Screw the watch…check out the building!

Chanel brings us this special J12 “101″ in celebration of one of the largest buildings in the world, Taipei 101.  Only 101 of the special black ceramic J12′s have been made, available exclusively in the Chanel shop in the Taipei 101 tower for approximately 3900 EUR ($5,000).   The watch is a standard Chanel J12 in every regard except the specially marked red “101″ on the bezel.  In other words not too exciting, but it does give us a chance to check out one of the coolest buildings in the world!

Setting this otherwise unremarkable watch aside for a moment, don’t you just love mega-tall buildings?!?  I know I do.  The feats of engineering and construction that go into building these structures are semi-miraculous, and of course Taipei 101 is no exception.   I recall watching a very cool show on Discover Channel about how this building was made and I remember being especially awed and inspired by the 660 ton turned mass damper stabilization system.

Discovery Channel Video on Taipei 101 and its “Damper” System

Taipei 101  In All Its Beauty and Splendor

Until the erection of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010, Taipei 101 held the title of “tallest building in the world.”  Fun reading over at Wikipedia:  List of Tallest Buildings and Structures in the World.