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Published: 01/01/2007 - Filed under: Archive » 2007 » February 2007 » Lifestyle » Features » Lifestyle » What to buy »

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Ettinger

In the luxury leather business for 70 years, Ettinger appeals to both traditionalists and those looking for "gifts with a twist". New for 2007: fine leather set on to silver cufflinks, £65 per pair. Three styles are available and five colours – black, powder blue, dusky pink, red and tan.

For those whom shaving is a ritual rather than a chore, there is also the new range of shaving equipment. The At Home range consists of a white china shaving brush (£44.25), a white china razor (with Mach 3 blades) (£75), a silver shaving bowl (to avoid spills) (£30.50), a luxury sandalwood or lavender shaving cream (£13.50) and a clever silver stand to keep all items neat and tidy (£47). The travel products include a white china shaving brush with a retractable head (£36), a white china travel razor (with Mach 3 blades) (£69) and a travel toothbrush with a removable head and white china handle (£30), all of the products can be purchased separately. For a full list of UK stockists call +44 (0)208 877 1616, ettinger.co.uk.

Travel kit

Links of London has this high-tech but classy kit for all your technology needs including a global adaptor, phone charger and USB charger. Made from calf's leather (red or black) "The Power Trip" costs £120. Call +44 (0)845 120 2923, linksoflondon.com.

Bentley Continental GTC

There are convertibles, and there's the Continental GTC. Following on from the Continental GT in 2003 and the four-door Continental Flying Spur in 2005, this new soft-top can reach 195mph (190mph with top down) and is powered by a Crewe-built, W12 twin-turbocharged 6-litre engine, tuned to provide 552bhp (560PS/411kW) and 479lb/ft (650Nm) at just 1,600rev/min for that legendary Bentley torque from low revs.
The interior is as gorgeous: dark-stained Burr walnut wood veneers applied to the fascia, upper door trim and front console, although you can choose your colour and style from Bird's Eye Maple, Madrona and Piano Black, all cut using laser technology then lacquered by hand before being machined and polished. Premium A-grade leather hides in one of 17 colours cover the seating, door panels, waistrails, dashboard and rear tonneau cover. As a result, the moment it starts raining you might want to pull over to operate the electro-hydraulically operated seven-bow, three-layer, soft-fabric roof with heated glass rear screen.
Practicalities haven't been forgotten however – between the rear seats there is access to allow skis to be passed through from the boot area, and the boot can hold two golf bags and plenty of luggage.
Price: £130,500. For more information, or to arrange a test drive, visit bentley.com.

Glashütte

For watch collectors for whom money is less important than time, the luxury watch manufactory of Glashütte Original has created the exclusive special edition "500 Years of Glashütte". Five exclusively designed timepieces from the current collection – PanoMaticTourbillon, PanoMaticChrono, PanoMaticLunar, PanoMaticReserve, and PanoMaticVenue – are housed in "the Gentlemen's Corner", a 1.15 metre high piece of furniture coated with a high-quality black piano lacquer.

Inside in the upper part there are five individually settable watch winders, with the watches being backlit by an integrated lighting strip. Two drawers are for your watch-care utensils as well as the remote control belonging to the integrated high-quality DVD and audio system. There's also a humidor with a fine selection of Cohiba cigars and a bar with an 18-year-old bottle of Scottish single malt whisky.
Limited to 50 sets worldwide. Suggested retail price £119,440. Available in Harrods, glashuette-original.com.

Vertu

High-end phone maker Vertu aims to import the values – and value – of watch-making into the mobile phone market. The Constellation model (above) is a quad band phone finished in stainless steel or gold and backed with hand-worked leather. It offers a suite of GPRS-enabled functions useful for travellers such as global weather reports, a flight tracker, a world clock and a real-time currency converter while a dedicated button connects direct to Vertu Concierge, the personal service offering expert information, priority bookings and emergency assistance worldwide. Price £2,500-£11,000, vertu.com.

Asprey travel clock

Wake up to a familiar face with the Havana Portfolio travel alarm clock in buffalo leather and nickel-plated brass. Price £325, asprey.com. Available at 167 New Bond Street, London, Harrods and London Heathrow Terminal 4.

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