Robb Report Singapore January/February 2023

NO, YOUR MIND isn't playing tricks on you. Yes, it is already 2023. And yes, we have been thinking the same thing every year: “Where did all the time go?” We ask this as we look forward to another blank slate; 365 more days upon which we can colour with joy, purpose and untold possibilities. It is a wonderful thing, then, to be able to not just reflect, but to also reset ourselves to start the new year right. Now that we are finally free from the shackles of social restrictions, we imagine that 2023 will be packed with a resurgence of parties. Whether you prefer to host or be a guest, it is time to reconnect. So, let us equip you with our handy guide to make each soiree one…

You know the drill: don't drink and drive. In this instance, however, the collaboration between two of the luxury industry's biggest titans deserves serious consideration. Islay distillery Bowmore has partnered Aston Martin to roll out the Bowmore ARC-52, a 52-year-old single-malt contained in a futuristic, supercar-inspired decanter aptly described as “half-Bowmore, halfAston Martin”. Limited to 100 bottles, the dram comprises two cask styles in equal parts: American oak hogshead and European oak butt. Expect to be hit with a full-bodied experience that starts with herbal notes before journeying into exotic fruit territory and finishing with hints of peat ash and butter. A marriage of contrasts, the vessel is an entirely modern creation. Built with the same design principles behind the construction of an Aston Martin, the otherworldly and pyramidal hand-blown glass…

The Villeret Tourbillon Volant Une Minute 12 Jours Émail Cloisonné allows its wearer to examine the snow-covered landscape of MontTendre and Lake Joux in Vallée de Joux, Switzerland's watchmaking enclave where Blancpain is based. The evocative swathes of white and blue are depicted using a technique known as cloisonne enamelling. First, tiny gold threads are carefully shaped and cut on the dial to illustrate the scene. Following which, the crevices are filled with coloured enamel power and fired repeatedly at high temperatures to achieve the perfect shades. Housed in a 42mm platinum case, the watch brandishes a one-minute tourbillon via a display at 12 o'clock, accentuating the decorative artistry with mechanical allure.…

Fancy navigating your ski runs like IWC brand ambassador and double Olympic champion Eileen Gu? You will be off to a good start with these limited-edition skis. Designed in collaboration between IWC and high-end ski brand, The Faction Collective, the Faction Studio 1 IWC Collab Ltd is sheathed in immaculate white and accented with green luminescent logos. These are the same tones as IWC's striking Pilot's Watch Chronograph Top Gun Edition Lake Tahoe watch, which you have the option to buy with a purchase of the skis. Flandmade in Austria, they are crafted from sustainably harvested poplar and ash, and reinforced with carbon-rubber weave for robustness. To ensure extra performance lift, the skis are engineered to the same specifications as the ones used by Gu. The skis are limited to…

The Reading Party by Jean-Francois de Tray Auctioned by Christie's in London for £2.9 million A prominent highlight of Classic Week at Christie's London, this oil on canvas work by French painter Jean-François de Troy hails from the collection of Lord and Lady Weinstock – two influential figures in British business, social and cultural life in the late 20th century. The 1735 tableaux de mode – one of the artist's finest and most seductive – was one of the many old master paintings to grace the Weinstocks’ Wiltshire estate, Bowden Park. Only 11 such examples of de Troy's tableaux de mode (which depict the rarefied world of the Parisian elite) are known to exist, five of which are in museums. Composition No. II by Piet Mondrian Auctioned by Sotheby's in New York for US$51…

A CONFESSION: UNTIL recently, whenever talk of semiconductor shortages came up, I was under the impression that most cars made do with just a handful of the things. I say a handful. One seemed like it would be enough: one car, one engine, one big fat semiconductor. My estimate was a little short. Some cars come loaded with as many as 3,000. Semiconductors – also known as microchips – are big business, as you probably know. According to an organisation called World Semiconductor Trade Statistics, more than 932 billion of them were made in 2020, a number so vast I don't even know what to compare it to. Instead, some math. Of those many billions, half are absorbed by electronics while another 15 per cent go into the automotive industry, equating to about…