Coming in two large sizes of 48mm and 55mm wide, Kyboe, a Netherlands based watch brand offers very large sized fashion watches that comes in a ludicrous array of color combinations. Just visit their site to find the many, many color combos available of the "Giant watch." Although it comes in two sizes and many colors, the watch itself is basically the same design. A mixture of elements from various dive watches, the dial feels very Rolex Explorer in theme. The case is in steel, and inside the watch is a Japanese Miyota quartz movement. Strap is rubber, and the main allure is the fashionable fun associated with the large size and wild colors. Not sure how much the watches are available in the US yet, though they are in many parts of Europe and Asia. Probably coming to the US more as their size, cost, and image would likely work here. Price looks to be about $200. Look for them soon.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Italian fashion design duo Dolce & Gabbana are celebrating the 25th anniversary of Naomi Campbell's career with a limited edition t-shirt collection and launch event. The collection comprises 14 different designs displaying iconic images of the supermodel taken by the world's most famous fashion photographers, including Patrick Demarchelier, Steven Klein, David LaChapelle, Mario Testino, Ellen von Unwerth, Bruce Weber, Steven Meisel, Herb Ritts and Peter Lindbergh. The collection of 14 shirts will go on sale exclusively at Dolce & Gabbana boutiques in New York on September 10th, followed by London, Milan Paris, Moscow, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai throughout the fall.

Proceeds from the sale of the shirts will benefit Fashion for Relief, a charity founded by Campbell to raise funds in the fashion world in times and places of need. D&G will hold an exclusive launch party for the anniversary initiative in NYC on Sept. 10th. The designers describe Campbell as "An icon rather than a model," noting "Her peculiar way of walking down the runway marked an era of fashion history and has become a point of reference for many many girls. We have been lucky enough to have the chance to know the person behind the image and for this reason we are even happier to celebrate this anniversary with her."

The luxurious 2,500-acre Estancia El Venado, one of the most historic and beautiful guest ranches in Argentina, is offering an exclusive polo excursion for high-end equestrians who want to brush up on the sport of kings. The luxurious Estancia, founded in the mid-1800s and located about 100 miles south of Buenos Aires, is owned by professional polo player Federico Cendoya, whose family has owned El Vendado for four generations. Cendoya has been training and coaching international polo players ranging beginners to experienced players for over 30 years. Available from mid-April through October, El Venado's polo excursion is an excellent introduction for new players to the sport or an opportunity for experienced players to gain expertise. The package includes stick and ball sessions in the morning and practice chukkers in the evening. During the morning sessions guests will work on horsemanship and swing mechanics, while the practice chukkers focus on rules, game strategy, field positioning – and fun. Surprisingly affordable, rates begin at just $300 per person per night.

[via JustLuxe]

I can see the lines snaking around the block now! H&M confirmed it: Men and women will be able to get themselves some Lanvin at about 200 H&M stores on Nov. 23, according to Women's Wear Daily.

Word broke yesterday that the sizzling hot Paris label may be collaborating with cheap chic retailer H&M. Fashion industry bible WWD reported that the Swedish retailer was expected to announce plans with Lanvin and its creative director Alber Elbaz within the coming week.

Upon hearing the news yesterday, the fashion blogs went nuts, writing things like "Yes, Please!" and "Cross your fingers." Even a few well-heeled ladies I talked to vowed they would pick up a piece or ten from the capsule collection.

To wet our appetites, H&M has been posting 23-second highly stylized black and white videos on Facebook and Youtube. Quotes from a mystery designer comes through the mouths of male and female actors captured in flashing images that show everything but an actual face. Initially, the rumor mill focused on Tomas Maier of Bottega Venetta and Carolina Herrera as possible originators of the quotes. Then, WWD wrote yesterday: "While the camera never lingers on the faces long enough for recognition in the clips, the voice-over of designer musings, while electronically altered, are unmistakable Elbaz-isms."

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Divers are recovering bottles of Champagne that have been lying at the bottom of the Baltic Sea for about two centuries, according to European news reports.

About 70 bottles, some of which from the no-longer-operating House of Juglar, lie mostly undamaged in 164 feet of water south of the Aland Islands.

The first bottle was brought to the surface in mid-July.
The cargo was aboard a ship believed to be heading from Copenhagen, Denmark, to St Petersburg, Russia, between 1800 and 1830. Based on assertions made by some historians, it could have been en route to the Russian Imperial Court from France's King Louis XVI.

Some of the bottles already retrieved had some cracks and a few corks on the bottles had corroded, leaving the possibility open that salt water leaked into some bottles.
The island chain is at the entrance of the Gulf of Bothnia, in the Baltic Sea, and is part of Finland. The islands form an archipelago of more than 6,000 islands.

The trove as discovered in July. At first, because some of the in-tact labels had an anchor on them, it was believed the Champagne had come from Veuve Clicquot. But since then, the source of the bottles has centered on Juglar.

