Robb Report Singapore June 2021

THE 14TH-CENTURY MOROCCAN explorer, geographer and scholar Ibn Battuta was most prolific in his travels, racking up a total of 120,000km in mileage across three decades to outpace famed admiral Zheng He (with 50,000km under his belt) and Marco Polo (a relatively paltry 24,000km). In his opus to travel entitled A Gift to Those Who Contemplate the Wonders of Cities and the Marvels of Travelling – also known more commonly as The Rihla – he relates his epic adventures which began with him setting off for his hajj pilgrimage at the age of 21, not realising that he would only return to Morocco 24 years later. Thanks to his wanderlust and prodigious recollection, his eventual tome became a reference point for centuries, for those looking to study the 14th-century Islamic…

Colours of Joy Unearthed only in the late 1980s, the Paraiba tourmaline – so named after the place it was discovered in Brazil – ranks as one of the rarest and most desirable gemstones with estimates of one Paraiba tourmaline found to every 10,000 diamonds. This year’s release of Bulgari’s Colour Journeys collection showcases the magical hue of these gems in 17 unique creations. Among them is a high jewellery necklace (left) crafted with the audacious flair and sensuous style of Bulgari’s Roman heritage. It conjures an imagery of a continuous gold ribbon connecting all the gems, radiating with the intense colourless fire of diamonds, amplified by delicate pink tourmalines and capped by seven cushion-cut Paraiba gems that total 36.81 carats. This exuberance of colour is carried by other high jewellery propositions, such…

IT HAS TAKEN me almost a quarter of a century to forgive my college tutor for his misguided advice. Well, I thought it was misguided. I suspect he was just being mischievous and paying me back for two years of perceived indolence. For one of my finals, my class had to embark on what was known as a seven-day paper, which is fairly self-explanatory. At high noon on a Monday, we were given the exam questions and had seven days to produce a relevant treatise. The slightly odd thing about this particular assignment was that you were allowed to do your research beforehand, and the tutors, presumably, knew roughly what was going to crop up on the paper, meaning that students were unlikely to be completely side-swiped, and tutors were equally…

RICHEMONT ORIGIN STORY Founded by Anton Rupert, who built an industrial and tobacco group from humble beginnings: making cigarettes in his garage. Rupert eventually pivoted the business to luxury goods MARKET CAPITALISATION IS ABOUT EQUAL TO US$54.1 billion or 1,745 of the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime, the most expensive watch sold at auction WFH PICK A US$1,025 Meisterstuck pen from Montblanc WHAT THE CEO’S WATCH IS SUPPOSED TO BE TELLING US That Montblanc can do haute horology as well as pens. Jerome Lambert favours the brand’s Heritage Chronometrie ExoTourbillon Vasco da Gama Limited Edition 60 AUCTION EYE-POPPER US$3.7 million for a Vacheron Constantin pocket watch made for King Fuad I of Egypt THEY USED TO OWN WHAT? A stake in British American Tobacco, which is no longer part of the portfolio LVMH ORIGIN STORY Bernard Arnault, now the CEO, borrowed US$15 million from his family’s…

Game Changer by Banksy Auctioned by Christie’s in London for £16.8 million. Originally created by Banksy as a gift to University Hospital Southampton, this oil on canvas work was installed in the hospital in May last year during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The painting was the artist’s way of thanking the hospital’s staff, with Banksy’s intention being that the artwork should be sold. Its sale not only set a new world auction record for Banksy, but also helped raise funding for health organisations and charities across the UK that enhance the care and treatment provided by the National Health Service. Scramble: Ascending Spectrum/Ascending Green Values by Frank Stella Auctioned by Phillips in London for £2.9 million. In this 1977 acrylic on canvas artwork, American artist Frank Stella’s exploration of the square form…

OSAKA HAS REACHED a new pinnacle of chic with Japan’s first W hotel. And while barrier-breaking contemporary architects are a dime a dozen in the city, few to none bring to the table what Tadao Ando is able to – coming up with larger-than-life designs imbued with inimitable nuances of personality and style. With W Osaka, Ando is doing just that. You won’t find the brand’s signature, soft neon glow on the exterior. Instead, the new 337-key hotel bears a minimalist, jet-black monolith facade, a nod to the prudishness of the Edo era. Make no mistake though, W Osaka is still as fun, bright and lively as its counterparts. Take a step in and you’ll experience a different world altogether; one that’s filled with origami-inspired design motifs, vivid feature walls and Kawaii…