WRITTEN BY MIKHAIL GOMES
Last year, I had the chance to ask a billionaire, “What does luxury mean to you?”. His response was a single word that had me hooked – “Freedom”. To men, totems of luxury are a mere medium to embrace their passions, build what they love, and build it exactly as envisioned, down to the last detail – It’s a simple joy for men but one of abundance. So, if you’re a man with more money than you know what to do with, willing to fuel your passions and materialize them, here’s a list of indulgences you could consider.
Rolls-Royce Spectre
In 1903, Sir Charles Rolls said, “The electric Rolls-Royce will be perfectly noiseless and clean. Free of engine smell and vibration”, and seven years from now, every Rolls-Royce leaving the Goodwood sheds in West Sussex will be electric – fulfilling this prophecy. The Spectre marks this dawn of Rolls-Royce’s electric future – it’s an 18-foot-long maximal-minimalist land-yacht of pure opulence and is the spiritual successor to the legendary Phantom coupe. Cosmetically, the front grille is wider than contemporary RRs, looking much like a Greek Parthenon, complemented in elegance by ultra-sleek headlights. RR’s ‘Architecture of Luxury’ division has delivered an uncompromising, buttery smooth cruising experience focusing on technology and sensibility. Being the most aerodynamic Rolls-Royce ever, it borrows the Ghost’s “Planer” suspension, combined with a camera system that reads the road ahead and adjusts springs and dampeners.
Inside the cabin, it retains all of the Phantom’s previous-gen zenith-grade luxury accents. But what’s new? RR’s first-ever fully digital bespoke instrument dial and Starlit Doors, which boast 4,796 delicate hand-placed fibre-optic stars, creating a 360-degree celestial experience alongside the Starlight Headliner and Illuminated Fascia. RR has a splendid track record of producing beefy English motors, but with the Spectre, they focus on conscious sensibilities. Two motors produce a combined 584 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque, allowing the Spectre to zoom from zero to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds. With 2.5 million test miles on the clock, it delivers a projected range of 260 miles on a single charge with a modest top speed of 155 mph. The Rolls-Royce Spectre is an island of detail – an avant-garde harmony of electric technology and bespoke craftsmanship.
Price: CAD $495,600 onwards.
Glashütte Original Senator Chronometer Tourbillon – Limited Edition
Limited to 50 pieces, this Senator Chronometer Tourbillon is a spectacle of hyper-precise horlogerie and micro-engineering. At its heart, rests a Flying Tourbillon – a Glashütte in-house wonder developed in the 1920s that defies gravity. Being Glashütte’s signature complication, the new Flying Tourbillon bears a braking device and a zero-reset mechanism, delivering the highest degree of chronometry precision. Measuring 42 millimetres in diameter, its case and crown are crafted out of pristine platinum. With a 3D, galvanized silver sub-dial at 12 o’clock, a monochrome sketched globe made of sapphire crystals indicates day and night. Surrounding this are applied blue-coated gold hour indexes with matching dial hands. Upon close inspection, you’ll also notice that the dial carrier boasts a “Chronometer Tourbillon” engraving on its sides. Also, the three-fourth dial plate is exquisitely adorned with “Clous de Paris” decoration. Interestingly, the seconds hand rests on the tourbillon’s cage – Ah! The tourbillon – a flying whirlwind on your wrist. This timepiece puts up quite a show when setting time. Pulling out its crown deploys a vertical clutch that halts the tourbillon’s elegant dance, locking its cage in place. Next, upon activating the zero-reset mechanism, it forces the tourbillon cage to swing upwards. Finally, a minute detent advances the minute hand to the next index. We also see a tiny power reserve indicator at 9 o’clock. All of this is powered by an in-house manually wound Calibre 58-06 – German chronometer certified, which delivers a 70-hour power reserve and a frequency of 21,600 vph/3Hz. Strapped on with blue Louisiana Alligator leather.
Price: CAD $215,500
Hill Helicopters HX50 Meet the HX50
The “world’s first truly private luxury helicopter” – that’s what Hill calls it, and for good reason. It’s the perfect embodiment of exhilaration, safety, innovation, and privacy. Sculpted with a falcon’s aerodynamic efficiency in mind, its exterior is a masterpiece of sleek contours and utility. To ensure you witness unobstructed aerial beauty from the skies above, it features surround-style, panoramic glass windows and ceilings. Using a hydraulic-powered nose and rear gear further enables high-speed cruising by 15 knots. If you’ll be exploring remote territories, there’s a fixed skid system for landing on snow and rugged terrain. Rear to the cabin, there’s a 0.7 cubic meter storage hold. Measuring 129.5 inches in height and 463 inches in total length, its Blade Fold System ensures utmost compactness in parking and transportation.
