If you’re looking at this 4×4 Bugatti Chiron Terracross concept and going “something doesn’t feel right here”, it’s completely intentional. The Chiron, a beast made for perfect roads and luxurious metropolises, set against a rugged terrain with those massive tires just feels unnatural… but there’s a beauty in its unnatural design. Created by Rafał Czaniecki as a mere pandemic project, the Bugatti Chiron Terracross concept is a dystopian beauty made for a world where futuristic cybercities and wastelands coexist.
Off the bat, the Terracross isn’t your average Chiron. It comes with a few upgrades that are more than apparent when you look at the automobile. Right off the bat, you’ll notice its outlandish wheels and suspension, which make sense given its all-terrain nature, but create a ground-clearance that’s completely unusual for a Bugatti. The headlight and taillights are altered too, with a honeycomb-ish pattern that’s also found on the car’s exhausts, the wheel design, as well as on the large, outward-extending fenders. Among other noteworthy upgrades are the massive bumper guards on the front and back of the car, along with foglights on the top, space for a carry-case, and a place to mount your step knee.
The Terracross is a complete deviation from Bugatti’s luxury supercar DNA, while it still manages to retain the Bugatti elements like the horseshoe radiator and the C-shaped rear pillar. It’s an interesting experiment that I hope, for the sake of humanity, doesn’t become a norm – because a post-apocalyptic world where an all-terrain Chiron is a necessity isn’t really the kind of world I want to live in. That being said, Rafał Czaniecki’s pandemic pet-project surely yielded an extremely eye-catching car!
The Apollo 11 mission, if anything, acted as a massive event in human unity, as people across the globe gathered in front of their television sets to talk about mankind’s greatest space achievement. 50 years later, the moon landing is still our biggest space exploit till date, and is even today considered as an achievement for mankind, rather than for just one country. In that very spirit, Rafal Czaniecki designed the SVPER11 watch, a testament to man’s most exciting journey into space, complete with tiny details that pay tribute to the moon and the landing site.
The SVPER11’s most distinct detail is its 3D watch face, complete with contour lines and 3D surfaces that take inspiration from the Apollo 11’s landing site in the Sea of Tranquility. Centered exactly at the landing site, SVPER11’s seconds hand comes in a red X shape, mimicking the feeling of a sweeping radar as it scans the lunar surface. A Japanese Seiko movement allows the seconds hand to have a sweeping action, making it truly look the part. Speaking of looking the part, the watch’s crown is inspired too. The red hexagonal-gear crown takes direct inspiration from the Apollo 11 Spacesuit’s red oxygen valve, giving the watch yet another beautiful easter-egg in its design details. As far as easter-eggs go, a final detail lies hidden in the watch’s metal clasp. On the underside of the clasp are etched the exact lunar coordinates for the Apollo 11 moon landing, making the SVPER11 an absolutely perfect watch for any space-fanatic! The watch comes with a mineral glass upper, complete with a scratch-proof sapphire coating. The watch face underneath is simple and sophisticated. Other than the SVPER branding, the watch switches out the numbers for stick-markings, making it truly universally appealing.
SVPER11 isn’t just another moon-inspired watch. It’s a watch that is truly Rafal Czaniecki’s magnum opus as an industrial designer. The watches come in a spectacular set of colors, ranging from Lunar Red to a black variant, and even a white one, in keeping with the moon’s black and white surface. There’s also a golden Kapton variant, taking inspiration from the astronauts’ golden-foil space blankets. The watch’s body is made from a single piece of stainless steel, and it comes with a special ceramic plaque at the bottom, paying tribute to everyone at NASA who worked on the lunar mission. Lastly, the watch packs an accented nylon strap with a silent velcro, making it look truly out of this world!
The NASA Apollo 11 Moon Landing Mission Inspired watch with 3D topographic face.
In 4 Moon-landing Inspired Color Combinations
Inspired by the endless space void with NASA red accents beaming through the darkness.
Inspired by the unknown of the dark side of the moon. Minimalist and sophisticated.
Inspired by the pure white Apollo 11 space suit, featuring white nylon strap and NASA red and blue accents.
Inspired by the material used in space blankets on the moon lander (golden foil protectors).
The Dial
They explored many design elements and motives, but the one that was most captivating was the Apollo 11 landing site, The Sea of Tranquility.
Based on the NASA maps of the moon, they created 3D topographic map, that became the face of the watch.
300 tons. That’s the pressure applied multiple times to the brass disc that become the dial. Each layer is only 0.1mm thin.
The Crown
The crown of the watch is inspired by bt the Apollo 11 spacesuit. The shape is reminiscent of the oxygen valves from the front of the spacesuit.
The Glass Dome
They covered the mineral glass with a layer of Sapphire and additional anti-reflective coating. The shape of the dome flows smoohtly with the curvature of the case.
The Movement
They decided to use SEIKO Japanese movement – VH31. It’s unique as it allows the second hand to beat 4 times per second, giving an impression of smooth radar-like movement. Constantly marking the location of the Moon landing.
The Case
Made out of stainless steel 316L. THe steel mono-block design is minimalistic.
The Caseback
Made out of technical ceramic that adds almost glowing quality to the surface.
The Strap
Custom clasp and added military-grade nylon strap with silent velcro. On the reverse side of the strap, you’ll find exact coordinates of the landing site, laser-etched into the metal surface of the buckle.
The SVPER concept smartphone stands out with super aesthetics that are highly focused on minimalism without losing individualism. Most noticeably is the ultra-smooth screen that takes up the entire frontside real estate. In fact, it’s near-frameless. But what about fingerprint ID tech that we waited SO long for? It’s still there, but it works through the screen so the user doesn’t lose valuable screen space. Hmmm, and what about a front facing camera? Don’t worry – your selfie days aren’t nearly over. The same goes for the camera! Additionally, the screen features tactile technology that runs a gel through micro-tunnels to create small bumps on the screen so users can navigate like never before. With a myriad of textured, customizable and interchangeable inlays, the backside leaves plenty of room for making your own unique statement outside the gold, silver, and black versions.
