Seven gifts for the discerning technophile

Seven gifts to satisfy audiophiles, amateur drone pilots, A/V aficionados, and devotees of all things digital.

By John Lyon 12/12/2017

Shopping for standout electronics can be tough for even the geekiest gift buyers. If you know that your recipient expects only the coolest, newest, and best but you don’t know a coaxial cable from a coaster, you may find yourself hitting the eggnog early. This holiday season, there’s no need to stress. Here, we present seven gifts sure to satisfy the audiophiles, amateur drone pilots, A/V aficionados, and devotees of all things digital in your life.

And if you’re looking for more luxury gift ideas, check out the complete Robb Report Ultimate Gift Guide for 2017, which includes inspirations in every category from cars and watches to fashion and travel, and more.

## Tower of power

Price: US$685,000 ($A910,000) per pair

Thirty-six years after the Wilson Audio Modular Monitor (WAMM) loudspeaker was introduced — the brand’s very first consumer product — the Utah audio manufacturer has revisited the adjustable modular-driver concept that underpinned the original model. The resulting speaker is one of the most captivating audio releases of the year.

Standing more than 7 feet tall, the WAMM Master Chronosonic is a looming monolith of audio innovation. Its sculpted, curvilinear cabinet accommodates seven drivers housed within separate enclosures: a silk-dome tweeter, two midrange drivers, and two woofers, along with a rear-firing tweeter and a rear-firing midrange driver. The modular system allows the positioning of each driver enclosure to be manually adjusted to calibrate the length of time it takes the sound from each unit to reach the listener’s ear down to 5 microseconds. This process reduces audio degradation due to timing errors, making the speaker sound much more lifelike.

But the WAMM’s appeal extends beyond its modular configuration. Other standout features include an adjustable port on the bass enclosure that can be switched between the front and rear of the speaker to accommodate different room types, as well as the employment of advanced dampening materials in the construction of the enclosures.

The fortunate audiophile who receives this gift will be in rare company, as production of the WAMM Master Chronosonic is limited to just 70 pairs.

## Go your own Huawei

Everyone is familiar with the Apple iPhone X, but for the jaded technophile who wants something even more exclusive, the Porsche Design Mate 10 from Huawei — which overtook Apple not long ago to become the second-largest smartphone manufacturer in the world — may be just the gift they need to stand out from the crowd this holiday season.

Like the standard models, the Porsche Design special edition of the Mate 10 has an extra-large screen (6 in) that extends nearly edge to edge. It may not unlock via facial recognition like the iPhone X, but a fingerprint reader is positioned on the back of the phone for easy unlocking. It’s equipped with two rear-facing Leica-developed cameras (a 20-megapixel monochromatic camera and a 12-megapixel color camera) that can quickly recognise faces and other objects — as well as the type of scene being photographed—and adjust settings accordingly in real time courtesy of its dedicated neural network processing unit (NPU).

The Kirin-made NPU was designed specifically to support artificial-intelligence-based features, meaning AI processing can be done right on the phone instead of by accessing cloud-based services like Siri. This allows those same tasks to be accomplished without relying on the phone’s Internet connection (and with fewer privacy concerns). Perhaps most enticing of all to frequent travellers, it provides the acceleration necessary to power the Mate 10’s real-time translator, which can instantly translate text and voice into more than 50 languages.

Though it largely shares the same features as the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro, the US$1,645 ($A2200) Porsche Design version includes some cosmetic flourishes that elevate it above its stablemates. It comes in an exclusive colour (Diamond Black), features a custom user interface, and has twice as much onboard memory (256 gigabytes) as the Mate 10 Pro. It also comes with a leather flip case and a USB-to-stereo jack adapter for those not yet willing to completely ditch their wired headphones.

## Magnetic appeal

If you’re looking to win an audiophile’s adoration this season, consider one of Audeze’s latest explorations into the extremes of audio design: the US$2,500 ($A3300) LCDi4 in-ear headphones. The California-based hi-fi manufacturer was the first in the world to offer planar magnetic in-ear headphones (the iSINE10 and iSINE20), and the new LCDi4 is the ultra-high-end interpretation of that same innovative concept.

