Ulysse Nardin chairman

The Hybrid smartphone

What is it?

Swiss luxury watch experts announced this beauty, called Chairman at BaselWorld, the watch and jewellery show in Basel, Switzerland last month. It's called a hybrid smartphone because the device will be powered partly by a rotor system, like that of automatic watches and will feature a full multi-touch screen.

What makes it special?

The guys from Ulysse Nardin has called it the fusion of its watch technology and the best of breed cell phone technology. But if you aren't fooled by words, the tech-specs they've promised looks quite impressive: A 2.8-inch multitouch screen, a finger print reader to lock or unlock the device, 5MP camera and WiFi. Like their watches, the devices, depending on the colour of the device you choose, will come in 18k rose gold and will feature a kinetic rotor system that will generate power.

Although there's no word on just how much of that will keep the phone's battery going, we have to admit it's a nice little touch to have. And there's no doubt it looks good, very good.

But still...why should I bother?

It's a limited edition. If you haven't already been swept off by the looks, the device will be available in 15 models (Rose Gold, Stealth Black, Steel and Blue et al). There will only be 1,846 (which is also the year the company was founded) devices made of each model.

How much will it cost?

It's still a big mystery. But we can hazard a guess – according to our friends at BinHendi Jewellery, who are the exclusive dealers of Ulysse Nardin watches in the region, the brand's timepieces can cost anything from Dh26,000 to Dh3 million or more. Now you do the maths.

When is it available here?

Unfortunately even our guys at the BinHendi store couldn't tell us when the phones will hit our shores. But here's what you can do – the Ulysse Nardin Chairman has a dedicated website, which is accepting pre-orders. To know the product better and see the full range of models planned and ask more questions, visit www.unchairman.com.