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Vacheron Constantin is rolling out a watch so complicated it'll make horologists' heads spin

Vacheron Constantin store, on 22 November, 2024 in Madrid, Spain.
Swiss watchmaker Vacheron Constantin released what it called the world's most complicated watch.

Jesus Hellin/Europa Press via Getty Images

  • Vacheron Constantin unveiled a new wristwatch that does a lot besides telling the time.
  • The new timepiece comprises over 1,500 components and has 41 functions.
  • The watch is "mind-blowing" and "a total flex of horological muscle," said Paul Altieri, the founder and CEO of the watch reseller Bob's Watches.

If you need to know which constellations are above you in the sky at any given moment, Vacheron Constantin has you covered.

The Swiss watchmaker is rolling out the "Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication — La Première," which it called the "most complicated wristwatch ever made."

According to the watchmaker's website, the 45-mm-diameter and 14.99-mm-high watch comprises 1,521 components. The watch has 41 complications β€” a term referring to any function of a watch that goes beyond the display of time.

Paul Altieri, the founder and CEO of the watch reseller Bob's Watches, told BI that fitting 41 complications into a wristwatch while keeping it wearable is "mind-blowing" and "a total flex of horological muscle."

"It's less of a watch and more of a statement β€” the ultimate blend of art, engineering, and ego," Altieri said.

It took eight years of development and 13 patent applications to get the watch out, Vacheron Constantin said.

The timepiece looks ultra sleek and modern, with black dials accented with metallic gray and white tones. The watch is double-sided, with its top face featuring four subdials and its inner face showing the position of the stars.

Apart from telling its wearer the time, the watch also shows the sun's position, height, trajectory, and angle relative to the Earth. It also lets the wearer know which constellations are overhead and how long it will take for a star to be visible.

The watch was revealed at the Watches and Wonders trade fair in Geneva on Tuesday, CNN reported.

Representatives for Vacheron Constantin did not respond to requests from Business Insider regarding the retail price of the watch, when it would be available for sale, and how many pieces of this model would be released.

The new watch follows the watchmaker's history of making ultra-complicated watches. In 2024, it released the "Les Cabinotiers - The Berkley Grand Complication," a pocketwatch with 63 complications and 2,877 components.

A watch with this many complications is "extremely delicate," Altieri said. Any servicing required would likely take months, and can probably be done only by Vacheron's top-level master watchmakers in Geneva, he added.

"Collectors and horological folks will worship it, but it's definitely not meant for mass appeal. It's meant as a show-stopper. A jaw-dropper," Altieri said.

Matteo Barbetti, a luxury vintage watch expert based in Italy, told BI the fact that the watch's features can fit into a wearable 45mm case without compromising the thickness "is a testament to Vacheron Constantin's mastery of miniaturization and innovation."

But the "sheer number of complications might make it less practical for everyday wear," Barbetti said.

"I believe the Solaria will captivate serious collectors and enthusiasts of haute horology," he added.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Putin's Chechen warlord has put a 17-year-old in charge of his republic's security

Adam Kadyrov puts on headgear during a tactical shooting competition in Gudermes.
Adam Kadyrov has been named curator of Chechnya's internal affairs ministry, which oversees counterterrorism and riot control, among other responsibilities.

Chingis Kondarov/REUTERS

  • Adam Kadyrov, 17, was just appointed to oversee Chechnya's internal affairs ministry.
  • He's the son of Chechen strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov, a staunch ally of Vladimir Putin.
  • The teenager is set to lead a ministry in charge of police, counterterrorism, and local security.

Adam Kadyrov is enjoying a stellar career.

Russian state media reported that the 17-year-old was named curator of Chechnya's internal affairs ministry on Monday, meaning he'll oversee police and local security forces. The ministry also handles counterterrorism and riot control.

A state broadcast showed the teen receiving the appointment at a ceremonial meeting as uniformed officers applauded.

Soon after, he was filmed performing his duties by naming a new head of Chechnya's operational search division and handing out medals to police officers.

The 17-year-old was already appointed overseer of Chechnya's Russian Special Forces University last April. The university says it teaches civilians and soldiers skills such as artillery operations and parachute landing.

The teenager is also the third son of Ramzan Kadyrov, the strongman leader of Russia's predominantly Muslim Chechen Republic.

