Swiss firm creates £9,000 luxury watch that doesn't tell the time

A Swiss luxury watchmaker is pushing the limits of time and sense with its latest design – a watch that doesn't tell the time.

It may well seem like an object befitting a place on the shelf alongside a teapot made by Swiss chocolatiers, but the watch is part of a new series of 'timeless' wrist pieces.

The Playground Labyrinth watch, unveiled by Swiss timepiece firm Hautlence, has no dials or numbers and instead has a maze game for the wearer to play.

The Playground Labyrinth watch, unveiled by Swiss timepiece firm Hautlence, has no dials or numbers but a maze game for the wearer to play (pictured). It is described on the designer's website as a 'useless yet entirely essential object' and costs 12,000 Swiss francs (£8,689)

It is described on the designer's website as a 'useless yet entirely essential object.'

The 01 and 02 Labyrinth models are part of a limited collection and will be sold for 12,000 Swiss francs (£8,689) each.

In addition to the maze game, each watch comes with a satin-finished Louisiana alligator leather strap.

The wristwatch also has an extra-hard sapphire crystal 'crown' that stops the polished platinum ball from escaping from the solid rose gold maze.

In addition to the maze game, each watch (pictured left and right) comes with a satin-finished Louisiana alligator leather strap. The wristwatch also has an extra-hard sapphire crystal 'crown' that stops the polished platinum ball from escaping from the solid rose gold maze.

The luxury watch brand is promoted by ex-Manchester United footballer Eric Cantona.

In an accompanying promotional video for the series on Hautlence's website, a sulky Cantona grimaces at the camera while telling the viewer to 'take your time' and 'break the rules'.

On its website, the firm states: 'Labyrinth may not tell the time; however, it is perfectly aligned with the excellence in watchmaking that is embedded in Hautlence's DNA.'

'It is a flashback to childhood where we allowed ourselves time to let our imaginations run wild and cut ourselves off from the rest of the world.'

Sandro Reginelli, co-founder and boss of Hautlence, said: 'Labyrinth is an old game that we have decided to bring back in a watch.

'What we are presenting here is a new vision of time and this new vision of time obviously doesn't show traditionally the time.

'We want people to disconnect and go [to] this dimension of time where you decide what you want to do.'

The luxury watch brand is promoted by ex-Manchester United footballer Eric Cantona (pictured)