5 Luxury Watches That Actually Exist

by Cassandra Stevens

Watches are the quintessential piece of jewelry for men. Whether it’s a $10 Wal-Mart watch or a Rolex, a watch shows that a man values his and other people’s time. Time rules over all our earthly doings. Our work, play time, sleep, and so on is all scheduled to be at certain times of the day which makes us look at the time constantly. Why not give yourself something nice to look at on a daily basis? Something you would be proud to wear, something that’s unique. Not all of us can afford to buy an expensive time piece but we can dream, here are 5 watches to get your thoughts moving. Note: Many of these watches are extremely valuable and expensive. While not wearing them, I would recommend protecting them by storage in a luxury jewelry safe, which you can learn more about here.

Breitling Cockpit B50 Watch – $6,600+

Being a fighter pilot is already ridiculous enough, which would mean most pilots would need a ridiculous watch. This watch has both an analog and digital display. Its inner workings where developed specifically for the aviator, featuring a tachometer, a bidirectional compass scale bezel, a rechargeable battery, and a “chrono flight” mode that records flight times and memorizes  the time that you depart and arrive along with the date when these moments take place.

Rado Hyperchrome Touch Dual Timer Watch – $3,000+

This watch took something that the “smart watch” movement did and made it for the businessman. Every function of this watch is manipulated by touch. You can set the time for two different time zones just by touching the face and swap in between the two by using multiple fingers at the same time. Not only that, it’s gorgeous. The watches case is a grey high tech ceramic that’s tough to reproduce consistently.

MB &F  HM6 Space Pirate Watch - $230,000

This time piece makes you wish you were a space pirate. Its odd design is inspired by Japanese sci-fi cartoons from the 70’s and features a biomorphic design. Its titanium case houses 475 different components, 68 jewels and a complex network of gears, turbines, and rotors that keep the Hour and minute spheres moving underneath four of the watches 10 domes sapphire crystals. The strap itself seems basic but is actually made of premier calfskin. Most people will be too pre-occupied to notice it though because they will be staring at the spherical abomination on top your wrist.

Patek Philippe World Time Moon Watch - $48,000

Have you ever wondered what phase the moon is currently in? This watch will tell you. It features a moon phase display made of two thin glass disks, which combine to show a large image of the moon in its current phase. It also blends old and new by using the company’s world time mechanism that made its debut in the 1930’s. It also comes with a hand stitched alligator strap.

Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Goldfinger Watch - $115,000

Ever wanted to be more like James Bond? Then this watch is for you. This luxurious time piece was created to celebrate the films 50’s anniversary and features a Co-Axial calibre 8501 movement. It’s covered in 18k gold. From the bracelet, to the dial and hands themselves.   There’s also a 007 counter weight that perfectly honors the iconic film.

Cassandra Stevens writes for Casoro Custom Safes, she enjoys vintage jewelry and riding horses in her spare time.

What is Lume?

Rado's newest 2009 addition, the Sintra Automatic watch is composed of extremely hard ceramic, a steel inner case and titanium screws and clasp. The watch is streamlined, gliding smoothly from watch face to bracelet, widening and narrowing insync with Rado's iconic style. The traditional dial is easy to read, by day and by night as the hands are coated with lume.

What is Lume?
Lume is the substance that allows the hands to glow in the dark. Lume is short for lumious phosphorescent.
What is phosphorescence? A type of photo luminescence.
What is photoluminescence? (abbreviated as PL) is a process in which a substance absorbs photons (electromagnetic radiation) and then re-radiates photons. (Wikipedia) The photo luminescence is produced when the electrons in a molecule are stimulated by an outside energy source. Either ultraviolet light ("black light"), biochemical reaction (glow-sticks) or radioactivity. Once the electrons are stimulated they quickly return to their original state by emitting radiation, sometimes in the form of visible light.

So we are interested to discover how our lume coated hands work. A phosphorescent substance does not immediately re-emit the radiation it absorbs. The answer is in the involved study of quantum mechanics which I am not an possibly not able to go into at this stage. It is suffice to say that the slower time scales are related to "forbidden energy" state transition in quantum mechanics. Simply put, energy absorbed by a substance is slowly released in the form of light.

What are the most common phosphorescent pigments used today? Zinc sulphide and strontium aluminate.

Most watch manufacturers use strontium aluminate, marketed by the brand name Super-Luminova. This substance is non-radioactive and non-toxic photo luminescence. This technology was developed after the zinc sulphide substance. Being that strontium aluminate is ten times brighter than zinc sulphide, the latter substance was zoned out and currently is something of a novelty.

