Executive Class

A Bavarian Road Trip with the Audi R8 Spyder

2010-07-28T12:20:00.001+08:00

It surprises many that I'm not exactly a big fan of sports cars. Sure, I love the way they look (more so the way they make the driver look) and the way they sound at full throttle, but driving one around the city can turn out to be such a chore.

For one, sports cars are often less than ergonomic. The cockpit is tight and the seats are low-slung and downright uncomfortable. After all, they were designed for the track where driver safety and performance at high speed is more important than anything else. Comfort is for the family car - or so the designers think.

But the biggest issue I have with sports cars is the ride they give you over roads in less developed parts of the world - i.e. Third World streets like ours. The racing suspension is simply incapable of compensating for the many humps, bumps and potholes you find on our road network. And even if you find that rare stretch of expressway, chances are it's clogged with buses, trucks and slow moving passenger jeeps that throw your timing off.

In a way, sports cars were made for the people who first created them - those lucky blokes in Western Europe blessed with ribbons of perfectly paved highway and country lanes. More so in the warm months when you can drive across scenic routes with the car's top down. Which is exactly what I had in mind when I was handed Audi's R8 Spyder for a joy ride through the Bavarian countryside.

But, first things first, the Audi R8 is impossibly cool. Or hot. You can tell by the way people stare at the car - some even snapping photos of it on the road. I can't blame them. With the top down, the convertible supercar is super sexy. And you kind of feel like a rock star driving it around. (Yes, you have to constantly remind yourself that people are staring at the car and not at you).

The car is such a looker it's easy to ignore the fact that it's loaded with every supercar credential you can come up with: a 5.2 liter V10 FSI engine capable of 512 Hp and a top speed of 320 km/h, Quattro all-wheel-drive technology, an aluminum space frame - just to name a few geeky bits. But, really, all you need to know is that it's super fast and extremely powerful.

The German autobahn is the perfect place to drive the R8 Spyder for two reasons. First, there are stretches of highway with no speed limit so it's possible to floor the pedal and hit speeds up to 300 km/h without much effort.

The other reason the autobahn is ideal is because of the scenery you get to pass through. The drive from Munich to Ingolstadt, though not the most scenic in Europe, is nevertheless filled with roadside attractions like forests, farms, vineyards and the odd medieval town. Not quite Provence or the Italian Riviera but beautiful still. With the top down the scenery is even more striking as the famous blue Bavarian sky above you completes the picture.

Like most supercars, the Audi R8 is designed for the track, and this is why you can't escape the initial discomfort of a low-slung and extra snug seat. But once you get used to it, there's little that gets in the way of enjoying the power and speed of the car. I've driven many other sports cars and the R8 has none of that macho-schmacho grittiness or gruffness that spoils the driving experience. The R8 does have a masculine roar, but the engine is so smooth I easily forget just how fast I'm going. The drive is also civilized enough so that you can cruise at lower speeds without feeling any resistance from the engine.

Surely, there are geekier ways of describing the R8's performance but I suspect this car wasn't made for that type of guy. The R8 is too classy and sophisticated for that breed of enthusiasts obsessed with spec sheets and comparisons. Audi's high performance convertible is for those who embrace the joys of driving at high speed across Europe's legendary scenic routes. Indeed, the only thing that keeps this car from being the perfect traveling companion is the lack of a back seat and the tiny compartment up front Audi dare to call a trunk. Otherwise, it's close to perfect.

24 Hours in Stuttgart

2010-07-27T15:31:00.001+08:00

Stuttgart is on top of every car enthusiast's list of cities to visit. This wealthy German city is often called the cradle of the automotive industry. It was here that Gottlieb Daimler built the first production car. Today, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, two of the most prestigious carmakers in the world, are headquartered here and so are their popular museums. But, there's so much more to the city than a trip down automitive memory lane.

Stuttgart is extremely easy on the eyes. If you arrive by train, the city you see straight out of the Deutcshe Bahn station is clean, lovely and easy to navigate. It's ironic that a city which built its fortune on making cars, Stuttgart is ideally explored on foot.

The Inner City

Like most European cities, the best place to start your tour is at the central square. In Stuttgart, this is the Schlossplatz or castle square. The area is an expanse of lawns, fountains and classical buildings and during the warm months you could spend hours alernately getting a tan and cooling off by the two grand fountains that occupy the square. Schlossplatz is surrounded by grand buildings and monuments which help remind visitors of the stature Stuttgart enjoyed in the 18th century when it was the seat of German princes. Although bombed flat by Allied raids in World War II, the buildings on the central square have been reconstructed to their former glory. The most impressive of which is the massive Baroque Neues Schloss or New Palace.

Wander off and your walk takes you closer to the old town where some of the oldest buildings of Stuttgart are found. The center of Shillerplatz is the ideal point to take in medieval Stuutgart and on certain days the area is converted into a flower market. The Collegiate Church was built in the 12th century and is immaculately preserved.

Follow the narrow lanes that take you through luxury stores and traditional shophouses for an interesting contrast in retail architecture. Many of the shops in the area go back hundreds of years and still sell items you can only find in Stuttgart.

The Marktplatz nearby is pretty much what it was meant to be in the olden days - a venue for smaller merchants from surrounding towns to sell their produce and wares. Better to get your souvenirs here than in the high-rent shops of the Leopoldstrasse. Top picks would be local cheeses, sausages and freshly baked bread.

If you're a coffee addict like me, you should check out the Hochland Kafee shop close by for their exquisitely roasted coffees. The cafe is a Stuttgart institution and young and old alike come here for their caffeine fix. Another alternative is the Eilles on Marktplatz itself.

The Kunstmuseum

Stuttgart hosts a number of art museums but none in the league of Munich or Berlin. Still, the Kunstmuseum Stuttgart or Modern Art Museum is worth a visit - espcially since its conveniently located at the Schlossplatz. The museum is housed in an attractive cube of glass and steel that sticks out among the 18th century buildings along the Leopoldstrasse.

I have yet to find a museum as well designed in terms of the lay-out of art space. It would seem like the architects built its walls and stairwells with the museum's collection of paintings and sculpture in mind. The art works are perfectly framed by doorways and openings in the walls which add dramatic effect to the collection.

Most of the works are by contemporary Stuttgart and German artists and the styles often reflect the strong industrial design tradition of the city. In fact, it's not hard to see where the iconic desgns of Mercedes-Benz and Porsche cars come from.

The Mercedes-Benz and Porsche Museums

For more of car designs, the Mercedes-Benz museum is a must-visit. Indeed, you don't have to be a car enthusiast to appreciate the history of one of the world's most prestigious car brands. You can skip the technical and geeky parts of the exhibits and approach the collection as you would an art museum. A Mercedes-Benz after all is a work of art. You can forget that its engines and technology were always ahead of their time, the real beauty of a Mercedes-Benz lies in its classic exterior. Some models like the SL roadster of the 60's are so timeless its no wonder Mercedes-Benz has introduced the supercar SLS in 2010 in very much the same aesthetic style.

Less massive a collection is what you'll find in the Porsche Museum in Porscheplatz where the Porsche Headquarters and manufacture are located. The museum recently opened its doors in 2009 and Porsche chose to house its collection in an imposing steel and glass building that literally looks like its floating above the ground. Like Mercedes-Benz, Porshe are known for their beautiful cars. But unlike Mercedes-Benz, Porsche specialize in sportscars and its this proud racing tradition that dominates the theme of the museum.

Porsche do us a favor with a carefully curated collection of cars. This means you have more time to dwell on specific car models that have defined the Porsche brand over the last half century. If you want to speed up your tour, I suggest skipping the newer models and concentrate on the following exhibits instead:

Porsche Number 1 Type 356. This is the first Porsche production vehicle built and the museum restored it to perfect running condition. You'll be amazed to see how little the Porsche silhouette has changed since 1947. Porshce 908 Spyder. These ultra-lightweight race cars cemented Porsch's status as racing champions. The Spyders of 1969 and 1970 went on to beat arch-rival Ferrari at the Targa Florio circuit in Sicily.

Porsche 917. These racers from Porsche almost completely dominated the racing circuit in the 1970s - considered the gloden years of the Stuttgart carmaker. The actual championship cars are on display in their original racing colors.

Porsche 911. On or off track, no other Porsche model is as iconic as the 911. The exhibit on the 4th level has every model built since the 1970s rotating in synchronized motion. Breathtaking.

If you have time to spare there are many limited edition and racing throughbreds worth checking out. Better still, use the extra time to sample the museum's elegant restaurant Christophorus for critically-acclaimed cuisine.

A Magical Stay at the Schloss Bensberg

2010-07-25T17:23:00.000+08:00

In the hotel industry, as in the real estate business, location is everything. But there are some exceptions to this rule. Indeed, sometimes, a centrally located hotel may not always be the best choice. You don't often realize this until you chance upon a hotel that makes you question this wisdom. At least this is what I felt on a recent trip to Cologne, Germany.

The city of Cologne is a magnificent one with equally spectacular hotel properties to choose from. But, if you don't mind spending a little more time traveling to and from the city, it's hard to ignore the elegant charm of the Grand Hotel Schloss Bensberg in the outskirts of Cologne.

Schloss means castle in German and the Schloss Bensberg looks very much like one although it was not intended to be a castle but a hunting lodge built by a German noble in the early 1700s. The property changed hands over the centuries and it was only until after the reunification of Germany in 1989 that the Federal government got it back. Since 2000, Schloss Bensberg has been part of the Althoff Collection of hotels - an exclusive group of properties known best for two things: historic buildings and exceptional cuisine.

The Althoff Collection includes iconic hotels like the St. James in London, but the Schloss Bensberg remains the group's flagship hotel. It's easy to see why with such a grand building to fit a hotel into. Few hotels I've encountered have that immediate "wow" effect and this is one of them. Approaching the hotel alone is an experience that's difficult to forget. The hotel is perched atop the highest point in the city of Bensberg and the anticipation builds as your car ascends the cobblestoned lane leading to it's massive iron gates.

The property is surrounded by beautifully manicured lawns, private rose gardens and tree-lined pathways. The building's elegant facade itself is little changed since it was built in the 18th century.

The interiors have all been redone to 21st century standards but the classic atmosphere is intact with dark wood, marble and hundreds of period-appropriate antiques distributed all over the hotel.

There are 120 rooms and all have large windows - most of these facing the impressive Cologne skyline. The iconic Cologne Cathedral is visible on a clear day and all rooms have commanding views of the forested countryside around Bensberg. Room interiors are elegant and consistent with the historic atmosphere the Schloss projects.

Exploring the hotel is an adventure - and a bit like getting lost in a castle. The hotel puts a premium on privacy so there's no nosy staff to badger you and direct you around the place. The fun is all yours to have when chancing upon a library or a bar tucked within the many corridors of the building.

Haute cuisine is central to the Althoff Collection and the Vendome restaurant within the hotel is considered the best in Germany and one of the best in Europe. Three Michelin-star chef Joachim Wissler is touted as Germany's most impressive chef and people travel from all over Europe to experience his New German cuisine.Chef Wissler's perfectionism extends to the outlets and even the humble breakfast croissants are unimaginably delicious.

Above all, it's the service you appreciate. Staff understand that guests come for the privacy, silence and the chance to enjoy their stay in one of Europe's most exclusive (and reclusive) hotels with close friends and loved ones. While enjoying the great food, too, of course. On my first night at the hotel I caught a glimpse of the actress Keira Knightly curled up in an armchair looking perfectly at home and relaxed by the bar. Clearly, she wouldn't have been able to do that in even the most luxurious of the downtown hotels. When you think about it, neither would you nor I.

Highly recommended.

ABANDONED....Emirates Airlines turns Dream Vacation into a Nightmare

2010-07-01T00:06:00.001+08:00

Most entries in this blog provide glowing reviews of the luxury brands and premium services we cover. It is, after all, a a list of top picks. But some experiences are so disappointing they deserve to be shared in this forum as well. The latest one we had was a flight from Dubai to Manila last June 28 on Emirates Airlines. It was the second sector on a trip home from covering a wonderful road trip across Germany - a dream destination for car enthusiasts everywhere.

I've never been a big fan of Emirates, but neither have I been a critic. Having flown to Athens on the airline before and experiencing the bland food and less than enthusiastic in-flight service, I've simply brushed this aside as part of the general decline in international air travel. However, what happened on flight EK 332 was a new low for the airline. What started out as a routine flight from Dubai to Manila turned into one of the worst experiences I've had with an international carrier - and one that claims to be multi-awarded at that.

We were expected to land at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila at 16:45 of June 28, but bad weather and poor visibility forced us to divert to Clark International Airport (Diosdado Macapagal International Airport) north of Manila. According to the pilot, the diversion to Clark was meant to be temporary and that once the weather cleared over Manila the plane would continue on to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. An hour of waiting on the tarmac of Clark Airport soon turned to two - then three hours. It was increasingly clear the plane wasn't taking off any time soon as the cockpit announced that heavy rains over Clark and the absence of towing facilities to pull the parked plane back to the runway was delaying the flight back to Manila. True enough, the announcement came that there would be no flight to Manila after all. The crew explained that the Emirates management in Dubai decided to disembark passengers at Clark and bus us with our luggage to the Manila terminal instead.

We were made to believe that this was for safety reasons as the cockpit kept on saying that the runway at Manila remained closed. This was increasingly hard to believe as the other diverted jets on the runway started taking off (for NAIA, presumably, as the weather had since cleared at Manila and Clark). I later got an inside tip that the decision to disembark was made by Emirates management in Dubai. Under an existing arrangement with Philippine authorities, the Emirates plane was not cleared to fly to Manila as the diversion to Clark and the time stranded on the tarmac meant Emirates had used up the maximum flight and operational hours allowed under the said agreement. At least this was the vague explanation I got from a source working with Emirates.

After more than four hours held inside the plane (though, thankfully, the airconditioning was kept on), the announcement to disembark was finally made. To be fair, staff could have disembarked passengers earlier if not for the lack of facilities at Clark like additional stairs and shuttle buses (there are no air bridges at Clark). The international airport was clearly unable to handle the unexpected arrival of the aircraft, more so a huge plane like the Boeing 777-ER.

But, more delays were to come. Once again, because Clark Airport wasn't prepared for an arrival of this magnitude, unloading and handling baggage from a large aircraft like the B-777-ER took another two hours for most passengers to recover their luggage at the carousel. It was 12 midnight when I got my bags - more or less seven hours since landing at Clark.

Still, I was just relieved to be on Philippine soil - and surprisingly patient. After all, the inconvenience at the Clark Airport was due to the lack of ground facilities and not entirely the fault of Emirates. If anything, the responsibility of Emirates would simply be to shuttle passengers from Clark to Manila as was repeatedly promised by the pilot over the public address system in the plane. It was the least they could do for the paying passengers who were stranded two hours away from Manila.

But, the chartered buses weren't there when I emerged from the terminal. At least I didn't see any waiting for us after clearing customs at 15 minutes past 12 midnight - and neither did the angry passengers who were there before me. At this point, I must have been waiting in Clark for a total of seven hours - five hours in the plane and two hours inside the terminal. What made matters worse was that there was not a single Emirates crew member around to manage the situation at the baggage claim and the arrivals area. At least none that came forward to help. With no one from Emirates to inform us when the buses would come or where they would be, many passengers found their own way back home by taxi and public transportation.

Just to make sure I wasn't paranoid, I asked those who had been waiting outside the terminal hours ahead of me. Relatives waiting for passengers told me that they did not see any buses since they arrived at the Clark Terminal as early as 11PM. Again, considering that the diversion was not the fault of Emirates, the least I expected was the presence of Emirates staff to manage the transfer of passengers by bus - or if the buses were delayed - to at least inform and calm the frustrated passengers - some of them confused foreigners. Although Emirates do not keep any ground staff at Clark because they do not operate there, some of the air crew should have stayed behind to manage the arrival and transfer of passengers. It was obvious that Emirates simply ABANDONED its passengers.

Surely, Philippine aviation authorities should be blamed for the lack of any back-up plan for disembarking passengers at Clark. (As I write this, more planes continue to be diverted due to bad weather). But blaming the government is predictable. What was less expected was the apparent disregard for the welfare of passengers by the Emirates crew once we got off the plane.

After waiting for the chartered bus for half an hour, I was lucky to hitch a ride to Manila. I still wonder how the hundreds of passengers stranded at Clark found their way back home or to their hotels - and at what time they actually did get there. Indeed, did the buses eventually show up? Perhaps after I left. If so, were there enough buses to handle the full flight? And why did it take so long for the buses to get to Clark given that the decision to shuttle passengers was made a good three to four hours earlier? (The travel time between Manila and Clark is only under two hours).

For an airline that calls itself a multi-awarded company, this was such a huge disappointment. After this, it will be very hard to convince me to "FLY EMIRATES" - as the company's advertising slogan suggests. I may be willing to overlook the disorganized terminal at Dubai and the less than stellar service on board, but abandoning passengers in their hour of greatest need is simply unforgivable for a global airline like Emirates.

Keep this in mind the next time you fly.

Hong Kong's New Wave of Hotels. Part 2

2010-06-16T17:09:00.001+08:00

The opening of the EAST hotel, CityPlaza Mall and the One Island East in Tai Koo Shing shows how Hong Kong's overcrowded downtown area is forcing real estate developers to open up new business and commercial districts in the most unlikely of places on the island.

The next location to watch out for is Kai Tak where the old airport used to be. Indeed, even once sleepy neighborhoods like Stanley are being redeveloped into shiny new commercial zones.

But you don't have to look far into the Hong Kong horizon to catch the next wave of hotel developments. In the past year alone, new luxury hotels have been changing the skyline of downtown Tsim Tsa Tsui. Most noticeable of these is the elegant faux-heritage hotel The Hullet House across from The Peninsula.

Less noticed, but equally spectacular a property is The Mira Hotel along busy Nathan Road. Many will remember it as the old Miramar, but only few will recognize that its one and the same structure. The Mira is the result of an exercise in total re-branding and re-design. And for the better. Much better, if you still recall the stuffy Miramar of the past.

The Mira is a modern design-oriented hotel and you can immediately tell once you walk into the lobby. Shiny black wall and floor panels and dim lighting give it that chic upscale nightclub look. So, admittedly, it's not for everyone. Make no mistake, this is no family hotel. Not that the place is seedy or snooty. It's just that the aesthetic is on the sexy side with a clientele that leans towards young celebrities, creative professionals and tourists looking for an alternative to the cookie-cutter designs of most luxury hotel properties in the area (The Marco Polo hotels nearby, for example).

The reflective black panels and dimly lit corridors won't be to everyone's liking, but I can imagine pretty young things loving this effect.

Standard rooms are cozy despite the overt modernist style. Once again, it's something young clients will love. All rooms come with authentic Arne Jacobsen egg chairs - an expensive touch wasted on guests who don't understand modern design. But everyone will at least appreciate the way The Mira incorporates technology into every room in the hotel. That's right, all rooms, even the most basic, are equipped with SONY wireless personal computers and entertainment consoles. Each room is also provided with its own dedicated NOKIA mobile phone so guests can access calls to their hotel room even while roaming the streets of Hong Kong.

The suites are heavily designed in modernist style as well, and the extra space makes it perfect for small parties. The entertainment options are top-notch: separate Bang & Olufsen HD home entertainment systems distributed in the bedroom and the living room.

The biggest suites come with their own outdoor terrace - separated from the others by a wall of tall bamboo for privacy. It's a great touch as your private party can spill over to the terrace. Indeed, The Mira seems to have been designed for guests with a particularly wired, infotainment dependent and party-oriented lifestyle.

The contemporary lifestyle spills over to the food and beverage outlets of The Mira. Nothing stuffy and old-fashioned here. All restaurants are consistent with the modern, well-traveled and adventurous guest in mind. Interiors are chic and sophisticated and the quality of food is at par with the better hotels and restaurants in Hong Kong.

The Mira is positioning itself as a dining destination with six outlets in the hotel. The most popular of which is Yamm, the all-dining spot just off the ground floor lobby. Hong Kong diners are some of the most demanding in the world and Yamm does not disappoint. The scallops I tried were flown in fresh from France that same morning and were absolutely wonderful. Paul Then, the Executive Chef, tells me that The Mira hopes to compete not just in terms of the quality of food (a given in Hong Kong), but by tapping into the penchant among locals for dining spots that attract the in-crowd. In short: places to see and be seen. The Mira's obsession with design has already given it credibility among Hong Kong's well-heeled, but being the sophisticated foodies that they are, HK's A-listers know what good food tastes like and this explains why The Mira remains a popular place to be.

Add in a large and elegant spa to the mix and you begin to see why Conde Naste Traveler listed The Mira as one of the Coolest New Hotels in the World in 2010.

Hong Kong's New Wave of Hotels. Part 1

2010-06-09T10:28:00.003+08:00

My apologies for not updating this blog more often than I ought to. Executive Class has been very busy traveling around Asia these past two months, but now that our feet are firmly back on the ground, we promise to update our followers with some of the new and exciting developments in the luxury retail sector here and abroad.

Our recent trip to Hong Kong reminds us why we keep coming back to this former British colony. It's very much a Chinese territory now with the luxury scene increasingly targeted at the wealthy Mainland Chinese business traveler and tourist.

Shanghai and Beijing may be all the rage among Western travel writers these days and it's hard to pick up a magazine without a feature on some new destination or luxury property in the Mainland. I can see why. The tourism infrastructure that seems to expand every day is simply mind-blowing. Still, Hong Kong is in a class all by itself. Instead of being eclipsed by her giant neighbor to the North, the Special Autonomous Region has actually grown in importance as the financial gateway to the Mainland. All the more the need to ramp up the glam factor of the island with shiny new hotels and malls for the growing number of investors and visitorswho make Hong Kong their jump-off point to the Mainland.

One of the most interesting developments in Hong Kong can be found in the hotel landscape. Although the city is known to have the highest number of hotels per capita in the world, new properties continue to launch while older ones continue to refurbish and expand.

With almost all the global luxury brands firmly established in the territory, the new wave of hotels cater to a more targeted market and have a narrower identity and design language. While the likes of the Mandarin Oriental, The Four Seasons and The Peninsula attract a wide range of luxury travelers, the new hotels we visited focus on an emerging market of a high net worth, but altogether tech-savvy and lifestyle-oriented crowd.

The newly opened EAST Hotel is one of these. Although marketed as a business hotel, it's anything like the choice of stereotypical boxes we associate with the frequent-flying drones depicted in pop culture. If the EAST was made for business travelers, these would be young and creative professionals linked to industries like advertising, media and design. The EAST, after all, is what you could call a designer hotel - although not in a self-conscious way.

More of design in a while. The most unique thing about the EAST is the location - which is far from the maddening crowds of Causeway Bay, Central and Tsim Tsa Tsui - areas where most of Hong Kong's hotels are established. Located in Tai Koo Shing in Quarry Bay, the EAST is a logical choice for travelers with business to attend to in this part of the island. Tai Koo Shing? Yes, most foreigners (and locals) have never heard of the place, but this commercial and residential hub developed by the giant real estate company Swire has slowly and surely been built up into one of the island's most modern, secure and happening neighborhoods. Apart from young families, Tai Koo Shing is also attracting multi-national corporations who are drawn to the area by the availability of space, accessibility of transport (Tai Koo and Quarry Bay MTR stations), and some of the most modern office buildings in Hong Kong.

The EAST hotel is literally in the middle of all this commercial activity (and a few steps from the Tai Koo MTR station). Hong Kong style shopping is also guaranteed care of the Cityplaza Mall (the largest in HK) which houses all the brands you expect to find. The only shops that you will miss here are those on the extreme high-end (like the Canton Road boutiques) and those at the low-end (Mong Kok stalls).

Design is one of the strongest points of the EAST. It's minimalist without being boring and creative without being pretentious. In short: it's exactly the kind of clean, well-lit and spacious sanctuary a traveler like me expects from a hotel. After being airborne for hours or cloistered in an airport lounge, the EAST offers lots of sunlight, space and a subtle connection to nature.

The emphasis on space and nature is important in a city that is one of the most congested in the world. The first thing that greets you is a wide-open lobby - made to seem larger by high ceilings and glass windows that bring in natural light and views of the Tai Koo Shing streetscape outside. It's all clean, bright and natural. My favorite is the use of strategically located raised mini-moss gardens that evoke elements of Zen.

EAST is only the third brand of the Swire Hotels group, (the other two are the upscale Upper House HK and the Opposite House Beijing) and consistent with its other two properties, art plays an important role in the hotel experience. The art installations at EAST are never in your face and are not meant to disrupt or wow. They merely complement or provide visual variety to the hotel's minimalist design. Still, it's art that's extremely well done. The Bird's Nest installation that cocoons the staircase connecting the lobby and the dining hall is simply beautiful.

The butterfly installations that creep upwards from the ground floor to the dining hall on the next level are by Jane Dyer. They add a tasteful touch of whimsy and, in Tai Koo Shing's incredibly built, man-made environment, the butterflies represent, in Dyer's words, "(how) nature has broken through and has actually entered this space."

Apart from some other key art works, the rest of the hotel is enveloped in natural wood veneer and glass panels that bring in views of the harbour and the surrounding hillside. Once again, nature finds its way into the man-made structure.

