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Photo Courtesy Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

No matter how you measure it, Gulfstream’s flagship G650 is an amazing aircraft. At Mach 0.925 (611 kts/704 mph/1,132 kmph), it’s arguably the fastest jet (the Citation 10 at Mach .92 is just 3 mph slower) not wearing military markings. Its 7,000 nm (8,050 sm) range easily links New York with Hong Kong or Helsinki with Buenos Aires. Or you can one-stop-hop between practically any two cities on the planet.

While being able to go really fast and really far are the things records are made of, traveling those distances in most long-range jets does come at a price – and I don’t mean the sticker price. What I’m referring to is the physiological strain those long trips take on the passengers. Even nudging the speed-of-sound, any intercontinental trip demands a long time in the air. Fact is, you can fly in the most opulently finished and highest technologically-equipped cabin and still get off after a long flight feeling like the proverbial “dog’s dinner.”

You Need More Air Up There

The reason is simple: the typical business jet or airliner cruising at 45,000 feet will have a cabin altitude of about 8,000 feet. The reduced oxygen levels will take their toll during the time aloft, and the net result is that tired, lethargic feeling when you land. The longer the flight, the greater the impact. In fact, many travelers departing the U.S. for Europe require a day to “acclimatize” after landing. Often the debilitating feeling commonly referred to as ”jet lag” is attributed to time zone changes, but the dull headache and cloudy thinking is more likely a function of oxygen deprivation over time.

As the range of the newest-generation Gulfstreams increased, Gulfstream engineers designed a structure that would allow a more tolerable 6,000-foot cabin level. However, in the rarefied air aloft, even that didn’t provide the optimum level of oxygen-rich air when fight times exceeded eight or ten hours. While contemplating the G650’s extremely long range, Gulfstream’s engineers, with fatigue and dehydration concerns in mind, designed a new pressurization system that maintains a 4,100-foot cabin, even at the jet’s 45,000 cruising altitude. That means passengers can maintain blood oxygen levels more closely matched to those they experience on the ground.

Complementing the pressurization system is a 100% fresh air circulation capability. It’s a pretty amazing feat of engineering and one unique to the G650. The result is the G650’s passengers will arrive at their destinations feeling more relaxed, refreshed and alert than someone flying the same trip in any other business aircraft.

More Daylight Too

That’s not all. The G650 also has 16 of the largest windows in business aviation. The benefit? Larger windows let in more natural light, and that helps fight off fatigue and drowsiness.

Of course, the new G650 has a lot more going for it than lower-cabin altitudes and bigger windows. Those in the cabin will lack for nothing when it comes to comfort, convenience and communications. Gulfstream’s interior designers offer customers 12 different floor plans to outfit the aircraft to meet any customer’s desires.

Whether you’re flying across a state, continent or ocean, when you arrive you’ll be alert, refreshed and one step — actually maybe two steps — ahead of your competition. For the global business traveler, that makes the G650 a virtual dream come true.

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The greatest collection of superyachts is on its way to Hainan Rendez-Vous in 2013, with the Red Sapphire by Trinity Yachts recently confirmed.

Participating this year are Abeking & Rasmussen, Amels, Benetti, Blohm + Voss, Feadship, Fincantieri Yachts, Heesen, Kaiserwerft, Kingship, Lurssen, Oceanco, Palmer Johnson, Royal Huisman, Sanlorenzo and Westport.

Visit: www.hainanrendezvous.com

Former Hong Kong Chief Secretary Henry Tang sold off part of his extensive wine collection, including rare Romanée Conti vintages, at a two-day Christie's Hong Kong auction.

In total, Christie's announced that the collection had sold 100% by lot and 100% by volume, for HK$48,052,488 (US$6,222,797). The collection was notable for featuring a large variety of Burgundy wines from lesser known producers but also of course for those Romanée Conti vintages (six magnums of Vintage 1995) and Montrachet (12 bottles of Vintage 1978), both from the fabled Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC).

Henry Tang was Chief Secretary iuntil September 2011 and was once a shoe-in for the Chief Executive position in Hong Kong until a series of scandals laid him low. One of those scandals was an illegal wine cellar so you might wonder if these wines might have a special provenance because of this. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Tang declared that none of the wines at this auction were stored in the now-infamous cellar.

Ideal for those looking to indulge in today’s ultimate luxury, Mandarin Oriental, Geneva has partnered with Swiss luxury watchmaker Hublot offering an exclusive package which combines a relaxing overnight stay in one of the hotel’s stunningly renovated suites with a private visit and an exclusive “Watch Academy” workshop at the watchmaker’s atelier.

