For long, Mumbai has been famous for its conspicuous consumption. If it's on display, it must be bought. And bought. Which is why the world's most expensive brands can be found right here. And each item comes with a figure that has no decimal points, just a long line of zeroes. Money cannot buy you love but with these items of sin, designed by the devil himself, you can buy happiness that will go a long way. Sujata Assomull lists expensive habits that are hard to acquireSaffron: Caviar and pink champagne have always been associated with expensive, fine dining. But one of the most expensive ingredients a chef can use is an Indian spice - saffron, grown in India, which can cost up to Rs 25,000 a kg. Hemant Oberoi, the Taj's chef says that he uses saffron in a variety of dishes. "I use it in my risottos and biryani, always," he says. He feels it is a vital ingredient for many of his recipes. "It adds flavour and fragrance to the food," says Oberoi. The best saffron comes from the innermost part of the flower. Cheaper varieties of the herb tend to come from the leaves, which Oberoi says is not so good. "In India, Kashmir produces the best quality saffron," says the Taj's chef. But if you really want only the best then opt for Spanish saffron. But as always the best comes with a heavy price tag - it costs nearly double the price as the indigenous saffron.Watches: From Phillipe Chariol to Cartier, nearly all the designer watch brands are now available in the city. And the cheapest watch in this category starts at Rs 20,000 and ascends to the Himalayas. Currently, the most expensive watch in town is at the Piaget store at Kemp's Corner. It costs more than Daewoo's Cielo and sets you back by Rs 7,59,000. This watch is part of the Tangara collection and is made in white gold. If you don't want to spend that much then the cheapest watch in this range costs just Rs 3 lakh (the price of the new Maruti 800 - the logic being if you can afford this watch you must drive up to the store in aMercedes E220 that costs Rs 25 lakh!). But, if you have a Lexus, then let Chopard create a watch to match your bank balance. One of the watches that they recently created cost a whopping 22 million Swiss Francs. But then that one was choc-a-bloc with diamonds. The Indian Government, however, does not allow these companies to bring in their studded watches. When that limit is lifted, then watch time stand still as prices fly sky high.Pens: Mont Blanc pens have been personal favourites of many leading personalities, including the Pope, Bill Clinton and Queen Elizabeth II. In India, Jaya Bachchan, Rohit Bal and J J Vallaya all sign their autographs with a Mont Blanc. The most expensive Mont Blanc available at their store in the Taj Hotel, costs Rs 4,75,000. This platinum pen has a gold nib and is part of their Meisterstuck Solitaire collection. A similar pen in a black or bordeaux resin would cost you just Rs 5,950. But since platinum is a very hard metal it is very difficult to mould, hence the heavyprice tag. But Mont Blanc loyalists swear that their handwriting improves every time they lift this heavy handset. A fact that the company endorses. After all, your John Hancock looks stunning on a cheque addressed to the company. In this picture, Mont Blanc CEO Norbert Platt and Dilip Doshi sport their personal favourites.Real Estate: Anyone who lives in Mumbai knows that property is expensive in this city. Mumbai ranks as the fourth most-expensive city in the world, for real estate after Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo. And the most exclusive and expensive address you can have is Napean Sea Road. The most expensive buildings surround this area and the list includes Carmichael Road's Kamal Mahal, Malabar Hill's Hill Park, Napean Sea Road's Haveli and Mont Blanc on August Kranti Marg. These buildings cost between Rs 25,000 and Rs 30,000 a sqft to buy. And most of these flats have an area of at least 3,000 sqft. Do your sums and be staggered.Historically, the most expensive place in India to rentcommercial property is Nariman Point. Renting in this area can cost upto Rs 200 a sqft a month. And the most expensive building to rent in this commercial heartland is Maker Chamber VI, where the view of the sea is unbroken and spectacular. Art: The most expensive piece of Indian Art, bought last year, at Neville Tuli's auction was The Begum's Bath. The proud owner of this Raja Ravi Verma is Vama's Parmanand Patel and this Rs 32-lakh painting now hangs in his Peddar Road home. Patel, an avid art collector, says this painting appealed to him for a variety of reasons: The artist - Verma - is considered to be the founder of Indian Modernism. He is also famous for his use of colour and preferred to use oil-based paints for his easels. Nearly a 100-year-old piece of art, the artist has also been called the Father of Calendar Art. An art form that married popular perception with classical beauty. Now, Raja Ravi Verma can also be called the Father of High Prices. With this auction, he displaced artistslike M F Husain, Anjolie Ela Menon and S H Raza when it came to commanding huge cheques. But don't throw your Husain out of the window. In a few years, with Indian art catching on in the West, this maverick artist may find his market.Art: The most expensive piece of Indian Art, bought last year, at Neville Tuli's auction was The Begum's Bath. The proud owner of this Raja Ravi Verma is Vama's Parmanand Patel and this Rs 32-lakh painting now hangs in his Peddar Road home. Patel, an avid art collector, says this painting appealed to him for a variety of reasons: The artist - Verma - is considered to be the founder of Indian Modernism. He is also famous for his use of colour and preferred to use oil-based paints for his easels. Nearly a 100-year-old piece of art, the artist has also been called the Father of Calendar Art. An art form that married popular perception with classical beauty. Now, Raja Ravi Verma can also be called the Father of High Prices. With this auction, he displaced artists like MF Husain, Anjolie Ela Menon and S H Raza when it came to commanding huge cheques. But don't throw your Husain out of the window. In a few years, with Indian art catching on in the West, this maverick artist may find his market.