Surely, you'll want to know about the rooms because that's what you're paying for after all. You have a choice of rooms that face the harbour and those that face the hillside and adjacent residential buildings. There is a slight premium for the harbour view but its well worth it. Even the standard rooms benefit from the unobstructed view of the Hong Kong harbour. At only 28 square meters, the floor to ceiling, wall to wall, windows give the illusion of a room that extends to the harbour and the mountains of Kowloon beyond.

A notch higher in price and room size are the Harbour Corner rooms. Since these are located at the corners of the buildings, the wraparound views give you wider angles of the harbour outside and, again, give the illusion of a much larger room. And because the beds are slightly raised and the windows are floor to ceiling, there's no need to crane your neck or adjust your position to view the scenery. Few things in Hong Kong are as satisfying as waking up to the sight of the harbour and Kowloon mountainside. The night views are magnificent too.

At the top of the hotel and (price range) are the suites. At about 60 square meters they're large - but even larger when you factor in the fact that the entire wall (including the bath area) is made of glass. The effect is a panoramic view of the harbour and Kowloon side from every position you find yourself in the suite. Playful touches like a vintage bubble chair and a thigh-high toy dinosaur by artist Sui Jianguo make your visit feel less like a business trip and more like a vacation.

The EAST emphasizes technology in subtle but useful ways. All rooms are equipped with Apple i-Pod Touch sets that display all the information you need - from check-out procedures to room service options to neighborhood hotspots. This isn't a gimmick. It eliminates the need for in-room brochures and menus that clutter the space and waste paper. The EAST is moving towards a paperless experience and even check-in and check-out does away filling out forms - everything is done electronically.

Finally, a word about the dining experience. I only have good words about the breakfast spread served at FEAST, the hotel's only dining outlet. I've always disliked the shotgun approach to buffets adopted by most luxury hotels. The sight of too much food so early in the morning makes me lose my apetite. When you put Indian curry, wanton noodles and scrambled eggs side by side, it's very hard to want to eat at all. Overwhelmed by choices, textures and smells is not what you want first thing in the morning. What I look for is simplicity, predictability and quality. A freshly baked croissant (and theirs is great) with a cup of coffee beats the indigestion of too many (conflicting) food choices. (A simple meal also beats the guilt of thinking where all that uneaten food goes after).

FEAST is also offers all-day dining and although the food is good - don't look for Michelin star quality here. But you really have to appreciate the effort to keep things cool and fun with touches like Paul Smith fabric for the chairs and a young and friendly staff.

At night, SUGAR, the hotel's penthouse bar is a big hit with locals and guests alike. The tapas are good and so are the cocktails, but the real reason this place is always full is the fantastic view of Hong Kong harbour at dusk. Hong Kong may be full of roof deck bars but none give you commanding views from this side of the island.

As one of Hong Kong's newest hotels, EAST may not be for everyone. It's definitely not for families. But even if you don't have any business in the Tai Koo commercial area, EAST is a good option for those looking to try a different side of Hong Kong - indeed, a side of the island even most residents aren't even aware of.

EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Swatch Group Founder Nicolas Hayek, Sr.

2010-04-19T18:45:00.003+08:00

More than just getting the chance the view the latest watch models before the general public does, the real highlight of any visit to Baselworld is getting to chat with some of the most influential men and women behind the watchmaking industry. Most Swiss watch company CEOs enjoy their low key status and are often hard to reach for interviews. But, at least once a year - at Baselword, they make a genuine attempt to interact with buyers and journalists. This year even more so. With the slump of 2009 still very fresh in the minds of watch executives, the need to reach out to the watch buying public has become a priority.

Still, our interview with Nicolas Hayek, Sr., the founder and Chairman of the giant Swatch Group of companies, came as a surprise. Hayek Sr, is famously choosy with the time, place and people he talks to. He is also known to be a very elusive interviewee. Depending on the mood, he may choose to spare a few minutes or a full hour - or none at all. Hayek, after all, is a celebrity with a status of that of a living legend. Which he fully deserves. Any watch industry insider will tell you how Hayek turned the Swiss watch industry around just when most of its biggest names were staring bankruptcy in the face during the height of the Japanese quartz watch revolution in the 70s and 80s. His Swatch Group today is the biggest in the industry with 19 brands currently under his leadership. Apart from Swatch, the other companies include elite brands like Omega, Breguet, Blancpain, Glashutte Original, Longines and Tissot. The Swatch Group also owns ETA, the company that makes the movements found in most of the world's best-selling watches.

We started the interview asking him how the new sobriety of the watch industry - post-recession - has influenced the watch designs at Baselworld 2010.

DC:    Do you think it’s the end of bling? Are people going back to more classic designs after the excesses of the industry in the past years?

Nick Hayek Sr: I think it’s wishful thinking, it’s not true. We have had excesses in the banking area and the financial area, they have destroyed so many wealth from all of us, they did stupid things but the watch industry, we did not really have excesses, we had two to four watch companies that became crazy and made some excesses but the biggest watch group in the world, the Swatch Group, has never had any excesses. These are the Breguets, the Blancpains, these are the biggest and more expensive watch brands that we have, we always have been steady serving every client. We also serve people who buy a Swatch, the normal citizen, and I’m proud of it. Millions of people buy our Swatch, and everybody says it’s not expensive. You take this swatch, this is a chrono that we have developed last year, a mechanical chrono that’s the cheapest chrono that you can find in the world for this quality. So we don’t have excess, we didn’t have excesses in the watch industry. We have had very few examples of newcomers, people who have never been in the watch industry before who entered in the watch industry, but the trend is still a very nice trend for luxury, and it’s continuing, but we have had a very difficult year. Our company has been much better off than the rest of the watch industry but it’s improving.

DC:     One reason for the improvement is the robust apetite for luxury watches in emerging markets like China. Do you see watches being developed increasingly with the Asian market in mind?

NH:     We are naturally influenced by all cultures. But what you buy is the Swiss watch - it’s the handicraft of Switzerland with their knowledge, with their quality of work that you see in all this country, and the beauty that we represent, we’re selling our culture and that’s what they like. Naturally we’re adding to it from time to time on special occasion the culture of some Asian country, the culture of other countries, but basically when you look at this thing, it’s Switzerland. Not Europe, Switzerland.

DC     And what makes the Swiss watchmaking tradition different from other countries?

NH:     First of all we have the best handicraft people in the world. You see it in the quality of everything, you see and when I say this it’s not really with any modesty because everytime there is an international congress, we are always number one, in wood-making, in ceramics - because we’re selling here not a machine, we’re selling beauty, we’re selling a jewel, and a jewel is not something that you have to use for something. What we’re selling is art. And this is the Swiss art. Our handicraft and know-how, our purity of design, the beauty, we make beauty. What we produce is beauty and then if you count on the values that we give you, we don’t cheat you like our banks have been cheating other government. The watch industry is an industry that gives you value.

DC:     Other luxury companies have started to offshore production. Do you see the watchmaking industry remaining in Switzerland? Or do you see in the future offshoring to countries like China?

NH:     The watch industry is not just in Switzerland, it’s still in France. You still have companies in France, it’s still in Russia, we have lots of companies in Russia. It’s in China - the Chinese make at least 10 times more amount of units in watches as we do. But these are different watches, these are more electronic watches, very much less mechanical although they also make mechanical watches. The watch industry will stay worldwide - Japan, China, in France, even in Germany and Russia, but Switzerland will be dominant as an art, as luxury.

DC    And you don’t see that changing in the near future with competition overseas?

NH:       They will take on luxury but other types of luxury, not our kind. Everybody in this world has to develop but they’re not going to kill us. They’re going to develop, but we’re going to develop also.

DC    There are innovations which are really revolutionary like the quartz technology, but there are innovations that are just for the sake of innovating. For vanity or marketing purposes even. What are your feelings about this?

NH:    What we are doing innovations that are absolutely necessary, that will improve the quality of the product, the beauty of the product. We don’t forget that it’s a jewel and that’s the way we do it. We don’t do something that is absolutely not necessary just to increase the prices.

DC    What about the trend among watch brands to develop in-house movements?

NH:    My god if you call this a trend, I love you for this. I have been fighting for 25 years for more development of in house movements. But it is not true. As I said in a newspaper interview that I gave two months ago, they are lying, no one has been making, there are only one or two of us. And we’re forced to deliver to everybody, even people who have never been in the watch industry. For example, someone in Italy said I want to make watches because we can make money selling watches. I said, well, watches aren’t just here to make money, it’s to make beautiful things and you don’t have any capability of doing it. You don’t have factories, machines, people. He said, yes, but I have companies that buy from you, you know how, and you can make me the watch. So if somebody tells you that there is a trend to do it, well, the trend started when I told them they should do it over 20 years ago, but the results are still very poor. It’s easy to buy from me, the highest quality at a lower price and put the money in advertising and say we are the biggest, we are the nicest people in the world, buy our watches. And now we at Swatch are saying we’re not going to deliver any more to people who have no reason for selling. We’re delivering only to the Swiss companies that have been always buying from us, but no longer to just anybody who wants to enter the field.

DC    You’ve achieved so much for the Swatch Group and for the Swiss watch industry in general. Ever think of retiring?

NH:     I’m not only involved in the watch industry. You see, I consider myself and each one here as a passenger on board a ship called planet earth. And as a passenger there, if you see something that is not working you have to stand up and help the rest of the passengers fix it. And when you improve it you can come back and sit down and that’s what I do everyday. My son is running the operations, we have lots of gifted people making everything else, but I stand up as soon as they need me, and retirement is only when you lose a war. Retirement is for Napoleon when he lost the war, but artists never stop working. And I love work, I amuse myself.

24 Hours in Basel

2010-04-14T18:52:00.005+08:00

Unlike Zurich, Basel in the Northwestern border of Switzerland, is less likely to appear on most leisure traveler's lists of cities to visit. Basel is a wealthy city with its fair share of attractions, but most of us associate Basel with business. True enough, Basel is a popular pit-stop for global executives who come to visit BASELWORLD, the annual watch and jewelry fair, or the city's cutting-edge pharmaceutical industry. Other than that, Basel is an almost entirely local affair. Too bad, because as we discovered recently, the city on the border of Germany and France also happens to offer a sophisticated art scene. And the shopping's cool, too.

Here's a short list of things to do when in town for the day:

Art Basel

Basel's art scene is definitely world class. In a city of just about 200,000 residents, Basel boasts of more than 40 museums - most of them dedicated to art. You see, few people other than hard core art enthusiasts know this. In fact, every year, the city hosts ART BASEL, the biggest and most important art fair in the world.

First on any visitor's list is the BASEL KUNSTMUSEUM in the heart of downtown. The museum is said to house the first public art collection in the world. But that's not the only distinction. The museum displays some of the most important art works on the planet - including the most extensive collection of Holbeins and an impressive selection of Van Goghs. Of course, the museum also keeps important art pieces from every period since the Renaissance.

The one other museum you shouldn't miss is the FONDATION BEYELER named after the Swiss philanthropists Hildy and Ernst Beyeler. The museum is compact but the Beyeler's modern art works are perhaps the best of any privately held collection. The museum features an all star cast of modern artists: Matisse, Mondrian, Rothko, Warhol, Giacometti, Picasso, Cezanne, just to name a few. But more than just the names represented are the actual art pieces themselves. These are paintings, installations and sculpture that are recognizable to even the most casual art enthusiast. I find this to be the one of the best curated museums in the world and if you only have an hour to take in the most influential art works and artists of modern times - the Fondation Beyeler is it. The building by the legendary architect Renzo Piano is itself a wonderful work of art. Try to visit during the spring and summer months when the Basel landscape seen from the glass panels of the museum offers a striking juxtaposition to the sculpture on display.

If you find yourself with more time in Basel, there are two more museums that modern art and architecture enthusiasts ought to include on their list of things to do. Fans and collectors of mid-century furniture will enjoy the collections on display at the VITRA MUSEUM. And if you're looking for a unique Basel art experience - head to the TINGUELY MUSEUM where the interactive and mechanical sculpture of Basel's own Jean Tinguely is housed. For a free and fun taste of Tinguely's sculpture, the TINGUELY FOUNTAIN in the middle of town is also worth a visit.

A Walk through the Old Town

What impresses visitors about Swiss towns and cities is the sight of extremely well preserved buildings and streets. This is largely because, unlike her immediate neighbors France, Germany and Italy, Switzerland's policy of neutrality spared the country from the ravages of the 20th century's world wars. Thanks to this, Basel's street architecture is one of the most beautiful in Europe.

The other joy of strolling around the Old Town is peering into the traditional shop houses. We recommend starting your walking tour at the ancient SPALENTOR gate at the tip of SPALENBERG street. The Gate is one of the oldest standing structures in the city and from here you pass by the many window displays selling an eclectic mix of antiques, vintage toys, curios and bleeding-edge fashion.

Follow the street down to MARKTPLATZ for a chance to experience the lively outdoor market scene. Every day except Sundays produce from and beyond Switzerland finds its way to the square. Vendors are very friendly and they offer generous samples of the cheese, sun-dried tomatos, olives, bread and sausages for sale. Like most things Swiss, the quality of food is exceptional so even the veal bratwurst sausages grilled in front of you are enough to satisfy a gourmand's taste buds.

After a light meal at the market, head to the imposing RATHAUS that dominates the Marktplatz skyline. This is the old town hall and it still functions as such. The influence of Basel's guilds on the architecture is evident and the building features a melange of styles that spans the 14th to the 19th century. The art nouveau touches are particularly interesting as are the colorful and well-preserved frescoes.

The rest of the town center can be traversed on foot, and, ultimately, this is the best option since what greets you at almost every turn is a lovely building, fountain or church.

The Pfalz and the Munster

The highlight of any walking tour of Basel is reaching one of the highest and most scenic points of town. This is the PFALZ, a tree-covered oasis of quiet overlooking the RHINE river just behind Basel city's most famous landmark - the MUNSTER. The small park is where many young Baslers end their day taking in the striking views of the river and the low-rise cityscape across.

The Munster is itself a beautiful building and a repository of Basel's spiritual history. The cathedral was once the seat of Basel's Roman Catholic Archdiocese. Even a pope was elected here. When the Swiss Reformers took over the property and established a new Church, they stripped the building of all Catholic iconography. Today, its is the exterior of the Munster that is more interesting, with intricate bas-relief sculpture depicting the lives of saints and prophets and an extraordinary set of two clocks - one mechanical and the other a sun dial.

Time your visit just about when the sun is about to set and take a seat at the Pfalz and see Basel washed in a hue of amber. A more serene way to experience the end of day is within the Cathedral's cloisters where the play of sun and shadows leaves you with one of the most memorable images of Basel.

24 Hours in Zurich

2010-04-03T21:18:00.002+08:00

Zurich is the wealthiest city in Switzerland and this gives the false impression that the city is all work and no play; a city of suits and bankers with little else on their minds other than making money. Although the city does run like clockwork most of the time, and legendary Swiss banks like UBS and Credit Suisse loom large in Zurich, all it takes is 24 hours or less to uncover a city that is brimming with cool, creativity and culture.

A day in Zurich will never be enough to explore its various districts - many of which are being converted to creative spaces where architecture, cuisine and a hip consumer culture converge, but 24 hours is still enough time to experience a city that is undeniably one of the most livable and likable in the world.

Getting There and Around

Zurich International Airport is the gateway to most of Switzerland's cities so chances are you'll be arriving here. You'll have lots of time to explore the new terminal on your return flight so head straight to the adjoining train station for a uniquely Swiss experience instead.

The Swiss are obsessed with their trains. The rail system is so efficient and so well-distributed there's little reason to own a car. The trains are also a fine way of experiencing Swiss precision. Trains arrive and leave on schedule - on the dot. The Swiss are so prompt they make the Germans look inefficient.

The Zurich main station is located in the most central part of the city with most everything literally walking distance from here. There's a central market in the vicinity where produce and crafts from the surrounding towns and nearby cities are sold. From chocolates to cheese and everything else we love the Swiss for is sold here at prices cheap by Zurich standards.

Old Town

After checking-in to your hotel, make your way to the Old Town or Aldstadt. Start your walking tour at the Old Town Hall or Rathaus. The building is architecturally interesting but rather understated for such a wealthy city. However, the square its on provides pleasing views of the river and two of Zurich's most important cathedrals which are located on opposite sides.

Head towards the more imposing 12th century Grossmunster where you can climb up one of its two towers for the best views of the city, Lake Zurich and, on a clear day, the Alps.

The neighborhood around the cathedral is Zurich's oldest and most beautiful. Narrow cobblestone lanes take you through an interesting selection of art galleries, vintage clothing stores, antique dealers, crafts studios, neighborhood cafes and grocers. Unlike the other historical quarters of Europe, the neighborhood is relatively tourist-free and this explains the absence of many chain stores, souvenir shops and fast food outlets.

The Old Town spills over to the opposite side of the Limmat River where the Fraumunster, Zurich's other religious landmark stands. Zurich played a central role in the Protestant Reformation so following Church history is something worthwhile. The cathedral also houses beautiful stained glass windows created by Marc Chagall, his only work with the medium.

Around St. Peter's are more winding cobblestone lanes though the vibe here is more upscale with luxury boutiques every where you look - and that's because you're just a stone's throw away from Zurich's most sophisticated street.

High Street

Banhoffstrasse is Zurich's high street and one of the world's most exclusive and expensive shopping boulevards. It's perhaps no coincidence that the headquarters of UBS and Credit Suisse are in the area and the entire place reeks of money.

Almost every French, Italian or Anglo-Saxon luxury brand has a store on Banhoffstrasse but you may just want to visit the Swiss luxury flagship stores like the classy Grieder department store or the prestigious watch boutique Beyer.

Zurich's very own luxury chocolatiers Sprungli and Teuscher are also on Banhoffstrasse and their colorful and whimsical stores are worth a visit. Both specialize in fresh handmade and all natural truffles. You cannot leave town without taking a box of truffles or pralines with you.

Lake Zurich

At the very end of Banhoffstrasse is Lake Zurich. The quality of life in Zurich is one of the highest in the world and that's mainly because so much of the city blends seamlessly with nature and the outdoors. One of the most compelling things about Zurich is the quality of the air and I suspect the breeze from the lake has something to do with it. Make time to stroll along the banks of the lake where the spectacular view of the water and the Alps in the distance give you one of those picture-postcard moments you'll never forget.

Cafe Culture

Zurich, like most big Western European cities, has a thriving cafe culture. They say the Swiss consume the most coffee per capita in the world. I'm not sure about that fact but I can't deny that the streets of Zurich are lined with coffee shops with most of them occupied by locals at almost all times of day. One of the most elegant of which is the Cafe Felix along Bellevuestrasse near the theater district and historic Opera House of Zurich.

The cafe is owned and operated by the family behind Teuscher chocolates so you can expect the chocolate patisserie and hot chocolate milk to be fantastic. If you want something more decadent, the cafe has an impressive list of wines and champagnes that match perfectly with Teuscher's specialty champagne truffles.

Sunset at Lindenhof

I always like to spend the minutes just before sundown at a spot where the entire city can be seen bathed in the last light of day. Apparently, locals of Zurich have the same idea and spend the end of day at the elevated Lindenhof Square where the view of the Old Town's medieval skyline is absolutely breathtaking. Darkness in the city never poses any problem as Zurich is safer than any other European city.

Nightlife at Zurich's West End

The pace of the Old Town and the area around Banhoffstrasse slows down considerably after the working day so most locals head to the newly gentrified west side of the city for all-night entertainment. Relatively lower rent in Zurich West has helped spawn a hip neighborhood of alternative galleries, restaurants, night clubs and shops selling independent labels.

Before you know it, you're 24 hours in the city are over. Spend the last hours enjoying the newly constructed airport terminal and its sophisticated array of duty free and coffee shops. While you're at it, don't forget to swing by the Sprungli Confiserie for one final taste of their luscious truffles. It's the last impression of Zurich you'll definitely want to take home with you.

(photo credits: Cool Capitals)

2010 BASELWORLD: Luxury Watch Trends

2010-04-02T22:39:00.003+08:00

2010 BASELWORLD will not be remembered for any game-changing innovation or for the emergence of a sensational new watch brand - let alone a sensational new watch model. But, if anything, the annual watch and jewelry fair will perhaps be remembered as the year the luxury timepiece industry bounced back after facing the worst crisis to hit in decades. It may not be sexy news, but for the multi-billion dollar industry - this is far better news than some spectacular new watch technology or industry-shifting corporate merger.

For many observers, BASELWORLD was a bore. With little assurance of any significant rebound in consumer confidence, the giant watch brands all seemed to keep things safe and predictable this year with the introduction of minor upgrades to existing model lines - most of these cosmetic in nature. The buzzwords at the fair were "classic" and "understated", and indeed, for most brands at least, sober and slim is in while big and loud is out. The consensus in the media and among watchmakers themselves is that the exuberance of the last decade is over and customers are looking for timeless classics and investment pieces to replace the shock and awe(ful) pieces of previous years. Even prices have stabilized somewhat as consumer appetite remains tentative at best.

With a zeitgeist defined by sobriety and a "return to basics", it's no wonder the watch models on display at BASELWORLD all seem to look like copies of each other. Still, this trend alone is worth noting since it may very well determine the look of luxury watches to come in the next few years.

Nevertheless, sober is not necessarily the same as boring. Indeed, Glasshute Original's new models may resemble older ones, but technological innovations keep the brand fresh and exciting. Truth is, not all watch brands played it safe this year. Hublot released daring designs, which although oversized, overweight and maybe even overdesigned, kept most feeling that bold and brash is still refreshingly alive in 2010.

We scoured much of the 160,000 square meters of floor space in search of unifying themes that best define BASELWORLD 2010 and the trends of watches to come.

Trend # 1: Monochromatic Designs.

Black is the new, well, black. Again. But not just black watch dials this time around. We're talking all-black here: case, dial, hands, numerals, strap, and yes, even clasp and buckle. White, too. All-white. This is a fine example of a street trend making its way up the luxury retail ladder. Street brands like Nixon and Swatch have been doing this for some time now and fashionistas taken by the uber-cool design have had to trade down, so to speak, for a chance to own one of these watches. Not anymore. Chanel's new J12 models for men and women marry edgy monochromatic design with some good old-fashioned haute horlogerie.

Also monochromatic but much more minimalist in design are the luxury watches of Jaquet Droz. The Grande Seconde in black ceramic casing is a great example of how modern materials can blend seamlessly with mechanical watchmaking without looking odd in any way. For the more adventurous, however, fashion and lifestyle-wise, that is, the oversized monochromatic watches of Bell & Ross and Hublot should be more appropriate.

As you might suspect, monochrome watches are often impractical for telling time but the trend only proves that luxury watches will continue to play the role of high-end fashion accessory. Monochrome watches also allow watch manufacturers to experiment with new metals and materials like ceramic, graphite and silicon.

Trend # 2: Classical Purity.

Nothing expresses the post-economic crisis zeitgeist better than a return to classical designs. But what we saw a lot of at BASELWORLD was not just a return to simplicity - what we saw seemed more like a return to the original designs themselves. This trend runs parallel to a surging interest in vintage mechanical watches. It could be nostalgia for an imagined past of watchmaking purity, or maybe, like vintage and classic cars, perhaps older designs are far superior to anything we can make today.

Two watch brands under the SWATCH Group best represent this trend: Glashutte Original and Blancpain. The 2010 models exhibited in their booths show just how beautiful a watch can be without having to change the basic design of the dial, case and strap. The advances are all mostly underneath with newer and more useful complications. For Glashutte Original, the Senator model series captures the company's core value of producing watches with timeless aesthetics coupled with exciting mechanical innovations. One of our top picks at BASELWORLD 2010 is the elegant Senator Diary with a 55 hour power reserve and the ability to set the alarm 30 days in advance.

The Blancpain booth was also showing off its mechanical marvels complete with watchmakers offering intimate demonstrations of their craft. As if taking a page from the Blancpain archive itself, the Villeret Phase de Lune Demi-Savonette with exclusive in-house calibre is one jaw-droppingly beautiful wristwatch that oozes heritage.

Rivals Omega and Rolex also released models that tap into vintage design territory. The updated stainless steel Rolex Oyster Perpetual Explorer is as simple as it gets as far as watch design is concerned and that's why its so likable.

Looking a lot more like the timepieces in its glorious past is Omega's limited edition De Ville Hour Vision with platinum case, enamel dial and blue gold index. It's so beautiful, it resembles some of the iconic pieces found in Omega's museum in Bienne.

And finally, it's impossible to ignore Patek Philippe. When it comes to classic designs, few come close. In 2010, Patek didn't pull off any surprises - with watches that are mostly evolutionary in aesthetic design and mechanical movement. But that's the magic of Patek Philippe: changes are often so nuanced - a new dial color here and a tweaked movement there. The elegant new Chronograph Ref. 5170 says it all.

Trend # 3: Mechanical Transparency.

This is not a new trend at all. But in terms of number of new models in skeletonized style, perhaps 2010 will be remembered for having the most. Skeletonized watches are short of impossible for telling time, but that's really not the objective of the design anyway. These watches are all about celebrating and displaying the mechanical heart that powers our timepieces. In a way, it's no different from transparent computer cases or transparent engine hoods; the point is to appreciate the engineering genius within these creations.

In an age where a ten dollar quartz watch can tell the time just as well as a one million dollar mechanical timepiece, it makes total sense to show off why that handmade watch which took three months to make costs so much. You only have to look at the intricate dance of components, the oscillating parts and delicately engraved gold and platinum pieces to realize why. So why hide the masterpiece within when you can now display it for all to see?

