Urwerk UR-103 Phoenix

Urwerk’s one-of-a-kind watch created for donation to the “Only Watch” Auction is this highly decorated version of their UR-103 model. The phoenix motif design has been hand-decorated by master engraver maker Jean-Vincent Huguenin.

From the press release:
As an expression of commitment to the Only Watch cause, URWERK will be auctioning the UR-103 Phoenix, a unique timepiece made of white gold and hand-decorated by master engraver maker Jean-Vincent Huguenin, one of the most gifted artists in this field. Fascinated by universal cultures and legends, Jean-Vincent did not take long to decide on

Timekeeper Serie 00

Timekeeper Chronometrie is a fairly new watch company based in Asslar, Germany.

The unique details of Timekeeper watches make them very collectible. A large proportion of their watchmaking production is centered around using movements that are “historically unique” and often dating back to the early days of European watch-making, these are rehoused in newly manufactured cases. Their current horological focal point though is the impending release of a new model, Serie 00 – featuring their first in-house movement.

Ultralight Time Instrument
Model Serie 00 is described by CEO Torsten Nagengast as the “first complete light metal watch in germany”, it is currently in the ‘fine adjustment’ phase and due for release

Romain Jerome Rock DNA

Romain Jerome has developed this unique watch based on their DNA watch design. It is for the “Only Watch” auction being hosted in Monaco on September 22, 2011.

Major watch brands participate in this auction donating unique or one-off watches for the purpose of raising money for the fight against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Romain Jerome created their Rock DNA watch as a tribute to Monaco, featuring a dial that uses some of the rock on which the city was built. A small fragment of the limestone rock was extracted from the western cliff of the Rock of Monaco, chosen as an ideal location by local geologist Philippe Mondielli.

The face and also a sub seconds dial were then created with the rock. Two red lines on the dial indicate the latitude and longitude of the place the fragment of rock was extracted.

For information visit the “Only Watch” auction site or Romain Jerome

Gagarin Tourbillon

The Gagarin Tourbillon by Bernhard Lederer commemorates the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s space flight when he became the first man in space on April 12th 1961.

The feature that immediately grabs your attention when you first see the Gagarin Tourbillon is its use of a loupe style magnifying glass. This can be raised and lowered above the face of the watch as well as rotated, and gives you an enlarged view of the dial so you can appreciate its intricacies and workmanship in more detail.

The magnifying glass combined with the place names on the dial are designed to echo the window in Gagarins space capsule and his view of the earth. It also gives the watch an intriguing aspect and an appearance reminiscent of navigational instruments.

The Gagarin Tourbillon has a flying tourbillon that makes a rotation of the dial every 108 minutes, this is a direct reference and tribute to Gagarin’s space flight which also took 108 minutes to orbit the earth, complimenting this are highlights of some of the places that Gagarins space capsule passed during orbit which have been inscribed on

Bangle Watch

Designer Andy Kurovets has created this elegant and futuristic looking concept watch.

Using a bangle style design and aimed at women it features an LED display and comes in two versions:
black with blue LEDs and pink with blue LEDs.

Apart from its strikingly contemporary style what also catches the eye is that the minute and hour displays have been separated out to each end of the bracelet, a nice stylistic feature giving it an unusual touch.

Andy describes the design as “My idea is based on a ribbon bracelet and the shape of women’s fashion jewelry. It also looks like 2 leaves from a tree. The design is in the shape of 2 independent

Hublot La Clé Du Temps

Do you want to have the power to slow down and speed up time? Well with the “La Clé Du Temps” -in English “The key of time”- Hublot have devised a watch that gives you this highly unusual function.

You can make the watch go faster or slower than normal time by using a crown on the left of the watch.

Using this, the speed of time is increased or decreased, the watch meanwhile keeps track of the correct time and can be returned to it any moment. How this novel function is used is up to the owner, and may be more of a symbolic novelty than anything, but will definitely be a cause of intrigue and a conversational topic.

HD3 Slyde

Due out in September 2011 the latest watch from HD3 is strikingly modern in appearance and ingenious in function.

It features a touch screen display that can switch between different dial designs.

By connecting to a computer via usb you will have the ability to upload newly designed watch dials from famous watch designers including Jorg Hysek (the founder of HD3 Complication).

If that isn’t cool enough you can also design your own watch dials, upload and use them. The Slyde is so versatile that the possibilities are endless. Amongst other functions it also includes chronograph, moonphase and calendar but appears to be almost limitlessly customisable.

Harry Winston Opus 11

The latest piece by Harry Winston is sure to arouse great interest with its highly unusual and fascinating display.

Denis Giguet, designer of the Opus 11 says that the idea of “how to explode the time” was the genesis for the creation of the Opus 11, the latest in the Harry Winston Opus series of complicated watches.

You can see this idea at work when you view the watch in motion. In fact its a timepiece you really must see working to fully appreciate it, the way the intricate micro-mechanics move is quite mesmerizing, so its recommended checking out the video at the end of the post.

Solaris by Olivier Demangel

Designer Olivier Demangel had the idea to create a futuristic solar watch after seeing a new solar powered Logitech Keyboard.

Like a lot of modern futuristic LED watches, particularly those by Tokyo Flash, its not immediately apparent how to read the time on this concept watch and it involves adding up various individual LED’s, but ‘only’ 16 in this case.

The blue LED’s on the circular outer section indicate the hours, these same LED’s also glow purple for 5 minute intervals and the LED sections on the spokes show the individual minutes. A little obscure, but for some people thats part of the attraction apparently.

The Solaris certainly looks stunning and Olivier Demangel has done a great job of creating a nicely rendered 3D version -checkout the video for full effect.

Whether it is put into production depends on how many votes it receives so if you’re interested in a real life version head over to the Tokyo Flash page and place your vote.

Or see more of Olivier Demangel’s portfolio.

Konstantin Chaykin Lunokhod

Russian watch and clockmaker Konstantin Chaykin designs and creates complex technical timepieces and movements at his workshop in St Petersburg. This is his latest which was released at Baselworld 2011.

Moon walker

What strikes you immediately with this intriguing timepiece is the colossal moon that’s prominently centered in the face of the watch commanding your attention. According to Chaykin its “the most lively and realistic watch Moon in the world”

Its name, Lunokhod means “moon walker” and refers to the Russian unmanned space programme that sent up robotic lunar rovers designed to land on the Moon between 1969 and 1977