I learned about high-end wristwatches before I was able to afford one. The experience was both frustrating and exciting. On the one hand, I was able to begin to list timepieces I would aspire to own in an ideal future. On the other, I was motivated to learn about how to put monetary value on timepieces and where to put my own money. The luxury world is populated by many beautiful items, but it requires expert knowledge to know what is worth your investment. What Makes For A Luxury Watch?Despite what many retailers would have you believe, a high price does not make a watch luxurious. Meaning, anyone can put precious stones on an item and mark up its price. Today, timepieces aren’t the necessary gadgets they once were when people didn’t have other options to tell the time. While it would be silly to suggest people don’t use their watches for their intended purposes, the majority of timepieces out there are worn for emotional rather than purely practical reasons. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, you will derive the greatest level of ownership satisfaction from wearing a timepiece that you feel a connection with, or something you’ve lusted over for years — a restored watch handed down to you by a relative. A luxury watch should be distinct in terms of how it is produced and what it is made from. Most watches we have today are mass produced in a short time. Good watches take time, and often require hours, even months, to produce. A. Lange & Sohne watches can take up to 14 months to create. High-end timepieces are designed to spare little expense in their production. Movements and cases may contain exotic materials, and the best watch cases are individually milled in precision machines and polished by hand, such as those from brands like Patek Philippe and Piaget. A good watch case is made from solid metal (or another material) and can take up to a full day or more to cut and finish. Luxury watch movements are completely mechanical. Tradition plays a large part in the luxury buying experience, and electronic quartz watches have no seat at the high table. Mechanical watches are little machines that apply historic mechanical watch design, often produced in today’s modern machines. Having said that, no luxury watch movement escapes the careful hands of a skilled watchmaker. Luxury watch movements are hand-assembled and tested and, in the best cases, are hand-decorated, such as those from Breguet or Bovet. PERFECTION: Watches from Greubel Forsey are famous for their exquisite finishDetail is really the true hallmark of luxury. Everything in a luxury watch should look and work perfectly. Materials should be attractive to the eye and to the touch, and everything produced in the miniature dimensions of a watch’s interior (such as the dial) need to be the epitome of precision. Among the best finished watches in the world are those from Greubel Forsey. What Is Good Design?The most popular luxury watches have ‘timeless’ design. They have endured the test of generations and still look good today — examples being the Rolex Submariner, Omega Speedmaster, Cartier Tank and Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso. It is impossible to design ‘new’ timeless watches because they simply haven’t passed the test of whether they will look good 20 years from now. Timeless designs often appear simple at first sight, largely because they are subtle in appearance. Flamboyant watches with high prices often go out of style quickly, so simple designs that flatter your appearance tend to be best. No watch can be considered to have good design if it is not legible. Many watchmakers today forget that timepieces are instruments for telling the time. Status items apart, watches are tools, and a tool must work, which is why so many classic sport collections are popular sellers today. Legible watches have hands that are of the right size, and high-contrast dials that allow you to see the hands and hour markers in different light conditions. This is why diving and aviator-style watches are popular. It may seem trivial to bring this up, but it is surprising how many watchmakers get this wrong. No matter how beautiful or luxurious a watch may be, legibility should always be a prime consideration when it comes to purchase. Do It YourselfThe most esteemed watchmakers today are those who produce as much of their own parts as possible, such as Rolex, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Zenith. This is important because the more components that are made in-house, the more the quality and design of the watches can be controlled. It is true that many watchmakers will charge a premium for movements they produce themselves. Having said that, it is often best to rely on the skills of those watchmakers who have been producing their own movements for at least a few decades. It is appropriate to ask how much of a watch has been produced by the company whose name appears on the dial. The greater the proportion, the better the value of the watch. Even if the watch costs more out the outset, watches from ‘true’ manufacturers often fare better on the resale market. While brands like Omega and Breitling are quickly becoming esteemed movement makers, even those that do not produce their own movements, but make just the dials and cases, deserve respect. It is also often the case that the older a brand is, the more valuable it can be. Look for brands that have operated continuously for at least a few decades (or longer). Most Valuable WatchesWhen you reach the absolute pinnacle of the luxury watch ladder you find a few common elements. One of the most important things is technique. The world’s most complicated watches have features that no one else can replicate. Those can be complications in the movements or particular aesthetic techniques such as hand-engraved art that only that brand can produce. When you pay for the highest level of luxury, you are also paying for exclusivity. Brands like Christophe Claret offer dazzling technical marvels, while few can reproduce the handiwork of independent watchmakers Urwerk or Thomas Prescher. Many of the world’s best watches do not just have movements made in-house, but ones that are carefully made by hand such as those in a Philippe Dufour. This includes not just assembly of the movements, but also meticulous decoration of almost every part that goes into the movement — regardless of whether the wearer will ever see them. Hand-decoration can extend to artwork on the movement, as well as engravings on a dial or case. Bespoke creations are also popular amongst the world’s most dedicated watch collectors. Top luxury watches are made to order, and often include unique designs, treatment, or other elements that make them unique to the owner. This often involves an intimate exchange between the watchmaker and client to ensure the piece is perfectly personalised. Every timepiece made by Grieb & Benzinger is unique, and companies such as Blancpain have an entire department dedicated to custom orders.Many top luxury watches contain precious stones and materials. These materials may be expensive but aren’t difficult to acquire. Look for talent and skill in design versus a generous helping of diamonds when looking for the world’s best watches. (This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 07-10-2013)
