Hardware

26 crazy-expensive watches that are way cooler than the Apple Watch

By · March 28, 2017, 2:26 PM PST

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  • Devon Star Wars

    Get ready to gawk at 26 timepieces that are as pricey as they are awesome.

    First up: Devon Star Wars. It's made in the U.S.A. It looks like a TIE Fighter. It's "finished with pointed silver screws that emulate the ones on Darth Vader's helmet." So, yes, it's perfect. And pricey.

    List price: $28,5000

    Devon

  • ​Bremont 1918

    List price: $11,495-$22,995

    This forthcoming UK-made, limited-edition, water-resistant timepiece, a nod to the Royal Air Force, is literally battle-tested: Luxury watchmaker Bremont says each watch features the veneer from four RAF World War I and World War II aircraft. Sales are said to begin in "late 2017."

    Bremont via Instagram

  • ​DR01 Twelve First

    Price: "1 million Swiss Francs" (roughly $1 million)

    Swiss watchmaker Dominique Renaud upends convention with this piece that sees the entire mechanism rotate inside a sapphire crystal cylinder. If the asking price seems steep, remember this: The DR01 is made to order, art-gallery approved--and there are only 12 of them.

    Dominique Renaud via Instagram

  • Ressence Type 3N

    List price: 33,500 Swiss Francs (roughly $34,400)

    Called a "watch made for mad scientists," the curvy Type 3N uses an oil-filled chamber to make its face easy to read no matter the angle. The dial and case are made of titanium; the indications are filled with radiant SuperLumiNova.

    Ressence via Facebook

  • Hublot MP-05 LaFerrari Sapphire

    Price: "A touch under $600,000"

    It looks like the engine of Ferrari's LeFerrari hybrid, but it's even more rare: There were fewer than 500 of the cars made; there were only 50 LeFerrari watches produced. The Sapphire variation features sapphire-crystal casing and 637 moving parts. It runs on a 50-day power reserve.

    Photo: Hublot via Facebook

  • Diamond-crusted Samsung

    List price: $15,000

    This limited-edition bejeweled smartwatch, which debuted in 2016, is a collaboration between Samsung and De Grisogono, the high-end Swiss jeweler. The result is Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and diamonds. A "super-luxury" version of the Gear S3 has been teased, but not yet seen.

    Harold Cunningham/Getty Images

  • ​Louis Vuitton Tambour Horizon Black 42

    List price: $2,900

    Check your messages and emails in extreme style. Produced by the luxury retailer Louis Vuitton, the Black 42 sits at the highest end of the high-end, Android Wear 2.0-powered Tambour Horizon collection.

    Louis Vuitton via CNET

  • Moon Orbiter GMT

    List price: $99,000.

    For your near-six-figure investment, RJ-Romain Jerome gives you a Swiss-made watch crafted from "steel incorporating elements from the Apollo 11 spacecraft." Only 25 Moon Orbiters were produced.

    RJ-Romain Jerome

  • Breitling Exospace B55

    Price: Roughly $8,400, via Amazon.com.

    CNET called this black-titanium-encased, connected Swiss watch a "real chronograph...with added digital benefits," such as Bluetooth and smartphone-pairing. But what really makes it soar are its features for pilots, who can log flight times on it.

    Breitling via Facebook

  • Hamilton Khaki Skeleton

    List price: $1,395

    The Khaki Skeleton makes the most of its revealing skeleton design with a three-level dial that gives the piece depth and, if Hamilton does say so itself, "an astonishing 3-D experience."

    Hamilton Watch via Facebook

  • Olio Model One

    List price: $595-$745

    Olio is a San Francisco-based startup that makes small-batch smartwatches: "...[We're] like a local brewery or coffee shop that makes quality products you enjoy," per cofounder Steven Jacobs. The Model One syncs to your Android or iPhone, and, as CNET raved, looks "gorgeous."

    Olio

  • Movado Bold Connected II

    List price: $695

    For this smartwatch, Movado teamed with HP to produce a Bluetooth-equipped piece of wearable tech that's compatible with your Android or Apple device.

    Movado via Facebook

  • Brikk Lux Watch 2 Bespoke

    List price: Starting at $24,995

    Now this is a luxury Apple Watch. The Los Angeles-based company Brikk blings up the smartwatch with a stainless-steel case and diamond-studded, 24-karat-gold coating. Don't feel guilty about splurging: 7 percent of your purchase goes to charity.

    Brikk

  • Citizen Limited Edition Proximity

    List price: $800

    Like the other pieces in the Proximity collection, this black-ion-plated, stainless-steel-encased "smarter watch" is solar-powered (or, what Citizen calls, "Eco Drive") . Like a smart watch, it connects to your phone (Android or Apple), and vibrates when you get a call or email.