First thing’s first: I have never heard in-ear headphones with a better soundstage. Listening to a CD of the 1957 Riverside recordings of Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane, I perceived a real sense of space, almost as if the entire studio were surrounding my head. The LCDi4 offers a sense of dimension that expands far beyond the headphones themselves — a highly desirable trait to fans of jazz, classical, vocal, rock, or any other music genres where instrument placement is important.

Another noteworthy characteristic of the LCDi4 is its completely natural presentation. Every frequency range is just right, and nothing is out of place, romanticised, or overemphasised. Both ends of the spectrum blend effortlessly; I could hear the highest highs and the full extension of the bass below. The high-frequency sounds sparkle, and the full bass notes had great extension and slam, evidence of the LCDi4’s astounding frequency response floor of 5 Hz.

The open design means your giftee will need to enjoy them in a quiet environment. But that’s okay — the LCDi4s are best enjoyed in an armchair with a salt malt in hand.

## Dialed in to the pin

One of the coolest rangefinders of the year, the 2017 Pro X2 is packed with familiar Bushnell features and valuable new ones. To ensure the rangefinder conforms to United States Golf Association guidelines, Bushnell has incorporated Slope-Switch technology into this year’s model, allowing golfers to switch off the company’s patented slope-compensation function — which measures the true distance of a hole based on incline or decline — during competition.

Another twist that was added to this year’s model is dual-display technology that lets golfers pick either a red or black display, depending on which is more visible under the current conditions. A nice returning feature is PinSeeker with Jolt Technology, which gives the rangefinder a good shake when you have locked onto your target. All this comes in a waterproof, ergonomic package starting at US$500 ($A660).

## Seeing is believing

Perfect for a favored film buff who always needs the latest and greatest, the astonishingly thin 77-inch (195 cm) LG Signature OLED TV W7 offers all the features one would expect from a contemporary high-end television — 4K support, high dynamic range video, Dolby Atmos sound, and smart applications — but what really sets the new TV apart from the competitors is its svelte form factor.

Unlike LG’s previous generation of ultrathin TVs, which comprised an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panel attached to a sheet of glass for support, the W7 series features no backing of any kind. The result is a panel so thin (less than half a centimetre) and lightweight (12 kilograms) that the entire 77-inch (195 cm) set can be hung directly on a wall using only magnets for support, getting just about as close to flush with the surface as possible. This bleeding-edge, ultrathin design does come with a drawback: Without glass to support the panel, it cannot be set up on a stand. So you might want to make sure your recipient has a nice, big, free wall.

It’s also worth checking out the 65-inch (165 cm) version, which won our Best of the Best award in June, before the 77-inch (195 cm) model had launched.

## Flight of fancy

Price: US$1,100 ($A1500)

Industry-leading drone manufacturer DJI has issued quite a few exciting releases over the past year — including the Spark, the company’s first selfie drone. One of its most exciting recent announcements is an upgrade to its popular Mavic Pro that increases its maximum flight time and reduces its noise output.

The DJI Mavic Pro Platinum retains the compact size and folding-arm design of the original as well as all of its features, including the ability to lock onto subjects and follow them as they move, shoot video in 4K, and detect and avoid objects in its flight path. Its camera is mounted on a three-axis gimbal to provide greater control over the shots you take, and it even has social-media integration that allows you to edit and post from within the DJI smartphone app.

The Mavic Pro Platinum is priced at US$1,100 ($A1500), although the Fly More Package, which includes extra batteries and other accessories, is also an option for an additional US$300 ($A400).

## Depth of field

Last year, Swedish brand Hasselblad introduced the X1D-50c, a medium-format digital camera with a take-it-anywhere compact form factor. Now, the company has made the camera an even more convenient companion for adventurous photographers with the new X1D Field Kit, an all-in-one package built for those who prefer not to keep their cameras cooped up in the studio.

Priced at US$17,495 ($A7900), the Field Kit comes with all the equipment needed to shoot in a variety of conditions. Of course, the heart of the kit is the X1D camera (available in silver or black), which utilizes a 50-megapixel CMOS sensor to capture images and has an extended ISO range of up to 25,600. It also includes three XCD lenses — a standard 45-mm lens, a 30-mm wide-angle lens, and a 90-mm lens perfect for portraits — designed with a compact form factor to match that of the X1D.

