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'Completely Mechanical' Phone to Hit Retail

- By - Source : Tom's Guide US

So how does it work?

Stand out by putting down money on the Papillon, marketed as the world's first completely mechanical cell phone. Featuring 547 moving parts, CELSIUS X VI II's creation will be powered by kinetic energy, and uses the fancy tourbillion escapement mechanism for its built-in analog clock.

Believe it or not, the Papillon isn't a retro-futuristic design concept, but a luxury item set for retail—with a price of around $300,000. The Papillion is set to debut next week at the Baselworld Watch and Jewelry Show; the 2010 event will run this March 18 to 25. Most of the housing is transparent, to literally show off what will make this cell phone/watch combo tick.

Unfortunately, other than the mechanism driving the watch and something called the "Remontage Papillion", no clear details on the Papillion's operation are available. Most mobile functions run on integrated chips, so let's see if the Papillion will employ and analog counterparts. How will this ultra-expensive phone access the network, place calls, and receive them? Will this phone have Bluetooth built-in?

Your guess is as good as mine, so let's assume that some more information is forthcoming. Even rich folks with nothing better to do with their money may want to know more before spending the equivalent of a decent house.



What's clear though is that the price will limit the market to a select crowd. And as a gadget full of moving parts, the Papillion is definitely not for klutzes.

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cscott_it 03/16/2010 1:18 PM
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-11+

Such a cool looking phone.

Why would they name it a butterfly though?
It's got the clockwork style beauty, and they call it th Papillion. Dissapointing.

gilbertfh 03/16/2010 1:24 PM
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-11+

Simple and gorgeous. If something like this could be produced mainstream I would definitely consider it.

Clintonio 03/16/2010 1:29 PM
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-17+

cscott_it :
Such a cool looking phone.Why would they name it a butterfly though?It's got the clockwork style beauty, and they call it th Papillion. Dissapointing.


Buy it and give it a name yourself.

Like George or something.

brendano257 03/16/2010 1:35 PM
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-7+

Seems overdone and rather featureless, much better things to be had for $300,000....maybe 5 cars or a house? Those just seem a little more useful ;)

JohnnyLucky 03/16/2010 1:40 PM
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This is a watch collectors' item that will be bought as an investment. The watch itself is very similar to high end collectible watches.

HibyPrime 03/16/2010 1:42 PM
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I have a feeling the clock is the only mechanical part. I mean, that looks A LOT like an LCD screen on the front, no?

Technically you could run an LCD screen completely in analog, but would you really call thousands (maybe millions) of wires and a battery mechanical? Thats a bit of a stretch..

Pei-chen 03/16/2010 1:45 PM
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4ILY45 03/16/2010 1:50 PM
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-3+

how does one fix this if it breaks?
it challenges even the expert watch repairman..

cnox 03/16/2010 2:07 PM
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-18+

Could you imagine making a phone call on that thing?

"What?...What? I can't hear you...what is this god damn ticking?!

Oh..."

Regulas 03/16/2010 2:10 PM
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gilbertfh :
Simple and gorgeous. If something like this could be produced mainstream I would definitely consider it.


If you consider 547 tiny moving parts parts simple I wouold like to know what you think is complex.

banthracis 03/16/2010 2:20 PM
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--2+

pei-chen :
Where do you guys live? In New York city, $300k gets you a 450 SqFt co-op with $700 a month common charge.



What part of NYC do YOU live in? In Manhattan the going rate for a 1 bedroom, 1200 sq ft condo in Manhattan is $2 million. That comes out to 180 sq ft not, 450.

CTPAHHIK 03/16/2010 2:21 PM
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Phone looks very nice and stylish. Most important thing it will still show time when battery is dead.

christop 03/16/2010 2:29 PM
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super cool.

r0x0r 03/16/2010 3:06 PM
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-5+

If they wanted "completely mechanical", they should have put a rotary dialler on there as well.

skykaptain 03/16/2010 3:07 PM
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-7+

As far as I can tell EM waves are not energy efficient to make by mechanical ways and I have yet to see a mechanical radio. I can see how the clock is mechanical but not the phone part. Seems to be like 50% snake oil to me.

princeofdreams 03/16/2010 3:19 PM
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-1+

overpriced shite, the person who buys this will need to be working for Activision/Infinity wards DLC dept to afford it...

The only thing i could say about someone stupid enough to pay 300k on a watch/phone is... TWAT

Parsian 03/16/2010 3:51 PM
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-0+

EPIC

gtvr 03/16/2010 3:52 PM
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I already have one. Well, I had one, but I lost it. Not sure where I put it down.

megamanx00 03/16/2010 3:54 PM
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That phone wouldn't survive me ^_^

indran1412 03/16/2010 3:57 PM
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-0+

nice design

reklatsa 03/16/2010 3:58 PM
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-5+

Does a cuckoo pop out on the hour?

mhughes81 03/16/2010 4:09 PM
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Cool phone but not for $300k. What happens when you drop it? Just something for the rich snobs to show off, move along folks.

daft 03/16/2010 5:25 PM
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i was sort of hoping it would be rotary

grieve 03/16/2010 5:38 PM
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-3+

It looks awesome!

With 547 moving parts i can't help but think it will break easily.

koga73 03/16/2010 6:03 PM
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-1+

wow with 547 MOVING parts there is alot that can go wrong lol

adaman2576 03/16/2010 6:05 PM
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Some might say, why do this? It costs way too much and will break very easily. That might be so but, sometimes people don't need a reason to do things. Engineering innovations sometimes come when someone does something just because they want to. I personally think this is an amazing feet of engineering and is "pretty sweet looking" if I might say so.

maigo 03/16/2010 6:56 PM
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-2+

...I wanna take it apart...

dreamphantom_1977 03/16/2010 8:45 PM
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"world's first completely mechanical cell phone"....Really?
And how is the lcd screen, or the "chips" mechanical?
It's a mechanical watch inside a cellphone. Whoopty Doo.
$300,000. Are you serious? Who is the genious who comes up with this crap? It's like the gold and diamond tv. Just some dude's get rich quick scheme. No phone/ watch, does enough to be worth that price. Anyone who spends that much on something that does so little, has 1. to much money, and 2. should have there head examined. I'm not an itouch lover, but I'd seriously pay 300,000 for a regular ipod before I'd buy this. Mechanical movements are an old technology. Basically they are paying for a fad.

Here is an idea, the world is in an economic crysis, how about donating some of your money to people who actually need it, you know like people who are starving and can't afford food.

gm0n3y 03/16/2010 8:55 PM
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-2+

The world's most unreliable phone maybe. And I seriously doubt that this is 100% mechanical.

Anonymous 03/16/2010 10:53 PM
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"A dream that embraces a concept that is still impossible today but may one day come true: an entirely mechanical cellphone!"

Quoted from here:
http://www.celsius-x-vi-ii.com/en/ [...] he-vision/

300k for a phone that you will never be able to set into Silent mode...

lashton 03/16/2010 11:42 PM
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by a machanical mechanism and a dymo you can power an LCD screen, microchips and all the things normal cellphones have this is definately possible