Robb Review: Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT

After testing the high powered model variant we’re still trying to catch our breath.

By Michael Harley 04/08/2021

I’ve never been impressed with high-performance SUVs and crossovers. They promise a sports car’s driving experience without compromising passenger space and utility, yet most are nothing more than a more powerful engine and an upgraded wheel-and-tire package splashed with a handful of obligatory cosmetic enhancements to justify a premium window sticker. While they are unquestionably quicker than standard models, and they may circle a highway onramp a bit faster, their synthetic and ungainly driving dynamics don’t raise my enthusiast pulse a single beat.

Therefore, you can imagine my scepticism when Porsche recently announced its new 2022 Cayenne Turbo GT, a range-topping model promising “phenomenal performance with a high degree of utility.” Here we go, again. Or so I thought.

Porsche followed the reveal with an eye-opening proclamation: The Cayenne Turbo GT had set a new official SUV record of 7:38.9 minutes around Germany’s gruelling Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit. Not only is that time faster than the benchmark Lamborghini Urus SUV, but the new Porsche crossover crossed the track’s finish line tied with the celebrated Ferrari 458 Italia and Lexus LFA sports cars. Okay, hand me the keys.

The Cayenne Turbo GT, which is only available in the sloped-roof coupe body style, is visually differentiated from its standard brethren by its GT-specific front fascia—designed to allow increased air into the engine, radiators and intercoolers—and more aggressive front lip splitter. A contoured carbon fibre roof reduces weight and lowers the centre of gravity, while black fender arches contain the wider track and unique 22-inch GT Design wheels.

At the rear, the upper decklid wing is complemented by side plates in carbon fibre, and the adaptive rear spoiler has been fitted with a sizeable Gurney flap to reduce both drag and lift. To improve exhaust airflow and the vehicle’s soundtrack, Porsche deleted the Cayenne’s centre muffler and swapped the heavy steel system for one crafted in titanium alloy, thus saving about 40 pounds of mass. Set just below the rear bumper is a pair of oval exhaust tips with notched anodized blue liners that mimic the afterburner outlets of a fighter jet.

Driving the 2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT.

The Cayenne Turbo GT is only available in the sloped-roof coupe body style. Photo: Courtesy of Porsche AG.

The standard four-place cabin is configured with spirited driving in mind. The eight-way Sport Seats with embossed “Turbo-GT” in the seatbacks are upholstered in leather and Alcantara, and the driver faces a thick, multifunction sport steering wheel with a racy yellow 12 o’clock centre marker. The Turbo GT also introduces the next generation of Porsche Communication Management (PCM) infotainment to the Cayenne lineup, which is now compatible with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

As expected, the Cayenne Turbo GT has been tuned to deliver prodigious amounts of power. Its twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V-8 is shared with the standard Cayenne Turbo model in the most basic sense, but the engine in the Turbo GT has been heavily modified to develop appreciably more power with new pistons, connecting rods, timing chain, torsional dampers and a unique crankshaft.

Power output jumps to 471kW and 850Nm of torque—that’s 67kW and 80Nm more torque than the Turbo Coupe. Porsche’s own conservative numbers claim that the launch from zero to 100km/h takes just 3.3 seconds. Hold the accelerator to the floor and the Turbo GT tops out at 300km/h, making it the quickest and fastest production Cayenne the automaker has ever offered.

Porsche’s multifunction sport steering wheel complements a dash that introduces the next generation of Porsche Communication Management (PCM) infotainment to the Cayenne lineup. Photo: Courtesy of Porsche AG.

To put the power to the ground, Porsche fits the Turbo GT with proper footwear. The wide wheels are wrapped in track-ready Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tires specifically engineered for the mission (with “Treadwear 80” ratings, owners should expect to replace these tires more frequently than the engine’s oil). Alignment settings are aggressively configured for the track to ensure that the sticky contact patches are optimized for lateral grip and stability.

Technology is a noteworthy part of the model variant’s performance equation, so the marque has equipped the vehicle with every active system in its comprehensive arsenal. These include Porsche Active Stability Management (PASM), the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) adaptive roll compensation system, Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV+), Power steering Plus and rear-axle steering. And all these components have been specifically calibrated and adapted to raise cornering speeds, increase lateral grip and enhance stability.