Skeletonized style works best for watches with grand complications and tourbillons because these are the equivalent of mechanical eye-candy. Breguet's Tradition collection for 2010 features the 7047 Tourbillon with fusee chain set atop an elegant galvanized gray back. If anything, the brand that invented the tourbillon has every right to expose a mechanical marvel like this for all to see.

Sister company Omega gets in on the skeletonized action as well with their exquisite Skeleton Central Tourbillon. We described this watch in a previous post on top picks at BASELWORLD and we're amazed at how graceful and delicate a sports and professional watch-oriented brand like Omega can be when it really wants to.

Hublot once again breaks traditional barriers by showing off an oversized skeletonized sports watch equipped with a tourbillon. What Hublot tries to do is prove that skeletonized watches with delicate mechanical movements need not look nor feel delicate at all. The 48mm King Power Chronograph Tourbillon in chic all-black defies watchmaking logic and its for this very reason that it stands above the rest of the look-alikes at Basel.

Trend # 4: Masculine/Feminine.

Ladies watches have been an integral part of any watch brand's portfolio. For the most part, however, ladies watches have been manufactured and marketed more as jewelry rather than serious mechanical horology. That seems to be changing as more and more brands revamp their ladies line with bigger, sportier and most important of all, more mechanically serious watches.

The trend in design is supposed to catch up with the reality of the new role of women in business and society. As more and more women take on positions of influence in business and society, they tend to take the accoutrements of power more seriously. A female political leader or CEO will need to project power, taste and sophistication and that old quartz watch her husband gave for Mother's Day just won't cut it any longer. And since her male counterparts and subordinates can't tell an Hermes Birkin from a Kelly bag, the objects she chooses to project power need to be skewed more towards the male gender. This partly explains why more women are making more masculine consumer choices in terms of cars and watches - the two publicly displayed big-ticket items men appreciate and understand.

In 2010, Omega introduces upsized Ladies Speedmaster models in a more masculine 38mm case. Though these also come in a more feminine style with diamond encrusted bezels, I suspect more women will be attracted to the more androgynous monochrome models.

Patek Philippe has long offered fine ladies watches - bejeweled and dazzling on the outside but powered by a rather plain quartz movement inside. The tiny quartz movement allow watch cases to be slimmer and therefore better suited to the narrow wrists of ladies. But the choice of quartz also reflects the current bias that women are often more interested in fashion than technology so there's little point in fitting in a complicated mechanical movement. Patek no longer think so and in 2010 we're seeing a slew of new upsized and complicated self-winding and even manual-winding timepieces specifically for ladies. The Patek Philippe Chronograph Ref. 7071 is still patently feminine with 136 diamonds set on the dial flange, but the heft, size and complications of the watch all point to a new direction in watches for women.

As more women choose masculine styles, it becomes more difficult for the industry to track sales according to gender since women may soon ditch ladies models altogether for male watches. To satisfy this demand, expect more androgynous watch designs to surface.

TEUSCHER and SPRUNGLI Chocolates: Zurich's Best

2010-04-02T18:34:00.011+08:00

One of the perks of visiting the BASELWORLD watch and jewelry fair in Switzerland is taking a side trip to Zurich. Despite the popularity of Switzerland as a tourist destination, (primarily for the Alpine ski resorts) little is known about Zurich apart from being the wealthy financial center that it currently is. But, there's so much more to Zurich than the upscale shopping and dining scene expected from a city where much of the world's trillions are stashed away in the bank vaults of Credit Suisse and UBS.

Yes, there's also CHOCOLATE. And Zurich is where you'll find some of Switzerland's best. Switzerland and chocolate are pretty much synonymous with each other. But much of what the Alpine country exports to the world's supermarkets and duty-free malls are of a much lesser quality. Even so-called premium chocolate makers like Lindt, arguably very good by any standard, can't compare with Zurich's artisanal chocolatiers like Sprungli and Teuscher. Not that these are mom and pop operations to begin. But what sets them apart from the mass-market chocolate manufacturers is their tradition of handmade chocolate-making and the use of only the most premium ingredients.

Chocolate is integral to Swiss culture and like the rest of us, the Swiss associate it with happy occasions and feelings. You only have to walk into one of their stores to understand this. The stores are alive with color and playful decor - often matched with the current season's festivities. The stores we visited were decorated in an Easter theme with colorful buntings and chocolate-shaped bunnies everywhere. It's impossible not to feel like a child in one of their stores with chocolates of all shapes and sizes within reach.

You can tell from the smell in the store that the chocolates are all freshly made and this puts you in the mood to explore with your sweet tooth. I would skip the chocolate bars as these are made to last on shelves and are thus prepared with some amount of preservatives (still significantly less than supermarket variety). There are also freshly made pralines in eye-catching shapes and sizes, but, instead, I'd go for the truffles - all made by hand and delivered directly from Teuscher's manufacturing plant just outside Central Zurich. Teuscher create truffles in twenty varieties but I'd limit my choices to at least four of my favorites: jasmine tea, cacao, extra butter (!) and champagne. Of all the truffles, the champagne variety is the most sought after in their stores around the world. These, after all, were invented by the owner himself and the source of Teuscher's fame in the chocolate industry and culinary Press.

The other truffle varieties are equally wonderful and they all melt in the mouth without that over-the-top sweetness or oily aftertaste of lesser brands. I'm told the secret is in the freshness and the quality of ingredients. Freshness means that chocolates are handmade and delivered to stores immediately after production. It also means that no preservatives or additives are used at all. Cacao beans are sourced from the Ivory Coast then roasted, ground and blended in Switzerland before being delivered in liquid and solid block form to Teuscher's only manufacturing plant in Zurich. Here, traditional and artisanal techniques of chocolate-making transform raw material and fresh Swiss cow's milk into the finest pieces of chocolate heaven you'll taste.

Because freshness is key, Teuscher only fly their chocolate creations to their exclusive boutiques around the world. But even that extra day or two can make a difference so there's no better place to bite into that truffle or praline than in any one of Teuscher's Zurich stores where the chocolates are delivered on the very same day they were made.

Like everything else in Zurich, the chocolates aren't cheap. Truffles sell for about USD 2.00 a piece. But, don't fret. The taste is priceless.

Travelers flying out from Zurich International Airport also have the chance to taste Sprungli's fresh chocolate truffles at the Duty Free shop floor. They don't make champagne truffles as good as Teuscher do but their freshly made dark chocolate truffles are absolutely heavenly. And they aren't cheap, either.

For chocolate addicts who live in Asia, Teuscher has stores in Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Face to face with French Culinary Legend Alain Ducasse

2010-04-02T16:38:00.001+08:00

Alain Ducasse is one of the most famous chefs today. It's an accomplishment without much help from the mass media since Ducasse only speaks French (thus rarely gives interviews) and doesn't have much time or appetite for guest appearances on cooking shows, let alone a program of his own. What Ducasse has lots of, however, are rave reviews of his restaurants - today a global empire that dots the globe from New York to London to Hong Kong. Ducasse can boast of the extremely rare distinction of simultaneously presiding over three (!) three-Michelin starred restaurants in Paris, London and Monaco.

The French legend was in Manila last February to check on the partnership between his own Alain Ducasse Formation and the Philippines-based Enderun Colleges located at the Fort in Taguig City. A select group of food journalists were granted interviews with Chef Ducasse and Executive Class was one of those given face to face time with the French Legend.

In the videotaped interview, we asked him about his fine art of cooking, and yes, the fine art of eating as well.

EXECUTIVE CLASS:   More and more chefs are rediscovering slow food and going back to nature. Do you see it as a trend that will continue well into the future?

ALAIN DUCASSE:   For me, this isn’t a trend because it’s something that I began in my career 22 years ago in Monaco, where I had a particular menu where there were only vegetables. And I’ve always prioritized the local producers...I’ve always prioritized what could be found in the markets beside my restaurant. And everywhere I always prioritize what can be locally found.

DC:     What is the appeal of clean, simple and natural food?

AD:     When we take everything out, what stays is what is essential, and what is essential what is pure should be perfectly mastered. Simplicity is normally a process that is extremely sophisticated in order to be able to arrive at something that is beautifully simple.

DC:    You like to say that a dish must be memorable. What qualifies as a memorable dish?

AD:    My profession is giving pleasure. If a dish that I prepared was not able to give pleasure to a client, then I was not able to do my work. Because the cook is a merchant of pleasure.

DC:    What is it you do that makes these dishes so memorable?

AD:     The difficulty when we create is not the creation of a perfect dish. It’s in the creation of a harmonious menu. Something harmonious for the client present to be able to find the right match in terms of wine. Organize everything that’s necessary to be able to offer a global pleasure for the client and all these are a lot of very little details that we have to put together in order to arrive at something that is of taste and of pleasure.

DC:     Why is French cuisine so universally loved? Particularly your style of French cooking?

AD:    Because we put a lot of attention into the selection of good products. We put a lot of attention in how to season it perfectly, how to cook it perfectly. And to make the perfect sauce to accompany it. And every ingredient composing the dish… is able to preserve its original flavor. It’s very simple, but it’s a process that’s very sophisticated in order to arrive at something that’s perfect.

DC:    What are your thoughts about French cuisine moving forward?

AD:    French cuisine it’s important to take out the stereotypes of old French cuisine. There’s a necessity to be able to offer contemporary cuisine. And contemporary cuisine defines feeding the consumer, the client of today, not tomorrow, not yesterday, toda. The contemporary restaurant is the restaurant of today, not that      of tomorrow, not of yesterday, but of today. And the necessity of French cuisine is that it should be up to date. And when we talk of French cuisine it’s not only haute cuisine, but it’s also cuisine that’s accessible to the everyday man. We have a lot of different culinary expressions, bistro cuisine, cuisine in hostels, it’s         never the same thing.

DC:    What is your interpretation of your national cuisine?

AD:    It’s to be adaptable to where I find myself. The cuisine that I do in Tokyo is not the same as the cuisine that I do in france or elsewhere. But without ever losing my personal DNA.

DC:     Apart from memorable food, you’re also known for creating ambience, a whole restaurant experience...

AD:    Decoration is very important: table decoration, the bottle of wine, the people with which you share your meal. The magic of my restaurant is that we’ve organized all these elements together for the client. Restaurant is also the harmony between the personnel, the clients, the wine the table decoration, the lighting, music, we always have to pay attention to all these elements together in order to organize a dinner.

DC:    Some say you are a genius...

AD:    There’s no genius in cooking...

DC    Why not? It’s not just about talent?

AD    We are craftsmen.

DC    What is the secret behind your success then?

AD    You have to work more, faster, and better. And everyday I try to improve myself.

BASELWORLD 2010: Top Picks

2010-04-02T14:59:00.004+08:00

We're back from our coverage of BASELWORLD, the world's largest and most important watch and jewelry fair, and with the last traces of jet lag out of our system, we'd like to share what we think are the top picks from this event held every year in the city of Basel in Switzerland.

BASELWORLD was a bit of a disappointment for first-time visitors like us. Clearly, the slump in global watch sales has forced manufacturers, especially in the high-end range, to go easy on the release of new luxury watch models in 2010. Although the mood on the floor was relatively upbeat compared to 2009 when "doom and gloom" scenarios filled the air, 2010 still reflects the cautiousness of most watch manufacturers coming into another year without any real guarantee that the worst of the past year's consumer crisis is over. That there were no real "game changers" introduced in BASELWORLD this year only helped to keep the mood rather, well, business-like among exhibitors, visitors and journalists alike.

So imagine the difficult task of putting together a hit-list of timepieces displayed at BASELWORLD. To be fair, we journalists can be quite unrealistic with our expectations. Not too long ago, it took manufacturers decades to develop new timepieces. But the recent boom in demand for luxury watches coupled with computer aided design and development of new watch technology and movements has spoiled us rotten - with new watch models being introduced almost as often as supermarket consumer products. Although no real earth-shaking news was announced in BASELWORLD 2010, that doesn't mean there weren't any watches that stood above the rest in terms of beauty and technology. Here is a list of some of the timepieces that could set the trend in the years to come. Either that or we really just like the way these watches looked and felt in the wrist.

Our top picks:

PATEK PHILIPPE Chronograph Ref. 5170.

This chronograph is equipped with a new hand-wound calibre from Patek Philippe. But that's not the only reason we like it. The watch continue the brand's tradition of blending technical innovation (with six patents) and classical design reminiscent of the 1940s Pateks - upsized to a modern, but still understated, 39mm case size.

ROLEX Explorer I.

This is nothing to write home about - unless you're a Rolex enthusiast. Indeed, the only thing new about the watch is in the dial and case - expanded to a more manly 39mm plus a few other cosmetic details on the face. The stainless steel has also been upgraded to the 904L steel found in newer professional models. So what's the big deal? None. It's just that this watch captures the mood of the moment so well. Rolex is not one for fads and the Swiss company knows very well that the market is in no mood for fancy watches and bling-bling. The understated and relatively affordable Rolex Explorer is the perfect product to come home to after a decade of horological one-upmanship that saw both watch designs and prices spiral out of control.

GLASHUTTE ORIGINAL Senator Diary.

From our favorite watch brand comes a new timepiece that is absolutely beautiful in both aesthetic and mechanical design. The Senator Chronograph was one of our top picks for 2009, and the Senator Diary is destined to be another top pick for 2010. The Senator's clean and classic dial design reflects the Saxon school of watchmaking's preferred aesthetic. Any visit to Glashutte town's watch museum will prove this. There's this pleasing vintage design that cuts through all watches that we find truly appealing.

The Senator Diary also proves itself underneath with technological breakthroughs that are more impressive at the realm of horology than they are in the real world. This watch has a mechanical alarm function that can be set up to 30 days in advance - a first in watchmaking. Surely, any digital device can do that, but it's a complication that is extremely difficult to achieve in mechanical watches.

BELL & ROSS Vintage Carbon BR 123 and 126.

It's obvious by now that we have this thing for vintage-looking watches. And we're delighted to see Bell & Ross come down to earth a bit with a design that looks more like a watch than a wall clock. Bell & Ross have captured the public's imagination with over-sized square watch cases that were meant to resemble the instrument panels of vintage aircraft. These over-sized watches were later adopted by hip-hop artists and fashionistas and though good for sales the watch brand has lost much of its class in the process. With the modestly-sized and round cased Vintage Carbon BR 123 and 126 (chronograph), Bell & Ross is once again looking to bring serious enthusiasts back to its fan base.

BREGUET Type XXII Flyback.

This is certainly not one of Breguet's more elegant watches. Surely, we often expect fine and graceful timepieces from the watch company that gave the world the delicate tourbillon. But true to Breguet's roots, invention is at the very core of the brand and all sorts of innovations do extend to their professional and sports watches like the Type XXII first developed for the French naval air force in 1950.

The watch is so solid it does make you feel like a fighter pilot of the French navy. The stainless steel Type XXII Chronograph is robust on the outside and inside as well: It houses a Breguet chronograph movement with silicon escapement and flat balance spring whose frequency has been raised to 10 Hertz (or 72,000 vibrations per hour), which gives the movement exceptional regulating power. All this is lost among casual watch buyers, but it's quite an impressive development among enthusiasts looking for the next big thing in watch technology.

OMEGA Skeleton Tourbillon Co-Axial.

Skeletonized watches aren't exactly a favorite of ours as we like to be able to read the time and not just gaze at the mechanical movement. But the Omega Skeleton Tourbillon is different. We were shown one of what is among only eighteen pieces made and all we can say is that the watch is absolutely gorgeous. Now, there are many other beautiful tourbillon pieces from Breguet, Blancpain and the like, but the Omega is different in that the tourbillon is set at the very center of the dial - a complex task even for a giant brand like Omega with all the resources available. To date, Omega is the only watchmaker to introduce an automatic central tourbillon - and a co-axial one at that.

As exceptional as it is, we were a bit confused about the role of such a piece of haute horlogerie within Omega's line up of sports and professional watches. Omega President Stephen Urquhart tells us that the Tourbillon is a one-off piece and will not set Omega in the same direction as sister companies Breguet and Blancpain. In other words, Omega simply wants to prove that it has the heritage, resources and capability to produce a timepiece of such artistic and technological rarity.

Masseto Wine Bar and Restaurant Opens in Makati City

2010-03-04T09:58:00.002+08:00

Oenophiles will immediately recognize the name of one of the newest dining spots in Salcedo Village, Makati. Masseto, after all, is considered one of the top red wines in Italy, if not the world. Although the wine estate isn't as popular as, say, Sassicaia, Masseto is a favorite among wine collectors and conoisseurs alike. In a way, it's a wine for those in the know and the team behind the Salcedo Village property have pretty much the same attitude with their restaurant.

Because the resaturant is owned and operated by the same people behind Premium Wine Exchange, a Makati-based premium wine distributor, Masseto is centered around the wine experience. It's immediately obvious from the glass wall-to-wall refrigerated cabinets that greet you the moment you step into the restaurant. On another wall opened bottles of French Grand Crus, legendary Italian reds (Masseto included) and exotic wines from the New World give you an idea of the depth and impeccable taste of the restaurant's owners. Wine is clearly the central decorative motif here and the rest of the interiors, though elegant, feel like an afterthought. That the interior designer, Maja Olivarez also happens to be a serious wine collector may be one of the reasons for this, but I'm told that this was exactly how the owners wanted customers to feel. To prove this, you only have to go through the wine list - the longest at 250 and also and the most representative - encompassing 20 wine producing regions.

As wine enthusiasts and gourmands with extensive travel experience, the owners wanted to offer Manila a restaurant that could compete with the best restaurants of Asian cities like Tokyo and Hong Kong where wine is an important part of the dining experience. And although Manila has a promising gourmet restaurant scene, wine if often an afterthought on the menu. With Masseto wine takes centerstage with dishes meticulously conceptualized to accompany the restaurant's premium wine selection.

The task of developing the menu went to Chef Tippi Tambunting. Schooled at New York's Culinary Institute of America, Tippi went on to work at Manhattan's Museum of Modern Art restaurant. When she returned to Manila, she established herself as one of the most in-demand chefs for private dinners and intimate catered events. Masseto is Tippi's first restaurant in Manila and it's her job to match the elite selection of wines with a dining experience that is equally luxurious.

However, there's nothing pretentious or over-the-top on Tippi's menu or how it's plated, she likes straightforward food with quality ingredients that are as natural and close to the earth as possible. I asked her to prepare some personal recommendations. For this she started me out with an appetizer of sautéed Portabello mushrooms with baked egg. For the second course, she served a spaghettini, cooked in extra virgin olive oil and topped with bottarga - an Italian fish roe. Again, good and honest food. Chef Tippi never goes overboard – her flavors are rich but always balanced .

To pair with the Merlot from Pomerol I was having, Chef Tippi came out with another of the her favorites – crispy duck leg with roasted potatoes and reduced balsamic vinegar. To achieve the crisp and rich flavors, the duckling was poached, then baked and finally broiled to crispy perfection – a process that takes 4 days in the kitchen - and only a few minutes in my mouth.

For dessert – apple topped with vanilla bean ice cream - handmade in the Chef Tippi's kitchen, of course.

All in all, the wine, the food, the knowledgeable staff and the elegant interiors - they all combine to convince me that Masseto is well on its way to earning a reputation worthy of the iconic Supertuscan it was named after. Cheers.

Top Pick: House of Wagyu Stone Grill

2010-02-05T17:57:00.000+08:00

The trend towards healthier diets is inescapable with organic and vegetarian dishes increasingly making their way to restaurant menus in 2010. But no amount of health warnings will take us away from our passion for red meat - and steaks in particular. The problem is, despite the many restaurants that offer premium steaks, few, if any, come close to what can be described as the perfect steak. Well, first things first. What makes a steak perfect? Tenderness is foremost on our list. But, not too tender so that it lacks the texture of meat. The steak still has to be chewed like a piece of meat so that the juices and flavors explode with every bite and grinding of the teeth and not dissolve too quickly in the mouth.

Another thing we look for is that buttery flavor often associated with fat. But too much of it and it overwhelms the taste of the meat. Too little and it hardly makes a difference. Of course, it all depends on individual preference. Lean meat lovers are better off with a nice cut of tenderloin. But true steak lovers enjoy the combination of fat and red meat - usually with the fat marbled into the meat rather than just attached to one side. This explains the popularity of Wagyu beef - the Japanese variety appreciated for its generous marbling and tender meat. In Japan you will find Wagyu from Kobe and other legendary farms where the cow is bred and kept. This high-priced beef is offered in only a few local restaurants like Tsukiji along Pasay road and even if we enjoyed our steak immensely, many will find it difficult to justify the extraordinarily high price tag for a standard cut of beef.

However, if Japanese grade Wagyu is what you're looking for at a price that allows you to enjoy it more than once a week, then The House of Wagyu Stone Grill is your best bet. The Wagyu beef served here is from Australia but that's not a bad thing. Next to Japan, the Aussies are the best breeders of Wagyu. Still, not all Australian Wagyu is created equal. There's supermarket variety - usually low grade and there's high grade Wagyu reserved for the best restaurants in the World. The House of Wagyu Stone Grill only order beef that qualify between grades 6 and 8 out of a highest grade of 10. The beef is aged in Australia, a process of holding the beef in industrial chillers to allow the juices and flavors to settle before shipping. When ready, the beef is air-freighted to the Philippines in chilled containers and kept this way until it's transferred to the restaurant's own chilling facility where it's allowed to age a bit further before serving. From slaughterhouse to packing to arrival in the restaurant, the beef is never frozen or defrosted so that all the original juices and flavors remain intact.

With the beef perfectly stored, the next challenge is to cook it in a manner where none of the natural juices everyone tried so hard to keep will be allowed to drip away or evaporate. To achieve this, House of Wagyu Stone Grill opted for volcanic rock from Mt. Vesuvius, Italy. Because grills, even the best ones, cook the steak over fire, much of the juice trapped inside the beef simply drips off the grill. Even fat, meticulously preserved in the aging process, has a tendency to melt away through the grill when cooked in the blazing heat. In short: So much of the original value of the beef is reduced on the grill. Volcanic stone doesn't pose the same problem. The stone, heated for 8 hours in the oven so that it can remain at 350 degrees throughout the time the steak cooks, acts as the grill itself. The chilled slab of beef is put over the tabletop stone grill and cooked to your individual liking. No need for seasoning or oil - just a generous amount of sea salt and cracked pepper on the stone grill is all that's needed. In fact, you can cut the steak and eat it straight out of the stone grille as if it were your plate.

When perfectly stored beef is perfectly grilled, the taste is nothing short of, well, perfect. The volcanic stone keeps the steak heated all throughout the time you're eating so there's never any risk of the beef going cold and the fat hardening. The steak cuts are also extra thick so it can sit on the stone for an extended period without it being overcooked. Nothing is added to steak and the beef cooks in its own fat so there's none of that extra greasy texture you find with steaks cooked on a traditonal grill.

Rib-eye, Top Sirloin or Tenderloin, the stone grill works its wonder on any cut of beef the restaurant offers. So have we found the perfect steak? Let's just say that we've come very, very close. The steaks here are simply the best we've had in the 2,500 pesos and below price range. Highly recommended.

(House of Wagyu Stone Grill is located at the Eastwood Mall, Quezon City).

An Art Hotel rises in Salcedo Village

2010-02-04T11:49:00.002+08:00

There's a lot of new energy going around Salcedo Village in Makati lately. Apart from the lively open-air market on Saturdays, it seems like there's a new restaurant or cafe opening every month. Salcedo is already home to some of the city's best restaurants like Apartment 1B and Elbert's Steakroom and we have our eyes on two new ones that promise to reinforce the business enclave's reputation for good food : Masseto and Le Cuisine Francaise. With an exciting restaurant scene, vibrant weekend market and upscale high-rise residences, the only thing missing in the cool equation is a boutique hotel. But, not anymore.

The new Picasso Boutique Residential Apartments on Leviste Street completes the make-over of Salcedo from the quiet residential and business district it was in the 80's and 90's to the hip and energetic district that it's become today. The Picasso is what you might call an Art Hotel in the tradition of the quirky designer hotels popular in Europe. Zoning laws in this part of Makati do not allow hotels to operate in the Village, so, strictly speaking, the Picasso is marketed as fully-serviced apartments, but it's really just the same thing as both long-staying and overnight guests are equally welcome.

Taking the cue from the famous artist the property is named after, art and creativity play a central role in the building's design and concept. Although there isn't a single Picasso print or painting in the property, there's lots of colorful pieces by local artists on the walls and hallways of the building. Most striking is the mural painted on the balconies of the Picasso. All suites get the Pablo Picasso treatment with splashes of color that liven up the otherwise minimalist designs of the rooms. And if the suites come across as too bare, the designers say its on purpose. They wanted to recreate the artist's canvass with blank frames for the guest to fill with his or her imagination. It works for those who enjoy the minimalist aesthetic but it may come across as rather cold and empty for those used to the cluttered comforts of a real home environment.

The Picasso offers apartments in studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and loft configurations. All come with basic cooking appliances, refrigerators, wi-fi and flat-screen TV's. Not all the floors are done so inquire in advance for availability.

On the ground floor, Picasso management partnered with the chefs behind Cebu's popular Gustavian restaurant. Despite the name, the Boheme Brasserie is not really French, but there are touches of Picasso's adopted nation that give the restaurant soem Gallic charm. Like the Gustavian, the meals are hearty, tasty and good value. Just two months old, the Brasserie is already a favorite with the Salcedo Village lunch crowd.

