10 most iconic jewellery designers of the 20th Century
Vintage jewellery expert Lee Siegelson breaks down the must-know jewelry designers from the last century.
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A survey of the most iconic and important 20th Century jewellery designers is fraught with the same subjective pitfalls as any other assemblage of art. In an appraisal of Modernist paintings, for example, is Magritte’s The Treachery of Images relatively more or less important of an artistic icon than, say, Duchamp’s Nude Descending a Staircase No. 2? And so it is with jewellery: On a short list of designers, reasonable people can disagree about the merits of Gérard Sandoz – after all, his career as a gem artist was cut short by a second life as an actor.
That’s why it’s important to ensure that anyone curating such a list of greats is qualified to opine. And Lee Siegelson certainly knows his gems. The third-generation jeweller has spent years assessing, collecting, and selling gallery-quality vintage pieces from the brand’s office on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue. Louis, Lee’s grandfather, first launched the business in Brooklyn in 1920, originally specialising in watch repair. In the 1940s—with the help of his son Herman (Lee’s father)—Siegelson pivoted and began putting more focus on vintage jewellery. In time, he amassed a spectacular inventory of one-of-a-kind designs. In the global jewellery community, the Siegelson collection is among the most respected. To date, many pieces have been sold to or exhibited in museums—including New York’s Cooper Hewitt and the Smithsonian.
So, who better to walk us through the 10 most iconic, influential designers of the last century than Lee Siegelson himself? The expert will lead a concise crash course in jewellery history—from Calder to Van Cleef, he’ll break down what makes each artist stand out. Plus—what unusual brooch was Jeanne Boivin’s favourite? What did airplane design have to do with Jean Després’ pieces? Trust us, you’ll want to pocket a few of these conversational gems for your next dinner party.
Lee Siegelson exhibiting at a fine art fair. Photo: Courtesy Siegelson
# Suzanne Belperron
Suzanne Belperron is the single most important jewellery designer of all time. She created an iconic aesthetic of bold curvaceous designs that are immediately recognisable as Belperron. In fact, she is known for not signing her pieces stating, “My style is my signature.” And she is absolutely correct.
Belperron was known for using unusual carved hardstone materials such as rose quartz, rock crystal, and chalcedony as a mounting material for bracelets and rings. She also pushed her workshops to create intricate stone settings for pieces that included a large and varied amount of stone cuts. Each mounting had to be hand created to fit the individual stones.
This bib necklace is an iconic Belperron design composed of a field of irregular ovoid rubies interspersed with diamonds, all bezel-set in platinum. Although the rubies and diamonds appear to be randomly scattered, they were actually placed with great care by the designer, as an Impressionist painter might scatter drops of paint to create a more beautiful whole. The result is a magnificent liquid feeling.
Belperron was and is absolutely revered by fashion designers, editors, and wearers of haute couture. Her pieces have been collected by Daisy Fellowes, Elsa Schiaparelli, Diana Vreeland, the Duchess of Windsor, and Karl Lagerfeld, to name a few. She is the designer most sought after by people who understand clothing and jewellery can be art.
Art Moderne Ruby and Diamond Bib Necklace by Suzanne Belperron, Paris, circa 1945. Photo: Courtesy Siegelson
# Boivin
Jeanne Boivin (the principal of Boivin after her husband died in 1917) was fashion and jewellery royalty. She was a female director of the renowned jewellery firm and the sister of Paul Poiret, the couturier who forever changed fashion with his groundbreaking designs in the 1910s and 1920s. Jeanne gave Suzanne Belperron her start and also worked with Juliette Moutard. These three women together created some of the most important jewellery ever designed with a strong sculptural style usually based on nature.
The starfish brooch is the absolute pinnacle of Boivin design, and Jeanne even said this brooch was her favourite. This jewel was purchased by Claudette Colbert, the most recognisable Hollywood star in the 1930s after her Academy Award win for “It Happened One Night.” And she is pictured wearing the brooch in a period photograph.
Millicent Rogers owned a later version and she was pictured wearing it in Vogue. The Boivin starfish was actually pictured in Vogue four times between 1937 and 1945, an unheard-of number of times for a magazine on the cutting edge of fashion.