The kit also comes with an extra battery — meaning you’ll never have to stop shooting for a recharge — and a cleaning kit to keep the system in perfect condition while on the go. The entire package can be stowed in an included Pelican carrying case, which features a custom-cut foam insert that allows quick and easy access to all of the various components.

The X1D Field Kit is a great all-in-one option for your favorite shutterbug, and considering that the retail price of the X1D and the three included lenses is over US$19,000 ($A25,250), the package represents a great value proposition, as well.

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Capella Brands Their Own Caviar to Mark Chinese New Year

Capella Sydney continues its commitment to exceptional luxury experiences, with a high tea and caviar upgrade all part of its 2025 Lunar New Year celebrations to usher in the Year of the Snake.

By Belinda Aucott-christie 07/02/2025

These days caviar bumps are on the menu at all the best seaside restaurants, and now guests checking into a suite at Capella Sydney will be saved the trip to the beach with a tin of caviar conveniently stationed in their mini bar.

Downstairs at the chic lobby café Aperture, caviar is also part of their elegantly indulgent high tea. Expertly crafted by Head Pastry Chef Arthur Carré. This bespoke menu features a delectable selection of delicacies, including Capella Kaluga Caviar, sesame prawn toast, Peking duck pancake roll cornetto, fried pork dumplings, and pandan and mandarin lamingtons. The experience is complemented by the delicate notes of white rabbit jasmine tea from Zensation Tea House, with an optional upgrade to a glass of Louis Roederer Champagne for a truly indulgent experience.

It’s all part of a chic lunar collaboration with Kaluga Caviar (from central China) which supplies 21 of the 26 three Michelin starred restaurants in Paris. Kaluga caviar offers a balance of luxury, flavour, and sustainability. Its rich, creamy texture and large pearls make it a close alternative to Beluga caviar with a lovely walnut aftertaste.

Even if you are a guest just for the day at Capella Sydney you can indulge your palate with a high tea that pairs Oscietra black caviar, from Russian Sturgeon stock, with champagne and traditional accompaniments.

Ask for the Capella Lunar New Year Afternoon Tea when you make you reservation, and take your place at the table. Each set comes with a 10g tin of Capella Sydney x Kaluga Queen Caviar.

Capella Sydney

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What It’s Like to Stay at Higashiyama Niseko Village, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, a one key Michelin Guide Hotel in The Heart of Japan’s Hokkaido ski fields.

This small ski lodge is a heart-starter hotel. By the end of your trip, you’ll be connected back to nature in both the spiritual and sporting sense.

By Belinda Aucott-christie 02/09/2024

Welcome to Checking In, a new review series in which our editors and contributors rate the best new (and revamped) luxury hotels based on a rigorous—and occasionally tongue-in-cheek—10-point system: Each question answered “yes” gets one point. Will room service bring you caviar? Does your suite have its own butler? Does the bathroom have a bidet? Find out below.

Higashiyama Niseko Village, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Japan.

Describe the hotel in three words: Exclusive, relaxed and sophisticated.

What’s the deal?

On the page the hotel might sound a bit ordinary, but in reality it’s s anything but.

This is an all-season alpine resort at one of Japan’s top winter sports destinations in Hokkaido. The hotel opened in 2020 with little, to no, fanfare thanks to Covid, and it has two high seasons, one in summer and one in winter. 

Domestic tourists come for hiking and wilderness in summer and foreign tourists, who love skiing, come in the winter. YTL Hotels acquired Niseko Village for six billion yen (US$58m) in 2010 from PC One YK, a Japanese limited liability company, and they have made it one of their ultimate destination, nature reserve hotels.

The ski-in/ski-out destination’s main attraction is its accessibility to 2,191 acres of skiable terrain and extensive backcountry skiing, alongside an international ski school, chairlifts and gondolas. There is also a dining and retail venue and easy access to two world-class golf courses and an outdoor activity park for children. 

