Christmas gift guide

The luxury list: when money is no object

Frank Muller Master Banker watch
Perhaps it's not the most well-timed watch launch, but with a delicious irony the latest Frank Muller collection includes a range called the Master Calendar Master Banker. With Muller's trademark shape and numerals, this time complemented by a central day and month display finished with a retrograde date function, there's also a second timezone that can be set to the minute. An essential luxury for those hard-done-by master bankers. 
www.marcuswatches.co.uk

VIP Kicker "crystal edition" football table
This bespoke, "high accuracy",  sparkling football table is the ultimate boys' toy. Each unit can be customised with Swarovski crystals in different colours to match your team. But with 140,000 crystals applied by hand to each table, interested professional footballers should sign new contracts before decorating it in their own team's colours. All that sparkling comes at a price—from £8,000.
www.harrods.com

Mont Blanc soft leather bag
Still best known for its popular and stylish pens, Mont Blanc has diversified into a wide range of other exclusive collectables, such as jewellery and bags. This new man-bag from the soft leather collection, made of deerskin, is particularly fabulous, although confident metrosexuals are the clear target market. £920.
www.montblanc.com

Cartier jewellery
Even in uncertain times, some things are black and white. And a positive reaction is pretty much guaranteed to a gift of Cartier jewellery. Appropriately, the French house's latest collection includes a great deal of black onyx, white gold and diamonds, with the Caresse d'orchidées par Cartier ring (£27,500) a fine example of the elegance, power and beauty of the combination. Italian supermodel and actress Monica Bellucci is also on hand to help. Black & White with Monica Bellucci comprises several items including the pendant pictured in white gold with a blackened finish. Collection from £1,750.
www.cartier.com

Stephen Einhorn Golden Geo Cufflinks
If 14-carat white gold doesn't appeal, you can get these lovely cufflinks made to order in your precious metal of choice. What won't change is the ancient oak—known as "Thames wood"—in the middle. This is sourced from a section of the Roman port built in 63AD just north of the current London Bridge. A nice way to wear a piece of London's history. £2,003.
www.stepheneinhorn.com

Patek Philippe watches
Drawing on both the original Aquanaut, launched in 1997, and the pioneering Nautilus-which re-shaped the watch world in the mid-1970s-the latest range of Aquanaut watches offers the same kind of practical luxury. The new Aquanaut includes a beautifully crafted stainless steel bracelet, equally at home in the casino or the gym. The ladies Aquanaut Luce comes with matching dial and "indestructible" strap in "honey beige" and is studded with flawless, white Top Wesselton round diamonds. From £7,720.
www.patek.com

Arabelle fine jewellery
Launched during Coutts Jewellery Week last year, Arabelle Morgan's fine collection has quickly gained popularity. The range is made up of nine different lines, with many pieces, including the cocktail rings, featuring beautiful bold gemstones. The collection is available in Selfridges and at the Kabiri store in London. From £1,000.
www.arabelle.com

Henk Travelfriend
Made of ostrich or calf leather, the limited edition version of this luxury suitcase is perhaps the ultimate travel accessory. It's a stylish, high-quality piece, but with such a heavy price tag, it is probably best to steer clear of Heathrow Terminal Five's chaotic luggage system. £30,000.
www.harrods.com

TAG Heuer Meridist
The first mobile phone to be launched by the renowned Swiss watchmaker exudes all the familiar class of TAG's timepieces. The display, made from "unscratchable" sapphire glass, and its steel surfaces make for a robust, stylish phone. The Meridist has dual-display screens and a switch allowing users to discreetly check the time. It also comes in a diamond-encrusted model for women. From £2,650.
www.tagheuer.com

Gadgets and gizmos: clever technology for busy people

Tangent Cinque CD radio
This latest addition to the handsome Tangent family functions as an all-in-one digital sound centre. The Cinque plays DAB radio podcasts and also works with MP3 and WMA files and sports an integrated CD player. Users can choose between a DAB/FM and FM/AM radio, while a built-in clock radio ensures you start the day on the right note. From £189.99.
www.tangent.com

Jukebox
The jukebox is making a firm comeback in bars and clubs around the country. For the home listener, what better way to blast out your own music? Granted, it may not be the cheapest item on the list, but a jukebox adds colour and humour to the darkest of record collections. From £4,495.
www.wurlitzer.co.uk

Roberts solar-powered DAB radio
The ever-popular Roberts radio has been given a green makeover and now sports solar panels to power it. This DAB radio comes in five new colours and can also be used with battery or conventional power in case you run out of sunlight. Comes complete with re-chargeable batteries and an iPod socket. £79.99.
www.robertsradio.co.uk

