Urushi, an ancient lacquer technique developed in Japan using tree sap, is the catalyst for Chopard’s limited-run L.U.C XP timepiece ($24,290). The watch depicts a horse, inspired by the 2014 Chinese New Year, adorned with lotus flowers painted onto the dial by hand. To make each piece, a skilled urushi specialist applies thin layers of resin derived from the sap of the Japanese urushi tree and then traces the fine lines, using thin bamboo brushes, with gold powder to highlight the design. The number of timepi…

Devon Works managed to win over die-hard collectors and become a finalist in the 2010 Geneva Grand Prix for the eye-catching and innovative design of its Tread 1 series of watches—even though they run on a battery. Now the Los Angelesdesign lab, which is known for its work in automobiles, motorcycles, and most recently watches, has released a new version of the timepiece with 18-kara-gold hardware.
The Tread 1G ($35,000) features Devon Works’ signature Time Belts—nylon-and-fiberglass conveyor belts that …

A. Lange & Söhne has unveiled its Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase watch. The timepiece requires an adjustment of only one day every 122.6 years—rather than every 2.5 years as with most moon-phase watches on the market—thanks to a more precise seven-gear transmission. According to the watch manufacturer, based in Glashütte, Switzerland, it works by linking the moon display to the hour-wheel continuum, where it tracks the actual orbit of the moon in increments too slight to see with the naked eye. Additionally, the…

The venerable New York luggage maker T. Anthony, which over the past nearly 70 years has sold its handmade pieces to notables such as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, partnered with the Chatwal, a Luxury Collection Hotel in New York on an exclusive set of luggage. The five hard-covered designs evoke the golden age in travel, a theme reflected in the Chatwal’s own Empire art deco architecture. The deep-red canvas pieces with brown leather trim and polished nickel hardware are a no…

Ever wonder what happens to all those used Scotch-whisky barrels once the distilleries are through with them? Up until now, huge planters and awkward-looking furniture were among the most viable solutions. But Daniel Marshall, who has been making luxury cigar humidors since 1982, had a better idea: Why not turn them into humidors? After all, single-malt whisky and cigars are one of the world’s classic pairings. But specifically, it was The Balvenie 21 Year Old Portwood casks that caught Marshall’s attention. A…

The Mondavi family’s winemaking legacy began in 1943, when Rosa and Cesare Mondavi purchased the Charles Krug winery. There, three generations of their descendants, under the leadership of the patriarch Peter Mondavi Sr., now combine their talents to produce superbly delineated Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc, among other varietals. The family’s most recent endeavor, Aloft, is a single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon crafted to express the inimitable character of Howell Mountain. So…

A 25,000-square-foot penthouse spanning the 15th floor of the 3-year-old Residences at W Hollywood is one of the largest penthouse properties in the world. The $45 million residence—more than a half acre of space—potentially has all the comforts of a sprawling Los Angeles estate. The raw space features many of the curving forms and long horizontal lines that defined the style of art deco, and the residence’s architect, Los Angeles–based Richardson Robertson III, envisions sleek, curvilinear interiors designed …

For 10 days each February, the desert city of Palm Springs becomes an oasis for devotees of modernist design. Now in its ninth year, Modernism Week offers visitors access to more than 100 events that run the gamut from architecture lectures and documentary screenings to gallery exhibitions and cocktail receptions, all paying tribute to 20th-century design.
The venue for Modernism Week is apt. During the United States’ post–World War II economic boom, Palm Springs was at the heart of the midcentury modernist m…

Following the Russian Revolution, most of the lavish jewels and enamel eggs created by Peter Carl Fabergé for the Russian imperial court were sold off or disappeared. Many ended up in museums and private collections around the world. Now, the largest known collection of Fabergé’s works is being given to the city of Saint Petersburg for the opening of its first Fabergé museum.
Housed in the neoclassical Shuvalov Palace on the Fontanka Embankment, the museum was opened by Viktor Vekselberg, a Russian philanthro…