The Picasso also features a day spa, art gallery and salon. It's too early to tell if the boutique property will live up to the reputation of its namesake artist but so far it can claim to be a truly original take on the often staid experience of other serviced residences.

Philippine Airlines takes off with two new B777-300ER Aircraft

2010-02-03T15:07:00.000+08:00

Just when many of us had written off Philippine Airlines for good, Asia's first airline pulls a surprise with the addition of two brand new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. By picking the well-regarded B-777, PAL is finally playing catch up with the elite flag carriers of Southeast Asia. And what a good choice of aircraft it was for PAL.

We've tried the extended range Boeing 777-300 fleet of Singapore Airlines many times in the past and the aircraft never fails to please. What is immediately impressive is the amount of cabin space available. Surely, this depends on how each airline configures their cabins, but even with the maximum number of seats installed, the extra space is visible and palpable. This has to do with the consistent tubular shape of the fuselage which means the same headroom from front to back of the plane. On a medium or long haul flight, the space above your head matters as it provides better air circulation and easier movement in and out of your seat (and less headbumps from the overhead compartment).

Since the 777-300ER is the latest of the Boeing's 777 model range, the plane also benefits from the latest technology in air circulation and filtration systems and noise-canceling materials. Together, these upgrades provide a miuch more silent and comfortable flight. (The 777's new flight navigation and control systems also means safer flights).

The two new aircraft delivered to PAL in November of 2009 and January 2010 benefit from the same upgrades we found in the fleet of Singapore Airlines. In fact, the economy section of both planes are almost identical in terms of seating technology and in-flight entertainment. Economy passengers will appreciate the leaner and more ergonomic seats designed by Weber. Seating space is not significantly bigger, but the innovative design of the seats with 34-inch pitch and actuating seat pan allow passengers in front of you to recline without encroaching on your personal space - especially in the critical upper body area. This means your work and meals are never interrupted even if that person in front of you reclines.

Another welcome upgrade is the Panasonic audio-video on demand in-flight entertainment system. This time, economy passengers get their own monitors and remotes. No big deal for those who fly other carriers, but for PAL passengers familiar with the old system where everyone watches from the same screen - the upgrade is revolutionary.

Unfortunately, the PAL 777-300ER fleet is configured for only Economy (Fiesta) and Business (Mabuhay) class. As the aircraft will not be flying to the United States or other long haul routes, PAL felt there was no need for a First Class cabin. The next best thing is Mabuhay Class and although the seats aren't the biggest in its class, the seats by RECARO are more than good enough for passengers flying toTokyo or Sydney - the two routes PAL's 777 will service. We would have preferred leather over fabric and "full-flat" instead of what seems to be a 15-degree "almost flat" seat when in full recline function, but since there won't be any serious dozing off required on these routes, the RECARO seats chosen by PAL get the job done for most. There are six seats in a row in 2-2-2 configuration that gives enough space to move around. An in-seat large screen Panasonic audio-video on demand entertainment system, USB port, laptop charger, gooseneck lamp and retractable divider provide added utility and privacy for all 42 passengers on Mabuhay Class.

The size and heft of the aircraft, the longest twin-engine commercial plane, provides extra stability in the air for a slightly more comfortable flight. Lighter materials used in the aircraft also means less fuel consumption and less emissions for a smaller carbon footprint.

Surely, PAL is late in the game as most its competitors have had the 777 in their fleets for years and are already upgrading to newer aircraft like the super jumbo Airbus A380. Still, it's better late then never for Asia's first airline and we can only look forward to the four other Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on order.

The New BMW X1: Another Reason to Go Diesel in 2010

2010-02-03T12:44:00.002+08:00

It's hard to trace how and when it all happened. Slowly and without any fanfare, diesel-powered cars have become more and more popular with premium car buyers. Surely, the oil price shock of the past years have contributed to the preference for fuel effcient diesels, but there's much more behind the trend. I suspect it also has to do with an increasingly Euro-centric (and increasingly less US-oriented) upscale consumer. From fashion to food to pretty much every other lifestyle choice, the American way of life - of big, boastful and excessive - is out. In its place is an emerging consumer culture closer to that of Western Europe where values like practicality and quality of life outweigh the conspicuous consumption and waste of those across the Atlantic.

It's no coincidence then that most of the cars you find on European roads are diesels. Frugal, efficient, clean, yet powerful, these new generation engines epitomize the European penchant for the practical. But practical need not be boring. The diesel powered cars of BMW and Mercedeas Benz, for example, are some of the most powerful and elegant. The days of the clunky and slow-starting diesel engine are over. Indeed, today's diesels take very little away from that sporty driving experience of petrol-powered variants.

We took the diesel-powered BMW X1 for a spin to see if our petrol-loving car market will continue to warm up to diesel engines.

We first saw the X1 at the Frankfurt Auto Show and immediately liked what BMW had in mind: A sports activity vehicle that didn’t have the stigma attached to other gas-guzzling, carbon-emitting and road-hugging SUVs. The X1 comes at a time when families are getting smaller, lifestyles becoming more active and consumers increasingly looking for cars that are green. BMW responds with a segment-defying vehicle that fits this demographic's requirements perfectly.

Just a few hours behind the wheel and it's obvious the X1 will please the market its targeted to. Because its badged in the 1-series segment, you expect the X1 to be smaller and shorter than the BMW X3 sports activity vehicle – but it doesn't feel like it. The truth is, when BMW announced they were launching the X1, we wondered how a crossover could get any smaller than the already compact BMW X3. Well, it’s possible. BMW have used every design trick in the book to make the X1 feel more spacious – in fact it feels just like the 3 series inside – even a bit bigger. And like the 3 series, the X1 will fit five easily. And like a tall wagon, there’s ample room at the rear compartment for the out of town trips and sports activities the X1 was meant for.

BMW is marketing the X1 as a Sports Activity Vehicle - not an off-roader. Still, the X1 is more than just the 1 series on stilts. BMW’s all wheel drive system or X-drive from the X3 and X5 make the X1 a decent softroader. We tried it over loose soil and craters more than a foot deep and the wheels never lost grip or balance. Clearly, the X-drive and Dynamic Traction Control works and will take you almost anywhere except on the most challenging trails. For that, you are better off with the BMW X5.

On paved road, the X1 proves just how versatile it is with sedan-like handling thanks to a low center of gravity and Dynamic Stability Control. On straights, the X1’s optimized power to weight ratio makes a big difference with generous power coming from a responsive and torquey 2-liter turbocharged common rail direct injection 4-cylinder diesel engine.

Interiors are typical of BMWs at the entry level but we really don't mind considering how and where the X1 will be used by its owners. Still, all basic creature comforts are there and we honsetly like the no-nonsense interior design: Nothing looks too difficult to figure out and nothing looks too fragile. Because it's for the active lifestyle, the interior materials are easy to clean and built to withstand the abuse of the oils, mud and grime associated with, say, biking or wakeboarding.

The less than luxurious interiors are more than made up for with an exterior styling that will turn heads. The X1 design is more balanced in a way that the 1 series and the X3 aren't, with proportions that make the car seem longer than it actually is.

The X1 also comes with some of the latest eco-friendly BMW efficient dynamics technology – for fuel savings and lower carbon emissions. Ours gave us about 11 kilometers to the liter - even though wewere going fast most of the time. The diesel engine is refined and quiet even at standstill with none of the offensive odors associated with diesel emissions.

So what do we think about the X1? In a word – FUN. No, lets add two more – EXTREMELY PRACTICAL. Its easily a first choice for singles, small families and empty nesters with an active lifestyle - and a big budget. Yes, the X1's introductory price of 3.8 million pesos may be the only downside. Although the price includes a number of add-ons and freebies, it's still steep when compared with sligthly bigger premium diesel SUV's such as the BMW X3 and VOLVO XC60 which are in the same price range. But if pure driving joy was the only consideration, the X1 is well worth it then.

Exclusive: Wini Camacho on Designing for Mercedes Benz

2010-01-17T08:07:00.012+08:00

Wini Camacho. When we first heard the name of the designer of the latest generation Mercedes Benz E Class, we knew he had to be from the Philippines. Of course, Camacho could also be Mexican or from any former Spanish colony, but Wini? Only Filipino men have this penchant for shortening or rearranging their names to come up with a nickname like Wini. Well, we were right, Winifredo Camacho is one of our own, and he's the same man behind the widely-applauded exterior design of the 2009 E Class.

Wini's rise to the elite design team of Mercedes Benz in Stuttgard was a process that began in his homeland, the Philippines. His first job after graduating from the University of Santo Tomas's design program was with the now defunct modern furniture company Mobel Systema. Knowing that furniture design wasn't exactly his passion, Wini moved to Hong Kong where he took on a job designing toys for a company that supplied the world's biggest department stores. All the fun he had designing toy cars was what made him realize his real calling- designing luxury cars for the world's top carmakers.

Wini must have been so good at designing concept cars that right after finishing a design course in California, he was immediately spotted by Mercedes Benz and recruited to join the German company's legendary design team. The rest is history for Wini, and in our case, national history, as Camacho is currently the only major Filipino car designer in the world and the only Filipino in the elite Mercedes-Benz design team.

Wini was recently in Manila for the holidays and he agreed to an exclusive face-to-face interview with us at the Mercedes-Benz showroom in Greenhills. We talked about his career at Mercedes, the future look of cars and most of all about designing the E Class, the Executive Class top choice for luxury mid-size sedan of 2009.

Here are excerpts of the interview:

Executive Class: A lot of designers talk about creating cars with an emotional connection. What does that mean from a designer's point of view?

WC : It's a lot. When you go near a car, one of the things you appreciate is the sculpture of the car. You see how the surfaces connect, how the shapes, the convex and the concave shapes, how stuff like that connect. And the other thing which is always there in a Mercedes Benz is the proportion of the car. Mercedes Benz, normally being a rear drive car is an advantage. You have a long hood which really gives the car a nice presence out on the road.

EC: What is your personal style?

WC: I prefer a very pure and very timeless looking car. But it's not easy. Some people say do a clean car and then it gets to be a boring car. This is not easy. It's like designing a very simple thing that the less elements you put in it, the more difficult it is. And the challenge is to make a pure clean car interesting. But, there's many ways to do it and it's really a very very tough thing to do. You can easily do a car with a lot of elements like some of the cars coming out from Asia. But the more mature looking cars or the cleaner ones, those that have enough confidence to stand up and say I'm clean and pure - that's a Mercedes Benz.

EC: What makes a car timeless in design then?

WC: I think one of the things that makes a Mercedes Benz timeless is the proportion. Most of the cars now that are out on the road are front wheel drive cars with a short hood. And this makes the car look modern. But they don't have a timelessness of the rear wheel drive car like a Mercdes. The other thing is the form language. We try not to be too trendy. We do things that are modern but not too trendy so that in a few year's time it's going to just be a fad. This is something we're very careful with. But at the same time, we have to compete with what's out there in the market.

EC: What about the E Class? How did all these elements you speak of come together in the E Class? What kind of design were you looking for?

WC: First of all, the previous generation of the E Class was criticized for being a bit too soft and feminine and this was a reaction to the 80s when the cars tended to have too much presence out on the road and the previous E Class was kind of like watered down a bit as a reaction. But they realized this went a bit too far in that direction. With the current model we made a point that the car is supposed to be the foremost luxury business sedan in the world. And one of the things that makes it that is the presence out on the road. So you see that the edges are sharper, the volume is bigger and the grill is bigger. Everything about it is about presence and of course this is to convey the technology and luxury behind it.

EC: What were your influences for the E Class?

WC: I think my style as a designer is a bit different from the others. Some designers they look for inspiration like in beautiful furniture or a beautiful piece of architecture. I tend not to be like that. I tend just to be instinctive about what I do. I sketch something, I develop it, and I try to be creative in a way where my influence comes from within. So I don't consciously try to be influenced by something. Of course, we were briefed right from the start about what we want the car to be, which in the case of the E-Class was for lots of presence, more masculinity and stuff like that. That was always at the back of my mind.

EC: How does the E Class achieve the objective for more presence?

WC: I think it's a combination of a lot of things. First of all there's the proportion of the car, a rear-wheel drive and its long bonnet. Second is the volume, it's a car with a lot of volume but not fat. Lean muscle, you can say that. And then also there's the form language. The crisp lines and some subtle negative surfaces. So there's a lot of subtleties here that contribute as well to the overall presence of the car and, of course, there's tradition like the grill which we mentioned before and the four-eyes headlamps, these are like a trademark for E Class. It's a combination of all of this and of course the typical Mercedes quality as well, shot lines that are very even, nice reflections of the car. These are little things that a man on the street won't be able to recognize but maybe somehow he will see there's something about this car that I cannot explain, that makes the car stand out.

EC: What is your favorite Mercedes Benz? Aside from the E Class, of course.

WC: I have to say the race cars from the 30s and 40s. I really like them because they have the timelessness that you don't see in other cars anymore. They are very clean, and they don't have anything extra to make them flashy. They are what they are. And they are very honest. They're really beautiful sculpture. I would say the original SL is the most beautiful car ever built. And I think a lot of auto enthusiast agree with this.

DC: And what is your dream project for Mercedes Benz?

WC: First is the production car we have. The SLX would be my dream project. The next generation one. The other category would be like a blue-sky car project where there would be no limits, just do what you think would be your dream Mercedes Benz. There would be no reference to history or to existing cars. It's just to do the most beautiful car you can do.

The Best of Luxury 2009

2009-12-30T07:54:00.019+08:00

In hindsight, 2009 was a rough one for the luxury sector - both in the country and around the world. The lingering financial crisis did not stop the launch of luxury products this year, but the news of loan defaults, job lay-offs and corporate bankruptcies forced much of the fun and excitement out of each product launch. Clearly, the days of "cost-no-object" spending were over and a new sobriety ruled the consumer landscape in 2009. Indeed, the big question we journalists found ourselves asking all year was whether anyone was going to buy all this expensive stuff?

The other factor that contributed to this new sobriety was the sudden awareness (and fear) of climate change. Even many years back, eco-consciousness had already been a trend influencing the luxury sector, but in 2009, this so-called "green" lifestyle really took off and found itself driving the auto, travel and style industries.

One unique factor that influenced the luxury sector in the Philippines was the emergence of a philantropic and communitarian spirit among the local upper classes - a trend born out of the wave of calamities that struck the country (and the powerlessness one feels) and partly because of lingering class guilt. Just like how eco-chic has taken off in the West, philantropic-chic is the Filipino counterpart as elite families have discovered how the prestige of being socially responsible trumps that of merely accumulating and showing of material luxury. Perhaps its only a new form of elite one-upmanship as the "old rich" scramble to differentiate themselves from "new money"? Still, it's a trend that is fueling consumption in fair trade products and funding for corporate social responsibility projects.

Despite (and perhaps because of) all these factors that put a damper on the luxury industry, many luxury products still managed to excite us in 2009. All in all, these products all shared the same qualities of understated luxury, classic elegance and impeccable (often handcrafted) craftsmanship. In short: classics that ought to weather any future economic and social upheaval in the future. So here's our list of some of the best products that debuted in the country in 2009.

The Best of 2009

CARS

Porsche Panamera. This game changing four-door grand tourer from Porsche forces us to rethink the need for standard luxury sedans. If we had space in the garage for only one car - this would be our choice.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The classic from Mercedes just keeps getting better and sexier. Finally, a Merc even twenty-somethings would be proud to drive.

Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid. A no-compromise S-Class for eco-conscious heads of state and captains of industry looking to put their money where their mouth is.

BMW 740Li. Sporty and smooth, it's the one luxury limousine you'd rather drive yourself.

Lexus LS460L. The quietest cabin we've ever been in. And with that plush Lexus ride and a built-in shiatzu massager at the rear - the only car we can imagine falling asleep in.

TIMEPIECES

Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Chronograph. An utterly beautiful new complicated watch for 2009 for those that just cannot wait in line for more exotic models from Patek. In rose gold or platinum, this watch is well on its way to iconic status.

Rolex Datejust II. Rolex's most recognizable model gets a welcome facelift this year with a "manlier" 41mm case and new technology inside.

Glashutte Original Senator Chronometer. Not this elite German manufacture's most expensive or complicated watch, but it's one of the most beautifully classic timepieces we've seen this year. Want an understated watch with genuine collector cred? This is the one.

Jaeger Le Coultre Reverso Squadra WorldTime Chronograph- Philippine Edition. As if the magnificent Reverso wasn't enough, JLC gives Filipino collectors even more reason to own yet another one of these iconic reversible timepieces.

Breitling Chronomat B01. The leader in Swiss-made aviation watches finally builds a chronograph movement of their own from scratch.

LOCAL HOTELS, RESORTS AND INNS

Misibis Bay Raintree Resort. First rate service, amenities and leisure options are offered but even that's nothing compared to the magnificent views of Mayon Volcano from this isolated island resort in Albay.

Shangri-la Boracay Resort. A welcome deluxe hotel experience in a secluded cove far from the maddening crowds of Boracay.

Peninsula Manila. New rooms and new dining options bring the Peninsula Manila a bit closer to her sisters in Hong Kong and Tokyo.

Oakwood Ortigas. Extra-large suites and unobtrusive service combine to give Ortigas its first deluxe rated property.

Hotel Celeste, Makati. The prettiest rooms we've seen and the best location of any boutique hotel in the city.

HOME INTERIORS

Porsche Design P'7340 Kitchen System. This collaboration between Porsche Design's industrial designers and Poggen Pohl's craftsmen is German precision and engineering at its best.

SMEG Kitchen Appliances. Italian beauty inside and out. The retro-design refrigerator series is to die for.

Gaggenau Ovens. High-tech and built like a Panzer tank. These ovens, steamers and cooking ranges from one of the most revered German luxury brands is like having a Mercedes-Benz in your kitchen.

FASHION and STYLE

Hermes. Enough said. This is self-explanatory.

Tory Burch. Hamptons-chic for young and wealthy Filipinas who find it hard to justify purchasing Hermes in these tough times.

Massimo Dutti. Zara for the quality conscious.

Fred Perry. A genuine heritage brand that appeals to mods and preps alike.

Rimowa. Lightweight, chic and virtually indestructible luggage. Period.

TRAVEL

Singapore Airlines A380 Singapore to Paris Route. Paris and SIA's A380 is a match made in luxury heaven. It's hard to imagine a better way to fly to the world's most luxurious city. Passengers from Manila will experience seamless luxury from the moment they step into the SIA's first and business class lounge at the NAIA-1 airport en route to Paris via Changi airport in Singapore.

Philippine Airlines Boeing 777 Wide body. Finally, the national flag-carrier is catching up with the regional competition with this truly spacious plane.

NAIA Terminal 3. Better late than never. Arctic airconditoning, lots of space and access from the Skyway take the stress out of traveling - somewhat.

JAL Sakura Lounge (Tokyo). From the looks of Japan Airlines' First and Business Class Lounge in Tokyo, you can't tell that JAL is currently plagued by financial troubles. Passengers to Manila will find the sun-lit lounges and their light earth-tone motif and the generous offering of food and spirits a sunny welcome compared to the darker lounges common in other Asian airports. .

Cebu Pacific's Manila to Osaka Route. Strictly speaking not for luxury travelers but this budget alternative to Japan means more money saved for luxuries in Osaka and Kyoto.

REAL ESTATE

Hamilo Coast (Batangas). Don't let the "SM" in this SM development project fool you. The property which straddles 13 coves is classy, eco-friendly and ought to make the mestizo neighbors of Tali and Punta Fuego green with envy.

Ayala Land Amara (Cebu). An accessible Liloan beach-front property that makes you want to consider moving to Cebu.

LOCAL DINING.

It was another year for indulging guilty pleasures. In 2009, we picked the best spots for our favorite offerings: champagne, caviar, steaks and sushi.

Lusso. Beluga caviar and Krug champagne in an oh-so chic setting. Carrie Bradshaw would love it here.

Elbert's Steakroom. USDA Prime steaks and Grand Cru Bordeux in a darkly lit exclusive gentleman's club ambiance: it's paradise for red meat lovers.

Tsukiji. Toro! Bluefin tuna flown fresh from Tokyo' Tsukiji market.

The Gustavian (Cebu). We don't often enjoy buffets, but the Gustavian spread is hard to fault - especially the Prime Rib. But its the old world Swedish interiors at the Ayala Center Cebu that really charmed us most.

LOCAL RETAILERS

AC +632. A much needed shot of old world exhuberance to warm today's penchant for all things minimal and modernist. This Greenblelt 5 retailer is our go-to source for Gentleman's accessories and old school nick-knacks.

Bacchus Epicerie (Rockwell). Simply the best source for premium Italian and French food, wine and ingredients in the country.

The Annual Executive Class Christmas List

2009-12-13T13:34:00.017+08:00

It's the time of year when we in Executive Class reveal our list of top gift ideas for Christmas. Ever since we started this list three years ago, we made sure to include only the most luxurious and coveted gifts available in the market. This year, however, is different. The recent calamities that hit the country and the lingering economic downturn have forced us to rethink the usual list of ultra-luxe items and instead come up with gift ideas that are much more attuned and sensitive to the times. Now, this doesn't mean that we've abandoned luxury goods altogether, or even expensive ones. It's just that we thought of pushing our collective imagination up a notch to produce a list that wasn't only timely but also as accessible as possible.

The following list was tailor made for the shopper looking for gifts for the man or lady in his/her life as well for the children and business partners. As you can tell, the following list will reveal friendlier price points and quite a few gifts that appeal to those who want to see their money go to a useful or charitable cause. But, of course, we couldn't resist inserting some over-the-top luxuries for those who, well, just can't find any reason not to spend like usual this season. We hope you like it.

AFFORDABLE GIFTS THAT IMPRESS

For Her: Sta. Maria Novella Gift Package

This is one brand we've loved ever since it was introduced in the market by Rustan's this year. And although it was the mens line of shaving and personal care products that first caught our attention, the ladies products are just as impressive. Our favorite? Their soaps and colognes. And we're not alone. From Catherine de Medici to Catherine Zeta-Jones, Sta. Maria Novella continues to attract loyal fans ever since the first colognes were produced in this medieval Florentine apothecary (in fact, "cologne" comes from the mixture made in Sta Maria Novella for the nobility of Cologne in Germany). Today, we recommend the rose infused Acqua di Colonia - still very much made in the traditional way with all natural ingredients and a subtle yet memorable scent that's fit for royalty.

For Him: Jorg Gray 6500 Chronograph "Obama" Watch

Giving a watch with heritage and history is practically impossible on a tight budget. Just try looking for an iconic watch that falls below 200,000 pesos (4,000USD) ! The Omega Speedmaster "Moon" watch used by the Apollo mission comes to mind, but even that's above slightly the 200k mark. So, imagine our surprise to see a watch selling below 15,000 pesos (300 USD) with a story to rival milestones like the moon landing, the JFK inaugural (Omega again), the swim across the Atlantic (Rolex), etc. Yes, we found one and it's called the "Obama"watch after the first African-American president of the United States of America.

Actually, it's called the Jorg Gray 6500 Chronograph. Never heard? Well, that's why it's referred to as the Obama watch instead. Jorg Gray hit the jackpot when then candidate Barack Obama was given this US Secret Service issued watch by his security detail during the campaign. Obama liked the watch so much he wore it to every major event in his candidacy and presidency - including his inauguration.

The watch itself isn't too shabby even at this price point. It's a handsome watch in the aviator style with an elegant black face and stainless steel case. Jorg Gray has issued a commemorative edition - with the President's name etched in the case back and unique serial numbers to boot. Chronos watch stores currently sell these pieces at about 15k each (negotiable down to 10k if you're lucky).

For the Kids: Sanrio Luxe MINO Flip Cam

This gift idea is actually two in one: Hello Kitty and Flip Cam - two of those most desirable brands among the young and digital savvy set. It's really just a video camera designed with a Hello Kitty theme, so why do we recommend it? Two reasons. One, we love Hello Kitty limted edition stuff and this is one good example of how Japan's Sanrio empire of cute turns everyday items into collectibles that kids from Tokyo to London desire.

The other reason is the camera itself. Flip cameras may not be the most sophisticated or hi-tech but they're the simplest to operate. Aim. Shoot. Flip the built-in USB arm and attach to the computer. After downloading the high def video to your hard drive you can immediately upload and share it on You Tube or any other site. It's that simple and because it's the size and shape of a mobile phone it's just perfect for your child's mobile and tech savvy lifestyle.

The camera is sold exclusively at Sanrio Luxe in Greenbelt 5, Makati (the only boutique outside Japan other than New York).

For the Corporate Partner: Lynch Bages Wines

Wine. It’s perhaps the most common corporate gift out there. Yet few are ever really kept or drunk by those receiving it – as most will simply pass from hand to hand this season. So if you’re looking for a bottle that deserves a place in the wine cellar we recommend a grand cru from Bordeaux – those bold and beautiful reds of legend.

For 2009 we suggest the wines of Chateau Lynch Bages. Drinkable, collectible and relatively affordable, it’s a winning combination you hardly find in Bordeaux these days – especially from an estate in Paulliac – the same commune in Bordeaux with the highest concentration of top shelf and highly prized 1st growth wines like Lafite, Mouton and Latour.

We were lucky to have the proprietor of Lynch Bages, the legendary Jean Michel Cazes, for lunch and a few glasses of his wine. Jean Michel is credited with restoring the 5th growth Lynch Bages into a Bordeuax powerhouse, a feat he’s achieved by modernizing the winery and keeping the vineyards in top shape.