Now the 50-room Higashiyama Niseko Village, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve is the first Japanese Ritz-Carlton Reserve and YTL’s fifth destination in Niseko Village, residing at the base of Mount Niseko Annupuri.

Niseko Village has been selected as the venue for some of the 2030 Winter Olympics’ events; slalom, giant slalom, super-giant slalom (super-G) and downhill.

The hotel is sophisticated with panoramic mountain views. Having just 50 rooms it feels like a private home, with all the luxury you need to feel utterly spoilt. 

The Best Room

The largest family suite has plenty of room for a family of 4-5 persons, plus space for an au pair. It’s exactly the same layout as the suite, with the addition of a large walk-in-robe, dressing table and lounge room with a dining table. The lounge contains a fold out sofa, for babysitter, plus plenty of room for the children to relax in the hotel after a morning of skiing.

The Rundown

Did they greet you by name at check-in? 

Yes, fireside check-in happens in the Ume Lounge in a comfy seat next to 6-metre high windows overlong Mount Yotei. 

Was a welcome drink ready and waiting when you arrived? (Bonus points if it wasn’t just fruit juice).

Yes, we were welcomed by name with an exotic tea made from local flowers and herbs. I was more in the market for a whisky on this particular day, but the glass of Champagne at lunch of tempura and local sashimi at Yukibana more than made up for this.

Is there a private butler for every room?

Yes, the 24 hour do san concept it alive and well at this Ritz-Carlton Niseko and the message on check in is that nothing is too much trouble. 

Is the sheet thread count higher than 300?

Yes both the beds and the bed linen are incredible. They beds are fitted with white cotton sateen 400-thread count which literally feels like 600 after a day of skiing in the cold. 

The Ritz-Carlton hotel whites are all 100% cotton sateen. They are impeccably crafted of pure extra-long staple cotton sateen, these hotel linens are silky soft to the touch and have a lustrous look that catches the light. The bed is so comfortable you almost don’t want to leave.

Is there a heated floor in the bathroom? What about a bidet? No, bidet but the room and floor are heated. In fact sometimes the suite was too warm, when strolling around in ski gear. 

Are the toiletries full-sized?

Yes, everthing is French full-sized and created heritage beauty brand Sothys just as in the Chasi spa. Extra bath salts are provided daily to make up for the fact that Onsen waters aren’t piped up to the rooms.

Is there a private pool for the room’s exclusive use? How are the spa and gym?

No, private pool in the room but there is a private onsen which can be booked from the Sothy’s Chasi Spa. Both the spa and gym are state-of- the-art. Everything here is sweet smelling and super clean. 

Do you want to spend Friday night in the lobby bar?

Ume Lounge has a very elegant, minimal Armani Casa vibe. Think antler chandeliers, stacks of white birch logs, ceramics and camel pony skin rugs but it is not a party vibe.

You can easily spend at least one night by the fire after dinner reading from the library, but it is not the kind of place where you get carried away with friends. It’s soft lounge  lighting and high end food offering makes it feels small and intimate. The mood is enhanced by the excellent food and service at Yukibana. That said, it  didn’t stop some old college friends from getting stuck into bourbons one night for an evening at the bar.

Is there caviar on the room service menu? If so, what kind?

No, there is no caviar offered on in-room menu, but if you want a crab Eggs Benedict in bed, or prawn tempura you have come to the right place. Ditto the best raw sashimi you have ever eaten anywhere and incredible healthy food nails the east-meets-west twist at every turn. 

Would you buy the hotel if you could?

Yes, undoubtedly. I received more spa treatments and personalised attention in one weekend than I will probably have throughout the rest of my life.

Score: 8/10

What Our Score Means:

1-3: Fire your travel agent if they suggest you stay here.
4-6: Solid if you’re in a pinch—but only if you’re in a pinch.
7-8: Very good. We’d stay here again and recommend it without qualms.
9-10: Forget booking a week. When can we move in permanently?

Visit Ritz-Carlton Niseko

 

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This Rare BMW 507 Roadster Series II Could Fetch Over $3.2 Million at Auction

Only 252 examples of the convertible grand tourer were built during its four years in production.

By Bryan Hood 04/02/2025

There’s another BMW roadster you can buy if you don’t want to wait for the upcoming Skytop.

