Private jets that will fly you half-way around the world

A group of the latest models let you fly halfway around the world, opening fresh possibilities in business and personal travel.

By Nick Copley 10/10/2017

The latest group of ultralong-range and extralong-range business jets lets you fly halfway around the world, opening fresh possibilities in business and personal travel.

Key new models in this elite market include the Gulfstream G650ER, the upcoming Bombardier Global 7000, and the Dassault Falcon 8X. Other models to consider are the Gulfstream G550 and the future Bombardier Global 8000; the latter is targeted to have the longest range in this group, with the ability to fly almost 9100 miles (14,640km).

Market

Several factors are driving the demand for ultralong-range aircraft, which range in price from about $US57 million ($73.2 million) to more than $US70 million ($A90 million). The two biggest contributors are the continuing globalisation of international business and the growth in the number of ultrahigh-net-worth families. But there are additional factors at play.

“A handful of customers buy purely based on need,” says Colby McDowell of the VanAllen Group, an aviation consulting firm. However, he adds, “Some are sitting on more money than sense, and there is certainly an ego play.”

Kevin O’Leary, a Robb Report Private Aviation Board member and the president and CEO of Jet Advisors, supports McDowell’s assertion. “Human nature certainly plays a part,” he says. “There’s always a group who wants to have something bigger and better and just wants to have the best and latest. It’s also the ability to make those long trips that no other plane can do, but they are not being used for New York to Beijing every day.”

Beyond the ultralong-range market the options consist of much larger Boeing Business Jets or Airbus Corporate Jets, which are basically converted airliners. But these bigger aircraft do not sell in anything close to the numbers of the dedicated business aircraft, partly because they are more expensive to operate. Buyers of ultralong-range business jets also prefer their ability to take off from, and land in, considerably more airports than their commercial cousins can.

The biggest market for ultralong-range business aircraft is North America, but in Asia and the Middle East they represent a higher share of the local market for business jets. Forecasts from Jetcraft suggest that nearly 50 per cent of the market by value will be sales of ultralong-range jets, such as Gulfstream G650s, and extralong-range jets, such as the Bombardier Globals. As an example of the demand in this space, Gulfstream delivered its 550th G550 — slightly smaller and slower, with a range of more than 7,750 miles—in July of this year.

Models

The Gulfstream G650ER is the most established of the ultralong-range group. The original G650 was first delivered in 2012, and the newer ER (extended range) version came out in late 2014. (The original G650s can undergo a $US2 million modification, including making internal adjustments to existing fuel tanks and updating the Flight Management System, to convert to the ER version.) Gulfstream is also working on a 7100-mile-range G600 that will come out in 2018.

The first Dassault Falcon 8X was delivered to a customer in 2016, and it is one of the few business jets with three engines, which helps with short takeoffs. The delayed Bombardier Global 7000 (above) is currently undergoing flight testing and is expected to enter service in the second half of 2018.

There is a wait list for all these planes, so if you make a purchase today, you can expect to receive it in a couple of years. But demand has eased a bit since the first G650s (some of which changed hands for above list price) came out.

Cabins

The newer aircraft as a group offer larger, more spacious cabins than their predecessors, as well as the ability to travel more than 6000 miles. These two go hand in hand, as owners and passengers are demanding more space and comfort for flights that can last more than 12 hours.
The Global 7000 and G650 each hold a maximum of 19 passengers, as does the slightly smaller 8X (above), but few ever fly at full load. “The average number on board is typically six to eight people for the ultralong-range planes,” says William Quin, president of Aviation Management Systems and a member of Robb Report’s Private Aviation Advisory Board.

The Global 7000 (above) wins easily in the cabin-space category, with an overall length of 54 feet, 7 inches (16.6 metres), compared to 46 feet, 10 inches (14.28m), for the G650ER (below) and 42 feet, 8 inches (13.0m), for the Falcon’s cabin. But compare any of these to, say, a super midsize G280 at 25 feet, 10 inches (7.9m), and you begin to see how much room they offer.

New owners have a wide selection of choices in how they configure their cabins. These aircraft can have three or four separate living areas, plus an additional dedicated crew rest area. The spaces can include bedrooms with ensuites and stand-up showers—nice features if you’re traveling 6500 miles and are in the air for 12 or more hours. They can also include conference spaces or individual work areas, and they all feature a large galley area for meals and drinks.