Here's what we discovered after a few glasses. Lynch Bages can be drunk at an early stage, not too acidic, not too tannic and with rounded tannins and ripeness but also with strength and power that fills the mouth. To put it simply: powerful, elegant and full of finesse.

Sold exclusively by Bacchus in Shangrila Makati and Bacchus Epicerie in Rockwell, the price per bottle could range from 6 thousand to 15 thousand depending on the vintage. (They're all good). A small price indeed for a taste of what’s more than just fine wine - but a taste of Bordeuax’s rich history and tradition as well.

GIFTS THAT GIVE BACK

For Her: Cartier Bagnoire Watch

Floor the special woman in your life with the recently launched Baignoire wrist watch from the luxury jewelers Cartier. Literally translated Baignoire means bathtub…and that’s because of the shape of the bezel. Nothing less than the most carefully-selected diamonds and gold adorn any cartier and the Baignoire is no exception. At two and a half million pesos its a sizable fortune but since Cartier is part of the Rustan’s-wide "One World, One Christmas"corporate social responsibility initiative for the holidays, it's also a worthy investment in the poor children who benefit from this fund raising-campaign.

Of course, even without the donation from Cartier, this watch will be cherished by your loved one.

For Him: Custom-built Mountain Bike

Now here's one gift that just can't miss. Men love bikes - so that should be enough. But, here's the bonus. Remind him that biking is the most eco-friendly way of getting around town (apart from walking) and good for his health, too. But, even that assurance won't match his surprise and excitement once he realizes the bike you put together for him is a top of the line ultra-lightweight mountain bike.

We chose Bike Town Cyclery in Pasong Tamo, Makati for our project. The mission: assemble the best bike money can buy (more or less). With a budget of 300,000 pesos we got going with all the best components for this dream bike in our minds. Here's what we chose for our dream team of bike components:

Frame: IBIS Mojo SL in featherweight carbon fibre
Wheel Set: INDUSTRY 9 Ultralite Race
Group Set: SHIMANO XTR (what else?)
Front Suspension: FOX Float R Fork
Handlebar, Stem & Seatpost: THOMSON
Headset: Cane Creek
Tires: SCHWALBE Racing Ralph
Pedal: SHIMANO XTR
Saddle: SELLE ITALIA Prolink

The bike parts came in over-budget at a total of 320,000 pesos but it's possible to compromise on quality if cash is an issue. In fact, it's possible to build a decent bike for a tenth of that amount. The only important thing is that you remind him to use that bike so he can help reduce carbon emissions and stay healthy at the same time.

For the Kids: An IVY League Education

For a gift that gives back to society few are as lasting as a top quality education for your children.
It’s the one luxury even the least materialistic will agree to spend on. For the ultimate present – make it a Harvard education.

Ranked by US News and World Report as the top American university in 2009 – Harvard is also the oldest, richest and most prestigious institution of higher learning in the US with a roster of alumni that counts Fortune 500 CEO’s, world leaders, scientists, Nobel Laureates and US Presidents – including Barack Obama.

There’s more to a Harvard education than access to the best faculty and facilities – the university and the town of Cambridge also provide your children with an academic environment famous for diversity and intellectual curiosity.

A place in Harvard is no assurance as only less than 10 percent of applicants qualify – and then there’s the tuition fee and cost of living – an amount that averages at about 60,000 US dollars per academic year. Now that’s a lot of money. But just think of it as an investment - in your child’s - and your country’s future.

For the Corporate Partner: Messy Bessy Products at Echo Store

We just can't get enough of Messy Bessy household cleaning items. They smell great, they work great and they look great in their clever packaging. But the real reason we recommend this brand is for their brand values and corporate social responsibility. For one, Messy Bessy is made locally using all-natural and eco-friendly ingredients. And second,poor and abused women comprise the majority of the work force for which their labor is fairly compensated for.

For Christmas, Messy Bessy items like hand wash, cleaning agents and deodorizers can be put together for you by the staff at the Echo Store in Serendra, Bonifacio High Street, in a beautiful and recyclable basket that tells your corporate client or partner that you care enough for the environment and so should they.

LUXURY FOR THOSE THAT INSIST

For Her: MINI Clubman

We couldn't resist including a car on the list. Women pretend not to care about cars, but we never bought that line. Not especially when she sees a Mini in person. Although Minis have been around since 1959 (they celebrate their 50th this year), the originals have been more of the quirky and economical variety. But when BMW acquired the brand, things changed for the better - though also for the more expensive.

Minis today qualify as luxury cars and the Clubman model we chose for our list should please any modern woman or mom. What's not to like? The car is cute but not silly looking. It's fast - yes, quick enough to keep up - even beat most souped-up boy toys on the road. And despite the small and low profile footprint, there is enough space for the family and the shopping bags -the one criteria that's make or break for most women.

At 2.8 Million pesos it is definitely in German luxury car territory, but why give her a car that others have when you can give her one that's unique. You can pre-order the car from MINI Philippines so she can get it in time for the new year. In the meantime, you have a few more weeks to enjoy her company in yours.

For Him: Jaeger Le Coultre Limited Philippine Edition Reverso Squadra World Time Watch

Special edition watches are no longer new, but if you’re considering giving a sophisticated Filipino-themed collectible with real value and global acceptability, Swiss prestige watchmaker JAEGER Le COULTRE is offering the Limited Edition Philippines Reverso Squadra World Time Chronograph - a true limited edition with only 50 of these watches produced in house at the JLC manufacture in Switzerland.

At the core of the watch is JLC's iconic Reverso Squadra World Time Chronograph- an ingeniously designed reversible watch that provides chronograph functions on the front face and the time in different time zones on the back. This titanium encased edition alone, even without the country-themed details, is a masterpiece worth collecting. For the Limited Philippine Edition, the craftsmen of JLC rendered the minute and hour chronograph counters in red. The number 8 on the front face is also in red - to commemorate the year 2008 - the year when the first JLC boutique opened in Manila.

Hand engraved within the inner case are the words "LIMITED EDITION" and "PHILIPPINES 2010", framed by the Philippine archipelago. But the real highlight of the watch lies within the World Time disc. Instead of the usual Hong Kong, "MANILA" appears on the disc - the first time Manila is found on any Swiss luxury watch.

Last time we checked at Lucerne stores and the JLC boutique in Greenbelt 5, this 930,000 peso limited edition (negotiable, of course) was moving fast. And with only 50 made – it’s time to reserve one for him in time for Christmas.

For the Business Partner: The BACCHUS Ultimate Christmas Basket

Whoever said that Christmas baskets had to be run of the mill has never seen one from Bacchus. Alex Lichaytoo, owner and President of Bacchus, helped us put together the ultimate Christmas hamper using the finest stuff he currently stocks. Alex firmly believes that giving a basket with items that are unique and brands that have heritage is the proper way of doing it. After all, no one wants to receive a basket that's been put together in a supermarket and sold by the hundreds. What we all want is one where we feel extra special. It's not so much the price of the items that count, but the amount of thought put into it. Looking at what he put together in a bespoke picnic hamper for the holidays- there's no doubt you'd feel genuinely pleased and yes, extra special.

Mepra Stainless Steel Cutlery : (Italy)
Tognana Plates (Italy)

Spirits:

Tesseron lot 53 Cognac (France)
Petrus 1997 Bordeaux vintage (this alone is 105-thousand pesos). (France)

Food items:

Labeyrie Confit de Canard (France)
Foie gras de canard (France)
Milano salami (Italy)
Giglio provolone cheese (Italy)

Cooking essentials:

Giglio butter (Italy)
Laudemio Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Italy)
Dried Porcini mushrooms (Italy)

Sweets and Beverages:

Leone candy, lozenges and hazelnut paste (Italy)
Valhrona chocolate bars and milk (France)
Lavazza qualita oro coffee beans (Italy)
Compagnie Coloniale tea bags (France)

All this will cost you about 150-thousand pesos, but the price can be reduced drastically depending on the wine you choose. As for the memories it brings the lucky recipient? Priceless, we're very sure.

And that completes our Holiday gift ideas. We hope you all find this a useful guide for your own Christmas list. Remember, luxury is whatever you consider it to be. Happy Holidays!

An Intimate Lunch with Jean Michel Cazes of Chateau Lynch Bages

2009-12-09T10:19:00.016+08:00

It's during the holiday season that we turn our attention most to fine wine. A grand vintage, after all, is one of those gifts we cherish most - more so if its a Grand Cru from Bordeaux.

But, as always, picking the perfect Grand Cru for the season is an entirely arbitrary affair. With so many great wines from Bordeaux to choose from, the choice is often whittled down to availability, price and favorable reviews - published or word of mouth. For this year, however, we decided to base our choice on, well, emotion. If only there was one bottle out there that would capture our imagination with a great back story to share.

Perhaps by coincidence we received an invitation to meet Jean Michel Cazes, the owner and driving force behind the prestigious estate Lynch Bages in Paulliac who flew into Manila to induct the first batch of the Philippine chapter of the Commanderie de Bordeuax. Cazes is considered to be one of the most admired in Bordeaux and his having nurtured Lynch Bages from a respectable wine to one of prestige and collectible status has earned for him a legendary place among Bordeaux estate owners. I've always been intrigued by this 5th growth wine producer ever since I purchased a 1996 vintage so you can imagine just how exciting it was to sit face to face with this living legend over lunch and a few bottles of his highly regarded and extremely enjoyable wines.

The Cazes family have slowly ventured beyond their vineyard in the Bordeaux appellation of Pauliac so aside from a 2001 Cordeillan Bages and 2001 Lynch Bages, Jean Michel also offered an impressive (for the price) 2005 L'Ostal Cazes from Languedoc and an amazing Domaine de Senechaux from Chateuneuf du Pape.

Of course, the real star was the bold and beautiful Lynch Bages which was paired with pepper roasted rack of lamb - a perfect match considering how the wines of Paulliac go so well with the eponymous lamb from the same appellation.

What strikes me most about the Lynch Bages is just how drinkable and enjoyable it is. Paulliac is famous for cornering the most number of 1st Growths and estates like Latour, Lafite and Mouton have all sent prices of wine from this appellation spiraling upward - often artificially. The estate of Lynch Bages is nestled somewhere in between these legendary wineries but because Lynch Bages is considered a fifth Growth wine care of an archaic 1855 wine classification in France - prices for them are much more down to earth. Jean Michel considers this a blessing in disguise - as should any genuine wine producer who's not just in it for the money. He tells me his wines were meant to be drunk by the discerning public rather than uncorked in the private collections and portfolio investments of an elite few.

The small talk with Jean Michel over lunch revealed a lot that is so likable about this man: his humility, grace, and, above all, his passion for fine wine and the art of wine making. We had a chance to talk in more detail in the sidelines of our press lunch and here are some choice excerpts from our conversation:

Executive Class: How would you describe the wines of Lynch Bages?

Jean Michel Cazes: What we try to do we try to make wines which have longevity, wine that can age gracefully for a long time. But still at the same time being able to be drunk at an early stage, that is not too acidic, not too tannic with rounded tannins, ripeness and at the same time we want strength and power in the wine that fills the mouth and also finesse, elegance in the wine. That is what we try to achieve and this is the capacity of the Cabernet sauvignon grape to produce that type of wine and of course with Cabernet sauvignon has a little too harsh angles which may happen a little merlot, maybe 10-15% merlot does a very good job to blend... it's always a blend, and it's important because the 2 main varietals Cabernet and merlot each bring the peculiar character and qualities.

EC: And how do you achieve consistency?

JMC: Consistency is important, I agree with you, and consistency depends on hard work and of course the climate may be different from one year to another but the constant care of the vineyard, everything starts in the vineyard itself. If the grapes are well tended, if you keep the disease away, if you prune the vines correctly, and if you bring them to full ripeness then you have a very good chance to make a good wine. But it's something that has to be constant throughout the years. And of course the winemaking itself is important also. But I would like to stress the fact that quality starts in the vineyard itself.

EC: You're credited for reviving Lynch Bages...

JMC: Actually the truth is that my grandfather put Lynch-Bages back on the map. He was a very good winemaker and he was innovative and he understood the wines very well and wines he made in the 40s and 50s are really very good and today even after 50 years, the 53s and 55 vintages are really great wines so I try to follow his steps and adapt to the new knowledge because the science of vineyard and wine has made a lot of progress in the past 30 years. It's true that lynch-bages has been a success for some decades and I remember a few years ago an Englishman asked me do you know why your wine is so popular in england? And I said well probably because we try to make wine with power and finesse as I said and that appeals to people like you who live in cold climates, you like strong wines and he said no, it's popular because it's easy to pronounce, which is because the name Lynch comes from Ireland, you know. Anyway, we do our best year after year, and every year is different.

But, I probably was instrumental into bringing the vineyard and the facility into the modern times that is I turned a 19th century operation into a rather modern one using the latest techniques and adapting to the change.

EC: Do you think Lynch Bages deserves much better than 5th growth classification?

JMC: I don't really care, I think people who know the correct classification if there is a mistake and the market really is the actual classification and classification as it stands today with its 5 shelves it's probably outdated. If you look at the classification and the vineyards that constitute this classification, 3 shelves should be enough, 5 is too complicated.

EC: Tell us about the direction your family-owned company is taking?

JMC: Actually, we, like any other business, if we have a chance to expand we try to expand, but we only would do that in one direction: quality wines, small production. We are not good at mass production so we stick to quality, smaller vineyards. In Bordeaux we have three main vineyards. Of course we could buy Chateau Latour...I would love to buy Chateau Latour in Bordeaux but it's too expensive - not for sale anyway. So we turn to other places and we went to the Langcuedoc in the beginning of 2000 and found a place which we think we can make very good wines. Then to Chateauneuf de Pape which is a very well known appellation, the wines are very, very good and I love them personally very much and also we went to other countries, Portugal, where we have a joint venture with a friend, and also in Australia.

JMC: The reason why we went to other areas is also because I believe in the cross fertilization of knowledge between the different vineyards. Our technicians, they are good but they learn a lot from others. So they're having close contacts with vineyard owners in Portugal and Australia. This brings a very positive input to our technicians in Bordeaux. And for our staff it's also encouraging. It's more interesting to see what's going on elsewhere rather than stay in one location for 30 years.

DC: Wines, Bourdeaux wines in particular, continue to fascinate the public. What is the enduring value of wine?

JMC: Because wine has a very particular image, it represents so many things. First of all it represents a direct link to the earth. Most of us live in cities, our ancestors were living in the countryside. Most of the people who drink wine don't have any exposure to the country, to the agriculture, and by drinking wine, it's a link with their ancestors. This I believe is one, that's why you find all these people in paris and new york looking for it.

If you think of it there is no other product that has such a strong link with nature - with the soil. Another thing is that wine is the only time machine that works. When you drink an old wine, it's an occasion to remember, things to talk about the people who were there. When I drink my grandfather's wine you have to think about him about the people helping making the wine and who was the prime minister in those days. So it brings a lot of ideas, memories and also brings people together.

(Chateau Lynch Bages is sold exclusively at Bacchus in Makati Shangri-La and Bacchus Epicerie in Rockwell Power Plant Mall in Makati.)

Exclusive: Patek Philippe's Thierry Stern talks to Executive Class

2009-12-09T09:55:00.005+08:00

As you can tell by now, the subject of luxury timepieces is one of our favorites on Executive Class. Over the course of doing the show we've come face to face with many of the top global executives and legendary watchmakers behind iconic brands like Omega, IWC and most recently, Glashutte. Still, few things compare with an invitation for an exclusive one-on-one interview with the new President of Patek Philippe - one of the finest watch manufacturers in the world.

Indeed, we do admit a certain bias for all things Patek Philippe. Patek was one of the first watch brands we covered in our first season of Executive Class (together with Vacheron and Piaget, of course). Timeless and classic yet technically innovative, Patek Philippe watches exude old world charm, unquestionable pedigree and just the right amount of restraint in an industry giving in to demand for bigger, blingier and flashier timepieces. A Patek after all, is the personal choice of men and women with impeccable taste and a deep passion for fine watches.

Held at the Patek Philippe boutique in Makati, our interview with Thierry Stern, the newly appointed President of Patek Philippe, affirmed our respect and admiration for the brand. More than this, the presence of Mr. Stern - representing the 4th generation of owners of this still family owned watch company - cements the Philippines' position as a growing horological hotspot in Asia.

Below are excerpts of our lengthy discussion on watch design, market trends and the future of Patek Philippe:

Executive Class: Patek Philipe is one of the few remaining family-owned watchmakers and a fiercely independent organization. How has this helped Patek Philippe's business?

Thierry Stern: I think first it's about a family that's fascinated with watches, and staying independent for my family means also that we have a very long term strategy, the view that we have needs to be very long. Just as an example I have to plan today for 2020 in terms of movement and by being independent that allows me also to invest in the company to be able to fabricate these kinds of movements for the future because, of course, you need a lot of investment to go on. And if you're independent you can do that. If you're in a group or if you are owned by shareholders, they will never really let you invest for such a long time. They will also ask for money inreturn. So for Patek Philippe it was always very important not to depend on shareholders but really just to focus on the line for the future and to be able to invest for the manufacture, for tooling, or for the people for the future as well.

EC: What would you say is the design philosophy behind Patek Phillipe?

TS: There is no book to learn about it. I asked this question many years ago to my father when I took over the Creation Department because at Patek the core is really to create the watch and then to build all around the rest of it. This is really something that the family is doing, that means my father is doing it, I'm doing it, I'm doing it also with my wife now who is also with me at Patek. When I started at the Creation Department, that was over 10 years ago, I asked myself how can I know if it's a nice Patek or not? And actually there was only one answer. He told me, well, you will see after really taking a few hundred watches in your hands, then you will understand. And that's exactly what happened. Year after year I was learning, looking also at the museum pieces, looking through catalogs also from auction where you have a lot of Pateks. And this is how you start to understand the product.

EC: Is there such a thing as a Patek Philippe DNA? Something or some value that is constant in every Patek timepiece?

TS: There's really no such DNA. I think every generation of the Stern family has to add something. If I go too fashionable the watch will be nice for 6 months but you will not wear it after 10 years or 20 years. It will be hard for you to pass it along to your son or your daughter. So we have to stay very... I would say, not sober because that is not the case, but we have to think about the future and how the watch will look like maybe in 10 years and this is what I always try to do. I would like you to wear the watch today and tomorrow and still be proud of it.

EC: You are known to avoid gimmickry and fads…

TS: Yes, I was not educated like that. For me a watch needs to give you the time first. It has to be readable. And also the challenge is to find really smart ideas. A very good idea that we found was the Annual Calendar. It is something very useful, it is different from the perpetual calendar which is a much higher standard and also at a higher price and not everybody can afford also to pay for a Perpetual Calendar. So by having the annual calendar, I thought it was a very good idea. Patek Philippe watchmakers and development people need to be smart, we need to talk together to find useful complications and not just gimmicks where at the end of it you don't even read the time on your watch because there is too many things on it.

EC: And yet, some of your competitors have gone the other direction - creating exotic, ever more complicated, limited edition, and some would say, deliberately overpriced timepieces, to attract the high end of the market and collectors alike.

TS: It was not the wrong direction, but I think there were too many people abusing it. New brands showed up and what was for me amazing was the price from some watches that I didn't even know a year before - brands that didn't exist and suddenly they sold those watches for half a million Swiss francs. And I was always worried to see that there was no back-up, no after sales service. What's going on? When you pay such price for a watch and suddenly the watch doesn't work anymore and nobody would be there to fix it. This is for me something that was wrong.

Now this kind of race it's also good because it has to push you. It shakes Patek a bit and we also have to find new things to improve but always with the purpose that I have to be able to fix your watch today, tomorrow and way beyond that.

EC: So you intend to stay away from this marketing trend?

TS: This is something I think also why Patek Philippe is still here on the market, still going very well. It's because people trust the brand, they know we would not abuse our situation, they know we will not only do limited series every year, which when you think of itare not limited at all because you do it every year. I think it's very important that people follow you and yet they need to be confident, they need to know that behind the brand there is a man who is not only just willing to push it to the maximum but who is also willing to improve the brand and I need to give it to my son for the future. So, I will not jeopardize the brand by doing such a stupid thing.

EC: Patek Philippe has been able to balance traditional methods with technical innovations. How focused are you on new innovations?

TS: Innovation? Yes... if it really makes a difference in terms of the accuracy of the watch, in terms of the possibility to create new complications, yes, we will use it. Now if it's just to talk about it and have heavy marketing on it, no, this is not for me. So I'm really working hard today. We have a development and research department which is over 70 people now. Some of them are only dedicated to researching new materials or a new shape of wheel which is very important because we have to avoid friction which is our biggest enemy. And this is especially for the escape which we have really been working on for the future. But we don't want to use it as a gimmick, it has to increase beauty, the accuracy or the finish of the watch. Every patek Philippe caliber if you look at it is very thin, and this is very difficult to realize. To make a complicated movement which is very thick, everybody can do that. But to make the same one which is maybe half of it in terms of height, this is a challenge. And of course that allows me to have a beautiful design around it.

EC: Is there a model line or iconic watch that best captures the spirit of Patek?

TS: every 10 years it's always changing but for now the Nautilus is very known. For sure people today are hunting for the Chrono Nautilus. But there's also the Minute Repeater and the very complicated watches. This is very important because you cannot cheat with the Minute Repeater. A lot of collectors are willing to have one of them, but they have to wait, but I will never release a minute repeater if the sound isn't perfect. And not only the sound, of course, but the accuracy of the watch too. Every minute repeater which goes out of the manufactory has been checked carefully and the final check is done by myself or my father or many times together and we check every single Minute Repeater to be sure that the sound is a very beautiful sound.

EC: Why do you think a Patek continues to retain its value over time and fetch much higher prices at auctions?

TS: Patek Philippe is now on its fourth generation and has been run by the same family. Before, of course, it was run also by Patek and Philippe, and they ran it as having the best and the top watches in the world. They never changed their strategy. They kept the lines. We also kept those lines but we started to build them up. That's very interesting as a collector because if you buy a Calatrava today, or a Nautilus, you will see that even 30 years ago the watches were still very much in the same design. We adapted the same line and as a collector it's fantastic to have the first one and to see the evolution of it.

Now, it's also with the movement, it's exactly the same movement. They can follow the evolution of the movement. So as a collector, it's fantastic because it really allows you to see through your own collection the whole evolution of the world through many, many years from 1839 until today, 2009.

EC: Describe the Patek Phillipe owner.

TS: I think it's somebody who is knowledgeable. Someone who also likes the Arts. Someone who understands also the mechanisms of the watch. He also has to be somebody who is passionate of and who is willing to have something which is more than just a watch but a watch with lasting value. It is something that you keep for you, that you keep for your family, and that you will keep also on your wrist and that means something. Very often we can see that the client is offering the watch for the wedding or for the graduation of his son or daughter. There is a meaning behind a Patek Philippe, there is a story behind every family and this is really for me very important because it's exactly the same for my family.

Limited Edition JLC Reverso Squadra World Time Chronograph puts the Philippines on the Horological Map

2009-12-04T06:56:00.014+08:00

Special edition watches commemorating milestones in Philippine history and famous Filipinos are nothing new. SWATCH came up with a special edition to celebrate the 100th year of Philippine Independence in 1998 (and a recent one commemorating the Jesuit Ateneo's 150th year in the country). This year, SWISS ARMY released a limited edition watch honoring boxing legend Manny Pacquiao while PHILIP STEIN also released a watch commemorating the life of former President Corazon Aquino. Apparently, the Swiss watchmakers and their Philippine distributors believe the Philippine mass market is ripe for special edition timepieces like these.

In these cases, however, special edition is not quite the same as collector's item. For one, these brands belong to the mass to upper middle market segments and should have little appeal with serious watch enthusiasts. And although these are special edition watches, they aren't exactly limited edition as hundreds, if not thousands, of these are being sold.

For those seriously considering a genuine Filipino-themed collectible with real value and global acceptability, Swiss prestige watchmaker JAEGER Le COULTRE have just launched the Limited Edition Philippines Reverso Squadra World Time Chronograph - a true limited edition with only 50 of these watches produced at the JLC manufacture in Switzerland.

At the core of the watch is JLC's remarkable Reverso Squadro World Time Chronograph- an ingeniously designed reversible watch that provides chronograph functions on the front face and the World Time or the local time in different time zones on the back. This titanium encased edition alone, even without the country-themed details, is a masterpiece worth collecting.

For the Limited Philippine Edition, the craftsmen of JLC have rendered the minute and hour chronograph counters in bold red. The number 8 on the front face is also in red - this to commemorate the year 2008 - the year when the first JLC boutique opened in Manila. JLC also say that the number 8 should also appeal to the many Chinese-Filipino watch collectors in the country. (Coincidentally, Manila's time zone is also GMT +8).

Engraved within the inner case are the words "LIMITED EDITION" and "PHILIPPINES 2010", These words frame a beautifully engraved map of the Philippine archipelago - coated in black enamel to keep dirt from settling in as well as for visual impact. Because this can only be seen if the inner case is flipped, the handcrafted artwork of the JLC engravers is kept hidden for your personal pleasure.

But the real highlight of the watch lies in the World Time disc. Instead of the usual Hong Kong, "MANILA" is printed on the disc in the same bold red found on the chronograph face. This may seem like a small detail but not when you realize that this is the first time Manila is found on any Swiss luxury watch.