A stunning 1958 507 Roadster Series II will be auctioned off by RM Sotheby’s next month in Paris. Nearly seven decades after rolling off the line, the sleek two-door remains one of the best-looking vehicles ever built by the German luxury marque.

Like the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL and Porsche 356 Speedster before it, the 507 owes its existence to the American car importer Max Hoffman. In the mid-1950s, the businessman convinced BMW that American enthusiasts were eager for a convertible version of the 501 and 502 coupe. The plan was to build and ship thousands of examples of the open-top grand tourer to the U.S. each year, but an unexpectedly exorbitant sticker price sunk any chance the project had of catching on and only 252 cars would be built between 1956 and 1959.

Photo: Maximilian Vogl/RM Sotheby’s

The 507 offers up ample proof that (immediate) commercial success isn’t indicative of a vehicle’s worth. The roadster is easily one of the finest sports cars to come out of the post-war period. Its sophisticated design, which was penned by Albrecht von Goertz, combines smooth lines with the ideal proportions. But the 507 is more than just a car to be seen in. It also delivers more than respectable performance, thanks to a 3.2-litre V-8 that makes 111 kilowatts and pushes the vehicle to a top speed of 196 kph. It’s little wonder the car served as the inspiration for one of BMW’s most beloved modern-day models, the Z8.

Inside the 507 Roadster Series II Maximilian Vogl/RM Sotheby’s

The 507 that RM Sotheby’s is selling, chassis no. 70136, left the factory in Ivory White, and was shipped to Havana. It spent three decades in the Cuban capital before being returned to Germany in the late 1980s. In the years since, it was the recipient of a thorough restoration and was repainted in a glossy coat of black that matches its folding soft-top (there’s also a rare hard-top) and center-lock Rudge wheels. The interior—which because the car is a Series II example has more room—has grey leather seats and door cards. Just as striking is the period-correct is eight-cylinder under the hood. It may not be the numbers-matching original, but that mill comes with the lot too.

1958 BMW 507 Roadster Series II
Maximilian Vogl/RM Sotheby’s

The 507 Roadster will cross the block as part of RM Sotheby’s upcoming Paris sale, which will be held on February 4 and 5. The auction house has high hopes for the sports car, which is unsurprising considering its condition and rarity. It’s expected to sell for between $2.1 million and $3.2 million.

Click here for more photos of the 1958 BMW 507 Roadster Series II.

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How to Wear Linen Like a Style God (Don’t Sweat the Wrinkles)

Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the essential summer textile, including how to care for it.

By Eric Twardzik 24/08/2024

Next to the fig leaf, linen might be humankind’s oldest covering. It’s turned up in the wrappings of Egyptian mummies and was even worn as armor by Alexander the Great. So how is it that modern men still son’t know quite what to make of it?

Anthony Keegan, creative director of the luxury essentials menswear brand Bugatchi, has a theory. “It’s a sophisticated material, and I don’t think you grow up wearing linen. It’s something the well-dressed man learns about.” But once the well-dressed man—or woman—becomes wise to its charms, it’s hard to go back.

Lilly Lampe’s aha moment with linen came while traveling in Southeast Asia during summertime. “It was this wake-up call that everything we’d read about linen was true,” she tells Robb Report. “It has amazing moisture-wicking properties and a beautiful, visually appealing natural texture. There are just so many reasons why it’s historically been a big part of warm weather garments, and also had other utilitarian uses throughout time.”

So impressed was Lampe that in 2015, she and her husband Alex Robins founded Blluemade, a unisex, workwear-inspired apparel line built around the fabric’s unique performance qualities.

How Does Linen Perform?

J. Mueser

Robins, who refers to linen as “ancient performance technology,” sees it as a natural alternative to engineered textiles. “It’s technical fabric from Egypt, in a way,” he tells Robb Report. Its ability to breathe easily, wick away moisture and dry quickly goes back to the cellular structure of flax (the plant from whic it is derived). Unlike cotton—which Robins likens to a “solid rod”—linen has a hollow core, which proves to be advantageous when wet. “It literally sucks up moisture like a straw,” he says.