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Collecting wines is a painstaking process that involves visits to vineyards and auctions to get the right mix of varietals and maturities for many, Collecting wine is akin to building ass-ets. It is often compared to collecting works of art, luxury watches, designer novelties, vintage cars and antiques. A wine connoisseur collects prized and highly rated vintages as a reflection of his individual style and taste. A key part of building a personal and meaningful collection is to identify what your allotted budget is, including the storing capability of wines. Identifying the type of wine that you like is essential — whether it is Bordeaulaise or Burgundian, Italian or Spanish, Old World or New World, Boutique or Classic. You should decide an order of preferences and then let that determine your storage volumes. A well-balanced collection is one that has 60 per cent Old World wines, meant to be aged, and 40 per cent New World wines that are younger, robust and ready to drink. Buying wines while travelling abroad or while visiting a vineyard are the best ways to build a collection. Buying wines at vineyards is an excellent idea as the interaction with the wine maker or chateau owner is priceless. Auction houses are a great place to find rare wines that normally have limited access to the public.The most alluring aspect of auction houses for collectors is that not only do they sell obscure vintages, they also guarantee the authenticity of the seller. Another advantage is that a variety of bottle sizes is available. For example, a 6-litre bottle of Methuselah, a 9-litre bottle of Salmanazar, and a 12-litre bottle of Balthazar of rare vintage are more likely to be available at auction houses than a wine importer or sales agent. Three of my favourite auction houses for fine and rare wines are Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Hospices de Beaune. Modern auction houses like Zachys also offer the buyer the ability to bid online. Bidding in an auction is a very easy undertaking. One finds out about an upcoming auction on the house’s website. Often, the house itself may send emails. Sales are also conducted by contacting wine specialists or sales associates whose numbers are provided on the websites. The bidding can happen by representation or over the phone and, in the case of Christie’s, live online as well. Auction houses also allow private bids, which is a plus for the more discreet collector. CLASSIC BREW: At auction houses, one can find the rarest of wines that come with a certificate of authenticityHere are some classic wines that are bound to be on the lists of top collectors worldwide:• Chateau Margaux 1989• Petrus, Pomerol 2000• Chateau Latour 2001• Krug Clos d’Ambonnay 1995• La Tache 2002• Gaja Sori San Lorenzo 1999• Opus One, Napa 1985• Domaine de la Janasse, Chateauneuf du Pape 1998• Vega Sicilia, Ribera del duero Unico Gran Reserva 1976• Weingut Joh. Jos. Prum, Germany 1971Collectors' KarmaWhile building a wine collection one should make sure that there is a good mix of ready-to-drink wines and wines kept aside for ageing. This gives you the opportunity to enjoy the pleasure of tasting versatile wines while not opening a wine before it has matured. Storage and cellar maintenance are imperative, especially for wines kept at home. A temperature-controlled humid cellar or room is a must. The storage room should preferably be dark with low lighting so as not to disturb the wine. Storing at the right temperature is absolutely crucial to the longevity of the wine. Very often, wines served in India are over-exposed to heat and, unfortunately, tend to lose their lustre and pristine quality. Keeping the wine as still as possible and on its belly is imperative; friction to the bottle can damage the wine and make it unfit to drink. Also, for older wines, stillness is important for separating the sediment that tends to collect as the wine ages. There are many facets to owning a wine collection, including stocking wines that one would like to drink often. Cherishing the memory of a date or an anniversary is a lovely occasion to uncork a bottle of wine. To some, collecting subdues the curiosity of certain wine varietals or styles. To others, owning and collecting bottles is a matter of prestige — the rarer the wines in one’s collection, the greater the honour.Often, in my job as a wine consultant, I come across people who barely consume their prized vintages. These collectors also create impeccable leather-bound encyclopedia-like catalogues that are handed out to their friends as a glorious tribute to their research and passion for the wines collected. Last but not the least, some collect for the sybaritic passion of drinking and being able to taste fine and rare wines. Whatever the reason for collecting, a good wine is the essence of a good life. (This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 07-10-2013)
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Now that you’ve got that S-Class and that bungalow on Mumbai’s Carter Road — not to forget the Birkin that the missus flaunts as arm candy — how do you announce to the world that you’ve arrived? And, how do you rub shoulders with the high and the mighty? It’s a no-brainer: you need to be a member of a club, one that oozes history, has a member list that reads like the who's who of society and is near impossible to get into, lending it exclusivity. Ankita Ramgopal trawls through the umpteen clubs across the country to come up with a list — some age-old and some spanking new.Calcutta Club, KolkataOne of the most difficult clubs to gain membership to, it was started in 1907 by a group of maharajas and barristers, both English and Indian, to protest against discrimination by the clubs that were around then. Ironically, desi dressing is frowned upon. Children are allowed only on some days, with restrictions. Waiting period: 10 yearsMembership privileges: Though women members were allowed after 2007, there is still a ‘Men’s Bar’.Royal Willingdon Sports Club, BangaloreSet up in 1918, this club has a long-standing reputation of keeping people out rather than letting them in. It provides an array of sports facilities — an 18-hole golf course, six tennis courts, a health club, a swimming pool, and more. The dress code has reportedly kept out many well-known personalities. Try clicking on its website — it’s members only! Waiting period: Membership’s been closed for yearsKarnataka Golf Association, BangaloreLocated in the heart of the city, and with a 117-acre golf course, it boasts of several celebrity members, including the likes of Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and Azim Premji. But if you’re looking for membership, Venkat Subramaniam, the secretary of the club, says you may have to wait a good 20 years. Besides golf, the club offers an array of facilities, including an Olympic-size swimming pool and health club. Waiting period: 20 yearsMembership fee: Rs 15 lakh (lifetime) Vintage and Classic Car Club of India, MumbaiHave a 1938 Cadillac or a 1924 Rolls Royce? This club is for you. The VCCCI club presently has 150 members which comprises the who’s who. Vijay Mallya, Sharad Sanghi and Manvendra Singh Barwani are among its members. Membership criteria: Owning a vintage or classic carPrivileges: Lifetime RTO tax, technical services, legal advice, etc. Royal Western India Turf Club, MumbaiIf you are a regular bridge jumper in India, you are sure to be acquainted with the Mahalaxmi Race Course, a horce racing landmark. Set up in 1880, its guest list has included Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, the