If you strive to be the first among your peers to own the next greatest, revolutionary product, the makers of personal electronics—particularly mobile phones—do not make it easy. Over the last decade, the smartphone has transformed the market, but its evolution was significantly slower and easier to keep up with in the early years. When the BlackBerry 5810 hit the shelves in 2002, it sparkled as a device that allowed a user to check e-mails and surf the Web, but a headset was required to use it as a traditional cell phone—an inconvenience that persisted for the next two years. By contrast, Apple released its iPhone in the summer of 2007, and since that debut, the phone has seen new iterations each of the past four summers, forcing the early adopters to upgrade their phones each year. With this summer fast approaching, the next greatest iPhone likely is right around the corner.

If you want an eye-catching new iPhone, you could be one of the first to buy Apple’s next iteration. But considering that the company’s upgrade from the iPhone 3 to the iPhone 4 included antenna complications that made dropped calls a frequent occurrence, such a purchase is not without its risks. Alternatively, you could look toward a company like Gresso, which offers distinct iPhone designs. The Swiss-registered company was founded in 2005 and within two years had launched its first luxury mobile phone. That phone, known as the Avantgarde and still available, sports a case made from 200-year-old African blackwood and, with 18-karat gold accents, costs $9,800.

Now that the iPhone seemingly has cornered the market, Gresso is offering its own version of Apple’s signature cell phone. The phone is equipped with 512 MB of internal memory, a lithium ion battery that allows for 14 hours of talk time or as many as 300 hours of standby time, and support for 16 languages. It also is available in three styles—a men’s version, accented by the company’s signature African blackwood case and 18-karat gold ($4,500), a women’s version, differentiated by gentle carvings and encrusted with Swarovski crystals ($5,000), and a black diamond version (pictured, $10,000) distinguishable from the traditional model by an 18-karat gold Apple logo punctuated with a black diamond.

Despite the fact that more than one example of each Gresso phone exists, the company’s product line remains an answer for those seeking to own something unique. Sure, it’s possible that you may someday bump into someone who also has the same Gresso iPhone style, but the African blackwood case sets each of them apart. As the company explains, no two phones are identical because, well … neither are any two trees.