Anything at all by Jacob & Co.
https://www.jacobandco.com/timepieces/astronomia-spider
Some watches are just designed to be absolutely ridiculous. These watches almost make you blush in their outrageousness and in many cases so far beyond your reach you may only be fit enough to drool from a distance. I think we need a thread to collate these said watches both new/released as well as your own. To set the standard I introduce you to the MB&F Horological Machine No. 9 'Flow'. Even the name is completely ridiculous! And here is a picture of the watch -
It is absolutely magnificent. And you can't afford it at $182k odd. However MB&F are a massively approachable brand - if they turn up to Salon QP go and play with their creations, they are lovely people. More information on 'dinkee - https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/mb...ow-introducing
So now I've set the standard, lets see the 'bonkers' watches that you lust over. If you own a watch that fit the criteria of madness (especially if it costs less than 6 figures....) lets see them!!!!
Edit - video obviously needed.
Last edited by crazyp; 24th September 2018 at 22:00. Reason: Watch obviously needs its own video
Anything at all by Jacob & Co.
https://www.jacobandco.com/timepieces/astronomia-spider
That is what I'm talking about! That spider is freaking weird though....
Richard Mille who I reckon will feature prominently in this thread released this Tourbillon model -
I'm actually disappointed by RM - it seems a bit boring for me. However my opinion doesn't really matter as the price of the watch will make even MB&F owners blush at $828k+ . The plus is because there are other colours which ramp up the price....
Absolutely, and at under $20k sitting in the affordable territory. One thing most of these bonkers watches bring to the table is innovation/some interesting mechanics - the Devon uses belts and some interesting electric-ness to it. I found this old hodinkee article on it if anyone wants to learn more - https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/a-...-works-tread-1
It brings to mind this recently announced Urwerk. I haven't quite figured out how it works/how you read the time, but looks rather cool again the 'dinkee provides a decent write up - https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/ur...g#&gid=1&pid=2
Azimuth do some pretty bonkers stuff that's a lot more affordable like the Mr Roboto. I'm fairly certain that about ten years ago, chronomaster was the AD in the UK for them
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Their stuff wasn't too bad, though didn't quite sing to me. To be honest affordability isn't so much an issue for this thread - more about lust and desire and maybe to talk about rather interesting watches that have added a fair bit to the horological world.
More importantly a large number of these producers are Independent and not part of some big mass produced organisation. Sadly Watch Talk has become rather generic; threads that do not contain the words Folex or Patel (and if they don't start off about them ideally the thread must descend into being about those brands) garner little interest nowadays which is a crying shame. Horologically speaking there are so much more interesting things happening and yet very few people want to discuss them. Sigh.
I'm a big fan of both MB&F and Urwerk. I also particularly like Hyt and Cabestan which both produce some unusual pieces. Unfortunately they are not currently financially viably for me. One day though!
When I win the lottery it's an MB&F HM6 "Space Pirate" for me.
F.T.F.A.
Good choice - I tried this one on last year at SalonQP - the scary thing was how wearable the thing was, super comfortable.
I will also buy a MB&F when I win the lottery - the reason being how great their team were in discussing and letting people try on their watches, no pretentiousness whatsoever. I commented about this and they mentioned that building the relationship with enthusiasts means if/when we get an opportunity to buy something at this level, MB&F will be one of the first brands that springs to mind. And I think for their brand image they prefer WIS/enthusiasts as their buyers as opposed to RM. Brilliant marketing and win-win for all!
Urwerk 210 when I win tonight's Euromillions -
But if I miss the jackpot and win the £1m raffle instead I'll settle for a Corum Bridge Tourbillion, a relative bargain at under 30k new -
Bonkers on a budget
http://www.cathodecorner.com
Slightly different take on bonkers
The double-sided Apple Franken-Watch
https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/articl...erard-pictures
Favourite lines:
Advantages: you can clip a new Apple Watch onto the strap when the current one inevitably becomes obsolete (as long as they keep it exactly the same size spec for next time).
Disadvantages: you're going to scratch the your Apple Watch to shreds at your desk with it on the underside of your wrist.
The Wristwatch Handbook by Ryan Schmidt is a great source of bonkers watches as well as being a very enjoyable general guide to nice watches.
A selected few:
The Hublot MP-12 looks only moderately bonkers until you turn the crown at 9. This causes the hands to run 4x fast or 4x slow.
Richard Mille fans might enjoy this RM19-02. Every 5 minutes the flower petals open to reveal a flying tourbillon.
Christophe Claret X-TREM-1 with a retrograde rack and lever movement that uses magnets to move the metal balls floating in the glass tubes. There is an inclined tourbillon for good measure - the movement looks like the inside of a 70s video recorder to me:
This is the stupidest watch I've ever seen. And no, it's not a Photoshop (I guess). Haha.