The Claudette Colbert Starfish: A Ruby and Amethyst Starfish Brooch Designed by Juliette Moutard for René Boivin, Paris, 1937. Photo: Courtesy Siegelson
# Cartier
Cartier has created more great pieces than any other jeweller—in fact their designs often define a particular era or style. There is no material or stone Cartier did not master. The Cartier family dynasty spanned a century with output from affordable silver table pieces to exquisite one of a kind jewelled creation made for maharajas and European royalty.
Cartier hired the best workshops and designers and gave them access to a broad library of art books and Persian miniatures for inspiration. This bracelet would have been purchased by a top client. It is exquisite in both construction and design. The black lacquer makes the form modern, while the three-leaf design gives a nod to exotic decorative styles. The green emeralds pop against the otherwise stark black and white palette and the lustrous pearls are exquisite terminals. Only Cartier could have produced this piece and when you hold it in your hand, you can see there is nothing out of place, it is a perfectly considered and exquisite piece.
Art Deco Diamond, Natural Pearl, Emerald, and Onyx Bangle by Cartier, circa 1925. Photo: Courtesy Siegelson
# Van Cleef & Arpels
Van Cleef & Arpels is known for absolutely elegant confections. They particularly excelled at using unusual stone cuts and design innovations such as the invisible setting, the minaudiere and the zip necklace. The company made particularly beautiful pieces using a marquise-cut they called the navette. This diamond fringe necklace showcases the expert way VCA layered varied stone cuts to accentuate the geometry of the stones and create a stunning construction that is elegant and luxurious and feels modern and wearable today.
*Platinum and Diamond Necklace by Van Cleef & Arpels, Paris, 1948. Photo: Courtesy Siegelson
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# Boucheron
From their start in 1858, Boucheron received attention at international exhibitions for their thoughtful, beautiful, bold designs. At the 1925 Paris Exposition des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels the company created a complete design scheme including fitted pink shagreen cases decorated with geometric designs created for the exhibition. (The bracelet owned by Siegelson has the only known remaining box.)
This bracelet, one of the most important pieces of jewellery ever made, was created for the 1925 Paris Exposition. Stephen Harrison, Curator of Decorative Art at The Cleveland Museum of Art, said “Boucheron created an extraordinary bracelet of innovative Osmium set with cabochon rubies, sapphires, and emeralds, arranged as bubbles floating in the water.” The revolutionary design of this piece centers on the geometric arrangement of the stones encircled by diamonds that seem to slip across the surface of the bracelet, sliding under the diamond edge of the panels. Black enamelled rods, positioned diagonally, provide a dramatic foil for the coloured gemstones.
Art Deco Diamond, Enamel, and Gem-Set Bracelet by Boucheron. Exhibited at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, Paris. Photo: Courtesy Siegelson
# Gérard Sandoz
Gérard Sandoz made his fantastic jewellery for only a brief time at the height of the Art Deco period, from 1920–1931. A charming, restless character, he was known to enjoy parties at Maxim’s and eventually left the family business of jewellery making for a modest film career.
The jewellery he made is an absolutely pure exploration of geometric shapes in varied materials, colours, and finishes that combine to create a complex layered shape. There is nothing else like it.
Sandoz himself said, “It’s possible to make very beautiful jewellery simply with gold and to make horrors with rivers of diamonds.”
Centering on a platinum rod passing through a peaked gold rectangle with gold and onyx “teeth,” like those on a gear, this brooch draws inspiration directly from the machines Sandoz loved. The center element is layered on a background of frosted rock crystal on a pave-diamond triangle. In this masterful brooch Sandoz reversed the standard order of materials in a piece of fine jewellery, which typically featured the most precious stones, with metal as a mere mount. Here, Sandoz uses the diamonds as a background, while exploiting the polished gold as the central element. The result is an iconic and important design masterpiece.
Art Deco Geometric Brooch by Gérard Sandoz, Paris, circa 1927. Photo: Courtesy Siegelson
# Jean Després
Born into a family of jewellers and forever influenced by his experience as an airplane designer during World War II, Després influenced the course of jewellery design with his carefully drafted machine inspired pieces known as “bijoux-moteurs.”
This bracelet by Després is an iconic example of Art Moderne design combining powerful simplicity with machine-inspired design. The design evokes the teeth of a massive gear, while the bracelet tapers to align to the sliming of the wrist. This subtle design adjustment acknowledges that this massive cuff is meant to be worn, and, as is shown in a period photo, is elegant on the wrist.