Saudi Arabian king and the Shah of Iran. The club has approximately 1,600 horses in training at its stables. For a horse lover, this is the club to join. Of course, it helps if you’re acquainted with royalty. Membership fee: Life membership comes for Rs 10 lakh. In addition, there is a Rs 2 lakh club membership fee. A club membership is contingent on life membership. Privileges: Invitations to racing events; turf club members get preference in allocation of private boxes. And, there is access to a helipad! MEMBERS ONLY: Membership of newer clubs like Sanctum is mostly through referral Sanctum, BangaloreUnlike the clubs mentioned above, Sanctum is new —launched in May. It has 230 members, mostly through referral, says Manoj Varma, the founder. The club is modeled around London’s exclusive private members clubs. It offers cuisine crafted by Spanish chef Joaquin Arjona and a bar stocked with rare imported liquor. Membership: Mostly on referral, but application forms are also available (background checks involved).Privileges: Personalised services, including a 24-hour concierge service. Women get secure transportation.La Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs, Bangalore and GoaAlthough the inception dates back to the French Revolution, the Indian chapter, or The Bailliage de L’Inde, began in 2008. Each Bailliage in India hosts 5-6 high-end gourmet events annually. The menu is approved by the board, which consists of GMs of the top hotels and restaurants in the city. Membership: By invitation only. The application needs to be sponsored by two active members. The applicant is then invited as a guest to two events, where he or she is introduced to the club’s board and president. If approved, the application is sent to Paris for final approval. Privileges: Attendance to dinners (black tie), and to events centering on fine food and wine. SeaDream Yacht Club, MumbaiSail on an ultra luxury SeaDream yacht, and you are in. A seven-day voyage costs Rs 5-15 lakh for a couple. The boutique yacht accommodates only 112 guests, with a guest to crew ratio of 1:1, ensuring specialised attention. It sails in Indian waters beginning October. Membership: A trip on the yacht ensures membership.Privileges: Special offers, cocktail parties. Juhu Club Millennium, MumbaiA jacuzzi, a health café that serves garden fresh greens, low calorie snacks and drinks — for the super rich of Maximum City, this is the club to get away from the maddening crowd. Membership: Invitation only.Membership fee: Rs 5-9 lakh. (This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 07-10-2013)
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The fabulous Falaknuma in Hyderabad, the traditional yet modern ITC Grand Chola in Chennai, the Leela Palace in Delhi, the glorious Suryagarh Fort in Jaisalmer — the last couple of years have seen luxury being redefined by hospitality players in the country. The good news for those seeking that indefinable extra edge in pampering and sumptuous comfort is that there are many more enticing luxe launches around the corner. Here’s a glimpse of the most awaited openings ahead.A Ritzy AffairThere are hotel brands and there are hotel brands but the name Ritz Carlton evokes a certain magic in the hospitality business. The ‘king of hoteliers and hoteliers to kings’ is all set to throw open its doors in Bangalore soon. The 277-room hotel, located in the upscale Residency Road area, promises a varied gastronomical outing with six F&B outlets. Roof top bar Bang ,from where you get a panoramic view of the city, has the makings of an exciting watering hole. Chinese dim sum house Lantern, specialised restaurant The Market and Indian cuisine restaurant Riwaaz add to the variety. A 15,000 sq. ft spa operated by ESPA and a salon run by Italian hairstylist Rossano Ferretti are other attractions. Owned and developed by Nitesh Estates, a real estate firm that makes its debut in hospitality, it remains to be seen if the Ritz brand (a Marriott subsidiary) manages to deliver its legendary service here.A Taste of ThaiWith its water bodies, a profusion of flowering trees, and gorgeous purple, rust and mustard-toned architecture, the first glimpse of Dusit Devarana is an absolute delight. Positioned as an urban retreat, the 50-room resort set amid eight acres of lovely gardens manages to be perfectly secluded despite being located along the busy Delhi-Gurgaon highway. Its international staff — a mix of Thai, Indian and European — promise service that takes care of every cultural nuance of guests. The first taste at the world cuisine restaurant promises an exciting dining experience. Some delightful surprises are a family temple, a yoga pavilion and rooms that open onto water bodies. There’s much going for this place that’s an interesting blend of the best of Thai and Indian hospitality.No Rush, All Frills If ITC gave the chatterati a lot to natter about with its Grand Chola, then its upcoming launch at Manesar — the Green Bharat Golf Resort and Royal Spa has quite a few talking points too. With a hundred luxury suites (it claims to be the first all-suite luxury hotel in the country) and four presidential villas built around a signature golf course, ITC promises to push the concept of ‘slow tourism’ — lingering holidays playing golf, enjoying a farm-to-fork experience (the resort will grow its own herbs, vegetables and grains besides boasting of a seven-acre citrus plantation), cultural shows and a head to toe wellness regimen. There will be wellbeing kitchens that create low-calorie gourmet experiences, high-tech services (e-butlers in the shape of iPads) and quite a few other path-breaking service initiatives. Looks like a good place to tee off.Island GetawayIt’s been getting a lot of buzz, both internationally and in domestic circles. Asian hospitality biggie Banyan Tree’s first launch in India — the 59-villa resort on a private island in Kerala surrounded by backwaters — scores both on location and tasteful architecture. Guests can literally sail into the lobby and the all-pool villas promise water babies a swimmingly good time. Laidback houseboat trips and Kerala-style Ayurvedic therapy complete the idyllic picture. There is only one blip in this paradise — the question mark over the launch as environmental agitations over building on an island have time and again delayed the opening and the issue is far from resolved.(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 07-10-2013)
