Top 10 British Luxury Essentials

Here is a selection of the top ten luxury brands a British gentleman would love to own. Most of these are British and even James Bond would approve of the few that have become global brands.

The Perfect Yacht

The Hunton XRS43 Yacht is the most exclusive luxury high performance yacht made in England.This is the boat that should be used in the next Bond film. It was employed to stunning effect in the movie Sahara with Matthew McConaughey and Penelope Cruise and people still talk about the stunts this boat performed whilst escaping the bad guys. There is simply no other British boat builder creating yachts with this performance, stability and quality. The Hunton XRS43 is the one to covet, with up to 1324 HP, good head height, a spacious salon, separate heads and shower, a well-appointed galley and a double berth, with teak decking, leather upholstery and bespoke design finishes as standard. Hunton are the pinnacle of English boat craftsmanship and luxury. A unique luxury yacht that turns heads in any port.

XRS43 prices start at £470k

The Perfect Car

Aston Martin is still the Bond car par excellence and the new DB11 boasts great looks and the performance to match. A twin turbocharged 5.2-litre V12 engine with 600bhp and 700 nm maximum torque. 0-62 in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 200 mph. It sports an aluminium body with Aeroblade™ technology to harness the airflow for maximum stability in all conditions and is the most powerful DB ever built. It is more of a gran tourer than a sports car, but effortlessly elegant and luxurious.

Price around £155k

The Perfect Plane

A Cessna Citation X Jet. At a starting price of $22 million, the Cessna Citation X is the world’s fastest super mid-size business jet. With an upgraded Rolls Royce AE3007C2 turbofan engine, and several features to make your trip comfortable, this is the ideal luxury private jet for anyone looking to ride in style this summer. It has power and efficiency that competing jets can’t reach. When was the last time you hit Mach 0.935? British made Rolls Royce engines supply the power and smooth flight.

Price starts at $23 million.

The Perfect Watch

The Red Robin watch by Robert Loomes. This watch is completely handmade in Stamford by Robert Loomes and his craftsman, with painstaking attention to detail. The case is made from a solid 18ct gold casting and fitted with its sapphire, the only firm in England to cut and polish their own sapphire crystals. A traditional and beautiful piece of engineering. Price POA.

The Perfect Helicopter

The AW609 Tilt Rotor plane/helicopter combines the vertical take off of a helicopter with the comfort, speed and range of a private jet.  A must have really and will probably retail at around £12m. Flying at speeds of up to 275 K and cruises at altitudes of up to 25,000 ft, the AW609 is capable of performing long-range missions with up to nine passengers and two crew with a full fuel load. Or if you wish to be a little more traditional in your helicopter purchase the same company also makes the Agusta or AW169 a 4.6 tonnes twin-turbine helicopter, widely recognised as the luxury helicopter for the man on the move. The Leonardo Company still make some helicopters in Yeovil, such as the Lynx 300, Wildcat and Merlin helicopters and the AW189 civil helicopter.

Around $8.5 million

The Perfect Suit

Dege & Skinner has been going since 1865 and is one of two family-run bespoke tailoring houses to remain in Savile Row and the only one to have a permanent shirt-cutting service based in the shop. Renowned experts in civilian and sports clothing, as well as the tailoring of military uniforms, the Skinner family has been dressing royalty, businessmen, professionals, the military and discerning individuals for over a century and a half. Still owned by father and son, Michael and William Skinner, who are chairman and managing director respectively. Based at Number 10 Savile Row, it is the place to get your exquisitely tailored British suit.

Suit prices start at £950.

 The Perfect Swim Shorts

James Bond has always looked good whilst strolling along Piccadilly but he also needed to look good walking out of the sea onto a Caribbean island. So to accompany the suit, add a pair of Marané swim shorts, luxury designed shorts that look smart by the pool, water skiing or at the bar. Marané produce the ultimate luxury beach shorts for men, designed to flatter and compliment the discerning man who wants to look well dressed even on the beach. Designed in Uruguay using only the finest materials, with designs by a leading international Uruguayan artist, Claudio Pincas, inspired by Punta del Este. These are the quintessential gentlemen’s swim shorts.

Manantiales swim shorts, price £155.

The Perfect Motorbike

The Triumph Thruxton R. This beautiful café racer boasts a 1200 cc six speed engine with a peak torque of 112NM. A stunning modern classic that is a delight to ride and delivers the thrilling sound of a British racing twin. Equipped to the highest specification with twin floating Brembo disks, Brembo monobloc calipers, Showa Big piston forks, Öhlins rear suspension and Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa Tyres.

Thruxton R price starts at £11,700

The Perfect Luggage

With all this travelling you are going to need cases and they may well be the first to arrive (private air travel so no lost luggage) and therefore your initial calling card for style.  Globe Trotter is the classic modern luxury English case. The worlds most famous luxury luggage, hand crafted in Hertfordshire, England since 1932. Fans of the cases include Captain Scott of the Antarctic, Winston Churchill and the Queen who used them for her honeymoon. Modern designs hand crafted on antique Victorian presses. Look out for the Spectre or Money Penny range.

Prices start around £1200.

The Perfect Submarine

The Deepflight Super Falcon Mark II submarine, designed by British engineer Graham Hawkes. Graham designed 70% of the manned submersibles produced between 1980 and 1990 and is known worldwide as an eclectic inventor. DeepFlight’s personal submarines are a fundamentally new type of craft that enable the unique experience of flying underwater. Imagine cruising alongside whales, sharks and dolphins, exploring uncharted shipwrecks, or hovering over pristine coral reefs. The oceanic world, which has been inaccessible for so long, can finally be opened up for personal exploration and adventure. Graham also designed the Mantis sub marine used in the James Bond Film “For Your Eyes Only”.

Price around $1.6m

Avery Parker