A selection of unusual and stunningly designed wristwatches.

1. Zenith - Defy Xtreme Tourbillon Zero-G El Primero. The Zero-G mechanism is placed inside a gyroscope - this is a device for aircraft that informs the pilot about the position relative to the horizon. No matter what position the owner of this watch turns his hand to, the Zero-G carriage will take a strictly horizontal position. And at the same time, it is connected to the clock mechanism through a wheel drive and influences the unprecedented precision of the movement. Traditional for the Defy Xtreme series, water resistance of 1000 meters and a helium valve. Cost - $500,000.

2. Franck Muller Aeternitas Mega 4. This is one of the most complex wristwatches in the world.
The watch has 36 complications, 25 of which are visible on the dial. The watch consists of 1483 parts. There are 19 hands on the dial of this watch. 18 regular and 1 second on the tourbillon carriage. There are no watches with many hands. Cost - $2,700,000.

3. Chopard 201 Carat. The most expensive watch in the world costs 25 million dollars, and against their background, a watch for half a million, or even more so for 100 thousand dollars, does not look so expensive. But much more beautiful than this unbridled luxury of 874 diamonds.

4. Uliss Nardin Freak Blue Phantom. At the beginning of 2001, Uliss Nardin introduced a watch codenamed FREAK. To this day, these watches represent the apotheosis of technological and artistic excellence in watchmaking. Produced in very limited quantities, the FREAK remains the most popular model in the world to this day. This watch embodies the concept of ingenuity, which combines the efforts of three of the most famous watch designers. The assembly of the parts was incredibly original - in fact, the watch did not have a case at all in the usual sense! The dial and bezel of the watch became, in fact, part of the mechanism; the Freak model had no crown and hands, and the clock mechanism rotated to show the time! Cost - about $100,000.

5. Konstantin Chaykin “Lunokhod”. The only Russian watchmaker accepted into the AHCI (Academie horlogere des createurs independants), Konstantin Chaykin, at the current watch exhibition in Basel presented his new model Lunokhod, named after the glorious achievements of the Soviet cosmonautics in the study of the earth's satellite. The main detail of the new item is a ball with a diameter of 12 mm, symbolizing the Moon and made of Indian damask steel. The ball, like the earth's shadow, is gradually covered by a silver hemisphere with black rhodium plating, rotating around it. This is the first time such an indication of lunar phases has been used in watchmaking.

6. Christophe Claret 21 Blackjack. This is a real toy for big boys. The watch includes three popular casino games - blackjack, roulette and craps. The blackjack is hidden under the sapphire crystal on the dial, which features small windows in rhodium-plated frames. The dice are hidden in the side of the case, while the roulette can be found at the bottom of the case. The strap is made of crocodile leather, and the case is available in a choice of white or rose gold, black or gray titanium alloy. Each of the watch designs is produced in a limited edition of 21 units. Cost from $200,000.

7. Romain Jerome Cabestan Titanic DNA Tourbillon Vertical. Romain Jerome, who somehow miraculously grabbed a decent piece of metal from the sunken Titanic, releases stylized opuses, the main precious coating of which is rust. The new project is a stylization of the model by Jean-Francois Ruchonnet and Vianney Halter - Cabestan (vertical tourbillon with manual winding and power reserve indicator). The straps for this model, limited to 6 pieces, are cut from the leather of sofas from that legendary ship.

8. Romain Jerome Day&Night. The “Day&Night” watch, part of the limited edition DNA of Famous Legends collection by the Swiss company Romain Jerome, sold out within 48 hours at a price of $300,000. The watch does not tell the time; its main feature is that its case is made of steel taken from the remains of the legendary Titanic ship. They are decorated with sapphires, have a crocodile leather strap, and the steel case is covered with rust. In general, the model looks like an ordinary watch, but there are no numbers on it, and the dial is divided into two parts, the dark one indicating night, and the light one indicating day. “Without displaying hours, minutes or seconds, this watch offers a new way of measuring time by dividing it into two sections denoting day and night. The new interpretation of time is based on the coordinated operation of two tourbillons. This is a very avant-garde approach,” said spokesman Romain Jerome.

