Ducati - Extreme Edition USB Flash Drive !

I do love vehicles that come with only two wheels. Amongst these the legendary Italian Ducati bike is definitely one of my all time favorites. Ducati has now teamed up with ScanDisk which has unveiled the Extreme Ducati Edition USB Flash Drive. They know that folks like me cannot resist the glossy red resemblance this device sports with a real street bike from Ducati. Therefore we will get sucked into paying entirely too much for this USB flash drive that includes 4GB of internal storage, and touts write speeds of up to 20 megabytes-per-second. After being suckered into this thing, it may be a little comfort to know that this piece of art comes with a "custom lanyard", the SanDisk's RescuePRO Deluxe software and a USB head that is gold plated to allow for faster transfer speeds and retracts into the body when not in use to give the stick a sleeker design. This is definitely for the true Ducati aficionado only.

32nd America's Cup - Special Champagne Toast !

When it comes down to the America’s Cup--the world's oldest sporting trophy--my enthusiasm usually goes as far as acknowledging the winner and then check with Audemars Piguet what limited-edition Royal Oak Offshore watch will be launched in honor of said sailing cup. This time Moët & Chandon released a limited edition portable bar with an ice bucket shaped as a sailboat winch as the centerpiece. The body is made from carbon fiber and teak wood and the winch is of sterling silver. The portable bar holds eight special flutes which are made to fit eight wholes on the bottom of the winch to hold them. Off course it comes with a nice bottle of bubbles. This is a limited edition item. Only 39 of these are made and come engraved with the winner of the 32nd America’s Cup, which is Team Alinghi from Switzerland.

The Fennell - The Coolest Silver Sleeves !

Do you want to find a way to make a bottle of trivial Heinz Ketchup seamlessly blend onto your formally setup dinner table? Add some A1A Steak Sauce or maybe Tabasco. Well London based jeweler Theo Fennell makes this coolest silver sterling sleeves that make everyday mass products look like a million dollars. Fennell features a sterling silver ketchup holder designed for Heinz Ketchup.The holder is laser engraved with the classic Heinz Ketchup label and--even cooler--comes with a sterling silver lid. They feature sterling silver sleeves for a whole host of common products including some of your favorite libations. Even sleeves for baby bottles are available. The one product that really does it for me is Fennell's newly created silver sleeve for Häagen-Dazs ice cream. It is designed to fit a standard sized Häagen-Dazs ice cream pod. I had to leave my own addiction for Häagen-Dazs ice cream behind me for good some time ago but there is no doubt in my mind that--if still into the good old macadamia brittle--I would own that sleeve including the sterling silver über-spoon this comes with! Make great gifts too.

Bentley - Limited Edition By Tibaldi !

Certified to commemorate 60 years of production at the Bentley factory at by the Swiss Federal Customs Administration Office of Geneva, Tibaldi produces its pens with precious metals used only in the inner workings of fine watches. Tibaldi pens are worked in Switzerland, the home of luxury timepieces. Tibaldi writing instruments reflect technical excellence and high precision. Their unique filling mechanism is protected by patent. Its surfaces boast “Clou de Paris” diamond point. So here is the deal; Whilst you may or may not be in such standing to afford a fine automobile of the likes of a Bentley, you still can associate yourself with this brand of potency, luxury and power. The British automaker Bentley has recently released a collection of pens in cooperation's with the luxury Italian pen maker TibaldiCrewe. Arguably amongst the world’s finest writing implements, these exquisite pens draw their design cues directly from the Bentley Arnage and the Continental GT. These Bentleys etchings and engravings--known as knurling--are found on all functional handles and buttons requiring contact, such as the indicators, media system controls and gear shifts, just as it does decorate all parts of the Bentley pen such as turning the cap. It also allows the upper and lower parts of the pen’s barrel to act as a grip. Only 400 silver fountain pens, 200 silver roller balls, 40 solid white gold fountain pens and 20 solid white gold roller balls are made. Get yours when you service your Conti GT the next time right at your Bentley dealer. The rest of us can click on the pictures and try to order them online. I must warn you though; Whilst only the fraction of a Bentley automobile, the price on these puppies still add up to a whole car for some of us!

Mercedes Ocean Drive Concept - More Boat Than Car !

