Toledano & Chan's B/1M Watch Crafted from Muonionalusta Meteorite CNN
In the world of watchmaking, tradition is often celebrated, especially among European brands with centuries of craftsmanship. However, a new creation is making waves for having a much longer history, carved from a meteorite that crashed into Earth around one million years ago. This unique timepiece, known as the B/1M, is the work of design duo Toledano & Chan, who have pushed the boundaries of traditional watchmaking.
The B/1M was crafted from the Muonionalusta meteorite, discovered in the Swedish village of Kitkiöjärvi in 1906. The meteorite's remnants have been scattered across northern Scandinavia ever since its collision with Earth. While meteorite fragments have been used in luxury watches before, Toledano and Chan took the concept further, creating an entire watch case, dial, and lugs from the rare material.
While meteorite dials are not uncommon in luxury timepieces, Toledano & Chan's creation stands out for using the full meteorite material, which is a highly unusual approach. "You often see meteorite dials; they are not uncommon on watches," Toledano said. "But an entire meteorite case, dial, lugs — all that stuff — is very unusual."
The meteorite material, made mainly of iron, required special treatment. To protect the watch from rusting, it was coated with an anti-rust layer. The Muonionalusta meteorite also has a distinctive look, with unique patterns called Widmanstätten patterns. These multidirectional striations give the material a "glittering" appearance, making it stand out with an almost otherworldly charm.
The B/1M features a concrete-like case paired with a gray ostrich leg strap, combining the starkness of Brutalism with the organic texture of ostrich leather. The watch is presented in a concrete box, reflecting the minimalist and architectural inspiration behind the design. Toledano and Chan plan to make this piece available in limited quantities, with each watch having a unique appearance due to the nature of the meteorite material.
The B/1M watch comes with a gray ostrich leather strap and is packaged in a concrete box. CNN
When it comes to pricing, Toledano declined to reveal the exact cost of the meteorite fragment used in the B/1M but did mention that raw meteorite can be more expensive than gold per gram. The prototype watch is expected to fetch between $8,000 and $16,000 when it is auctioned at the Time for Art event in New York. "There are no meteorite trees, so it’s deeply expensive to work with," Toledano explained. "And the annoying thing… is that while when you work with gold, if you have bits and pieces left over, you can recycle them for other projects, but with meteorite you can’t."
The B/1M is not just about materials; it is also about design. The watch’s shape is inspired by Brutalism, a post-war architectural style known for its angular forms. The pair took inspiration from the trapezoidal windows of the Breuer Building in New York, designed by modernist architect Marcel Breuer. The design is simple yet bold, with no numbers or symbols on the face, reflecting the starkness of the Breuer Building itself.
A piece of the Muonionalusta meteorite (different from the one used in the watch) reveals its unique pattern, called Widmanstätten patterns. CNN
Toledano & Chan’s brand, founded in 2021, has gained attention for its willingness to explore unconventional watch designs. The original steel B/1 model, priced at $4,000, sold out in under an hour, signaling a growing interest in watches that challenge traditional shapes. "I have noticed, in the last year or so, a real opening of the landscape for watches, in terms of people — and men in particular — being open to differently shaped watches," said Toledano.
