Thou shall get envious, jealous, greedy, and tempted. A life of luxury can be both sinful and tempting. And it’s a life that only a privileged few can take pleasure in.
Who wouldn’t be tempted to get a richly-crafted, luxurious item like a Vertu cell phone? After all, a Vertu is just a phone, in the same way that a Bentley is just a car, a Rolex just a watch, or a Mont Blanc just a pen. They are all about form and function, about supreme quality and timelessness made to perfection.
But unlike any ordinary cell phone, Vertus are made from the finest materials which are crafted under the inspiration of the world of watch-making, automotive, aeronautics and jewelry. Vertu was born from an obsession to create a handset that employed craftsmanship and technology that had never been achieved before. The brand is about exclusivity, giving in to the desires and demands of individuals seeking the best cell phone on the market.
Vertu regional director, APAC, Giles Rees explains, “Vertu is not just about the name, it’s also about the quality. Our consumers are those people who are comfortable showing off what they’ve achieved in life. They are extremely successful in their careers and are not afraid to demonstrate their luxurious lifestyles. Also, we don’t really focus on what the age of our market is but more on the mindsets of the consumers who will use the product.” Indisputably, Vertu is made for the discerning few.
Vertu boasts its finest cell phone collections namely: Signature (inspired by grand timepieces and jewelry), Constellation (inspired by elegant and classic airplanes and luxury travel of yesteryear), and Ascent (inspired by the sculptural lines of big-engine sports cars.) The latest addition to these is Ascent|Ti, a more complex and more superior spin-off of the original Ascent.
During its media launch last Sept. 26, in Singapore, local Singapore press and foreign journalists from India, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines got a glimpse of the latest Vertu collection, the Ascent|Ti.
Ordinary and not-so-keen men will think Ascent|Ti is anything but ordinary. However, only the observant and perceptive few will realize that these are made from pure craftsmanship and are engineered for strength, power and performance.
Each phone is carefully handcrafted in England. Its design resembles a sports car, making the silhouette of the phone appear like the curves of a big-engine supercar. Even the onscreen chronograph and offset illumination of the keypad emulate elements seen in a sports car’s dashboard. Furthermore, titanium, which is typically used in a car’s engine, has been used as the framework of the Ascent|Ti handset for the best possible strength-to-weight ratio.
Frank Nuovo, Vertu principal designer, says, “From the start, the Vertu Ascent has been heavily influenced by the power, energy, and sheer precision of a beautiful car. With the Vertu Ascent|Ti, this vision has been developed further using the high grade materials, design details, technical superiority and unsurpassed performance associated with the luxury sports car industry. The result is a highly crafted handset of precision, balance and strength.”
What makes it more lavish, sturdy, and scratch-resistant are the tanned cow-hide leather that protects the back and the sapphire crystals that cover the screen, camera lens and flash of the phone. Precision, balance and strength are the key elements in an Ascent|Ti.
Nuovo adds that Ascent|Ti is primarily about endurance, excellence and authenticity. He says, “We want Ascent|Ti to be an excellent [mobile] experience in the hands of the consumers.”
Ascent|Ti also offers its newest unique service — the Vertu Fortress — which enables the Vertu clients to backup their phone contacts in an ultra-secured server maintained in an ex-military underground bunker. In keeping with Vertu’s tradition, the patented keypad is still individually lit from beneath for perfect visibility in low light conditions while the 24/7 Vertu concierge is still a click away, which can aid customers in their various queries.
The phone is quad band, 3G handset with a three-mega pixel flash VGA camera. The collection comes in three posh colors: black, red with a black ceramic pillow, or brown with a silver ceramic pillow.
The Ascent|Ti collection will be officially launched in the world market this month. Europe accounts for the biggest market of Vertu. However, Rees says that they are targeting Asia to be the leading consumers of Vertu in the long run.
Today, Vertu is recognized as one of the quality luxury goods of the world, delivering excellent mobile phones in more than 45 countries. These collections are being sold in over 400 of the finest watch, jewelry and department stores and Vertu boutiques across the globe.
“The Philippines is doing well with its economy. The country can be a potentially excellent market for our company,” says Rees.
In the Philippines, Vertu phones are officially and exclusively distributed by Lucerne Watch located in Glorietta and Shangri-La Mall.