Watchismo Times: Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto - The Vintage Tin Robot Inspired "Mr. Roboto" Prototype from Azimuth

Friday, March 28, 2008

Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto - The Vintage Tin Robot Inspired "Mr. Roboto" Prototype from Azimuth

I doubt Styx will be performing their nightmarishly bad 80s classic "Mr. Roboto" in Basel for the unveiling of the Azimuth's new timepiece but I'm sure they could use a gig...

Mr Roboto - Azimuth’s Hallmark Creation from the Mecha–1 BMF Collection

The Revival of the Tin Robot Generation

Fans of the vintage tin robot era can now embrace their fantasy of robotic warrior literally and get their first chance to see Azimuth’s Mr Roboto, prototype watch of the World’s First tin robot concept of the 1950s.

Vintage 50s Lantern Tin Robots

Decades after World War II saw a proliferation of battery-operated tin robots. Originated from Japan, these whimsical creations demonstrate notions of human behavior. Their flying sparks and mechanical gestures captured the imagination of not just children but adults around the globe. Almost half a century later, original and replica tin robot toys have become a collector’s item.

The design of Mr Roboto was inspired by the Lantern Robot of the 1950s. Azimuth’s designers show that a timepiece’s practical functionality does not have to take a back seat to aesthetic visual designs. Witness the perfect marriage of ingenious design and user-friendly functions, this good-looker is set to be a head-turner at this year’s Basel show. A unique timepiece that transcends time, Mr Roboto aims to revive the passion of the tin robot generation of enthusiasts and enduring science fiction lovers.

Mr Roboto’s visual appeal embodies the full-flavor revival of vintage tin robotic spaceman. The placements lend for easy reading and a radical tin robot visual appearance. The left ‘eye’ is the hour register, right ‘eye’ comes with GMT indication, the nose region joint with the mouth region are the seconds and retrograde minutes placements respectively. Mr Roboto is powered by a modified ETA 2836-2 movement. The robust case is forged out of hardy steel blocks with a warm touch of bevelled edges at the sides of the tonneau shaped timepiece.

True to the name Azimuth, which means route taken by a traveller, Mr Roboto adds to the Azimuth’s Mecha-1 BMF collection of watches which is a synergy of avant-garde design and industrial machismo.

Listed international retail price for the iconic Mr Roboto watch is approximately 4,800.00 Swiss Francs ($4,800). Mr Roboto is available from September 2008.

Specifications:
Movement: ETA 2836-2 Modified Automatic Winding; 25 Jewels
Functions: GMT function; Hours register, Retrograde Minutes, Seconds

Case: 316L stainless steel with Torx drive cheese head tamper resistant screws, Bevelled edges at the sides of the tonneau shaped watch. Magnified hours and GMT functions in the form of convex ‘eyes’,

Dimension 43mm x 50mm with 24mm lugs. Water resistant to 50 meters.

via Timezone