DUKE OF YORK 'CLIPS' POLICE OFFICER WITH CAR WHILE DRIVING INTO BUCKINGHAM PALACE

PRINCE ANDREW, THE DUKE OF YORK, IS BEING INVESTIGATED BY POLICE AFTER HE IS ALLEGED TO HAVE HIT A UNIFORMED POLICE OFFICER WHILE DRIVING INTO BUCKINGHAM PALACE. ACCORDING TO SOURCES, THE DUKE 'MAY HAVE ACCIDENTALLY CLIPPED' THE UNIFORMED OFFICER AS HE TRIED TO MOVE TWO JAPANESE TOURISTS FROM THE PATH OF THE PRINCE'S 4X4. THE PRINCE DROVE INTO THE PALACE'S SIDE ENTRANCE AND DID NOT STOP OR SLOW DOWN AFTER THE ACCIDENT, IT HAS BEEN ALLEGED. THE OFFICER, WHO IS SAID TO BE 'SHAKEN UP' BY THE INCIDENT SUFFERED AN ARM INJURY AND MADE A COMPLAINT TO HIS SUPERIORS. A SCOTLAND YARD SPOKESMAN CONFIRMED THE ACCIDENT WAS BEING INVESTIGATED AND SAID: 'A UNIFORMED METROPOLITAN POLICE SERVICE OFFICER WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION WITH A VEHICLE WHILST ON DUTY ON CONSTITUTION HILL AND SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES TO HIS ARM. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE COLLISION ARE NOW BEING EXAMINED.' SENIOR MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY FREQUENTLY DRIVE THEMSELVES WHEN TRAVELING PRIVATELY, WITH THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH FAMOUSLY TAKING TO THE WHEEL OF A LONDON BLACK CAB. A SOURCE SAID: 'MOST OF THE ROYALS DO TAKE THE ENTRANCE SHARPLY, THIS IS PARTLY BECAUSE OF THE SECURITY RISK POSED BY MILLING CROWDS.' A BUCKINGHAM PALACE SPOKESPERSON ADDED: 'THIS IS A HEALTH AND SAFETY MATTER.' THE DUKE IS CURRENTLY IN CENTRAL AMERICA CARRYING OUT DUTIES IN HIS ROLE AS A UK TRADE AMBASSADOR. IN 2002 THE DUKE WAS LET OFF BY POLICE AFTER HE WAS CAUGHT SPEEDING AT 60mph IN A 40mph ZONE NEAR HEATHROW AIRPORT AS HE RUSHED TO CATCH A FLIGHT TO SCOTLAND FOR THE OPEN GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP. HE WAS ACCUSED AT THE TIME OF BEING 'ARROGANT' BY POLICE SOURCES AFTER HE TOLD OFFICERS: 'I'M IN A HURRY.'

NOTTINGHAM CITY MUSEUMS ACQUIRE RARE PLATE SET

INDEPENDENT CHARITY THE ART FUND ANNOUNCED THAT NOTTINGHAM CITY MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES IN NOTTINGHAMSHIRE HAS BOUGHT A RARE SET OF ORNATE 19th CENTURY PORCELAIN PLATES AT AUCTION IN NEW YORK, WHICH WILL BE DISPLAYED ACROSS THREE HERITAGE SITES; NEWSTEAD ABBEY, WOLLATON HALL AND NOTTINGHAM CASTLE. ACQUIRED WITH A GRANT OF £2,195 FROM THE ART FUND TOWARDS THE HAMMER PRICE OF £3,519, THE PLATES WILL NOW RETURN TO THEIR FORMER HOME AT THE ABBEY. THE TEN PLATES WERE PAINTED BETWEEN 1818 AND 1821, AND THEY HAVE A LINK TO THE CELEBRATED BRITISH POET LORD BYRON. THEY WERE DECORATED BY MARIA WILDMAN, SISTER OF COLONEL THOMAS WILDMAN, WHO LIVED AT NEWSTEAD ABBEY. FIVE OF THE PLATES DEPICT EXQUISITELY DETAILED SCENES FROM THE ESTATE AND FIVE ARE ILLUSTRATED WITH SCENES RELATING TOO IMPORTANT EVENTS IN COLONEL WILDMAN'S MILITARY CAREER. COLONEL THOMAS WILDMAN BOUGHT NEWSTEAD ABBEY FROM LORD BYRON, WHO WAS HIS FRIEND, IN 1818 AND THE ESTATE REMAINED IN HIS POSSESSION UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1859. MARIA, A TALENTED AMATEUR ARTIST, WAS A FREQUENT VISITOR TO NEWSTEAD AND DREW MUCH CREATIVE INSPIRATION FROM THE ESTATE. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE TEN PLATES WERE ORIGINALLY PART OF THE CONTENTS OF THE HOUSE AND ARE FROM A SET REFERRED TO IN THOMAS BAILEY'S HANDBOOK TO NEWSTEAD ABBEY, 1855. THE ART FUND HAS HELPED NEWSTEAD ABBEY TO BUY WORKS OF ART FOR ITS COLLECTION ON FIVE PREVIOUS OCCASIONS, THE MOST RECENT BEING A GRANT OF £8,750 IN 1999 TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF TWO PAINTINGS OF THE FOUR LORD BYRON'S FAVORITE RACEHORSES BY PETER TILLMANS, 1684-1734 FOR £35,000. THE PLATES WILL INITIALLY GO ON DISPLAY AT 3 OF NOTTINGHAM CITY MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES MAJOR HERITAGE SITES, AT NEWSTEAD ABBEY, WOLLATON HALL AND NOTTINGHAM CASTLE MUSEUM AND WILL BE ON DISPLAY FROM 2.APRIL, WHEN NEWSTEAD ABBEY RE-OPENS TO THE PUBLIC.

