Le Rhone is a curious one. Curious as in offbeat. I was introduced to the brand on the business side a handful of years back at Baselworld. In fact, intermediaries who were not even representing the company encouraged me to “check them out”. Usually, that signaled something noteworthy in the sea of exhibitors. Le Rhone’s reps ushered me into a meeting with one of the brand’s founders, and boy, did I see a stunner. I can still vividly remember the way the Moon model dazzled me, especially with its aventurine dial and craftsmanship. When an impression is that memorable, it's definitely quite something.Now comes the curious part. I didn't learn much about the brand. I also didn't hear much about Le Rhone by way of news, so there was nothing more to it (or so I thought). It's a bit like having a hot date set up by your friend and not hearing anything afterward. You respect that perhaps they have their own rhythm. You wonder for a bit, then you let go. And then, one day, they pop up in your feed againLe Rhone - the one that got awayHere we are, five years on, and I see that Le Rhone has confidently established itself as a Genevan watchmaker. As the story goes, the independent brand was founded by two school friends, Lo?c Florentin and Timo Rajakoski. After their respective careers for luxury groups, the duo joined forces to pursue their own ideal of Swiss excellence in Haute Horlogerie. And they wanted to reflect it in the brand name.Le Rhone takes its name from the Rh?ne River, where cabinotiers (master craftsmen in the old days) used to work along the shores. It gives a nod to Swiss watchmaking at the elite level. It also employs an “o” with an umlaut to represent the link between artisans' work rhythms. The brand calls that human connection Human Tempo?. So I was right on the money - they do have their own beat. The “o” is a character you see recurring from one collection to another and throughout Le Rhone’s brand literature.Appropriately, the brand sets out to craft exceptional and highly technical pieces with the best artisanal Swiss workshops. In tandem, it boasts bespoke expertise and a customization service to make each watch unique to its owner. Design-wise, Le Rhone has no desire to be shy. It strives to be bold in execution and retro-modern in expression. The brand has four distinctive collections under its belt and undertakes all of its production in Switzerland. Le Rhone has also implemented a system of full traceability of its watches, and this year, the brand is charting a new frontier.Two novelties and one NFTLe Rhone has introduced two new models in the Moon collection (their predecessor was the one that dazzled me many moons ago). The brand has also announced its entry into the luxury NFT market. Wait, the what market? We'll get to that in a bit. Now, let us first take a look at the beauties.The two novelties are the standard Moon Aventurine Titanium and a version of the same watch with a diamond-set bezel. The latter features 64 round diamonds totaling 0.7ct. Both models come in a 37mm case in Grade 5 titanium with alternating vertical satin-finished and polished surfaces. This marks the first time Le Rho?ne has used titanium in its collections, and the case’s thickness has been reduced for these lighter timepieces.Moon Aventurine Titanium - A mesmerizing moonphase timepieceThe star of the show is quite literally the starry and moon-themed dial. It has a celestial presence with a mother-of-pearl moonphase set against a midnight-blue star-studded backdrop. It is filled with glistening specks, surrounded by a ring of diamond stars, and joined by hands filled with Super-LumiNova.Powering this lunar display is the exclusive in-house Grande Phase de Lune complication. It has been fully developed and manufactured in Switzerland. This COSC-certified automatic movement beats at 28,800vph (4Hz), and the moonphase doesn't require any correction for five years. It also offers a 42-hour power reserve, and the case is water-resistant to 50 meters (5 ATM).Securing the Moo?n Aventurine on your wrist is Le Rhone's very own interchangeable strap system, which enables a change of straps without any tools. It comes with a deep blue alligator strap, in harmony with the dial’s cosmic presence.A unique piece in a digital realmNow comes the NFT debut. Le Rhone has unveiled a new model in its High Jewelry line - a unique piece by the name of Hedo?nia Destiny. It takes the design from the Hedonia collection and comes in an 18K white gold 41mm case. Adorning this timepiece are 888 baguette-cut diamonds totaling 42 carats. Le Rhone is offering the Hedonia Destiny as a piece of digital artwork, the brand’s very first NFT (Non-Fungible Token). The NFT owner will be the only person in the world to decide the fate of this model. Within 12 months following the purchase, the owner may activate the watch's production and turn the design into a physical piece. This option will grant the owner a fully immersive experience, including a bespoke journey to attend the live production of the watch.Deciding its digital and physical destinyShould the NFT owner choose not to activate the production, Le Rho?ne has committed to never producing this watch. Thus, it will forever remain a unique piece of digital artwork and give added value to the NFT. After the 12-month period, the owner may exchange the NFT on SuperRare, a marketplace for digital art. Its new owner will unlock exclusive advantages and become a member of Le Rho?ne's brand club.After reading all this, if you are unsure what an NFT means, fret not. You can check out this article on Hanhart’s NFT for a recent discussion. To put it simply here, an NFT is a digital file containing a unique set of data that is registered on a decentralized ledger. This ledger is run and validated by a peer-to-peer computer network called a blockchain. An NFT's registry on a blockchain cannot be altered, so it guarantees authenticity and traceability. Because of this benefit and game-changing potential in consumer applications, there is a burgeoning market for NFTs in the luxury domain.Le Rho?ne has positioned itself at the forefront of this luxury NFT market. The company has already leveraged blockchain technology since 2020 to enable a traceability system for its timepieces. The brand’s entry into the NFT market is a natural next step to engage the growing legions of crypto enthusiasts and watch collectors who value digital presence.Launching its own NFT art galleryIn embracing this new market, Le Rho?ne will promote digital art and build a virtual art gallery in the coming months. The Hedo?nia Destiny will be exhibited there. The brand will also partner with art galleries on different continents to exhibit the timepiece. More details to come!To follow the brand’s new adventure and explore all its models,?visit the Le Rhone website here. And feel free to share your thoughts on luxury NFTs or the Moon Aventurine Titanium models in the comments below.