The Best Luxury Gifts for Those Who Enjoy the High Life
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They say it’s better to give than to receive—but whoever came up with that particular idiom had clearly never looked at one of WIRED’s elevated gift lists. Bank-account-incinerating prices aside, we’d be very happy to be on the receiving end of any of these splendid items as, diverse as they are, each represents the pinnacle of their art, the zenith of exclusivity, and the very boundary of good taste—which only makes us covet them all the more.
Such a list, of course, has no business dealing with practicality—beyond sheer affordability, such notions take a backseat when you’re faced with something so expensive that you’re too terrified to use it.
So, think of this compilation as a test of nerve as much as one of temptation. And, who knows? If you’ve been especially well-behaved this year (we’d put achieving world peace as the bare minimum, TBH), perhaps you’ll make Santa’s very, very, very good list.
For more ideas that aren't quite as extravagant in the price department, check out our many holiday gift guides, including the best Gifts for Outdoorsy People, Gift Ideas to Tempt a Home Chef, Gifts for Mom, and more.
A Ravishing Racing Simulator
Designed by Callum, the agency started in 2019 by renowned British car designer Ian Callum, formerly director of design for Jaguar, the striking Prodrive Racing Simulator takes its aesthetic cues from a grand piano, with 16 layers of beech steamed into shape then finished in lacquered gloss black. The floating monocoque is carbon fiber and houses a curved 49-inch 5K screen and Cobra ‘Nogaro Street’ seat, Bowers & Wilkins PX7 headphones, a Precision Sim Engineering LM Pro steering wheel with motor feedback, all powered by a bespoke simulator with a 12-GB GeForce RTX graphics card and 16 GB of memory running Assetto Corsa.
A Superlative Surfboard
Designed in Australia and assembled in Amsterdam, the world’s lightest hydrofoil surfboard weighs just 22.5 kg, including the Flight Cell Nano battery that offers up to 52 minutes of watery fun. With the help of the 80-centimeter mast it will happily haul anyone up to 100 kilograms in weight and comes with a host of possible upgrades, including another world-first, the Dual Drive propulsion system ($950) that lets riders change between jet and prop in seconds, plus a fast charger ($500) that takes just two hours to brim the battery.
A Child-Friendly Chariot
The Ferrari Testa Rossa J is a fully electric 75 percent scale reproduction of the 250 Testa Rossa, which took Ferrari to Le Mans glory three times. And if this big kids’ toy weren’t exclusive enough, now there is a Pacco Gara iteration, with a boost in power to 14 kW meaning a bump from 16 bhp to 19 bhp and a top speed of 50 mph. Other notable additions include a removable racing roll cage, Sabelt racing harness, period-correct spotlights, a tonneau cover over the passenger side (in the same Ferrari leather as the interior), quicker ratio steering rack, adjustable dampers and drilled brake discs. It’s a formidable upgrade, as is the price: €25,000 on top of the “regular” car’s €95,000.
A Peerless Pen
The Stilema, meaning “style,” has been designed in collaboration with Flavio Manzoni, Ferrari’s chief design officer, and takes inspiration from the 2021 Ferrari Daytona SP3, no less. Indeed, the titanium fountain pen’s lined accents are meant to evoke the horizontal slats on the Daytona’s front and rear bumpers, while the red blade, which slides back to reveal the filling mechanism, is designed to look as if it is illuminated. A handcrafted Au 750 solid white gold nib takes care of the calligraphy, and alongside the traditional Montblanc logo, Ferrari’s Prancing Horse is laser-etched onto the cap. Too modern for your tastes? You can’t go wrong with a classic Meisterstück.
A Timely Trio of Wristwatches
After the runaway global success of its collaboration with stablemate Omega, Swatch has partnered with another sister marque that also happens to be the world's oldest watch brand, Blancpain. Not only does Blancpain boast pedigree, it was also one of the first to make a diving watch: the Fifty Fathoms. Fittingly, then, Swatch has raided its archives, drawing upon its own dive pieces and innovative mechanical SISTEM51 movement to produce the Blancpain X Swatch Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms. Five flavors are available in Swatch stores, if you can find one with stock, all boasting automatic movement with transparent display back and matching NATO strap.
Of course, if you want to play a festive game of Swatch Group “good, better, best,” start with the new and decidedly fun Simpsons Swatch, which is available online, then move onto the Blancpain X Swatch Scuba, and, if you really want to blow the budget, finish with Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms 70th anniversary Act 3 limited edition in 9-carat bronze-gold at $32,000.
A Tremendous Television
Celebrating its centenary year, luxury German brand Loewe has quite the story to tell; one involving Albert Einstein, Nazis, the world’s first cassette recorder, and a television, designed with input from John Logie Baird. To mark the occasion, the brand is introducing another first, this time in the form of a TV made from Cyno-Stone, a supremely durable and recyclable solid surface material, similar to polished concrete. This monolithic design, available in 55- and 65-inch iterations, in either graphite gray or clay white, has a 4K OLED screen with hidden 360-watt 3.1 soundbar that can be paired wirelessly with other speakers to make the most of the Dolby Atmos and PlayFi multiroom compatibility.
A Beautiful-Sounding Sideboard
We loved the design of Ruark’s retro R7, so it’s no surprise that the brand’s new follow-up “radiogram,” the R810, should be equally desirable. Available in gray or walnut, not only is this probably the best-sounding sideboard you’ll hear with 180 watts of Class A/B amplification, it boasts wireless streaming options aplenty (AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, aptX Bluetooth, UPnP) as well as enough physical connections (HDMI eARC, optical input, RCA phono input, USB-C) to run your TV or turntable audio, too. And for the audiophiles, high-res audio is supported up to 32 bit/384 kHz.
A Consummate Coffee Machine
This Italian institution has been manufacturing commercial coffee machines since 1945. This, however, is a residential semiautomatic espresso machine launched to celebrate the 61st anniversary of the invention of the E61 group head—it’s the equivalent to the creation of the valve amp for audiophiles. This component is still widely regarded as one of the best, offering precision distribution of hot water over coffee grounds during brewing. Updated for the modern kitchen, this exquisite slice of retro café heaven has an automatic boiler fill, built-in volumetric pump, and two pressure gauges to guarantee the perfect crema.
A Stellar Set of Home Theater Speakers
Dominus is the highest-performance class of THX Certification, and this is one of only a few designs capable of bridging the gap between commercial and luxury home cinemas—and if you’ve got 184 cubic meters of space and a viewing distance of up to 6 meters, you’re in for a treat. Each unit features four 160-mm (6.5-inch) bass drivers and a vented motor system designed to cope with being buried in a wall. Also utilized is KEF’s 12th-generation Uni-Q driver, which does remarkable things to the sonic sweet spot. And while we’re loath to cover them up, the metal grille can be painted to blend in seamlessly.
