Wolfgang Puck and Daniel Boulud are collaborating for the first time to prepare a five-course dinner at Puck’s eponymous restaurant at the Hotel Bel-Air on October 23. The menu has yet to be determined, but it will take its inspiration from a fusion of French and Californian cuisines and will consist of fresh farmers’ market produce picked by the chefs the morning of the event. There are 160 seats for the dinner ($220 per person), which will coincide with the release of Boulud’s latest cookbook, Daniel: M…

Vivanta by Taj Bentota is a refreshed full-service beach resort in a destination your friends haven’t heard of.
Why Go: This refurbishment of a 1990s beach resort in Sri Lanka is worth considering if you’re in the area. Find the sprawling red-roofed complex on the southern part of the country’s west coast, about halfway between Colombo and Galle. Activities include boat safaris to local villages, whale- and dolphin-watching excursions, and visits to a nearby elephant orphanage. 
What to Expect: India’s …

Three years ago, at the Paris Motor Show, Audi showed the Quattro Concept, a two-door, all-wheel-drive supercar commemorating the 30th anniversary of the first Quattro all-wheel-drive coupe. Although the concept was originally planned for limited production, Audi ultimately pulled back, saying it didn’t have the resources to build the car.
Now it’s back. At this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, Audi took the wraps off the Sport Quattro Concept (this time in a yellow-and-orange metallic paint scheme rather than th…

The 45-mile drive from Washington, D.C., to the quiet equestrian haven of Middleburg, Va., overflows with the sagas of America’s past. Crossing the Potomac River (where General Robert E. Lee’s troops fled after the Battle of Gettysburg), and bypassing signs for Spotsylvania Courthouse (the site of one of the Civil War’s bloodiest battles) and Fredericksburg (where Confederate forces blocked the Union army’s crossing of the Rappahannock River), the region is a living textbook of US history. Set against this ver…

Zuccon Superyacht Design, the Italian yacht company, showed a 302-foot concept yacht at the Monaco Yacht Show last month with a steel hull and aluminum construction. It offers a change from the traditional layout, with its swimming pool, outdoor living space, and sunbathing area at the bow of the boat instead for maximum privacy.
The six-deck yacht includes a main deck with a large living area, a cinema, six guest cabins, and two VIP cabins, each with its own private terrace. Features include a spa connected …

To celebrate its 10th anniversary, DeWitt has redesigned its most popular watch model, the Academia, for a younger customer. The Academia’s signature columned bezel and case—which was previously produced in gold or titanium and priced at more than $20,000—comes in a new sporty steel version with a satin finish for $12,000. The movement has a power reserve of 42 hours and a vibration rate of 28,800 per hour. The movement is visible through the sapphire-crystal caseback. The Dewitt Academia Steel watch comes in …

Audemars Piguet has packed three complications—a tourbillon, chronograph, and minute repeater—into a 47-millimiter case that was inspired by the brand’s early-20th-century pocket watches. The Tradition Tourbillon Minute Repeater Chronograph ($471,300) has been produced in two 10-piece editions: one with a pink-gold case and the other with a titanium case, both of which have been beveled and polished by hand to protect the movement from oxidation. The titanium amplifies the minute repeater—which strikes two gon…

Verdura is showcasing the works of two of the most important jewelers of the 20th century, Fulco di Verdura and Suzanne Belperron, during a 2-month exhibition and sale. The presentation at Verdura’s Fifth Avenue salon in New York will feature over 70 pieces that span the late 1930s through the 1960s. Signature designs include Verdura’s platinum-and-diamond feather ear clips, which were commissioned by Brooke Astor in 1956 as a pair of brooches. The set features 275 round diamonds weighing 16.58 carats, along w…

The Geneva-based watchmaker Bedat & Co. has made a leap toward premium watchmaking with its new diamond-encrusted women’s model, the Extravaganza Ref. 327 ($272,500). The one-of-a-kind timepiece, which has 10.73 carats of diamonds, will be traveling to Bedat’s key retailers around the world this fall to showcase the brand’s new emphasis on high-end women’s timepieces. The 327 model, set with 50 baguette diamonds, features a more tapered tonneau-shaped case than Bedat’s classic No. 3 models. The movement (v…

Hermès, the French luxury-goods brand that began as a saddlemaker, has elevated the simplicity of a leather strap into an art form. Each strap is selected from a candy store of exceptional materials, including leather and crocodile, and then hand-stitched and finished for over an hour in the company’s workshop in Bienne, Switzerland. The process represents the highest level of time and expense in the industry and results in quality you can immediately feel on your wrist. (800.441.4488, www.hermes.com)
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