Philipp Plein's Journey into Luxury Watchmaking
While the Philipp Plein brand is best known for its clothing and sneakers, it also produces watches. Only in the last couple of years have its watches entered the same luxury sphere as the rest of its catalog.
When Philipp Plein first began selling watches, they were positioned as affordable fashion accessories, priced similarly to shirts and sunglasses. However, last year the brand released its first Swiss watches, signaling a shift towards a more luxurious market segment. If the brand's initial Swiss watches were simple three-hand models, the latest 2024 release focuses heavily on high-end concepts, with the new Philipp Plein Crypto King Flying Tourbillon representing a significantly more watch technology-oriented offering than anything the brand has previously showcased.
Categories of Philipp Plein Watches
Modern Philipp Plein watches fall into two distinct categories: fashion and luxury. The fashion watch category includes all entry-level collections, almost all priced below the thousand-dollar mark. The primary goal of the brand's fashion watches is to offer access to popular watch styles that receive Philipp Plein's signature aesthetic interpretation.
However, people who spend a couple of thousand dollars on a jacket or sneakers are likely willing to spend much more on wristwatches. Philipp Plein offers its luxury category to satisfy this type of buyer, who may own various high-end watches and now seek features like premium materials and high-level complications.
The Crypto King Flying Tourbillon Models
The Philipp Plein Crypto King Flying Tourbillon is available in four color variants, playfully named “Dare Devil XII” (white and red), “Ninja Panda” (black and white), “Dragon Fire” (orange and black), and “Night Wolf” (black and rose gold). Regardless of the color, all models feature forged carbon cases with a tonneau shape, measuring 46mm in diameter, 15.95mm in thickness, and a total lug-to-lug distance of 55mm. Curved sapphire crystals are fitted on both sides of the case, with a crown featuring the Philip Plein “PP” logo framed in a hexagon at the 3 o'clock position. The Crypto King Flying Tourbillon series offers 30 meters of water resistance to protect against accidental contact.
On all Philipp Plein Crypto King Flying Tourbillon watches, a hexagonal metal frame extends on both sides of the middle case, and the hexagon is a motif found in various Philipp Plein designs. In the first three of the four aforementioned color options, the crown, hexagonal frame, and screws that hold the various carbon fiber case components together are made of stainless steel.
However, depending on the specific model, these components may be coated with black plating or have a natural steel appearance. Meanwhile, these same components are crafted from pure 18-carat rose gold in the “Night Wolf” model, which is the top model of the Crypto King Flying Tourbillon series and features a more restrained and luxurious appearance.
The Movement and Personalization
For the creation of the Crypto King Flying Tourbillon, Philipp Plein partnered with Swiss movement manufacturer Landeron. Through the sapphire glass and display caseback, the skeletonized Caliber PWL100LPP movement with manual winding and a flying tourbillon can be seen.
Despite its skeletonized appearance, the 19-caliber Landeron PWL100LPP has fairly standard technical specifications: it operates at a frequency of 28,800 vph (4 Hz) with a power reserve of about 42 hours. The reverse side of the movement is adorned with enamel emblems depicting the Philipp Plein symbols “$miley” and “$kull-bone,” and the initials of the watchmaker responsible for assembling each caliber are engraved on the top plate between these two decorative emblems.
In the same spirit as celebrating the watchmaker who created the movement, Philipp Plein seeks to honor its customers: a metal plate attached to the caseback of the Crypto King Flying Tourbillon will have the owner's name engraved on it. While the casebacks of the prototype watches photographed for this article read “Made for Philipp Plein,” the owner's name will replace the Philipp Plein signature on the specific piece they purchase.
Such details as the watchmaker's initials on the movement or the engraving of your name on the caseback rarely become decisive factors in making a purchase, though personally, I like such details, and they help emphasize that the Crypto King Flying Tourbillon is not a mass-produced item like affordable entry-level fashion watches.
Straps and Customization
In addition to color variations, another distinction between the four versions of the Philipp Plein Crypto King Flying Tourbillon lies in the material of the integrated rubber straps. In the three models with white or black straps, silicone is used, while the white-red “Dare Devil XII” model is equipped with a transparent polyurethane strap that has a slightly stiffer structure and a completely transparent appearance.
Despite the material differences, all straps have an integrated two-piece construction that can be detached using two screws located on the underside of the case. The straps are fastened to the wrist with a signature buckle that has a black coating or polished finish, matching the watch's color scheme.
Philipp Plein's Ambitious Leap
When I first heard that Philipp Plein was going to release a Swiss-made flying tourbillon with a carbon fiber case, I honestly thought it was a misunderstanding, as it represents an incredibly significant departure from the brand's previous watch offerings. Choosing a Swiss movement or precious metal case is an obvious route when it comes to creating luxury watches, but when a brand creates a tourbillon, it becomes a kind of statement.
I find it quite impressive that Philipp Plein chose to collaborate with Landeron and create a custom flying tourbillon for its Crypto King series. Considering all of the above, I must commend Philipp Plein for creating something that exists on an exponentially higher level than any of its previous offerings, and my biggest critique is only that its design seems too close to what you might find in Richard Mille's catalog.
Despite the undeniable visual resemblance between the Philipp Plein Crypto King Flying Tourbillon and something from Richard Mille, creating a signature aesthetic based on well-known designs is a fundamental concept of many Philipp Plein products. If you look at the entry-level fashion watches, almost all of them can be compared to some recognizable watches at an attractive price, and the “Notorious” sneaker line looks almost like wild and customized pairs of Nike Dunks or Air Jordan 1s.
Brands bringing their signature touches to famous models is a common occurrence in the fashion and streetwear industry, although such attempts are perceived much more critically when it comes to watches, regardless of the price of the items or the degree of their execution.
Limited Edition and Availability
The Crypto King Flying Tourbillon is a clear testament to Philipp Plein's intent to expand its presence in the luxury-oriented watch segment, although these models will not be a permanent offering, with each of the four color options limited to 49 pieces. Furthermore, given that the Philipp Plein Crypto King Flying Tourbillon is somewhat of a halo object, the brand refuses to publish the retail price, and they can only be purchased by ordering from one of Philipp Plein's stores or arranging a meeting directly with the brand's VIP service.
Although Philipp Plein is a luxury lifestyle brand, its watches have historically been surprisingly affordable compared to its other products. However, the Crypto King Flying Tourbillon truly seems to be a watch created for the brand's affluent clients who regularly spend thousands of dollars on crystal-encrusted sneakers and python leather jackets.
More information on the Philipp Plein Crypto King Flying Tourbillon can be found on the brand's website.