10 most unusual watches in the world (photo + video)
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The ubiquity of the smartphone is slowly but surely making watches an obsolete accessory. And this is sad, because they have a long and rich history, and most expensive wrist watch are true works of art.
In this ranking, we have collected 10 most unusual watch mechanisms, which are an example of creative and innovative design in the modern era. And they all strive to keep our love for watches alive.
10. Ora Unica
• This inexpensive (compared to most other participants in the rating) watch was created by the Swiss company Nava Design. And looking at them to answer the question: "What time is it?" not so easy. After all, instead of the usual hours and minutes, a curved line is visible on the dial of Ora Unica, more reminiscent of a carelessly twisted rope.
• As time changes, this "rope" rotates, reshaping the entire shape of the dial's design. Its inner end is responsible for hours, the outer one for minutes.
• This constantly spinning piece of art is both accurate and fun – perfect for creative people with a sense of humour.
9 Roger Dubuis Excalibur
• If you like stories about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, then this watch from the Excalibur collection is for you. The limited edition includes 28 watches in a 1-carat rose gold case.
• The design of the dial is inspired by a reproduction of the Round Table made for King Henry VIII and placed in the Great Hall of his castle in Winchester. The dial features 12 miniature gold figures of knights replacing the traditional hour markers. Each of them is hand carved and represents one of the characters from the legend of King Arthur.
• On the back of the clock, the solemn oath of the Knights of the Round Table is engraved in a circle, and in the center is the lacquered coat of arms of King Arthur.
8. Jaquet Droz Bird Repeater
• This watch is not only one of the most beautiful and unusual in the world. This is also a real masterpiece, showing us the most complex combination of a minute repeater and mechanisms that “revive” mechanical figures. The result is a miniature world that lives its own mechanical life.
• When the gong sounds, the titmouse figurines come to life. The mother feeds the cubs, and the father affectionately covers the newly hatched baby with his wing. And in the background, water flows slowly. What can I say, see for yourself!
• Bird Repeater is released in two versions (8 pieces each): with a case of white and red gold. Watches with white gold are more expensive, as they are additionally encrusted with diamonds.
There are other variants of the Bird Repeater, with a peacock spreading its magnificent tail, a leopard resting on a branch, and a hummingbird whose wings beat 40 per second. It is hard to imagine how long it took watchmakers to create such a miracle.
7. Dragon Gate Legend
• This creation of the Swiss company Cornelius & Cie is perhaps the most beautiful engraved watch in the world.
• The dial of this unusual watch tells the story of a carp who saw the top of a mountain and decided to reach it. He swam upstream, climbing rapids and waterfalls, not letting obstacles get in the way of his determination. When the carp finally made it to the top, it found the mythical "Dragon Gate" and, jumping over it, turned into a dragon. The Dragongate legend is often used as an allegory for the drive and effort required to overcome obstacles and achieve success in life.
• There is a bulge in the lower part of the case due to a powerful spring in the barrel. Thanks to it, the power reserve of the watch is 8 days.
6.Hand-Painted Poetic Wish
• This is the perfect watch for rich romantics. Their dial depicts a young man standing in Notre Dame de Paris on a starry night. The Eiffel Tower is visible in the background. When the automatons are launched, a shooting star made of a diamond appears. With every minute and with every blow, the star brings the young man closer to the Eiffel Tower, where his beloved is waiting for him.
• The case of this magnificent watch is made of white gold, and the case back is made of sapphire crystal. All details on the dial were made by hand.
• There is also a women's version of the watch. On their dial you can see the figure of a girl standing on the Eiffel Tower. In the background is Notre Dame – complete with stained glass windows. Together, this pair of watches shows a real love story about a couple who longingly look at each other in the distance.
• The trick with Hand-Painted Poetic Wish is that activating the repeater is the only way to see the time on the watch face. The figurine moves along a linear path indicating hours, while a star or kite (in the female version) moves across the sky indicating minutes.
5. Geeky Equation
• This is the most inexpensive of the weird watches on our list. However, the low price does not prevent them from being one of the most intricate and even geeky (if you are seriously passionate about mathematical formulas).
• For beginner mathematicians and victims of random memory loss, we include a cheat sheet for every hour:
- i is equal to the square root of -1, so i^2 = -1. The absolute value of -1 is 1.
- It's 2 in binary.
- Cube root of 27.
- This is 4 in ternary number system.
- Log(20x)=2 is equivalent to 20x=10^2 or 20x=100 where x=5.
- Euler formula: phi(p^k) = (p^k)(1-(1/p)), where (p^k) = 9.
- This is a binomial coefficient, so by the formula n / k = (n!) / ((k!) (nk)!), n / k = 7.
- This is the natural log where ln(e^x) = x, so ln(e^8) = 8.
- This summation is 3(1) +3(2) = 3 + 6 = 9.
- Since the clock makes a “circle” every 12 hours, the digital countdown starts after the hour hand reaches 12. This is the arithmetic value modulo 12. 10mod12 is 10:00 and 16mod12 is 4:00.
- This is the Legendre constant, which is 1, so this equation becomes the square root of 121, which is 11.
- It's 12 in hexadecimal.
4. Wingt Mille
• As a tribute to the courageous Captain Nemo, the Vingt Mille watch shows the terrifying attack of a huge squid from the book 20 Leagues Under the Sea. And two people held by a squid indicate hours and minutes.
3. Boomboxes
• If you want to own the most unusual wristwatch in retro style, pay attention to Boombox Watch. As its name suggests, it's a boombox watch with a red LED display and buttons. Their body is made of black or silver metal.
• Just don't expect Boombox Watch to play music. This is just a stylish and unusual accessory that looks cool and knows how to show the time.
2. MB&F Horological Machine #6 Space Pirate
• MB&F watches are originally designed for a narrow circle of people, not for the masses. They are produced in limited editions and are valued at tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. It's a small company that mixes contemporary art with watchmaking, resulting in things like the Horological Machine #6.
• Their appearance was inspired by the animated series Capitaine Flam. The protagonist had a spaceship "Comet", which consisted of two interconnected spheres. Now a miniature spaceship in a titanium case can be worn by 50 lucky people (this is the edition that Space Pirate came out with).
1. Midnight Planetarium
The first number in our ranking of the most amazing watches in the world is a model, looking at which you just want to exclaim: “You are just space, baby!”. The Midnight Planetarium watch allows you to watch the movement in real time six largest planets in the solar system. Each of them is conveyed by a precious stone:
- Earth – turquoise;
- Mercury – serpentinite;
- Venus – chloromelanite;
- Mars – red jasper;
- Jupiter – blue agate;
- Saturn is lavulite.
There are no Uranus and Neptune, since the first planet will need 84 years to orbit the Sun, and the second – as much as 164.
• It took 396 parts and about three years of painstaking work to create this beautiful accessory.