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Recently, there was this incident where Oprah Winfrey felt she had been racially profiled because a salesgirl wouldn’t show her a $38,000 handbag. Racial stereotype apart, why on earth would anyone even consider a bag that’s worth over Rs 25 lakh? However, that sort of pales into insignificance when the most expensive pair of women’s underwear is going at a cool $15 million. At 66 rupees to a dollar, at least a thousand Indian men can wear new undies to work every day for the rest of their lives with that kind of money. The point I am making is kind of lateral, but simple. If you apply the prism of vanity to luxury, then the upper end of living is suddenly open to a lot of ridicule from among the have-nots of this Earth. But then, this article isn’t about that silly prism. In fact, let’s throw it into an emerald-ringed ocean of perfumed blue octane and set fire to it with a diamond-studded lighter from S.T. Dupont. Having got rid of my offensive middle-class blood and its turmoil, let’s look at the business of advertising that separates money from loaded men and women.Forgive Me, Did You Not Notice The Mistake?Neither did I, till the muse of luxury stepped in to whisper. Ouch. I made the cardinal error of dragging something as plebeian as money into the equation. Luxury, or true luxury, doesn’t have anything do with money. It is beyond physical value. It has its own dimension. It is about transporting men and women of stash to exquisite realms of experience, imagination and pleasure. It has nothing to do with the price tag. That disgusting primal vestige. My very bad.Advertising in the context of luxury is but a mere channel of information to the wealthy. A mode of interestingly packaged knowledge about a product or service designed to prompt a positive response of warmth from the true haves. It should tickle the soles of those with the means to own them. Period.More than that, luxury advertising should follow its own heart. When you create your own rules, why follow anyone or anything? Why Get Pedantic About Luxury Advertising? You can always dismiss and package luxury advertising into an academic exercise. But I wouldn’t. I would kill myself among the legs of eels and eggs of cows before attempting to pigeonhole the world’s luxury brands into a format of commonly spotted similarities. Very little copy. Great visual quality. Colour coding. Sexual content. Expensive feel. Top celebrity. Heritage implications. Exotic locations. Dedicated YouTube channel. Expert craftsmanship. Blah. I’d think that anyone who tries to define, contain, and pin down the unlimited world of luxury, would be defiling its very spirit. You can’t really click every mood of Africa in a picture, and you can’t actually hold the vastness of the universe in a bottle.So, What's Luxury Advertising?Luxury is a state of mind. And, to me, luxury advertising is all about unfettered liberty. Where there ought to be scant regard for the cost of execution. The only criteria should be the capture of an incredible idea. The audacity of the concept. The unabashed lavishness of thought. The opulence of production. Etcetera.That itself will be the extended aura of the brand that the advertising is trying to represent. Luxury advertising for me is magical. It is almost inexplicable. And this is something that cuts across geography. The same values work in India, Indiana, and Indonesia — the creation of a magnetic pull that pushes someone to spend a fortune to acquire something that functionally does the same job for a buck or two, and can be bought from a thrift shop. However, not all luxury brands can actually live in this ephemeral space. Masses And ClassesTo me there’s coach class luxury, and then there’s business class luxury. Maybe I should reword them as mass luxury and niche luxury. Mass luxury is stuff that you find in magazines. And television. And some deadly looking advertising. With the amount of retail brand glam shimmering all around, the regular moths in search of mass luxury are being led in by the bright neon lights of our cities’ richie-rich malls. They flock to these places because, for them, luxury is only luxury when someone recognises the brand that they paid for. It’s an insight that gets a whole new rocket when you look at luxury from the eyes of people who have the money but need the props of those luxe brands to step out from their shadows. This is also the driver and power for mass luxury advertising. One that fuels its own circle of retail therapy. Make the brand so well recognised that the tasteless insecure rich lot clamour for them to add pride and prejudice. For the nouveau riche, and the Johnnys come lately, their single most-throbbing desire is to be seen, to be noticed, to be identified as the vectors of luxury brands.Like giant stickers that scream out their bank balances and their ability and mettle to outspend the Joneses. And then, there’s the niche luxury buyer. A consumer to whom luxury is more of a quest rather than a typical end of a journey for his or her platinum credit card. When you are really wealthy, when you really have stopped counting money, you lose sight of brands. Not only do you lose interest in brands, you lose all physical restraints. You are no longer afflicted by branditis. You are bigger than what any brand can throw at you. There is nothing that any brand can put in front of you that you cannot make your own.Half the charm of luxury is in knowing that you have parted with a sizeable chunk of money to acquire it. The challenge makes it worthwhile. It gives you a certain admission of success. But when you elevate to a level where money is no longer to be protected or saved, then life changes you. People Build Luxury Around You The other day, I happened to be in the same room as the richest man in the world. And the middle-class advertising bloke that I was and still am, I discreetly searched for telltale logos, names and monograms, anything that I could discover. It would have been good to know what kind of shoes he wore, what suit, what pen, what shirt, what watch, what glasses, etc. But I couldn’t see a thing. I couldn’t make out a single brand. He was conspicuously shorn of logos. Absolutely antiseptic. He probably didn’t want to lend his name to any brand. Because, at his level, and with his global standing, he is expected to wear the best. More than anything else, he automatically would become an ambassador for any brand. Any thing he eats, drinks, sees, listens, uses, etc. It’s terrible in one way — it’s the price you pay when you are king of the mountain. It’s also incredibly liberating. Your Wish Is Your Own Command The interesting thing is that once you have the money, you stretch. Your mind gets to travel in all directions. You think of things that don’t exist. You are no longer held back by the gravity of funds, budgets, accounts and other things that matter to most human beings.Plus, if you have a creative slant of thinking, and the money to spend, then there’s really nothing that can stop you from pampering yourself. From a humble champagne shower in your bedroom, to 464-day-old lamb shanks exquisitely braised in the sauce of raisins grown in the belly of a secret grotto just where the Equator meets the Amazon closest to the Atlantic. It’s a state of mind where you decide what you want. Your imagination wants you to have the best in everything. Nothing can be a common version. Luxury Permeates Everything There’s a luxury version of everything on this planet. From cakes to watches, holidays to homes to wines, shoes to travel and planes. From yachts to caviar, suitcases to extreme adventure, gem-encrusted plates to chocolate truffle chappals, designer birthings to extravagant deaths.You really think you want to be buried alongside the average millionaire? Damn. What a poor soul. The way to look at this is through the eyes of the opportunity and ideas that life offers both luxury brands and luxury advertising. After All, Luxury Is Prime PlumageAs the world spins into another age, where the luxury market evolves and grows ever tempting, advertising too will find its way into newer expressions. While mass luxury will continue to regale its Juicy-wearing clientele to take home expensive clothing, cars, holidays, and a hundred more daily medals of opulence, the niche luxury market will continue to become more word of mouth and mysterious.Imagine this select slice of life from the future