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Five of the most over-the-top luxury watches to hit 2017
STORYVivian Chen
From fantasy automaton to cheesy bezel, we took a look at the most over-the-top launches by H.Moser & Cie, Richard Mille, Van Cleef & Arpels, MB&F and Audemars Piguet
This year’s Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) featured exquisite pieces from the world’s biggest watchmakers. Craftsmanship aside, some models verged on the sublime – and the ridiculous.
H.Moser & Cie – Venturer Swiss Mad
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Holy cow! To protest the tightened legislation of the “Swiss Made” label, folks at H.Moser & Cie created a watch using real Swiss cheese – literally. The Swiss Mad watch – referred to as the “most Swiss-made watch ever” features a bezel made with actual Vacherin Mont d’Or cheese mixed with a special resin and is priced at a whopping 1,081,291 CHF (HK$ 8,384,000) – referencing the founding date of Switzerland: August 1, 1291. A dairy-free version is also available, the Venturer Swiss Mad, in a limited edition of 50 pieces featuring hand-wound HMC 327 calibre and the brand’s iconic fume dial in red.
Richard Mille – RM50-03 Tourbillon Split Seconds Chronograph Ultralight McLaren F1
How light is 38 grams? Probably no heavier than a handful of sugar cubes. It’s also the weight of Richard Mille’s new tourbillon chronograph. The timepiece, created in collaboration with McLaren F1 racing team is the world’s lightest split-seconds tourbillon chronograph. Titanium, TPT Carbon as well as a new graphene-based composite are used to lighten the watch case. Limited to only 75 pieces.
Van Cleef & Arpels – Automate Fee Ondine
This beautiful table clock was certainly the centre of attention at Van Cleef & Arpels’ SIHH booth. Set to be activated every 15 minutes at the fair, the clock features a fairy admiring the blossoming of a lotus revealing a butterfly inside. The intricate mechanism is a collaboration between Van Cleef & Arpels’ artisans and automaton maker Francois Junod. The piece is currently not for sale.