Art Moderne Silver and Black Lacquer Bracelet by Jean Després, Paris, circa 1931. Exhibited at the Salon d’Automne, Paris, 1931. Photo: Courtesy Siegelson
# Jean Dunand
Jean Dunand is one of the foremost Art Deco designers known for his lacquer furniture, decorative objects, and jewellery. He was hired to lacquer entire luxury rooms on fabulous ocean liners such as the Normandie.
Since Dunand created portraits as well as decorative arts and jewellery, his portraits often contained examples of his work. A famous and exquisite portrait of his mentor Madame Agnes came up at auction recently, and in it she is seen wearing a single giraffe necklace. The Giraffe is an iconic work for Dunand and it speaks to a specific moment in the 1920s when designers began to move away from the classical use of luxury materials toward a more modern design.
A similar model was made for and worn by Josephine Baker, who was Dunand’s muse; she’s shown wearing the set (and little else) in a famous photograph.
Recently returned from a major exhibition, The Jazz Age: American Style in the 1920s, at Cooper Hewitt and Cleveland Museum of art, this is the largest known set with six pieces total. This is a larger example than those owned by the Museé de Arts Decoratifs and Metropolitan Museum of Art. This is the largest set that will probably ever be seen on the market.
Red and Black Lacquer and Oréum Set of Three “Giraffe” Necklaces and Three Bracelets by Jean Dunand, Paris, circa 1927. Exhibited in The Jazz Age: American Style in the 1920s at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, New York. Photo: Courtesy Siegelson
# Paul Flato
Paul Flato was the original jeweller to the stars, catering to the crème de la crème of Hollywood. He founded his company in New York City in 1928 and opened a Los Angeles store in 1937. His figurative style, often bordering on humorous, reached its peak in the 1930s when Adolph Kleaty, George Headley, and Fulco, Duke of Verdura, designed pieces for him. Flato made feathers, hands holding flowers, and brooches that were treasure chests fill of jewels, but with panache.
His salons were frequented by Joan Crawford, Marlene Dietrich, and Vivien Leigh, and leading men Douglas Fairbanks, Laurence Olivier, and Orson Welles. His jewellery was worn by Katherine Hepburn in Holiday, Greta Garbo in Two Faced Woman, and Rita Hayward in Blood and Sand.
For this necklace, Verdura transformed an ordinary utilitarian item, a belt, into a show-stopping aquamarine and ruby necklace. This was a remarkable feat at a time when most jewellery featured flowers or geometric designs. The necklace is cleverly designed to look as though the belt were knotted, creating a piece which can be worn centered or off to the side, as it was in Vogue in 1944.
The Cole Porter Necklace: An Aquamarine and Ruby Belt with a Buckle Necklace Designed by Fulco, Duke of Verdura, for Paul Flato, New York, circa 1935. Photo: Courtesy Siegelson
# Alexander Calder
Alexander Calder is best known for his delicately balanced mobiles and sculptures that move in response to air or touch, but jewellery was his most personal and constant medium. Handmade by the artist, each piece was a unique combination of his hammering and the aesthetic and grace contained in his large-scale works. Calder’s jewellery, bohemian but refined, was collected by fashionable art collectors including Peggy Guggenheim, Mary Rockefeller, and Millicent Rogers.
Created of brass wire, this brooch displays the same sense of motion found in his mobiles and the geometry and dynamism found in his lithographs where he often explored repeated interlocking circles.
Elisabeth Agro, curator of the blockbuster Calder Jewellery exhibition said of the jewellery: “Space. It’s about occupying space. And he just sees the body as a grounding element for this other aspect of his work. Not that the body gets in the way — the body is one part of this larger work of art, when you put it on.”
Brass and Steel “Six Circles” Brooch by Alexander Calder, New York, circa 1940. Photo: Courtesy: Siegelson
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Minerality in Wine, Explained: How It Affects Taste, Aroma and Texture
And an exploration of the regions that produce great mineral-driven varietals.
If you have taken part in a wine tasting, read an article about wine, or even glanced at the back label of a bottle of wine, you have likely encountered the word minerality. But defining what that means exactly is where the problems can start—even wine experts disagree on what it is and how it expresses itself in the glass.