The Turbo GT’s V8 engine fires to life with an eager snarl before settling down to a tempered growl. Drive with a lackadaisical right foot and the crossover is docile and well-tempered. But mash the accelerator and passengers had better be hanging on as the powerful Porsche launches like an irate Grizzly.

The engine inside the interior of the 2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT.

The twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V-8 makes 471kW and 850Nm of torque. Photo: Courtesy of Porsche AG.

The exhaust note is unquestionably angrier than the standard Turbo model, but the Cayenne’s insulated cabin means the audio track is best enjoyed by those outside the vehicle, as they can hear the twin centre pipes truly roar. (Unlike most other automakers, Porsche does not augment or pipe artificial exhaust notes through the speakers—the combustion melody is completely genuine.)

In the “O” (or normal) configuration, as dialled on the steering wheel-mounted drive mode selector, the Turbo GT is surprisingly unassuming, accommodating and extremely comfortable— despite its race-tuned underpinnings. The standard three-chamber air suspension absorbs pavement cracks, bumps and potholes effortlessly, and the eight-speed Tiptronic S automatic transmission is silky smooth as the Cayenne runs up and down through its gears. Despite some annoying traffic, my 40-minute trek across the Los Angeles Basin was peaceful and relaxing.

A detail of the oval exhaust tips on the 2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT.

Dual oval exhaust tips feature notched anodized blue liners that mimic the afterburner outlets of a fighter jet. Photo: Courtesy of Porsche AG.

Spin the dial to “S” (Sport) or “S+” (Sport Plus) to reconfigure the Turbo GT into progressively more aggressive driving modes. In those settings, the vehicle makes dozens of system adjustments, but the most obvious from the driver’s seat is the more pronounced exhaust note, livelier throttle response and fervent transmission. In these modes, however, it’s no surprise that fuel efficiency has left the conversation.

In this configuration, the Cayenne Turbo GT is a take-no-prisoners precision driving instrument that appears to have forgotten that it weighs 2260kg.

High-performance SUVs and crossovers typically exhibit increasing understeer as they reach the limit of their capability, which leaves the driver holding onto a lifeless steering wheel while listening to the outside front tire wail as its rubber tread is scrubbed off by the abrasive pavement. But that doesn’t happen in the Turbo GT.

A detail of the rear spoiler on the 2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT.

The adaptive rear spoiler has been fitted with a sizeable Gurney flap to reduce both drag and lift. Photo: Courtesy of Porsche AG.

The vehicle feels perfectly balanced, front to rear, and its aggressive alignment—nearly 1.5 degrees of negative camber—plants the tyres’ contact patches perfectly on the road surface while the sticky rubber adheres tenaciously to the aggregate. During my drive, the vehicle’s performance computers measured cornering forces exceeding 1.2 g laterally in both directions. Those numbers are strong enough to challenge the world’s most capable sports cars.

Powering out of the corners, the Cayenne’s fully variable Porsche Traction Management (PTM) all-wheel drive expertly delivers the horsepower to where it may best be used. There is no loss of traction and not an inch of tyre slippage, just neck-snapping thrust as the four tyres pull the crossover towards the next bend. Those with sensitive derrières will notice how the rear-axle steer and torque vectoring—both assisting automatically—seamlessly work their wizardry to keep the vehicle’s trajectory perfectly on the intended line.

The interior of the 2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT.

Embossed with “Turbo-GT” in the seatbacks, the eight-way Sport Seats are upholstered in leather and Alcantara. Photo: Courtesy of Porsche AG.

The Cayenne Turbo GT is taller than all sports cars, which affords a more commanding view of the road, but cornering is perfectly flat thanks to Porsche 4D Chassis Control and the 48-volt electromechanical roll stabilisation. And braking from speed is unproblematic and fade-free as the Turbo GT is fitted with Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) as standard fitment. It stops as well as it goes, which is also very uncharacteristic of a crossover.

My astonishment at the Cayenne Turbo GT’s performance and the enjoyment I was feeling invigorated me enough to make several runs up and down the mountain. By mid-afternoon, I had concluded that the Turbo GT isn’t just faster and more capable than every other crossover on the market, it’s better than most purpose-built sports cars, too.

Driving the 2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT.

Porsche claims the new Cayenne Turbo GT can cover zero to 100km/h in 3.3 seconds while on its way to 300km/h. Photo: Courtesy of Porsche AG.

