Luxury

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield recently joked about getting a gold watch for his retirement. But this hunk of spacetime would be far more appropriate.

RJ-Romain Jerome's deluxe Moon Orbiter is a tribute to "the conquest of space," just in case you were confused about who's in charge of the cosmos (not Canadians, I can assure you).

Previewed at Baselworld 2013, the Orbiter is a massive, three-quarter-inch-thick chunk of steel that looks as though it will either fire missiles or jump off your wrist and transform into an angry robot. … Read more

Watchmaker Vianney Halter has produced some pretty stylish timepieces, but his latest is a bit of a departure, both in style and concept. The sci-fi fan has built a domed tourbillon watch called Deep Space, modeled after the "Star Trek" space station Deep Space 9.

The tourbillon -- a watchmaking component designed to counter the effect of gravity on a watch's movement to keep more accurate time -- sits bang in the center of the dial, proudly on display, while the blue hour and minute hands (the shorter hand is for hours) curve around it like the spires of Deep Space 9. … Read more

When it comes to gold-slathered Apple products, there are plenty of options. Most people who buy them sneeze money and think nothing of tossing cash at a gaudy, high-priced accessory like an iPad with diamonds and T. rex bones. Ted Chapanian, however, came by his gold iPod watch through a whole lot of personal hard work.

The AuPod is made from a 6th generation iPod Nano and 18-karat gold. It took over 500 hours to build and cost $2,500 in materials. Considering that a gold iPhone 4S had a price tag of $9.4 million, that's not bad.… Read more

Call me a geezer, but I feel naked without a watch on. I've got a few quartzes, an automatic, and even a pocket watch of yore. Old-school analog tech just feels good against the skin, but some of the watches in this gallery would feel and look far better.

Following our roundup of luxury smartphones and tablets last week, Crave pours out the contents of its salivary glands over these opulent beauties, some of which we lusted for during Baselworld 2013. … Read more

Close your eyes and imagine money. Lots and lots of money. Stacks and stacks and bags and briefcases full of... oh, you get the picture.

Now, imagine you were to possess such vast sums of cash. What would you do with it? Update your antiquated wardrobe? Purchase a new home or 5? Bid on a space date with Leo DiCaprio? Write a check for a $15 million black-diamond iPhone? Yes, there is such a thing; you can find out more about it in the gallery below.

Over the weeks to come, we'll take a look at some of the most ultra-luxurious tech out there, starting with a few seriously blinged-out smartphones and tablets. Some of the grandiose gadgets you'll see in this week's collection might make you roll your eyes, while others might inspire you to pick up a few hundred extra hours at work. … Read more

It's the most golden hotel perk since gold-bar vending machines: gold iPads.

As if the Rolls Royce and helicopter services weren't enough, guests at Dubai's opulent Burj Al Arab now have access to gold-plated iPads.

The 24-karat tablets are engraved with the property's logo on the back, which also features a black Apple logo. Ironically enough, the hotel chain's slogan is "Stay different." … Read more

This is just what the Night's Watch needed: an, erm, "Night's Watch." Because it's helpful to know when dusk is approaching on the Wall, probably.

The timepiece, actually called "The Night's Watch", was produced by Swiss manufacturer Ulysse Nardin for HBO, based on its "Black Sea" rugged diving chronograph.

The watch itself isn't particularly "Game of Thrones"-related. Although it's appropriately black, the dial features the aquatic wave pattern of the Black Sea watch, and red elements embellish the numeral markers, hands and power reserve and … Read more

We've seen a number of drop-dead beautiful watches this week from Baselworld 2013, but meanwhile watchmaker MB&F has introduced this delightful spaceship that plays music.

The Musicmachine, part of the brand's Performance Art series, is a music box that plays your favorite melodies from science fiction and classic rock on rotating cylinders.

Produced with high-end music box maker Reuge, the 18-inch-long craft has a walnut sound amplification chamber that doubles as a fuselage, and two aluminum outriggers. The two music-playing brass cylinders are powered by mainsprings wound by turning two attached propellers. Each cylinder has 72 notes per comb. … Read more

Don't you just love looking at luxury items you'll never be able to afford? The timepieces on display at Swiss watch fiesta Baselworld can carry price tags that will give you a nosebleed, but they also showcase stunning feats of craftsmanship.

Baselworld 2013 opens to the public Thursday, and aside from the oodles of gorgeous timepieces, the 41st edition of the fair is showing a glittering new exhibition hall redesigned by architects Herzog & de Meuron, who did Beijing's famous "Bird's Nest" arena.

Luxury brands from Hermes to TAG Heuer have swanky booths designed by prominent architects such as Japan's Toyo Ito, winner of the 2013 Pritzker Prize.

It's all to present the world's greatest watches in their best light. … Read more