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Inside the world of bespoke mobile phones

Like everything else in the world of luxury, mobile phones have come a long way and as the super-rich seek to accessorise and put their high end stamp on anything from a private jet to their Hermes Birkin, the technology industry has spotted an opportunity to embellish its own products. Mobile phones are a booming market and even at the ultra top end, there are UHNWI willing to pay millions of pounds for a jewel encrusted trophy handset.

Continental Mobiles in York Street, Mayfair is a high end online boutique, which launched a decade ago and sells premier luxury mobile phones. These are no ordinary mobile phones and reflect the increasing demand for pure luxury goods and accessories expected from the super wealthy.

Rather like Savile Row bespoke tailoring, the engineering involved in these phones is undertaken by expert English craftsmen using precious metals and gemstones, from platinum and rose gold to mobiles and headphones encrusted with diamonds and other precious stones. Glamorous exciting designs that bring together classic and contemporary styles.

This company is one of several operating in this niche market place and have been consistently praised for creating “World’s First” custom pieces in bespoke communication. They are appointed by the Royal Family in Saudi Arabia and accommodated the corporate requirements with major Middle Eastern provider, Batelco.

Continental display their unmistakable creativity with the iPhone 6s in a Classic Gold blanket that is timeless. A fine display of Vs1 white diamonds sparkle against the curves of the iPhone’s form, creating a hop-scotch thread around the chassis amounting to some 5.7 carats.

In 2016, some of the most expensive mobile phones in the world include

1: Falcon SuperNova Pink Diamond iPhone 6 ($95.5 Million)
Falcon Super Nova Pink Diamond iPhone 6 is the latest model which features one huge eye catching 18 carat diamond.

2: iPhone 5 Black Diamond ($15.3 Million)

The black diamonds used in this mobile phone are some of the most costly gemstones in the world, in other luxury iPhones, gold and white diamonds are featured.

3: iPhone 3G King’s Button ($ 1.5 million)
iPhone 3G King’s Button is made of 18 carat yellow gold and features a ‘home’ button flashing a high quality 6.6 carat diamond making it a thing of beauty and considered as one of the most luxurious phones on the market.

4: GoldVish Le Million ($ 1.3 million)
The Swiss model – GoldVish Le Million mobile phone is manufactured by the renowned designer Emmanuel Gueit. The device is made of pure 18 carat white gold and includes a VVS1 graded diamond of 120 carats. In 2006 a Russian businessman bought this mobile for €1 million and entered the Guiness Book of Records for purchasing the world’s most expensive mobile phone as that time.

5: Diamond Crypto Smartphone ($ 1.3 million)
It is the power encryption technology used in this device which makes this mobile so special and valuable. The sophisticated technology enables it to be mostly used for the protection of information. It is made of solid platinum with an 18 carat gold navigation key in which 28 cut diamonds are used on the sides and the mobile is also decorated with 25.5 princess diamonds.

by Simon Barnes

PAD London Art Fair and Berkeley Square

PAD London Art Fair, or Pavilion of Art & Design London, makes Berkeley Square its chosen venue for its tenth year. This popular event will run from the 3rd to the 9th October and is the spin-off of its longer established Parisian sister.

PAD London brings together exceptional works of 20th Century modern art, design, decorative arts, photography, jewellery and tribal art from 1860 to the present day. Some 62 esteemed galleries will take up residence, but what makes the event unique is the way in which it “brings a different ‘eye’ to the British scene” (Financial Times). The fair, which takes place at the same time as the Frieze and Frieze Masters art fairs, helps to attract the world’s most influential art buyers to London each October.

Joshua Buckley, a Mayfair based property consultant at H.Barnes & Co comments: “PAD is my favourite event on the Frieze calendar for a number of reasons.

Firstly, it is a fairly small sized event on a scale perspective (in comparison to a number of other events during Frieze), so the event is very concentrated and focused, especially towards furniture and design.

Secondly, the majority of the designers and galleries are typically from Paris and you have an opportunity to view what I believe to be the most influential and current design and generally what we tend not to see in the London market place. Essentially, I feel it is the most tasteful and stylish event (especially if you like furniture) and offer a real chance to pick up something unique and special that you won’t spot anywhere else in London.”

About Berkeley Square

Once upon a time in civilised Georgian society, Berkeley Square, which was created in 1730 by William Kent gentleman architect, may well have resonated with the sound of nightingales singing; the few original Georgian houses can still be seen to the west side. Today it’s a busy hub peppered with smart clubs like Annabel’s and Mortons and restaurants such as Sexy Fish owned by Richard Caring. The traffic whizzes around and black cabs scoot between the smart hotels.