9. Quinting Montre Mysterieuse Transparente. The Quinting watch manufacturer has created the world's first wristwatch with a completely transparent mechanism. The central part of the movement consists of several sapphire plates with an anti-reflective coating, due to which the refractive index of light tends to zero, and it seems that the watch does not have a movement. Some of the plates are movable, some are fixed. Fixed plates play the role of platinum and bridges. Movable ones are transparent gears. The electric motors that move these plates are hidden under the rim of the housing.

10. Urwerk UR-110 Torpedo. The minutes are displayed on the scale located on the right, and the indicator is the hour module, which is currently passing “in orbit” between the “0” and “60” marks. The number on this module shows what time it is. The arrows on the “satellites” are always parallel to each other; a special “planetary” unit of the mechanism is responsible for their even position. Cost - approximately $80,000.

11. Urwerk 202. The case contains three cubes, on the four faces of which numbers are depicted. The cubes rotate around their axis and along the dial. From each cube, in turn, an arrow extends, which shows the minutes. The watch dial also reflects the movement of the Earth's satellite and contains a day and night indicator. Cost - $100,000.

12. Movado Tourbillon Museum Watch. Grand Prix in the category “the most modest expensive watch.” The tourbillon was produced in a single copy, as evidenced by the rare inscription 1/1. The minimalist dial with only one dot has been a signature of Movado since 1947. The cost of these watches is unknown, since they are the only ones, but there is reason to believe that the price starts from hundreds of thousands of dollars.

13. Manufacture Royale Opera. The watch case consists of 60 parts and can be folded into an accordion. When unfolded, the case creates a resonant cavity that enhances the sound of the repeater. The mechanism consists of 319 parts. The watch dial has hour and minute hands made of gold. All this unique mechanical beauty is protected by three sapphire glasses, two of which are on the front side of the case, and one, folding, on the back. The crocodile leather strap features an 18K rose and gray gold buckle. Circulation - 12 copies.

14. Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Regulateur Roue Carree. What could be weirder and more unusual than a square wheel? However, it was he who was made the central element of the new model of the manufactory master. Moreover, the square with teeth of an unusual shape, located at the 12 o’clock position, is not just a decoration or pampering of the designer. Its window with luminescent hand is the hour indicator in the original regulator. The square wheel is driven by a trefoil at 10 o'clock. Engineer Michel Vermot and specialists from the Le Locle High School of Engineering and Watchmaking helped Maurice Lacroix craftsmen calculate the shape and dimensions of such unusual parts and gearing. The series is limited to 99 pieces.

15. HM4 Thunderbolt. For those who are too lazy to turn their hand to see the time.
This absolutely fantastic watch with an aerodynamic case made of titanium and sapphire plates was conceived and made a reality by designer Maximilian Büsser, known in the Swiss watch industry as a genius of kinetic masterpieces. The indicators are made in the form of turbines, on one of them there are hours and minutes, on the other - information about the remaining power reserve. The upper and lower parts of the case are finished with transparent sapphire panels. Only 20 pieces are produced annually. Cost - $158,000.

16. Harry Winston Opus Eleven. This year, Harry Winston introduced the eleventh model from the Opus series. The main dial consists of many rollers and gears, on which 24 panels with half numbers are arranged in a chaotic manner, which “explode” every hour and are assembled into the corresponding number in the very center of the scoreboard. The back panel is made of transparent three-layer glass and reveals 566 movement parts on 155 jewels. Cost - from $230,000.

We have collected 30 examples of the most stunning, original and unusual wristwatches, each of which can be a great gift for loved ones or yourself.

Looking at this watch, you understand that the universe is infinite, there is vanity and decay all around, there is nowhere to rush and there is no need to rush. Design: Van Cleef & Arpels.

German "ball" watches Abacus from Erich Lacher Watch Factory designed for those with a steady hand. Numbers, arrows and other familiar time indicators are replaced by a ball that rolls freely inside the dial. To find out the hour and minute, you need to bend your arm, giving it a horizontal position. At this moment, the built-in magnet attracts the ball to the notch corresponding to the current time on a traditional dial.

Having a personal “Yorick” on your hand is tempting and stylish. You can slowly philosophize while watching the gears spin in his eye sockets. Watch design: Fiona Kruger.

OZO Watch – a minimalist watch from a New York designer Anton Ripponin. Being a concept, the gadget was awarded at the Red Dot Award idea competition. Hours and minutes are “divided” into two small dials inside the main one. The hourglass icon located in the middle is responsible for “reading” the data. You can purchase them in American online stores for prices starting from $200.