DUCHESS OF CORNWALL SPORTS HANDBAG WITH PICTURE OF QUEEN

THE DUCHESS OF CORNWALL WAS SPOTTED CLUTCHING A VERY UNUSUAL HANDBAG, DECORATED WITH A PICTURE OF THE QUEEN, AT A RECENT CHARITY FASHION SHOW. THE DUCHESS WAS SEEN WITH THE UNIQUE ACCESSORY FEATURING A STYLIZED IMAGE OF A ROYAL MAIL STAMP COMPLETE WITH AN IMAGE OF THE HEAD OF STATE. THE QUEEN WAS SHOWN IN PROFILE IN A MULTI-COLOURED SEQUIN DESIGN STITCHED ON TO THE BLACK SATIN BAG CREATED BY FASHION DESIGNER LULU GUINNESS. THE DUCHESS WAS GUEST OF HONOUR AT THE SHOW, STAGED IN THE IMPRESSIVE LOBBY OF LONDON'S HIGH COURT, FEATURING STUNNING ASSEMBLAGE OF CLOTHES FROM THE SPRING/SUMMER COLLECTION OF HER FAVORITE FASHION DESIGNER, ANNA VALENTINE. VALENTINE DESIGNED THE DUCHESS'S WEDDING GOWN AND HER OUTFITS ARE A FIRM FAVORITE IN CAMILLA'S WARDROBE. THE EVENING WAS IN AID OF MAGGIE'S CANCER CARING CENTERS, OF WHICH THE DUCHESS IS PRESIDENT, AND WAS HOSTED BY ACTOR RUPERT EVERETT. IT ALSO FEATURED FORMER BLUE PETER PRESENTER JANET ELLIS, A PATRON OF THE ORGANIZATION. GUINNESS, WHO WAS AMONG THE GUESTS, WAS DELIGHTED THAT THE DUCHESS WAS CARRYING THE LIMITED EDITION BAG, WHICH SHE SAID WAS BOUGHT BY CAMILLA FOR UNDER £1,000. SHE ADDED: 'I THINK IT SHOWS SHE'S GOT A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR. I'M QUITE TOUCHED.' IN KEEPING WITH THE EVENING, THE DUCHESS WAS WEARING AN ANNA VALENTINE OUTFIT OF A BLACK CHIFFON SKIRT AND MATCHING FITTED JACKET. IN THE FORWARD TO THE BROCHURE WHICH ACCOMPANIED THE FASHION SHOW, THE DUCHESS SAID SHE FIRST BECAME INVOLVED WITH THE CHARITY WHEN SHE VISITED A CENTER IN EDINBURGH THREE YEARS AGO. SHE ADDED: 'ON THAT FIRST VISIT, I WAS IMMEDIATELY STRUCK BY THE SENSE OF LIGHT AND COLOUR WARMTH AND SPACE. EACH MAGGIE'S CENTER IS A BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED BUILDING OFFERING ESSENTIAL ADVICE AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT, A SANCTUARY IN A WORLD WHERE EVERYTHING HAS BEEN TURNED UPSIDE-DOWN.'

VAN CLEEF & ARPELS PONT DES AMOUREAUX

THE NEW PONT DES AMOUREAUX FROM VAN CLEEF & ARPELS IS A STUNNING AND UNIQUE WATCH THAT IS SURE TO MELT YOUR HEART AT FIRST SIGHT. THE DIAL FEATURES TWO DELICATE WHITE GOLD FIGURES, THE WOMAN WITH THE UMBRELLA INDICATES THE HOUR AND THE GENTLEMAN HIDING A FLOWER BEHIND HIS BACK INDICATES THE MINUTES. AND WHEN THE CLOCK STRIKES 12, THE CUTE ROMANTIC COUPLE SHARE A KISS. THE CHRONOGRAPH HAS A 38mm DIAMETER CASE MADE OUT OF 18 CARAT WHITE GOLD AND IS SET WITH BRILLIANT CUT DIAMONDS AROUND THE BEZEL, AND THE WATCH CROWN IS SET WITH A SAPPHIRE CABOCHON. THE TIMEPIECE HAS A MODIFIED JAEGER-ECOULTURE MECHANICAL MOVEMENT. THIS AMAZING PIECE OF ARTISTRY IS FINISHED WITH A WHITE CROCODILE STRAP AND IS PRICED AT $116,000, MAKING IT THE PERFECT GIFT FOR THE HOPELESS ROMANTIC ON VALENTINE'S DAY.











