Feature: These 5 Awesome Watches Are Literally Unique!

‘Unique’ is a word that’s bandied about all over the place these days, even when the thing that's being described often isn’t unique at all.

Unless there’s a parallel universe somewhere where we all have a doppelganger, humans are certainly unique. Likewise an original work of art—Leonardo Da Vinci didn’t have a factory conveyor belt producing millions of copies of the Last Supper for the entire population of Italy to hang on their walls!

But watches? Few are truly unique, one-off pieces, what with most being mass-produced in a factory. You might think, then, that the only one-off watches are those made by revered artisans like the great Roger Smith or Philippe Dufour, but you’d be wrong. Once in a while, the biggest names in the industry— everyone from Tudor to Vacheron Constantin—release truly one-of-a-kind creations, either for a charity auction like Only Watch or for the sheer hell of it.

Here we look at five 100% unique luxury watches that range from the affordable to the astronomically expensive, with one even featuring, er, bits of insects…

Tudor Black Bay GMT One, for 'Only Watch'

A one-of-a-kind Tudor Black Bay GMT in steampunk-style steel

Tudor has given its Heritage Black Bay model the full spectrum of podium metals: gold, silver and bronze, as well as steel. Yet when it came to making a one-off GMT model that stands out from the crowd they opted for something really special. Made for the Only Watch charity auction in 2021, this watch is made from steel that has been aged with a mysterious process that Tudor is keeping firmly under its hat. The resulting patina effect, we’re sure you’ll agree, is incredible. Unlike Tudor’s other GMT, which is a mere Chronometer, this version is a Master Chronometer, meaning it’s been tested by both COSC and METAS.

Oris Aquis Upcycle

Every single dial on the Oris Aquis Upscale is different. And it's turtle-friendly!

Easily the most accessible and affordable watch in this list, the Oris Aquis Date may strike you as a pretty commonplace piece from a mid-priced brand. Yet its Upcycle range features watches with dials of which no two are alike. Made with recycled plastic salvaged from the ocean and put through a process that produces random patterns, these watches are unique, colourful and you’ll never get bored of looking at those psychedelic splodges. Best of all, however, is that by buying one you’re helping to reduce the world’s ocean plastic crisis. The dolphins will be grateful!

Baltic Pulsometer Chronograph, for 'Only Watch'

A neo-vintage, unique chronograph from everyone's favourite microbrand

Baltic is the plucky French microbrand for whom everyone seems to have a bit of a soft spot, thanks to its clever neo-vintage designs and accessible price points. Their MR-01 model appears to have gone down particularly well thanks to its Calatrava-style dial with applied Breguet numerals. This two-counter chronograph, operated by a single pusher at 2 o’clock, borrows some of the MR-01’s aesthetic with its numerals and ‘feuille’ hands, but this being another creation for the 'Only Watch' auction, they’ve added something very cool. Inside is not one of Baltic’s usual Chinese or Japanese movements but a refurbished 1940s Venus, whose calibres were once used by the likes of Breitling and Gallet.

Vacheron Constantin Cabinotiers Grand Complications Bacchus

Ok, Vacheron Constantin, you're just showing off now

Given the skill, time, materials and effort it must have taken to make this watch, it’s no wonder Vacheron Constantin only made a single, solitary edition. This double-sided masterpiece, dedicated to Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, features no less than sixteen complications—several of them astronomy-related—including a minute repeater and tourbillon. The 18k pink-gold case is engraved with a vine pattern and embedded with clusters of rubies to resemble bunches of grapes. It’s the sort of intricately crafted watch that you’d be scared to actually put on your wrist, preferring to display it on a velvet cushion within a gilded cage in your palace.

ArtyM Son of Sea Tourbillon

Warning: this watch might be haunted by the ghosts of murdered butterflies!

Yvan Arpa, founder of ArtyM, has been quoted as saying he enjoys “putting his boot in the anthill”, which is his way of stating his preference for a less-conservative approach to watchmaking. We don’t know about ants but we fear for the safety of any butterflies who dare to fly in his orbit as they might end up inside one of his watches. The watches in the Son of Sea Tourbillon collection are all unique because their exquisite dials feature butterfly wings, gold leaf, fish scales and “natural pigments”. It sounds like the recipe for some kind of magic spell, and the effects are certainly bewitching. To get your hands on this, expect to pay in the region of $140,000. Oh, and licking the dial turns you into a toad—possibly…

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