In 1874, Nikolaus Christoph Robbe founded his own silversmith workshop in Flensburg, Germany. Thirteen years later, master silversmith Robert Berking joined the company, eventually marrying Robbe’s daughter and taking a 50% stake in the outfit. Now 150 years old, Robbe & Berking remains a family-run operation five generations on. In 2005, Oliver Berking bought a vintage racing yacht with two friends and spent three years restoring it. The knowledge gained during the restoration, and the fame of the yacht in question, led to Oliver establishing the Robbe & Berking Classics Shipyard in 2008, dedicated to the renewal of classic sailing vessels. With all of that said, it should be easy to imagine the equation of Germany, 19th-century origins, craftsmanship, silver, and yachts equating to Mercedes-Maybach, which is how we get the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class celebrating Robbe & Berking’s 150th anniversary and the famed Sphinx 12mR yacht.
Starting with the Maybach S 680, the exterior wears the same scheme as the restored Sphinx yacht: Nautical Blue Metallic and Manufaktur Patagonia red separated by a Manufaktur Opalite White coach line. It’s the coach line that gets reflected on the interior, the seats, door cards, headliner, and even the storage compartment done up in Crystal White Nappa leather with Orion Grey topstitching and diamond quilting. Trim, naturally, comes in walnut with aluminum accents. The throw pillows in back come in Crystal White leather with a Silver Grey Pearl triangular contrast panel, finished with Orion Grey topstitching and Silver Grey Pearl piping.
The lengthy options sheet lists Manufaktur sills with red illumination, Burmester surround sound, and in back, electric comfort doors as well as the MBUX rear-seat entertainment setup.
This isn’t Maybach’s first tie-up with Robbe & Berking — the house of silver has provided goblets for the luxury automaker almost since 2002, five years after Maybach’s revival with the 57 and 62. There’s a set of silver-plated flutes in this Mercedes-Maybach S 680 as well.
Since the sedan’s a one-off for an unnamed customer we’re going to assume is either named Robbe or Berking, this Maybach is off limits. You can buy Robbe & Berking Maybach champagne flutes at the accessories store, though, for just $874.50 plus tax and shipping.
As for the Sphinx, the short history is that German shipyard Abeking & Rasmussen built the 12-meter racing yacht in 1939. The 12-meter bit refers to an international classification known as 12 Meter R, not actual length; the Sphinx stretches 70.5 long. Until 1987, this international class represented the height of sailing, contesting the America’s Cup from 1958 to 1987. The Sphinx joined the German naval fleet in 1958 with the name Ostwind, used as a training ship for officers until 2004, when it began its 20-year journey to creating a new shipyard and a unique Mercedes-Maybach S 680. The longer history is fascinating, involving a launch not long before the start of World War II, postwar restrictions on boat length for private German citizens necessitating a stranger barter deal, Chilean passports, and payment in wood.