Dripping wristwatch named after Salvador Dali

The idea of ​​creating a watch that replicates the famous “drip” clock of the great Salvador Dali is far from new. Previously we talked about. However, in any case, they cannot be denied originality.

Minimalistic watch with a digital-free dial from Mr. Jones Not only will they help you not get lost in time and remind you of your vacation, but they will also tell you what time it is when traveling abroad. The design of the hands, made in the form of world famous landmarks, corresponds to the time in a particular country. Clock with a saying name All Around The World– a great gift for active travelers and an incentive for those who have just begun to conquer the world. Minute hand Mr. Jones turned into a dove - a kind of cosmopolitan who can be encountered anywhere in the world.

Handmade wristwatches created from dreams and fantasies

Rare talent and skill, coupled with hours of painstaking work - this is how you can characterize the process of creating these stunning watches. Author Van Cleef & Arpels.

Wristwatch for a math lover

To find out the time using this clock, you need to have a good understanding of mathematics. Perelman definitely approves!

Wrist watch Wingt Mille Watch clearly demonstrate what a huge squid monster can do to weak people - of course, using them to show “hours” and “minutes” on the dial.

These watches are simply imbued with the aesthetics of the 90s of the last century. But it is unlikely that those who do not remember what an audio cassette looks like will understand this.

As you know, lovers do not watch the clock. That’s right, it’s better for them not to watch these hours.

The name of the wristwatch from designer Denis Guidone is translated from Italian as “One Hour”. The main feature of the watch Ora Unica lies in the absence of the usual dial, because the functions of the minute and hour hands are performed by the ends of a cleverly intertwined strip.

Russian designer Alexander Sorokin from Krasnodar came up with an unusual wristwatch that does not have hands or numbers, but instead of a dial is decorated with a bright image of our planet. And since where the Earth is, its satellite Moon must also be, accordingly, this project is called Earth and moon watch. The Moon, as befits a satellite, moves around the Earth in a circle, measuring the hours, and its shadow, covering part of the planet, counts the minutes. The more area is covered by shadow, the more minutes have passed since the beginning of the new hour. Digital Watch Earth and moon watch are synchronized via satellite, and the built-in GPS module helps the dial in the form of the Earth to show exactly the side of it where the person is currently located. The watch supports day and night mode and two types of backlight, which change depending on the time of day.

“Remember, you will die” this watch carefully reminds its owner. Perhaps this is a good way to learn to separate the important from the unimportant in your life?

Minimalist watch without dial Eye of the Storm

The undisputed contender for first place in terms of simplicity of design will be wristwatches Eye of the Storm designer Yiran Qian. When you press a small button on the case, the watch begins to show the time using two pointers on the borders of the “missing” dial.

Minimalist watch Nadir Watch with inverted arrows - the work of an Australian designer Damian Barton. "Nadir" is translated from Arabic as "opposite". In addition, this word is an astronomical term denoting a direction that completely coincides with the direction of the force of gravity at a given point.

According to the creators of this watch, a person needs very little to be happy. For example, a clock with eyes, the pupils of which show the time - one is minutes, the other is hours. Additional joy for the owner "A Second Of Happiness Watch" may bring replacement dials with different patterns and designs.

Roger Dubuis has released a new collection of watches from the King Arthur series. The clock is a round table around which knights sit, and their golden swords mark the hour mark. The dial (table) is decorated with an inscription in Old English. But all the small details of the figures can only be seen with the help of a magnifying glass.

The vast majority of modern smartwatches have one significant drawback - their touch screens consume a large amount of energy, which is why you have to charge these devices almost every day. But this minus is completely unfamiliar to the device with the name Pebble.
Pebble is one of many cases where a good idea raised enough money on Kickstarter to be implemented and put into mass production. The special thing about this smartwatch is that its screen is based on e-paper technology, which is usually used in e-readers.
The use of e-paper allows smart watches Pebble work for quite a long time - five to seven days. The device has the ability to control calls and some other functions on the smartphone with which it is connected wirelessly. The watch can also work as an alarm clock or timer organizer - it will vibrate at the set time.
The absence of expensive components makes Pebble the cheapest smartwatch on the market. Their cost is only 150 US dollars ($249 for modification Pebble Steel in a metal case).