The Berkeley (above), London's luxurious and beloved five-star Knightsbridge hotel, has just opened Koffmann's, a new restaurant from legendary French chef Pierre Koffmann. Overlooking Hyde Park, the historic hotel has long been the destination of choice for stylish travelers including Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and Naomi Campbell. Chef Koffmann, whose name has been synonymous with some of the UK's finest French cuisine for over 35 years, counts Gordon Ramsay among his protegés. The opening of Koffmann's marks the chef's return to The Berkeley, where he was at the helm of the celebrated La Tante Claire until its closing in 2003. The Koffmann's menu features several of the chef's signature items, such as a braised pig's trotter with morels, which guests may recognize from La Tante Claire, but on the whole Koffmann has moved into a more relaxed, informal style while still embracing his classic, provincial, French culinary roots. The menu offers hearty, robust, seasonal dishes, many influenced by his Gascon heritage, which can be enjoyed seven days a week for both lunch and dinner.

Moreso than any other automaker, the Ferrari legend has been built on its success in motorsports, particularly in Formula One. No team has won more F1 races and more championships than Ferrari and what Ferrari fan hasn't dreamed of someday driving one of the scarlet race cars? Given that the number of new F1 cars the team builds every year is in the single digits, even if you have the financial resources to buy one of the used cars after the season, the opportunities to do so will be extremely limited.

To make things easier for the rest of us, next week the Italian sports car maker will release the Ferrari Virtual Academy. The Virtual Academy driving simulator will be available for download beginning September 9 with the current F10 racer along with the Fiorano, Mugello and Nurburgring circuits included in the package for €15. Ferrari hasn't listed any system requirements so this might be a Flash application that runs on every platform (except of course iPhones and iPads). Check out the video trailer after the jump.

[Source: Ferrari]

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It caused quite a kerfuffle when 38-year-old Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko's megayacht A (above), designed by Philippe Starck, weighed anchor off San Diego the other day while its owner drove off to check out Hearst Castle. The 390-ft. craft which resembles a sci-fi submarine cost over $300 million to build to the quirky designer's specs at Blohm + Voss, where Roman Abramovich's Eclipse was also constructed. With a crew of 35 (all outfitted in Starck-designed uniforms) to run it, the A's twin diesel's kick down 24,000 hp for a maximum speed of 24 knots, impressive for a ship this size. The interior features $40,000 bath faucets and $60,000 stair banisters.

The all-white, 2,583-sq.-ft. master suite wrapped in bulletproof, 44-milimeter glass is accessed by a silver-plated staircase with a fingerprint scanner at the door. Elsewhere Starck scattered Baccarat crystal tables, alligator skin and Kudu horn chairs, stingray skin upholstered walls and hand-stitched leather paneling. Some of the companies involved in constructing the unique sea beast went bankrupt due to the difficulties in executing Starck's design dictums. Filling the A's gas tanks alone costs $500,000 a pop and running costs come to about $20 million a year. Check out a video of the eye-popping yacht after the jump:

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A luxury New Zealand resort is now in American hands. Wharekauhau Lodge is a tranquil getaway in southern Wairarapa that has played host to Tom Cruise, Meg Ryan, Bill Gates and many other rich and famous individuals. Billionaire William P Foley II is the new major shareholder. Foley is the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Fidelity National Financial Inc. He is also the developer of Rock Creek Cattle Company, an 80,000-acre working Montana ranch with a golf community and real estate development. He has not stayed at Wharekauhau before but has invested in New Zealand wine businesses. The sale price of the lodge hasn't been disclosed. The Dominion Post says that the new owners are planning a complete makeover of the property.

Like Foley's Montana property, Wharekauhau is a working farm. The estate is home to Romney and Texel sheep and Angus and Simmental breeds of beef cattle. The farm is 5,500 acres and has a main lodge that resembles an Edwardian country mansion. There's also a small group of guest cottages and Chateau Wellington, a three-bedroom house with views of Palliser Bay. The recreation center includes a heated indoor swimming pool, gymnasium, tennis court and outdoor jacuzzi.

The custom "46664" bangle worn by actor Morgan Freeman during this year's Academy Awards sold for one million South African rand (around $137,000) during the World Cup this year. Freeman was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Nelson Mandela in the movie "Invictus." The 46664 bangles support the 46664 campaign, which continues Mandela's charity efforts and humanitarian work, including the prevention of HIV/AIDS globally. The numbers represent Mandela's Robben Island prison number (466) and imprisonment year (1964).

Freeman's bespoke emerald and black diamond platinum 46664 Bangle was designed by Sabine Roeber. The bangle went to Julian Frame, a South African businessman who is the joint founder and chief executive officer of the South African sports lifestyle retail chain The Cross Trainer. His company was established the same year as the 1995 Rugby World Cup, the event that inspired "Invictus" and The Cross Trainer supplied rugby jerseys for supporters of the event. All auction proceeds went to the Nelson Mandela Foundation and will be used to fund projects associated with HIV/AIDS. National Jeweler reports that Frame plans to take the bangle abroad and show it to those inspired by Mandela.

The 46664 bangles are available on TheBangle.com in copper for $24.95, pure silver with a copper inlay for $199, 18K gold for $7,700, 24K gold for $8,600 and platinum for $15,870.