Porsche has priced the Cayenne Turbo GT at just over $180,000, about $50,000 more than the standard Cayenne Turbo Coupe. While there is a significant value proposition at play (many of the expensive options on the Turbo Coupe are standard on the Turbo GT), the additional financial investment elevates the Cayenne Turbo from just being another high-performance crossover to being a bona-fide sports car alternative for a driving enthusiast.

I’ll be the first to point out that the 2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT is nonsensical overkill for most consumers, yet there is a niche of discriminating drivers who are pursuing unconditional superiority in terms of impeccable engineering, faultless driving dynamics and record-setting performance. For those discerning few, Porsche has decisively delivered excellence. And I’m finally impressed.

The 2022 Porsche Cayenne GT is now available to order in Australia, with prices starting from $336,100 (excluding on-road costs). Porsche Australia expects local deliveries to commence during the fourth quarter of this year.

porsche.com

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From Striped Hawaiian Shirts to Colorful Ceramics: 4 Luxe Items You Can Buy at Italian Hotels

A handful of Italy’s most beloved family-owned hotels are morphing into luxury brands of their own. Here, four in-house items worth traveling for. 

By Naomi Rougeau 04/11/2024

Hotel Passalacqua, Lake Como 

These days, it takes more than the finest linens and a Michelin-starred restaurant to take the No. 1 spot on a list of the world’s 50 best hotels, which Hotel Passalacqua did in 2023. The spa is stellar, to be sure, as is the pool house, which was decorated in collaboration with J. J. Martin of La Double J. But to fully embrace the villeggiatura and sense of place, even the tiniest details matter. Case in point: the hotel’s signature brass-fish bottle opener (there are also key chains), which will mentally transport you back to Lake Como every time you reach for a cold one. 

Le Sirenuse, Positano 

The red cliff-top hotel with sweeping views needs little introduction. Its owners, the Sersale family, were early to embrace the branding potential of the beloved property by launching an on-site boutique, Emporio Sirenuse, in 1993. These days, you can find Le Sirenuse’s clothing and swimwear everywhere from Net-a-Porter to Harrod’s, but nothing matches shopping the collection in person. If there’s only room in the suitcase for one thing, snag the brand’s riff on
the Hawaiian shirt in vacation-ready stripes. 

Borgo Santo Pietro, Palazzetto 

At Borgo Santo Pietro in Tuscany, the focus is on the serene landscape. (The spot was once a healing rest stop for medieval pilgrims.) Naturally, there’s an emphasis on farm-to-table cuisine, but more interesting might be the farm-to-spa treatments. Made in-house, the renowned Seed to Skin range draws on local remedies dating back to at least 1129; expect natural ingredients such as butterfat, thermal water, and raw honey. Grab the award-winning Eye Rescue Duo, a secret weapon for maintaining your post-vacation glow. 

Palazzo Avino, Ravello 

A once-private villa built in the 12th century, Palazzo Avino is one of the Amalfi Coast’s most celebrated hotels. When a former art gallery adjacent to Ravello’s beloved “pink palace” came up for sale, hotelier Mariella Avino and her sister Attilia made an offer. Mariella envisioned the new space, now dubbed the Pink Closet, as a spot to promote homegrown talent, partnering with the Camera Nazionale della Moda in order to provide a platform for emerging designers. We like the colorful, locally made ceramics—perfect for alfresco entertaining.

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This Italian Company Made Ernest Hemingway’s Favourite Pens. Here’s How It’s Done.

At Montegrappa, a focus on age-old techniques makes for unique, heirloom-quality fountain pens.

By Jeff Buchanen 04/11/2024

In this age of digital supremacy, it’s reassuring to know the pen is alive and well. And nowhere is it thriving quite like it is in Bassano del Grappa, a picturesque medieval village in Veneto, Italy, that has been home to Montegrappa, the country’s oldest pen company, since 1912. The firm specialises in rollerball and fountain pens for the discerning, and its products are still made in its original factory on the banks of the Brenta River. 

Notable actors, athletes, musicians and even popes have used its wares, but the seed for one of Montegrappa’s most significant endorsements came when a then-unpublished author encountered the brand in 1918. Ernest Hemingway, just 19 years old at the time, was serving as a volunteer ambulance driver for the American Red Cross when he was assigned to a station 100 m from the factory. The robust Elmo model, still produced by Montegrappa today, became his writing instrument of choice. 

