bowers & wilkins x mclaren | f1 audio edition

What if your favourite pen could keep its analogue soul while living in a world of cloud storage and instant sharing? That’s the challenge Montblanc has tackled head-on. The German luxury Maison, famed for crafting the world’s finest writing instruments, has successfully debuted the Montblanc Digital Paper, an innovation designed not to replace handwriting, but to elevate it for the modern age.

Unveiled at the brand’s Hamburg headquarters, the new device celebrates the unique, sensory pleasure of putting pen to paper while extending the Maison’s refined writing culture into the digital space. It’s a marriage of high culture and high-tech. 

Upholding its core message to “Inspire Writing,” Montblanc employed cutting-edge technology to translate the unparalleled experience of writing by hand without any loss of quality – a demanding transition perfected by the specialists in Hamburg.

“While digital tools offer efficiency and comfort, handwriting is an intensive experience driven by the flow of thought and sensory input. In our increasingly fast-paced world, this experience can be grounding and inspiring,” says Felix Obschonka, Montblanc Director of New Technologies. 

He notes that with the Digital Paper, they’ve found a way to preserve all the virtues of handwriting while simultaneously addressing the need for unlimited space and effortless digital collaboration. 

The entire experience hinges on the accompanying Montblanc Digital Pen. It proudly inherits the ergonomic design and celebrated features of the legendary Meisterstück, retaining the signature three metal rings and the iconic Montblanc emblem.

To genuinely replicate that unique feel, the Digital Pen comes with three interchangeable tips, each meticulously engineered to simulate a different paper texture, allowing the user to precisely tailor the handwriting experience. Writing on the device’s high-resolution display with electronic ink promises the exact same sensory satisfaction as putting a classic Montblanc nib to paper.

Beyond the tactile experience, the Digital Paper is designed as an essential smart companion. It’s ideal for annotating presentations, e-books and documents. But most importantly, all handwritten notes and documents are made fully searchable through an intuitive function with sophisticated handwriting recognition. 

Users can structure ideas using pre-loaded templates for calendars and planners, while files can be seamlessly shared and received via email, USB-C or through the accompanying app connected to the Montblanc Cloud.

Aesthetically, the device is housed in an ultra-light metal casing available in Mystery Black, Elixir Gold and Cool Grey, finished with a calfskin leather side panel embossed with the Montblanc emblem. For added luxury, stylish leather covers are available as an option, which can be individually customised with embossing.

The Montblanc Digital Paper is now available in selected boutiques worldwide and online.

photography. courtesy of Montblanc
words. Gennaro Costanzo

Who knew pianos and luxury cars had so much in common? Steinway & Sons and Bentley Motors, apparently. The two heritage houses have joined forces for a collaboration that celebrates precision, craftsmanship and design through the launch of Steinway’s ‘Ultra Black’ and ‘Ultra White’ limited editions.

Built in Hamburg, just fifty-two of these grand pianos will exist worldwide, evenly split between the two finishes. Each takes cues from both brands’ most recognisable signatures: Steinway’s timeless silhouettes and Bentley’s sleek monochrome palette. The Ultra Black, finished in a deep Jet Black that’s been a favourite in Bentley’s veneer catalogue, feels sculptural and commanding; its mirror image, the Ultra White, draws from the carmaker’s Arctic White, luminous and modern in tone.

“The Ultra Black and Ultra White editions embody Steinway’s ability to honour our heritage while exploring new expressions of design,” confirms Guido Zimmermann, President of Steinway & Sons Europe. “These pianos are not only instruments of the highest musical quality but also works of art, created for those who value craftsmanship, individuality, and timeless beauty.” 

It’s a statement Bentley could easily echo. And indeed, to mark the launch, the British marque unveiled a ‘Flying Spur Speed’ finished in Arctic White with a Piano Black veneer interior – a perfect mirror of Steinway’s monochrome duo. 
“Our collaboration with Steinway & Sons is a meeting of worlds, where craftsmanship connects music and motion. The Flying Spur Speed, paired with Steinway’s Ultra Black and Ultra White editions, represents a dialogue between two distinguished names, creating objects of rarity and enduring beauty,” says Wayne Bruce, Chief Communications and D&I Officer. 

