The Gilt List – from Lotus to Buben&Zorweg, an insider’s guide to luxury living

This month, we look at the most stylish way to keep your Rolex collection safe and sound, open the doors on New Zealand’s first six-star hotel, and spill the beans on where you can get behind the wheel of a genuine Formula One car. 

Right on time

Here’s something for luxury watch owners to get wound up about. Partridge Jewellers have acquired the agency to stock Buben&Zorweg, the exclusive German artisan safe brand favoured by royalty to protect their watch and jewellery collections. The small-run watch cases and winders, high-tech safes and bespoke presentation cases are handmade by the family business in Pforzheim, Germany, using cutting-edge technology and the finest materials.  

A Buben&Zorweg Spirit watch case and winder.

  

Star spangled

New Zealand’s only six-star hotel, The Carlin in Queenstown, is a haven for those looking for high-end rest and relaxation. There are nine suites available in the collection, all with outdoor living spaces – the Vista Suite boasts particularly good views over Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu. 

Dining is by way of the hotel’s Oro restaurant, headed by executive chef Thomas Barta, who worked in London under three-Michelin-starred chef Gordon Ramsay.

Guests flying in from Australia can use the hotel’s Dassault Falcon 900 private jet and once they’re on the ground, there’s a fleet of luxury cars for hire, including a Porsche Cayenne S and Maserati GranTurismo, to explore Queenstown’s beautiful surrounds.

The great escape

If you’re looking for an Australian autumn escape, Tropical North Queensland’s Silky Oaks Lodge, in the World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest, has reopened after a $20m refurbishment. Architect Gary Hunt and interior designers Pike Withers have created a contemporary, open aesthetic to make the most of the lush 32-hectare rainforest surrounds. The luxury treehouse suites all feature balconies, hammocks, day beds and open-air showers for an immersive nature experience. Executive chef Mark Godbeer has also refreshed the lodge’s fine-dining menus, which celebrate locally sourced produce including seafood, tropical fruit, chocolate and coffee. 

Silky Oaks Lodge Daintree Pavilion Lounge.

 

Quick off the mark

Performance car maker Lotus has unveiled a game-changer in the EV market: the Eletre, which is first out of the gate in the “hyper-SUV” category, meaning it has sports car performance and SUV usability. It’s the iconic brand’s first five-door production car, the first model outside of its sports car segments and its first lifestyle EV. With 4WD, a 400km range, and 600hp which does 0-100km in under three seconds, it’s a serious piece of kit.  

Peter Horbury, senior vice president of design at Lotus, says the Eletre “is a rare creative opportunity in performance car design – the chance to start with a blank sheet of paper and develop an all-new vehicle that takes a brand in a completely fresh direction. The result is a ‘hyper-SUV’ that is genuinely different to what’s on the market; the electric powertrain has inspired a ‘cab-forward’ design that echoes the iconic mid-engined layout of Lotus sports cars, creating a unique look and position in the SUV segment. The arrival of the Eletre signals the start of a new era of pure electric SUVs.”

The Eletre will be available through Lotus Auckland late next year.

The interior of the Lotus Eletre.

 

Lead the charge

Not one to rest on their laurels, BMW has reworked the flagship 7 Series range and it includes a fully electric sedan, the i7 xDrive60, which is available at the end of this year. 

The car will be fitted with fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology which includes an integrated drive system, intelligent energy management and advanced battery cell technology.

The driver and front passenger will be able to use YouTube video-on-demand streaming via a 5G-compatible aerial system, allowing for high-speed connectivity.

The i7 xDrive60 has a range of 590-625kms and with high-speed DC charging capability it can increase the range by up to 170kms in 10 minutes. 

One feature we like is the “executive lounge” option for the rear, which has a reclining seat position, integrated legrest and neck cushions, plus a 31.3-inch, 8K BMW theatre screen that folds down from the ceiling.

BMW's new electric i7 xDrive60.

 

Start your engines

If the Netflix Formula One series Drive to Survive has got under your skin, there are a few places around the globe where you can get behind the wheel of a genuine F1 race car. Dubai’s Autodrome club circuit is where you can realise your racetrack ambitions in a 2000 Jaguar R1, which has 550hp to play with. Further afield, at the Bovingdon Airfield in Hertfordshire, England, you can race up to 30 laps in a Jordan EJ12, which has a three-litre V8 engine and 600hp under the bonnet. Across the Channel at the Circuit Paul Ricard near Marseille, former F1 test driver Laurent Redon offers a stable of F1 cars for you to get your hands on, including a 1998 Benetton B198, a 2001 Prost AP04, a 2002 Jaguar R3, and a stonkingly fast 2011 Williams FW33. It’s a short hop over to Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Stavelot, Belgium, where glory awaits in the form of the Arrows A18 of former world champion and current F1 commentator Damon Hill. 

On a high

If you’re partial to a drop of artisan gin and some spectacular scenic views, consider South Pacific Helicopters’ gin experience. Taking off in an Airbus helicopter, you’ll enjoy a 30-minute flight from Kaikōura, over the Kaikōura Peninsula and Seaward Kaikōura Range before landing on Mt Fyffe, where a delicious tipple from Justine Schroder’s award-winning boutique Mt Fyffe Distillery awaits. Guests will also take home a bottle of Woolshed Gin or Shearwater Gin to enjoy at their leisure.

For the smart set

New Zealand leatherware brand Deadly Ponies has some stylish additions to its Voyage travel collection in the form of new gunmetal hardware and a new Ink colourway. The collection, which features everything from wallets to duffle bags, backpacks, briefcases and washbags, has been hand-crafted in the company’s eco-atelier in Chiang Mai, Thailand, using ethically sourced, high-quality leather. 

Deadly Ponies' Phantom Duffle in Gunmetal.

 

Luxury emporium Faradays, in Auckland’s Parnell, has an eye-catching edit from Givenchy creative director Matthew M. Williams in store. The range covers menswear, womenswear and accessories for the autumn/winter season. First in, best dressed, we say.