world of luxury. I am pretty sure there will be ocean-based clubs that hawk memberships of a billion dollars, private submarines that can run on nuclear power and with self-contained swimming pools, underwater communities that don’t have to depend on land for anything, expansive marine golf courses built on the heaving waters of the oceans, and whole new island countries built on gigantic floating vessels. Advertising for these won’t be through regular channels. It will find new channels. Like a whole new stream of extreme luxury offers that stream under the morass of the Internet. Accessible only through genetic passkeys. Who knows what might happen in that nether zone? I am not even sure there will be a market for ultra-end advertising as well. I personally feel that the niche luxury world is going to mutate into an unknown and invisible market. And the advertising world will also play along and rediscover equally compelling expressions. I am pretty sure that we are living in interesting times, and I think awesome times are around the corner. Here’s to restless mankind! (This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 07-10-2013)
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During the past few years, luxury houses have faced the dilemma of exclusivity versus accessibility. The temptation to sell to the new affluent and aspirational classes and conquer new destinations is strong. But with that comes the risk of diluting the codes and essence of luxury.However, for some luxury brands, becoming accessible through affordable products, mass market lines, mass communication and mass distribution is an irreversible and unstoppable trend. In a world of ‘no distance, no time’, one can buy a branded bag seen in a glossy luxury magazine from any corner of the globe, be it Paris, New York, Moscow or Beijing. Stores across the world come with the same look and feel as the flagship store; it’s shopping minus the jetlag! In fact, the added bonus is the service the staff provide you in your mother tongue, which makes you may feel at home. But this overarching reach of luxury has led to paradoxes, including misunderstanding and misrepresentation of what constitutes luxury. By going mass, some luxury brands have diluted their original significance, and their reputation. This has eroded their exclusivity, which is key to their success. On the other hand, there are those brands that have chosen a different goal, and resisted exponential growth. These represent the silent world of bespoke. The movement is supported by artisans and craftsmen, as well as the purveyors of quality, rarity and history. Bespoke is for those who do not want to flaunt logos, or outwardly visible products.“The joy of seeing a client getting a watch that is exactly as per his wishes, and the fact that we will never create the same watch twice, is truly stimulating and challenging,” says Mikael Bourgeois of MB Watches.Bespoke is not a new concept. Its loyal patrons have been crowned heads, maharajas and nawabs, who, in turn, have lent some luxury houses and craftsmen a sterling reputation. Bespoke now represents a transformation in the way luxury is consumed: it is a deliberate choice of going ‘personal’ and ‘sustainable’. “A woman can be beautiful in a dress. But she becomes outstanding when there is a genuine connection between her and her gown,” says Fanny Liautard, who designs unique and exclusive wedding dresses and accessories.Bespoke, not to be confused with tailor-made, is the pinnacle of luxury. The word is derived from ‘bespeak’, which means to speak for something. It is a very high degree of customisation. The buyer’s involvement starts from the very beginning where he expresses his dreams, needs, features, fit, and more. It continues into the various other steps of production, right up to the point of delivery. ONE OF A KIND: Maison Corthay (left) offers bespoke shoes as well as product alterations from its ready-to-wear line; aMikael Bourgeois watch takes shapeSome luxury houses, like Louis Vuitton, prefer using the term ‘special orders’ (les commandes spéciales). Even in ‘special orders’ they make a distinction between a made-to-order product, which is in fact a piece selected from the permanent collection but re-interpreted in other materials, and the custom-made order, which is a unique, one-off creation that perfectly balances the customer’s wishes, the technicalities and the established design codes of the company. Take, for instance, master shoemaker Maison Corthay, Bottier Contemporain Paris. Their success is based on two types of services. They offer supreme quality shoes with bespoke service, and also allow customers to handpick a model from the ready-to-wear collection, alter their specifications and select the leather and the colour in what comes close to the bespoke experience.Bespoke escapes the spiral of high-budget advertising and extravagant promotions. The magic strategy is ‘word of mouth’, which means the ‘buzz’ will be passed to you as a chance as well as a secret to be kept within the circle of ‘connoisseurs’. For Pierre Corthay, the footwear artist, this strategy worked quite effectively as it led to him designing 150 pairs of bespoke shoes for the Sultan of Brunei. The philosophy of bespoke relies on a close, personal and creative communication between the customer and the ‘artisan’. “Our clients prefer a kind of return to tradition, personalised advice, patient sessions of listening and understanding their needs, specifications and dreams. They value the unique relation they have with their ‘personal master tailor’,” said Charles de Luca, Marc de Luca’s son, during an interview at his Parisian atelier located at the Place de la Madeleine. Camps de Luca is a luxury house that spans three generations of master tailors. This is also underlined by Paris-based Liautard: “My key strength is listening to and the attention paid to my clients. My approach is to observe my clients’ personality to offer them a creation that will add magic to an exceptional event. I need to reach a stage of affinity and confidence with them.” break-page=breakEntering the world of bespoke is like opening the doors of some hundred-year-old prestigious houses. Patrick Louis Vuitton, representing the fifth generation of the founding family, personally oversees the ‘special order’ department, at the historic Asnieres workshop where more than 400 orders are executed per year. For over a century and a half, Louis Vuitton has been designing fine luggage for special orders. Patrick, inspired by his ancestors, followed in their tracks, and trained for many years to perfect his craft.Mostly, artisans start training at an early age. “I began my apprenticeship at the age of 16, and spent 12 years learning the trade,” says Marc de Luca. He adds with a smile, “To become a master tailor, it takes a minimum of 15 years.” “It is in the perseverance of work that we manage to sublimate the creation,” confirms Franck Benito, an artisan who specialises in bespoke crystal products.However, there are also some young companies that specialise in the niche world of bespoke, escaping from the doctrines of market-driven businesses. Luxury house Pinel & Pinel is just a little over 10 years old and gives life to unique orders, especially trunks. LEGACY: For over 150 years, Louis Vuitton has executed special orders in fine luggage“To me, the meaning of creating a haute horlogerie timepiece is to make a watch that remains timelessly