Just don’t mistake the hollowness for fragility. Linens are also highly durable, a quality that made it the de-facto labor uniform for much of history. “Before the introduction of denim, it was the go-to workwear cloth,” Robins say.

What Makes Quality Linen

Crop of newly harvested golden flax stems left to dry under a warm French sun. Crop of newly harvested golden flax stems left to dry under a warm French sun. Getty Images

Not all linen is created equally. A key differentiating factor is the length of the fibers, with long flax fibers resulting in a stronger linen that’s softer and less prone to deep creasing, whereas short fibers render a textile more coarse and wrinkle-prone.

Blluemade’s linen comes exclusively from the Flanders region of Belgium, where a rainy, cloudy and temperate climate results in linen strands measuring between two and four feet. Lampe compares this to linen grown in drier and hotter environments, whose strands measure as little as two to four inches.

Other climes blessed (or perhaps cursed) with similar weather tend to produce quality linen, notably Ireland and the Normandy region of France.

Maison Hellard founder Nathan Hellard, whose eponymous firm turns Norman flax into tailor-ready linens, deploys an appropriately Gallic metaphor. “Just like wine, if you have good soil and a good amount of rain and sun, then you have the longest possible fiber in the end. And that’s the biggest difference between a low-quality linen and a high quality one,” he tells Robb Report.

Should you not have the opportunity to measure the strands yourself, Hellard says that quality can be detected visually, too. While linen is a naturally slubby textile, inferior linen will appear far slubbier and fuzzier due to their short fibers, whereas superior linen is smoother.

Will Linen Always Wrinkle?

Linen deconstructed blazer with patch pockets. Brunello Cuccinelli.

You can make linen from gold prize-winning flax and it will still wrinkle. That’s simply a product of how its strands meet together, and the fact that it is a vegetable fiber lacking the natural elasticity of wool.

“The wrinkles are part of the job,” says Keegan, laying out the facts. “And if you have been brainwashed into no wrinkles, period, then you’re going to have to grow into this.”

However, some linens will “bounce back” from wrinkles better than others. Lower quality or lighter weight linens are susceptible to long-lasting creases, whereas heavier linens and those made from longer fibers or with particular finishes will merely rumple rather than buckle. “It’s not that it won’t crease, it’s how it creases,” Hellard clarifies.

Linen’s wrinkle factor should be considered when forming an outfit. With a linen suit, Keegan prescribes a crisp oxford shirt to create contrast, and would avoid linen shirting and its resultant “wrinkle-on-wrinkle” effect. Jake Mueser, founder of the West Village tailor J. Mueser, nixes wool jackets with linen pants, but not its opposite. Mueser is an expert on wearing suiting in the summer without breaking a sweat.

“A crisp, light wool trouser with a linen jacket—that is a good combo,” he tells Robb Report.

How Does Linen Tailor?

Matthew Woodruff, creative director of J. Mueser, wearing an ivory linen suit from the tailor. J. Mueser

Mueser, whose Christopher Street atelier is thronged with linen suit-wearers in summer, highlights the choices available to those commissioning a linen suit.

“Like wool, there’s a lot of variety to linen. You can have a lighter weight, softer, more Italian linen that’s going to have more give and more wrinkle. You can have stiffer Irish linens, more washed and treated linens like Solbiati,” he says, referring to the linen-centric Italian mill purchased by Loro Piana in 2013. “There’s a big variation.”

Indeed, it’s the treated linens that increasingly make for interesting, paradigm-breaking commissions. To take just one example, the Hong Kong and Taipei-based tailor The Anthology has championed a “sueded” linen with a unique finish that leaves it soft to the touch on the exterior, yet crispy and springy on its reverse.

Anthology co-founder Buzz Tang in the brand’s sueded linen suit.
Anthology

“I think this specific linen is quite unique, because it sits right between the most traditional of Irish linens and the Italian ones,” says Anthology founder Buzz Tang. “It lends the Italian softness to the cloth, but at the same time, it still has a certain integrity in terms of drape and hang.”