Founded in 1853, Steinway & Sons remains the gold standard for concert pianists, its instruments painstakingly made by hand over the course of a year in just two factories located in Hamburg and New York. Bentley, meanwhile, has been crafting luxury cars in Crewe since 1919, evolving from W.O. Bentley’s original vision into a symbol of British engineering and design.

What makes this collaboration more than just a meeting of logos is the exchange of craft behind it. Steinway and Bentley artisans shared techniques in veneering, finishing and woodwork – a merging of two disciplines united by precision and touch. Both brands have built their legacies on that tension between handcraft and innovation: from Bentley’s meticulously engineered interiors to Steinway’s SPIRIO | r system, which can record and reproduce a live performance with astonishing fidelity.

Elegance shouldn’t be limited to concert halls or car showrooms and, together, the two brands prove that this is what happens when sound and speed share the same rhythm.

photography. courtesy of Steinway & Sons, Bentley Motors
words. Gennaro Costanzo

Bang & Olufsen has always treated technology like sculpture. Since 1925, the Danish house has designed sound as much for the eye as for the ear, with radios and speakers that became icons of modern living. Almost a century on, that philosophy is being distilled into its smallest form yet: Beo Grace, earbuds that double as both jewellery and innovation.

Positioned as a symbol of the brand’s next hundred years, Beo Grace reflects the qualities that have defined Bang & Olufsen since the beginning: aluminium craftsmanship, acoustic precision, and design that refuses to fade into the background. “Beo Grace is more than a new product, it is a symbol of the century ahead […]. With Beo Grace we are bringing our heritage of acoustic ingenuity into a form you can wear – a piece of design sculpture that ushers in a new era of wearable sound,” says CEO Kristian Teär.

The design looks back to the cult A8 earphones, carrying their distinctive metal stems into the wireless age. Each earpiece is carved from polished aluminium and paired with a seamless, pearl-blasted charging case that feels less like an accessory and more like a pocket-sized artefact. Cool to the touch, carefully finished, and unapologetically tactile, Beo Grace blurs the line between sound equipment and precious metalwork.

Optional extras heighten the ritual. A leather pouch, offered in Infinite Black, Cranberry Red, or Seashell Grey, is styled like a miniature handbag – strap, clasp, and all. Inside the earbuds, a 12mm titanium driver tuned by Bang & Olufsen’s tonmeisters anchors the sound with clarity and balance. Add Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos optimisation, and a regular playlist turns cinematic.

The listening experience adapts in real time. Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation adjusts itself to your surroundings, while new EarSense technology tailors sound to the unique shape of your ear. Transparency mode offers the reverse: an almost uncanny recreation of your environment that makes it easy to forget you’re wearing earbuds at all. Calls aren’t left behind either, with a three-microphone array in each earpiece ensuring voices come through cleanly, even against wind and traffic.

Controls are deliberately physical. Instead of fiddly swipes, Beo Grace introduces NearTap™, a gesture-based way to adjust volume, while the aluminium stems provide a reassuring click with every press. The battery delivers up to 17 hours with the case, and just five minutes of charging powers two and a half hours of playback.

Behind the scenes is Bang & Olufsen’s Amadeus Platform™, a software system that evolves through updates, meaning the earbuds can adapt to new features and improvements over time. Longevity is also a priority: in partnership with battery intelligence company Breathe, Beo Grace has been tested to withstand over 2,000 charge cycles.

Nearly 100 years after Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen built their first products in Struer, Denmark, the company is still finding unexpected ways to shape how we listen.

Beo Grace launches on 17 November in Natural Aluminium with pre-orders available now at bang-olufsen.com and Bang & Olufsen stores.

photography. courtesy of Bang & Olufsen 
words. Gennaro Costanzo