They have been immortalized in works of art. Poets found in them inspirations for literary masterpieces. And now the bird, in all its vivaciousness and embodiment of free spirit, inspires an entire time piece collection. Dubbed Wings Of Time, Century, through its latest range of delicate jewelry watches, pays ode to the bird. A time piece, an expression of artistic brilliance, whichever way you look at it, the Wings Of Time pendant Jewelry watch is an ultimate show stealer.

With newer innovations and ideas popping up left, right and center, the kitchen has come to resemble a “melting pot” of technological experiments. We had told you about the Electrolux 3D hob earlier. Stylish and energy efficient, it packed functionality and creativity in one suitcase. Keyhole hob, another Electrolux creation that we reported on, bagged the prestigious gold award at the 2010 Singapore Design awards. European in design, the hob was meant primarily for Asian kitchens. And now, evoking fresh memories of hob- related experiments in the past, Fagor present their latest collection- fashionable induction hobs with a dash of Freezone technology and innovative “Pasta Function” thrown in.

It all began three decades ago in 1978. In recognition of his extraordinary performance, Mel Wimore’s employers gifted him a stunning Montblanc pen. Overjoyed, inspired, Mel embarked on his decades-long journey with Montblanc pens- a journey which culminates this June with The Mel Wilmore Collection of Extraordinary Montblancs auction at Bonhams. And before the gavel bangs on the exquisite pieces, they will be showcased at cities like Hong Kong and New York. Bonhams earlier collaborated with Butterfields for hosting an auction of rare Montblanc pens, including the the Montblanc Meisterstuck Solitaire Royal LeGrand, a legendary Diamond Solitaire pen featuring 4,500 brilliant cut white diamonds over an 18k yellow gold barrel, also known as one of the world’s most expensive writing instruments.

American billionaire Lily Safra’s jewelry auction continues to establish record results. Christie’s auction of Lily Safra’s jewels includes the largest collection of single-owner JAR jewels to ever go on auction. The private jewelry collection raised a total of $37.9 million, exceeding its pre-sale estimate of $20 million. The collection also set a record for the most expensive ruby ring auctioned at $6,742,440. This top of the lot Burmese ruby diamond ring was designed by Chaumet. Safra’s ‘The Hope Ruby’ highlighted a cushion-shaped red stone weighing 32.08 carats. The auctioned price was the highest ever price for a ruby sold at auction.

Flying in the air has always been costlier than having a ride on road in a car. But it seems that the scenario is for an immediate overturn or so claims designer John McGinnis, the man behind the innovative Synergy aircraft. The current evolution of aircraft engineering gives us enough confidence to think so. We have earlier told you about Yuneec electric sport airplane prototype priced at around $89,000, and the highly fuel-efficient Pipistrel’s Panthera four-seater airplane. The compact of the lot is this small passenger airplane, called the Synergy with a mesmeric power efficiency that will even beat our cars down in mileage. The Synergy project was introduced in NASA’s 2011 Green Flight Challenge and is in look for an initial financial support of $65,000 on Kickstarter.

Talk of cameras and one name that has been everywhere, from record books to auction circles, is Leica. We had told you about vintage Leica cameras fetching big bucks at auctions. A rare camera from the 1923 Leica o-serie camera made headlines by selling for $1.9 million in 2011. The vintage piece, as we had reported earlier, went under the hammer twice, smashing records on both occasions to become one of the most expensive cameras ever sold at an auction. And, yet again at the WestLicht auction another rare camera from 1923 part of the famous O-series, set a new record for being the most expensive camera, for a whopping $2.8 million selling price. And now, joining the list we have the black enamel Leica MP-126 which brings home a staggering $158,000.

If you have a fascination for the vintage stuff, then the American lifestyle brand Coach has given vintage apparel a whole new meaning with its range of men’s wallets made out of vintage baseball gloves. Released in the press preview of Spring 2012 collection, the men’s wallets from Coach were undoubtedly the show stoppers. The limited edition men’s billfolds are crafted by hand using leather sourced from vintage baseball gloves with hand-turned edges and reinforced seams to add durability to its sophisticated heritage design. Further, the vintage style mitts embellished with a series of trimmings added primitive glamor quotient to them.