beautiful and is designed to live much longer than us,” says Bourgeois, the owner and creative brain behind MB Watches. The notion of quality naturally includes a selection of the best and most beautiful components. Sometimes, making a bespoke piece can take months. Many of the production steps are manual; for instance, the first sketches are drawn by hand. “Following the finalisation of the pattern, 65-75 hours are needed to make a suit,” explains de Luca, adding that more than 95 per cent of the work on their jackets is done by hand. For instance, 15 minutes are required to make a handmade buttonhole, while it takes just 90 minutes to make a whole suit in a factory!And this is without including the number of hours that go into taking care of the technical and innovative challenges. “My greatest reward is when a client marvels at a mechanical movement or gets impressed on discovering all the intricate details of his masterpiece,” shares a proud Bourgeois. A bespoke order is charged with passion and emotions as it tells a story. “The most beautiful request came from a man who wanted us to create a watch for his son, who was born a few hours earlier. In such projects, we forget the technical aspects, the theory. Suddenly everything just becomes emotional,” says Bourgeois. Last but not the least, bespoke is not only the privilege of individual customers. Corporates, hotels and those connected to art and culture also commission such pieces to personalise their professional environment. An example is the prestigious luxury Hôtel de Crillon in Paris. Many bespoke pieces were commissioned to decorate the gastronomic restaurant and the bar section: a console designed by Philippe Stark and Lalique, a sofa designed by Sonia Rykiel, among others.Focusing on extreme personalisation signals the revival of the authentic values of a luxury company. Once you have been part of the bespoke experience, you will never go back to commercial products. You will ask for the best and nothing less will do. Véronique Polès Mumbai-based luxury and lifestyle consultant to French companies (This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 07-10-2013)
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Going Out Of Town?There’s quite a deluge of travel-related apps, with new ones turning up every day. PNR Status by Ixigo is a one-stop app for both train and flight details. The free app for Android has a nice interface, but needs you to enter your email id, PNR number, date of travel and where you bought your ticket – a little too much information, I thought. Isn’t a PNR number unique enough to get you what you need? Anyway, once you’ve put in these bits of information you get your page of flight or train details and can call the airline or check-in via the app, which takes you to the airline’s website. You could just use the airline’s app, of course, but if you have a mix of train journeys and flights, you may find PNR Status useful. The nice thing is, you continue to get useful alerts and prompts until you’re on your way. Air Call AnswerPhone companies that make devices without any strong distinguishing features make a big noise about how you can do things like answer a call with the wave of a hand. Well, that’s just the proximity sensor at work, and all it needs is the command to tell it what to do when faced with a certain situation. So if you want this piece of magic on your Android phone, head to the Play Store and download the free Air Call Answer. Enable it. And there you have it! Now, all you need to do is let the proximity sensor on the top of your phone see your hand or finger moving and the call can be answered. Even better, just lift the phone to your ear and the call engages. Obviously, as the sensor gets the same kind of input, it’ll work. There are many similar tweaks you can make to an Android phone yourself ratherthan take the marketing bait thrown at you. Attack Of The Carrot There was a time when you could thwack your alarm clock into silence and go back to sleep. But these days your clock lives in your phone where it gets smarter and smarter until it finally outsmarts you. This is true of the Carrot alarm clock for iOS, which will just about torture you if you don’t wake up. There are specific actions you have to perform to silence the alarm such as swiping on a certain part of the screen. When Carrot sees lack of compliance, it will go into torture mode until it eventually threatens to kill a kitten if you don’t get up. The app has a gesture-based interface but is otherwise simple and doesn’t let you set multiple alarms. It’s strictly a wake-up machine, and an extra snooze will cost you. As time goes on, your tasks will become tougher and Carrot will be ruder. The app costs $0.99.(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 23-09-2013)
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Blackberry loy- alists can stop mourning the end of QWERTY keyboards. BlackBerry promised another generation of devices, modernised and yet not losing sight of whatever faithful users have loved all these years. And it delivered. The jury is very far out on whether these new devices have come too late and are compelling enough, but here they are regardless. Two ‘Q’ smartphones give consumers a choice of expensive and a-little-less-expensive. The Q10 weighs in at a price of Rs 44,990. And when your head stops spinning, take in the fact that the Q5 cost Rs 24,990. I cannot pretend to understand BlackBerry’s pricing strategy but this much is clear that the company is segmenting its potential buyers into the young and the restless on one hand and the Type A hyper-connected professional on the other. And they believe the price is right. What both segments have in common is their need for a smartphone centred on communication more than anything else. Of course, all phones are about communication, but today your smartphone is your fitness trainer, your toy, your French teacher and a lot more and communication is just one item on the agenda. Not so the BlackBerry phones for which the focus is staying in touch. With the new BlackBerry 10 (now on 10.1) devices, Z10, Q10 and Q5 so far, the BlackBerry Hub is the very heart of the phone, created as it is to be the repository for all mail, messages, social communication, etc. You can send mail from the Hub as easily as you can tweet from it. Both the Q smartphones have full QWERTY keyboards that have shed their smiles to become straight and neat. And although I’ve never been a full-time BlackBerry user, I have to say the keyboards are truly well-made. The Q10’s has metal frets prominent between keys and the Q5’s doesn’t. The keys are small but remarkably well spaced in a style that’s still familiar to BB users. Keys are slightly sloped in the direction in which our finger is expected to travel. They even make the same press-and-let-go sound. For some reason, the Q5’s keyboard feels a little better to use and there are some murmurs about whether the Q5 will actually overshadow its more powerful sibling. Both devices have the distinct BlackBerry look, unlike the all-touch Z10. But I suppose anything with that keyboard will. Old users will notice that some of the keys they used earlier have gone, including the BB key and the call receive and reject buttons. Those functions have now shifted to touch. Speed dialing isn’t easy either and may call for a future fix. But there are lots of quick shortcuts one can use on the keyboard, specially with the