I quite like the idea of the HYT Hydromechanicals...
z
Really like some of the crazy crontraptions, shame I'm.unlikelh to be able to afford them without the euros coming in.
Nice to be aware though.
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I wonder why we've never seen them on the Friday watch posts... maybe our members are too sensible. Or too poor!
The most peculiar one I can remember seeing is the watch with the clown / Joker face. Think it might have been a Corum. Or not. (waits 30 seconds to be corrected! )
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An urwerk would be top of the list if I won the euromillions, closely followed by an mb&f.
I’ve also been intrigued by the cabestan vertical winch tourbillion
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No Jaquet Droz?
https://youtu.be/TV-SZQcS23Q
M
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Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
Not quite as outlandish as some but I have owned a few 'quirky' watches..
Devon Tread 2
NHC Analogica
Daniel Roth something or other
We need Doug Demuro to show us around the quirks and features.
I do have two on my list which I want to try at some point. The Freak Out and the Mexican Fireleg Tarantula. The names are awesome as are the watches!
Some of the stuff by Parmigiani, especially the Bugatti editions? I remember Jeremy Clarkson on TG saying it’s designed so that you don’t have to take the hands off the steering wheel of your Veyron!
https://www.parmigiani.com/en/our-wa...ugatti-watches
Wow, nice to see this thread back up and alive! Both watches are high on my 'want' list.
One brand I never mentioned back when I started this thread (nor has anyone else highlighted) which is very much the mic drop for bonkers is a good old Greubel Forsey. Taken from ABtW -
More info in the following link. You definitely cannot afford this at a snippet under $700k....
https://www.ablogtowatch.com/greubel...ch-in-ceramic/
Another one I must highlight - Vianney Halter. Steam punk bonkers! https://quillandpad.com/2019/09/07/w...tiqua-reprise/
I feel the Harry Winston Opus range also needs a mention in this thread. A very interesting series of watches which are collaborations between Harry Winston and interesting watchmakers such as Vianney Halter.
Gorilla produce a funky looking (and relatively affordable) wandering hours watch, that's pretty bonkers:
(Taken from: https://www.gorillawatches.ch/product/drift-elise/)
simon
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
I think the winner is the Girard Perregaux Jackpot watch. A truly useful complication!
https://youtu.be/oznropwafnM
Now that I like and it’s reasonably priced too... do you know what time it’s showing? And hence where to look? I can read that as 0959 or 1000 looking at either the right or left dial respectively.
- - - Updated - - -
Now that I like and it’s reasonably priced too... do you know what time it’s showing? And hence where to look? I can read that as 0959 or 1000 looking at either the right or left dial respectively.
That's what I thought also, 1000 or 0959/60, wonder if that's coincidental or the same with every hour (ie reading the previous hour as XX60?). Either way it's akin the the Urwerk tarantulas but significantly less expensive. I like. Might be tempted although there's no tax in that price if I read it correctly.
If you think that's bonkers you should see their AMC model...
https://www.urwerk.com/collections/ur-chronometry/amc
the 'case' is used to set the time
Well, as only a humble billionaire I can’t really justify that 😂😂😂
I’ve had urwerks as a saved search in C24 for a long time and wonder whether selling a couple of pieces to get one would be something I’d like to do. I also like the look of the Devon Tread 2 as a more “reasonable” alternative (I’m aware there’s nothing reasonable about the pricing of wrist trinkets...). That gorilla Elise looks interesting enough to take a punt too, certainly a more reasonable version of the urwerk... hmmm 🤔
I'd love an Urwerk,
Last year I was a 99% set on dumping a fair few pieces for a UR-210.
I kinda wish I had just grown a pair and done a cull, even if it meant saying good buy to some nice (and genuinely rare) stuff.
Had a chat with the Urweark guys, really nice folk and willing to answer questions no matter how dumb.
Servicing is quite reasonable on them too, given its a 150k watch, not much more than your average AP.
I still kinda kick myself lol, Even made it down on the train to London with a gameplan in mind of what was going to fund it.
(not a wasted trip, I bought some shoes, tried on the 3D printed Panerai Tourbillon, and had a sneak peek at some Roger Dubuis, did some touristing)
It was the sensbile shoes part of me that talked me out of it.
-would I miss my old watches that'd fund it?
-how long till i the "hypercar on the wrist" look got boring
-would it get irritating not having hands?
-would I even be able to move it on if I got bored, it's a marmite watch, and a lot of money so the market for bonkers watches is fairly limited.
that said....
I'd have to agree with you, if Daytona Prices keep climbing up and another Urwerk pops up at the right price I think I'd do it.
this is tempting me atm, 36k + vat
https://www.urwerkpreowned.com/colle...d-to-77-pieces