Minerality refers to a flavour profile and often a palpable sensation in the mouth. The flavours generally involve rocks or fossils, such as stone, river rock, flint, gravel, slate, asphalt and oyster shell. There is also a sense of salinity, often derived from volcanic soils, that is a component of mineral-driven wines. This is different from other earthy flavours such as forest floor or peat. When we host tastings, very few people will own up to having licked rocks as a child, but almost everyone has gotten a stray bit of oyster or clam shell in their mouth and can recall the taste and texture. Most of us can remember the scent of a chalkboard or pencil lead from our childhood, and even those who have never fired a gun are familiar with flint or gunpowder from firecrackers.
When minerality is discussed, it is often a quality ascribed to white wine such as Riesling, Assyrtiko, Sauvignon Blanc or Burgundian Chardonnay. We may not hear about minerality in red wine so much because the oak used for maturation may mask the flavours and aromas associated with minerality. However, two reds sometimes described as having mineral qualities are those from the volcanic soils of Mount Etna in Sicily and the shale and quartz vineyards of Priorat in Spain. A prime example of the mineral-driven style is Chablis in the northernmost reaches of Burgundy, whose wines are made with 100 percent Chardonnay. The wines have a distinctly different character than the oaky, buttery style prevalent in Napa Valley and further south in Burgundy.
Walking through the vineyards of Chablis you can see abundant fossilised oyster shells that date back 150 million years to the Upper Jurassic period, when this area was at the bottom of the sea. Dig a bit; you will find calcified ammonites and spiral-shaped cephalopods from the same era. While vineyard soil is a discussion for another day, the grey limestone here is called Kimmeridgian, named for the village of Kimmeridge in Dorset, England, where it was first identified. As Thierry Bellicaud, president of Domaine Laroche in Chablis told Robb Report, “The Kimmeridgian limestone soil, which is unique to this area, delivers all needed nutrients for the balance of the vines. The terroir nurtures the vines which then express its personality in the grapes.”
DOMAINE LAROCHE, CHABLIS, FRANCE
Asked how soil composition influences one of Domaine Laroche’s wines, Bellicaud referenced its Chablis Grand Cru Les Blanchots, “Les Blanchots is a unique terroir made of a layer of white clay on Kimmeridgian limestone with ammonites. This is the ideal combination to keep the right amount of water for the roots. The southeast exposure allows slow ripening and favours aroma development. It is one of the areas in the appellation where you can easily find oyster fossils (called Exogyra virgula). The Grand Cru Les Blanchots is delicate, refined and silky in texture.”
Assyrtiko from Santorini is almost always described as possessing a mineral quality as well as a touch of salinity, which can be attributed to the black volcanic soil in which it grows as well as to the Aegean Seaspray that wafts over the island’s vineyards. Mosel Valley Riesling’s leanness and flinty character come from the red and blue limestone in which it is cultivated.
Italy’s Soave region is also known for the minerality of its wine. Alessio Inama, third-generation family leader and director of sales, marketing and communication at Inama Azienda Agricola, told Robb Report, “Soave Classico is a volcanic region with soil made up of basaltic rocks, volcanic tuffs and ashes that date back 30 million years. The soils offer minerals in their natural form, which impact the composition of the plants themselves. In the case of grape vines, the soils have a major influence on the resulting flavours of the wines, which are mineral and floral.”
Known for their scrupulous mapping of micro-plots within their vineyards, the Inamas produce several different Soave wines made with the Garganega grape. Inama I Palchi Foscarino Grande Cuvée Soave DOC is crafted from the family’s best plots on Monte Foscarino. Inama explained, “The soil of Foscarino is a mix of pure magma, ashes and basaltic rocks that deteriorated over millions of years into a dark clay that is extremely rich in minerals. The grapes from those 40-year-old vines have strong personality, great intensity and texture, delivering a complex bouquet of white flowers, citrus notes and flinty sensations.”
SCALA DEI, PRIORAT, SPAIN
While the sensation of minerality can be less obvious in red wines, Spanish Garnacha and Sicilian Nerello Mascalese are two grapes that often exhibit it, thanks to both the locales from which they hail as well as the often-judicious use of oak. The slopes of eastern Sicily’s Mount Etna are covered with volcanic soils composed of pumice, black ash and basalt. Priorat, a region close to Barcelona in northeast Spain, is blessed with black quartz, slate and mica soils called llicorella. Here you will find vineyards covered with small fragments of black and grey striated rock sitting atop blue and red soils embedded with the same.
