Geneva, Switzerland — Paris-based Celsius X VI II is planning to define the “prestige” phone market, as the founders have dubbed it, with the rollout of their first product at the upcoming Baselworld Fair this March, according to an exclusive preview here for Elite Traveler.
The company was launched in 2006 by four co-founders—one of who is Edouard Meylan, son of George-Henry Meylan, the former CEO of Audemars Piguet—and then found investors in Sofinnova Partners, AGF Private Equity and watchmaker Richard Mille to bring their creation to life.
The overall vision for the brand is to eventually create a fully mechanical phone that can harness the energy of the user to be completely energetically independent (so it would never have to be charged), and work in a way akin to how an automatic mechanical watch’s rotor uses the energy of the wearer’s movement to keep it ticking. They have already started on this development with the patented mechanism that winds the watch movement on the phone’s front every time the phone is opened and closed.
The product is being positioned as a “piece of art that communicates” and is not solely for the purpose of receiving phone calls, and therefore (the founders hope) will be relevant long after other phones are discarded. The flagship product will include two limited editions and possible unique pieces, a total of 50 pieces in all that are expected to be available shortly after the fair ends. The phones will retail for around $250,000 Euro (approximately $353,500 USD).
The group follows Vertu, Ulysse Nardin, Versace, Dior and several others who are trying to define the mobile phone market with status products.
For more information www.celsius-x-vi-ii.com.
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