Best of the Best - Technology

Lounging in a Maldivian resort, wine-tasting in Bordeaux, putting a sports car through its paces at Sonoma Raceway, curating the best watches from Geneva, perusing the top menswear accoutrements in Milan, testing cutting-edge yachts in Monaco. The life of a Robb Report editor may sound glamorous, but-actually, we can't argue there. Even so, separating the wheat from the chaff is no small task in the luxury realm, since even the chaff can be mighty impressive. In our 36th annual Best of the Best issue, we again offer our assessment of the past year's most exemplary products, places and experiences. And yes, edition number 37 is already underway.

- Abigail Montanez, Haziq Yusof, Josh Condon and Robert Ross

Christofle

Duel des Thés

Given that the contemporary hallmark embossed on Christofle’s fine silverware is a knight, a luxe chess set from the 194-year-old French tableware company—the first game it has ever produced— feels apropos. Duel des Thés is a clever nod to brand history, elegantly rendered in fossilised oak, vermeil, and mirror-polished sterling silver by Christofle’s Haute Orfèvrerie workshop.

The name translates to ‘duel of teas’, which is precisely what transpires from the opening gambit, pitting the house’s famous art nouveau and art deco tea sets against one another by replacing key pieces with teapots, creamers, cups, and sugar bowls.

Artisans make each component—plus all the moulds and other tools used to produce them—by hand at the brand’s factory in Normandy. The boards are assembled by Jean-Brieuc Chevalier, a cabinetmaker from Angers, who inlays the wood with reflective sterling-silver squares.

Truly, a game beautiful enough to let everyone feel like a winner.

Dutch & Dutch

8C