# ANYONE EVER SEE A 1.2 MILLION DOLLAR WATCH? IT'S A FIRST FOR ME...



## Time Talker

The 32 mm movement is made by _"la fabrique du temps"_ (the manufacture of time) by Michel Navas & Enrico Barbasini, in Vernier - Switzerland.

The watch is $1'200'000 USD... yes, 1,2 million dollars:
















This tourbillon masterpiece is actually a music box, and the _'soufflet'_ has a sound resonnance purpose.

The 319 parts provide a power reserve of 100 minutes. Only 12 will be made, so get yours now before its too late... _they might all be gone already!_
_
What incredible and masterful workmanship! I can see the value in this masterpiece._


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## Outlawyer

Looks like some hideous spawn from the mating of a Hublot and an Invicta.

Patek made a one off modern pocket watch with like 3000 complications that went for 4 times that amount, IIRC.

The Dallas Cowgirls had better come with any watch that costs 1million.


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## EntropicTime

My first reaction after a stunned silence was a half swallowed laugh. Then silence and reflection on why such a laugh. And then the thought, “gratuitous ... verging on the absurd”. But I am not a collector so this reduces to aesthetics and the nature, complexity and depth of one's relationships with time, neither of which categories lend themselves to objective analysis. Still its visage leaves me with a strong impulse to suggest its actual sales would reflect rather badly on the rich.

… wonder what "songs" it plays?


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## lvt

I think I prefer watching my $1,2M sitting in a bank account rather than wear this watch on my wrist.


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## J.D.B.

Interesting excercise, but a bit too steep for such exclusivity at my local diner.......Seems to me for that price they could have indexed the bezel screws.

Josh


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## Time Talker

Since only 12 of these watches were made, this piece would be purchased as an investment rather than as a watch to actually be worn on a regular basis, imho. What I find so impressive about it, and the reason I posted this thread is the craftsmanship, the fine workmanship that went into the manufacture of just one, let alone 12 of these incredibly intricate and beautiful timepieces.



> [Outlawyer]
> Looks like some hideous spawn from the mating of a Hublot and an Invicta.
> 
> Patek made a one off modern pocket watch with like 3000 complications that went for 4 times that amount, IIRC.
> 
> The Dallas Cowgirls had better come with any watch that costs 1million.


I can't understand when someone attacks such an intricately designed mechanism which also functions as a time piece, as hideous rather than as an incredible piece of art. Can you appreciate that if one of these was discovered by archeologists 10,000 years from now in a sealed vault, what it would tell them about this time in human history? You know, our technological capabilities?

And speaking of that 4,000,000.00 dollar Patek Phillipe? Is this the one you're speaking of? It too is an impressive watch, but for the uniqueness, I would still prefer the _"la fabrique du temps" above, especially for the lower price of 1.2 mill. _








This Patek Phillipe "Pocket Watch" carried an 11 million dollar price tag, is this the watch you were speaking of?


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## AAWATCHES

You are correct TT it is a work of art. But like all art, its value or beauty is a matter of opinion. Personally I think it is neat, But, out of my price range....


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## Time Talker

AAWATCHES said:


> You are correct TT it is a work of art. But like all art, its value or beauty is a matter of opinion. *Personally I think it is neat, But, out of my price range....*


Mine too, that explains why they made only a dozen of them. One would have to be worth many hundreds of millions of dollars in order to be able to invest 1.2 mill in a single watch they might never wear at all. This piece is pure investment as far as I'm concerned. I must say though, I would definitely prefer the watch for 1.2 million over the stop watch for 11 million as far as uniqueness and beauty goes, even though the stop watch is also beautiful.


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## mikeynd

Even if i had the money,I would take a pass on this one.Someone could walk up to you at a Diner,and say i like your Invicta watch.


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## Outlawyer

Time Talker said:


> Since only 12 of these watches were made, this piece would be purchased as an investment rather than as a watch to actually be worn on a regular basis, imho. What I find so impressive about it, and the reason I posted this thread is the craftsmanship, the fine workmanship that went into the manufacture of just one, let alone 12 of these incredibly intricate and beautiful timepieces.
> 
> I can't understand when someone attacks such an intricately designed mechanism which also functions as a time piece, as hideous rather than as an incredible piece of art. Can you appreciate that if one of these was discovered by archeologists 10,000 years from now in a sealed vault, what it would tell them about this time in human history? You know, our technological capabilities?
> 
> And speaking of that 4,000,000.00 dollar Patek Phillipe? Is this the one you're speaking of? It too is an impressive watch, but for the uniqueness, I would still prefer the _"la fabrique du temps" above, especially for the lower price of 1.2 mill. _
> 
> This Patek Phillipe "Pocket Watch" carried an 11 million dollar price tag, is this the watch you were speaking of?
> 
> View attachment 693407


Yep. Forgot it was THAT much. Still, I'd rather have it at its price than the other one at its.