More than a century later, Montegrappa pens remain renowned for their design and are still largely crafted by hand according to the company’s old-world manufacturing process. And while you can order a model off the shelf, varying levels of customisation are also available. Through the Extra Custom program, you can commission a uniquely hand-painted or burin-engraved style made from sterling silver or yellow, rose, or white gold and have the barrel decorated with an image or motif you select. Such pieces can require several weeks to complete, and prices range from around $2,400 to as high as $67,000—all to create a pen that’s a story in itself. 

Each pen requires at least 36 individually handcrafted components—some considerable, others tiny and delicate. 

As perhaps the most visible component, the pen clip is hand-polished to a mirror-like shine. You can opt to have it set with a small cubic zirconia, as with this sterling-silver example.

Mammoth ivory, ethically recovered from Siberian permafrost, is carefully machine-turned to create the cap. The company also offers celluloid for its caps and barrels, as well as exotic woods, marble, carbon fibre, various metal alloys and a house-made resin called Montegrappite.

The cap band is machine-engraved with the company logo. The process also allows for the back of the band to be similarly etched with your initials in a selection of three fonts.

A burin is used to inscribe a “leaves and scrolls” pattern on the pen’s barrel. The intricate technique can also be used to reproduce photographs or works of art.

Montegrappa uses ebonite, a vulcanised rubber, to make its feeds, which connect a pen’s nib to its reservoir. The material is more porous than hard plastic, allowing for better ink flow. A craftsman precisely cuts the feed’s fins to ensure the best performance.

Montegrappa

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Time Flies

Bugatti’s hybrid Tourbillon is the most powerful model in the marque’s history. And the coolest bit? An instrument cluster inspired by the finest Swiss horology.

By 30/10/2024

First there was Veyron. Then came Chiron. Now Tourbillon. Bugatti’s new 1,800 hp (1,342 kW) hypercar delivers even more shock-and-awe than its predecessors. Gone is the famed 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16 engine. In its place is a new 1,000 hp (746 kW), 8.3-litre naturally aspirated V16 paired with a trio of electric motors delivering 800 hp (597 kW). That combination makes this the most powerful Bugatti ever.

While the design of the all-carbon-composite body is clearly derived from the signature lines of both the Veyron and Chiron, its roofline is lower, the body lighter and more aerodynamic, and that iconic horseshoe grille more imposing. Yet the likely headline feature will be the car’s all-new interior featuring a skeletonised, titanium-and-sapphire-glass instrument cluster inspired by Swiss watchmaking (for the uninitiated—“tourbillon” refers to the mechanical complication that increases accuracy in high-end timepieces).

The 1,800 hp Bugatti Tourbillon hybrid.
Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S

“Beauty, performance, and luxury formed the blueprint for the Tourbillon. What we have created is a car that is more elegant, more emotive and more luxurious than anything before it,” stated Mate Rimac, Bugatti Rimac’s CEO, to Robb Report during an exclusive preview at the company’s newly opened design studio in Berlin.

He explained that, four years ago, when the Tourbillon concept was on the drawing board, there were multiple suggestions for what an all-new Bugatti might look like. Options included an SUV, a coupe-like crossover and a luxury four-door sedan. Then there was the choice of either a hybrid or all-electric power train. “The proposal to make it electric was the obvious choice. We had our [Rimac] Nevera, that we could easily transfer our technology and re-skin the body. But I felt it was wrong for Bugatti,” said Rimac. “I wanted a successor to the Veyron and Chiron, a true hypercar with a combustion engine. Our customers agreed.”

Comprising more than 600 components, the skeletonized instrument cluster is constructed from titanium and features sapphire-glass faces and detailing that incorporates rubies.
Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S

To create it, Rimac teamed with Cosworth, a renowned British engine builder, to help develop the naturally aspirated V16 mill. Designed to rev to 9,000 rpm, the engine offers a similar output as the original Veyron’s quad-turbocharged W16. To heighten the performance, Rimac and his team used their proven expertise in electric propulsion to pair the V16 with twin electric motors driving the front wheels, with a third at the rear. For battery power, a 25 kWh, oil-cooled 800-volt pack is integrated into the chassis and located behind the passengers. It’s powerful enough to give the Tourbillon a usable electric-only range of around 60 km.