The year 2012 known as “Year of the Dragon” as per the Chinese astronomical experts has been a year of the celebration of the Chinese culture to the hilt, with luxury brands leaving no stone unturned to lure the wealthy Chinese. Chinese culture relates Dragons to strength, harmony and good fortune. So whether it’s jewelry or cars or other premium brands for luxurious items, everyone is in a race to tap the symbolic prosperity and power of this special Chinese mystical animal. And when the name of the noted Spanish jewelry firm – considered as one of the best worldwide, Carrera y Carrera pops up, it becomes synonymous for all words describing distinguished work of art. And special Carrera y Carrera Year of the Dragon jewelry representing one of the strongest collections of this brand - Círculos de Fuego is no exception.

There have been lots of amphibious vehicles over the years. They may move on both water and road alike. But, most often, weird design and low performance on road make the amphibious vehicles less worthy for drive on land. At the same time, they may be great vehicles for water. The Sea Lion is different here with an impressive body and incredible performance on both road and water. Powered by a 13B Rotary Engine (Mazda) and stainless steel body, the Sea Lion can run 180mph on road and a better 60mph on water.

October 1, 1975- a day when the boxing world stood witness to one of the greatest fights in history. Thrilla in Manilla, the third and final boxing match between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali, of which Ali famously remarked “It will be a killa… and a chilla”, is back in a new way. The trunks worn by Ali in that legendary match have sold for a record breaking $100,000 at Robert Edwards auctions. Needless to point out, if Thrilla in Manilla can be universally regarded as one the greatest boxing battles in history, Ali’s trunks, which he wore that day, are no less awe inspiring either.

As Queen Elizabeth’s jubilee celebrations pick up steam, the world and his wife, it appears, are ready with a bunch of newer surprises to vent the excitement. From watches to royal cars to rare scotch whisky- we had spoken about a series of innovative ideas marking Queen Elizabeth’s sixtieth year on throne. The latest is a diamond jubilee cocktail by Goring Hotel, is what gets us talking this time.

Speed locked in time- weird as it may sound, yet Meccaniche Veloci’s Only One collection is woven around a similar theme. In a one of its kind extravaganza, the Only One collection presents exclusive timepieces made from parts of helicopters, racing cars and airplanes- in brief, all objects that signify speed and raciness. Making its debut at Baselworld 2012, the range has all the makings of becoming a collector’s delight. We had earlier spoken on Veloci’s collection for Baselworld 2011. The spectacular timepieces based four engine pistons, had drawn inspiration from racetracks. The Meccaniche Veloci collection at Baselworld 2012, therefore, is a fond reminder of its much appreciated predecessor. While Veloci’s newest range may remain packed with a variety of racy pieces, the limelight undoubtedly falls on the Only One Air Huey- a grand piece which honors one of the world’s best known helicopters.

As summer glows down on earthlings, there is a mad rush for innovative cooling techniques. Despite all the heat, it is also the season that sees a large number of people buckle up for outdoor adventures. But having said that, what’s the point of hitting Canadian lakes or Alpine resorts, when the cooling effect could be created, right here in your backyard? Presenting an exciting variant to the already enriched list of luxury outdoor showers, Idiha brings their latest multi-sensory design-the Loop.

Fine wine is always on the radar map for connoisseurs and collectors, especially if they carry a vintage origin with them. We saw plenty of such bottles from pages of history in the list of most expensive wines, and also the Space aged wine bottle, that had the beverage infused with a 4.5 billion year old meteorite thus pushing its price higher. Now, it’s the turn of an ultra-rare 1774 bottle of Vin Jaune which will go under the hammer at Christie’s Fine wine auction on May 15, this year. For an asking price between $43,504 and $54,380, the bottle will see a rather fierce budding as more than the content alone, the historical vintage associated with it, will generate the interest around it.