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## Dakota2cSRT4

Time Talker said:


> Since only 12 of these watches were made, this piece would be purchased as an investment rather than as a watch to actually be worn on a regular basis, imho. What I find so impressive about it, and the reason I posted this thread is the craftsmanship, the fine workmanship that went into the manufacture of just one, let alone 12 of these incredibly intricate and beautiful timepieces.
> 
> I can't understand when someone attacks such an intricately designed mechanism which also functions as a time piece, as hideous rather than as an incredible piece of art. Can you appreciate that if one of these was discovered by archeologists 10,000 years from now in a sealed vault, what it would tell them about this time in human history? You know, our technological capabilities?


It is incredible... incredibly ugly. Is the movement amazing? Yes. That doesn't mean it cannot be hideous. You referred to it as a piece of art: the aesthetics of art, or anything really, is objective. You find it beautiful, Outlawyer and I find it to be God-awful. It doesn't change the fact it's an accomplishment and a piece of art.


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## Outlawyer

Dakota2cSRT4 said:


> It is incredible... incredibly ugly. Is the movement amazing? Yes. That doesn't mean it cannot be hideous. You referred to it as a piece of art: the aesthetics of art, or anything really, is objective. You find it beautiful, Outlawyer and I find it to be God-awful. It doesn't change the fact it's an accomplishment and a piece of art.


You mean the pocket watch?


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## EntropicTime

Dakota2cSRT4 said:


> It is incredible... incredibly ugly. Is the movement amazing? Yes. That doesn't mean it cannot be hideous. You referred to it as a piece of art: the aesthetics of art, or anything really, is objective. You find it beautiful, Outlawyer and I find it to be God-awful. It doesn't change the fact it's an accomplishment and a piece of art.


I'm sorry, but I am uncertain of my reading of that post. "You referred to it as a piece of art: the aesthetics of art, or anything really, is objective." If that is not what you meant to say you might want to edit your post. If it is as intended I would be interested in your thinking behind that assertion.

thanks


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## Outlawyer

Not sure whom he's talking to. My name is mentioned but I never referred to any of them as a "piece of art" though some of the Cowgirls could certainly be called pieces of ...art.
No way I'd call that Patek "God-awful" though some of the company's newer models would fit that bill IMO.


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## EntropicTime

To be fair, the assertion is made that it is a music box. To be judged, the instrument would have to be heard. If it did a credible performance of, say, #2 from Die Kunst der Fuge, I might feel rather differently about it. In any case it seems reasonable to expect breathtaking sums to buy breathtaking performance.


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## AAWATCHES

Someone referred to it looking like an Invicta, you could say the same of a Hublot, Corum, Uboat, Welder and many other brands. Does that mean you won't wear those either? The point is that If someone likes something It don't matter. I see a lot of folks saying they won't wear a Rolex because so many people think they are all fake. Those people are cutting themselves off from the privilege and enjoyment of doing what you want for yourself. I wear what I want and do the things I enjoy and frankly don't care whether someone thinks my Rolex is fake.
This funky watch is kinda cool IMO, would I wear it...no, would I own it, yea if I could afford it. It is art, just like a Picasso, those are kinda funky too.
Art is objective and everyone has the right to their own opinion, In my opinion Hideous and God-awful are a little strong but hey thats someones opinion.....So far I think that everyone agrees on the Dallas Cheerleaders.....lol


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## James Roettger

I am surprised I can't find their web site. It would be nice to see better pictures of it. Seems like it would be hard to promote it without a web presence in this day and age. Maybe some troll is squatting on all their potential domain names and wants a million dollars to turn over the rights to their name.


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## Time Talker

Dakota2cSRT4 said:


> It is incredible... incredibly ugly. Is the movement amazing? Yes. That doesn't mean it cannot be hideous. You referred to it as a piece of art: the aesthetics of art, or anything really, is objective. You find it beautiful, Outlawyer and I find it to be God-awful. It doesn't change the fact it's an accomplishment and a piece of art.


I agree that Art is a subjective interpretation based on individual taste. And I don't expect everyone to appreciate the _ "la fabrique du temps" as a beautiful time piece either. I posted it for its uniqueness and complexity as an intricate working machine of incredible detail. I do find it curious that anyone can find it, as you say, incredibly ugly and God-awful though. But to each his own, I always say.
_


Outlawyer said:


> You mean the pocket watch?


