Monaco Auction Week: A fresh focus on design in 2023

Artcurial’s Monaco Auction Week is back this summer with an incredible array of watches, jewellery and handbags, but there’s also a new-for-this-year addition: a design department.  

For some seriously impressive luxury accessories, sculptures and objets d’art, Artcurial’s summer Monaco Auction Week can’t be beat. The event, planned for 16th to 19th July at the Hotel Hermitage, is always a popular occasion, bringing together some of the most exquisite pieces to be had, including rare gems from private collections that haven’t been on the market for years, if ever. 

WATCHES 

The watch auctions are split into two with the men’s timepieces going under the gavel on 16th July at 6pm and the women’s on 17th July at 2pm. 

A plethora of rare and vintage watches will be up for sale, including a 2007 men’s FP JOURNE Tourbillon Souverain platinum wristwatch with power reserves that is estimated to go for €150,000 to €300,000.  

The FP JOURNE Tourbillon Souverain 2007. Photo credit: Artcurial

Le Temps est Féminin, the women’s sale, features a 1968 Daytona Panda with a cream dial and black sub-dials. A piece like this is almost impossible to find except at exclusive events like Monaco Auction Week.  

“For several years, Le Temps est Féminin has established itself as the most glamourous watchmaking event on the French Riviera. Whether it’s the astonishing creativity of the 1950s, or the extravagance of the 1970s, our next sale will discover original pieces that we rarely see appear on the market,” said Marie Sanna-Legrand, Director of the Collection Watchmaking Department at Artcurial. 

JEWELLERY  

Also on 16th and 17th July, at 2pm and 6pm respectively, the auction house will hope to revisit the success of their winter event in January, which saw fine jewellery and stones sales bring in €3.3 million.  

This department is packed with treasures, including a gorgeous platinum ring set with an 8.44 carat pear-shaped diamond, certified colour I with VVS2 purity, with an estimated going price of €60,000 to €80,000.  

“Boucheron, Mauboussin, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Buccelatti, René Boivin, etc… Our next sale already augurs surprises and very good auctions… Lovers of precious stones will be spoiled for choice in the colors: white, blue, red or green,” enthuses Julie Valade, Director of the Artcurial Jewellery Department.  

HANDBAGS 

Hermès and other luxury brands come up on 18th July at 2pm. For two decades, this has been a highlight of the auction season in the Principality and once again, the choices will be unbeatable. One example is a 2018 Hermès limited edition Birkin Touch 30 in sapphire blue bull calf leather and navy blue matte alligator. This elegant bag is set to be sold for between €22,000 and €32,000.  

The 2018 Hermès limited edition Birkin Touch 30. Photo credit: Artcurial

SCULPTURES 

Also on 18th July, at 5pm, the fourth edition of the Monaco Sculptures auction will be held. Artcurial will take over gardens across the Principality in an incredible display of 40 or so pieces that will be on display until the end of July.  

NEW FOR 2023: DESIGN 

Finally on 19th July, a first for Artcurial’s Monaco Auction Week: a design showcase coming from a private collection of transalpine design. More than 90 pieces from architects and designers such as Gio Ponti, Gino Sarfatti, Fausto Melotti and Gabriella Crespi will be up for grabs along with exceptional pieces from the Campana Brothers, such as the Settimio cabinet. Only three of this piece exist, including one on display at the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris. 

“It is an honor to present this magnificent collection of Italian design at the Artcurial luxe sales in Monaco,” said Justine Despretz, Artcurial’s Italian Design Consultant. “This collection tells us the story of a woman passionate and in love with art, architecture and design, but above all with Italian know-how and craftsmanship.”  

For a full list of all items at the auction and to see other events hosted by Artcurial, please click here. 

 

Do you have an event in Monaco or the French Riviera that you would like us to include in our What’s On section and events calendar? Please email editor@monacolife.net.  