If you find a dozen ways of earning bucks, then the world and his wife are ready with hundred more ways to break the bank! Or so it seems. Dresses, cars, gems- we have seen fetch thousands of dollars, and in a surprising new revelation, hot dogs, too, appear to have entered the bandwagon. Cherished and loved by gourmands around the world as one of the most delicious mid-day meals, the hot dog has off late started acting pricey. We ran a story on the $2000 cognac soaked world’s most expensive hot dog. There have also been reports of a $80 foot-long delicacy with exotic trimmings and truffle shavings. The $69 hotdog by New York restaurant Serendipity 3 was another big stunner. And now a latest hot dog strips them all off the world’s most expensive hot dog title. Created by hot dog purveyor Juliano, the piece sets you back $1,501.

As global warming turns the whole of world into a “hot spot”, top brands are busy churning out amazing collections to help you beat the summer heat. We had earlier reported on Chopard unraveling their range of, what many claim to be, the most expensive sunglasses in the world. Turn now for Brioni and Dolce and Gabbana to join the ranks. Brioni has clothed some of the world’s best known men back through time. They are even credited with designing one of the most expensive suits in the world. For the Italian fashion house, whose suits have reached such an iconic status, the sunglass range marks their maiden foray into the world of designer eyewear. Dolce and Gabbana, on the other hand, pay a tribute to contemporary style in their latest female line of sunglasses. Dubbed the Gold Edition, the pieces have all been bathed in yellow and white gold. All aspects considered, the choice is going to be anything but easy for the eyewear crazy fashionistas out there. And to make your decision a bit more complicated or perhaps provide you with a bit of helpful guidance (whichever way you look it actually) here’s is what the Brioni and Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses pack onto themselves.

Technology has advanced with the times, and though we have seen some of the most hi-tech cameras that has brought a revolution in the photography world, including Hasselblad H4D-200MS 200-megapixel camera to Leaf AFI 56 Megapixels camera, when it comes to the collectible value, vintage Leica camera rules the market, selling for not just thousands, but millions of dollars. We have earlier told you about the most expensive cameras, and the 1923 Leica 0-Series that sold for $1.9 million “Leica I Mod” was the most expensive camera by far. But, another Leica _ series has set a new record yet again when it was recently sold for a staggering $2.8 million!

For those who owns finest of watches that costs more than a luxury car, knows the importance of a watch winding cabinet to make sure their finest timepieces remains functional to last generations. And, for the connoisseurs of finest timepieces, the stakes keeps getting higher. A while back, we had told you about the world’s most expensive watch winder cabinet “Gigantic” that comes with a built-in an HDTV and a fireplace, besides all the bells and whistles to house watch collection in museum style. The latest watch winding temple to house a luxury watch collection comes from the house of Buben & Zorweg, known for their Objects of time masterpieces, including the iPod-dock watch winders.

Combining the Audi brand’s fundamental competences like the exclusive design, ultra, connect and e-tron, the Audi’s e-bike Wörthersee looks futuristic at the very first glance, which explores the greatest extent of what is technically feasible in terms of lightweight construction, electric mobility, and design. However, we have earlier seen some of the finest e-bikes like the M55 e-bike Terminus Royal edition, Panasonic’s e-bike with LCD monitor and the world’s first e-bike, and now, it’s the time to see the Audi’s e-bike Wörthersee, which is neither a conventional bike nor a pedelec, but is best described as Audi’s high-end pedelec made for fun, tricks and sports.