Power Plate
If sweating at a gym doesn't appeal, you could try and achieve more with less and give your body a high-speed workout with the Power Plate. Less tiring and much more efficient than going to the gym, the vibrations from the Power Plate stimulate the muscles to contract and relax much faster than they normally do, helping you develop strength and tone. Apparently, 10 minutes of standing on the Power Plate is as good as 60 minutes of conventional training. Don't give up the gym yet though-there are no cardio-vascular benefits to be gained from the vibrations. From £995.
www.powerplate.com

Lifecycle C9i exercise bike
A good cardio-vascular workout will be useful for tackling all that extra weight you're likely to gain over the Christmas holidays. The Lifecycle encourages a natural, upright riding position. It is completely self-powered and can be placed in any room without the need for wires. It comes with a wireless digital heartrate monitoring system. £1,495.
www.lifefitness.co.uk

Magimix Le Duo Plus juicer and citrus press
An essential in any health-conscious kitchen, the Magimix Le Duo Plus is easy to use, easy to clean and looks good. The Le Duo Plus can produce juice from any hard or soft fruits and vegetables straight into the glass. This latest model also comes complete with a coulis maker attachment, making it a doddle to extract thicker "jus" and purees for a healthier lifestyle. £149.99.
www.magimix.com

Samsonite Black Label overnight bag
Samsonite has collaborated with British designer Alexander McQueen to come up with a series of bags for the Black Label collection. This overnight bag is perfect for a short trip and will hold all your essentials, with handy compartments for PDA, mobile phone and laptop. Made from croc-print leather and available in three colours, this luxurious bag is as stylish as it is practical. £405.
www.samsonite.com

Moleskine City Notebooks
The legendary notebook keeps re-inventing itself. The City range features maps and basic information about the destinations and a tab-separated archive, where you can jot down your own favourite shops, restaurants and places of interest. The Moleskine City Notebooks are perfect for planning a trip, but they are also useful for keeping track of all those favourite discoveries. The latest destinations include Chicago, Los Angeles, Montreal and Seattle. £12.50.
www.mojolondon.co.uk

Sennheiser PXC 450 travel headphones
These travel headphones from Sennheiser ensure a high sound quality with noise-free listening. Noisegard technology, originally developed for pilots, provides protection against ambient noise. A TalkThrough function returns the wearer to reality with the press of a button, allowing the aforementioned ambient noise back in. £300.
www.sennheiser.co.uk

Oregon Scientific global travel alarm clock
A radio-controlled alarm clock gives you the correct time, no matter where you go in the world. This one comes with a dual alarm and projection facility, which means you can project the time on to the wall or ceiling, so no more squinting in the dark. £39.95.
www.oregonscientific.co.uk

Olympus µ (mju;) 1050 SW
This popular, all-action compact camera from the Olympus Mju range is shockproof, waterproof and freeze proof, making it a safe bet for most holidays, whether you are lazing on the beach, mountain climbing or on a city break. It also features newly developed TAP technology, which allows users to adjust settings and review photos by tapping the LCD screen. An integrated 3x optical zoom, 10.1 megapixels, digital image stabilisation and face detection make this a reliable and useful bit of kit. £180.
www.olympus.co.uk/tough

Chanel Sublimage deluxe travel kit
It is not always practical to take full-size beauty products on holiday, especially for short trips. This beautiful case contains smaller versions of Chanel's serum, eye cream and face cream, so you can keep up your skincare regime even at the weekend. Exclusive to Harrods. £85.
www.harrods.com

Pimp your pod

Crystal encrusted iPod
Add some bling to your iPod or mobile by adding coloured crystals. With a huge range of colours to choose from, the crystals are sure to transform everyday items into glamorous objects of desire. From £459.
www.harrods.com

iPod speakers
Assuming the sound of your iPod counts more than its looks, you'll probably want to pair it with a small speaker dock. As the range to select from expands, so the quality increases. The best options today are worthy of iconic hi-fi status and are bound to provide a decent soundtrack to Christmas Day. Among the best value is Bowers & Wilkins award-winning Zeppelin (£399). Its sleek visual appeal will fit neatly into any room, but the best news is that these good looks are matched by an equally high-quality, clear, deep and pleasingly resonant sound.

