Vacheron Constantin �Quai de l�Ile� Watch

via Selectism.com by Jeff Carvalho on 7/28/09

More chrono beauties from the Only Watch Charity Auction in Monaco. The Vacheron Constantin offering comes from their tantalum metal �Quai de l�Ile�. This is how they put it.

�Tantalum is a metal that is used by the airspace and airplane industry, as well as in surgery� says Julien Marchenoir, Head of Marketing Communications at Vacheron Constantin. �It has gray-blue tones and is very difficult to work with being much harder than any metal we normally work with.� The tantalum case of this watch is diamond-cut, the same way as you would cut platinum, but since it is very hard it is costly to cut as it destroys the cutting tools so they have to be constantly remade.

Needless to say, the �Quai de l�Ile� is something special.

Inside the $485-Million Airbus A380 Flying Palace

via�Gizmodo�by Jesus Diaz on 6/4/09

What's 239 feet long, flies at 647mph, and has three floors that include a grand staircase, four giant full suites, boardroom with hologram projector, a full spa, concert hall, car garage, and a space-age lift that drops onto the runway?

Apparently, it may be Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud's new specially retro-fitted A380. As you may remember, the arabian Prince shone his genie lamp and�bought an Airbus A380�the biggest passenger plane in the world�for his personal use.

British company Design Q is now making the plans for its interior, three floors with every luxurious detail you can imagine, including a lift that goes all the way down to the runway's tarmac and extends a red carpet so guests can get into the�flying palace. I can already imagine a stunning hostess saying "Welcome, Mr Bond."

In addition to all of the above, the full marble Turkish bath in the spa, and twenty first class seats/beds for the�extra guests, the plane will be full of high tech gadgets. The boardroom, for example, will have a hologram projector and a giant touchscreen perspex table, while each suite will include a virtual prayer mat proyector, always pointing in Mecca's direction.

Whoever bought it, I hope he invites us for a trip. And with "us" I mean "me." I can sleep on the couch, Mr Prince Sir you. [Daily Mail]