From the world’s most extraordinary record player to the ultimate safe for watches, these are the out-there home accessories we’re currently coveting.
TechDAS Air Force Zero
This may well be the most extraordinary technological and engineering amalgam ever aimed at vinyl. It’s arrestingly huge, a size that’s hard to capture in photos, but be aware that is a full-sized vinyl platter that appears dwarf-like in the centre of the unit. It’s an astonishing 350 kg, not including the three separate power supplies and pumps. The central platter system weighs 118 kg and is comprised of five layers, crafted from a combination of forged stainless steel, cast gunmetal and titanium. The assembly is driven by a belt system connected to a three-phase, 12-pole AC synchronous motor, ensuring precise control with wow and flutter below 0.03 percent. The platters turn on a 10μm layer of compressed air, eliminating mechanical contact and reducing vibrations. Complementing this is the vacuum LP hold-down mechanism, which sucks records firmly down. Exclusivity is inherent to the Air Force Zero, each turntable is a shot at perfection.
Naturally, performance and heft of this magnitude isn’t cheap. The turntable starts at around €500,000, and you’ll still need the Air Force 10 tonearm (around €45,000) of which two can be fitted simultaneously, and a cartridge, something superlative like the Analog Relax EX2000 at €17,000.
Goldmund Pinel et Pinel x Kongo Ultimate Collectors’ Edition Speakers
The Goldmund Pinel et Pinel x Kongo limited-edition collectors’ speakers are a masterpiece of ultra-luxury design, precision engineering and contemporary art. They are the precipitate of three virtuosos in their respective spaces. Swiss brand Goldmund, revered for producing some of the world’s most acoustically pure sound systems, brings this extraordinary collaboration to life. Its Apologue speakers are here swathed in ultra-luxe French atelier Pinel et Pinel’s finest white calf leather before being passed to legendary modern urban artist Cyril Kongo who, following iconic collaborations with Hermès and Richard Mille, now adorns each of these 20 sets of speakers with one-off custom artwork.
These anniversary editions of the Apologue are the modern iteration of their 1987 MoMA design-winning forebears, now replete with inbuilt six-channel 5,200 W amplification and wireless audio. These speakers are, remarkably, all of the following: a one-off artwork, design centrepiece, collectors’ item, pinnacle hi-fi component or simply some 700 kg-per-pair speakers to stream tunes to from your iPhone. How’s that for consummate? €1.5 million
LVW Bespoke humidor
Leo Vaughan Williams designs one-of-a-kind bespoke humidors. Most often, these are built to the exact dimensions of your favourite cigar. An electronic microprocessor controls the humidity and can be programmed to your particular brand’s ideal percentage, usually around 72 percent. The example pictured was, of course, handmade by an artisan cabinetmaker with 25 years’ experience who specialises in boxes. It was created from bleached teak with solid sterling silver mounts, specifically to house the Davidoff Grand Cru, but a plethora of wood choices are available including Indian rosewood with Spanish cedar linings.
The ultra-fine-cigar market remains incredibly robust. The most premium examples, like the Arturo Fuente Opus X, sell for around €26,500 a box. Yet that pales into insignificance compared to the mythological absurdity of the Gurkha Royal Courtesan, which costs around €1.2 million per cigar. Wrapped in a rare Himalayan tobacco leaf, watered by Fiji water and infused with Rémy Martin’s Louis XIII cognac, it is encrusted with 5 carats of diamond and was wrapped by a white-gloved artisan whilst blindfolded. It should be housed in something commensurate—like the LVW humidor. From €18,000
Rolls-Royce Chess Set
What can a brand turn its hand to when it so bestrides a luxury market with the elegance and unassailability of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars? The name has become a byword for utter market supremacy in craftsmanship. It’s this finesse and detail-oriented luxury that the British marque has brought to their newest release. Each set is crafted by hand and is a masterwork of opulence. The sculpted, ceramic-coated aluminium pieces, with jewel-like stainless steel crowns, rise in their base from beneath the playing board in a motion Rolls- Royce describes as “theatrical”. The board itself is machined from aluminium and finished by hand, and the veneer squares are laser cut. Rolls-Royce uses one log per board to ensure a consistent grain pattern and that the set will age uniformly. Available in four exquisite veneer finishes and a choice of 13 leather colours, the apparatus offers extensive personalisation options to match any interior. €29,500
Brown Safe Manufacturing Chronos Watch Safe
If you’ve ever seen a circular bank vault door in a movie, chances are Brown Safe made it. Trusted by banks, you can bet its domestic offerings are equally impregnable. For securing your prized collections, the firm makes the “Man Safe” in six sizes and with a raft of customisable options. This is suitable for installations where weight is a factor—on yachts, for example. If you have the structural integrity to cope with more heft however, the zenith is the Chronos range, the features list of which reads like a Mission Impossible final challenge. It’s built from ½-inch ballistic armour, like that found on mine-resistant military vehicles, and is oblivious to small to medium arms fire. It has solid titanium locking bolts, an advanced glassplate relocking system to thwart tampering attempts and will keep its contents safe from a fire at 927°C for at least 90 minutes.
On the inside, it’s as opulent as a Waldorf suite and more customisable. Orbita watch winders will keep your timepieces ticking and access is obtained through biometric locks. They can be swathed in handstitched ultra-suede lining and come with a GPS unit should you somehow misplace one. Unparalleled security abuts unequalled luxury. Typical builds from €90,000 to €120,000