Original wristwatch with a “broken” dial

Moto 360 is the iPhone of smartwatches. Companies Motorola, it seems, managed to do what other manufacturers of similar devices can only dream of. In the summer of 2014, she will launch a truly beautiful and stylish watch that will not look like an alien element on a person’s wrist, as if it came into our reality from science fiction films of the seventies of the twentieth century. Moto 360- This is a classic-style watch that, from the outside, cannot be distinguished from a mechanical one. But the watch face in this device is a touch screen that can display not only the hour and minute hands, but also a lot of other information.
Moto 360 can work in phone and navigator mode. They will allow the owner to read and send text messages and email, control music, communicate with friends on social networks, check the weather forecast and perform many other actions. This device also contains several sensors that monitor the health of the person wearing them. Natalya Erofeevskaya August 1, 2018, 10:59 pm

Someone will say: “The era of watches is long gone; who needs them in the times of computer technology and cool gadgets?” - and he will be right. But only partly. Indeed, it is increasingly rare to see classic watches with the most ordinary dial and the most ordinary hands on men’s and women’s hands. The clock has not yet completely disappeared into oblivion, but has somewhat changed its functionality: instead of a miniature device counting down seconds, minutes, hours, it turned into a stylish accessory.

Photo of women's watch with 3D design

An expensive original watch is a status item for any man: the same in importance as, for example, a car, a business suit or the latest model smartphone. When choosing a watch, women look for “something like that” on the shelves that doesn’t look like their sister’s or friend’s watch. The non-standard format of execution attracts the attention of others, emphasizes the individuality of the image and an original approach to creating your own style. Men and women who choose creative models with unusual dials, cool, and sometimes strange watches are confident in themselves, are not afraid to seem absurd and funny to others, are aware of the uniqueness of their personality and strive to emphasize it.

A modern watch is a stylish accessory that emphasizes the originality of the owner, his style, lifestyle, even habits and character.

The first models of unusual watches

It would seem that there are not many elements in a watch in the design of which you can give complete freedom to your imagination. The chronometer case can be subject to variations - its shape, color, materials, dial design, hands (up to their complete absence) and strap or bracelet.

Photo of a strange clock without the usual hands

In the first amazing models, oddly enough, they tried to preserve the classic round shape of the case and dial. Designers preferred to work with unusual color schemes and numbers, the hands changed their shape, and mechanical production was gradually replaced by digital technologies.

Among the first models of chronometers interesting in their design, we have preserved classic designs reworked towards minimalism: laconicism consisted of simple, often geometric color schemes of the dial, the original shape of the hands and the absence of numbers. Often the hour markings were ultra-simplified, to the point of complete absence of divisions on the dial.

Photo of a designer watch without dial and hands

French watch models in which mineral glass completely hides the case can be considered historical. The advantages of such watches produced by LIP are their pleasant flat design and panoramic view of the dial: at any angle of inclination of the watch plane, you can accurately determine the position of the hands.

Unusual men's wristwatch

For men, of course, not only the brutality of a chronometric accessory is important, but also its convenience: after all, no one has canceled the determination of relatively accurate time using a watch. Representatives of the stronger half of humanity do not wear watches just to decorate their own image - for them, unlike women, functionality is important any element of appearance.

Photo of unusual men's wristwatch made of wood

What do designers offer for strong and independent men? Electronic model ZIIIRO, in which time is determined not with the help of hands and digital markings, but thanks to two colored comets that leave a barely noticeable tail when moving across the dial, created a real sensation. Absolutely magical, unique watch - for romantics, dreamers and aesthetes.

Men's watches are not always about rigor and conciseness, minimalist design and ease of use. Cool models from Mr. Jones Watches, marketed under the name The Last Laught, will be appreciated by teenagers, representatives of subcultures and simply non-standard individuals in their thinking and lifestyle. Black humor, stylish design with mirrors in the eye sockets and in the cavity of the nose, time shown on the teeth of the upper and lower jaw - much more creative and original? An excellent gift for those who can appreciate the clear allusion to the famous philosophical expression memento mori (from Latin - remember death). And almost literally.

Photo of unusual men's wristwatch Last Laught

Aviation style, military style, computer games, nautical or sports themes, even cufflink watches and watches in the form of a vintage car radio - you can find everything your heart desires in the designer collections. For example, futuristic chronometers of the future will allow the owner to shoot video and take photographs with professional resolution, and record high-quality audio files. It’s not surprising, because essentially these are mini-computers with an operating system.