Offering a special opportunity for luxury timepiece enthusiasts to discover both the traditions as well as the latest technologies of fine watchmaking, guests booking Mandarin Oriental, Geneva’s “Suite Luxury of Time” will enjoy a private limousine transfer from Geneva International Airport and be welcomed with Champagne in-Suite and panoramic views over the city and mountains. After a scenic drive from Geneva to nearby Nyon, a master Horloger will welcome guests at Hublot for a bespoke private tour of the atelier, revealing the secrets of some of the world’s most modern and luxurious watch masterpieces. The visit will end with a special “Watch Academy” workshop during which guests will take the seat of a master Horloger and discover the secrets to assembling a Hublot watch.

Valid until 31 December 2013, the Suite Luxury of Time package at Mandarin Oriental, Geneva is priced from CHF 2,310 per night and includes:

Luxurious accommodation in a Junior Terrace Suite or Deluxe Suite Daily Buffet breakfast for two at Le Sud or in the privacy of your Suite Champagne and specially created Watch amenity by the hotel’s Pastry Chef Private Roundtrip Limousine transfers from international airport Private Roundtrip Limousine transfers to Hublot atelier (located 30 minutes from the hotel) Two hour private guided tour of Hublot atelier (available Mon-Fri from 8am until 4pm) One hour “Watch Academy” workshop with master Horlogers (optional)

Reservations can be made by contacting the reservations office at Mandarin Oriental, Geneva on +41 22 909 00 01 / mogva-reservations@mohg.com or by visiting the hotel's website www.mandarinoriental.com/geneva. Rooms are subject to availability and terms and conditions apply.

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend and like with all good luxury products it’s about quality and not quantity.

Well the quality doesn’t get much better than this; Christie’s in Geneva will be auctioning a flawless D Color diamond weighing 101.73 Carats.

The pear shaped diamond will go under the hammer on 15th May 2013. Each diamond is unique, in fact finding two diamonds that are the same, color, quality and weight is extremely difficult, as the size gets larger this task becomes even harder. This particular stone is not only one of the largest pear shaped diamonds known to date but also one of the worlds most perfect diamonds with a D color and Type IIA Flawless gem.

Head of Christie’s Switzerland and America’s, Rahul Kadakia explained the true rarity of such a stone when he says “Just as a great artist is able to ‘see’ a masterpiece in a block of marble, a perfect diamond is the result of the skill and vision of a master cutter who is able to uncover beauty from a rough gem. This diamond is in its scale, quality, and rarity one of the most beautiful ‘white’ diamonds Christie’s has ever had the honor of offering for sale.”

The title of ‘perfect’ is not given easily to a diamond; this particular stone was graded by GIA, (the Gemological Institute of America) which is known to have the most rigorous criteria for grading a stone. The rough diamond of 236 carats was found at the Jwaneng mine in Botswana. This stone gives new meaning to the phrase ‘Diamond in the rough’ as it took over 21 months to polish the piece into perfection.

Ferrari has taken the covers off the much-hyped replacement for 2002's definitive Enzo at the Geneva Motor Show.

The LaFerrari - the name will cause all sorts of grammar headaches that we shall banish from our minds at the present time - is the greatest road-going Ferrari ever built. It might even be the greatest performance road car ever made, by any measure of the word 'greatest' but that will require testing, including a head-to-head against fellow hypercars the McLaren P1 and the Porsche 918 Spyder.

Briefly, here is what we have learned about the Ferrari's new hybrid hypercar so far. Like the Enzo, LaFerrari is a very limited proposition, with only 499 to find their way to drivers around the world. It has a new mid-mounted 6.3 liter V12 (an evolution of the F12berlinetta's powerplant with no sign of turbo chargers in play) that pumps out 790bhp and redlines at 9250rpm (believe it), and an electric motor that adds some 160bhp to the mix, giving LaFerrari a grand total of 950 horses with which to outrun the Enzo. Ferrari reports that LaFerrari beats the Enzo's time around the Fiorano track by 5 seconds and the F12berlinetta by more than 3 seconds.

Make no mistake then that the 1,300kg LaFerrari is a speedy beast, taking the F12berlinetta's crown as the fastest Ferrari ever made. It makes short work of the 100kmh dash in under 3 seconds and rubbishes the 200kmh mark in under 7 seconds. Take a moment and imagine it... While you do that, let us address that name. Better yet, we transmit Ferrari's own explanation:

"We chose to call this model LaFerrari because it is the maximum expression of what defines our company – excellence. Excellence in terms of technological innovation, performance, visionary styling and the sheer thrill of driving. Aimed at our collectors, this is a truly extraordinary car which encompasses advanced solutions that, in the future, will find their way onto the rest of the range, and it represents the benchmark for the entire automotive industry. LaFerrari is the finest expression of our company’s unique, unparalleled engineering and design know-how, including that acquired in Formula 1," said Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo.