Stealth fighters like styling inspired by the ‘fastest airplanes’, named for a fighting bull, in line with the Lamborghini tradition, all carbon-fiber exteriors, and credited for being the fastest and the most expensive Lamborghini car to date; the Lamborghini Reventón has got all that a supercar aficionado could ask for. Back in 2007, when it was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show, this two-seater bull changed the perception of the supercar world with its first appearance. And, with only 20 units ever built that got sold in a whip, along with one additional car marked as 0/20 produced for the Lamborghini Museum; each of the stylish Lamborghini Reventón comes clearly stamped with its unique number in the sequence of 20, making it rare and most sought-after limited edition supercar. Now, any of the well-heeled petrol heads can grab one of the world’s rarest supercars this summer, as an ultra-exclusive Reventón is featured in the exclusive H&H’s Supercars and Superclassics sale being held at London’s Motorexpo, the revolutionary and the world’s biggest free to visit motoring event.

German automaker, Volkswagen, has enthralled us with its line-up of cars over the years. From the Volkswagen Swarovski Beetle to the all-pink Volkswagen Beetle Barbie, we have seen some of the finest special edition Beetle cars. A year ago, VW unveiled a concept car titled Beetle Fender Edition as a tribute to Fender, the iconic company that’s been producing world class guitars and amplifiers used by legends like Brad Paisley and Jimi Hendrix. Fender recently decided to enter the car audio business along with Panasonic to develop audio systems for VW. Now, the Fender Edition concept is ready to hit the streets with Volkswagen announcing that it will offer the package to those who are interested. Interestingly, we have earlier seen the German auto maker’s musical inclination in the past, when Volkswagen has come out with an alluring scheme that says, ‘Buy a Volkswagen get a guitar for Free.’ From the 2006 Jetta, Jetta GLI, GTI, Rabbit, New Beetle and New Beetle Convertible, all cars were offerred with a custom-made First Act GarageMaster guitar.

Tea is for the Taiwanese what trunks are for Louis Vuitton. None will not let go of their fondest passion for, well, all the tea in China even. If tea drinking occupies a place of eminence in Taiwanese lives, then Louis Vuitton began its journey with trunks. Picking up the thread from there and in ode to Taiwan’ local culture, the celebrated French fashion house now presents 3 valuable pieces of tea trunks. Designed by Patrick –Louis Vuitton, the trunks are available in Epi rainbow colors of orange, red and green. The tea trunk comes with a customized Chinese tea set from the stable of Hsiao Fan Pottery Art.

Besides being known as the world’s smallest full-format digital system camera that carries the legend of Leica M cameras into the digital age, the Leica M9 is also known for its special avatars like the M9-P red leather special edition, M9 in titanium, M9-P limited edition in white, and the one wrapped in Ostrich leather. However, these types of avatars are well expected from Leica, who is widely known for its meticulously handcrafted limited edition cameras, like the one we featured yesterday, the M Monochrome camera that brings back the good old days of black and white photography. Now, following the success of Leica M7 Hermes camera, this noted German camera manufacturer has again teamed up with the reputed French luxury fashion label, Hermes to create another stunningly beautiful special edition of Leica’s M9-P, dubbed as ‘Edition Hermes’.

We had told you about the Finkeldei Crystal Edition furniture earlier. Introduced at a time when recession had prompted good many of the luxury brands to curtail their range, the Finkeldei beauties set with alluring Swarovski crystals became a surprise hit. A little way before that Swarovski crystal furniture, once again from the stable of Finkeldei, had sent connoisseurs into frenzy. In what can be described as a perfect reproduction of the past, High in Design now introduces their newest range of Swarovski studded sophisticated furniture. Marked by elegance and timeless beauty, the pieces, designed by Carlo Rampazzi, represent all things synonymous with luxury and grandeur. A variety of finishes and special processes were applied to create the exquisite crystal studded range.

Committed to the objective of reproducing a truly life-like and natural music in the old tradition similar to the high-fidelity pioneers of the late 1960s, Lindemann audiotechnik, the German based manufacturers of loudspeakers, amplifiers and digital sources, designs its products with an aspiration to deliver a natural musical realization that conveys the exact emotions of the recorded sound by remaining strictly faithful to the original. Now, using the latest design and measuring technology, Lindemann has unveiled its BL-10, which is described to be the small speakers with huge soundstage manufactured only with the best of the today’s available materials.