This week in MC Recommends, a boutique hotel on a non-touristy beach in south India, Bowmore whisky at the Mumbai duty-free, a calligraphy pen with an 18-karat hand-sculpted nib, Breitling's homage to the Boeing 747, and APL McLaren HySpeed shoes.
Former Oberoi Group president Kapil Chopra’s boutique resort chain The Postcard Hotels offers an intimate experience and quiet sophistication in several destination within India, and in Sri Lanka and Bhutan. A stay at The Postcard Cuelim, in Goa, is highly recommended, but if Goa doesn’t float your boat any more, try the chain’s newly opened — and first — resort on the beach 300 km down the west coast.
The 9-room resort is located just off the Maravanthe Beach, in Karnataka, with each room offering unobstructed views of the Arabian Sea. Activities around the area, if you feel up to it, include dolphin spotting, and on the menu is food from the region’s four communities — Bunt, Goud Saraswat, Catholic and Konkani Muslim. Prices start at Rs 35,000 for an Ocean Front Luxury room.
From its black resin cap and barrel to the elegant yellow gold fittings and pleasant heft, there is a lot to admire in the Montblanc Meisterstuck Precious Resin fountain pen. But, in the case of the writing instrument featured here, it is the nib that deserves special attention.
The latest addition to its Great Masters Calligraphy series, the Meisterstuck Precious Resin 149 is equipped with a handmade 18-karat curved nib that enhances the joy of calligraphy, especially Chinese and Japanese, or, simply, encourages expressive, creative writing. The 18k nib is hand-sculpted by artisans over 35 steps and, according to Montblanc, “the calligrapher can achieve wide horizontal lines and thin vertical lines while also turning the nib upside down for a fine line suited for detailed drawing.”
Beam Suntory has introduced the Bowmore 1965 at the Mumbai Duty Free, but, in all probability, it is aimed at those who frequent the General Aviation terminal at the Mumbai International Airport, which exclusively services private jets. Rated to be among the most collectible Bowmore expressions, the 1965 has been matured for 52 years in one of the world’s oldest Scotch maturation warehouses — the legendary No.1 Vaults.
The whisky celebrates a fecund period, the 1960s, for Bowmore, which was the first recorded distillery on Islay. According to Bowmore, the whisky “unlocks elegant bursts of rich fruits…and intense dark chocolate on the nose… and is perfectly balanced with a touch of jasmine, dried fruit and apricots.” There are only 232 bottles in existence across the world and the one at the Mumbai Duty Free costs Rs 32 lakh.
The Boeing 747, which made its maiden flight in 1969 and was the first quad-jet engine and wide body passenger aircraft, ushered in global travel for the masses. Now, as the last of the formidable and much-loved aircraft roll off the production line, Breitling has launched a chronograph that pays tribute to the Queen of the Skies. The Navitimer, launched in 1952, graced most pilots’ wrists back in the golden age of civil aviation, and was equipped with a trademark circular slide that could perform all in-flight calculations.
The new Navitimer Boeing 747 sports the logo of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association — the world’s largest community of pilots — at 12 0’clock and its cream dial with black subdials evoke the colour palette of the original Boeing 747. The watch, which is powered by the in-house Caliber 01 that offers 70 hours of power reserve, and is available on a black alligator strap or seven-row metal bracelet.
An APL McLaren HySpeed shoe is probably grail material for most sneakerheads. A collaboration between luxury supercar manufacturer McLaren and the California-based Athletic Propulsion Labs, the latest edition of the supercar-inspired shoe, first launched in 2022, is on offer in three new colour ways, including Magenta-Pristine-Ombre, Pristine-Tan-Midnight, inspired by the colours on the interiors of McLarens, and black and white.
The sneaker gets a three-piece segmented midsole with APL FutureFoam pods at the front and rear and a full-length carbon fibre plate, a material also used in the seats of the McLaren Senna. The sole is injected with nitrogen. Prices start at $450.