browser, giving those who want to use touch as little as possible some relief. The phones are very nice to hold in the hand and have really hit that sweet spot in ergonomics that makes them neither too big nor painfully small. The two Qs are almost the same size, with the Q5 being a little taller. Both also feel quite premium, though that’s always a subjective view. A single swipe-up brings alive the remaining 60 per cent of the phone — the touch screen — and they feel adequate on both devices. They are smooth and fluid for basic tasks, but also for video chat which you can initiate so easily from BBM. I did not test out on games. The cameras on neither phone are out of the ordinary. On the Q10, we have an 8MP and a 2MP. The Q5’s 5MP and 2MP cameras are make-do. The Q10 is in matte finish black and in white, while the Q5 is in black, white, and a very attractive red. Micromax Canvas 4Micromax Canvas 4Micromax’s proposition has so far been to offer better value for money than Samsung does. Micromax reinforced the perception by following the same design language as Samsung. When the Canvas series smartphones debuted, they made large Note-sized phones affordable. With the Canvas 4, the plot has changed somewhat. It’s still Samsung-like, complete with gimmicks, but at around Rs 18,000 it’s no longer shockingly inexpensive. It’s also not a dramatic upgrade over the Canvas HD but the price certainly is. The Canvas 4 seems better built than previous editions. It has a blindlingly bright blue-white 720 x 1280, 5-inch HD IPS display. You have to blow on it to unlock the device and it’s surprisingly sensitive while executing this party trick. You can also shake to unlock. The screen is crisp enough and has pretty good viewing angles. Colours are quite nice too. Micromax has put in lots of updates to apps and features, all running on Android 4.2.1 and doing a pretty smooth job of it too. I no longer have previous Canvases for comparison, but I do feel there’s significant fluidity over them on the Canvas 4. Powering it is a MediaTek 1.2GHz quad core processor with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. There’s a microSD slot and 2 sim slots inside, along with the removable 2,000 mAh battery. The 13MP primary camera has a lot of features and you can now use it to take 360 degree images. The quality is average, but poor in low light. The 5MP rear facing camera is also on the average side, despite the increase in megapixels. The Canvas 4 is still a phone that gives you a lot for its price, but the scenario has changed since the first Canvas launch and there are more options today. It’s worth considering at a lower price.mala.bhargava@gmail.com(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 09-09-2013)
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You could call it the thrill of the hunt. The adrenaline rush of stalking wildlife in its own habitat is hard to match. A 100 years ago, the Indian maharaja’s weapons of choice while going out for a shoot were custom-built Westley Richards, Holland & Holland or Rigby rifles and shotguns. Today’s corporate maharajas no longer use guns for their shooting. The weapons they wield now are high-end Nikon and Canon DSLR cameras, equipped with the finest lenses money can buy. Businessworld caught up with two such current-generation ‘hunters’ to learn more about their passion. Burning BrightNavin Raheja, CMD of Raheja Developers, is a a self-confessed wildlife enthusiast and photographer. How did he begin? Was it love at first sight? “It was more like the scare of my life,” says Raheja, describing his first encounter with a tiger in the wild, at Corbett National Park over three decades ago. “We did not even get to see it, the roar was enough to make us motionless,” he says. But it was enough to create a connection. “I never forgot the roar. I wanted to come face to face with a creature that majestic. So I visited the park again and again. When I finally saw it, it was love at first sight.” Over the past few decades, Raheja has made more than 500 trips to various national parks across the country in search of the elusive tiger. “They aren’t elusive anymore. I know how to find them. They can sense that I’m a friend,” says Raheja.(BW Pic by Sanjay Sakaria)Around the time that his love affair with the big cat started, Raheja also found himself another passion — photography. “I bought a Pentax, 120 format, from a foreigner in the late 1970s and started experimenting with photography.” It wasn’t long before his two loves got introduced to each other. “Wildlife photography seemed like the obvious way to go.” While Raheja enjoys clicking all sorts of animals, he admits there is something magical about clicking the tiger. “I never get tired of clicking the tiger even though I have clicked several hundred pictures till date. The expression, the beauty and the sheer majesty of the creature makes it the perfect model.” Though Corbett continues to be his favourite shooting ground, he has been to several other parks such as Ranthambore, Rajaji, Bandhavgarh, Kanha and Dudhwa. Are all these parks different? “Yes. The topography plays a key role as does the character of the tigers,” explains Raheja. “You need to surprise the tigers in Corbett, while in Ranthambore, you can follow them and shoot. In Bandhavgarh, there are designated places where a tiger nearly always makes an appearance and you can shoot it.” And that is why shooting in Corbett becomes the most difficult of them all. Raheja says he needs a very silent vehicle when shooting in Corbett; he uses his Forester which he has remodelled with a vast sun roof. “Wherever regulations permit, I prefer to even drive on my own and not have anyone else in the vehicle as other people tend to shake the vehicle,” says Raheja who is a member of Project Tiger, a government initiative to safeguard tigers in India. Raheja now uses a Canon D7, Canon D5 Mark II, Nikon D200 and Nikon D800, among others. He uses a 2.8, 7800 mm lens and a 3.5-4.5, 7500 mm lens. “The 7500 is a slow lens, good for shooting in the day time when there is enough light.” He admits that improvements in the quality of cameras and the lenses over the years have helped wildlife photography. He adds that autofocus is a real boon for amateur photographers. “Animals do not give you time. They do not pose for you. They give you a fraction of a second to shoot. Autofocus, and the fact that you can shoot several frames per second, really helps.” So, what according to him makes for a good wildlife photographer? “Anticipation is vital in wildlife photography. You have to be familiar with the behaviour of the animal and keep the appropriate equipment ready. Anticipation takes you to the place where there is a probability. Getting a good shot is your luck.”FLIGHT OF FANCY: G. V. Prasad believes patience is truly a virtue when it comes to wildlife photography(BW Pic by Sanjay Sakaria)To Catch A Flying BirdFor G.V. Prasad, chairman and CEO of pharma major Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, bird watching and subsequently bird photography happened by chance. Nearly 10 years ago, Prasad was introduced to bird watching by a friend who is an ornithologist. “Birds are everywhere, but I wasn’t consciously watching them. Now that I do, I’m fascinated,” says Prasad who watches them not only at several parks in Hyderabad, including at the Icrisat (International Crop Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics) campus, but also at home. “I’m fortunate to stay in a very green area of Hyderabad where loads of birds can be spotted.” But how did he get into photography?