If you are a Batman fan and would like a collectible for your memorabilia corner, then the1989 Batmobile desk clock from the Swiss start-up Kross Studio is definitely worth owning …
Photo Credit: Kross Studio
It was Batman Day yesterday; a day when the caped crusader from DC world is celebrated for his enduring appeal and legacy. And, if you are a Batman fan and would like a collectible for your memorabilia corner, then the1989 Batmobile desk clock from Kross Studio is definitely worth owning.
The dynamic duo of Swiss start-up Kross Studio and Warner Bros. Consumer Products teamed up to recreate Tim Burton’s iconic Batmobile from the 1989 Batman film, resulting in the most iconic car in the realm of comics in miniature as a collectible desk clock. Together, the innovative and creative partners have designed this sophisticated Swiss-made art object and collectible clock to offer Batman’s most ardent fans the chance to own a piece of his universe. The numbered series of 1989 Batmobile desk clocks, limited to just 100 pieces, retail for US$29,900 each.
Photo Credit: Studio Eliot Watson
Every detail of this remarkable clock has been meticulously engineered, from the inside out. Months of research and development were required to create this masterpiece, which contains a total of 512 components (115 in the body alone and 397 within the movement). In comparison, on average, a traditional mechanical movement is typically composed of only 130 components. The streamlined bodywork in black aluminium composite has been painstakingly shaped to faithfully reproduce the same curves and proportions of the 1989 Batmobile, after which the surface was carefully sealed with an aeronautical grade, scratch-resistant coating to protect the matte surface. The expert craftsmanship is evident in every detail, down to the car’s spinning wheels, taking the viewer on a visual ride into the universe of Batman. Only a few minor deviations from the original Batmobile were undertaken, but only to enhance the viewer’s experience. For example, the windows were treated with a slightly lighter tint to enable a subtle glimpse of the movement through the car’s window.
Photo Credit: Studio Eliot Watson
The hours and minutes, oriented horizontally within the centre of the Batmobile’s hood, are displayed on twin cylinders. Batman experts will appreciate reading the time on the top of the clock through bat-like cowl decals. The vertical regulator can be seen through the turbine at the front of the car.
Kross Studio has equipped the Batmobile with its own powerful engine: a mechanical manual-winding movement crafted in-house, a feat that underlines the expertise of the Kross Studio founders. Furthermore, with three barrels added to achieve an exceptional power reserve of 30 days, the movement runs at a frequency of 21’600 beats per hour, or 3 Hz – granting the movement even more precision, versus common mechanical clock movements, which only operate at 2.5 Hz. A Batman-shaped key, satin-finished and mirror-polished in steel, is included to wind the clock and set the time.