Another top choice is the latest offering from Meridian Audio. The i80 universal dock for iPod (£195) connects to the stunning Meridian F80 sound system, without doubt the best one-box sound system on the market. The Vers 2x eco-friendly iPod speakers (£149.99) may be a better option for the green brigade. The system, made from real wood from sustainable forests, is perfect for the eco-conscious music lover. It's eco-credentials are matched only by its output: it delivers a rich, and guilt-free, sound.
www.bowers-wilkins.co.uk
www.meridian-audio.com
www.versaudio.com

Renew and revive: gifts to feed the body and the soul

A whole cured ham
If you can fit it into your kitchen, a whole Spanish ham is a luxury you can enjoy every day for months. Widely regarded as the finest ham produced in Spain, Joselito (£1,000) is from free-range, acorn-fed pigs. It comes with a luxury wooden ham stand, a professional carving knife and a trimming knife. For a budget option, the Teruel ham from Aragón (£275), also comes fully accessorised.
www.brindisa.com

Paul A Young fine chocolates
The innovative British chocolatier has raised a few eyebrows among the established elite with his weird and wonderful treats. With one shop in Islington and another in the City, Young's quirky range is based on fine chocolates with a twist, including marmite ganache, port and Stilton, and Yorkshire tea. For Christmas, he has come up with seasonal, warming flavours influenced by British fruits with herbs and spices and chocolates featuring gold, silver and platinum. The beautiful packaging makes them the perfect gift. £6 for a box of four.
www.paulayoung.co.uk

Christmas essentials from Carluccio's
Carluccio's rarely disappoints at Christmas. This year the theme, "Christmas gold", is inspired by the regal cities of Venice and Turin. Pick up a giant cracker for eight, filled with party poppers, blowers, hats, jokes and, of course, gold chocolate coins. Alternatively, children will love the handcrafted chocolate pencils, while their parents can indulge in Carluccio's cherry liqueur chocolates or a traditional panettone.
www.carluccios.com

The Leon cookbook
The first cookbook from the healthy fast food restaurant chain, Leon Ingredients and Recipes, is in two parts. In the first part, Allegra McEvedy, the brains behind the big-flavoured fast food, explains the Leon principles of serving food that both tastes good and does you good. The second part of this colourful book contains over 100 recipes, including Moroccan meatballs, sweet potato falafels and superfood salads. £20.
www.leonrestaurants.co.uk

Bloody Good Mary box
Spice up your festive hangovers with this ready-to-mix Bloody Mary kit. Containing three tins of organic spicy tomato juice and a bottle of organic vodka infused with horseradish, the Bloody Good Mary Box from Godminster provides a zingy twist on the classic drink. £29.
www.godminster.com

Highland Park whisky
Unusually for a 40-year-old whisky, this Highland Park, recently launched as the oldest in the portfolio, is set to become a permanent fixture. Its balance of toffee notes, dark chocolate, black cherries, honey and orange zest makes it a perfect drink for dark evenings and roaring fires. The presentation is special, too. The decanter-styled bottle comes in an oak-stained wooden box, complete with a leather-bound booklet. £899.
www.highlandpark.co.uk

Chateau Lagrezette
With only 4,800 bottles produced every year, Chateau Lagrezette's 100 per cent Malbec Le Pigeonnier makes a nice investment gift. Aged in oak barrels for 28 months, Le Pigeonnier will mature gracefully after an optimum 25 years in the cellar. £80.
www.chateau-lagrezette.tm.fr

Champagne season
Quality champagne may cost a packet, but it rarely disappoints. Armand de Brignac Champagne Rosé, from the Cattier Chateau, comes in a stunning rose-gold bottle. The salmon-hued champagne, made with 12 per cent still red wine from old Pinot Noir vines, is fresh and fruity with aromas of strawberries and blackcurrants. It's available exclusively in Harrods and Selfridges for £450.

A very different drinking experience is the Dom Ruinart. A classic blanc de blanc (blended exclusively from Chardonnay grapes), the 1998 vintage, from the Ruinart Chateau in Reims, has especially fine bubbles and a mix of fruity and floral flavours. The special Inversion gift box includes a bottle of Dom Ruinart and two engraved champagne flutes. £250.
www.harrods.com
www.selfridges.com

Talisker Scotch
This Talisker limited-edition luxury gift box, made from solid oak, contains a bottle of 25-year-old whisky and a leather gift pack. It also includes a brass disk that can be returned to Talisker for a personal inscription. £250.
www.selfridges.com

Rémy Martin Coeur de Cognac
Rémy Martin has come up with a suitable Christmas gift pack for Coeur de Cognac. Billed as "lady brandy", this fruity cognac is aimed at the female market and carries notes of apricots and pears, producing a smooth drink with the flavour of ripe summer fruits. The drink is perfectly complemented by crushed ice and this limited-edition gift pack conveniently comes with a bag and a polished metal spoon ice crusher. £80.
www.coeurdecognac.com