As you might expect, the electronic systems include Wi-Fi, digital audio, and large high-definition TVs, while the cabin-management systems let passengers control all the electronics, LED lighting, window shades, and environment from their seats. New technology also allows some planes, such as Dassault models, to have a lower cabin pressure than other aircraft, helping passengers feel less fatigued and potentially reducing jet lag.

Capabilities

The potential range of these planes is a big part of the selling proposition. The Global 7000 promises to fly from New York to Mumbai, or Sydney to San Francisco. The G650ER can fly nonstop from Dubai to Atlanta.

The Falcon 8X, meanwhile, is known for getting in and out of airports that are too small and challenging for its slightly bigger competitors. “Dassault does well in shorter fields and high altitude,” says McDowell of the VanAllen Group. “For instance, summer-time in Aspen has challenges for some bigger aircraft, but not for Falcons.” The model also has a solid range, with the ability to fly non-stop from Vail, Colorado to Geneva, Switzerland.

So what are most customers doing with all that range? When William Quinn and his team surveyed owners of ultralong-range aircraft, they found that only 20 to 30 per cent of even the longer flights exceeded 6000 miles. The average flight length was between 3 and 5 hours, which would equate to about 1400 to 2500 miles.

All these aircraft have a maximum operating altitude of 51,000 feet, well above commercial aircraft levels and out of the way of adverse weather. Each of them also typically operates with a pilot, a co-pilot, and one other crew member.

Costs

Another factor driving the migration to these new planes is the incorporation of new technology in their design and build. Changes to wing designs and aerodynamics, updated and newer engines, and improved avionics mean they are more economical to maintain and operate than earlier models.

“Operating economics are coming down, particularly if you are coming out of an older plane,” says McDowell. “Across a lot of our client base, the conversation revolves around the 10-year life-cycle cost of operation and not so much the initial capital cost.”

According to the aviation research firm Conklin & de Decker, the well-regarded — but older, slower, smaller, and shorter-range — Gulfstream GIV has a total cost to own and operate of $US2,589,042 a year ($A3,326,626), assuming an owner flies 175,000 miles. In comparison, the longer-range G650ER comes in at $US2,694,522, and the Falcon 8X just $US2,321,886 a year. There are no numbers out yet for the upcoming Global 7000, but the Global 6000 has total annual costs of $US2,689,243.

If you are flying an older Gulfstream like the GIV, it can be pretty appealing to move into a newer, bigger, faster model for the same annual cost.

In essence, these planes are built and outfitted to support all aspects of daily life and to act as a platform for doing business globally. With compelling economics, demand is expected to remain strong for the category.

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How Off-the-Rack Suits Got Sophisticated Enough to Win Over Bespoke Guys

Ready-to-wear tailoring has never been better, and it offers even the most particular dressers a fast, easy platform for experimenting with their look.

By Aleks Cvetkovic 18/02/2025

The world moves fast—and for once, tailoring is moving a little bit faster.

Guys around the globe are rediscovering their love of suits, but many have determined that they can’t stomach the monthslong wait for bespoke. The good news? Ready-to-wear tailoring has never been better.

That’s in part because bespoke makers are beefing up their off-the-rack offerings. Anderson & Sheppard’s shop-in-store at N.Y.C.’s Bergdorf Goodman—the first outpost beyond its London flagship— opened in December with, among other things, a sharp wool-and-cashmere jacket in a delightful shade of teal. Huntsman’s recent fall-winter collection, billed as its most comprehensive assortment yet, offered everything from tuxedos to shooting breeches. Even Leonard Logsdail, Hollywood’s highly esteemed bespoke purveyor, is experimenting with hem-and-go models.

But non-custom tailors are upping the ante, too. Some of the best ready-to-wear suits on the market come from such brands, whose wholly distinctive points of view provide a welcome departure from the rigidity of many bespoke tailors’ house styles. The preponderance and diversity of such high-quality, easy-to-access threads has recast off-the-rack suits as the ultimate way to experiment with your look, not just a way for some to get dressed on the cheap. What’s more, it reflects the new reality that even people who suit up regularly might want to show up looking different on Thursday night than they did on Tuesday morning.

“Life nowadays is much more fluid,” says Chris Modoo, a London-based stylist who once worked as a tailor on Savile Row. “Things happen, invitations appear. You might get an invite for a black-tie party in the South of France for next Saturday.” Ready-to-wear is the obvious solution when you’re in a last-minute menswear quandary, but “it also means you can try new things.”