Allied closely with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Kadyrov's family rose to power by helping Moscow defeat Chechen separatists in the early 2000s. They've played a pronounced role in the invasion of Ukraine, particularly in the earlier days of the full-scale war, when Chechen militias were frequently seen fighting on the front lines.

Adam's boyhood rise came amid the war. He surged into public view when he was 15 after he was filmed in September 2023 beating and kicking a prisoner accused of burning the Quran.

Russia's human rights authorities voiced concern about the assault, but Kadyrov lauded his son after the clip went viral and said he "did the right thing."

Since then, the teenager has been bestowed with Chechnya's "Hero of the Republic" medal. He's been separately given at least eight other state awards and honors.

Ramzan Kadyrov and his son Adam Kadyrov are seen walking in Abu Dhabi after talks between Russia and the UAE.
Adam Kadyrov and his father are seen here in December 2023 after talks between Russia and the United Arab Emirates.

Contributor/Getty Images

In November 2023, just before turning 16, he was named the head of his father's security detail. For his role, the teenager was entered into Russia's "Book of Records" β€” the country's version of the Guinness World Records β€” for being the youngest recorded chief of a security detail.

The accolades and appointments have prompted speculation that the teenager is being groomed to succeed his father amid rumors that Kadyrov may be suffering from poor health. Novaya Gazeta, a Russian independent newspaper, reported in April that the warlord may be battling issues with his kidneys and pancreas.

Kadyrov was not seen at his son's appointment on Monday, but state media said the teenager was given the role under the Chechen leader's orders. State broadcasts showed him meeting with local residents during the Muslim festival of Eid.

Kadyrov's press service did not respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider.

Read the original article on Business Insider

'Top Gun' star Val Kilmer dead at 65

val kilmer
Val Kilmer, known for his roles in "Top Gun" and "Batman Forever," has died at 65.

AP Photo/Mark Humphrey

  • Val Kilmer, known for his roles in "Top Gun" and "The Doors," has died at age 65.
  • His daughter confirmed to The New York Times that pneumonia was the cause of the actor's death.
  • He was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, and his voice was permanently damaged from a tracheostomy.

Val Kilmer, the actor known for his roles in "Top Gun" and "Batman Forever," died on Tuesday in Los Angeles at the age of 65.

His daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, confirmed to The New York Times that the cause of death was pneumonia.

Originally a stage actor, Kilmer made his film debut in 1984's "Top Secret." In 1986, he was cast alongside Tom Cruise in "Top Gun," a film about students at the United States Navy's elite Fighter Weapons School.

In the movie, which became a cult classic, Kilmer played Tom "Iceman" Kazansky, a rival to Cruise's Pete "Maverick" Mitchell.

Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise on the set of "Top Gun."
Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise played rivals in the 1986 film "Top Gun."

Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images

He starred as Jim Morrison in 1991's "The Doors," in which he was praised for his uncanny depiction of the troubled rock singer. Kilmer's singing voice was used in the film.

In 1995, Kilmer played the Dark Knight in "Batman Forever," taking over the role from Michael Keaton. The film was met with mixed reviews and he was replaced by George Clooney for 1997's "Batman & Robin."

Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 but recovered. However, his voice was permanently damaged due to a tracheostomy.

To reprise his role as Iceman in 2022's "Top Gun: Maverick," the actor worked with a London tech company, Sonantic, to use AI to recreate his voice for the sequel.

Jerry Bruckheimer, a producer on the "Top Gun" sequel, said in 2022 that Cruise was the "driving force" behind getting Kilmer to return for the movie.

"He said, 'We have to have Val, we have to have him back. We have to have him in the film,'" Bruckheimer told People. "And he was the driving force. We all wanted him, but Tom was really adamant that if he's going to make another 'Top Gun,' Val had to be in it."

Kilmer has two children, son Jack Kilmer and daughter Mercedes Kilmer, with his ex-wife, Joanne Whalley, whom he divorced in 1996.

A representative for Kilmer and Kilmer's agent did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider. BI was not immediately able to reach Mercedes Kilmer for comment.

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Microsoft is a clear winner from ChatGPT's super-viral Ghibli images, analysts say

A Ghibli-style image of lots of computer screens, the central one with the OpenAI logo.
OpenAI's 4o tool can create Studio Ghibli-esque images

OpenAI's 4o tool

  • OpenAI's ChatGPT-4o boosted user growth after its Ghibli-style image creation feature took off.
  • Microsoft stands to benefit from OpenAI's growth, wrote Jefferies.
  • OpenAI's latest $40 billion funding round raised its valuation to $300 billion.