    Citizen Watch US via Facebook

  • Garmin D2 Bravo Titanium

    List price: $899

    Billed as a "premium aviation GPS smartwatch," the D2 is marketed to pilots and those who aspire to the skies. The former will truly appreciate the watch-face feature that allows users to input the tail number of their aircraft. The watch also doubles as an activity tracker.

    Garmin

  • Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon

    Price: Roughly $7,500-$10,500, via Amazon.com

    The Speedmaster chronograph became known as the Moonwatch after Buzz Aldrin took it along for the Apollo 11 ride. The line's ceramic Dark Side of the Moon variant commemorates the Apollo 8 mission in which astronauts first glimpsed the dark side of the you-know-what.

    Omega Watches via Facebook

  • Garmin Fenix 5 Sapphire

    List price: $849.99

    The Fenix 5 Sapphire belongs to a new luxury line of multisport GPS watches. It's waterproof, has a long-lasting battery and boasts an awesome-sounding "3-axis compass with gyroscope and barometric altimeter."

    Garmin via Amazon.com

  • Frederique Constant Horological Smartwatch

    List price: $795-$1,295

    This a very grownup smartwatch--an app-controlled activity-tracker that's sleek, stylish, Swiss-made and encased in stainless steel. There are men's and women's models; some may be configured to your personal specs.

    Harold Cunningham/Getty Images

  • Montblanc Summit

    List price: $890-$1,070

    The Summit is Montblanc's first attempt at a smartwatch, and the high-end German brand came to the party prepared. The piece is wired, Bluetooth-equipped, Android-powered, iPhone-compatible, stacked with 4GB of flash storage and, for good measure, domed in sapphire-crystal glass.

    Andrew Toth/Getty Images for Montblanc

  • Patek Philippe Nautilus 40th Anniversary Limited Edition

    List price: 69,960 British pounds (roughly $92,000) for the 5976/1G model; 82,310 British pounds (roughly $108,000) for the 5711/1P model (pictured). (Conversion rates current as of publication.)

    This piece, commemorating the 1976 launch of the Nautilus collection, is a showcase for classic Swiss watchmaking and first-class style. The case and band are platinum; the dome is sapphire-crystal glass. Your Apple Watch will feel under-dressed.

    Patek Philippe Geneva

  • Suunto Spartan Ultra All Black Titanium

    List price: $799

    This GPS multisport watch is billed as the "ultimate training partner." It stands out from the gym-room crowd with titanium and sapphire glass. Plus, it's made by hand--in Finland, no less.

    Suunto via Amazon.com

  • Tag Heuer Connected Modular 45

    List price: $1,550-$4,900

    This Android Wear is an update to Tag Heuer's original smartwatch. New features, per CNET, include Android Pay, GPS and "swim-level water resistance." The highest-end variation in this high-end collection sports a calfskin strap and a diamond-encrusted bezel.

    CNET

  • Zenith El Primero Tourbillon Skeleton

    List price: 49,000 Swiss Francs (roughly $50,300), per Monochrome

    What makes a Swiss-made chronograph a "sexy beast?" Ceramic, sapphire crystal and 35 jewels.

    Zeniith Watches via Facebook

  • Unimatic Modello Uno U1-L

    List price: $919

    This variation of Unimatic's made-in-Italy Modello Uno line was designed for, and is sold by, luxury retailer Luisa Via Roma. The extremely limited-edition U1-L--only 50 were said to be produced--features a stainless-steel case and domed sapphire crystal.

    Unimatic Watches via Facebook

  • G-Shock MRGG2000HT-1A

    List price: $7,400

    One of the latest editions to Casio's shock-resistant G-Shock brand is the limited-edition MRGG2000HT-1A, which, as billed, tracks time via a high-tech combo of radio waves, GPS satellite signals and Bluetooth transmissions.

    G-Shock via Instagram

  • RM 50-03 Tourbillon Split Seconds Chronograph Ultra Light McLaren

    List price: 1 million British pounds (roughly $1.3 million)

    "Luxury watch king" Richard Mille quickly sold all 75, RM 50-03s introduced in early 2017. The watch, made in partnership with the racing company McLaren-Honda is touted as the lightest mechanical chronograph ever made, thanks to the nanomaterial graphene.

    Richard Mille via Facebook

Devon Star Wars

Get ready to gawk at 26 timepieces that are as pricey as they are awesome.

First up: Devon Star Wars. It's made in the U.S.A. It looks like a TIE Fighter. It's "finished with pointed silver screws that emulate the ones on Darth Vader's helmet." So, yes, it's perfect. And pricey.

List price: $28,5000

Devon

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