One maker worth a test-drive is Husbands Paris, founded by Nicolas Gabard, who sees his role as an “archivist of the past.” His look, inspired by stylish men such as Yves Saint Laurent, David Hemmings, and Gary Cooper, is unabashedly striking—think long, fully canvased jackets, broad lapels, structured shoulders, and wide-leg, high-waisted trousers. These wares are made in small workshops in Italy and Portugal, where craftspeople infuse them with high-end details such as hand-sewn buttonholes and silk bar tacks, a form of stitching that reinforces seams and pockets.

Thom Sweeney L.A. store Brett Wood

They’re the kind of touches any menswear enthusiast can appreciate—even if they’re the trees to Gabard’s style forest. Clothes like this are designed as a form of wearable self-assurance, enhancing what Gabard calls a “classically masculine” silhouette: broad shoulders, slim waist, narrow hips.

“Of course, tailoring has to fit well, but it also has to bring something else,” he says. “More and more [Husbands] customers want to be confident, powerful, and sexy in their outfit.”

When you want to look more suave than soigné, turn to the indie Milanese brand Massimo Alba, which is known for its chic casualwear but made its name with easygoing tailoring. “A great suit is not just about the way it fits but about the way it makes you feel,” says the eponymous label’s founder of his relaxed approach. “For me, the essence lies in balance, between structure and softness, elegance and ease. In my opinion, a suit should adapt to the wearer, not the other way around.”

Alba’s creations are cut from plush materials such as corduroy and flannel, featuring natural shoulders and only the lightest of canvasing in the chest, which results in a less-formal look. Which is not to say they aren’t workhorses: Daniel Craig wore one of Alba’s Sloop suits to dodge bullets in 2021’s James Bond film No Time to Die. “I always focus on fabrics that move with the body, details that whisper rather than shout, and cuts that allow for freedom,” Alba adds.

And freedom is precisely what this newfound inventory of great ready-to-wear tailoring provides. Modoo advises some clients to look to bespoke tailors for investment-level garments, such as morning suits, tuxedos, or the dark, serious stuff you might need for a funeral or odd courtroom appearance. “You know you’re going to wear these for 10 or 15 years,” he says. Let the new class of distinctive ready-to-wear step in when you want to try something that just wouldn’t make sense as a bespoke order. “Your pink-velvet blazer for the Christmas party? How well does that need to fit?”

London bespoke tailor Caroline Andrew is one of many who admits ready-to-wear has its place. Courtesy of Caroline Andrew

Fortunately, with so many options available, the fit is easier to dial in. You can expect most high-end operations to make a long list of changes, from ensuring that the seat of the trousers drapes appropriately to cutting working buttonholes on the jacket. For a peerless experience, you can always reach for garments from one of the many talented bespoke tailors offering ready-to-wear. At Thom Sweeney, such clothes are “all influenced by our bespoke cut,” says Thom Whiddett, who cofounded the brand with Luke Sweeney in 2007. “You try on [our ready-to-wear] jacket, and you immediately get a sense of the proportions and shapes that we put into a bespoke garment.”

That alluring sense of near-instant gratification is the point. For some, nothing will ever replace the distinguished feeling of slipping into a bench-made suit—and plenty are willing to wait for it.

“You have to mentally buy into the process and enjoy it,” says Caroline Andrew, a London bespoke specialist. “The journey is just as important as the finished product.” But ready-to-wear sets the time-strapped tailoring enthusiast down a different path: discovering new facets of your personal style at a record pace.

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Tom Brady Wears a Jacob & Co. Watch Decked in Yellow Sapphires to the Super Bowl

The $740,000 Caviar Tourbillon was an opulent choice for the former NFL star.

By 17/02/2025

Tom Brady was on the field tonight at the 59th annual Super Bowl game, and while the retired NFL hero—a seven-time Super Bowl winner (the most of any footballer in history)—wasn’t playing, he came dressed to impress with a $116,400 Jacob & Co. watch on his wrist.

Brady, who is a notable watch collector, recently sold off several of his timepieces at a Sotheby’s auction called “The GOAT Collection: Watches and Treasures from Tom Brady” this past December. Those timepieces ran the gamut from a Rolex Daytona Ref. 6241 to a unique Audemars Piguet Royal Oak with his name spelled out in diamonds across the salmon-colored tapisserie dial. His Rolex Daytona sold for over $1.5 million, and, in total, his auction raked in around $7 million. So, he’s well-equipped for a new watch purchase.

