Maxim March/April 2024

When Swiss luxury watchmaker De Bethune recently released the DB28XP Kind of Blue Tourbillon Sapphire, the name might have caused confusion in some quarters. The $315,000 wristwatch could very well be the most spectacularly blue timepiece ever devised; in De Bethune’s nomenclature, Kind of Blue references the almost miraculous metallurgic coloring technique developed by brand founder and master watchmaker Denis Flageollet. While experimenting with balance wheel treatment, Flageollet inadvertently discovered that titanium heated past a scorching 700 degrees Celsius (1,292 degrees Fahrenheit) will turn a brilliant blue color—one that’s now a hallmark of De Bethune’s design language. But “Kind of Blue” is best known as the title of jazz trumpeter Miles Davis’ seminal fifth record from 1959, regarded by many as the genre’s most important release ever. Many hear simplicity…

The greatest race on earth” isn’t held in Monaco, Daytona Beach or Le Mans, but in Wildwood, New Jersey. That’s what the tagline for The Race of Gentlemen (T.R.O.G.) claims, at least, and a strikingly illustrated photo book from Parisian luxury publisher Assouline makes a compelling case. Founded in 2012 by Marine Corps veteran Meldon Van Riper Stultz III (aka Mel Stultz and @yeoleghost on Instagram), T.R.O.G. is entirely uninterested in glamor or cutting edge racing technology. The OG Indian Scouts and rival Harley-Davidson WRs that jump off the page with even a cursory flip through Assouline’s “The Race of Gentlemen” allude to the high-octane spectacle’s biggest point of appeal: All motorcycles seen rooster tailing down the beachy, eight-mile drag srip must be bobbed, American-made, and produced in or before…

Maxim lit up Miami Art Week last month with an unforgettably immersive event that merged the worlds of art and entertainment during a one-night-only extravaganza. Celebrating its final issue of 2023 and cover star Charly Arnolt on December 9 at Hyde Beach at SLS South Beach, the coolest hotel on Collins Ave., the posh poolside soiree was the ultimate destination for music and art enthusiasts, celebrities, creators, and VIP partygoers alike. A star-studded affair featured an electrifying soundtrack by renowned DJ James Hype and head-turning guests including Rich The Kid, Tori Hughes, Skillibeng, and Jay Critch, who mingled with attendees in a transformative world of light, movement and sound. The luxurious atmosphere featured a captivating light show, hanging art installations, awe inspiring dance showcases, curated cocktails, and a pulsating ambiance…

In 2022, we tapped Natsja Madsen as one of a handful of Model Citizens featured on the annual Maxim Hot 100. In 2024, we’re happy to report that the staggeringly beautiful Danish model’s star has only continued to rise. Mind you, Madsen was well on her way to supermodel status two years ago. She’d already been featured on the covers of Vogue Paris, Vogue Russia and Harper’s Bazaar Russia… by age 24, no less. The IMGrepped stunner has since walked for Louis Vuitton multiple times; appeared in editorials for Esquire and Vogue China; and starred in ads for Urban Outfitters, Kay Jewelers, and, most recently, Lee. Like many of today’s models, her Instagram feed (give her a follow @natasjamadsen) offers a mix of eye-popping selects from her portfolio alongside impromptu…

It is during the deep night of the South Pacific when you’re most overwhelmed by potential. You’d think the daytime—with the sun shining bright in the cerulean sky above, sparking the unspeakably blue water below like voltage—would be the apex of your daily routine. But there are moments in the small hours of the evening sailing the waters of French Polynesia that nearly burst your heart with promise, where the wild curiosity of adventure and exploration peak. Here in the darkness the white canvas sails of the “Panorama II” snap overhead, pulling the twin-mast luxury yacht ever north to our next island in the Society Islands archipelago. The sky inky black, its mantle sprayed painted with an impossible collection of glittering stars; the wolf moon high overhead paints the frothy…

After decades of categorical success, it’s hard to stay hungry. Despite this axiom, top Russian-American model and actress Eugenia Kuzmina’s appetite for accomplishment and new experiences is insatiable. It marks a change from her tumultuous upbringing in post-Soviet Russia—“I’m not a Russian spy,” she jokingly assures us in our interview. Though her father was a famed nuclear scientist, the fall of the Iron Curtain and subsequent economic depression relegated even Kuzmina’s esteemed family to Moscow’s bread lines. However she eventually found her way to Paris, and her hard work paid off when she was soon booked for an Yves Saint Laurent fashion show. An ascension to fashion industry stardom ensued, as Kuzmina walked the runway for other revered designers like Giorgio Armani, Alexander McQueen, and Karl Lagerfeld. Over the years,…