Mercedes where you will probably see some of theses if Mercedes decides to build it--on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach, the has unwrapped another potential millionaire's toy. It's called Ocean Drive and that's Côte d'Azur, or anywhere else in the world where sunshine, sea breezes, beautiful people, and money converges. This Mercedes concept car will easily compete in the mega-money league with the upcoming Rolls-Royce convertible and the Bentley Azure. The Ocean Drive is a four-door convertible, long-wheelbased, 510-hp, twin-turbo V-12-powered S600 cruising on a five-speed super smooth slushmatic. All of the S-class sedan's heavy curves are significantly smoother on the Ocean Drive sporting an elegant two-tone metallic paint and an imposing pointed grille that is a lot bigger then ever. The space-age LED headlights on this car each consist of 35 LEDs. They form two inverted Cs, incorporating daytime running lights as well as turn signals. In the back the LED tail- and brake lights are separated by slim horizontal chrome crossbars. Spanning a record acreage of 34 square feet, the canvas top forms an arc. The electric motors and valves that open and close this massive 87 inches long when fully extended awning ensure that the process is executed in perfect synchronicity and in only 20 seconds. Even when this thickly padded fabric top is raised, the Ocean Drive is very sleek. The interior was designed at the Mercedes-Benz design studio in Como, Italy. Beautiful matte finish birds-eye maple woods, impeccably stitched leather upholsteries and rich cream-colored fabrics add the adequate interior to the this car. Two elements are sticking out; The absolute cool square-bottomed steering wheel--which all by itself could make me want to buy this car-- and the cliché center console that houses a bottle of champagne and two flutes! Proximity sensors activate the concealed door handles on this car--but it almost seems that out of sheer pity Mercedes-Benz stopped short on this feature and yes--still lets you open and close your doors with your own hands. For those of you whom get stimulated by wheels and rims; here we are looking at a set of 36-spoke high-gloss aluminum wheels shod with 275/35ZR21 tires. At this stage this beauty is introduced as a concept car. I would assume that this car was originally intended to be the convertible brother to the Maybach. Since it is my prediction that the Maybach brand really has no future within the Daimler-Chrysler holdings, this car does not stand a chance to show anytime soon at a dealer near you. Sorry--but be sure that you will find a lot of similar features and design inputs from the Ocean Drive on the next generations Chrysler 300C's. Instead expect Mercedes-Benz to launch a new two-door CL convertible available with the 4Matic as a new option late in 2008. Remember; It is never too early to put your order in with your Mercedes dealer!

Truefitt & Hill - Grooming Blokes For Greatness For Over 200 Years !

Truefitt & Hill is the worlds oldest barbershop. They have been "grooming men for greatness" for over 200 years. Truefitt & Hill have given shaves to important faces like Sir Winston Churchill, John Wayne, Charles Dickens, Fred Astaire, Cary Grant, Alfred Hitchcock and Danny Kaye. William Francis Truefitt opened his first Gentlemen Barber Shop at 2 Cross-Lane, Long Acre London in 1805. Edwin Hill & Co. set up his barber shop at 23 Old Bond Street in 1911. It was to this address that H. P.Truefitt moved in 1935 to form what would become the legendary Truefitt & Hill barbershop. Over the decades Truefitt & Hill became the leading men's barber shop in the world with locations in London, Toronto, Chicago and Las Vegas. Over the last 200 years Truefitt & Hill have been involved in the production of premium men's grooming products like shaving creams, shaving soaps, shaving utensils, shampoos, aftershaves and colognes. All Truefitt & Hill products are unique; they each have their own decidedly masculine touch. I never met a guy--whether they shave wet or dry or not at all--that does not want to have a Truefitt & Hill Limited Edition Nickel Razor Set sitting in his bathroom. These things are as good as it gets. The Truefitt & Hill razor set is gorgeous and stands out like no other. Made of pure nickel, this Limited Edition razor sets new standards of refinement. The stand measures 8" tall, and is the final resting place for a perfectly weighted razor and badger hair brush. And the best news for all you Gillette Mach III blade slaves is that this razor is compatible with all the Mach blades! Check their grooming products out. I personally love their West Indian Lime product line. Incredibly good, smooth and with an a unique and exotic fragrance too it. Truefitt & Hill has provided discerning blokes with only the finest in grooming products.

Philippe Starck - How About Some Black Magic !