Whether or not he owns the six-figure sapphire stunner or it was a paid spot, the watch certainly stood out against his conservative but immaculately fit gray suit. “Tom Brady is the epitome of excellence, both on and off the field,” said Benjamin Arabov, CEO of Jacob & Co, in a press release sent out by the company shortly after Brady’s appearance. “We’re thrilled to see him wearing two of our most prestigious timepieces on the biggest stage in sports. The Billionaire Mini Ashoka and Caviar Tourbillon embody the precision, luxury, and innovation that define Jacob & Co. We’re honored to have him represent the artistry and craftsmanship behind every piece we create.”

Like much of Brady’s wrist candy, his 44 by 15.8 mm Caviar Tourbillon is not easy to come by. It is limited to just 18 pieces. It features hours, minutes, and a one-minute flying tourbillon in the JCAA43 movement with 216 components and 72 hours of power reserve. The movement itself is set with 338 brilliant-cut diamonds, while a total of 337 yellow sapphires adorn the case and dial. The clasp is decorated with another 18 baguette-cut yellow sapphires, and the crown comes with 14 baguette-cut yellow sapphires and one rose-cut yellow sapphire. As far as gem setting goes, this is one extraordinary piece, but it certainly seemed like a surprising choice for Brady, who was otherwise dressed like he just stepped out of a boardroom or a Ralph Lauren catalog.

Benjamin Arabov, son of Jacob & Co. founder Jacob Arabov, is now the CEO of the company. The 32-year-old recently took to Instagram to post that he was looking for a rebranding agency with experience in visual identity and packaging. As far as marketing goes, however, with Tom Brady, he’s golden.

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This Vintage Rolex Day-Date Has an Ultra-Rare and Coveted ‘Bark’ Design

The ultra-cool piece from Wind Vintage also comes in pristine condition with a desirable patina.

By Paige Reddinger 17/02/2025

Over the last four years there has been a resurgence in interest for 18-karat yellow gold watches. Much of that is due to fatigue over the long-running craze for steel tool watches, but it is also in part due to the rising value of gold (which shows no sign of slowing), rendering these once undesirable pieces increasingly worth collecting. Add to that the fact that, in some niche and stylish circles, unusual bracelet treatments, gem-setting, and interesting dials are becoming increasingly appealing and you have a new wave of watch collecting emerging. Steel sports watches are still the bread and butter for most dealers, but as pockets of interest in more unusual timekeepers, often from younger and fashion-forward collectors, continue to rise we’re seeing some really fun pieces pop up on the market. Case in point: This 1980s Rolex Day-Date in 18-karat yellow gold with a sapphire and diamond dial from Wind Vintage currently available exclusively on The Vault.

It wasn’t that long ago that dealers had a hard time unloading an all-gold gem-set piece. Eric Wind, the notable dealer and founder of Wind Vintage, says five years ago he would have sold this piece for around $23,000 to $28,000. The asking price today? $45,000. “It is very rare,” he tells Robb Report. “I think that was all clearly hand-done. Funnily enough, bark watches were not very desirable in the past. You know, even five to 10 years ago, they were very, very hard to sell. But, over the last three to five years, there’s been such an emergence and interest in jewellery and watches and work like that engraving and other kind of artistic forms that the watches took.” The style of engraving he is referring to on this watch can be seen on the bezel and middle links of the bracelet that is referred to as “bark” for its rough tree-like appearance.

“Bark” engraving on the bezel and bracelet of the Wind Vintage 1980s Rolex Day-Date
Courtesy of Wind Vintage

And while the bracelet is certainly a notable feature that will stand out in a sea of Submariners and Daytonas, the dial is also worth bragging about. Its diamond minutes track and sapphire hour markers are executed in what is known as a “string dial” because it looks like a string of pearls. “They’ve become very popular,” says Wind. “They were very expensive back in the 80s, just because of the cost of the stones, and there are just not many that exist on the planet.” Likewise, Wind says the canary yellow matte dial is not something he comes across often, having only seen a couple of others.

An up-close look at the patina and “bark” engraving on this 1980s Day-Date from Wind Vintage.
Courtesy of Wind Vintage

Part of what makes this watch so hard to find on the market is that pieces like this often didn’t survive past their ’80s heyday. “A lot of times these watches were so undesirable that dealers would replace the bezel inserts and put on fluted inserts, or smooth bezels or fluted bezels and melt down the bracelets or polish the center link so they looked like a standard Day-Date. Those dealers should have learned that what goes around, always comes around. Now with these interesting Rolex watches on the rise, they’ll become even harder to find.