A new AI trend has taken the internet by storm, and at least one Big Tech giant stands to make a killing.

Last week, OpenAI rolled out ChatGPT-4o, an upgraded image generator that users piled into to create images in the Japanese animation firm Studio Ghibli style. The trend is helping fuel a record spike in users, so much so that OpenAI is struggling to keep up.

The surge in ChatGPT users would benefit Microsoft because the spike boosts OpenAI's growth, computing needs, and valuation, Jefferies analysts led by Brent Thill said in a note on Tuesday.

Microsoft is a major investor in the artificial intelligence firm and its primary cloud provider. The company also integrates OpenAI's large language models into its products. Last week, Microsoft's CEO, Satya Nadella, said the company may build its own generative AI capability to complement its partnership with OpenAI.

"We would glean that surging ChatGPT user growth likely indicates surging ChatGPT+ growth i.e. revenue growth for OpenAI," the analysts wrote.

The analysts also touted OpenAI's most recent funding round as beneficial to Microsoft. On Monday, OpenAI announced it closed the largest private tech funding round on record. The company raised $40 billion from SoftBank and other investors, bringing the company's valuation to $300 billion. The ChatGPT maker was last valued at $157 billion in October.

Jefferies has a buy rating on Microsoft and a price target of $500. The stock closed at $382 on Tuesday. It is down 9.3% in the past year.

Record ChatGPT usage

ChatGPT has become a household name since its launch in November 2022, but last week's animation trend sent demand soaring.

On Monday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wrote on X that ChatGPT had just added one million users in the past hour. At launch two years ago, it took five days to reach that number of users.

Last week, ChatGPT's weekly app downloads, weekly active users, and revenue from subscriptions and in-app purchases reached an all-time high β€” increasing 11%, 5%, and 6%, respectively, week-over-week β€” according to data from market intelligence firm SensorTower.

Besides Microsoft, producers of graphic processing units stand to benefit from the Ghibli hype. Nvidia, AMD, and Intel are some of the biggest GPU companies.

"Working as fast we can to really get stuff humming; if anyone has GPU capacity in 100k chunks we can get asap please call!," Altman wrote on X on Tuesday.

The Jefferies analysts said few vendors can deliver this much capacity and estimated that any deal with OpenAI could bring in $1 billion to $2 billion a year for the GPU provider.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Sam Altman says OpenAI's new releases make him feel like a 'YC founder' building things in public all over again

Sam Altman speaking in Seoul.
"Lol I feel like a YC founder in 'build in public' mode again," Sam Altman wrote in an X post on Tuesday.

Jung Yeon-Je/AFP via Getty Images

  • OpenAI rolled out a new image generation feature for ChatGPT and it was a hit with users.
  • Sam Altman, OpenAI's CEO, said the company had to introduce rate limits because "our GPUs are melting."
  • Altman said the experience reminded him of his early days as a Y Combinator-backed founder.

OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman said on Tuesday that handling the ChatGPT maker's new product releases are reminding him of his early days as a Y Combinator-backed founder.

"Lol I feel like a YC founder in 'build in public' mode again," Altman wrote in a post on X.

Altman's remark comes after a busy week for OpenAI. The company released a new image generation feature for ChatGPT on March 25.

The new feature was a hit with users, who flooded social media with AI-generated images in the style of Japanese animation firm Studio Ghibli's films. Altman said in an X post on Monday that OpenAI saw a record spike in users after the feature was rolled out.

the chatgpt launch 26 months ago was one of the craziest viral moments i'd ever seen, and we added one million users in five days.

we added one million users in the last hour.

β€” Sam Altman (@sama) March 31, 2025

But the sudden uptick in users did cause some problems for OpenAI.

On Thursday, just two days after the new feature was released, Altman said that OpenAI's "GPUs are melting" from all the image generation requests they were getting from users.

"It's super fun seeing people love images in ChatGPT. But our GPUs are melting. We are going to temporarily introduce some rate limits while we work on making it more efficient," Altman wrote on X.

Then, in a subsequent X post made on Tuesday, Altman said the company was "getting things under control." He added that users "should expect new releases from OpenAI to be delayed, stuff to break, and for service to sometimes be slow as we deal with capacity challenges."

working as fast we can to really get stuff humming; if anyone has GPU capacity in 100k chunks we can get asap please call!

