Design duo Toledano & Chan have created a unique timepiece, the B/1M, by incorporating part of the Muonionalusta meteorite into its design. The watch is made from an estimated $8,000-$16,000 piece of raw material, more expensive per gram than gold. Due to the rarity and cost of meteorite, each watch will have a unique appearance.
Artist Phillip Toledano and watchmaker Alfred Chan aimed to push boundaries in watchmaking by exploring new materials and forms. The B/1M’s design is inspired by Brutalism, with angular forms reminiscent of the 1960s Breuer Building in New York. The watch case and dial feature distinctive multidirectional striations, known as Widmanstätten patterns, giving it an “otherworldly” appearance.
The collaboration between Toledano and Chan was sparked by their shared love of Brutalism. They plan to produce the B/1M in limited numbers, with each piece having a unique aesthetic due to the natural variability of the meteorite material. The timepiece is set to be auctioned off at Phillips Watches’ Time for Art event in New York, where it is estimated to fetch $8,000-$16,000.
The use of meteorite in watchmaking raises questions about the potential for sustainability and reusing materials. Toledano noted that while gold can be recycled for other projects, raw meteorite cannot. This constraint contributes to the high cost of producing such timepieces. Despite these challenges, Toledano & Chan’s innovative approach has opened up new possibilities for watch design.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/05/style/toledano-chan-meteorite-watch-b1m/index.html