As you would expect, the Tourbillon has been developed to be blisteringly fast. According to Emilio Scervo, Bugatti’s chief technical officer, early prototype tests suggest a rate of acceleration from zero to 100 km/h in 2.0 seconds, zero to 200 km/h in 5.0 seconds, and zero to 300 km/h in 10.0 seconds. Flat out, the max-speed target is 445 km/h, though with a speedometer that reads up to 550 km/h, we expect there’s more to come. “For us, it was important that the car retained the pure and raw analogue feel of a naturally aspirated combustion engine, while pairing it with the agility and ability provided by electric motors,” said Scervo.

The engine itself sits low in the Tourbillon’s new, super-stiff body structure, which is formed using next-generation T800 carbon composites. It features a forged-aluminium, multi-link suspension—front and rear—that replaces the previous double-wishbone steel setup used in the Chiron. The 3-D-printed aluminium suspension arms and uprights, and AI-developed, 3-D-printed hollow airfoil arm at the rear, are nothing less than pieces of art.

The center console features crystal glass that’s formed over 13 separate stages to ensure strength and clarity.
Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S

For the exterior lines, Frank Heyl, Bugatti’s director of design, explained that styling influences came from three landmark Bugattis of old: the Type 35 racer of the 1920s, the long Type 41 Royale built from 1927 through 1933, and the storied Type 57SC Atlantic from the 1930s. “The design focus was on Bugatti’s iconic horseshoe grille. It’s significantly wider and lower than in the Chiron, and it’s from which all lines of the car originate. It defines the car,” said Heyl, who added that another signature element is “the new central windshield wiper, which continues the line that starts on the hood and flows back along the roof. Just like on the Atlantic.” Set back from the grille are twin rows of wafer-thin LED lights. Between them is a narrow panel on the hood that raises up to reveal a “frunk” big enough for a set of custom-designed luggage.

In profile, the sweeping “Bugatti line” around the doors—a defining feature of both the Veyron and Chiron—looks even more striking with the car’s lowered roofline. At the rear, huge exhausts, a Le Mans–style carbon-fibre diffuser (twice the size of that on the Chiron), and a rolling wave of LED lights featuring illuminated “Bugatti” lettering, add to the visual drama. And to allow onlookers to gaze at that V16 power plant—and for cooling purposes—the engine sits open to the elements.

This prototype example of the Tourbillon, previewed by Robb Report, shows the styling influences that came from Bugatti’s Type 35, Type 41 Royale, and storied Type 57SC Atlantic from early last century.
Robb Rice

Upon opening the dihedral “scissor” doors and entering the cockpit, you’re presented with arguably the new Tourbillon’s most dramatic feature; a skeletonised instrument cluster inspired by the art of Swiss watchmaking. Made up of more than 600 components, it’s constructed from titanium with sapphire-glass faces and detailing that incorporates rubies.

The three-dial cluster is fixed in place, with the twin spokes of the flat-bottom steering wheel rotating around it. The unit is constructed, in-house, to remarkable horological tolerances of 50 microns—the average cross-section of a human hair. The entire cluster weighs just 709 g. Cascading down from the middle of the fascia is the centre console featuring crystal glass that’s formed over 13 separate stages to ensure strength and clarity. The aluminium elements are anodised and milled from a single block.


A close-up of the Bugatti Tourbillon’s 1,000 hp, 8.3-liter naturally aspirated V-16 engine.
The Tourbillon’s 1,000 hp, 8.3-liter naturally aspirated V-16 engine is paired with three electric motors.
Robb Rice

To add a little theatre to firing-up that big V16, there’s a prominent center-console aluminium knob that you pull to start, and push to turn off. It’s another nod to Bugatti models of yesteryear. What you won’t see, however, are any touchscreens. Heyl believes that the primary element that dates a car is an oversized screen. “What was state-of-the-art 10 years ago, is now ugly,” said Heyl. “The Tourbillon is designed to be timeless.”

In Bugatti tradition, the Tourbillon will also be highly exclusive. Only 250 examples are planned, each starting at around $6.3 million. The first customer cars are scheduled to be built at Bugatti’s atelier in Molsheim, France, starting in 2026.

Production is scheduled to begin in 2026.
Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S

“Yes, it is crazy to build a new V16 engine, to integrate it with a new battery pack and electric motors, and to have 3-D-printed suspension parts and a real Swiss watchmaker instrument cluster,” noted Rimac. “But it is what Ettore Bugatti would have done.”