β€” Sam Altman (@sama) April 1, 2025

Altman may be best known for his work at OpenAI now, but the entrepreneur cut his teeth in the tech world at Y Combinator. The startup accelerator counts organizations like Airbnb, Dropbox, Stripe, and Twitch as alumni companies.

Altman's first startup, a social networking application named Loopt was one of the first few companies to be backed by Y Combinator in 2005. Loopt was later acquired by Green Dot, a banking company, in 2012 for over $43 million.

In 2014, Y Combinator's founder Paul Graham named Altman as his successor. Altman replaced Graham as Y Combinator's president, and held the role for five years. Altman stepped down as president in March 2019 to focus on OpenAI.

On Monday, OpenAI announced it had raised $40 billion at a $300 billion valuation. OpenAI's new valuation is nearly double what it was worth in October, when it raised $6.6 billion at a $157 billion valuation.

Representatives for Altman at OpenAI did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Mike Johnson scraps his whole week after brutal defeat

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) canceled half a week's worth of House votes after failing to contain a revolt over proxy voting within his own party.

Why it matters: It was Johnson's biggest legislative blow of 2025 thus far β€” and the first where President Trump wasn't providing him reinforcement.


What happened: The House voted against blocking Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) from forcing a vote on allowing House members who are new parents to vote by proxy.

  • Luna obtained the 218 discharge petition signatures needed to force a vote with or without Johnson's assent β€” including from a dozen Republicans.
  • The speaker, a bitter opponent to any form of proxy voting in Congress, fought to stop her anyway.
  • Johnson tried to box Republicans in by tying the rule change to marquee GOP legislation requiring proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections.

The result was a 206-222 vote against Johnson's maneuver, with Luna and eight other Republicans breaking ranks with Johnson.

  • Of the Republicans who voted with Luna, only three had actually signed onto her discharge petition.
  • One of them, Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Pa.), told Axios the proxy voting rule change "should get its own up-or-down vote."
  • "I voted 'no' because I don't like it being in a package like this and I think it should stand alone on its own merits," he said.

Johnson said after the vote failed: "That rule being brought down means that we can't have any further action on the floor this week."

  • Johnson said it was "very disappointing" that a "handful" of his members broke ranks on a GOP procedural measure, adding, "That is rarely done."
  • In addition to the noncitizen voting bill, Johnson said the House was set to vote on legislation rolling back Biden-era regulations and restricting federal judges' power to issue nationwide injunctions.

Between the lines: Johnson's hardball tactics may have actually backfired on him, layering personal anger on top of procedural objections.

  • Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) said of his vote against the speaker on Tuesday: "I would ask [Johnson] why he tried to do this."
  • Several GOP lawmakers expressed a feeling that the speaker was being heavy-handed in trying to override the will of a majority of the House.

Zoom out: Despite a rocky 118th Congress with many failures, Johnson had been able to repeatedly defy political gravity this year.

In all those fights, he had a secret weapon: President Trump, who had a vested interest in the outcome of each and made calls on Johnson's behalf.

  • The proxy voting fight was entirely a House matter in which Trump had effectively no stake.
  • Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), one of Luna's closest allies, told Axios "no way" when asked if the president made any calls to members this time.

What's next: Johnson technically has two legislative days to bring Luna's rule change up for a vote, but GOP lawmakers aren't sure whether he will try to pull more tricks out of his sleeve to keep it from coming to the floor.

  • "This rules package vote was something that was a new development," said Mackenzie, "so I wouldn't even hazard a guess what the next step is."
  • Nonprofit news outlet NOTUS reported that Johnson plans to keep trying to pass procedural motions to kill Luna's rule change until one passes.
  • House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), asked if Republicans will keep trying to kill Luna's measure, told Axios: "We'll see. … Mike Johnson has made it clear he's not going to support the proxy [voting]."

Part of that may be due to pressure from the Freedom Caucus, which staunchly opposes proxy voting and could, in theory, band together to try to oust Johnson as speaker.

The bottom line: "It's very disappointing that he is putting Republican members in this position," one House Republican complained to Axios, "for no reason whatsoever other than what I believe is him protecting his job."

Dem-backed candidate wins Wisconsin Supreme Court race in rebuke to Trump, Musk

Susan Crawford, a Democratically backed judge, beat back a well-funded Republican candidate to secure a seat on Wisconsin's Supreme Court on Tuesday night, according to AP.

