I think we can agree that when it comes to the world of handcrafted, luxury safes, German manufacturer, Döttling, is king. Now in the fourth-generation of the family business, the Döttling family has been building and restoring antique safes for over 95 years.
Whether you require an entire Collector Room vault or you’re looking to restore a genuinely antique holdall, Döttling can safeguard your most treasured items, and with an endless list of customisation options. Want a one-of-a-kind humidor, mini bar, jewellery box, watch winders or gun cabinet? Or add-ons like an inbuilt camera, fingerprint lock or an immobilising gas deterrent? Consider it done.
It all comes down to your space and budget. Colosimo, for instance, inspired by American vaults during the Prohibition era, is a small 23,500 USD tabletop safe equipped with a front-mounted three-digit combination lock, 16 locking bolts and 32 gilded cogs. For 128,000 USD, there’s the Fortress, with its almost unheard of security rating of VdS/EN 5, patented alarm system and insurance coverage of up to 1 million USD. At the higher-end of the spectrum you’ll find the 340,000 USD Narcissus designed by Karl Lagerfeld. It’s sheathed in high-gloss chrome-plated aluminium and looks like some kind of impregnable monolith.
One of our favourites is the relatively affordable 19,500 USD Guardian, which seems to all intents and purposes like an unassuming cylindrical carrying case. It is however a compact, bulletproof – and virtually bombproof – safe made from polycarbonate and carbide, the stuff used in anti-riot gear. It’ll break any drill that comes into contact with it and it’s equipped with a GPS tracking device.
There are in fact so many models and options to choose from that you might need need some good advice. So it comes as a relief to know that Döttling has finally landed in the Middle East, with exclusive representation at Le Vault boutique in Abu Dhabi. What’s more, they’ve even designed an exclusive new safe to commemorate the occasion. Taking the ceramic-stone armour plated Bel-Air as their base (which looks like a stylish travel trunk), they’ve added an indestructible glass door, which is a first for a safe. What this means is that you can display your valuables without having to actually get them out. As for the rest of the safe, you can have it covered in leather, fur or even bird feathers. Decision, decisions.
WHAT Döttling
WHERE Le Vault Dubai
WHEN Since 2014
WHY Admittedly, purchasing such an expensive item is never going to be a spur of the moment decision but if you’ve got valuables worth protecting then it’s worth investing in the best. And the best just got closer.