Bugatti

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For Dubai, the Time Is Now 

The bustling Middle Eastern city is emerging as an important hub for serious watch collectors

By Paige Reddinger 30/10/2024

Tucked away in a corner of the Dubai International Financial Centre, near the Ritz-Carlton, is Perpétuel Gallery, an unassuming 1,200 m² boutique displaying some of the world’s most important independent watchmaking. During Dubai Watch Week—a biannual event run by the Seddiqi family, the most prominent watch retailers in the UAE—the shop, just a few minutes’ walk from the fair in the DIFC, held its own exhibition that was filled to the brim with the watchmakers themselves, from Roger W. Smith to Simon Brette to Rémi Maillat of Krayon. There, holding court, was Hamdan Bin Humaid Al Hudaidi, a distinguished collector who founded Perpétuel in 2021, in the middle of the Covid pandemic. 

“I never thought I would take my passion professionally, ever,” he tells Robb Report. “Everyone was against the idea because they were very certain this would fail.” How wrong they were. Instead, Perpétuel has become one of the most significant global players in connecting and brokering deals between collectors and their indie idols. As a serious client himself, Al Hudaidi has unique relationships that allow him to create limited editions exclusive to the gallery—quite a feat when you consider the waiting lists for some of the watchmakers in question are a decade or more long. A recent collaboration of 15 limited-edition Krayon Anywhere watches with desert-orange accents sold out to clients—not just in the Middle East, but also in Australia, the US and South Africa. 

The Perpétuel Gallery in Dubai
Courtesy of Perpétuel Gallery

It’s proof positive of the area’s booming and influential watch scene. Many credit Dubai Watch Week—and by extension the Seddiqi family—for the fervent local interest in watch collecting. When the event launched in 2015, it was small, hosting just 15 brands, mostly independents. “It was really a project to give back to the industry,” says Hind Abdul Hamied Seddiqi, director general of the event and CMO and communications officer for Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, “but also to educate the general public that the watch industry is not as intimidating as you think.” It’s a strategy that has paid off. Last year’s edition ballooned to 60 brands, including big-name players such as Rolex, Audemars Piguet and Van Cleef & Arpels, along with nearly 24,000 attendees, the largest crowd to date. 

Despite the draw, the five-day-long public event has an easygoing appeal that other watch fairs often lack. One can spot Philippe Dufour perched outside a pavilion smoking a pipe, Kari Voutilainen enjoying an alfresco lunch, or Rexhep Rexhepi in line for an espresso. It’s an exceedingly rare chance for collectors to mingle with the masters in a relaxed space where everyone is in a jovial mood thanks to the casual atmosphere and balmy weather—and Seddiqi plans to keep it that way. “I worry if we go bigger, we’ll lose this feeling of intimacy,” she says. “I have a lot of people asking me to commercialise the show, but it’s just going to ruin the whole vibe.” 

A Roger W. Smith Series 5 Open Dial watch at Perpétuel Gallery
Courtesy of Perpétuel Gallery

The explosion of interest isn’t just for new timepieces: vintage is also having its moment. Historically, the Middle East hasn’t been receptive to “used” goods, but recent years have reflected a shift in perspective. Tariq Malik, cofounder and managing partner of Momentum, also located in the DIFC, just a three-minute walk from Perpétuel, was an early pioneer in the area when he opened shop in 2011. In the beginning, he says, it would be common for someone to look at his wares and ask if he was selling “used” watches. “I said, ‘It’s vintage,’ and they said, ‘Oh, wow.’ When I would say ‘vintage’ they would start pulling out their camera and taking photos. We brought vintage to Dubai, so it was a new thing.” He’s now sought-after by clients both in the UAE and internationally for his allotment of rare Rolexes, with a specialisation in Day-Dates and hard-to-find Stella and stone dials. 

Al Hudaidi also dabbles in vintage, predominantly ultra-rare Pateks—one might walk into Perpétuel and find him casually pulling a full-set Ref. 2499 third series from a coffee-table drawer. Naturally, that watch has sold along with two other full-set 2499s, but a unique Patek Philippe Ref. 1491J chronograph from the ’40s is still up for grabs (at press time, anyway). It was made by the Stern family for Jimmy Powers, an American boxing commentator during the era. 

