Steel and coal from the Titanic have been transformed into a new line of luxury* wristwatches that claim to capture* the essence* of the legendary ship which sank in 1912.

Geneva watchmaker Romain Jerome SA billed* its “Titanic DNA” collection as among the most exclusive* pieces shown last week at Baselworld, the watch and jewelry industry’s largest fair.

“They’re very luxurious,” said Yvan Arpa, chief executive of the three-year-old company that hopes the limited edition watches will attract both collectors and luxury goods buyers.

Romain Jerome said it purchased a piece of the hull* weighing about 1.5 kg. The metal has been certified* as real.

The gold, platinum* and steel watches were offered for sale at between US$7,800 and US$173,100.

Arpa said the combination of new and old materials infused* the watches with a sense of renewal*, instead of representing a reminder* of the 1,500 passengers who drowned when the Titanic met her tragic end off the coast of Newfoundland.