Luxury wristwatches have become the latest must-have collectible for the moneyed upwardly mobile. Some collectors regard these luxury watches not merely as accessories, but as new assets in their portfolios. Given that some collectible wristwatches have sold for six figures, and in certain cases north of that, watches can be valuable assets. Everyone from A-list movie stars to tech millionaires (and billionaires) are becoming collectors of luxury timepieces. For those collectors with an affinity to Bitcoin, there are several luxury watchmakers catering to the crypto crowd offering exceptional watches. Here are the top 5 Bitcoin wristwatches.
Franck Muller Encrypto
Luxury Swiss watchmaker, Frank Muller designed this limited-edition series deemed “The Encrypto”. The timepiece has Bitcoin’s logo, coupled with a QR code of Bitcoin’s Genesis Block address. The QR code and cold storage system were designed in partnership with Regal Assets, a renowned cryptocurrency investment company. Customers can customize both the dial and band of the timepiece.
According to the announcement by Regal Assets, each Encrypto watch comes as a two-piece “Deep Cold Storage” set, complete with its own unique public address laser-etched on the face, and a sealed USB stores the private key. The cold storage wallet uses “offline generated, non-deterministic TRNGs (True Random Numbers Generated) that cannot be hacked”. The Encrypto timepiece is available in a Men’s and Ladies’ collection, with a maximum of 500 of each version available online.
Hublot Big Bang Meca-10 P2P
In honor of Bitcoin’s 10th anniversary, luxury Swiss watchmaker introduced the Hublot Big Bang Meca-10 P2P. The timepiece has several Bitcoin-related themes, including the logo of the company on one of the gears. Moreover, there are only 210 timepieces available (so a very limited series), referencing Bitcoin’s total supply of 21 million coins. The strap on the timepiece also features a pattern inspired by blockchain design. Also, the movement is automatic and offers 10 days of reserve power – a nod to the cryptocurrency’s 10th birthday.
Valued at $25,000 USD, the watch can only be purchased by Bitcoin. To accommodate for the crypto’s price fluctuations, the Big Bang’s price will be determined on the specific day of purchase. In addition, each timepiece will have the identification number of the Bitcoin transaction etched into it, thus making it unique.
In addition, Hublot partnered with OSL, the Hong King-based digital assets company who will perform background checks on all potential customers, making applications subject to approval. OSL will also anti-money laundering checks on potential buyers, to weed out any nefarious players.
Although orders already exceeding the limited 210 run, Hublot announced that second cryptocurrency-exclusive watch series was in the works.
Chronoswiss Bitcoin – The Currency
Chronoswiss, the luxury watchmaker unveiled the Chronoswiss Bitcoin – The Currency to much fanfare. This wristwatch is part of the company’s Flying Regulator Open Gear Blockchain series. Only 101 of the limited edition timepieces were made, complete with the limitation number printed on the dial for good measure. The case of the watch is stainless steel coated with DLC with skeletonized, gold-plated rotor containing the Bitcoin logo.
Some of the other features of this timepiece include a Regulator compilation mounted on the dial that was developed by the company, skeletonized open gears located at the small second with Bitcoin’s logo, a power reserve of approximately 42 hours, and a hand-sewn crocodile Hornback strap.
Cryptomatic The Envoy
The Envoy Collection by Cryptomatic is the third in a series of Bitcoin-themed timepieces by the watchmaker. Limited to 100 watches, this wristwatch has a 42 mm open case with sapphire crystal and skeletonized see-thru design complete with the Bitcoin logo. The hour indexes are represented in binary digits (a common feature with Cryptomatic timepieces) with Super-Luminova diamond-cut hands.
Offering a 52-hour power reserve, the innards of the watch feature a Japanese-made mechanical self-winding skeleton movement of 21 jewels. Each wristwatch comes complete both a 316L stainless steel strap and additional leather strap.
The Envoy retails for a competitively priced $888 USD and each timepiece is individually numbered.
Cryptomatic The Hodler
In honor of all Bitcoin ‘hodlers”, Cryptomatic introduced The Hodler collection of luxury timepieces. With a limited edition of only100 of the wristwatches, the collection quickly sold out. The skeletonized see-thru design displayed the hour indexes in binary and decimal digits with a numerical disk featuring minutes. The seconds-hand is complete with the Bitcoin logo.
Consisting of high-quality stainless steel, The Hodler was hand-assembled in Japan, with a precise mechanical self-winding skeleton movement. It also boasted a power reserve of 52 hours. The Hodler came with a lifetime warranty, and both a steel and genuine leather strap.
