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Ulysse Nardin reveals $129K Chairman Diamond Edition
Pretty much anything can be made unfathomably expensive by encrusting it with diamonds -- so when you start with an object that's already rather pricey, you're bound to start brushing up against "only for Russian billionaires" territory. Indeed, we'd argue that Ulysse Nardin's new Chairman Diamond Edition fits that bill nicely, coming in at $129,000 for a combination of 18-carat white gold and over 2,000 diamonds with ceramic trim. You might recall that the plain-vanilla Chairman is already an interesting phone, featuring 32GB of storage, a 3.2-inch touchscreen, Android, biometric scanner, and most notably, a watch-like self-winding mechanism around back that supplements the phone's battery power. Of course, when your phone runs into the six figures, we doubt that paying the electric bill to get this thing charged on a nightly basis will be much of an issue.
Green robot in an Armani suit: Ulysse Nardin Chairman upgraded with Android
Alright, hot shot, so you've been pining after that impossibly expensive Ulysse Nardin Chairman -- you know, the world's first "hybrid" phone -- for nearly a year now, and the millions of dollars in those off-shore accounts of yours aren't exactly spending themselves. What's next? Well, fortunately, Ulysse Nardin and its hardware partner SCI Innovations have been locked away in the laboratory upgrading the Chairman with a fairly impressive new set of specs that includes a larger 3.2-inch touchscreen, an 8 megapixel camera (up from 5), 32GB of memory on board, "proprietary rotor improvements" for better battery life (that's something you don't hear too often when discussing a phone), and an Android core. As with the first version, the new model will be limited to just 1846 copies -- assuming there are that many people on the face of the Earth wealthy enough to afford it -- and will be available in your choice of steel, "Stealth" (which is apparently colored or blacked out, up to you), or a selection of precious metals. Of course, no luxury phone would be complete without an equally excessive charging solution, and the new Chairman delivers with a lacquered wood dock that tops off the battery while simultaneously backing up the phone's contents to an external USB drive and offering luscious, soothing sounds through a pair of Bluetooth-connected speakers. Then again, if you're ever in a position where you need that backup -- if you lost your beloved Chairman, that is -- we'd say you've got bigger problems to worry about than a little bit of data. The phone runs all the way from $12,800 for a steel version to a staggering $129,000 if you want white gold encrusted with diamonds.
Ulysse Nardin's Chairman caught in the wild!
Sure, we've seen all those purtied up renders, but what does the Ulysse Nardin Chairman look like in the flesh? Well, they're keeping it under wraps pretty tightly at BASELWORLD, not letting photographers near it, but our friendly tipster Greg's phone "accidentally" snapped a couple pictures. He says there was no way to touch it or see it in action, but he was struck by the sheer enormity of the device. We're looking forward to selling a few organs for a shot at one ourselves, but for now those two shots up top will have to suffice.[Thanks, Greg]
Ulysse Nardin Chairman "hybrid smart phone" unveiled
Yeah, we'd seen those fine mechanical workings from the back, but Ulysse Nardin has just taken the wraps of its entire Chairman handset, which they bill as a "hybrid smart phone" -- and actually seem to mean it. Ulysse Nardin surprisingly hasn't skimped on specs here, with a 2.8-inch multitouch screen, finger print reader for phone unlock, 5 megapixel camera, WiFi and the inclusion of an email app and a browser. There's also that fancy kinetic rotor system for passive charging of the phone, but no word on how much battery life that will actually get you. Ulysse Nardin is currently showing off the phone in Rose Gold, Rose Gold & Blue, Rose Gold & Steel, Stealth Black and Steel & Blue trims, so there should be plenty of options to set you apart from your other billionaire friends. The device is currently on display at BASELWORLD; no word on price, but if you have to ask...[Thanks, Stefan I.]
Ulysse Nardin's Chairman is the steampunk Prius of phones
It's not the first Swiss watchmaker to decide to get into the phone game, but Ulysse Nardin's upcoming Chairman could very well take both the "most like a watch" and "most insanely badass" crowns when it's officially unveiled at Baselworld later this month. Billed as a "hybrid smart phone," the handset -- which, we assure you, you can't afford -- will incorporate a visible, fully-functional kinetic rotor that will apparently assist in providing power, just like you might find in a mechanical wristwatch. Beyond that, we know that it'll be unlocked, will be limited to just 1,846 pieces, and that Vertu should be feeling the heat right about now. Look for full details around March 26 when Baselworld kicks off, so in the meantime, get to work selling your car, your home, your children, and your soul, but not necessarily in that order. Depends on how deeply you love your car. [Via Hodinkee and Timezone]