“It was a natural progression. You start by observing the birds and other wildlife and then you start clicking them.” Prasad believes in learning by doing. “I’m not the kind to read manuals to learn photography. You just keep clicking till you get the right shot. You learn on the fly,” says Prasad while confessing that it took several bad shots to finally get that one good picture. “Here and there a friend would make a suggestion, sometimes a photography guide or a fellow photographer would give advice on speed, red eye correction, etc. You incorporate these but finally you get the hang of all the settings only by clicking, and clicking a lot.” At least once every two months, Prasad goes on a bird-watching trip. He is a member of the Bird Watching Society of Andhra Pradesh, but accompanies the team only 2-3 times a year. “Owing to time constraints, I can’t travel with them frequently. But I try to make individual trips with a friend who is also a bird watcher.” Prasad’s last trip was to Botswana in August 2012. “It’s a paradise for both wildlife watchers and photographers. There’s just so much wildlife there that you cannot but help take good pictures.” Prasad acknowledges that a good photograph is not only about skill but also luck. “Some of the best shots are a combination of patience and luck. You have to be at the right place at the right time.” Of course, the right equipment is important, too. Prasad himself uses a Canon 5D Mark III. He has a 2.8, 300 mm prime lens and uses a 2x extender. “You need to have a decent camera with a big lens as birds are generally small and very far away. They tend to disappear when you go closer.” Also, a lens with a big aperture is always useful. In order to capture a bird in flight you need a fast camera that supports really high shutter speeds. (BW Pic by Sanjay Sakaria)While early morning is one of the best times for bird watching, the light is poor and so it’s difficult to get good shots then. For photography, 8-8.30 in the morning, when the light is good, is a much better time. “Patience is truly a virtue when it comes to wildlife photography. You can spend your entire day waiting in a park and just when you decide to leave you may spot a rare bird or a shy animal.” Prasad’s advice to other amateur wildlife photographers is to be patient and not be intimidated by the camera. “Often, when you spot a bird, you don’t have enough time to change the settings of your camera. You click, you learn, and you are better prepared the next time.” smitatripathi@bworldmail.comTwitter: @smita bw(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 09-09-2013)
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At first sight, it didn’t appear threatening. Almost like a puffed up cushion. So far, so good, I thought to myself. It was a lazy Sunday morning and while most people were still planning their day, I was at FitnessFirst, a state-of-the-art gym that I visit every once in a while to check out the latest trends in fitness. The puffed up cushion was actually the Bosu ball, short for Both Sides Utilised, a fitness training device to make an already tough day at the gym tougher. It’s amazing the consistency with which fitness enthusiasts in their zest to make the world a fitter place keep coming up with new tools! The Bosu ball was invented in 1999 by one such devotee — David Weck. It consists of an inflated rubber hemisphere attached to a rigid platform. It almost looks like a stability ball (another one of those devices) cut in half and gets its name from the fact that it can be positioned in two ways. But the non-threatening, almost likeable appearance of the Bosu ball is meant to lull you into a false sense of comfort — as I found out soon enough. What it does actually is make exercise extra challenging. With a platform on one side and a rubber dome on the other, the tool adds instability to your workouts, forcing you to use your core to remain steady. Even a simple exercise like a lunge puts more pressure on your thighs and calves as you put one foot on the unstable rubber dome. “Use the dome-side up for cardio, lower body strength or core moves,” says Prandeep Bordoloi, my extremely fit trainer as he jumps up and down on the Bosu ball, landing perfectly each time. I give it a shot. I jump and land on the squishy dome…well almost. My foot slips and I land on my backside on the polished wooden floor. Oh well, may be I ought to start with stepping up and down and start jumping only after I’ve got my balance right, I say wearily. “That’s where the Bosu ball is going to help you,” says Prandeep as he sees me rubbing my back gingerly. The Bosu ball helps improve your strength and balance which is important for preventing injuries, he explains. The Bosu ball requires you to maintain your centre of gravity over a surface that is constantly changing. I find just standing on it a challenge as my body moves and shifts in and out of balance. “To keep yourself in place you have to constantly engage the stabiliser muscles in your upper and lower body,” says Prandeep even as I perch perilously atop the dome. I realise that concentration helps. My body is more aligned and balanced if I concentrate hard. It’s a bit like holding a yoga pose, the minute you stop concentrating on your breathing, you lose control of the pose. I’m still coming to terms with the squishy side, when Prandeep flips it over. “You can use the platform side for upper body exercises, like push-ups or more core moves, like planks,” he explains, again giving a perfect demonstration. He makes me do the forearm plank which targets the core, glutes, shoulders and the lower body. I place the Bosu ball dome-side down and then hold it with both arms (shoulder-width apart), with my forearms and upper arms at 90 degrees. Then I slowly raise my hips so that my body is in a straight line from head to heel. I’ve done the same exercise previously on a flat surface and have found it tough. But doing it while managing an unstable surface is more difficult and, therefore, more effective, he informs me. Thirty minutes on the Bosu ball is equivalent to 45 minutes in the gym, doing a series of exercises such as walking on the treadmill, cycling and doing weights. That’s the other thing. Everybody is in a hurry nowadays so any device which helps you save time becomes popular. A Bosu ball workout is good for the core, glutes, quadriceps, balance and strength, explains Prandeep. And to drive home his point, he asks me to do the Superman pose. I’m intrigued. Will I start flying like the Man of Steel, I joke. Unlikely, he says with a smile. But with regular exercise and holding on to the pose longer, I’ll become a whole lot fitter and stronger. The Bosu ball is put dome-side up and I sit on it with my knees bent and hands on the sphere. Then I slowly lift my right arm and left leg straight (parallel to the ground) to do the Superman flying pose. Hold for 30-60 seconds and then switch to the other arm and leg. After three sets, I’m near collapse; thankfully, Prandeep calls it a day. Is the Bosu ball worth it? I think so. Will I be using it regularly? I hope so, but going by my track record, it’s unlikely. smitatripathi(at)bworldmail(dot)in Twitter: (at)smitabw(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 12-08-2013)
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