Haute Timepieces: Fall in Love with Van Cleef & Arpels’ Pont des Amoureux
Posted By Ariel Adams on February 8th, 2010
Share

The actual Pont des Amoureux is a French bridge going over the Thiou River in Annecy, a town also known as the Venice of France. The fabled bridge earned a reputation throughout the years as a rendezvous place for couples in love.
This romantic concept has been applied to a poetic watch whose maker also carries a rich French legacy. Van Cleef & Arpels coined the phrase “poetic complication” and recently presented luxury lovers with a unique form of horology that perfectly demonstrates the poetry of its name. Instead of focusing on utility, these complications are whimsical and meant to evoke emotion. Here, that emotion is romance.

Women’s watches such as this are exceedingly rare. The piece combines exquisite jewelry components with artistic craftsmanship, which can only be fully appreciated once understanding the elements of the various tiny details.

First up for review is the functionality of the watch. Two figurines travel along respective hour or minute retrograde dials to display the time. The delicate figure of the woman carrying an umbrella serves as the hour indicator, while the man, secretly holding a flower behind his back, points to the minutes. The retrograde display has been further complicated by the fact that upon hitting the 12 o’clock hour, the lovers meet at the center for a kiss. The concept, while seemingly quite simple, was actually an incredibly arduous feat of engineering.

What you can’t see hidden inside the watch is a manually wound Jaeger-LeCoultre 846 mechanical movement that is sized for a watch a fraction of the size. Why? Because the rest of the space is dedicated to a custom Van Cleef & Arpels module that makes the romantic gesture on the dial possible. And even though the French jewelry house knew that the complex mechanism would never be seen, their impeccable attention to detail dictated that it be beautifully finished nonetheless.

The bridge depicted on the dial isn’t the actual Pont des Amoureux, but a fairy tale rendition conceived by Van Cleef & Arpels. The most time-consuming process for the makers of the luxury timepiece is the components of the background of the face. The contre-jour enamel painting of the buildings and starry night in gray tones is completely painted by hand by a master artist. Each dial is then baked to perfection in a furnace heating up to 1545 degrees. The resulting dial with its white gold “lovers hands” and detailed bridge make for a stunning, and poetic, three-dimensional scene. The entire timepiece is housed in a 38mm wide 18-karat white gold case decorated with large diamonds around the bezel, as well as on the mono-piece lugs, their ends, and on the watch crown as a cabochon. Attached to the watch is a smooth, white reptile strap. It is a remarkable and beautiful timepiece for a lady, further enhanced by the story behind its design and construction. Priced at $116,000.

Source

LOUIS VUITTON RAINDROP BESACE

LOUIS VUITTON IS TAKING AMAZING STEPS INTO NEW CREATIVE TERRITORY WITH THEIR RAINDROP BESACE DESIGN. DEPARTING FROM THE ICONIC CLASSICISM AND REFINED STYLE LOUIS VUITTON TURNED TO THE EDGY, TRENDY AND SOMEWHAT CONTROVERSIAL DESIGN. AVAILABLE IN TWO COLOURS, THE NEW BAGS ARE MADE FROM AN INNOVATIVE NEW TECHNIQUE IN LEATHER DESIGN, WHICH IS MADE TO RESEMBLE A PLASTIC TRASH BAG WITH A DRAWSTRING CLOSURE. THE NEW RAINDROP BESACE COLLECTION WILL PREMIERE THIS SPRING AND WILL BE PRICED AROUND $1,996.

