Luxury Watch Post

Ulysse Nardin “Chairman”

You would think it is a symptom when a watch manufacturer’s main novelty at a fair is a mobile phone. If it is, then I am certain that it is not a good one. When Ulysse Nardin presented the “Chairman” I was sort of surprised to see then embark on this route. Actually, the last watch manufacturer y expected to see in this battle. The design was interesting initially although after further inspection it turns out that the product is flawed in many, many ways.

The first flaw is what in a way makes it special. The kinetic rotor. For one I do not think that this would be an adequate power source for a mobile phone. There is no way that a mobile phone gets the activity that your wrist does. Inside your pocket or on a table the rotor is completely redundant. Hence, if you wish to charge it by means of the rotor you will end up embarking on a rather “obscene” workout. Quite stupid for a phone that will most likely be priced in the absurd range. So, the result is that you paid a whole lot of money to look like a fool once your battery is down… I wonder how this would look in a bar when you are trying to pickup a girl and she has a friend. You need to call your buddy to team up for the kill… It’s 2 o’clock in the morning… your battery is almost dead… will you go to the bathroom to give it a good, jerk? I guess I have no need to go any further.

The second flaw is the software. Support will be highly doubtful. Believe me, if they say otherwise they are lying! Software support was less than satisfactory when Vertu first started and they had Nokia behind them. It is a fact that all smartphone software is still crapy and buggy unless you are an iPhone. Lest face it, if you want a smart phone you would go with and iPhone or a Blackberry. If you want a good looking high-end phone you want a Vertu with a straightforward, clean, not-so-buggy Symbian 40 software.

The third and fatal flaw is its size. It just HUMONGOUS! Way larger than an iPhone, any Blackberry, all HTCs and even Sony-Ericsson’s P1. Hell, it’s practically the size of a PSP!!! In these days you really have to be a whole new level of retarded to come up with something like this and think it will sell. Believe me, in the mobile phone business the LAST thing you want to do is go Panerai!

The design on the other hand is a matter of personal taste. Personally, the more I look at it, the less I like it.