It is not only speed and performance that draws to cars such as LaFerrari of course and this is where those "advanced solutions" come into play. LaFerrari's chassis is a wonder of high craftsmanship, with no less than four types of carbon fiber coming together seamlessly. Incredibly, every bit of carbon fiber is hand-laminated and autoclave-cured by Scuderia Ferrari in a process mirroring the F1 style. Another bit of racing engineering to make its way into LaFerrari is HY-KERS, which leads to improved performance (by 10 percent according to Top Gear) and reduced emissions (to the tune of 330g/km of CO2).

We conclude at this point with a note about the look of this beast, which as you can see is quite, well, beastly. This car was designed and developed by the in-house team of Ferrari Design Director Flavio Manzoni; you will look in vain for any mention of Pininfarina because that company had neither hand nor eye on this project. We have to wonder what this bodes for the future because, as with the Enzo, what you see in LaFerrari will make itself felt throughout the range in the years to come.

Porsche Design will be debuting their first woman’s handbag this Thursday.

The bag is called the “Twin Bag” for its clever design that allows one convertible purse to act as both shoulder and handbag.

Crafted in Florence of fine Italian leather, the bag is of the most premium quality with fittings made with precious metals like rose gold, white gold, silver and chrome. Exotic ostrich and crocodile leathers are also made in limited, numbered editions.

Available  in Porsche Design Stores around the world this month starting at $1690.

The event will take place, fittingly at the Porsche Design Tower in Sunny Isles on Thursday evening.

Mouawad is known for their high end luxurious jeweled pieces, be it a Snow White Princess Diamond watch or the mostexpensive bag in the world at $3.8 million.

Their latest creation is as beautiful as it is rare, the Mouawad L’Incomparable Diamond Necklace featuring 91 diamonds.

Unveiled for the first time at the 2013 Doha Jewelry and Watch exhibition, this stunning piece has a total diamond weight of 637 carats. The necklace features the world’s largest internally flawless diamond, graded by GIA; that single diamond weighs 407.48 carats. The diamond was first found by a little girl in the Republic of Congo, with it eventually exchanging hands and ending up on display at several different museums, the first being the Smithsonian in Washington DC.

The impressive piece uses a minimalistic design to highlight this incredible stone. The rest of the L’Incomparable Diamond Necklace is made up of a sublime combination of rose gold and radiant diamonds of various cuts, including, brilliant, emerald and pear cuts. The necklace is truly one of a kind and is meant to grace the neck of a woman who is also one of a kind.

Mouawad’s unveils the L’Incomparable Diamond Necklace to mark the 10th anniversary of Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition (DJWE).

The ranks of the world’s billionaires, as monitored and tallied by our global wealth team, have yet again reached all-time highs.

The 2013 Forbes Billionaires list now boasts 1,426 names, with an aggregate net worth of $5.4 trillion, up from $4.6 trillion.

We found 210 new ten-figure fortunes. Once again the U.S. leads the list with 442 billionaires, followed by Asia-Pacific (386), Europe (366), the Americas (129) and the Middle East & Africa (103).

Resurgent asset prices are the driving force behind the rising wealth of the super-rich around the globe. While last year almost as many fortunes fell as rose, this year gainers outnumbered losers by 4-to-1. Many new names made the list thanks to free-spending consumers. To name a few: Diesel jeans mogul Renzo Rosso at $3 billion, retailer Bruce Nordstrom at $1.2 billion and designer Tory Burch at $1 billion.

Carlos Slim is once again the world’s richest person, followed by Bill Gates. Amancio Ortega of Spanish retailer Zara moves up to No. 3 for the first time. He is the year’s biggest gainer, adding $19.5 billion to his fortune in one year. He moves ahead of Warren Buffett, despite the fact that the U.S. investing legend added $9.5 billion to his fortune. This is the first year since 2000 that Buffett has not been among the top 3. The year’s biggest loser is Brazilian Eike Batista, whose fortune dropped by $19.4 billion, or equivalent to about $50 million a day. His rank falls from no. 7 to no. 100 in the world.

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The 2013 SPA Classic will be held this year in Belgium at the Spa-Francorchamps, with Richard Mille being the first official timekeeper of the race.

The watch is a flyback chronograph with countdown, annual calendar and Richard Mille’s variable rotor technology . Its great colors caught eye. It's a Limited Edition 50 pieces.