Philippe Narbel Skel-1 in steel.

“I got goosebumps when I heard his voice on YouTube,” says Al Hudaidi. “I was like, ‘Oh, my God—that timepiece was his. And his name is engraved on the back!”

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6 Ways Technology Will Transform Your Private-Jet Experience in the Next Decade

Extreme leisure or full-throttle engagement? The private-jet cabin of the future will offer both.

By Daniel Cote 30/10/2024

Within a decade, private-jet cabins could make even today’s cutting-edge interiors seem ancient by comparison. From digital skylights and smart seats to eye-tracking functionality and immersive soundscapes, the array of innovative amenities could transform even the longest flights into time well spent. Here, six areas in which technology will take the onboard experience to new heights.

Screen Time

Within three to five years, some private jets may have select windows replaced with curved, high-definition 4K OLED displays connected to live video feeds from the aircraft’s exterior. Imagine a cabin ceiling that morphs into a conservatory with a spectacular view of the moon, or full-height windows that present the landscape below with incredible fidelity. Information overlays are easy additions, but consider that these built-in visual portals could also double as insane gaming screens.

Seat Change

E-textiles will transform the next generation of jet seats into intuitive in-flight spa recliners. Sensors within the fabric will note your size, weight, pressure distribution, and body temperature, then rely on their A.I.-driven processors to, say, heat the seat before you realise you’re chilly or massage that kink in your back without being asked. Powering themselves by converting body heat into electricity, the chairs might also know to widen and recline when you nod off.

Seeing the Light

Chronobiological lighting to mitigate jet lag will comprise organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels, capable of creating 16.3 million different light combinations, to reset a passenger’s internal clock as they traverse time zones. Eventually, such panels will migrate from light fixtures to smart fabric on the ceiling, resulting in more diffuse illumination that allows for near-infinite options across the colour spectrum.

And there are many other applications. For example, OLED displays, as wide as a piece of paper, can be used to digitally transform the entire wall of the cabin’s colour, texture or scene. It is called projection mapping, and it will make changing the wall color from hot pink to a textured crocodile leather as easy as changing your computer screen saver. As Ingo Wuggetzer, vice president of cabin marketing for Airbus, explains, light literally creates spaces, giving cabin designers a highly versatile and easily customisable digital canvas.

Higher Management

The ability to access basic audio or video from your smartphone is here, but imagine faster, streamlined connectivity that lets you manage video conferencing, heating, mood lighting, window shades, service requests, even a steriliser—from a single app. According to Airbus’s Wuggetzer, next-gen digital architecture will turn personal spaces into individual “ecosystems” controlled by each passenger. Tim O’Hara, director of completions research and development at Gulfstream, notes that eye-tracking technology could allow you to interact with the app via virtual screen, meaning you don’t even have to lift a finger.

Breaking the Sound Barrier

Rosen Aviation has developed a new onboard audio system with Laurence Dickie, designer of the famed Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus loudspeaker. According to Rosen’s Lee Clark, the goal is to go from today’s audio equivalent of “a 1970s eight-track” to what he refers to as “Elvis, six feet away, singing to you”—a soundscape that only you will hear, delivered by headrest speakers and haptic drivers in the seat. Meanwhile, Bongiovi Aviation intends to employ transducers embedded in the jet’s interior side panels, eliminating the need for traditional speakers altogether. The advantages are numerous, and it allows airframers to reduce cabin weight and fully utilise space while eliminating traditional speakers from the design.

Bringing movie-theater audio quality to aviation is already available. Dolby Atmos puts you inside the movie or song as it is playing. In collaboration with Dolby, SkyCinema Aviation was the first to create an Atmos-enabled processor built for business jets to compensate for cabin altitude and jet noise. The result? You will clearly hear the car approaching from a half mile away in that famous scene of the 1959 Hitchcock classic North by Northwest, just as the director intended.

Hands Free

With full showers, skylights, and large vanities gracing the lavatories of the most luxe business jets today, what could be next? The smart lavatory is evolving into a nearly completely hands-free space by incorporating sensors to activate everything from faucets to showers. Using an AI algorithm, Diehl Aviation has taken it a step farther to add more functionality with voice-controlled commands for opening and closing the door, turning on lights, and activating water. Hologram light switches will eventually keep the lavatory completely hands free, while smart mirrors can multitask by providing an interactive display of digital content.

 

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