An undeniable part of the fabric’s appeal at the present, dressed-down moment is its inherently casual appeal, a factor Mueser takes advantage of by often sporting his linen suits with a crewneck tee or Western shirt underneath. However, he doesn’t believe that it must be confined to the most casual side of tailoring and recalls seeing linen used in more structured suits and even dinner jackets to great success.

“Just because linen feels more casual, it doesn’t have to be patch pockets and deconstructed,” he says. “I think there’s a charm to taking linen and building it up more.”

Caring for Linen

Chalk stripe deconstructed linen blazer and leisure fit linen trousers. Brunello Cuccinelli.

For linen garments that can be machine washed, Lampe sounds a warning: no detergents with enzymes.

“If you spill ketchup or food on your clothes, it’ll eat away at that,” Lampe says of the additive’s advantages. “But linen is also natural, and so enzymes will eat away at that. And once you eat away at the outer lining of a hollow core material, you have a hole.”

In the interests of keeping linen hole-free, she instead recommends an enzyme-free detergent, such as the one produced by Le Blanc. For those taking the dry-cleaning route, Mueser suggests a similarly careful touch—perhaps skipping the actual dry cleaning altogether.

“I tell people all the time, take your suit to the dry cleaner, tell them to just steam it and press it. It comes back looking and feeling fresh and new, and it doesn’t need to have a chemical bath,” he says.

And finally: does a guaranteed-to-wrinkle garment ever need an ironing in the first place? Keegan says no. “I actually think it would be more of a steam than an iron… steaming is, for something like linen, a really good way to get it to its natural state.” That means crisp, cool, comfortable—and just the perfect amount of wrinkled.

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This Speedy New Personal Submarine Is Like an Underwater Supercar

Three times faster than most personal submersibles, U-Boat Worx’s Super Sub has a top speed of 10 knots.

By Michael Verdon 04/02/2025

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Super Sub!

U-Boat Worx’s just-launched, ruby-red flagship may have more in common with the original 1950s Superman than the color of his cape. The Dutch submersible builder has released images of one of the world’s fastest personal subs, with maneuvering capabilities that should make it a natural for the next Bond movie.

The three-person submersible has a “droplet-shaped hull,” according to U-Boat Worx, and “advanced wing configurations” that deliver a top speed of 10 knots (most personal subs do about three knots and dolphins about seven knots) and the ability to make steep 45-degree climbs and sharp turns at depth. That’s like comparing the speed and maneuverability of a supercar to the family SUV. Besides basic forward, up, and down movements, the Super Sub can also move laterally, which gives it more precise handling on approaching objects like reefs or wrecks, or in a current.

“It’s a first-class ticket to explore the ocean like never before, combining speed, safety, and sophistication in every dive,” said U-Boat Worx marketing manager Roy Heijdra in a statement.

he design has the lithium batteries and thrusters at the rear so the pilot and passengers can enjoy the view. U-Boat Worx

Hyperbole aside, the Super Sub is an advanced design, starting with the cockpit, which has two front passenger seats behind the large acrylic bubble for exceptional viewing in all directions. The pilot is seated behind, so the guests or owners can enjoy the best view. The seats have five-point harness seatbelts because the ride can get kind of wild at full tilt.

The Super Sub’s touchscreen display shows all relevant navigational data as part of the U-Boat Worx Information System (UIS). Safety features such as Maximum Depth Protection, which prevents the sub from descending beyond its 300-metre (1,000-foot) depth limit, and the Deadman’s Switch (which a passenger can trigger to automatically ascend if the pilot is incapacitated) give some sense of the technology behind the design. The sub also has an “auto-heading” feature, equivalent to autopilot, which keeps the submersible on its current heading over long stretches.

The cockpit blends comfort and technology.
U-Boat Worx

Compared to the bubble look of most submersibles, this stealthy, cylinder-shaped vessel looks cool, with its large propellers and rear hydrofoils that combine to improve maneuverability. The thrusters, powered by an electric motor and 62 kWh lithium battery have a total power output of 100 kW—with enough juice to also power the air-conditioning.

The cylindrical shape is faster and more efficient than smaller, bubble-shaped personal subs.
U-Boat Worx

Beyond personal use, the speed and handling of the Super Sub could also make it a candidate for search and rescue and research missions.

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