With the Limited Edition Philippines Reverso Squadra World Time Chronograph, Jaeger Le Coultre, one of the most revered of Swiss watchmakers, puts Manila and the Philippines on the horological map, so to speak. Daniel Rogger, JLC's Asia Pacific Managing Director, tells me that although they make other special edition watches, this is the first time they have ever produced a watch customized for a specific country. The watch, he explains, is a fitting tribute to sophisticated Filipino watch collectors and enthusiasts who have shown they are up there with the rest of Asia.

Well, thank you JLC. It's about time.

(The Limite Series Reverso Squadra is available at the JLC Boutique in Greenbelt 5, Makati. SRP is 931,000 Php)

Up Close with Glashutte's Watchmakers

2009-10-15T09:40:00.014+08:00

When it comes to cars and electronics, there's no denying the lure of the "made in Germany" label. Recently, however, watch connoisseurs have started to add German manufactured timepieces to their exclusive collections. Yes, German-made watches. Well, not all German watches, just those manufactured in Glashutte - a quiet little corner of Saxony in the Eastern border of the country.

The journey to Glashutte should interest more than just watch enthusiasts but cultural travelers as well. To get to the old watchmaking capital of pre-World War II Germany, you must pass through the beautifully restored Saxon city of Dresden. Dresden was once flattened by Allied bombing raids but you won't notice any of the scars of war in the historical center today.

Because of an early appointment with executives at the Glashutte Original manufactory an hour away from Dresden, there wasn't much time to walk around the city. Good thing is most of the architectural landmarks are huddled together in the central part of the Old Town - all close enough to explore in a couple of hours. If you have the opportunity, however, a couple of days would be a much better time frame to take in all the sights scattered around the city (and catch a couple of world-class opera and classical performances in the process).

The 45-minute road trip to Glashutte is a pleasant one with views of green pasture and quaint villages along the way. Getting there is a bit of a surprise as the town looks nothing like a "watchmaking capital" at all. The streets are empty and you won't find anything that resembles an industry town. Instead of towering corporate headquarters and glass and steel factories, what you'll come across in Glashutte are low-rise buildings that blend in with old townhouses and a low-key street life - in many ways little changed from the original days of the watchmaking industry 160 years ago.

Best to start your tour of the town at the newly opened German Watchmaking Museum. Everything you need to know about the watchmaking tradition of Glashutte can be found here - and in English, too. The beautiful building was once a school of watchmaking established to supply the manpower needs of the booming watchmaking industry at Glashutte.

The various exhibits tell the story in a dynamic and experiential manner. Glashutte's watchmaking tradition can be traced to Ferdinand Adolf Lange (of A.Lange & Sohne fame), a watchmaker from Dresden, who encouraged colleagues to establish a new center for manufacturing pocket watches in this once poor mining town.

The rest is interesting horological history. From backwater to burgeoning watchmaking center, by the end of the 19th century, Glashutte's watch companies had established themselves for technical accuracy and aesthetic beauty. In 1900, the 'Universal Watch' was created by the Glashutte watch company Union - setting the record for the world's most complicated watch.

But both world wars of the 20th century and the economic depression that followed each would bring Glashutte's watch companies to their knees. But even as the Soviet Red Army carted away much of Glashutte's watchmaking machinery, local watchmakers persisted with their craft. The communist East German state would eventually take over the industry and consolidate all watch companies under a single state-owned entity - VEB Glashutter Uhnrenbetriebe (GUB).

All through the 1950's up to the Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, GUB would produce excellent mechanical and hand-wound wristwatches still very much in the tradition of Glashutte watchmaking. But, lacking access to overseas markets, capital and advertising savvy, GUB was unable to establish itself as a global brand with an international distribution network. The company survived but was hardly mentioned in watch collecting circles.

All that changed with the reunification of Germany and the eventual take-over of GUB by the Swatch Group. Armed with capital and global reach, the revived brand under the name Glashutte Original would slowly re-establish itself on top of the watchmaking hierarchy. Within the Swatch Group, Glashutte Original is positioned next to elite Swiss brands like Brequet and Blancpain. Even Omega comes after that of Glashutte Original in the Swatch Group hierarchy of prestige brands.

The free market environment after reunification also saw the rise of other premium Glashutte brands like Muhle, Union, Nomos and the elite A. Lange & Sohne - all of which have manufactories just a short walk from each other in the town center. For a watch to bear the name "Glashutte", it needs to fulfill the so-called Glashutte Rule which states that 50% of the value added to the watch movement has to be developed and manufactured in Glashutte itself.

At the Glashutte Original manufactory, standards are even more rigid with more than half of the movement's components made and assembled in-house. What's more, the tools used to make these components are actually made at the manufactory as well. This is how Glashutte watches have always been made since the 1800s and how they continue to be made until today at Original.

Glashutte Original offer a free guided tour of their manufactory complete with access to certain departments where you can view first hand how watch components are made, polished and assembled. The highlight of the tour is at the final assembly department where whole watches come together under the skillful and steady hands of a new generation of Glashutte watchmakers.

We were given access to the Atelier - a restricted area where both limited edition and the most precious timepieces are assembled. Only the most senior and the most talented watchmakers occupy this department. Here, watches are hand-assembled from the ground up. Depending on the complications involved, it could take a watchmaker weeks to assemble a single watch. We saw one watchmaker putting together the extremely delicate movement of the PanoMatic Chrono. On another table, a Sport Evolution Impact Tourbillon was being assembled. These watches belong to the upper range of the Glashutte Original collection because of the time-consuming process required to assemble them and for the precious materials used in making them.

For most people, a watch is simply an instrument for telling time. In Glashutte today, as it has been ever since, watches are much more than just that. All you have to do is look through the sapphire crystal case back to appreciate 160 years of watchmaking tradition. Glashutte watches, you then realize, are works of high art and timepieces for generations to cherish.

Frankfurt Motor Show: TOP PICKS

2009-10-12T11:09:00.018+08:00

I know, I know. It's been a full month since the Frankfurt Motor Show and this list is pretty much outdated by now. Still, it's always better to let the euphoria from the Motor Show settle down a bit and produce a list that's free of any lingering hype or influence from the pack of automotive bloggers and journalists doing real-time reporting. With so many cars and acres of showroom floor to cover, these are the automobiles and exhibits that really excited us:

1. The Silicon Valley Upstarts: TESLA and FISKER.

The American auto industry is still very much in the doldrums and the lack of exciting news coming out of Detroit other than that of survival strategies, bail-outs and mergers proves that the Big Three still have along way to go before capturing our imagination once again. But American cars are no longer just those rolling out of Detroit. In Frankfurt, two manufacturers from the US West Coast are leading the revival of the American auto industry with amazingly cool electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

TESLA has been making a lot of headlines recently with their, well, electrifying Roadster - an all electric sports convertible that puts Ferrari and Lamborghini to shame. And we're not just talking about the curvaceous shape of the car, or it's blazing speed (the Roadster accelerates from 0-100 km/h is 3.8 seconds!). What we refer to here is the fact that the Roadster runs entirely on electricity with absolutely zero emission and a maximum range of 700 kilometers!

Yes, the electric vehicle has come of age. Previous EV's were a bit of a joke. Most could only run up to less than 100 kilometers on a full charge and they were either too small (to keep it light) or too weird-looking (a strategy meant to attract non-conformist hard-core environmentalists). TESLA breaks away from EV tradition and offers a legitimate sports car that Ferrari fans would seriously consider. The robust lithium-ion battery pack is fast and easy to charge and light enough not to weigh down the car. And its attractive to boot.

The independent car tuner company, BRABUS, offers the TESLA Roadster Sport BRABUS in a uber-sexy, eco-chic, zero-fuel and zero-emission package with carbon fiber details, integrated daytime running lights, and customizable interior trim. And since electric cars are eerily silent, BRABUS provides a choice of simulated V8 engine sounds to satisfy sports car enthusiasts who just can't live without the engine roar.

The other US manufacturer with something groundbreaking to offer was FISKER. Their production ready Karma and Karma S offer a more practical alternative to TESLA's fully electric technology. FISKER is banking on a Plug-in hybrid system to propel its luxury sports vehicles instead.

Plug-in hybrids have an advantage over EV's. Unlike EV's, they can still run when the battery charge is depleted. A small internal combustion fuel engine on board extends the range of the car when the battery hits its limit. The same engine also recharges the battery simultaneously. This reduces the driver's dependence on finding a charging station during long-distance travel. And although many times cleaner and more efficient than a standard car, the downside of FISKER's Plug-in hybrid is that it does not qualify as a zero-emission and zero-fuel car. However, when it comes to peace of mind in extended driving conditions, the Karma may just be a better alternative to the TESLA Roadster.

2. BMW Vision EfficientDynamics.

If only for the most viscerally exciting exhibition hall, BMW deserves to be on this list. We especially enjoyed the indoor track BMW installed which allowed us to view their new models in motion.

But showroom gimmickry aside, BMW's debut models were truly impressive - starting with the Vision EfficientDynamics Concept car they rolled out.

We've seen photos of the concept car a few weeks before the Show, but there's nothing like coming up close to it and literally staring into its futuristic exterior and interior design. It's a bit like the BMW M1 on steroids - but in a nice way. With Gullwing doors and an abundance of curves and tunnels designed to increase its aerodynamic ability, the car sort of reminds you of one of those machines in Transformers. Well, the photo tells the story better than any words could even if the brochure says that the sports coupe can run up to 250 km/h and accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds.

Speed, however is only one of its many strenghts. The Plug-in hybrid concept vehicle is where BMW wants to take its EfficientDynamics program in the next decade - with average fuel consumption rated at 3.76 liters/100 kilometers and CO2 emissions as low as 50 grams per kilometer. BMW was able to achieve this combination of speed and efficiency with the power of three drive units - a three cylinder turbo-diesel engine with a hybrid synchronous motor on the front axle and full hybrid system in the rear. Over-all output is an impressive 356 Hp and torque is rated at 800 Nm.

But that's not where the next generation EfficientDynamics concept ends. A combination of ultra-lightweight materials, a lower center of gravity, advanced tire design plus a host of other aerodynamic features makes the BMW concept vehicle a true car of the future.

Best of all, some of these advances in vehicle design have already turned up in BMW's new model range launched in Frankfurt: from the Active Hybrid 7 Series and Active Hybrid X6 SAV to the conventional X1 compact SAV and category-bending 5 Series Gran Turismo.

4. AUDI e-tron Concept.

It's interesting to see just how quickly the German automakers are catching up in the race for dominance of the electric future. Just a few years ago, the same German manufacturers looked at the market for EV's and hybrid vehicles as a micro-niche hardly worth competing in. For them, the German tradition of powerful and dynamic fuel-driven cars was simply incompatible with automobiles running on energy off the electricity grid.

Well, not anymore. Even Audi, which made a name for itself with fuel-sipping, performance-oriented Turbo-diesel engines, is going full-throttle into electric car territory with its e-tron concept vehicle.

Curiously, AUDI seems to have taken a page out of the TESLA book and leapfrogs the whole internal combustion idea found in Plug-in hybrids. Instead Audi installed a pure electric drive system for this high-performance sports car. Taking its trademark Quattro concept a step further, four motors, two each in front and in the rear axles, will produce 313 hp and propel the e-tron 0-100 km/h in 4.8 seconds. The fully charged lithium-ion battery found in the e-tron can power the electric drive system to a maximum range of 248 kilometers.

For the superficial among us, the e-tron is handsome and takes design cues from the AUDI R8 super car - updated, of course, to include a new grille design, air intakes, LED lights, lightweight carbon fiber and aluminum panels and more curves in the right places for reduced drag and maximum efficiency.

For now, the e-tron is just a concept car and could take many years until a version of it can be found in showrooms.

4. Mercedes-Benz "Gullwing" SLS AMG and SLS AMG eDrive Concept.

If this were a year ago, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG would have been the undisputed star of the Motor Show. But, this is 2009, and climate change, unpredictable gas prices and the financial crisis have conspired against new car models that don't quite qualify as "green". Still, there's no denying that the new Mercedes Benz SLS AMG sports coupe is a stunner worth every bit of the lavish attention car enthusiasts are giving it.

What's working for this "conventional" gas-slurping sports car is one of the most classically beautiful designs of the year. It's so stunning - it's hard not to stare and slide your hand across its smooth and curvaceous body. Mercedes Benz designers stayed away from the cliche futuristic mold and opted for a more pure and classic design reminiscent of the legendary SL Class roadsters of the 60's. Yes, even the Gullwing doors have been revived.

The SLS AMG goes beyond classy styling and offers credible super sports car performance with an AMG-tuned 6.3 liter V8 engine that produces 571 hp and torque of 650 Nm. An aerodynamic design coupled with a lightweight aluminum space-frame bodyshell significantly improves the power to weight ratio for faster acceleration (0-100 km/h in 3.8 seconds!) and better fuel economy.

But here's the good news: soon, the SLS AMG will also come in a zero-emission, fully electric eDrive version driven by four electric motors attached close to the wheels for power and speed very similar to the conventional SLS AMG. Like AUDI, Mercedes Benz is doing away with the hybrid concept for its flagship sports car and putting its money on a battery-powered electric drive system.

5. Mini turns 50.

It's hard to believe that a car that looks this young is actually turning 50! More so when you think that most owners are probably nowhere near the half-century mark. Thanks to clever advertising, marketing and product design, the Mini will never, ever, seem old.

Even more spectacular when you consider the history of the brand is the fact that what was once a "people's car"- a car for the British working class - is today a sought-after lifestyle vehicle in the premium class segment. (The comical Mr. Bean wouldn't have been able to afford the Mini at today's prices).

And so the journey from humble sub-compact car to lifestyle icon continues with an exciting future for the Mini up ahead. At Frankfurt, the BMW subsidiary unveiled its Mini Coupe and Roadster Concept to predicyable praise from the singles and empty-nesters that form its core customer base. Though not exactly technologically groundbreaking, the Coupe and Roadster Concept cars are a step forward in terms of Design for Mini. Design, after all, is the strongest point of Mini and any new tweak introduced is always considered as some kind of breakthrough for fans.

Mini is also commemorating its 50th year by rolling out an eco-friendly diesel-engine variant to complement its existing line of plug-in electric Mini E cars. Now that's something to celebrate.

Munich Top Picks

2009-10-06T08:41:00.024+08:00

Everyone is talking about how hip and cool Berlin is. But Munich? Well, we often associate the Bavarian capital with images of the Oktoberfest, beer halls and lederhosen. In other words - pretty uncool. Touristy, in fact. No, make that octogenarian tourist trap. You know, the silver haired types that spend their retirement money on bus tours and cruises across equally aging European cities.

Well, at least that's what most travelers think of Munich. But, they're dead wrong. Admittedly, Berlin may be where much of the current action is, but Munich will surprise you with its own sophisticated arts and design scene - not to mention a lovely and livable cityscape. One of my favorite magazines, Monocle, has consistently ranked Munich as not only one of the most livable cities in the world - but also one of the most culturally satisfying. Even the snobbishly hip Wallpaper magazine seems to agree - pointing to Munich's cutting edge design scene as one reason for the city's popularity with young creatives.

On the ground, there's little of that Bavarian stereotype we hear so much about. In Munich, the image of the overly serious and obsessively precise German personality isn't as evident as it is elsewhere in the Western half of the country. Locals like to think of their Munchen as the most northerly of Italian cities. Indeed, there's a certain joie de vivre palpable in the shopping boulevards (which stay open later than most German cities), street-side cafes and general street culture. But unlike many Italian cities, Munich is clean, safe and works just perfectly. Truly, there's a reason why a poll of most Germans reveal that Munich is the one city where they would prefer to live and work. Having the lovely Bavarian Alps just a short car ride away is, of course, a bonus.

Top Picks:

Street Culture.

Once again, Munich's lively street culture smashes all stereotypes of the lonely, serious German. It could be osmosis. Bavaria is the state closest to Northern Italy and travel and migration between the two regions over the centuries may have contributed to Munich's la dolce vita tendencies.

The Bavarian kings and princes borrowed heavily from their Italian neighbors in the South. Italian renaissance, baroque and rococo style are employed in most of the buildings and landmarks in and around the historic center. Most notable in the churches of Munich. The two Italian renaissance onion dome towers of the main cathedral, the Frauenkirche, are one of the most recognizable landmarks of the Old Town.

The city center is easy to get around by foot or bicycle. For a region that produces some of the world's best cars, you won't see many of them zipping around the Old Town. The preferred mode of transport is by tram, foot or bike. This keeps the city air clean and the street culture buzzing. Indeed, when the sun is out, it's hard to keep locals from strolling, shopping and slowing down in a street side cafe. No coincidence perhaps that there are more Italian restaurants, gelaterias and cafes here than in any other German city.

Historic Munich.

One must always be reminded that many parts of Munich were flattened by Allied bombs at the tail-end of World War II. This means much of what we see today is actually restored or even recreated from scratch. Still, the city breathes history and the many grand buildings continue to tell Munich's story as the once proud Bavarian capital that until only the 18th century became part of the German nation-state.

Most walking tours begin at the Odeonplatz surrounded by the beautiful baroque Theatinerkirche and the imposing Feldernhalle, the Military Commander's hall built to pay tribute to generations of Bavarian military leaders.

The sprawling Residenz, the Bavarian royal residence, is just across from the square. Today, the Residenz serves as a repository of fine art and artifacts and a venue theater performances. The grand complex is a splendid mix of renaissance, baroque, rococo and neo-classical styles, perhaps the best in the country.

Rest your heels at any one of the park benches or outdoor cafes at the beautiful Hofgarten just outside the Residenz. The 17th century Italian-style court garden is laid out with colorful flowerbeds and beautiful fountains.

When in Munich, try to get tickets to a classical concert or opera performance at the historic Nationaltheater. This is one of the most important opera houses in the world with Richard Wagner choosing to premiere five of his own at this theater. Today, it is home to the Bavarian State Opera, one of the best opera companies in Europe.

Another Old Town favorite is the Marienplatz, the town square where much of Munich's civic life continues to be played out. The town square is bordered by some of the most important buildings and churches in the city including the neo-gothic New Town Hall Neues Rathaus.

Apart from the intricate facade, the New Town Hall features a favorite tourist attraction - Munich's lovable Glockenspiel. Two times a day, life-sized figures of Bavarian history dance to four different tunes from 43 bells that chime and clang. It's undeniably touristy but fun nevertheless.

Modern Design.

It's easy to be taken in by the charm of Munich's past, but if you want to experience a more authentic side of the city - you're better of visiting the many modern art museums and architectural icons around town.

Not too far from the Old Town is a complex of buildings and squares where Munich's museums stand. Just across the world-famous Alte Pinakothek (said to be on par with New York's Met and Paris' Louvre) is the Pinakothek der Moderne. German industrial design and architecture is one of the most sophisticated and influential in the world and the museum pays tribute to icons of contemporary German architecture and design.

The newly-opened Brandhorst Museum nearby is in itself a work of art. The abstract art facade of colorful steel, wood and glass houses the collections of contemporary artists such as Cy Twombley, Andy Warhol and Damien Hirst.

All across town are equally fascinating examples of modern architecture. There are just too many to count so if time is of the essence, head to the main attractions like the Herzog and De Meuron masterpiece Allianz Arena. The stadium was built for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany and greets all those coming from and going to the Munich Airport (another architectural jewel).

A detour from the same highway takes you to the just completed BMW Welt which sits across the much older but just as iconic twin structures of the "4-cylinder" BMW Global Headquarters and BMW Museum.

The tornado and wave inspired glass and steel structure is more than just an architectural icon, it is every brand marketer's dream. Apart from the all the revolutionary design techniques and materials used, the entire structure pays homage to Bavaria's most recognized home-grown brand: BMW. It's a if the whole place was built by the guys in the marketing department. In it, you breathe, touch and experience the BMW brand and everything it stands for: joy, dynamism and cutting edge technology. BMW Welt is also a delivery facility where buyers can drive off with their new cars literally straight off the assembly line located in the BMW plant across the street.

The BMW Museum.

It's a bit embarrassing to have spent more time in a museum dedicated to cars then in those for art. But, when you think about it, BMW cars are, one can argue, works of art rather than mere mass-produced objects that get you from one place to another.

Not only is the museum structure and interiors - updated to house the marque's growing legacy of cars - architecturally impressive, it's the design of the cars themselves that make you feel like you're walking through a genuine museum of modern art.

Truly, you don't have to be a car enthusiast to enjoy the exhibit. (In fact, most car-junkies may be turned off by the whole museum lay-out, silence and feel). But you'll at least have to appreciate modern design to want to navigate the many levels and rooms dedicated to BMW's interpretation of industrial art.

Indeed, you can skip the rooms that pay tribute to BMW's origins and sporting history and head straight to the exhibits where BMW's most beautifully designed cars are. Beginning with the room for design icons like the BMW 328 "Mille Miglia".

The BMW 328 was way ahead of its time and the legendary model deserves all the attention the museum gives it. With a futuristic aerodynamic body and quick (for its time) engine, the 328 made history as the fastest car of its time and grand champion of the prestigious Italian Mille Miglia (1,000 mile) race. It remains one of the most captivating race cars ever built.

Apart from fast cars, BMW also built a reputation for beautiful cars. Right beside the 328 stands another design icon - the BMW 3.0 CSl . The six cylinder beauty would still look desirable on today's roads and that's why it's one of the automobile manufacturer's more collectible cars. The BMW design DNA is much more evident on this model - the aggressive "shark" front end and grille, double headlamps, distinctive C-Pillar and taut lines all throughout. One reason for the success of BMW is their ability to produce designs that are future-proof.

As sexy as the 3.0 CSl is, nothing quite compares with the BMW roadsters in the adjoining exhibit floor - especially the BMW 507. Considered to be the most beautiful BMW ever built, it's probably the most beautiful car ever built. This car achieved top speeds in excess of 200 km/h with its advanced alloy V8 engine. Only 253 units were built between 1955 and 1959 making the 507 one of the most collectible cars of all time.

Two other cars stand out for their original and revolutionary designs: the cute BMW Isetta and the perky 2002 Ti. The cheap, ultra-compact, motorcycle engine-propelled Isetta may look a bit out of place among BMW's luxury cars and road racers, but this best-selling people's car pulled BMW out of oblivion after the second world war and turned it into a household name. The retro design of this so-called "bubble car" makes the Austin Mini and the Volkswagen Beetle look a bit staid.

The joy of owning and driving a BMW really comes across with the quick, colorful and personalized 2002 Ti model. The car was offered in colors like hot orange and came with extra driving lamps and a range of accessories. Clearly, the age of the individual had arrived and the 2002 Ti was BMW's answer to the boring mass-produced cars that were coming out of assembly lines in America and Europe.

Once again, it's hard to imagine spending so much time in a museum dedicated not only to cars - but to a single car manufacturer at that. That is, until you come up close and personal with some of the most beautiful and groundbreaking cars in the world.

2009 BMW 7 Series Unveiled

2009-09-05T08:20:00.008+08:00

The Philippines is one of the last Asian countries to launch BMW's flagship executive saloon and there's a lot of catching up for Asian Carmakers Corporation - the exclusive distributors of BMW vehicles in the country.

It doesn't help that the new BMW 7 Series looks very much like the previous generation model. Not that the older 7 Series wasn't attractive. It is. It's just that with only subtle modifications to the exterior of the car, buyers have little incentive to upgrade or trade-in in a hurry. At least, this what this writer said in a previous entry after looking at photos of the latest generation 7 Series on line. But, having seen the BMW 750li variant in person at BMW's launch at the Shangri-la Makati, I'm no longer sure my previous comments apply.

For one, up close the new design of the 7 Series gives the car a more imposing character. The subtle changes provide an equally subtle - almost subliminal - personality makeover. The car just seems longer, wider, more robust and powerful. The flat and stretched side profile give the 5th generation 7 Series that classic luxury limousine silhouette. This, after all, is a car for tycoons and heads-of-state so it better look like one. However, stodgy and conservative it's not. The 7 Series retains sporty design cues in the front and rear ends without awkwardly crossing over into sports car territory.

If the changes are subtle on the outside - the changes are much more radical under the hood. There's a lot of cutting-edge technology that appear for the first time in a BMW (and in the premium car segment). Most impressive is the application of BMW's EfficientDynamics technology. Simply put: more powerful engines with far better fuel efficiency. For example, the V8 direct injection Twin Turbo of the 750li is capable of the output of a V12 engine (407 hp), but burns about the same fuel as an eight cylinder. Lightweight construction and aluminum panels also add to the fuel economy of the 7 Series. Surely, a person who buys a car that costs over 10 Million php isn't thinking of economy, but it's just the responsible thing to have even if fuel cost is not an issue.

7 Series buyers are of course looking for the highest levels of luxury and passenger comfort and not just a list of technological innovations and sporty credentials. More so since most of these buyers spend most of the time in the backseat and will hardly ever get to drive the car themselves. Well, its precisely interior comfort and luxury where the 7 Series excels. To name a few options: atmospheric lighting, airconditioned seating and a separate rear iDrive Controller for manipulating the rear entertainment system that includes two 9.2 inch LCD monitors for separate viewing or web browsing pleasure. All this plus impeccable leather, wood and ceramic trim in the interiors. And in the long-wheel based 750li there's an unbelievable amount of space in the rear compartment.