A Wind Vintage 1980s Day-Date with “bark” engraving and a gem-set “string dial”
Courtesy of Wind Vintage

If you’re interested in the piece and want to speak to Wind about it IRL, he will be at Robb Report’s House of Robb event in San Francsico today during the NBA All-Star weekend.

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Soccer Star Kylian Mbappé Is Now an Investor in Watch Marketplace Wristcheck

Just like Jay-Z.
Published on February 7, 2025

By Abby Montanez 11/02/2025

Kylian Mbappé just went from brand ambassador to investor.

The celebrated French footballer, who currently plays for Real Madrid, has taken a stake in luxury watch trading platform Wristcheck, Hypebeast reported lat week.

Off the filed, the 26-year-old soccer star is a known timepiece collector and has served as an ambassador for Swiss marque Hublot since 2018. With this new partnership, the forward joins a growing group of influential backers, including Jay-Z. The rapper and business mogul took an equity stake in the Hong Kong-based company last summer as part of a recent funding round of $7.9 million.

“I’m thrilled to join Wristcheck as an investor through Coalition Capital,” Mbappé said in a press statement. “As a Hublot ambassador and someone passionate about watches and innovation, I see Wristcheck as a platform that truly understands the next generation of collectors. They’re reshaping the watch industry with a forward-thinking approach that blends technology, transparency, and creativity.” Mbappé did not immediately respond to Robb Report‘s request for comment on his new business endeavor.

Kylian Mbappé is an investor in online watch shop Wristcheck.
Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

Launched in 2020 by renowned horophile and Instagram personality Austen Chu, Wristcheck offers a platform for collectors to buy and sell pre-owned watches that have been authenticated by Swiss-trained watchmakers. Since it was founded, the company has raised more than $21.6 million in funding from investors including the Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund, Gobi Partners GBA, and K3 Ventures.

Mbappé, meanwhile, has achieved remarkable success in his soccer career. He won the 2018 FIFA World Cup with France, becoming the youngest player to score in a final since Pelé. At PSG, he has secured multiple Ligue 1 titles and domestic cups. Individually, Mbappé has earned the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award and regularly features in top European scoring charts. And in 2020, he was ranked the world’s highest-paid player, surpassing rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

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Sotheby’s Will Put on the Largest Auction of Breguet Watches in Decades This Fall

To celebrate the revered watchmaking house’s 250th anniversary, the sale includes rare collectibles belonging to living Breguet family members.

By Paige Reddinger 11/02/2025

Interest in Breguet has experienced a quiet resurgence among savvy collectors who appreciate the brand’s deep-rooted watchmaking heritage. This growing enthusiasm will soon take center stage with an upcoming auction that shines a significant spotlight on the storied Maison.

Founded in Paris 250 years ago, Abraham-Louis Breguet was one of the most influential watchmakers in history, best known for inventing the tourbillon and the automatic winding system—along with many other groundbreaking innovations. His legacy continues to inspire modern masters such as F.P. Journe and Philippe Dufour. You can see Breguet’s influence pointedly in pieces like F.P. Journe’s famous Chronomètre à Résonance timepiece, voted one of Robb Report‘s 50 Greatest Watches of All Time.

Now, Sotheby’s has announced “the largest sale of Breguet timepieces in three decades.” Though the auction won’t take place until November, the auction house is already working to build anticipation. In the meantime, it might be wise to brush up on the most coveted Breguet references.

Breguet 1827 Perpétuelle à Tact watch made for King George IV Breguet

What may pique collectors’ interest is the sale is being curated in conjunction with Breguet and Emmanuel Breguet, the vice president and head of patrimony, who happens to be a descendant of the original Monsieur Breguet. So far, the only timekeeper publicly associated (at least visually) with the auction is the 1827 Perpétuelle à Tact watch made for King George IV. Still, it hints at the historic level of pocket watches, wristwatches, and clocks that will be on offer. Abraham-Louis Breguet was a frequent supplier of high-end and state-of-the-art timepieces for royalty, including Marie Antoinette, Napoleon Bonaparte, and King George III.

Other highlights include an open-faced montre à tact (a watch that replicates the internal hour hand on the cover of the pocket watch via an arrow so that time could be read via touch) with a calendar and moonphase indications that was the inspiration for the Ref. 3330. A pendulette with alarm, perpetual calendar and repeater, and a two-color gold open-faced tourbillon watch is said to be a part of the sale, although no images were provided as of press time. More info on what will be in the sale will come this spring.

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