Baccarat is the most prestigious crystal ware manufacturer in the world. 1764 French King Louis XV granted the Bishop of Metz the right to glassmaking. Since then French Kings, Japanese Emperors and the Kings of Morocco and Arabia all eventually commissioned Baccarat for custom made crystal glass ware. Indian Maharajahs had their delicate, intricate crystal tables and chairs delivered to them on the backs of elephants to the Indian subcontinent. The most famous order came from the ill-fated Czar Nicholas II of the Russian Empire. Baccarat has produced Philippe Starck's "Darkside Collection" of glassware. Philippe Starck is today France's most known designer. The "Darkside Collection" gained notoriety with the debut of the moody onyx inspired black crystal chandelier, called Zenith. The original Zenith now hangs in the "Cristal Room," Baccarat's private dining salon in Paris. Starck designed the Zenith chandelier as a paradox between the lucidity and clarity of sparkling crystal against the depth and darkness of the color black. In order to achieve the black appearance, Baccarat adds a variety of mineral salts, chrome and manganese to the crystal while whilst still liquid. Anybody can have the usual glitzy, kitschy crystal chandelier somewhere in the house but if you want to separate yourself from the masses you definitely can use some of Philippe's black magic. Keep in mind; If you need to ask for the price you cannot afford it!

Globetrotter - The Luggage For The True Gent !

Globetrotter is a classic British luggage maker that has been around since 1897. This was Sir Edmund Hilary's luggage of choice for his Everest expedition. Other users--past and present-- include Sir Winston Churchill and the Queen herself. In Ian Fleming's original James Bond novels, double-O occasionally uses Globetrotter on some of his endeavors. Not cheap, but exclusive and certainly pieces that are without a doubt luggage cult. If you want it even more exclusive; now is your chance. Globetrotter is featuring a limited edition vintage luggage set--Globetrotter Domino--that comes with a 10 and a 30 inch suitcase. Only 20 sets were made. The black cases are made of an ash wood frame that is covered with indestructible vulcan fiber with chrome detailing. You will have to get in contact with Globetrotter to find out about these sets. The Globetrotter pieces are truly timeless. Even if you do not intent to use them for travel, they make incredible home decoration accessories . My personal favorite is the "Oriental" set, but I also like the "Safari" collection a lot. I recommend that you visit their website and browse through their collections. I'm sure you will fall in love with what you find!

For The Real Gentlemen - The Byzant BBQ Tool Set !

If you are into BBQ or more casual grilling, then you have bought many grill tool sets in your life and chances are that you also got a bunch of them as gifts over the years. Most of these things never come to use at the grill and most often end up being used for some unrelated tasks that they were never meant for. If this is true, well then this 16 piece BBQ tool set designed by Nicolas Nicolaou may peak your interest. Made of 18/10 stainless steel with wood accents, the set is available in satin or mirror finish and includes tong, brush, knife, turner, stand, and 10 skewers. The Byzant BBQ set has everything to make certain you are enjoying your outdoor cooking season to the fullest. Needless to say that the set is available at UnicaHome, one of my favorite places for gadgets for the home.

Casa Lapostolle - All About Wine Architecture !

Usually--like most people--when concerned with wineries , it would be all about what they put into their bottles and what ultimately ends up on my table. Over the last 10 to 15 years some of the top wineries around the world have set out to become architectural pioneers. Quietly and not so much in the public eye some of the premier Chateaus in France, but also top growers in California have set out to update their structures and buildings above and beyond just their functional needs. They have built new and surprising avantgarde themes into their architecture, which almost seems exotic at first. One of my personal favorites, The Hess Collection, set in one of the oldest estates on Mount Vedder, high above Napa combines great wines, great architecture and an excellent contemporary art collection. Amongst the most impressive architectural works are Chateau Pichon-Langueville in the French Bordeaux and the Dominus Estate in California. Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle, the French chatelaine of the Marnier-Lapostolle family best known for producing Grand Marnier and owning the renowned Loire estate Chateau de Sancerre, ventured out to Chile in 1994. She has her Chilean winery Casa Lapostolle on an incredible extraordinary fast-track success course. Together with her husband, Cyril de Bournet, Alexandra was determined to diversify the family's business further into wine. After countless visits to Chile the couple settled for Apalta, convinced that this was the place to make great wine. The vision was to produce premium quality wines, blending French expertise and Chilean terroir. It took a decade and about $20 million to put this revolutionary winery, that is solely dedicated to the production of Casa Lapostolle’s world-class icon wine, Clos Apalta onto the international radars. Today Casa Lapostolle receives exceptional reviews, awards and accolades for its wines from across the globe. But more then just the impressive track record of Casa Lapostolle's wine is the winery itself. Alexandra has built the winery of the future here. The winery is 100% gravity-fed spanning five levels, three of which are buried into the granite of the Apalta hillside to provide a natural cool temperature environment for cellaring and aging. This rare vertical design allows the wine to flow naturally downward during every stage of the production, eliminating the need to pump, which can adversely affect the subtle flavors of the wine. All the grapes are hand-harvested and brought to the highest level of the winery where they will be 100% hand-destemmed, a labor intensive technique performed by only very few wineries throughout the world. Fermentation takes place in 21 French wooden vats which size corresponds in size to the parcel of the Apalta vineyard. After two years of aging in two different barrel cellars, the wine is bottled and either departs from the base of the winery or join the underground library in the heart of the winery. Casa Lapostolle’s new Clos Apalta winery is without a doubt one of the most exciting developments in winery architecture in the world over.The philosophy behind the construction of the winery emphasizes the complicity between Man and Nature.

