Romain Jerome's latest watch - tasteful, commemorative or tacky?

We still don't know how to pronounce its name, even if Icelandic scientists have come forth to explain it. For that matter, dictionaries with the tonal indication don't seem to realise that a string of letters put together is of absolutely no assistance to the layman.

But enough about my gripes with unpronounceable volcano names (it's amusing to note, however, that Eyjafjallajokull is Icelandic for "island-mountain-glacier". There's an obvious irony in naming a volcano a glacier, but we'll let it pass). Romain Jerome, the watch label renowned for taking momentous pieces of history and strapping them on a wealthy man's wrist, has taken the opportunity to make a unique piece out of this continental disaster.

The Swiss label has obtained some of the volcanic ash from Mount Doom's recent eruption to create the Eyjafjallajokull DNA watch, adding to its range of DNA watches. Following the Titanic and Moon Dust DNA pieces, the new watch bears strong resemblance to the Moon Dust, with the exception of a textured dial with a crater spewing what appears to be molten lava just below the surface. The dark surface is achieved by an application of black carbon. Airplane hands indicate the time; on the Eyjafjallajokull DNA, they can still fly around the dial. The bezel also bears the same look as the dial, and it's paired with a black alligator strap.

RJ's previous creations, the Titanic and Moon Dust were notable creations because they commemorated significant moments in human history, be they disaster or milestone of success. While Eyjafjallajokull is notable today, and has caused tremendous challenges to the world thanks to its untimely eruption, we doubt people will look back on it in history as some defining moment in human history. Unless of course, flight zones are somehow changed for the better, or someone uncovers a new method of travelling.

It also seems to go counter to the principles of the original DNA timepieces. Yvan Arpa, former CEO, had imagined unique creations that bore some historical value and employed the rarest of materials. The Titanic and Moon Dust both have that honour.

But most importantly, one wonders if this was in slightly bad taste. RJ's creation comes quickly after Polish citizens were criticised for capitalising on the death of their president. It feels like the Swiss watch maker is also capitalising on an event that stranded thousands in Europe and cost the airline industry billions of dollars. While we doubt that is any intent of the watch maker - Romain Jerome explains that the watch is meant to "illustrate the... mythologies that will forge the memories of the 21st century", and it very well could be a significant moment when we look back on it in the 22nd century - nevertheless the Eyjafjallajokull is a controversial timepiece, but a stunning one at that.