 

Photos courtesy of Artcurial

 

May 31st: Prince Rainier III’s 100th birthday celebrations

prince rainier birthday

On 31st May, what would have been the Builder Prince’s 100th birthday, the famous Rock of Monaco will be awash with celebrations as the whole of the Principality turns out to celebrate Prince Rainier III. 

It is but the first date in a year-long celebration of the former Prince of Monaco and the father of current sovereign Prince Albert II.

Prince Rainier III was born on 31st May 1923 and to mark the occasion, the Rock will be transformed into an open-air street party, with everything from music, dance and art to parades and a firework display set to dazzle the public.

The Rainier III Committee has even created a special flag, featuring Rainier’s profile on a tasteful red and white background, for the day and businesses and residents have been encouraged to decorate their homes, offices and streets with the pennants. The decorations have been on sale since 1st May and can be purchased at the souvenir shop on the Place du Palais Princier, Bazar Picco at 22 Avenue Saint-Charles, Brico Center on 4-6 Avenue Albert II and Le Khédive at 9 Boulevard Albert Ier.

There will scarcely be a corner of Monaco Ville where the 31st May celebrations will not be felt. Events will take place at the Palace, the Cathedral, in the streets, on the Place de la Mairie, in the Jardins Saint-Martin, the Oceanographic Museum, the Jardin Animalier and the Club Bouliste.

At the end of the day, at precisely 9.15pm, all locations will celebrate the great man by sharing birthday cake with the assembled crowds. An hour later, at 10.15pm, a fireworks show will be launched from the breakwater of Port Hercule.

The Prince, who reigned for 56 years, was notable for his modern approach to statecraft. Rainier III is credited with revolutionising the Monegasque economy; moving it from one reliant on casinos and gambling to a more sophisticated cultural hub as well as a place with an inventive tax system. He also reformed the constitution, limiting his own powers and creating today’s arrangement, which is a based on a constitutional monarchy.

For a full listing of the day’s events and for information in general on Rainier III’s year of celebrations, please click here.

Read more:

Prince Rainier III: A series of major events set to commemorate the centenary of the Builder Prince’s birth

 

Do you have an event in Monaco or the French Riviera that you would like us to include in our What’s On section and events calendar? Please email editor@monacolife.net.  

 

Photo source: Centenairerainier3.mc

 

Top Marques Monaco 2023: Highlights and new additions revealed

Top Marques Monaco

The countdown is on for the world’s most luxurious supercar show, Top Marques Monaco, which is this year shooting for the stars with some exciting new reveals. 

There is just under a month until the 18th edition of Top Marques Monaco, the world’s most luxurious supercar show, but excitement is already mounting.

While tourists in the Casino Square on Tuesday were treated to a snippet of what’s to be on show in June at the Grimaldi Forum, the press and guests gathered inside the Casino de Monte-Carlo to hear what’s on this year’s agenda.

It was confirmed that the 2023 edition of Top Marques Monaco will be amongst the most thrilling to date, with exceptionally rare hypercars and classic cars on show, as well as the worldwide launch of an electric rover heading for the Moon.

Top Marques returns to Monaco from 7th to 11th June with an extraordinary line-up of the world’s most iconic supercars from yesterday, today and tomorrow – for sale and ready to drive home.

It will feature six world-first reveals, test drives of the finest machines and more than 100 exhibits from the world’s most luxurious brands.

World launches

Top Marques is synonymous with exciting world-first unveilings, and this year the show will see the launch of the nanoFlowcell, the first 100% electric, no battery roadster.

There will also be two Ford Broncos straight from Florida, the first public showing of Venturi’s Flex lunar rover that will be launched into space onboard SpaceX in 2026, and the IR8 Tribute supercar by Dallara Stradale. The sixth and final unveiling remains ‘Top Secret’.

Among the other top brands to be featured are Porsche, Audi, Devinci, Maserati and Aston Martin.

Innovative technology will also be on show by visionaries such as Matador MH2, with their hydrogen concept car, and Nemo 2, the 100% electric submersive.