Why it matters: Crawford's win is a rebuke to President Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, who poured millions into the race β€” and it will maintain the court's liberal tilt in a key swing state.


  • Tuesday's election fueled big donations from Musk and other billionaires, as Republicans aimed to overturn a liberal majority on the bench.
  • Wisconsin's top court is poised to carry broad sway on abortion rights, legislative redistricting and election laws.
  • The seven-member court now will have a liberal majority until at least 2028.

What she's saying: "Today Wisconsinites fended off an unprecedented attack on our democracy," said Crawford, a Dane County judge, in her victory speech in Madison, Wisc.

  • "Wisconsin stood up and said loudly that justice does not have a price. Our courts are not for sale."
  • She echoed those words in a post to Musk's X.

The big picture: State Supreme Court races have historically been under-the-radar elections. But they've risen to national prominence, particularly after the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 decision to overturn the Constitutional right to abortion.

  • The Wisconsin contest morphed into a national proxy fight.
  • It's one of the first closely watched elections since the start of the second Trump administration and essentially served as a referendum on Trump.
  • Musk gave out $1 million checks Sunday to two people who cast ballots for the race after the state's Supreme Court declined to intervene in a legal challenge of the prize.
  • But Crawford beat Judge Brad Schimel, a circuit court judge and former Republican state attorney general.

By the numbers: A record $67 million had already been spent on the race as of last week, according to data from the tracking firm AdImpact.

  • That's up from the record-breaking $50 million that was spent on the state's Supreme Court race in 2023.

More from Axios:

Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from Justice-elect Susan Crawford.

Who might buy TikTok as ban looms

TikTok faces a Saturday ban if it is not sold to a U.S. owner β€” dΓ©jΓ  vu.

The big picture: At least four groups have made offers to buy the app, but TikTok owner ByteDance would likely need Chinese government approval to sell.


State of play: President Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office delaying the app's ban by 75 days, and the Supreme Court upheld a ruling that the app needs to be sold to an American company or banned.

  • As of early March, TikTok's owner and prospective buyers had not yet negotiated a sale. The Chinese government could be willing to let the app shutter in the U.S. rather than concede to a deal.
  • Trump on March 26 suggested he'd lower tariffs on Chinese goods if Beijing agreed to a TikTok sale.
  • Vice President JD Vance and national security adviser Michael Waltz have been tasked with navigating the potential deal.

Flashback: The bill originally passed with broad bipartisan support and was signed by former President Biden in April 2024.

  • Proponents of the ban have argued that the app poses a national security threat because ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, is controlled by the Chinese government and can harvest personal information from American users.
  • Opponents challenged the ban, saying it violated their First Amendment rights, which the Supreme Court said didn't apply.
  • Trump, despite originally trying ban TikTok via executive order in 2020, vowed to save the app.

Read more about potential buyers:

Frank McCourt and Kevin O'Leary

Shark Tank host Kevin O'Leary and Project Liberty founder Frank McCourt submitted an official proposal to purchase TikTok in January.

  • Alongside other investors, the group calls itself the People's Bid for TikTok.
  • They would aim to collect less data on users.

By the numbers: McCourt told Axios' Sara Fischer in January that he got $20 billion in commitments to his bid.

MrBeast and Jesse Tinsley

MrBeast, born Jimmy Donaldson joined a bid with Employer.com founder Jesse Tinsley, per CNN.

  • "Our offer represents a win-win solution that preserves this vital platform, while addressing legitimate national security concerns," Tinsley said in a January statement. "We're prepared to move quickly and have assembled a team with deep experience in technology, content moderation, and platform governance."

Between the lines: Donaldson had previously considered joining McCourt's bid.

Perplexity

Artificial intelligence engine Perplexity made a bid in January to merge with TikTok, per CNBC.

  • Perplexity on March 21 released a vision for the app, which includes building a transparent algorithm, enhancing trust and adding more AI functionality.

What they're saying: "A TikTok rebuilt and powered by Perplexity would create the world's greatest platform for creativity and knowledge discovery," Perplexity said.

Oracle

Software company Oracle has accelerated talks with the White House on running TikTok, Politico reported.

  • The deal brings potential national security implications.
  • Oracle would oversee Americans' data and ensure the Chinese government can't access it, per Politico. But it's unclear if the U.S. firm would have control over the algorithm.

Go deeper: TikTok ban timeline: Here's where things stand

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