Solana Partners Swiss Watchmaker Franck Muller to Launch Limited Edition Web3 Watch 

Solana, a prominent name in the blockchain sector, has taken a step further towards integrating Web3 with hardware. Over the weekend, Solana and Swiss watchmaker Franck Muller announced the launch of a limited-edition Web3 enabled luxury watch, priced at CHF 20,000 (roughly Rs. 20.7 lakh). The launch marks the second time Solana has linked its blockchain functionalities to a popular category of hardware devices. Back in 2022, it became the first blockchain network to unveil a Web3 enabled smartphone named Saga.

The first glimpse of Solana x Franck Muller analogue watch shows a glossy tonneau-shaped (barrel-shaped) stainless steel dial in hues of electric blue, green, and purple. The Solana logo has been placed at the centre of the watch screen, along with a unique QR code.

As explained in the announcement, the QR code on each watch will be linked to the wearer's personal Solana wallet to facilitate quick crypto transactions.

"Each piece is individually numbered, with your wallet address embedded securely and privately. Your watch becomes your wallet, your keys, and your data—all fully under your control," the Geneva-based watch maker claimed in its statement.

Only 1,111 units of the Web3 watch have been made, with the companies advertising each of these watches as a “collector's item”.

Buyers of the limited-edition watch will get access to exclusive on-chain experiences, the watchmaker said, without sharing details about said experiences.

As per CoinGecko, Solana is the world's second largest blockchain with $9.47 billion (roughly Rs. 80623 crore) in Total Value Locked (TVL).

In June 2022, Solana Labs' CEO Anatoly Yakovenko launched the ‘Solana Mobile Stack' (SMS) as a software development tool for Web3 programmers. At the time, Solana announced its first-generation of crypto and Web3-centric smartphones dubbed "Saga". The phone was loaded with a pro-Web3, decentralised app store featuring dApps.

In December 2023, a Solana device sold for $5,000 (roughly Rs. 4.14 lakh) — approximately eight times the original launch price of $600 (roughly Rs. 49,795) — on eBay, owing to an altcoin hype going on at the time.