I think he was referring to the watch I posted photos of Outlawyer, I don't think there is anything at all offensive about the pocket watch.


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## WnS

So it's got only 100 minutes of power reserve?


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## Time Talker

James Roettger said:


> I am surprised I can't find their web site. It would be nice to see better pictures of it. Seems like it would be hard to promote it without a web presence in this day and age. Maybe some troll is squatting on all their potential domain names and wants a million dollars to turn over the rights to their name.


Evidently they are independent designers who work for large established houses in Switzerland. Here's an article that speaks directly of these innovative partners. Underground Movements | Robb Report With a quote:

*BNB Concept: Thoroughly Modern Movements*If you have tried on an ultramodern complicated watch recently, it may well have been the work of BNB Concept, one of the most successful movement makers in Switzerland. BNB's reputation rests on the modern-style tourbillon. The company has created variations of this design for brands including Montres DeWitt, Bell & Ross, Wyler Genève, and Hublot. Such a client list is impressive for a company that is only five years old. *In 2004, Mathias Buttet, Michel Navas, and Enrico Barbasini founded BNB.* The three had made their reputations designing the radical Revolution tourbillons at Franck Muller. These watches were among the very first to reinterpret the tourbillon as a modernist complication where design became the supreme consideration over the more traditional qualities of accuracy and utility.
*Navas and Barbasini exited BNB in 2007, leaving Buttet to run the company.* Yet even without his partners, he still adheres to the trio's business philosophy: Endow high-level pieces with unorthodox features that spring from BNB's engineering prowess. The unconventional vertical tourbillon carriage in Concord's C1 Tourbillon Gravity (shown on the preceding spread), for example, is the product of the firm's previous experiments with differential gearing. BNB suggested a seconds counter around the outside of the once-a-minute rotating cage as an additional flourish. "Completing the numbers on the delicate aluminum-lithium undercarriage requires a challenging, multipart machining operation," explains Sergio Marfil, former director general at the firm. "We have experience in this, whereas at most watch companies this would be an extraordinary operation."
BNB's clients value the company's ability to incorporate their brand designs into complicated watchmaking. Rather than simply taking orders, or offering features from a catalog, BNB actively works with outside designers. This practice is best exemplified by BNB's relationship with HD3 Complication, a watch company that by itself produces only design. Collaborative efforts between these two firms, such as the Vulcania from 2007, embody a vivid integration of imagination and mechanics for which both companies can take credit.​
As for _la fabrique du temps, it was purchased by Louis Vuitton, Here's a link of the aquisition. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...kk2MtSw0aI9F23ckw&sig2=lMJVBHOxLN-TiWLADPcxeA_


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## EntropicTime

> In 2004, Mathias Buttet, Michel Navas, and Enrico Barbasini founded BNB. The three had made their reputations designing the radical Revolution tourbillons at Franck Muller. These watches were among the very first to reinterpret the tourbillon as a modernist complication where design became the supreme consideration over the more traditional qualities of accuracy and utility.


It seems to me the philosophical basis of the ideas expressed here reflect postmodernist thinking rather than modernist thinking. And personally I find postmodernism intellectually and aesthetically bankrupt. The object reflects the ideas and I find the ideas ugly.

Now this is not objective, but it is the beginning of an objective and analytic approach to rationalizing an aesthtic evaluation. And in teasesing out the reasons 
one finds things beautiful or ugly much is learned about both the self and the world.


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## Guest

I've seen it for real at the last Salon des Belles Montres in Paris, it was quite laughable and ridiculous.
Besides, I don't know how can wear such a thing on its wrist.


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## Crown and Caliber

Looks like an accordion.


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## Kittysafe

The watch looks steampunk to me, very expensive steampunk... really interesting.


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## Time Talker

Kittysafe said:


> The watch looks steampunk to me, very expensive steampunk... really interesting.


After looking up the meaning of the term steampunk which I have never heard before, It seems apropos in describing this watch. It does look like some 19th century steam powered contraption that employs over the top workmanship. Thanks for teaching me a new word tonight.


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## Kittysafe

Time Talker said:


> After looking up the meaning of the term steampunk which I have never heard before, It seems apropos in describing this watch. It does look like some 19th century steam powered contraption that employs over the top workmanship. Thanks for teaching me a new word tonight.


You are welcome!


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## Tanguero

I saw this "in the flesh" at Salon QP in London on Friday and can confirm that it is just as hideous in person as it is in the pictures!


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## macleod1979

I am not impressed. Waste of money.


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## Quasimodo

Can it play MP3?


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