In 1881, a 19-year old Swiss named Achille Ditesheim put his watch making talents into action, formulating the nucleus for what is now the Movado Group, owner of ten watch brands with a total of 1,500 employees. With a self-supporting retail chain of 62 stores and numerous retail partnerships, the Movado brand is today an international success, earning a half billion dollars in sales for fiscal year 2007.

One of the company’s latest Series 800 watches demonstrates its commitment to fine craftsmanship in a functional yet elegant men’s watch. Designed as a 2008 limited edition for ambassador and Super Bowl quarterback Tom Brady, only 1,000 of the stainless steel ($2,500) and 12 of the rose gold ($20,000) case watches were to be made, both with automatic chronograph movement. Find them here.

New York-based Morphosis Architects, Inc. is a 50-member strong design firm with vision, headed by innovative director and Harvard graduate Thom Mayne. Their developments span 37 years in business, and their philosophy mirrors their company name, emphasizing small and large scale projects that evolve in tandem with changes in culture, technology and the environments for which they design.

Structural achievements such as Caltrans Dristrict 7 Headquarters and Italy’s Hypo Alpe-Adria Bank received high marks and ongoing projects including Taipei Performing Arts Center in Taiwan, Giant Group Campus in China, and Phare Tower in France assure a bright future for Mayne and his associates. The firm also recently won a bid, with three other companies, to compete for the design of a tower for China Construction Bank the world’s fourth-largest in terms of market capitalization. Find them here.

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Springtime is just around the corner, which means getting outdoors more often, doing the things we love to do, like rocking out in the backyard with a glass of iced tea. But wait – no tune-age setup outside, you say? Fear not. The folks at Klipsch have got you covered.

Observe the functional yet inartistic $299 rock speaker from these 60-year loudspeaker veterans. The two-way speaker includes a bass-reflex port and the 13 lb. enclosure is available in three natural finishes, supplying a durable, weather-resistent outdoor speaker with full-bodied clarity and response.

Lest you doubt their engineering ability, check out the $5,500 Klipschorn 60^th Anniversary edition of their legendary loudspeaker to experience the company’s trademark “ultimate sound experience”. Part of the company’s heritage collection in production since 1946, the Klipschorn has a veneer finished cabinet that houses all the acoustic muscle one has ever needed, regardless of the source. Find more info here.

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Principe di Savoia offers five-star luxury accommodations on Milan’s busy Piazza della Repubblica, in close proximity to the city’s best fashion, art, and historical sites.

Highlights include the Winter Garden Bar, styled in rich, classical tones, with black marble accents and deep reds and greens dominate the décor. Spacious upholstered chairs surround an elevated low bar. A stained glass dome with a centerpiece chandelier provides awe-inspiring natural light from overhead.

Club 10 is another grand touch, located on the hotel’s top floor. The complex includes a fitness center, indoor pool, sauna, solarium, and Turkish bath. The hotel’s restaurant, Acanto, offers classic Italian cuisine in an elegant setting.

The hotel offers a choice of 401 elegantly-styled rooms with Florentine, Venetian or Neo-Classical motifs. Standard amenities include a refrigerator bar, climate control, wireless internet, and dial-direct phones. Seasonal discounts for budget-conscious travelers give the common man the opportunity to experience the luxury of the hotel’s interiors for themselves, and the hotel even allows pets at no extra charge. Find them here.

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Last year’s DBS put some muscle into the Aston Martin line, with class, of course. This year, the sport coupe lets its hair down, with a soft top that retracts in 14 seconds, in mid flight if necessary. A 6.0 V12 transmits an impressive 510 horsepower to a top speed of 190 mph. A 6-speed manual transmission is standard, and carbon fibre styling keeps the DBS light in transit.

Want more for your base price of $270,000 from one of England’s luxury vehicle masters? Picky, picky. OK, how about carbon-ceramic ABS brakes with Dynamic Stability Control to slow you down after a 0 to 62 mph jog in 4.3 seconds? Or a Bang & Olufsen stereo system that automatically compensates for top-down listening? 20″ alloy wheels shoed with Pirelli custom tires? Integrated iPod dock and compatible USB and 3.5mm socket? Automatic temperature – controlled environment with heated, fully-adjustable seats, and GPS navigation? Find them here.

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