A Watch Made from a Million-Year-Old Meteorite

09 December, 2024193 words3 minutes

In an industry where heritage is paramount, watchmakers Toledano & Chan have taken the concept to cosmic proportions. Their latest creation, the B/1M, is not merely a timepiece; it's a fragment of the universe worn on the wrist, sculpted from a meteorite that impacted Earth approximately one million years ago.

The Muonionalusta meteorite, first discovered in Sweden in 1906, forms the core of this horological marvel. While meteorite fragments have been incorporated into luxury watches before, typically in dials, the B/1M pushes boundaries by utilizing the extraterrestrial material for the entire case, dial, and lugs.

This innovative approach comes at a premium, with the raw meteorite potentially surpassing gold in price per gram. The prototype is expected to fetch between $8,000 and $16,000 at auction, reflecting both its rarity and the challenges in working with such an unconventional material.

Aesthetically, the B/1M is a testament to cosmic artistry. The meteorite's distinctive Widmanstätten patterns lend an otherworldly sheen to the watch, complemented by a gray ostrich leg strap. The design, inspired by Brutalist architecture, eschews traditional watch face numerals, resulting in a timepiece that is as much a sculptural piece as it is functional.

A Watch Made from a Million-Year-Old Meteorite

Words

horological

Relating to the study and measurement of time

paramount

More important than anything else; supreme

eschews

Deliberately avoid using; abstain from

innovative

Featuring new methods; advanced and original

extraterrestrial

Of or from outside the earth or its atmosphere

Quiz

1. What sets the B/1M apart from other watches that use meteorite material?

It only uses meteorite in the watch face

It uses meteorite for the entire case, dial, and lugs

It combines meteorite with precious gems

2. Why is the B/1M expected to be so expensive?

It's made of gold

It has a complex mechanical movement

The meteorite material is rare and challenging to work with

3. How does the design of the B/1M reflect Brutalist architecture?

It has a colorful, ornate design

It features a traditional round shape with Roman numerals

It has an angular shape and lacks numerals on the face

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