That said, Berkeley Square still manages to exude an historic stately elegance, distinguished by a central landmark parade of 220 year old Plane trees, some of the oldest specimens in London. Famous residents include Winston Churchill and Charles Rolls, co-founder of Rolls Royce, who was born in Berkeley Square in 1877.

by Simon Barnes

Boat International: High and Mighty

BOAT INTERNATIONAL – OCTOBER 2016: This super-chic Armani/Casa-designed villa in St Tropez was raised up to provide some spectacular sea views, says Francesca Steele in Boat International

Earlier this year, Giorgio Armani’s property division, Armani/Casa, completed its first property in London, the renovated townhouse at Queen’s Gate Place, near the Natural History Museum in South Kensington, for £35 million. It was the latest in a growing global portfolio that includes Miami, Mumbai, Istanbul and Rome. But one of the designer’s first property projects was a much more intimate affair.

It’s hard to find a good plot in St Tropez, but they did find one and spent a few years persuading the current owner to sell

Armani agreed to work on a residence in St Tropez for some Milanese friends who were looking for a holiday home they could potentially use all year round. “It’s incredibly hard to find good plots in St Tropez, but they found a spot they saw potential in and spent a few years persuading the current owner to sell,” says the agent (and owner’s son-in-law) Joshua Buckley. But it wasn’t yet perfect.

The land was too low and it took several years just to get planning permission and add enough soil o create a space where a home with sea views could be built.

Today, Villa L’Amour by Armani/Casa is a stunning blend of Tropezienne architecture that is sympathetic to the original fishermen’s cottages.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD PDF OF FULL ARTICLE

Villa L’Amour by Armani/Casa is available to rent and buy, POA, through H Barnes & Co, London, +44 20 7499 3434

Francesca Steele is senior property writer at The Times

by Simon Barnes

Demand for private jet luxury takes off

Oprah Winfrey once said, “It’s great to have a private jet. Anyone who tells you that having your own private jet isn’t great is lying to you.”

First came luxury city penthouses, then superyachts, now it’s the turn of the private luxury jet as millionaires and billionaires commission designers to create a bespoke home in the skies. Interiors, featuring seat belts made from 24 carat gold as in Donald Trump’s Boeing 757 and hand-stitched leather seats from Bill Amberg are among the latest ‘must-haves’.

Last year, a Boeing 747-8 was acquired by an UHNWI for around £230 million, subsequent improvement work which totalled some £160 million undertaken by Greenpoint Technologies, took around three years, and brought the overall spend to around £400 million.

The aircraft, which has the capacity to carry up to 450 passengers, has been converted into a private jet for the unknown private owner to include everything you would normally find on board a luxury super yacht. The interior refit and redesign incorporates a restaurant, dining room, a bright and airy master bedroom and guest bedrooms, two large living areas and a private office which is designed like a conference room. There is generous entertaining space with large walkways inside and up on deck, together with a ‘chill-out’ zone.

Boeing’s Aeroloft provides private sleeping berths located above the main deck in the aft section of the plane, where the design features custom designed interior furnishings and a forward entry staircase.

Private clients, royalty and heads of state are in the business of commissioning high end designers to create luxurious yet practical interiors for their private jets and helicopters. They want to replicate the attention to detail and bespoke finishing of the interiors in their super prime residences around the world. Specialist Mayfair company VIP Completions is one such design company creating masterpieces in the skies an traditional established interior designers, such as Linley London have, over recent years, been commissioned to design interiors for the wealthy’s yachts and planes.

by Simon Barnes

This Summer’s Swankiest Holiday Rental

To create the perfect holiday rental property for the discerning client in exclusive destinations, property owners are now not only building phenomenal houses but also retaining the services of world class interior designers designers and architects.

Armani designed interiors at Villa Armani Casa, St Tropez – photo credit Massimo Listri

Joshua Buckley of H. Barnes & Co observes: “Typically properties at this level were designed, especially their interiors, with function durability in mind for the purpose of such rentals. However in this competitive and now demanding high end level of the market, owners are prepared to create the ultimate luxury for their holiday clients. Take Villa Armani Casa, an exceptional property located in the centre of town in St. Tropez. Created from the ground up eight years ago, this house was a design personally by Giorgio Armani complete with bespoke furniture and unique features that have this property exceed expectation.”

Villa Armani Casa St Tropez pool view at twilight – photo credit Massimo Listri

Holiday Rental – Villa Armani Casa

Additional features and services include:

swimming pool with moveable floor
Brazilian marble bathrooms
Armani designed minimalist kitchen
silk bespoke Armani furniture
house keeper
house manager/butler
chef
concierge services

Inside the world of bespoke mobile phones

In 2016, some of the most expensive mobile phones in the world include

PAD London Art Fair and Berkeley Square

About Berkeley Square

Boat International: High and Mighty

BOAT INTERNATIONAL – OCTOBER 2016: This super-chic Armani/Casa-designed villa in St Tropez was raised up to provide some spectacular sea views, says Francesca Steele in Boat International

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD PDF OF FULL ARTICLE

Demand for private jet luxury takes off

This Summer’s Swankiest Holiday Rental

Holiday Rental – Villa Armani Casa

DOWNLOAD BROCHURE

Contact H. Barnes & Co – Tel: 020 7499 3434