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Visualized: Inside the Vertu workshop, where phones are made by hand (video)
While not everyone's comfortable with splashing out on a fancy Vertu phone, there's no stopping us from appreciating the company's craftsmanship and engineering expertise since its Nokia days. We're talking about dealing with various luxurious materials -- pearl, ruby, sapphire, titanium, gold, alutex, alligator skin and more -- while making sure that each device is mechanically built to last. As such, it's perhaps a slight surprise that Vertu phones are actually "handmade in England." Courtesy of our buddy and CEO Max Pogliani, we got to see the process up close and personal at his 60-strong workshop in Church Crookham. (And in case your butler isn't around to read this article to you, we've also got a video tour after the break.)
Vertu rings in the Year of the Dragon by welcoming a trio of Signature luxury phones
The Year of the Dragon is quickly approaching, and Vertu is in a celebrating mood. So much so, in fact, that it's added three new luxury Dragon handsets to its Signature collection. You can choose between stainless steel with emeralds, yellow gold with diamonds or ruby with black stainless steel. Each is, appropriately, adorned with a four-claw dragon on the battery cover, and the engraving process is rather lengthy: it involves 20 stages and takes four highly-skilled master craftsmen 36 hours, eight of which are dedicated just to the dragon's scales. But that's not all, folks -- each one gets shipped to Switzerland, where it's given the official stamp of authenticity, and returned to the workshop where precious stones are added for the final touch. That may sound like a steal at a mere $20,800, but Vertu even adds a charging cradle, a leather case and one year of free concierge service to the package. Tech specs? We haven't heard much about them, but they're rumored to run Symbian OS. We're sure you're now looking down at your new Samsung Galaxy Nexus with disdain, but we bet you could hire a few master craftsmen to make your own hand-engraved dragon for around the same price to help alleviate the regret.
Vertu Signature Precious is awash in sea of sapphire...and regret (video)
It may not feature GPS, an accelerometer, or even a camera, but if you've run out of disposable items to encrust with jewels, then Vertu's Precious -- the latest revision to its aging Signature lineup -- may be the mobile phone for you. While its basic array of quadband GSM, 2100 / 850 MHz 3G, Bluetooth and WiFi may seem a touch modest, varieties come slathered in platinum, three types of gold (yellow, white and red), leather, ceramic, and enough jewels to make Her Majesty blush. Its face, known as the "sea of sapphire," is mostly obscured (save for the OLED display), but you high rollers can take comfort knowing it spent more than two weeks in a 2000°C oven to appease your discerning taste. Also hidden are 4.75 carats of ruby bearings, which are said to give the keys a frictionless, satisfying click. The ring tones are exclusive compositions by Dario Marianelli and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra -- though we were bigger fans before they sold out. For a quick glimpse of how the Precious comes together gem by gem, just follow the break. There's no word on pricing or availability, but if you're considering putting up your first born as collateral, you might want to reconsider this cringe-worthy creation. [Thanks, Radi]
Vertu opens tasteful, refined retail location in Japan
It's no secret that Vertu's delicate, understated design and real commitment to value for your hard-earned dollar have won the brand lots of fans here at Engadget -- and we're still kicking ourselves for being too busy to check out the company's store in Las Vegas during CES. Our Japanese readers are in luck, however -- come February 19, people in Ginza will have a Vertu store to call their own. Sure the thing looks a little less gaudy than we would have imagined -- an eighteen foot tall, solid gold, fire-breathing Dragon would have been nice -- but you can't really argue with a place that sets aside an entire floor for each handset line it carries (including Ferrari, Ascent and Signature). If you get a chance to visit, let us know what you think! More pics after the break.
