Complications for adults: watches and erotica

Eroticism and haute horologie surely make strange bedfellows. Even if some of us may get a little bit worked up ogling and fondling our favorite watch, sublime sexuality is not something one normally associates with watchmakers. Some manufacturers, however – including big names – are surprisingly open to the erotic, creating racy complications that are often supreme technical achievements as well. Were Wempe, Bucherer and Co. to have an adults-only room at the back of the store, it might well house the following watches:

The magic of the lagoon: Ulysse Nardin Hourstriker Erotica Jarretiere

While other manufacturers are like to hide erotic images on the back of their timepieces, Ulysse Nardin, with the hourstriker Erotica Jarretiere, prefers to be rather more on the face of it.

The dial presents a miniature picture of Venice with a golden couple, well, coupling towards the top. In order to breathe some life into the romantic scene, the bedmates move in an hourly and half-hourly rhythm thanks to an hourstriker caliber – an extremely difficult complication to create, but what wouldn’t we do for love?

If you would like to join in, you can do so here:

An instrumental muse: Blancpain Carrousel Repetition Minutes Le Brassus

In contrast to Ulysse Nardin, Blancpain takes a different approach with the Carrousel Repetition Minutes Le Brassus, which discretely displays its erotic scene on the caseback. The two watches do, though, show similar levels of technical virtuosity.

Exquisite handwork, so to speak, was required to achieve such a titillating tableau. A classical musician sits behind his female muse on a posh bed, waiting for inspiration (or at least the repeater complication) to animate their creative act. Each watch (or more specifically the protagonists on the back) is individually conceived to appeal to the customer’s particular tastes, the price for such a unique erotic creation starting at around 400,000 €.

The repetition, which may not be suitable for young adults, can be repeatedly examined here:

The watch for dirty talk: Richard Mille RM 69 Erotica Tourbillon

Richard Mille’s RM 69 Erotica Tourbillon relies on the eroticism of words rather than pictures. The watch is equipped with three titanium roller bars that can be rotated by the wearer at the push of a button, allowing various elements of the erotic phraseology, printed on the roller bars, to be combined as desired. The resulting amorous messages can then be presented to the adored in the hope that sentences such as “I want to arouse your nipples” provide the desired effect.

If you still grope for the right terms of engagement, examples can be had here:

Dial it down: Jacob & Co Caligula

Some say say that eroticism lives best where it can’t be seen. The Jacob & Co Caligula appears to agree, keeping its sensual delight the secret of the wearer.

Miniature artist Andre Martinez adorns each watch with splendidly hand-painted pornography, each picture requiring some 15 hours of work. Despite all that effort, the indecent scene is hidden beneath a secret sliding mechanism.

A total of 69 [!] examples of this watch will be made. More information is available here.