Ricard Rofes, winemaker at Scala Dei in Priorat, refers to its Mas Deu vineyard as one of the winery’s “jewels.” The origin of Scala Dei Tribut and Masdeu, it sits 800 meters (2,625 feet) above sea level. Rofes told Robb Report, “In this elevated area the clay and limestone soils are ideal for growing Grenache, giving the wine that touch of acidity and freshness that makes it unique. The red-clay soils and the altitude of the vineyards located in the lap of the Sierra de Montsant give it freshness and the llicorella soils impart a genuine imprint. Our wine is the pure expression of the fruit and the terroir with a distinct personality.”
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Best fo Europe: Six Senses, Switzerland
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Wellness pioneer Six Senses made a name for itself with tranquil, mostly tropical destinations. Now, its first alpine hotel recreates that signature mix of sustainable luxury and innovative spa therapeutics in a world-class ski setting.
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Watch of the Week: TAG Heuer Formula 1 | Kith
The legendary sports watch returns, but with an unexpected twist.
Over the last few years, watch pundits have predicted the return of the eccentric TAG Heuer Formula 1, in some shape or form. It was all but confirmed when TAG Heuer’s heritage director, Nicholas Biebuyck, teased a slew of vintage models on his Instagram account in the aftermath of last year’s Watches & Wonders 2023 in Geneva. And when speaking with Frédéric Arnault at last year’s trade fair, the former CEO asked me directly if the brand were to relaunch its legacy Formula 1 collection, loved by collectors globally, how should they go about it?
My answer to the baited entreaty definitely didn’t mention a collaboration with Ronnie Fieg of Kith, one of the world’s biggest streetwear fashion labels. Still, here we are: the TAG Heuer Formula 1 is officially back and as colourful as ever.
As the watch industry enters its hype era—in recent years, we’ve seen MoonSwatches, Scuba Fifty Fathoms, and John Mayer G-Shocks—the new Formula 1 x Kith collaboration might be the coolest yet.
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Of course, throughout the collection, Fieg’s design cues are punctuated: the “TAG” is replaced with “Kith,” forming a contentious new brand name for this specific release, as well as Kith’s slogan, “Just Us.”
Collectors and purists alike will appreciate the dedication to the original Formula 1 collection: features like the 35mm Arnite cases—sourced from the original 80s-era supplier—the form hour hand, a triangle with a dot inside at 12 o’clock, indices that alternate every quarter between shields and dots, and a contrasting minuterie, are all welcomed design specs that make this collaboration so great.
Every TAG Heuer Formula 1 | Kith timepiece will be presented in an eye-catching box that complements the fun and colour theme of Formula 1 but drives home the premium status of this collaboration. On that note, at $2,200 a piece, this isn’t exactly an approachable quartz watch but reflects the exclusive nature of Fieg’s Kith brand and the pieces he designs (largely limited-edition).
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This is as faithful of a reissue as we’ll get from TAG Heuer right now, and budding watch fans should be pleased with the result. To TAG Heuer’s credit, a great deal of research has gone into perfecting and replicating this iconic collection’s proportions, materials, and aesthetic for the modern-day consumer. Sure, it would have been nice to see a full lume dial, a distinguishing feature on some of the original pieces—why this wasn’t done is lost on me—and perhaps a more approachable price point, but there’s no doubt these will become an instant hit in the days to come.
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The TAG Heuer Formula 1 | Kith collection will be available on Friday, May 3rd, exclusively in-store at select TAG Heuer and Kith locations in Miami, and available starting Monday, May 6th, at select TAG Heuer boutiques, all Kith shops, and online at Kith.com. To see the full collection, visit tagheuer.com
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Sicily has seen a White Lotus–fuelled surge in bookings for this summer—a pop-culture fillip to fill up its grandes dames hotels. Skip the gawping crowds at the headline-grabbers, though, and opt instead for an insider-ish alternative: the Grand Hotel des Étrangers, which reopened last summer after a gut renovation.
It sits on the seafront on the tiny island of Ortigia in Syracuse, all cobbled streets and grand buildings, like a Baroque time capsule on Sicily’s southeastern coast.
Survey the entire streetscape here from the all-day rooftop bar-restaurant, Clou, where the fusion menu is a shorthand of Sicily’s pan-Mediterranean history; try the spaghetti with bottarga and wild fennel or the sea bass crusted in anchovies. Idle on the terrace alfresco with a snifter of avola, the rum made nearby.
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8 Fascinating Facts You Didn’t Know About Aston Martin
The British sports car company is most famous as the vehicle of choice for James Bond, but Aston Martin has an interesting history beyond 007.
