ABU DHABI: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd has unveiled a one-of-a-kind Phantom Astrum for a Middle East client,
Created by the Bespoke Collective of specialist designers, engineers and craftspeople at the Home of Rolls-Royce, Goodwood, the unique Phantom Astrum features a specially-commissioned Sapphire Astrum Gallery, displayed behind a single pane of glass running the full width of the fascia.
Designed and made by leading British contemporary silversmith and jeweller Richard Fox, whose work also includes the trophy for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the artwork portrays a starburst of solid silver spears radiating from a brilliant-cut diamond set in platinum.
Each spear is polished and soldered in place by hand, and tipped with a pear-cut sapphire.
The stones are encased in Bleu de Nuit, a rich sapphire lacquer that reflects and intensifies their magnificent colours.
The backing is made using the guilloché technique, in which a highly precise, intricate repeating pattern is engraved into the surface using a special lathe.
To complement the Gallery, the dashboard clock has a sterling silver surround decorated with a guilloché pattern, with a matching Sapphire Blue lacquer overlay giving depth and iridescence to the clockface.
The Phantom Sapphire Astrum exterior is finished in a sophisticated Milori Sapphire with a hand-painted Tan coachline, and body-coloured wheel centres with a single Tan pinstripe.
Fox said the Astrum has an immediate impression of weightless suspension, almost as though gravity does not exist in this Gallery piece.
“The central diamond, encased in platinum, is like a star, floating in the depths of space – with a starburst of solid silver spears.
“The spears also give an incredible sense of movement and focus, in the way that they radiate from the central brilliant-cut diamond,” he said.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Middle East and Africa regional director César Habib said the Phantom Sapphire Astrum is a spectacular example of just what is possible.
“We are delighted to share this magnificent cosmic vista with our clients, and trust it will inspire their own creative visions,” he said.
Keyword: One-off Rolls-Royce Phantom Astrum introduced