Photo of smart men's watch on hand

Often the hands on designer watches are not at all similar to the hands we are used to. These can be not only two rockets, but also a twisted spiral with two ends – hour and minute, and sharpened blades, and luminous “cricket” points. If designers also decide to achieve additional originality due to the absence of dial markings, determining the exact time seems unlikely. But style and originality, whatever one may say, are evident.

The unusualness of designer watches is also expressed in the use of various materials or their combination: metal, wood, rubber, plastic, ceramics, recycled materials and even concrete

More than one hundred models can lay claim to the title of “the most unusual men’s watch in the world”: it is difficult to compare completely different designs, technologies, and purely subjective ideas about beauty, originality and ease of use. For example, designers often resort to displaying only the current time on electronic watches, and this undoubtedly has its own philosophy. Think about the present, don’t worry about the past and don’t look ahead to the future - everything has its turn. And your watch.

Photos of original men's watches

Unusual women's wristwatch

Women, by nature, may want to look not so much original as stylish and modern. Exclusive designs of women's chronometer models emphasize the character and self-sufficiency, femininity and independence of their owner, a creative way out of everyday life - These are accessories for non-standard people who strive for a vibrant life and are not afraid to be in the spotlight.

Unusual women's watches from the Sunlight jewelry store will help you stand out from the crowd: they are good for their versatility, since they can equally well complement a strict business look or an active sports one, they are good as a cool accessory to complete an evening look. The watches presented below on a metal bracelet have a laconic design: there is nothing superfluous in them, the classic black is offset by the original shape of the square case and a spectacular, eye-catching bracelet.

Fashionable women's watch on a metal bracelet, SL(price on the link)

For lovers of luxury and antiquity Sunlight designers have developed a transparent model: mineral glass does not hide the internal mechanisms of the chronometer at all, but vintage elements complemented with rhinestones make this watch without a conventional dial incredibly stylish and simply beautiful. A simple question from a friend or colleague: “What time is it?” — will allow you to demonstrate this chic model in its design and execution.

Women's watch, SL (price on the link)

Unique models of women's wrist watches include Nuvati with lunar and Martian stones floating inside the case - according to the manufacturer, they are completely real. Yes Yes, space theme in chronometer design– this is not only a purely male privilege and interests! The world is becoming small for humanity, and watches like these remind us that we are only specks on the scale of the Universe and the time allotted to us should be used profitably.

Among unusual women's wristwatches, chronometers with a gradient dynamic dial are in particular demand - they are stylish, beautiful, and truly magical.

In the gradient clock the operating principle is as follows: two surfaces move across the dial, smoothly changing their color and indicating the current time. Such watches are usually produced in batches with different color palettes: pink, green, blue, purple. It will also be interesting for ladies mirror designVanityMirror– the dial, in addition to its direct purpose as an indicator of the exact time, can be used as a mirror for correcting makeup, hairstyles, etc.

Photo of an unusual watch with a gradient dial

Original unisex watches

Of course, watches in the form of binoculars are purely masculine, while watches with flowers are purely feminine. But for a long time, designers have not considered it necessary to burden themselves with at least some kind of social framework, and therefore they are increasingly producing models that look equally good on strong male hands and fragile female ones. Of course: the costs for design development and flow production are the same, but the consumer audience is much wider.

Photo of a wristwatch with an unusual dial

These unisex designs can easily be classified as having gained extraordinary popularity in a matter of days. transparent watch. They are completely transparent, you can see your hand through them, and the time is indicated by contrasting arrows that stand out against the background of the hand.

Photo of amazing transparent unisex watches

Rubber Take Time– a cool model for teenagers and “informals”. The chronometer itself is made in a rather classic form; it is unusual, if you can call it a “strap”: it is a rubber band with a round loop at the end, which can be attached to a belt, bag or clothing, or can be wound around your hand in a few turns.

Electronic sports watches in unisex style come in bright colors and have functionality useful for people with an active lifestyle.

In pursuit of originality of watches and other accessories designed to organically complement the image, and not draw all attention to themselves, Don't forget about your own individuality. No matter how attractive an unusual wristwatch may be, it is recommended to focus, first of all, not on shocking others, but on your own comfort and ease of use of such a chronometer.