Nudo olive oil
The Three Tenors selection of olive oils from Nudo in Italy's Le Marche is sure to please any aspiring chef.  Made up of three tins of olive oil-one chilli infused, one lemon and one extra virgin-the miniature oils are a great introduction to Nudo's small-scale, organic production methods. £16.45.
www.nudo-italia.com/shop

Harrods chairman's hamper
This luxury hamper has enough food and drink indulgences to keep you going until Easter. Delivered in a specially commissioned wooden basket, the selection includes mince pies, Beluga caviar, truffle-stuffed ham, a side of salmon, a cheese selection and a huge array of drinks and chocolates. £5,000.
www.harrods.com

Harvey Nichols ultimate hamper
The premium hamper from Harvey Nichols comes with all the culinary essentials for Christmas, including a staggering amount of fine food, wines, champagnes, chocolates and luxury condiments. This year's hamper also includes a selection block of seven Wusthof knives and a copy of the new cookbook from gastronomic haven El Bulli. £2,500. www.harveynichols.com

Health and beauty

Jo Malone Lime Basil and Mandarin Trousseau
A selection of gorgeous scents and candles from Jo Malone in a black leather box, exclusive to Harrods. £750.
www.harrods.com

Aveda men Pure-formance grooming
Ethical beauty company Aveda has developed a range of award-winning hair care products especially for men to ensure strong and healthy hair. The Pure-formance products include shampoo, conditioner, grooming cream and pomade. From £12.50.
www.aveda.co.uk

Estée Lauder solid perfume compacts
Making a very different scented present, this collection of compacts with solid perfume from Estée Lauder come in a number of different, stylish designs. They are a handy alternative to carrying a perfume bottle everywhere you go, however small, and also tend to deliver a longer lasting scent. Prices start at £200.
www.harrods.com

Prada Infusion d'homme
The masculine counterpart to Prada's luxurious Infusion d'Iris for women was presented at this year's fashion show in Milan. The fresh and crisp scent is dominated by neroli, cedar and incense. The new fragrance also looks the part in its heavy transparent glass bottle-a modern interpretation of vintage perfume decanters. £187 for 750ml.
www.harrods.com

Kerstin Florian Caviar skin care
The luxurious unisex Caviar skincare products from Kerstin Florian are designed to revitalise the skin. Based on Sevruga Caviar, Chinese herb, caffeine and antioxidants, Kerstin Florian's highly sophisticated signature Caviar collection is developed to increase moisture, skin elasticity and promote skin regeneration and the essential antioxidant protection of ageing skin, while also reducing fine lines. From £60.
www.kerstinflorian.co.uk

The classics: a modern take on traditional gifts

Diplomat pens
Although many of us are already slaves to email, the humble pen still has its uses. With a pen to suit every need, German firm Diplomat has built a reputation for highly skilled, well crafted, innovative products. The Excellence collection, aimed at men, and the Balance collection for women, will make elegant and useful gifts this Christmas. From £60.
www.diplomat-pen.de

Luxury eco notepads
Environmentally friendly notebooks no longer carry the "recycled" look. The new range of stylish eco notepads from Ecocentric are sustainably produced and made of the finest recycled material. The executive journal has a hardback leather cover and high quality cotton paper, while the handy soft leather wrap journal is a good choice for making notes on the move. From £6.99.
www.ecocentric.co.uk

Socks and ties
Apparently, your attitude to appearance is reflected in the socks you wear, so it's probably worth making an effort to show that you care. Duchamp's funky collection of cotton socks, featuring floral prints, checks and stripes, is made in Italy and will liven up any suit with a dash of colour. Duchamp takes its ties just as seriously and its tie collection, made in England from 100 per cent silk, is equally colourful. Socks £15, ties £75.
www.duchamplondon.com

Vivienne Westwood classic orb cufflinks
The grande dame of British fashion was awarded a CBE for services to fashion and her creativity continues to flow. But while some of her creations are a little too way out for many, here she has created a collection of different but beautiful cufflinks, combining enough of her typical Westwood cutting-edge creativity with some classic designs. The cufflinks will complete the perfect outfit, be it for business or pleasure. From £60.
www.viviennewestwood.com

Paul Smith handkerchief
In theory one of the dullest presents at this time of year, this is about as sexy as a hankie can get. The range of cotton handkerchiefs, featuring chocolate cross stitching and Paul Smith's trademark stripes, will make a perfect stocking filler for stylish, traditional men. £19.
www.paulsmith.co.uk

Porsche Design aftershave
As you'd expect, Porsche Design's first foray into fragrances is a simple and stylish product. Porsche Design the Essence combines fresh cool sensations with woody notes of patchouli and pine balm. And fans will no doubt be happy to showcase the elegant icy blue bottle in their homes, too. From £38.
www.porschedesigntheessence.com