At this price point, other flagship models from Mercedes Benz, Jaguar, Audi and Lexus come close in terms of technology and comfort. Indeed, feature for feature, the competition is very similar. Which is why it all comes down to the brand promise and experience. With the latest generation model, the sporty but luxurious 7 Series should keep BMW loyalists away from straying into both the S-Class or the compelling Lexus LS territory.

A Private Session with IWC's Legendary Watchmaker

2009-08-18T07:30:00.011+08:00

Kurt Klaus was in town. Okay. He's not exactly a household name, but for watch connoisseurs and IWC collectors, Klaus is to haute horlogerie as, say, Sting is to pop music. Revered, respected and, yes, iconic.

So you could imagine the excitement when we received an invitation from Lucerne Philippines to sit in with Kurt Klaus for a private tutorial in watchmaking. After all, we were promised an intimate hands-on one-on-one and not some quickie interview or press conference like what usually happens when some big-wig from Switzerland flies into town.

If you still don't know (and frankly, I didn't until more research), Klaus is one of the most senior watchmakers of IWC, a man credited with some of the most exciting innovations including the revolutionary IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar. This watch featured an automatic chronograph movement with an entirely new type of programmed perpetual calendar that would last for the next 500 years. The movement was so successful with both collectors and the industry press that it was adopted in the IWC Portuguese flagship wristwatch. It's one of the few times that IWC has been able to out-innovate its older Swiss rivals and in honor of Klaus' achievement he continues to be called the "Spiritual Father" of the Da Vinci. (A limited edition of the Da Vinci has his face etched onto the back of the watch).

Impressed? So was I. So you could imagine the nervousness as my private lesson in assembling a mechanical watch was about to begin. The watch we worked on was a vintage IWC mechanical pocket watch. A smart choice since a much smaller watch would have been too difficult to work on for a beginner like me. Under Klaus' guiding hand the task turned out to be both interesting and surprisingly simple. (Of course, we only worked on the easier movements). You don't really appreciate the miracle of mechanical timepieces until you assemble all the miniature pieces that make up one.

I suppose this was the real intention of IWC. Up close and personal with the inner working of their watches with the help of the company's legendary master makes you realize why mechanical watches are so precious, collectible and, yes, utterly beautiful.

(IWC is distributed exclusively by Lucerne Philippines. The IWC boutique is located at Greenbelt 5, Makati.)

OLD SCHOOL: A Source Guide for Clothing and Accessories

2009-08-16T21:10:00.008+08:00

It's good to see Old School making a comeback in Manila. I've always been fascinated with photographs of the old city - that is before it was devastated by American bombs and Japanese cruelty during the liberation of the city in World War II. Quite simply, it was the most glamorous city in Southeast Asia - and the men and women of the capital's elite dressed the part. It was a time of gentlemanly fashion - tropical suits, panama hats, wing tipped two-toned lace-ups and walking sticks. Think Commonwealth President Manuel L Quezon and you know what I mean.

Fast forward to the present - to baseball caps, oversized shirts and sneakers. Not that there's anything wrong with dressing down. Indeed, dressing comfortably is only practical in a tropical climate like Manila's. In fact, dressing simply is considered the socially conscientious thing to do in a developing country like the Philippines. Put another way, however, dressing down ought not to be the opposite of dressing up. After all, a man's choice of clothes and his manner of dress reflect more than just his station in life. A man's style, regardless of cost, is much better indicator of his sense of self-dignity and his respect for others he comes into contact. Thank goodness all isn't lost in today's generation of men. Despite the lure of mass-produced casual wear, there is a loyal tribe of gentlemen who continue to hang on to the dress codes of many decades past. For those who are still enamored with the sartorial elegance and dressing rituals of our grandfather's age - here is a shortlist of places in the city where handcrafted and bespoke clothing and accessories can still be sourced.

AC +632

Walking into this elegant shop in Greenbelt 5 is like inserting oneself in a Proustian novel. Indeed, Remembrance of Things Past could very well have been an alternate name for this store. Instead, the creative partners behind the shop opted for Manila's area code - even if there's very little on sale that reminds one of a city that used to be called the Pearl of the Orient.

There's a delightful mix of European vintage (mostly French-inspired) and modern Asian pieces but for the gentleman seeking to replicate his ancestor's style the best place to start is with the Panama hats. AC +632 stocks authentic Panama hats - that is, straw hats actually handcrafted and handwoven in Ecuador. That's right, Ecuador not Panama. The hat got its name when prominent men like Teddy Roosevelt were seen wearing the once obscure tropical headgear during the much publicized construction and opening of the Panama Canal in the 1900s. Photographs of the president seen on the day's newspapers and newsreels set off a fad for "Panama" hats and the rest is fashion history.

The Panama hat has withstood the test of time and trends because it's an extremely practical piece to own. Both the quality of the local straw and the meticulous handwoven technique by Ecuadorian craftsmen and women make the hat virtually impervious to sun and rain. Best of all, the hat can be collapsed and twisted for portability and storage without losing its original shape.

The Panama hat is perhaps the most recognizable fashion accessory in antique photographs of colonial Asia and Latin America. In the Philippines, both a local version and the original Central American were worn by gentlemen before World War II. It's hard to understand why this tradition was abandoned considering the practicality of a lightweight, breathable and weatherproof hat like the Panama.

Another accessory popular with gentlemen of the past is the classic two-tone Wing Tip shoe. AC +632 and local designer George Gobio have collaborated to bring back the old all-leather classic - complete with a "Made in P.I." etching on the sole just like the originals worn by our fathers and grandfathers. Unlike the Panama hat, these shoes may seem a bit odd when worn on the street. But they make for a great pair for those with confidence in their fashion sense. They're actually quite stunning to look at - especially with slim and slightly cropped pants (bitin). In fact, it's a pair that would look perfectly at home in a Paul Smith catalog.

AC +632 pays homage to both the old-fashioned gentleman and the modern dandy with other accessories like bow ties, cuff links and traditional walking sticks. These items may have lost their practical use in today's comfort and convenience-obsessed street style but they definitely provide any gentleman willing to use them with a level of elegance that is all but lost in this age.

ASCOT CHANG

We first came across this bespoke shirtmaker in a previous trip to Hong Kong. Ascot Chang is one of the many Shanghai tailors that were forced to move south from the mainland after Mao's communists took over China. But while Hong Kong is full of legendary traditional tailoring shops only Ascot Chang has been able to build a global brand name and establish branches in cities like Los Angeles and New York.

The Ascot Chang philosophy is simple: to make the best shirts. What is not simple, however, is making a perfect shirt for our very imperfect bodies. For Ascot Chang, the secret starts with getting the measurements right. This means you need to have yourself measured in person by their tailors. Of course, all tailors require this, but for Ascot Chang, only their most senior tailors are fit for the job. They go beyond measuring the usual body dimensions and compensate for your lifestyle. Often overlooked is the fact that we sit as much as we stand. Because of this simple reality the tailor needs to provide extra room where the stomach extends when we sit. Otherwise, you may end up exposing your belly button to the public.

Another simple fact often overlooked is the type of watch we wear. Once again, the tailor gives extra room in the cuff for those times you decide to wear that oversized pilot's watch or diver's chronograph.

The next step is usually the hardest part for the customer: choosing from an endless set of shapes and sizes of collars, cuffs and pockets. And, yes, another set of designs for your personal hand-stitched monograph (my favorite part). On top of this, you'll also need to choose from what is literally hundreds of fabrics and designs.

Ascot Chang carry a wall full of catalogs containing samples of shirt fabrics that range from exclusive Swiss sea-island cotton to Italian and British varieties. It can get a bit confusing choosing from at least ten shades of what look like the exact same color of blue or pink. In the end, go with a fabric and design that won't go out of style as the price per shirt can reach hundreds of dollars once the cloth and tailoring services are totaled.

When you're done choosing - your measurements, style preferences and choice of fabric are then communicated to Ascot Chang's main shop in Hong Kong for at least a week's work before being shipped back to your pick-up point of choice. Lucky for us, the Ascot Chang branch in Makati Shangri-la Hotel is the only other branch outside of China and the USA so waiting for your crisp, handcrafted, bespoke shirts should never take too long.

KING PHILIP

Unlike in Europe and in the USA, having your suits and shirts made by a tailor in the Philippines is often accompanied by a suppressed giggle. Maybe its because of showbiz personalities like German Moreno (a.k.a. Kuya Germs - a popular TV host in the Philippines) who would famously thank their tailors on air for what would always be outrageously unfashionable suits. Or it could simply be 'colonial mentality' - the penchant for putting down locally made in favor of foreign brands. Whatever it was that made us laugh at the term "haberdashery" or made us squirm when we were sent to the tailor for a suit for the prom, all that is now changing as we become more aware that the bespoke suits of Savile Row turn out to be far more desirable and, indeed, more fashionable, than a ready to wear suit from even the likes of Armani or Hugo Boss.

Its not that Filipino tailors aren't good at what they do. They just lack the marketing savvy of the foreign RTW brands. Since the 80's - foreign designer brands were what most of us desired. And, despite more evidence to the contrary readily available in magazines and the web, the obsession with RTW Zegna, Paul Smith and Ralph Lauren suits continues unabated. Not that these brands aren't worthy of their status - they often are. The problem is not with their quality - the problem is with their shapes and sizes. Simply put: their suits are made for Caucasian body frames.

I've seen many a Zegna suit sent to a tailor for major alterations. So many alterations in fact that it's hard to recognize the original at all. Too bad since all one really has to do is match good quality fabric with a consistently good local tailoring shop to get a suit as good or even better than an Ermenegildo Zegna or Hugo Boss number.

A good place to start is King Philip. I find the branch in Arnaiz avenue in Makati the most organized and the one with the best selection of cloth. King Philip belongs to the Shanghai school of tailoring similar to those you find all over Hong Kong. And like many local shops in HK and India, the interiors are unpretentious - and have that textile warehouse feel. The service is straightforward and the "maestros" or master tailors are never chatty. This is old-school macho stuff without the annoying flamboyant style of most couturiers.

The downside of this minimalist service philosophy is that you can't expect the tailors or staff to explain the intricacies of the fabrics or the latest styles and cuts in suits. That will have to be your job. My advice is to come prepared with the kind of fabric you want and the style and cut of suit you desire. As for fabric, don't let the spartan interiors fool you. King Philip carry a wide variety of cloth to choose from - including very exclusive (and expensive) wool and cashmere from the UK and Italy.

The best thing about bespoke services like that offered by King Philip is that you can have as many fittings as you want until the suit fits you perfectly. RTW suits may look great on the rack but they will never be able to adjust to your imperfect body. On the other hand, a tailor preparing a bespoke suit will be able to adjust and compensate for normal problems like uneven shoulders, a pot belly or a flat bottom.

There are other tailoring shops that are also worth checking out. Hampshire Place on the ground floor of Shangri-la Hotel Edsa is simple but elegant and the proprietor has impeccable taste just in case you aren't confident of your own and need advice.

At the upper price range, Ermenegildo Zegna at Rustan's Makati is probably the best. They offer bespoke services but you have to set an appointment as the Italian tailor from Zegna Singapore visits only two to three times a year.

MONTBLANC

Another Old School accessory that hasn't gone out of style is the fountain pen. No matter how impractical they sometime seem, fountain pens have a way of transforming the simple act of writing or signing your name into an art form.

Unlike most modern ballpoint pens, the flow of ink from the nib of a good fountain pen glides efforlessly. From a utilitarian point of view, this makes your writing more legible - with less gaps in between letters. From a more emotional perspective, your writing seems more attractive, more elegant. Not to mention the tactile feel of a well made pen in your hands and fingers. The sensation produces less fatigue on the hand and wrists - but only if its a truly good pen you're using. For this, a personal favorite comes to mind: Montblanc. Undeniably, the most exquisite fountain pen makers in the market today.

There's more to the appeal of Montblanc aside from great marketing and celebrity endorsements. You have to feel it in your hands to understand the hype around this pen. For one, balance. The pen just feels so good and solid in your hand. Another reason is the quality of the nib - probably the single most important part of the pen. Forget the collector's editions and the bling of the more exotic Montblanc pens, even the basic Meisterstruck line will give you the ultimate writing experience. That's because the real star in every Montblanc pen is the nib which lets the ink flow so flawlessly and consistently onto the paper.

You don't have to own a Montblanc to enjoy the ancient beauty of writing or calligraphy - most good fountain pens can do it for less the cost. But if its pride of ownership you want and an intantly recognizable symbol of sophistication - go for a Montblanc. You won't regret it.

OFFICINA PROFUMO FARMACEUTICA di SANTA MARIA NOVELLA

Last on the list is a set of beauty products for men unashamed of describing one another as beautiful. There was a time when men and women had equal standards for grooming but somehow and somewhere in some century women left us men behind.

Santa Maria Novella from Florence was established at around the time that physical and sensual beauty was being rediscovered as a natural human need - and not just a divine state. When the guilt and self-denial of the medieval age was replaced by the self-awareness and worldliness of the Renaissance, the elites of Italy and Europe turned to newly discovered perfumes, oils and medicinal products to satisfy their new-found vanity. Indeed, in an age when running water in homes was still unheard of and the humble soap bar had still be to be invented, the herbal perfume products of the Sta. Maria Novella Monastery were nothing short of revolutionary.

From monastic pharmacy in the 1200s to modern day apothecary, the products of Sta Maria Novella retain the essence of its proud past. In a way, it doesn't get any more Old School than this. In fact, today's Eau de Cologne can be traced to the Farmeceutica di Sta Maria Novella. Cologne in Germany was where the producer of the bespoke Acqua della Regina perfume for Catherine of Medici moved and so his creation was named after his new residence.

The product line available in Rustan's is updated to comply with modern health standards but all retain the ancient procedures originated by the medieval monks and all still use natural raw materials - herbs and oils - most of them grown on the hills surrounding Florence.

What is refreshing is the absence of anything industrial or chemical in both the ingredients and smells of the products. Instead of artificial fragrances concocted in some outsourced laboratory, the colognes all smell of the natural flowers and herbs they were extracted from - rose, carnation, magnolia and iris - to name a few.

Traditional shaving products will also appeal to many men who still enjoy the slow rituals of trimming facial hair the old way - with brush and shaving soap. But mostly, its the body soaps that are irresistible. Not just for their traditional Florentine paper packaging - but for their natural fragrance and natural milky sensuality.

Being practical and modern is no excuse for being shabby and sloppy. Good grooming, well-tailored clothes and elegant style are just as timely today as they were in the past. The great thing is a few good stores and brands are still around to remind us that Old School will never go out of style.

UPDATED. Off the beaten track in the Philippines: CAMSUR Top Picks.

2009-07-27T19:30:00.009+08:00

CamSur is shorthand for Camarines Sur. The young governor of this Southern province of Luzon in the Philippines figured the new name would be more marketable among a younger generation of travelers. Smart move. The province of Camarines Sur is in Bicol - one of the most calamity-prone and one of the poorest regions in the Southeast Asian country. Googling the old name will most likely turn up a depressing list of facts and incidents that run counter to the revitalized image the provincial government wants to project.

The CAMSUR Watersports Complex

There's a reason why young travelers and extreme sports enthusiasts are being targeted. The province has been investing and continues to spend on tourism infrastructure precisely meant to attract young and extreme water sports enthusiasts. The CamSur Watersports Complex (CWC) in Pili is already a magnet for wake-boarders this side of the Pacific ocean. (The Australian Wake Magazine even calls it the "Best Cable Park in the World").

The CWC was built around a man-made lake and features facilities for wakeboarding, water skiing, beach volleyball, skateboarding and is also a popular place for all day partying. The real attraction though is the state of the art cable skiing system where skiers and wakeboarders are pulled by an overhead cable suspended 8-12 meters above the water which runs around the lake. Instead of using a speed boat to pull skiers the CWC opted for a more environmentally friendly way of doing it. Cool.

(Update) Those who prefer more conventional water sports have a much bigger playground with the Lago del Rey. Like the cable park nearby, Lago del Rey is manmade. But unlike the cable park, Lago del Rey was built to accommodate practically any water sport you can imagine. For now, its a magnet for children whonaturally gravitate to the cute giant inflatables and boating facilities. Around Lago is a jogging and biking track for those who prefer to stay on terra firma.

Because the CWC is located far from most tourist facilities, the provincial government decided to build hotel accommodations and a dining hall right within the complex grounds. Considering the target market (kids!), It's a surprise to see upscale facilities. In fact, luxury travelers won't be disappointed at all by the Villa del Rey Villas. The villas are all in the trendy Modern Filipino Tropical style and they come with spacious private gardens and personal outdoor tubs. The rooms are huge and are all tastefully decorated while the toilets and baths are outfitted with high quality fixtures. (T&B's are my gauge of quality when it comes to hotels).

It's hard to believe that the villas are actually run by the provincial government - although service is typically laid back and uneven, but that didn't stop me from enjoying my stay. It's a small price to pay considering that villas start at 110 USD per night. The private garden and personal gazebo alone is worth it. (Update: as of July, 2009, the Villa de Rey Villas are closed for some much needed renovation. Many of the hardwood floorboards and wooden accents haven't weathered well in the province's humidity so word is that cement will be used where wood isn't practical).

There's a bit of that trickle down effect for budget conscious travelers. The nearby Villa del Rey Cabanas are scaled down versions of the Villas. Although not as luxurious, cabanas are clean and well-appointed. For 28 USD a night it's a steal especially since it's a short walk away from the cable park.

But the real budget deal is the Villa del Rey Trailer Homes. It's actually bigger and better than it sounds. Built from the shell of a container (as in, container van) they are surprisingly comfortable and seem entirely liveable over long periods of time. In fact, these were built with long-time visitors in mind so each trailer comes with a choice of one or two bedrooms, a kitchenette, bathroom and a private deck to chill under the stars. Prices per night begin at 22 USD! No wonder some guests never leave.

During peak season it's difficult to find a room in any price category. To address this shortage, 100 new pinewood cabins were recently completed. In terms of price and level of luxury the wood cabins slot between the Villa del Rey Villas and the cheaper Cabanas. They come in three sizes - small, medium and large - with space depending on your family or group size. All three varieties are comfortable and clean. They are better suited for guests that only use the cabin for washing up and sleeping. As of this writing there were no television sets or wi-fi facilities. On the upside, the beds are comfortable and there's strong water pressure in the bathroom. When you think about it, this is pretty much all that guests with an active lifestyle require.

The downside? Well, if sports isn't your thing, there isn't much else to do. And because the facilities are run entirely by the local government, there are questions about sustainability. The young governor who envisioned all this has one term left in office and we can only hope that his successor build on his success rather than tear down his legacy.

However even non-fans of watersports won't be able to resist the carnivalesque atmosphere that young and active travelers from all over the world and the Philippines bring to the complex. And although the CWC isn't close to any major attractions, it isn't that far either. With few, if any, upscale resorts in the province, the CWC is a good base for day trips around the province for bird or dolphin watching and treks to the magnificent Mt. Isarog nature reserve. Even the legendary Mayon Volcano in Albay province next door is only a few hours away.

Volun-Tourism

The guys at The Lonely Planet predict a surge in community tourism as younger travelers look for more meaningful experiences off the tourist trail. In the Philippines, there is no shortage of places where travelers can integrate with the local community. Provincial Filipinos are such open-minded and open-hearted people and that makes foreigners and even big-city Filipinos feel right at home so quickly. And while community tourism has been happening for many decades now, it's a largely unorganized phenomenon.

CamSur and the Gawad Kalinga Foundation are pioneering organized and marketable community tourism using the villages of relocated squatters as a backdrop for curious travelers and hardcore volunteers alike to experience provincial life untouched by tourism gimmicks. What the visitor sees is both the unfortunate yet often noble face of poverty in the countryside. Surely, it isn't as raw as it all seems. Gawad Kalinga Villages are clean and crime-free havens due to a high level of organization and accountability within the community. Still, the feeling of community spirit - what locals call bayanihan - is palpable and refreshing. Often even more so than the beautiful landscape before you.

Two Gawad Kalinga villages in CamSur have launched what they call the GK Bed & Breakfast services. Basically, its for outsiders wanting to experience life from the inside. My favorite is the B&B located in Iriga. Two houses at the top-most part of the hillside and with the best views of Mt. Iriga and the CamSur countryside were set aside as B&B's. The facilities are basic but comfortable and there's clean running water all day. Designated villagers will take care of you and even provide your meals for a negotiated fee. The Iriga village has its own organic vegetable patch so fresh produce is always assured. But, the one reason why you'll enjoy your stay here is the people. they're always willing to strike up a conversation and even invite you into their homes. It's one of those really emotional experiences: when people with so little in life have so much to offer a stranger.

As of this writing, an overnight stay at the Iriga B&B is 350 pesos per head. You'll need to (and insist on) paying extra for local villagers to help out in the cooking and washing. Here's a tip: pick your own organic vegetables from the village farm and take them to Aling Norma (there's only one Aling Norma) for cooking. She makes a delicious laing using organic camoteng-kahoy leaves cooked in local coconut milk and siling labuyo - Bicolano chilis.

Caramoan Islands

It's ironic that the French public were first to know about the Caramoan Islands. Even ahead of most Filipinos. The group of Islands were chosen by the producers of the French Survivor program as the backdrop for the popular reality TV series. But if not for them, the provincial government would not have been able to fund the resort infrastructure now in place. So, all is forgiven.

It turns out that the reason behind CamSur's best kept secret is simple: an inaccessible location. Like most jaw-droppingly beautiful but impossibly remote spots in the Philippines, the Caramoan islands were once a secret among local fishermen with pump boats and tycoons with helicopters and yachts. Backpackers were the first foreigners to explore Caramoan as only hardcore adventurers would have had the patience and courage to make the long journey across the coast by pump boat through mostly unchartered territory.

Today the CamSur tourism office is pushing Caramoan as an alternative to the increasingly crowded and overpriced beach destinations of Cebu and Boracay in the Philippines. Although there are a few family-run resthouses scattered around the peninsula, only the Gota Village on Gota beach qualifies as a resort.

Getting there is still for the more adventurous and patient among us. It's an hour's drive from the airport to the seaport after which you'll need to board a speed boat to the tip of the Caramoan peninsula where the resort is located. The speed boat ride could take up to two hours depending on wind conditions but unless you suffer from extreme motion sickness, the airconditioned ride is a great opportunity to view the endless expanse of the Pacific Ocean and the beautiful Mayon Volcano in the distance. It's even possible to see dolphins racing into the open sea.

The dozens of cabanas of the Gota Village Resort were originally built to house the production crew of the French Survivor program but have since been converted into a quaint village-like resort complex. Each one is made of freshly cut pine wood and resemble Swiss log cabins more than tropical villas. Which is okay because I love the smell of pine.

The airconditioned and cable-ready cabins are small but space is utilized wisely so much so that it doesn't feel cramped. The resort has its own restaurant with an international menu which a Manila-based chef supervises for quality control. The local seafood is always fresh and you can have the staff pack a picnic lunch in case you want to dine in any one of the islands surrounding Caramoan. (Update). As of this writing, the Gota Village resort is closed to accommodate the Serbian crew of Survivor. (Before the Serbs, the resort was used by the Israeli and Bulgarian Survivor TV crew). After filming, the resort will be refurbished and reopened later in 2009.

In the meantime, visitors to Caramoan can look forward to the opening of a far more luxurious resort in Hunungan two coves away from Gota. Hunungan Cove is an even better location as its hidden from view by adjacent islands and surrounded on either side by towering limestone cliffs. These natural barriers also protect the resort from high winds and strong waves. The sea is always so calm, kayaking across to Cagbalingad island's beach is like sliding across a swimming pool on a raft.

There are 18 villas in Hunungan Cove and all face the beach. Interiors are in the tropical-modern-minimalist style and all feature large sliding doors that open up to views of the sea. Bathrooms are clean and water pressure is strong. Much thought was put into the shower area with the twin showerheads and a picture window that frames the seascape beyond.

The resort still has to build and staff its own kitchen but for now all meals are ferried from nearby Gota Village. Of course, you can always tap local fishermen to bring you prawns, squid and blue marlin for grilling on the beach.

Aside from island-hopping, rock climbing in the many limestone cliffs and caves is highly recommeded. Scuba divers and snorklers will also enjoy exploring the various underwater caves. Trekkers have some of the most beautiful landscape to navigate as trails wind through limestone formations, forest cover, lagoons and caves. There's one hidden lagoon a hundred meters from Tayak Beach you should ask your guide to take you to. It's surrounded by limestone cliffs and a fallen tree serves as a convenient plaform for diving or just sitting on as you take in the view. In a little while tiny fish will begin to swim to you and nibble at your toes. Pure natural ecstacy.

There are many islands to discover scattered across Pitogo Bay in Caramoan and everyone of them has its own unique geological character. Some are covered in limestone formations while others are flat-out beaches. One of the most scenic and unusual is Lahos Island. It's actually two limestone formations cut in the middle by a long and uninterrupted sandbar - creating what locals call a back-to-back beach.

Pitogo island itself is not as spectacular from afar, but its worth a visit if only for the strange flat stones that litter the entire coastline. The island's windswept hills are worth scaling for the beautiful 360 degree views of Caramoan and beyond. The coves near Pitogo have served as a sanctuary for sea vessels seeking shelter from storms lashing from the Pacific (a sunken Spanish merchant ship was discovered off the bay). One such cove - Tinago - is particularly interesting as it is literally hidden from the sea by limestone formations that enclose the cove (tinago is Filipino for hidden).

