If you love gold on everything, even on the most unexpected items, Caviar would like a word. Their latest, very limited-series product is the Frankenstein monster few could have imagined, bringing together a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona and an iPhone.
Two legends in their own field brought together not under the same roof (i.e. ownership), but in the same product. As a “tribute” to the Daytona series from Rolex and the Apple iPhone, Russian luxury customizer Caviar is presenting a new entry in the Royal Gift Collection: the gold-plated Caviar Daytona iPhone 14 Pro. The name says it all, really.
Caviar is a luxury brand with a very specific taste for gold, the odd pairing, and the outrageous. Just to give you an idea of how out-there Caviar products are, know that they make headlines instantly upon release, and that’s due to the three reasons mentioned above. So far, Caviar has decked a Tesla, an e-scooter, and a PlayStation in gold, and produced a series of iPhones that defy the norms, whether through the insertion of a real T-Rex tooth or rocket debris in the case. Among these iPhones, there is another limited series that integrates a tourbillon mechanism.
But this is something else in every sense of the word: the Daytona iPhone, which uses the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max as the base, integrates a Rolex Daytona in the case and then decks it in gold. Because a functioning Rolex on the back of your latest iPhone would somehow not be flashy enough, Caviar also throws in a bunch of real-life-looking gauges and three flip buttons that are functional but serve no actual purpose. All of them in gold, again.
Photo: Caviar
“We decided to pay tribute to the great history of Rolex,” Caviar says. “Caviar jewelers installed Rolex Cosmograph Daytona watches directly in the body of the brand new iPhone 14 Pro Max. Now, Rolex fans will be able to add to their collections the world’s first smartphone with a chronograph of this level.”
“Next level” would have been a more accurate description, because that’s what this is. There are more details to this unique iPhone, besides the Daytona on the case, the dashboard decorative dials from the instrument panel (speedometer, oil and fuel indicators), and the three switches.
For instance, the body is designed to recall the styling of 1930s racing cars like motor racer Malcolm Campbell’s Blue Bird. Campbell inspired and helped design, and then later represented the first Daytona watches. Then, the case is made of titanium coated with black PVD coating, which happens to be the same kind used by Rolex to create its black dials, cases and bracelets.
Just analyzing every detail on the Caviar Daytona iPhone feels like a tour de force that requires plenty of time and serious concentration. Caviar says that two legends in their respective fields like the Rolex Daytona and the iPhone could only be honored in a legendary manner, by means of a product that has them share the same space: an artistic composition, and a work of art on its own.
Photo: Caviar
In much less fancy words, it’s a grand-scale, multi-level tribute wrapped up in black titanium and lots of 18K gold. Definitely not for those who like keeping a low profile.
Whether such a detailed and flashy tribute is to everyone’s tastes is unlikely, for sure. Then again, as part of a series limited to just three items, it only has to appeal to the tastes of exactly three people. Caviar is selling these hybrid phone-timepieces at prices starting at $134,000, but it can also take orders for fully custom units. Just in case you feel that there isn’t enough happening on that case, or that you could do with a bit more gold.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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