Dubai is building the world’s tallest residential clock tower

Swiss luxury watch manufacturer Franck Muller and real estate developer London Gate are partnering on the 450 meter-tall building.

Dubai is set to add another towering figure to its skyline. The Aeternitas Tower, officially unveiled at a launch event last week, will be the world’s tallest residential clock tower at a staggering 450 meters (1,476 feet) tall — more than four times the height of London’s Big Ben, and just 22 meters (72 feet) short of the world’s tallest residential building, the Central Park Tower in New York City. Set to become the world’s second-tallest clock tower (after the Makkah Clock Royal Tower in Mecca, Saudi Arabia), Aeternitas Tower is the result of a partnership between Dubai-based real estate developer London Gate and Swiss luxury watch manufacturer Franck Muller. London Gate purchased the plot of land in Dubai Marina, which already had the beginnings of an unfinished 106-story structure — and knew that the tower’s monumental size needed a striking facade, said Tom Hill, media relations coordinator for the developer. “We believe the clock will be seen from six kilometers away because of the sheer height of the building,” said Hill, adding that the clock face will be an enormous 40 meters (131 feet) tall and 30 meters (98 feet) wide. “We wanted to do something different that hasn’t been done before in Dubai,” said Hill.