McLaren and TAG Heuer have a longstanding history. Never mind that the F1 team’s drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button are both brand ambassadors for the Swiss watchmaker. Heuer took the TAG name when Mansour Ojjeh’s Techniques d’Avant Garde – onetime supplier of McLaren’s turbocharged Porsche F1 engines and still a part owner of the racing team turned automaker – took it over in the pre-LVMH days. TAG Heuer crafted special watches to accompany both the legendaryMcLaren F1 and the subsequent Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, and has now returned for a new watch to compliment the new MP4-12C supercar.
Based on the Carrera model, the MP4-12C edition features a carbon fiber dial with a large window to see the movement and a big orange zero where the 12 should be (to make it look more like a speedometer), housed in a sandblasted titanium case and affixed to the wrist with a perforated Alcantara strap. The orange detailing reflects McLaren’s traditional color, and the 47-jewel Dubois Depraz Calibre 4900 fly-back chronograph movement features a perpetual calendar display. Only 1000 examples of this exclusive timepiece will be made.
Audi Super Bowl Ad Bashes Old Luxury
German automaker Audi is taking on not only Mercedes-Benz in a new ad it plans to run during the 2011 Super Bowl, it is taking on traditional symbols of luxury.
The ad, created by San Francisco ad agency Venables Bell & Partners, is a play on the children’s book “Goodnight Moon.” The voiceover in the ad backs up a camera shot that winds its way through a mansion of rooms. We see the mansion’s exterior, a decadent table set complete with candelabras, some sort of exotic animal sleeping around the neck of a sleeping woman decked out in a party gown, and a fox-hunter lamp comes to life and turns its own light out. “Good night old luxury and all your wares….Good night bygones everywhere (the camera fixes on a Mercedes).” The video for the commercial is after the jump.
Audi of America chief marketing officer Scott Keogh says that his brand represents “progressive luxury,” while brands like Mercedes-Benz and BMW are “old luxury.” In a recent interview, Keogh even referred to BMW as suffering from “Snookization,” a reference to the fact that the Snooki character from MTV’s Jersey Shore bought a BMW 3 Series in the show’s second season.
Win a Private Tour of Ralph Lauren’s Luxury Car Collection & More
From now through Oct. 21, Ralph Lauren is auctioning off a number of extraordinary items and experiences to mark the 10th anniversary of Pink Pony, the designer’s global initiative to raise awareness and funds in support of the fight against cancer. The online auction, the first of its kind for the Pink Pony cause, is being produced in partnership with luxury charity auction site charitybuzz. Highlights of the incredible event include several once-in-a-lifetime forays into the private world of the famed fashion designer and his luxury empire, including classic cars, polo, chauffeured Bentleys, sexy models and shopping sprees. You check out full details and register to place bids atwww.charitybuzz.com/RalphLauren; meanwhile, here are The Classicist’s top picks:
1. A private tour of Lauren’s incredible car collection, estimated at $150,000: You and a friend will be shown the cars, including the ultra-rare 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic (above), worth an estimated $40 million, a $28 million Ferrari 250 GTO, Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing, McLaren F1LM and more, by Lauren himself at his lavish estate in Bedford, New York. You’ll also get a ride in one of these world-class driving machines and take home a signed copy of Speed, Style, and Beauty: Cars from the Ralph Lauren Collection.
2. A weekend at Lauren’s private Round Hill Villa in Jamaica, estimated at $150,000: A priceless opportunity to spend four days and three nights for you and up to three guests at the designer’s personal Jamaican paradise. The fully staffed villa, which sits on a magnificent, picturesque cliff over the crystal blue Caribbean Sea, has been featured on the covers of House & Garden and Architectural Digest. Enjoy a swim in the villa’s infinity pool and private beach access, as well as complimentary tennis lessons and a yoga session.
3. Play polo with Nacho Figueras and stay at The Breakers in Palm Beach, estimated at $15,000: Take a lesson from Nacho Figueras, world class polo player and Ralph Lauren model. You and a guest will refuel afterward during lunch with Nacho, and you’ll also spend three nights at the exclusiveBreakers hotel in Palm Beach, including a spa treatment for two at the Breakers Spa; a round of golf for two; a $1,000 private shopping experience at the Ralph Lauren store at the Breakers; and VIP access to the U.S. Open at the International Polo Club.
4. Front row seats to the Ralph Lauren fashion show and an outfit from the runway, estimated at $25,000: Bring along a friend when you meet the designer and sit in the elite front row at his Fall 2011 Fashion Show in New York. Then, select your favorite look from the runway to add to your own personal collection. Enjoy two nights at a penthouse suite at The Setai Fifth Avenue hotel, including breakfast for two and one signature spa treatments