Like Batman v Superman, these watches aren't for everyone

By now, you've probably relented and gone to see Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. What an utter mess of a film! There's a reason why director Zack "The Hack" Snyder is derided by all sentient beings. If it hadn't been for Wonder Woman, would anyone have come out of the cinema and not either punched a wall or cried themselves to sleep for wasting 2.5 hours of their lives? Still, it was a great idea on paper and, as a film, it was loud, brash and in your face. It got me thinking about some watches shown at the Baselworld watch fair that are similar in that respect. Here are three wacky models from the Swiss event; you guys can make your mind up whether they are good or not.

We'll start with the HYT Skull Bad Boy (right). Well, HYT has earned my grudging respect for trying something different. The original Skull Bad Boy, in gold, came out last year; the new edition features a black on black colour scheme, which works much better, in my opinion. HYT's unique selling proposition is that the time is told through the capillary action of liquid (in this case, black liquid) and powered by a clever piston-based movement. Some have derided the brand as gimmicky and watches such as the Skull Bad Boy are not going to win over the purists, but for those of you who like variety, a bit of excitement and drama, this is right up your alley. The 51mm case is made of DLC-coated titanium and the skull out of Damascus steel. The movement has 65 hours of power reserve and functions are kept simple to just the time. The black on black Skull Bad Boy is limited to 50 pieces and prices are available upon request.

MB&F doesn't make watches, it creates, as the company puts it, "mechanical art pieces". Now more than a decade old, the brand is starting to really make its presence felt on the auction market. One of the reasons behind MB&F's success is a continued commitment to do things others wouldn't dare to; it may not always work but it's never boring. The latest piece from the company is the HMX Black Badger (top), a collaboration with Canadian industrial designer James Thompson, who has perfected the art of incorporating lume into jewellery pieces. With the HMX Black Badger the highlight, of course, is the lume that lights up the "engine" of the watch. The new watch is based on the HMX, which came out last year, so fans of the brand will be familiar with the design and the three-dimensional movement with 42 hours of power reserve. The Black Badger comes in three colours (green, blue and purple) and is limited to 18 pieces in each colour. Prices for the watch will be released shortly.

Finally, we have something outré from Bell & Ross. Based on its classic BR01 square case model, the BR-X1 Hyperstellar (right) is a sci-fi nerd's dream, a watch that takes its design cues and innovation elements from space travel. Yes, Bell & Ross designed this watch so it could be used in space, so there's special attention paid to it surviving corrosion, temperature fluctuations, pressure and vibrations. Also, the watch is made of ultra-lightweight materials such as aluminium and titanium to further enhance its nerd properties. The design, though, is the real highlight (or lowlight depending on where you stand on watches such as these). The skeleton dial and the use of space blue do make this watch stand out. Features include a chronograph, 100 metres of water resistance and a date function. The BR-X1 Hyperstellar is priced at HK$153,600.