ITALIAN JUDGE ORDERS SEIZURE OF GETTY MUSEUM STATUE

AN ITALIAN JUDGE RECENTLY ORDERED THE SEIZURE OF AN ANCIENT GREEK STATUE FROM THE RENOWNED J PAUL GETTY MUSEUM, THE LATEST ROUND IN A LENGTHY LEGAL DISPUTE OVER A COLLECTION OF ARTWORKS ITALY SAYS WERE LOOTED FROM ITS TERRITORY OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DECADES. THE LOS ANGELES-BASED MUSEUM, WHICH PURCHASED THE BRONZE STATUE FOR $3.9 MILLION IN 1977 FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTOR, SAID IT WOULD APPEAL TO ITALY'S TOP COURT AGAINST THE RULING. PROSECUTORS IN THE ITALIAN CITY OF PESARO ARGUED THAT THE HIGHLY PRIZED SCULPTURE, WHICH DEPICTS AN ATHLETE CROWNED WITH AN OLIVE WREATH, WAS ILLEGALLY SMUGGLED OUT OF ITALY AND THE MUSEUM DID NOT CARRY OUT PROPER CHECKS BEFORE BUYING IT. PESARO JUDGE LORENA MUSSONI ORDERED THAT THE STATUE, CALLED THE 'STATUE OF A VICTORIOUS YOUTH', 'BE SEIZED FROM THE GETTY MUSEUM OR WHEREVER IT MAY BE AT THE MOMENT.' IN A STATEMENT, THE J PAUL GETTY TRUST, ONE OF THE RICHEST AMERICAN ART INSTITUTIONS SAID IT WOULD 'VIGOROUSLY DEFEND IT LEGAL OWNERSHIP OF THE STATUE.' IT SAID THE SAME COURT IN PESARO HAD DISMISSED AN EARLIER CASE IN 2007 OVER WHETHER THE STATUE BELONGED TO ITALY, RULING THAT THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS HAD LONG EXPIRED, THAT THERE WAS NO ONE TO PROSECUTE UNDER ITALIAN LAW, AND THAT THE GETTY WAS TO BE CONSIDERED 'A GOOD FAITH OWNER'.
'WITH TODAY'S DECISION, THE GETTY MUSEUM WILL HAVE TO RETURN THIS STATUE OF INCOMPARABLE BEAUTY TO ITALY', A SPOKESPERSON SAID. THE ALMOST LIFE-SIZE STATUE WAS DISCOVERED IN 1964 BY A FISHING TRAWLER FROM FANO, A SMALL SEASIDE TOWN NEAR PESARO ON THE ADRIATIC COAST. IT WAS ORIGINALLY THOUGHT TO BE THE WORK OF LYSIPPOS, A GREEK SCULPTOR OF THE 4th CENTURY BC, THOUGH MORE RECENT STUDIES DATE IT TO THE 2nd OR 3rd CENTURY BC. IT IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN LOST AT SEA AFTER BEING LOOTED BY ROMANS. THE GETTY MUSEUM SAYS IT BOUGHT THE STATUE THROUGH LEGAL CHANNELS AND WITH CLEAR TITLE. IT ALSO SAYS THE ART WORK WAS NETTED IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS. ITALY DISPUTES THAT THEORY. AFTER THE STATUE WAS FOUND BY THE FANO FISHERMEN, IT WAS BURIED IN A CABBAGE PATCH AND LATER HIDDEN BY A PRIEST. ACCORDING TO THE LAWSUIT, IT LEFT ITALY IN A SHIPMENT OF MEDICAL SUPPLIES SENT TO A MISSIONARY IN BRAZIL, BEFORE BEING BOUGHT BY AN ART CONSORTIUM IN 1971 WHICH LATER SOLD IT TO THE GETTY MUSEUM.

HARRODS WINE SHOP TO SELL LOUIS XIII RARE CASK

THIS MONTH MARKS AND OCCASION COGNAC CONNOISSEURS WON'T WANT TO MISS, HARRODS LAUNCHES THEIR LONG AWAITED LOUIS XIII RARE CASK. A UNIQUE OFFERING, LOUIS XIII RARE CASK IS DISTINGUISHED BY A TOUCH OF EXTRA STRENGTH AND A BLEND OF TWELVE HUNDRED EAUX DE VIE AGED UP TO A CENTURY, ITS DISTINCTIVE AROMATIC INTENSITY AND INFINITE RICHNESS WITH AN EXTRA BREATH OF ALCOHOL ALSO SETS THE RARE CASK APART FROM THE REST. THIS COGNAC HAS A FORMIDABLE BOUQUET OF WILD MUSHROOMS AND UNDERWOOD NOTES FOLLOWED BY FULL, SPICY TONES AND NOTES OF GINGERBREAD, WAX,NUTS AND MINT. ROUNDED AND TEXTURED WITH AN INCREDIBLY LONG LENGTH, RARE CASK BOASTS A PRESENCE AND DENSITY IN THE MOUTH THAT KNOWS NO LIMIT. EACH LOUIS XIII RARE CASK IS PRESENTED IN A BLACK CRYSTAL BACCARAT DECANTER, HAND BLOWN, HAND DECORATED, INDIVIDUALLY NUMBERED AND HOUSED IN AN EMBELLISHED METAL COFFRET. EVERY DETAIL OF THE PRESENTATION IS A CELEBRATION OF THE FINEST CRAFTSMANSHIP REFLECTING THE PEDIGREE OF THIS INCREDIBLY RARE AND DISTINCTIVE COGNAC.