King Conquistador Cortez - A Massive And Manly Watch !

This King Conquistador Cortez Chronograph of Geneva based Swiss watchmaker Franck Muller is the most massive and manly watch I have ever seen or hold in my hands. One of Muller's newest creations sports a beautiful, extra large 18k rose gold case that measures 43mm square and is a whopping 15mm thick with equally massive, solid gold chronograph pushers and crown. The beautiful dial exposes a fine silver guilloche with luminous Arabic numerals and date. Like most other Franck Muller watches, this one comes with the signature blue, leaf style Hands. The watch is equipped with an automatic winding, Swiss chronograph movement with a platinum winding rotor segment. You can get this fancy piece with a rubber strap with a massive 18k rose gold Franck Muller clasp. This watch has the potential to quickly become anybodies favorite watch. It will go with any attire.

OneWorld - Designed By Peter Stathis !

Cosmos and OneWorld wall clocks offered online by UnicaHome are designed by Peter Stathis, with graphics from Susanna Dulkynis. These wall clocks are definitely a different concept altogether. They are among the most customizable clocks, with a wide array of hands, including like extra hands, blank hands that can be written on and international landmarks. Peter Stathis leads a collaborative design venture specializing in the design and development of furniture, housewares and consumer products. He is also the former director of the world-renowned graduate design program at Cranbrook Academy of Art. His work has received numerous awards including the Chicago Athenaeum's good design award, the industrial designers society of America's Idea Awards. His projects and writings have been published internationally, most notably by the Wall Street Journal and LA Times Newspapers, and by Business Week and Life Magazines. These wall clocks are very cool, specifically the OneWorld clocks that are availabe in many different formats and colors and can show up to seven different time zones.

Gadget - Electronic Crumb Vacuum !

Are you into table top gadgets? Here is one for you. A Electronic Crumb Vacuum now made available on BedBathAndBeyond online. You glide it across the table and it will vacuum all crumbs right off your table. Soft nylon bristles won't scratch the surface and the vacuum is easy to use with one-touch operation. The Electronic Crumb Vacuum operates on batteries.

Ventura - Timekeepers Of the Future !

Ventura is a a young Swiss watch company founded only 17 years ago. At times watch collectors enjoy dropping the odd ironic remark about Ventura having no past but only a future. Ventura watches don’t pretend to draw on tradition, but they are very distinct from short-lived fashion trends; they are contemporary and truly timeless at the same time. Design at Ventura is never empirical, but always the result of extensive research concerning functionality and ergonomics. The entire output of mechanical Ventura watches is certified by the independent C.O.S.C. Institute as official chronometers. Ventura secures the future with a constant flow of technical innovations. Cases and bracelets made of Titanox® the hardened, scratch-resistant titanium, or Durinox®, a steel with the same hardening applied, are exclusive achievements that endow Ventura products with their unique longevity. With the development of the world’s first and still only automatic digital watch that does without a battery and the patented EasySkroll® operating system of the v-tec Alpha, Ventura has advanced to a market leader in digital watch technology. These high-quality products are entirely Swiss made. This latest Ventura model; The Ventura W14 SPARCrx Ltd is limited to 199 watches total. This special edition Ventura comes with a natural rubber orange strap. It is a truly unique watch and will become an instant must-have with all the watch aficionados out there. A watch says a great deal about its owner. People wearing Ventura watches are individualists who expect high standards of quality,reliability, and design. They are as unique as this watch that they are wearing. Truly not for everybody!