Aston Martin will forever be associated with James Bond, ever since everyone’s favourite spy took delivery of his signature silver DB5 in the 1964 film Goldfinger. But there’s a lot more to the history of this famed British sports car brand beyond its association with the fictional British Secret Service agent.
Let’s dive into the long and colourful history of Aston Martin.
The origin of the Aston Martin name
The company that would become Aston Martin started out as a car dealership. In 1912, Englishmen Robert Bamford and Lionel Martin partnered to sell cars, but soon after they decided to build their own models. Their first prototype debuted in 1915, named in honour of Martin, a racing driver, and his favourite racing venue, Aston Hills. Thus, the name Aston Martin was born.
A speed-demon co-founder banned from driving
Aston Martin co-founder Lionel Martin wasn’t just a keen racing driver—he was an all-out speed demon. As a student, Martin won numerous gruelling bicycle racing records, including riding nearly the full width of England in one 22-hour stretch. He competed in motorcycle and sidecar races and automotive hillclimb competitions. It seems he also brought that need for speed to the public roadways: In 1909, having neglected to pay a previous speeding fine, Martin was caught driving 41.5 km/ph in London and was banned from driving for two years—during which he set yet another cross-country bicycle record.
A tractor company takes over
The years after World War I were tumultuous for Aston Martin, with financial difficulties and numerous takeovers. In 1947, Aston Martin went up for sale and was purchased by David Brown Limited, a company that specialised in farm tractors and industrial gears. Sir David Brown, grandson of the company’s founder, was a lifelong car enthusiast and racer, having built his own competition cars while working as an engineer at the family company. The first car built by Aston Martin after this takeover was called the DB1, named after the tractor company (and the man) that had saved the carmaker.
An indirect connection to Bentley
Around the same time that Sir David Brown took over Aston Martin, he purchased another struggling British carmaker, Lagonda. The company was developing a revolutionary twin-cam six-cylinder engine called the LB6, and Sir David wanted the engine for his new line of Aston Martin sports cars. The Lagonda engine had been designed by none other than W.O. Bentley—the man who co-founded Bentley Motors, who had long since been pushed out of the company bearing his name.
The history of the DB Series
Aston Martin built seven vehicles named in honour of owner Sir David Brown: The DB1, DB2, DB3, DB4, DB5, DB6, and the combo-breaker DBS all bore Sir David’s initials. In 1972, Sir David sold the car company, and the new owners ended the DB series of vehicles, but the name was revived in 1993 with the DB7 in honour of Sir David—who himself was given an honorary position at the company that same year.
Bond, James Bond
Of course, the most famous Aston Martin of them all is the DB5. Just over 1,000 examples were built between 1963 and 1965, but millions worldwide know this as the James Bond car. In the books, author Ian Fleming had specified an earlier Aston Martin DB Mark III as Bond’s car. Still, the DB5 was introduced in the 1964 Bond film Goldfinger, equipped with gadgets including machine guns, smoke screens, oil slicks, an ejector seat, and rotating license plates. Bond has driven several Aston Martin models over the years, including a V8 Vantage, a V12 Vanquish, and two DBS models, but the original DB5 will always be considered the quintessential Bond car.
The angular years
Today, the Aston Martin badge is most closely associated with swooping, evocatively curvy car designs, but in the 1970s the company was obsessed with angular, wedge-shaped designs. The trend began in 1976 with the Aston Martin Lagonda, a shockingly unconventional four-door luxury sedan with “folded-paper” body styling and the world’s first all-digital instrument panel. The Lagonda’s styling was further evolved in 1979 with the Bulldog, a radical concept car with gullwing doors and a sharply pointed nose. The Bulldog was meant to become the fastest road car on earth, but the project was abandoned before production could begin.
For Bond’s eyes only
While most of James Bond’s Aston Martins have been commercially available to anyone who could afford one, the DB10 seen in the 2015 film Spectre was exclusive to 007. As Aston Martin executive Marek Reichman explained to Variety, director Sam Mendes, producer Barbara Broccoli, and Bond star Daniel Craig were touring Aston Martin’s design studios when they saw a concept sketch on the wall. The Bond team insisted that this should be 007’s next car, and Aston Martin spent the next six months furiously working to turn the drawing into a real-world car. The DB10 was unveiled during the launch of the film Spectre, and eight of the 10 examples built were featured in the movie, with the remaining two used for promotional appearances.