The last time I hitched a ‘copter ride, I had awkward elbows and crampy legroom. Hill’s HX50 believes private aerial transit needs to be luxurious, uncluttered and fuss-free. This five-seater aircraft’s interior is as smart as it is elegant – Think of it as flying a Bentley in the skies. The seats and cabin are crafted from the finest materials, combining two-tone Nappa leather, French stitching, Alcantara trims and brushed metal. Each 500-mm wide seat offers personal storage, USB charging ports and Bose ANR headsets. Upfront, each seat has a large digital instrument display and an ergonomically set, integrated pilot interface display fitted between both seats – this is the central control panel of the aircraft. There’s also a vertical centre console displaying navigational routes and flight plans. Supporting all of this is a Hill Active Safety Management (HASM) system. Using the Hill GT50 turboshaft engine, it churns out 400 horsepower delivering a cruising speed of 140 knots for a projected range of 700 nautical miles, capable of carrying a payload of 1760 pounds.
Price: USD $648,000 before options (approx.)
Dassault Falcon 10X
Luxury, in the skies – reinvented by the Falcon. Flexing the largest cabin of any purpose-built business jet, the Falcon 10X uses 2 Rolls-Royce Pearl® 10x engines and can fly 7,500 nautical miles (13,890 km), carrying 19 passengers, with a maximum Mach speed of 0.925 – this is pure aerial superiority. Stretching 6.8 feet tall, and 9.1 feet wide, it’s nearly 8 inches wider and 2 inches taller than current industry-leading jets. With a wingspan of 110.3 feet and a total length of 100.6 feet, it offers 2,780 cubic feet of deluxe cabin space. It also holds the largest baggage compartment unit in its class. “With the largest cabin in the skies, what can’t you do?”, That’s a question Dassault constantly asks themselves. Using modular construction, the Falcon 10x offers bespoke layouts and customized interiors – allowing for the perfect work-life balance and an aerial home that echoes the owner’s personality. How about a conference room with a large-screen monitor, a master suite with a queen-size bed, and a private stand-up shower? The Falcon 10X is a luxe penthouse at 40,000 feet. Being Dassault’s top-of-the-line bird, it bears 38 windows creating a near-panoramic view of the skies and maximising on natural lighting. In terms of flight tech, the Falcon 10X is jacked with Dassault’s Digital Flight Control System, their most advanced yet. It also uses the revolutionary FalconEye® Combined Vision System which enhances situational awareness in low-visibility conditions.
Price: USD $75 million before options.
Baglietto T52 Hybrid
As a floating castle of luxury and sustainable yachting, Baglietto’s 171-foot T52 superyacht is designed to sail into the future. Pencilled by Francesco Paszkowski Design and interiors consciously curated by Margherita Casprini, it makes for an oceanic paean of Italian elegance, natural sophistication and futuristic design. Capable of housing 12 guests plus 9 crew, this triple-decker vessel can bring your wildest nautical luxury visions to life. Layouts, choice of metal and wood for interiors, number of bedrooms, and facilities can be perfectly trimmed as per the owner’s bespoke requirements – but considering the real estate available on board, truly nothing is impossible. For the exteriors – how about dual mosaic plunge pools? Open-air conference spaces? Maybe a kitchen or dining zone? Social lounges or sun-soaking beach clubs that connect all three levels? The latter feat seems to be the hallmark of Bagleitto’s new course. Also, close contact with the sea is ensured by an open stern.
With a hybrid propulsion system, it boasts a range of up to 7,600 nautical miles using two spectacular MTU 16V diesel engines enabling it to reach a maximum speed of 17 knots – more so, it has the ability to choose a more efficient cruising mode, curbing both consumption and environment impact. Using two electric motors of 150 ekW each, they are plugged into dual Li-ION battery packs of 294 kWh each. The T52 Hybrid can remain at anchor for up to 10 hours relying on just batteries. It also enables emission-free sailing at the switch of a button. With a hull crafted out of high tensile steel, it uses aluminium for its superstructure with a max beam of 9.5 meters and a 2.70-meter draft.
Price: On Request.
Ducati Streetfighter V4 Lamborghini
Believe it or not – To cop this special-edition Ducati Streetfighter V4, there’s one teensy chore you need to run – write down a $402,000 cheque for a Lamborghini Huracán STO. Being one of the most alluring Streetfighters produced by Ducati, it reserves 63 units exclusively for Lamborghini Huracán STO owners apart from the already exclusive run of 630. ‘63’, signifying the founding year of the Sant’Agata Bolognese company.
Unifying their Italian bravado in form and finesse, the Streetfighter V4 Lamborghini boasts the STO’s signature ‘Citrea Green’ and ‘Dac Orange’, with matching blacked-out rims. More so, the front fender, tank, and rear cowl, all boast creases and contouring extensions mimicking the STO’s air inlets. It also bathes in splashes of carbon fibre and billet-machined components, furthering its X factor.
It produces a ground-rumbling 208 horsepower and 123 Nm of torque from its 1,103 cc 90-degree V4 monster. Inspired by the highest-performing Huràcan, it bears track-focused Diablo Rosso 4 Corsa tires. The suspensions fitted are Öhlins Smart EC 2.0 paired with a Brembo braking system.
Price: USD $68,000