Luxury customization brand Caviar has introduced the “Masters of Time” limited-edition iPhone 17 Pro Max, and this one is not just another gold-and-gemstone treatment. The phone has a built-in mechanical watch storage mechanism on the back, allowing a Swiss watch to be mounted directly into the rear housing.
According to the report, the starting price is $49,640, or roughly 337,000 yuan at current exchange rates. That places the device firmly in collector territory, aimed less at ordinary iPhone buyers and more at people who treat a phone, a watch, and a piece of jewelry as one luxury object.
The central feature is what Caviar calls a Watch Vault. The back of the phone includes a dedicated watch compartment that can hold a high-end timepiece in place with a short threaded locking ring. The idea is surprisingly literal: the watch can be removed from the back of the phone without special tools, attached to a normal strap, and then worn on the wrist.
Caviar also appears to have considered the practical risk of placing a valuable watch inside a phone body. The mechanical watch storage area includes a soft lining intended to protect the case and decorative materials from scratches or damage. If the owner removes the watch and wears it separately, the phone can be fitted with a decorative cover plate so the back does not simply have an empty opening.
The most extravagant version in the series is called “Celestial.” It comes with a Patek Philippe Celestial watch and uses luxury materials including 18K gold, enamel, diamonds, and meteorite accents. Buyers can also choose limited-edition versions connected with Rolex, IWC, Jacob & Co., and other high-end watch brands.
The series is designed to accommodate mechanical watches in the 42mm to 44mm size range. Caviar says customers can customize the body according to the dimensions of their own watch, which makes sense for a product where the watch itself may be as important as the phone.
As with many Caviar releases, the Masters of Time Caviar iPhone is less about practical phone upgrades and more about creating a rare, conversation-starting object. For most people, adding a watch vault to an iPhone 17 Pro Max will sound wildly impractical. For Caviar’s target customer, that impracticality is probably part of the point.
