Rolls-Royce knows no less than the best. Whether it’s hand-stitching embroidery into a bespoke headliner, or upholding its whisper-quiet mobility legend. The British marque is taking things a step further, branching out into bespoke and fully customisable chess sets. The very design of the chess set is meant to tribute the iconic waft lines on Rolls-Royce cars, appearing to float on its narrow footprint.
Even the way it’s been engineered to open in a single theatrical motion pays tribute to the way a Rolls-Royce’s doors open. No price has been announced, but considering it’s a piece of luxury automotive memorabilia, expect a five-figure sum at the least.
The polished aluminium chess set is clad in leather, as anything from Rolls-Royce should be. The board opens up to reveal wood veneer, hidden drawers, and magnetised chess pieces hewn from single logs of wood to preserve the grain across the pieces. Of course, individualisation is the name of the game, with up to 13 different colours and finishes available for the leather, the wood veneer, and the set pieces.
Speaking of, each set piece is made of ceramic-coated aluminium, with a crown made of polished stainless steel, designed to be evocative of the solid steel organ stops in Rolls-Royce cars. The black pieces are finished in satin, while the white pieces have an iridescent treatment.
Rolls-Royce says its chess set is meant for its customers to enjoy in the comfort of their home. But with so much thought gone into designing the magnetic pieces, so each piece glides across the surface when in play, it’d be a shame not to play a game in a fine Rolls-Royce automobile. When the car and the chess set are fit for a king, that’s a true checkmate.
Update – The Rolls-Royce chess set sells for $40,000.
