St. Regis is putting guests behind the wheel of a brand-new Bentley to take on the twists and turns of California’s Pacific Coast Highway. With the Pacific Grand Tourpackage (from $6,900), guests of the St. Regis San Francisco and the St. Regis Monarch Beach in Dana Point get their pick of a 2013 Bentley GT, a Bentley GTC, or a Bentley Mulsanne for the 500-mile-plus drive between the two hotels. Those who purchase the package begin with a two-night stay in a suite at either of the hotels. After enjoying panora…

The Mandarin Oriental Pudong has opened in Pudong, Shanghai, along the left bank of the Huangpu River. The 362-room property has stunning views of the city’s Lujiazui financial district and is steps away from the historic waterfront Bund district. The spa offers many of Mandarin Oriental’s signature therapies and treatments as well as special Chinese offerings such as foot reflexology, a deep bath infused with Chinese mulberry and jasmine, and a gua sha–inspired massage. There is a fitness center with an 82-fo…

The 24 Hours of Le Mans (June 22 and 23) race is not for the faint for heart. Over 50 cars travel around the 8.5-mile Circuit de la Sarthe course in Le Mans, France, during one 24-hour period, challenging the endurance of both the car and the driver. As the world’s oldest active endurance race—it’s been running since 1923—Le Mans makes and breaks some of the most courageous racers and innovative machines every year.
For more than a decade now, Audi has dominated, winning 11 races since 2000 (against the likes…

From the olive groves and rolling vineyards that surround its stone walls to the Rubelli silks and Carrara marble that fill its rooms, Hotel Castello di Casole is perhaps Tuscany’s most authentic escape. So overwhelming is its Italian-ness that if you close your eyes and listen closely, you can almost hear the sounds of La bohème drifting through the 10th-century castle’s beautifully worn archways. For just a few nights in July, however, those magical melodies will become an inextricable part of the Casole exp…

Lürssen has long been a global leader in megayacht construction, but in the last year, the German builder has delivered some of its largest and most stunning vessels to date. Following the delivery last year of the 278-foot Ace and 483-foot Topaz, Lürssen has continued full steam ahead in 2013. In January the shipyard delivered the 289-foot Quattroelle, and in April it launched Azzam, which, at 590 feet, is the world’s largest megayacht (surpassing the 2010 Blohm & Voss–built Eclipse by 55 feet). Owners of…

At Sociètè du Vin, a new wine-collectors’ clubhouse in Bridgehampton, New York, members get private cellars and access to exclusive tasting events. Designed by Hollywood set designer Elvis Restaino, the new 10,000-square-foot space is a home away from home for significant wine collections. The idea, founder Leslie Alexander says, is to create a place where a community of wine lovers can interact and share the bottles they love most.
Alexander, the owner of the Houston Rockets and a summertime Southampton resi…

With a delicate, cushion-shaped case reminiscent of the 1920s, Glashütte Original’snew women’s-watch collection has a distinctly feminine edge. The Pavonina Collection is named from the Latin word for “peacock,” which aptly describes the bold showpiece: A stylized peacock tail is fashioned from 98 diamonds into feather-like lines. The case is flanked with an additional 114 radiant diamonds, as well as flexible lugs that softy hug the wrist. This particular model ($39,600) has a link bracelet of 18-karat red go…

Chanel’s first timepiece, the Première, was unveiled in 1987. It reflected some of Coco Chanel’s most enduring symbols: the octagonal case is in the shape of the stopper on the Chanel No. 5 perfume bottle, and the chunky gold chain resembles the designer’s handbag straps. Now, Chanel’s signature watch has been unveiled in new styles, including a diamond covered model ($28,500) with 56 snow-set diamonds, a technique that paves the watch’s surfaces with stones of varying sizes. Other new variations include a mot…

Timed to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the firm’s original diver’s watch, Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe can dive to new depths: It is water resistant to 300 feet. New developments in the self-winding mechanical timepiece (from $10,500 for men and $9,500 for women) include a nonmagnetic silicon balance spring, which is protected by a sapphire-crystal caseback and provides corrosion resistance and durability; it is thus able to maintain more accurate measurements over time. The company also emplo…

On June 11, Christie’s will sell a Patek Philippe grand complication from 1900 that was originally owned by the American industrialist Stephen S. Palmer. Comprising a minute repeater, split-seconds chronograph, and perpetual calendar, the watch, according to Christie’s, pre-dates the previous earliest known Patek Philippe grandcomplication by approximately 10 years. Further adding to its uniqueness is the pink-gold case made in an era when almost all timepieces of this stature were made in yellow gold. The pre…