PureModern - Cool Stainless Steel Design Items !

This is a very cleverly designed wine bottle holder that displays your wines like art in a unique way. This type of display is both cool and accessible. Holds up to eight bottles vertically so the corks will not dry out. You can order this at PureModern online. Just click on the picture and it will take you right there. Also they do sport a whole line of cool stainless steel design items. Check them out!

Louis XIV - Versailles Limited Edition Collection !

In 1682, Louis XIV established the French center of government in Versailles. Until 1789, when rebellion overtook the country, the Château de Versailles stood as a symbol of the absolute power imposed by the Sun King. Now Paris-based S.T. Dupont has introduced the Dupont Versailles Limited Edition Collection of men’s accessories that, like the palace, are both functional and extravagant. The pieces feature white lacquer and gold trim that recall the baroque decoration in the château’s salons, while their lattice motif is modeled after the rectangular shapes in the palace gardens. The line consists of three cigarette lighters , two large pens , cuff links , a money clip, an ashtray , and a cigar cutter. Nail cutters are not included--Louis XIV required his courtiers to scratch at his door with their left pinkie fingers rather than knock, and some grew that nail longer than their other nails for this purpose. As always; You heard it here first!

Elie Bleu Tabletier - Che Guevara Humidor Collectible !

Amongst cigar aficionados Elie Bleu's products have been consistently ranked as the best in the world. And the collectors seem to agree with that. Big money is now being paid for older Elie Bleu humidors. The boutique Parisian humidor-maker, under founder Alain Berda has come up again with an exceptional piece and future collectible. Inlaid with dyed sycamore by the famous ‘Ecole Boule’-trained Elie Bleu cabinet-makers juxtaposes Alberto Korda’s iconic image of the “Guerillero Heroïco” combine with the English national flag of St. George. Only 20 pieces of this humidor will ever be made. I'm personally not a great admirer of Che or anything to do with Che, but I guess given the historic circumstances on Cuba now and in the past and the fact that this really is a piece of art in the world of humidors, as a true aficionado I cannot ignore this piece and therefore had no choice but to share it with you.

Get Your Gadgets Personalized - iStyle !

Using a laser, iStyle can etch almost any image--photos, logos, artwork, text or a design from your own library of images--onto any device made of metal or plastic. Whether you want to etch your iPod, laptop, Blackberry, mobile phone, metal business cards, guitars, leather wallets all the way to custom motorcycle hardware iStyle can do it. Their laser etching experts keep customization safely on the sane and awesome side of things. Just drop off or send in your metal, plastic, wood, or leather possessions along with an image of your choice (logo, artwork, Jim Croce lyrics). In three business days, they’ll customize your goods using their high-tech zappers. The process is irreversible, so choose wisely.

Italian Fashion Update - Footwear by Amedeo Testoni !

Any guy that is into dress shoes loves Italian shoe makers. The predominantly hand-stitched Amedeo Testoni line of dress shoes from A. Testoni combines hand-dyed calfskin leathers with some of the richest exotic skins—including crocodile, ostrich, and sharkskin. The firm also employs the Norvegese and Rapid construction methods, which dictate multiple layers of stitching to attach the upper to the welt and to the sole. Testoni finishes the extremely lightweight collection with its proprietary Piuma soles to add superior flexibility and envelop the foot like a leather glove. You should tread yourself to a pair.

Amedeo Testoni
877.837.8664

Italian Fashion Update - Neckwear By Dolcepunta !

Being updated on your neckties is really, really important. Right now the true aficionados are wearing Dolcepunta, one of the most boutique ties in the market. To produce his 11-fold neckties, Dolcepunta designer Ronaldo Scapellato sews together two large panels of silk and then folds them onto themselves 11 times, thereby eliminating the need for linings. The fabric must weigh no more than 4.4 ounces to ensure that the excess folding does not add too much bulk to the tie. With this year’s collection, Dolcepunta unveiled a colorful new range of silk satins, foulard prints, and richly colored jacquard weaves. A guy should have at least one of those in the closet right now!

Dolcepunta
212.397.4300