At the Los Angeles Auto Show last week, the biggest passenger car on display was the Bentley.

The one-time sibling to the Rolls Royce, now independently manufacturered, Bentley has updated its Mulsanne, with its legendary California walnut burl interior veneering - the height of elegance. Each of Mulsanne's 33 interior wood panels takes up to seven hours to craft.

Figured veneers are hand matched and glued in the Bentley woodshop in Crewe, England.

It takes more than two months to build a Bentley Mulsanne, more than half that time devoted to  handcraftsmanship such as sewing leather interiors, and the wood veneers.

This year Bentley added something new: the car comes with iPads iPod charges, and most extraordinarily: a pen, done in matching walnut, and priced (in case you lose yours or want a second) at $7,000. That's the value of fine wood craftsmanship.

When he wanted to produce a watch, Ralph Lauren partnered in 2008 with Swiss watchmaker Richemont (Van Cleef & Arpels, Mont Blanc, Cartier, etc.), to form The Polo Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewellery Company.

The 50-50 joint venture designs and manufactures watches, selling through Ralph Lauren boutiques  and luxury watch retailers in the world.

Burl wood and figured patterns on watches and autos: for those with cash fine wood conveys class. And the world is better for their preferences.