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Top 10 Accessories: Diamond-Encrusted Phones to $6 Million Home-Theater Systems

Nate Herpich

01/29/09 - 01:50 PM EST

Let's dream.

Any thoughts of money-is-no-object purchases have dissolved, along with trillions of dollars of wealth, in the past year.

Which is why this story is necessary. For our emotions, at least. Here's our exclusive list of the top 10 accessories and gadgets to own in 2009. We pick the best and most exclusive car, watch, briefcase, vodka, overcoat, suit, cell phone, home-entertainment system, laptop and personal digital assistant (PDA). We show you how to spend fashionably. If you've got the money. If not, just dream.

Car: For super-limited road access, concentrate your money on the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport, the world's fastest roadster. Offering a 16-cylinder four-wheel-drive setup, this speed demon accelerates to 62 miles per hour in only 2.5 seconds, and tops out at about 250 miles per hour. The Sang Noir version, French for "black blood," provides a unique single-tone-take on Bugatti's classic two-tone color scheme. Inside, tangerine leather is highlighted by a black piano lacquer finish. The non-limited edition Veyron 16.4 sells for around $1.5 million.

Watch: Based in the Mecca of watch-making that is Geneva, Switzerland, Vacheron Constantin has specialized in haute horlogerie since before the U.S. was a nation. This year, the company offers four exquisite watches that highlight the highest skills in fine craftsmanship. The Kallania provides a new world record in terms of precious stones, featuring 186 emerald-cut diamonds weighing approximately 170 carats, while the the Malte Tourbillon Regulator features 565 baguette diamonds and a transparent sapphire crystal back that exposes the 1795R calibre, allowing the watch to keep impeccable time.

Briefcase: Valextra of Milan is known for its fine craftsmanship and minimalist design in leather accessories. In New York, go to Barneys and choose a classic bag, the black men's soft vitello leather triple gusset briefcase with flap front and push-lock closure. It retails for $4,660.

Suit: If you're going to go all out when buying a suit, clearly you are not going to purchase one off the rack. Consider traveling to London for the premiere styling and exclusive fabrics of H. Huntsman & Sons, where you'll be fitted to perfection in Alpaca wool, tweed or vicuna. Expect to pay no less than $5,000 to get outfitted by the world's premiere tailors.

Overcoat: Think about dressing your suit in the world's most luxurious fiber, the wool of the vicuna, a South American camelid related to the llama. Vicuna wool was blessed with the moniker "the fabric of the Gods" by the Incans that inhabited the area, and it was used to dress only the members of royal families. In Sydney, Australia, J.H. Cutler offers premium bespoke tailoring in a variety of fabrics, but it is his vicuna overcoat by which he defines himself. Depending on where the wool is harvested, the fabric can go for as much $3,000 to $4,000 per yard. At Cutler, overcoats can cost anywhere from A$50,000 to $100,000 Australian (US$33,000 and $65,000).

Home-entertainment system: Jeremy Kipnis has redefined home theater to the point that it probably doesn't make sense to go to the movies anymore. His Cine Beta system, valued at $6 million, features a Sony SRX-S110 Professional Video Projector with 4,096-by-2,160 resolution casting images on an 18-foot-by-10-foot screen. The sound system features 16 subwoofers, eight cinema reference towers, 10 tweeters and more than 30 amplifiers. A super-quad mode allows viewers to watch four separate programs in full HD. And there's no shortage of material to peruse in incredible high definition: Kipnis' studio also features 40,000 LPs, 20,000 CDs, 15,000 DVDs, 12,000 laser discs and over 5,000 high-definition possibilities. If it's not custom enough, Kipnis can design a theater that's right for you.

Cell phone: British luxury phone maker Amosu applies diamonds to a variety of mobiles. The Diamond Nokia N95 features an 18-carat solid-gold front and is encrusted with 658 diamonds. It's a limited edition model, as only 25 will be made and sold worldwide. The custom-made phones can be designed in classic or white gold, and may feature a variety of different color diamonds. The phone retails for 27,500 pounds, or nearly $38,000.

The Diamond Nokia N95 features an 18-carat solid-gold front and is encrusted with 658 diamonds. The cell phone retails for about $38,000.

PDA: When looking for the right PDA, speed is a major criterion. But who would have thought that you could have the speed and power of a Lamborghini in the palm of your hand? In India, Taiwanese-based computer company Asus combined with the luxury Italian automaker on the ASUS-Lamborghini ZX1 PDA phone. The device features a racing interface, Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional and Lamborghini's crest on its "hood." You may have to search long and hard for this particular device in the U.S. but ASUS offers a full line of luxury PDAs here as well.

Laptop: Dutch company Tulip provides laptops highlighted by 18-carat white gold and 6.9-carat diamonds. But perhaps most interesting, it has synched a limited edition Ego brand in conjunction with British carmaker Bentley. You may have to go abroad to get your Ego, though, or at least contact the manufacturer directly. You can spend as much as you want, depending on the bling factor. In New York, Saks Fifth Avenue sells Ego Lifestyle models exclusively. The Dundee PC Notebook there goes for $10,900. If you're looking for the shinier pieces, contact Tulip directly and get ready to shell out big bucks. In 2006, for example, the Otazu Ego Diamond model went for around $350,000.

Vodka: As is the case with many luxury items, you could spend your money on bottles infused with diamonds and revel in the fact that you have enough money to look at something pretty as you enjoy a fine cocktail. But why not concentrate on the best-tasting, most wonderfully palatable vodka, and in the process, raise money for animal conservation? Think about the tasty Snow Leopard vodka, distilled four times and made from spelt grains. The company dedicates 15% of its profit to endangered-species charities like the Snow Leopard International Trust. A 2009 limited edition of the Polish-produced spirit will be out in February, with three-liter Jeroboam's priced at just over 250 pounds (about $345). Check out Britain's The Drink Shop to order your bottle.


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