purchase is necessary but you must be 21 or older to participate.
Piaget Celebrates Polo in Palm Beach
Renowned Swiss watchmaker Piaget took over Palm Beach and Wellington, Florida recently to celebrate the brand's longtime commitment to the sport of polo.
Among the posh events was a garden party presenting the band's newest collection at the Flagler Museum, and an intimate field-side dinner at the International Polo Club Palm Beach to present the new Pilarà-Piaget polo team.
The festivities concluded with the final match of the Piaget Gold Cup at the Polo Club, attended by American Beauty actress Mena Suvari and followed by an exclusive champagne reception outside the 7th Chukker.
On display for the first time in the U.S. were the latest editions to the Piaget Polo FortyFive collection including two new models in rose gold and titanium, one featuring Piaget's manufactured chronograph movement and the other equipped with Piaget's in-house perpetual calendar movement.
Audi's polo team won the Gold Cup and each of the victorious players got to take home a Piaget
Polo FortyFive watch.
The Classicist: VO Guns Debuts the Falcon, World's Most Expensive Rifle, for $820,000 [EXCLUSIVE]
Swedish gun and rifle maker VO Vapen, founded in 1977 by master gunsmith Viggo Olsson, fashions the world's most exclusive handmade hunting rifles. Their newest creation, the VO Falcon Edition (above), is the world's most expensive priced at about $820,000. The VO Falcon Edition is a tribute to the deep rooted traditions of falconry in the Arabian world, covered by beautiful engravings of Peregrine and Saker falcons among other luxurious finishes.
German Carmakers Tapped for Motorsport Safety Cars
German cars Mercedes-Benz, Porsches and BMWs are loved by their owners for their meticulous engineering. But private consumers aren't the only ones who've noticed their capabilities. So have the organizers of some of the most prestigious motor racing series in the world. And though both compete at the top levels, it's not for racing cars that they've been tapped this time. It's for safety cars.
Playing Well, Doing Good: The Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational Golf Tournament at Shadow Creek, Las Vegas
"I'm truly excited about bringing my tournament to Las Vegas. Shadow Creek is one of my favorite courses and ARIA is a spectacular resort. I love seeing old friends, playing golf and having fun, but the most gratifying aspect of hosting the event is what we've been able to give back." said Michael Jordan in a recent interview.
Significant wealth and great philanthropy are often interconnected, as philanthropic giving among the uber-wealthy is a common occurrence. Bill Gates, Steve Case, Warren Buffett and others have donated billions to help others and have started their own foundations to do it. Certainly, to whom much is given, much is required, is an oft-quoted line from the New Testament in the Bible. This sense of a returning a cosmic favor also lives among significant celebrities, with Michael Jordan as a prime example.
Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 44 Chronograph Watch For London 2012 Olympics
Omega will need to put in some extra effort this time around as their "official timekeeper" clock to countdown the coming of the London Olympics officially broke down and needed to be quickly repaired. Even in the world of high-end timekeeping - things can go wrong. Look for this new Seamaster Aqua Terra 44 London Chronograph timepiece soon.
Ariel Adams publishes the wrist watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
Hockey Star Sean Avery Curates Special Sales for Gilt MAN
New York Rangers hockey star Sean Avery (above left) is one of the rare professional athletes with a real sense of style. His passion for fashion even led him to intern at Vogue while selflessly dating several leggy models.
Now the spiffy sportsman is curating a series of three weekly sales (March 11, 18 and 25) for Gilt MAN, online luxury retailer Gilt Groupe's men's site dedicated to matters sartorial, including a must-read daily guide to men's style.
Avery combed the impressive Gilt MAN inventory with the site's editorial director Tyler Thoreson (above right) to make his sartorial selections. Each "Avery's Rules" sale focuses on a different phase of the life of a style-conscious professional. The first, "At Work," featured A. Testoni shoes, crisp, fitted shirts and razor-sharp suits by Raf Simons, Martin Greenfield, and Calvin Klein Collection.
Taking his style advice may not necessarily get you an NHL contract and a supermodel girlfriend, but it certainly won't hurt your chances.
The Classicist: Thoroughbreds, Bourbon and Private Planes from Flexjet
Private jet juggernaut Flexjet is offering an alluring incentive to new fractional owners via a promotion with Kentucky's Keeneland, one of the world's leading thoroughbred racing and auction facilities. The three-day Unbridled experience centers around the 2011 Breeders' Cup World Championships this fall. Known as the thoroughbred industry's most prestigious championship event, the Breeders' Cup attracts fierce competition for the richest prize-money event in the world with over $26 million in purses at stake. There's a lot more to the Unbridled experience, however, as you'd expect considering the cost for a 1/16th fraction (or 50 hours / year) on one of the company's Learjet 40XRs starts at $362,500.
Each owner and their guest will enjoy the Breeders' Cup races in the comfort of a finish-line owner's suite at the iconic Churchill Downs, one of the world's greatest racetracks and home of the Kentucky Derby, as well as an invitation to attend sun-up morning workouts. A one-on-one meeting with a renowned thoroughbred trainer and an insider's look at a famed horse farm are also in the offing. The Unbridled experience is available in limited quantities at no extra charge for Flexjet customers purchasing a new fractional share now through June 12, 2011; the all-inclusive experience takes place November 3 - 6.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi Battle for Polo Championship
The Dubai Falcons and Abu Dhabi Polo will battle it out in the final of the Threadneedle Polo Gold Cup to be played at the Dubai Polo and Equestrian Club today. The UAE's moneyed elite are divided in their support for the two area teams, both strong contenders for the championship with four wins each going into the contest. "We are up against a very strong team in the final and we just hope to continue with our winning streak in this tournament," Dubai Falcons' star player Tommy Iriarte tells the Gulf News. "We have managed to keep a clean slate in this tournament so far," notes undefeated Abu Dhabi Polo captain Fares Al Yabhouni, "so there is nothing like going for an all-out victory and making this a terrific debut participation for us." The Threadneedle Polo Gold Cup is the latest in a series of high-profile equestrian events taking place in Dubai this season.
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