Mechanical Cell Phone Looks Pretty Dashing, As it Should for $275K

The moments are ticking (ha!) toward Baselword, the world watch and jewelry show taking place in Switzerland beginning on the 18th. In addition to all of the great watches that the show will undoubtedly feature–including a TAG Heuer concept watch to be fitted to a one-of-a-kind Tesla Roadster–an upcoming cell phone has us counting the seconds to the show.

We know very little about the phone at the moment. It comes from a company called Celsius X VI II (very dramatic). Continuing the drama, the company uses vague but exhaustively emotional imagery in its descriptions, giving us a whole lot of words without a whole lot of concrete meaning.

Here’s what we know. It’s being hailed as a new breed of nomadic product that melds micromechanics and microelectronics. It features a stunning face with an analog clock and a transparent panel that provides a peak at the gears, cogs and sprockets taking care of business inside. The flipping action of the phone initiates some form of “micromechanics” that “opens up new horizons”, but it’s not very clear what exactly that is.

Then we have this pile of verbs, adjectives and nouns:

Celsius X VI II has developed its first papillon item as an accessory for the contemporary aesthete. The successive design sketches reveal a quest for perfect elegant – skilfully contoured lines, fine materials and subtle details – through a functionalist approach, beauty without excess. The quality of the manufacture hints at a fine watchmaking influence. The pieces of the case are of the best workmanship, and most of the roughly 547 mechanical components are hand-finished. The aesthetic design plays with transparency to reveal the magic of the technology, to an even greater extent than would be allowed by the butterfly design alone.

The watch costs in the range of $275,000. We’ll find out what begets that price tag in the next few days. Until then enjoy the photos below. [Celsius via Dvice]