Watchmakers were on a constant quest to find a substance that allowed time to be displayed in the dark. The problem was initially solved by the chime of a minute repeater or sonnerie, a candle or an open dial. As soldiers of World War One, huddled in dark trenches listening to the roar of the canons , unable to guess the passage of time, the quest to find a glow-in-the dark substance intensified. Watchmakers suddenly remembered Radium, a discovery made at the end of the 19th century. Radium was radioactive and had the property of luminescence. Radium was used in the watch industry for many years, but abandoned in favor of tritium as a result of its high levels of radioactivity; however, too late for hundreds of "Radium Girls in the 1920's". These young girls were employed by US watch companies to paint the Radium and zinc sulphide onto the dials using a small camel haired brush which they pointed with their lips in between paint applications. They had no inkling that this greenish white glow-in-the-dark paint was lethal. Each time they ingested a small amount of radium - an alpha-particle emitter, chemically similar to calcium and thus a bone-seeker, the Radium was accumulating in the bone-marrow and causing bone cancer and other genetic damages.

Tritium, on the other hand is radioactive but in much lower levels than radium, was used until the 1990's. Then came a breakthrough Super-luminova, all the photo luminescence qualities of tritium, but not radioactive and thus less hazardous and more environmental friendly.

There is a distinct difference though. Tritium is permanently stimulated by electrons (betarays) which it emits when it spontaneously transforms into helium. Thus tritium can glow for dozens of years even in total darkness. (see inset) On the other hand Superluminova requires to be stimulated by either violet or ultraviolet light which at first is very bright, but then gradually fades after a few hours in the dark.

As with Super-Luminova the energy emitted by the electrons is stored at quite a stable level, resulting in light being emitted over a several hour period.

Rado In White

Rado Ceramica White.

Rado has always evoked visions of black super hard ceramic watches.  The vision has faded, however, as Rado has added pure white watches to four of its collections.

Rado's collections in white come as no surprise, since white is the current color fashion trend. The white ceramic watches still uphold the same hardness, which makes Rado look brand new year after year after year.  In fact a person showed me his Rado watch he bought 30 years ago, and it still looked liked he had placed it on his wrist for the very first time.

Rado Inegral Jubilé

The Rado Ceramica White gives the appearance of ethereal elegant softness, however, do not be fooled, Rado's white watches are as hard and as resilient as its black counterparts. After all Rado is the company who in 1960, produced the first scratch proof watch: The Rado DiaStar.
Rado's modern version of the Rado DiaStar is the  Rado D-Star, which I must say looks incredible in white. The Rado D-Star is crafted from high-tech ceramics with 36 small diamonds on the dial. The watch has a fresh sporty look.  In fact the design of this watch  would look great in any color.

Rado D-Star

The Rado Centix Jubilee has a delicate elegance.  Its elegance is in its simplicity: A round smooth dial, long sweeping hands and a smooth uncluttered dial. 

Rado Centrix Jubile

Rado's focus has been on the hardness and scratch resistant quality of its watches.  In 1996 its Vision 1 Watch partly comprised of crushed diamonds made it into the Guinness Book of Records as the "Hardest Watch Ever".  Since then Rado has turned to cutting edge nanotechnology and its use of High Tech Diamond to produce its hardest watch - the V10K - which is today's world's hardest watch.
The watch name stands for 10,000 Vickers- the ultimate value of hardness- the standard set for natural diamonds.
Thus it is incredible, that a company who produces the worlds hardest watch can produce one of the most elegant white timepieces on the market today.  Rado's vision is truly a vision of today and tomorrow.
Purchase a Rado watch and purchase a lifelong companion which will live up to its integrity forever.

A Collection of Rado

I have decided that I like Rado Watches. Their watches always push the edges in design; they are intriguing and free. Kind of “Let’s do it” attitude. Rado pioneered the use of materials such as Sapphire Crystal and ceramic. The slogans on Rado’s website are quite fitting to their watch designs: “There is no greater power than the imagination, of dreaming and then realizing ones dream.” and “If we can imagine it, we can make it, if we can make it, we will.” No I am not going to get all weepy eyed and sentimental over their watches, but WOW! What slogans to build a company. Their slogans fit their watches. I like that. I like that a lot. Imagine wearing a watch designed on a dream, an innovative dream. I love the power Rado has given to the imagination; they have no boundaries on watch design. No wonder. The imagination has no boundaries. Below are some of my favorites; the watches that could only have been crafted on imagination.

The Rado Cerix humors the naked eye with its angular strap. This watch is distinct. This is the watch that actually hooked me onto Rado.

This is my purple one - the Rado Lantano. Well I do not have one, but I wish I did. The color of this watch invigorates the mind. I love the simple, friendly dial sporting a solid plum dot. This watch will add the finishing touches to an evening dress.

Rado Blue fascination Watch.

Last but not least - the "Carpe Diem" Watch. Meaning "Seize the day". A phrase from the Roman poet Horace. This watch is a Limited Edition work of art.

 Van Halem