Matukad island is closest to the resort and has some of the finest powdery sand I've seen. This is the best beach for swimming although locals encouarge you to scale the limestone cliffs where a lagoon awaits.

Caramoan may not be the most beautiful string of islands in the Philippines (there is still Palawan), but its definitely up there with the best. I like Caramoan because it's neither overly touristed (yet), and neither is it too underdeveloped. For now, it has the right balance of creature comforts and provincial charm. Unlike many ultra exclusive resorts that keep you isolated in the middle of nowhere, there are still local communities close by and the area isn't closed off to the public. This provides Gota and Hunungan with an authentic sense of place and history - not the claustrophobic artificiality of most luxury resorts.

With roads to the Caramoan still many years from completion, the peninsula will continue to remain a private sanctuary for guests of Gota and Hunungan. That's good news for those who still seek that increasingly rare combination of luxury and untouched natural beauty.

Cambridge Top Picks

2009-06-26T16:46:00.030+08:00

Cambridge is often mistaken as a suburb of Boston. The two cities, after all, are separated by just a narrow channel of water - the Charles River. In reality, however, the two are entirely different from each other. Boston is the political and financial center while Cambridge is the intellectual heart of New England - maybe even the whole United States. Crossing any one of the bridges that span the Charles is like walking into a different world altogether.

Natives of Cambridge like to call their city the Left Bank of Boston. This, of course, is a reference to the Left Bank of Paris - the enclave of bourgeois bohemians, artists, and intellectuals. The comparison is a bit of a stretch as Cambridge is far nerdier than its Parisian counterpart, but the analogy is not altogether far-fetched. Cambridge's university campuses, cafe culture, indie shops and lovely book shops all provide the college town with a youthful vibe that is, well, much like the Left Bank's. But, forget the allusion to Paris. Cambridge has an identity all its own. And although short on edginess and grit, the city is long on charm, authenticity and a refreshing sense of neighborliness.

Our top picks:

Harvard Yard

If not for the presence of Harvard, Cambridge would not have been able to develop into the sophisticated city that it currently is. The thousands of students, faculty and researchers that live on and off campus have provided Cambridge with that kind of multicultural and liberal character often noticeable in towns built around large and prestigious universities (i.e. Ann Arbor, Berkley).

Harvard may no longer be the best, but its certainly the most popular and the most prestigious. Partly because of a pop culture that continues to glorify America's oldest college. But, to be fair, also because the Ivy League university has been able to graduate some of the most prominent leaders and intellectuals. (US President Barack Obama would never have attracted any attention if not for his stint at the Harvard Law School).

But you don't have to study within its hallowed halls to appreciate Harvard. Harvard Yard is the quintessential academic quadrangle. It's what most of us expect an Ivy League campus to look like. (Thanks too to Hollywood films like Love Story and Legally Blond). Harvard today is a network of 400 buildings scattered all over greater Boston but the Yard is where the University originally began in 1636. A stroll around the quadrangle offers you views of the oldest buildings on campus. Most of them are now Freshman dormitories. Don't miss the red-brick Massachusetts Hall - the oldest building in the Yard. It was once the headquarters of George Washington's army in Cambridge.

Follow the crowds and tourists to University Hall where the statue of John Harvard - the man after whom the school was named after stands. John Harvard, a clergyman, donated land and his collection of books to what was at first a training institute for future clergymen like him. Harvard U may be a bastion of critical thinking today but it was once a breeding ground for some of the most intolerant Puritans in New England. (Remember the witch trials?).

The religious beginnings of Harvard are still evident in the many steeples that rise above the campus skyline. Few actually attend service on campus but the chapels and churches on campus provide the University with a sense of history.

Make your way around the Yard and beyond it for other landmarks like the Widener Library - the most extensive academic library in the US. Also visit the Harvard Law School just outside the gates of the Yard for a first-hand view of this legendary institution.

Brattle Street

Just off Harvard Square outside the Yard is the lovely Brattle Street where you'll find some of the most beautiful and most historic homes in all of New England. The street was once called Tory Row because of the number of loyalists to the British Crown that used to reside here in the 1700s. When the revolution began, most of the wealthy loyalists moved out - leaving their homes to a new American elite. The important mansions along Brattle have markers that explain their historic and architectural significance, but even those without one are amazingly pretty.

Highlights include the home of poet and patriot Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It isn't the biggest or the most beautiful, but the history within its walls make it a true national landmark. George Washington, then a general, used it as his base during the campaign against the British Army in New England. When Longfellow purchased the house, it was here where he wrote most of his literary works. Writers like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne visited him frequently. I can almost imagine the conversations taking place at the lovely flower garden at the back of the house.

The row of historic homes is interrupted by a simple but utterly modern monument to Joseph Fitzgerald Kennedy - the older sibling of the 35th US President who was MIA in the second world war.

Radcliffe Yard

A detour off Brattle St. takes you to Radcliffe Yard - an small but inviting oasis of greenery and peace. This was once the all-ladies college attached to Harvard. Not too long ago women were barred from enrolling at Harvard and Radcliffe was set up to accommodate these young, wealthy and driven ladies. In 1999, Radcliffe was fully integrated into Harvard and the small college campus today is a co-ed institution dedicated to advanced research - famous for its women's studies program.

On a sunny day, Radcliffe Yard is one of the best places to cool your heels. The 360 degree views of the grand brick buildings in the Yard from any one of the garden benches is simply indescribable.

Harvard Square

A few steps from the tranquility of Radcliffe is the buzz of Harvard Square. Although downtown Boston is only a train ride away, most students and faculty come here for their dining and entertainment requirements. Not just because its convenient, but also because the establishments on the Square are mostly homegrown and independent shops with a more honest feel about them.

L.A. Burdick's Chocolates

Simply sensational. These handmade chocolates and macarons are to die for. They are pricey at 2-3 dollars a pop, but the richness and the quality of the chocolates is amazing. Also to die for is their signature Dark Hot Chocolate - a cup of cocoa that is out of this world delicious. I read it somewhere that the chocolate is grated and melted down with steamed milk, then garnished with shavings from a cocoa ball cooked down with cardamon and cinamon. Yummy.

Sweet

Another specialty food shop to load on calories! Sweet's cupcakes are all baked in their kitchen on the same day they're displayed - making them exceptionally fresh and moist. Their branch in Harvard Square makes you want to be a kid again and deciding on a cupcake flavor can take forever since they all look so good. I went for the RED VELVET - described as a "gentle hint of Bensdorp Dutch cocoa, a classic shocking red hue and Sweet's delectable cream cheese frosting." Absolutely heavenly.

J.P. Licks Homemade Ice-Cream

Boston and Cambridge are both ice-cream parlor havens. They say Bostonians eat the most ice-cream in the whole country. Ben and Jerry's has a strong presence in town, but its the smaller, independent, homemade ice-cream guys that make the better stuff. J.P. Licks is one of these homegrown Boston cafe's that specialize in ice-cream concoctions, yogurts and smoothies. Their newest branch in Harvard Square is perfectly located across Harvard Yard so the place is always filled with students. The non-fat frozen yogurt I tried was as good as it gets but the real deal here are the original ice-cream recipes like their Bittersweet Hot Fudge.

Mr. Bartley's Burgers

America is the land of burgers and I've tasted my fair share across the country. Mr. Bartley's is perhaps the best I've had. They offer a hilarious list of burger choices named after politicians and celebrities. The burgers are matched with the personalities they're named after: the (elitist) Barack Obama burger has feta cheese instead of cheddar while the (blue collar) George Bush comes with double cheddar and BBQ sauce. Other choices are the Hillary Clinton, Steve Jobs, Joe Biden - you get it.

Mr. Bartley's gourmet burgers are freshly ground 7-ounce patties of choice beef. It's often a standing room only affair but the wait is worth it. No wonder the the joint has been a Harvard institution since 1960.

Upper Crust

Burgers and Pizza. This is America and Boston is no exception. But unlike the deep dishes of Chicago and the thick crusts of New York, Boston's pizzas are often prepared the authentic way - extremely flat and thin-crusted pizza with fresh toppings. Upper Crust is one of the better joints in Boston and the branch in Harvard Square reminds you why its so fun to be a young student with nary a care about your health.

MIT Architecture

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is legendary when it comes to cutting edge engineering and architecture. So its only natural that the MIT campus should have an impressive collection of engineering and architectural landmarks of its own. The most striking is the Ray and Maria Stata Center designed by starchitect Frank Gehry. Like Gehry's Guggenheim Bilbao, the Stata Center's buildings are a deconstructed mass of undulating steel and glass that seem to crash and collide at the same time.

Another architectural icon on campus is the modernist-style Kresge auditorium designed by Eero Saarinen. The entire structure is held up by three footings alone. The circular MIT chapel across the auditorium was also designed by Saarinen and the interiors are particularly ingenious.

Although not modern, the neo-classical pantheon-esque domed main building at 77 Massachusetts is spectacular in scale and form. Also to check out are the buildings by MIT alumnus IM Pei and the many installations and sculptures by legendary artists like Henry Moore and Frank Stella scattered around campus.

Huron Village Stores

Cambridge is no longer just for those who work or study in schools like MIT or Harvard. There's a growing community of residents choosing to live here for the quality of life the city offers: good schools, beautiful homes, peaceful neighborhoods, sailing facilities and proximity to Boston. The influx of highly educated, highly skilled, but burnt out urban professionals is ushering a renaissance in neighborhoods like Huron Village close to Brattle Street. The visible effect of this migration is a burgeoning retail scene that reflects the sophistication of the neighbors. A few favorites tell the story:

Formaggio Kitchen

The kitchen-deli-grocer is the Dean and Deluca of Huron Village. But unlike D&D, there's an emphasis on locally sourced produce and artisanal products. The selection of artisanal cheeses from New England and around the world is mind-boggling. As is their array of specialty ingredients, organic produce, fair-trade coffees, wines, handmade chocolates and charcuterie - prepared meat products. If you're looking for a memorable picnic by the Pond or the Charles river, load your basket with goodies from Formaggio Kitchen.

Bryn Mawr Bookstore

Cambridge is home to some of the best bookstores in all of New England. Huron Village offers one more book seller to that venerable list: Bryn Mawr. The independent book seller specializes in rare and used books. It's a neighborhood shop so don't expect Christie's quality antique volumes and collectibles. The books in stock are meant to be read then re-sold or passed around. But there are gems lying around this friendly place. First editions and signed copies are mixed around with the others so you'll have to sift through the piles of books yourself. Fun.

Marimekko

What this upscale Finnish textile shop is doing in a quiet neighborhood like Huron is anyone's guess. My own guess is that Marimekko' s colorful Scandinavian designs resonate with the creative professionals and Volvo-driving bourgeois bohemians that live in the area. Marimekko stores are usually found in big retail centers like Manhattan and Tokyo. That a big stand-alone Marmekko store can be found in Cambridge says a lot about the lifestyle choices and purchasing power of the residents.

Cambridge Booksellers

Cambridge has the highest concentration of bookshops per square meter in all of the US - beating even bookstore crazy Manhattan and San Francisco. But that's not what makes browsing in the city one of the most satisfying experiences. It's not the number of shops but the quality and diversity of the bookstores that matter. Some favorites:

Grolier Poetry Book Shop

Fans of poetry all over the world must visit this tiny shop stocked with an incredibly large selection of books on poetry. There's an estimated 15,000 plus volumes on poetry about every theme imaginable from every part of the world. Dan Wuenschel, the store manager, is extremely friendly and well-versed in poetry so much so that he can find any book or poet you're searching for without the use of an impersonal computer database. This is the charm of Grolier - so authentically old world - just like the poetry on the shelves. Check schedules for performances and poetry reading sessions. Harvard is a haven for the written word so poet laureates are known to drop by every now and then.

Curious George and Friends

There's a story behind the name of this bookstore. Margaret Rey, the author of the popular childrens classic Curious George series helped set up this well-loved family-owned bookshop in Harvard Square. The store specializes in classic childrens literature for pre-school to high school kids. Stuffed and educational toys are also for sale but the best buys here are old classics like Tin Tin, Madeline and Babar - and, yes, the most complete collection of Curious George books and merchandise anywhere.

The Coop

This is the oldest bookstore in Cambridge and although attached to Harvard University, the store sells much more than academic books and journals. The Coop is as well-stocked as the large chain bookstores Barnes & Noble and Borders, but with a difference. The clientele of the Coop are some of the most influential thinkers and writers of Harvard and MIT so bumping into some of them at The Coop is highly likely.

Harvard Bookstore

Another Harvard institution with the most competitive prices in the area. The basement is where you'll find the used and marked down brand new books. Harvard students and faculty have access to online stores for discounted books but the neighbourly feel and intoxicating smell of pulp and ink is what keeps them coming to bookstores like this.

The Wait is Over: Toyota Launches the PRIUS in Manila

2009-06-26T09:19:00.008+08:00

Its official...and frankly, overdue. Toyota has finally agreed to bring in their bestselling PRIUS hybrid. The Philippines may have missed out on the first two generations of the PRIUS, but better late than never as the the 2009 model promises more power and fuel efficiency at the same time.

What took Toyota so long? Mostly its economics. Unlike other markets, the Philippine government does not provide any meaningful incentives for car manufacturers to sell hybrids and electric cars in the country. Despite all the lip service from our energy officials and congressmen, no law has been passed or amended to give tax breaks to the likes of Toyota, Honda and Ford - all of which have been waiting for a favorable investment situation before rolling out their hybrid models in the Philippines. It's very political, you see.

To make a long story short - the new generation PRIUS now has a price tag of 2.2 million pesos slapped on it's dimunitive frame! Yes, that's close to the price of a BMW 3-series or Mercedes Benz C-class sedan. Unintentionally, and rather ironically, the PRIUS is now a luxury car. Just think of what message that sends everyone: environmentalism is a luxury.

Had tax incentives come into play, the PRIUS could have been priced in the area of 1.6 million pesos - like a Toyota Camry (the level Toyota was first hoping for). This would have been a reasonable price for young and upscale buyers plugged into the global "green" trend. The Prius, after all, is a hard sell to the executive crowd. It's an owner-driven compact car with a 1.8l engine and a learning curve best suited for a younger and tech savvy set. At 2.2 million, it now comes across as a novelty for the super wealthy as well as early adopters with lots of cash to burn.

This hardly means the PRIUS won't find a market. In fact, I can already imagine the Prius stealing market share from VOLVO. Both appeal to countercultural types that shun the showiness of other luxury car brands. So-called soccer moms will likely gravitate towards the PRIUS' "feel good" ownership as well. Hipsters too. The hip and cool appeal of a car that is driven by Leo de Caprio and Brad Pitt is too tempting to ignore. Too bad, the real value of the PRIUS - clean emissions and fuel efficiency - is still beyond the reach of the larger market. After all, for the PRIUS to make any real impact on the environment it needs to reach critical mass. For now, however, the PRIUS will have to prove it's a better car than the closely-priced Audi A3 and A4 TDI variants that have proven astonishing fuel efficiency and clean emissions records. For roughly the same price range, would you prefer an Audi or Toyota? It's an awkward question, right?

Well, let the market decide. In the meantime, the 2009 PRIUS promises to be another great car. We tested the previous generation PRIUS and had nothing negative to say. In fact, we were surprised by the car's power and quick acceleration. Hardly something we expected from an electric vehicle. The upgrade from the previous 1.6l engine to the current 1.8l should increase the car's power, torque and fuel efficiency further with a better power-weight balance.

The hybrid gas-electric system is a flawless technology as far as our test was concerned. Despite the temptation to over-analyze how it works - it's best to drive and forget what all that technology underneath is doing. All you have to know is that the car runs on a self-charging electric motor in low speeds like crawling traffic (the least fuel efficient driving condition) and switches to the gas engine when more speed is needed. Of course, it's more complicated than that. But leave it to the on-board computer to decide when to switch or combine both because you have no control over it anyway. (Do not attempt to repair or inspect the system yourself as the high voltage electric motor can kill).

The new model PRIUS also looks sportier. The aerodynamic profile reduces drag which in turn contributes to better fuel efficiency and faster driving (and cool futuristic looks). The interiors are basic but much more upscale than most Toyota compacts. Adding to the whole high tech vibe is a touch screen panel for manipulating on-board controls and gathering driving information. Passenger comfort is also very high especially since the electric motor is virtually silent in low speeds and entirely shut off when stopping.

Toyota has sold over 1.25 million units of their first and second generation PRIUS worldwide. Toyota's undisputed leadership in hybrid technology and new improvements in the 2009 generation model should attract Filipino buyers looking for their first hybrid vehicle. But pricing will be critical as other car manufacturers begin to roll out attractively designed diesel variants with Prius-like fuel efficiency.

All in all, Toyota is on the right track. Soon hybrids will be mainstream and the "first to market" approach of Toyota will pay dividends in the long term.

Boston Top Picks

2009-06-22T11:17:00.027+08:00

The last time I visited Boston was in 1991. I was studying in New York at the time and decided to spend a weekend with a friend who was taking her MBA at the Harvard Business School. Either the weekend flew by too fast or Boston just wasn't memorable enough because I can't seem to remember much about the city except for how safe and clean it was compared to Manhattan circa early 1990's.

But that was then. Boston, after all, is hardly a place for a twenty-something looking for action. Although Boston shares the liberalism and multiculturalism found in most big cities of the American East Coast, it just lacks that in-your-face excitement and flash. Instead, the city is a model of understatement. And even that's an understatement.

Boston is extremely wealthy, but you hardly see any conspicuous consumption or vulgar materialism on the streets. Boston is one of the most culturally sophisticated cities, but you won't find any of that self-consciously advertised either. One must remember that Boston was founded by the Puritans - and although a hyper-liberal intellectual environment pervades the city today - the puritanical value of discreteness and understatement remains. And this is precisely the charm of Boston. If you have the time and patience to explore the city - you'll discover a city that is not only rich in history, but a city that is by far one of the most intellectually satisfying as well.

My top picks:

Freedom Trail

To understand Boston's character it's important to understand the city's history as well. The Freedom Trail is literally a trail that winds through Boston's historical center. There are many tours available and the best ones are led by irreverent costumed guides dressed up as the patriots. But because Boston's historical landmarks are all close to each other it's entirely possible to do the tour yourself.

The Boston Commons, the country's first public park, is where you ought to start your tour. This is where guides gather their tour groups but its also where you'll find many historical markers and grand monuments. Begin by reading through the landmark explaining the establishment of the city in 1630 by the Pilgrims. Remember, Boston back then was a colony of Britain and the pilgrims were the first white settlers.

The walking tour passes important monuments like the grand Massachusetts State House, the Old Granary Graveyard, the Old South Meeting House, the Old State House and, finally, Faneuil Hall. Each one of these landmarks tells the story of Boston's pivotal role in the American Revolution for Independence from the British. Familair names and events related to the Revolution like those of Paul Revere, John Hancock, Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, the Boston Tea Party and Bunker Hill - all these originated in Boston. Even if you're not a history buff, it's hard not to be carried away by all this well-preserved history around you.

Boston is still called the Cradle of Liberty - and no longer just because of its revolutionary roots. Boston will also be remembered for its struggle to emancipate the slaves. Also at the Boston Commons is a memorial to Robert Gould Shaw - the Union officer that led the first all-black regiment , the 54th, during the civil war with the secessionist South. Today, Boston remains one of the most liberal cities in the U.S. with a strong civil liberties tradition that has produced noteworthy Democrats like the Kennedys and Senator John Kerry.

JFK Library and Museum

Boston has no shortage of heroes and patriots. From Benjamin Franklin to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - the list goes on. But none more famous than the 35th President of the United States - John F. Kennedy. The memorial library and museum in honor of this native son is a must-see - not only for its spectacular location along the Boston harbor or for it's iconic structure built by I.M. Pei - but rather for its impressive collection of JFK memorabilia.

The Kennedy years took place at the height of the Cold War and the museum goes through great lengths to recreate the JFK White House during these global events, movements and conflicts. But its not all politics and diplomacy. Sections of the museum dedicated to the Kennedy family and the mythical Camelot years will surely delight followers of what many still consider America's royal family.

Museum of Fine Arts

Proof of Boston's cultural sophistication is the grand Museum of Fine Arts - arguably one of the most important repositories of art and artifacts in the United States. It's all here - from ancient to modern times - plus a wonderful collection of New England artists like John Singer Sargeant. You'll need a full day to explore the exquisite Chinese, Japanese, Egyptian and Classical wings, but if time is not on your side - go straight to the European Art section of the museum and to the Impressionists wing in particular to see one of the country's best selections of works by Monet, Renoir and Van Gogh. Gosh, even the building itself is beautiful.

Beacon Hill

Beacon Hill is where Boston's most prominent families live. Sometimes called Brahmins, these families are some of the oldest and wealthiest in the city. Because of its commanding views of the Charles River and surrounding Boston, the Hill was where the very first white families settled in the 1600s. Today, its still the toniest address in town. But true to their puritan origins, there's nothing showy about the red-bricked buildings of Beacon Hill. Despite the pretty rowhouses, the colorful flowerboxes and rose gardens and the elegant ironwork - it's still hard to tell some of these properties sell for up to 50 Million dollars in the market.

Choose a sunny, summery day to explore the neighborhood when the flowers are abloom and the light casts long shadows on the brick and stonework. One of the best places to take it all in is at Louisburg Square and its private wooded garden. The grandest homes are on this Square including the brick townhouse of Massachusetts Senator John Kerry (his is the only one with the U.S. Flag hanging on the front).

Charles Street Shopping

One of the other advantages of Boston's modest apetite for material consumption is the visible lack of shopping streets crowded with chain stores and branded boutiques. You'll still be able to find High Street brands like Cartier and Ralph Lauren in nearby Newbury Street, but that would be the exception. The shops of Charles Street just off Beacon Hill is a much better example of Boston's penchant for independent and homegrown stores. Charles Street's antique, vintage and specialty stores are some of the best - but there are many other similar streets all over Boston and Cambridge.

Some Favorites on Charles Street:

Black Ink

This is a novelty shop that caters to hip and younger Bostonians. The selection of merchandise says it all: Tin Tin characters and merchandise, Japanese novelty items, European stationery and paper products, etc.

The Red Wagon

Clothing, books and gift items for kids. That is, kids of hipster parents that prefer local artisans and organic, eco-friendly materials. The prices are steep but the quality is first rate. Still mostly Made in the USA.

Beacon Hill Chocolates

3 dollars for a tiny piece of chocolate? Yes, that's the price you pay for artisanal bon bons by Boston's favorite neighborhood chocolatier. Try their bestseller - a concoction of fresh dark chocolate ganache, olive oil and sea salt. There are other premium chocolate brands for sale - most of them you'll encounter for the first time.

Period Furniture Hardware

I go crazy in stores like this. Imagine a hardware that sells vintage, antique and reproduction knobs, latches, door bells, faucets - name it. There are very few brand new homes in downtown Boston so it's nice to know there's a store like this in case that door knob from the 1920's needs to be replaced with a new one that looks exactly like the old one.

Upstairs Downstairs

Great vintage furniture finds. Paintings, dressers, lamps and a whole lot of period furniture without the tricky reproductions you'll find in similar stores in New York. You'll find may stores like this scattered around the city, but Charles Street has the best concentration of antique and vintage furniture and painting shops in the whole city.

Eugene Galleries
This specialty shop sells antique and vintage prints, watercolors, oils, maps and post cards. The friendly shopkeeper encourages you to sift through the extensive collection of prints and even handle them. They store a good selection of Americana prints but you'll be pleasantly surprised with their collection of European prints on display.

Seafood

Boston is located at exactly where some of the best seafood from the Atlantic ocean can be found and that's why even the chain restaurants deliver top-notch quality. When in town try the legendary New England Clam Chowder. You may feel a bit like a tourist but its worth the rich and creamy shellfish taste of this famous starter.

Also to try are Boston staples like fresh lobster, oysters and crab. For a city that likes to think of itself as simple, you'll be surprised to find so many gourmet restaurants in town. For seafood that simple and unpretentious - head to local favorites like Barking Crab and Legal Seafoods.

Au Bon Pain

Remember this bakery/cafe? I used to love their bread and sandwiches. And even their coffee products were better than anything from Starbucks. But one day their Manila branches just folded and I've never heard from them since.

Maybe Au Bon Pain was ahead of its time? After all, their stores closed just about before the likes of Starbucks and Seattle's Best started making it to the mainstream in Manila. Too bad.

So imagine my surprise to see an Au Bon Pain in almost every corner of Boston. Well, it turns out Au Bon Pain is a homegrown Boston cafe and bakery chain. And you'll find these clean and well-lit cafes all over the city. Aside from the old favorites, there's a wide choice of organic and all-natural stuff for sale. There's still a lot to be desired as far as the coffee is concerned but the bagels, croissants and pastries have all the same goodness I remember. Wish to have them back home once again.

Classical Music

Boston is no entertainment hub in the way New York or Los Angeles is but a well-established intellectual elite in the city means that Bostonians have very high standards when it comes to high brow culture. This explains the presence of a world-class museum for fine arts and a lively classical music scene.

Boston is home to the critically acclaimed Boston Symphony Orchestra as well as a number of well-known chamber orchestras and ensembles - not to mention the popular Boston Pops and the annual Tanglewood Festival.

Cambridge

The city of Harvard, MIT and some of the most beautiful and livable neighborhoods of the East Coast. There's so much to like about Cambridge it deserves its own list of top picks. I'll be working on that soon.