The nanoFlowcell will be unveiled at this year’s Top Marques Monaco, photo supplied

New this year: Monaco Car Auctions

The first sale organised by the newly launched Monaco Car Auctions will take place on 8th June. The auction will be exclusively dedicated to the Ferrari brand, with both cars and automobilia set to go under the hammer.

Classic cars return

After a successful inaugural edition in 2022, Boutsen Classic Cars led by Thierry Boutsen will take centre stage in the cars of yesteryear section. They will be joined by Classic 4 You, DPM Motors and a Bugatti Royale, on loan from the National Automobile Museum of Mulhouse and the Collection of Cars of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco. Meanwhile, two Benetton F1 cars driven by Schumacher during his first F1 wins will be on show and for sale.

Entertainment

Ambassador GMK (Georges Maroun Kikano), France’s number one automotive influencer, revealed that a competition will be held this year, titled Car Spotters’ Awards, inviting people to submit their favourite photos and videos of cars, and a lotto in which the winners will receive a pair of limited edition Nike shoes. There will also be Lego workshops for the kids to create their favourite cars, and a design competition for young car designers.

Security and safety a top priority

It was also mentioned during Tuesday’s press conference that Monaco’s Public Security will be out in force to ensure speed limits and respectable behaviour are adhered to. On the spot fines of €300 will be issued for those who fail to comply, and cars will be impounded for five days.

Tickets for Top Marques Monaco

Day passes for Thursday 8th and Friday 9th June are priced at 80€. Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th June are 40€. VIP passes are 150€. Tickets are on sale at ww.topmarquesmonaco.com.

 

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Photo above: The hydrogen concept carMatador MH2, courtesy Top Marques

 

MEWS 2023: Monaco’s pioneering metaverse summit

mews monaco

The winners at this year’s Metaverse Entertainment World Summit included the man behind the Mythical Games, the female entrepreneur who created World of Women and a “young genius” from Nice who built the Equitier empire.  

Prince Albert II, who had given the event his High Patronage, was on hand to dish out the awards on 4th May at the MEWS gala dinner. The awards honoured the “most outstanding talent, creators and companies” from the metaverse sphere, with a focus on categories such as Sports, which went to John Linden of Mythical Games x NFL Rivals, Community, won by Adelina Mettera of World of Women, and Pioneer, which went to Niçois Thomas Chenu, the chairman of Equitier.  

“Creative futurist” VNCCII and Samantha Tauber won the music category for their “outstanding progress” in the music metaverse, while the Better World award went to Tate Dooley for Backyard Farming.  

Michelin-starred Chef Yannick Allèno of the Hôtel Hermitage’s Pavyllon restaurant provided the gourmet element of the awards night while Les French Twins gave a “truly magical performance that captivated and left the audience completely awe-struck”, according to organisers.  

Overall, the three days of workshops, conferences, discussion sessions and networking opportunities, as well as numerous fascinating exhibits and premieres, such as those by Camille Louise Jewellery, Verse Estate, Treehugger, Eyes of Fashion NFT, WizzKid Billionaire, Dworld, Marthaverse, Equitier and Orbis Holographics, were a resounding success.  

“The MEWS Summit and Awards was a huge success, bringing together some of the brightest minds in the metaverse industry to share their insights and expertise,” said the organisers in a post-event communiqué. “With Web3 rapidly becoming an integral part of our digital future, events like the MEWS are essential for ensuring that innovators, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders are all working together to shape this exciting new world.” 

Read more: 

Monaco “turns its eyes to the future” at MEWS 2023 Conference

 

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Photo credit: Ed Wright / MEWS 2022

Millions won at European Poker Tour in Monaco

poker monaco

The PokerStars European Poker Tour held at Le Sporting saw 53 events on the schedule and some of poker’s biggest names filling the tables for enormous cash prizes.  

The PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) took over Le Sporting for 11 days of high stakes action between 26th April and 6th May, and now the results are in: Canada’s Mike Watson has captured his second EPT Main Event title and more than €749,000 in cash after beating out Germany’s Leonard Maue.  

The field of 1,098 entrants created a prize pool in this event in excess of €5.3 million and it took six days to play out.  

In other big matches, Mikita Badziakouski from Belarus nabbed the €25,000 High Rollers title after defeating Britain’s Ben Heath and has taken home a packet equaling €938,042. The 211 players in this category had built up a massive prize pot of over €5 million and the event attracted some of poker’s biggest names, including Timothy Adams, Aleksejs Ponakovs, Artur Martirosian and Justin Bonomo. 

The cash awards of €1.8 million for the €3,000 NLH Mystery Bounty had 678 competitors and was whittled down in the end to a competition between France’s Jeremie Zouari and Antoine Kraous from Bulgaria. The Frenchman beat out Kraous, winning €202,000.  

For serious big spenders, the €100,000 Super High Roller event, which perhaps unsurprisingly attracted only 37 participants, saw Bulgarian Alex Kulev take the top spot and win €1.03 million, beating out the €25,000 High Rollers champ Mikita Badziakouski, who still walked away with over a million.  

The next EPT event will be held from 21st August to 3rd September in Barcelona.  

 

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Photo credit: Manuel Kovsca / Rational Intellectual Holdings Ltd. 

Monte-Carlo Television Festival: Golden Nymph nominees revealed

MONTE-CARLO TELEVISION FESTIVAL

The Golden Nymph Award nominees for the Monte-Carlo Television Festival have been revealed, with 18 international competitors going for the gold.  

The Monte-Carlo Television Festival will be back at the Grimaldi Forum from 16th to 20th June. Preparations are well underway for this 62nd edition and the nominees for the Golden Nymph Awards, the festival’s highest honours, have now been announced. 

This year, 18 programmes from 12 countries have been chosen. These include three world premieres, seven international debuts and two premieres from France. The entrants’ genres range from fiction to news and documentaries, and the winners will be selected by an equally diverse jury, which will include the well-known American actor John Goodman as President of the Panel.  

“Having a nomination for a Golden Nymph Award means true international recognition for a production,” says Laurent Puons, CEO of the Monte-Carlo Television Festival. “We have a really strong line-up this year and are extremely pleased to see so many programmes from all parts of the world. The superb quality of the programming chosen for the 2023 Official Selection demonstrates just how our competition continues to grow in both size and global importance.” 

The prizes to be given for Fiction include Best Film, Best Series, Best Creation, Best Actress, Best Actor and a Special Jury Prize. In the News & Documentaries category, they will go to the Best News Programme and Best Documentary. There will also be a Special Jury Prize. 

Anglophone nominees for a Golden Nymph

The English-speaking productions in the running for a Golden Nymph include: Ten Pound Poms, a UK-Australian project from Eleven Film; The Man Who Played With Fire from the UK’s RAW; Nazanin also from the UK’s 649 Media and Channel 4; First To Stand: The Cases and Causes of Irwin Cotler from Canada’s DLI Productions; and Poker Face from the USA’s T-Street, MRC Television and Paramount.

It has been announced that the writer for hit series such as The X Files and Homeland, Howard Gordon, will be given an honorary prize presented by Princess Charlene. 

In addition, this year sees the return of the Public Prize. For the second year, this award, given in partnership with BetaSeries, gives fans a chance to participate in the festival by voting for their favourite series or show, earning a prize for the one with the most votes.  

The event, which celebrates the best of TV from around the world, as well as offering marketing and public relations opportunities to producers and distributors, was created by Prince Rainier III and is now under the Honorary Presidency of Prince Albert II.  

For more information on the event, please click here

 

Do you have an event in Monaco or the French Riviera that you would like us to include in our What’s On section and events calendar? Please email editor@monacolife.net.  

 

Photo source: Monte-Carlo Television Festival