Robot Aerodynamic: A Sophisticated Horological Surprise from the Czech Republic
by Martin Green
When people initially enter the world of watches, they usually think that it is all about the Swiss and perhaps the Japanese, only to discover then that French, British, Dutch, Germans, Americans, Belgians, Italians, Russians, Chinese, and many more also play an important role.
Watchmaking is a worldwide endeavor, as it should be, as different environments offer different approaches. That is also the case with Robot, a brand from the Czech Republic.
Robot Aerodynamic Cobalt Blue
History galore
If you grew up in the 1980s like me, the Czech Republic was a country inside the Iron Curtain. While that may be the case at one point, it is so much more. The country has a rich history, although it was not always under the same name. In the past, it was called Bohemia, first a Duchy, later a Kingdom.
The Habsburg monarchy integrated Bohemia into their kingdom in 1526, and in 1806, it became part of the Austrian Empire. After the fall of this empire as a result of WWI, what is now the Czech Republic was merged with Slovakia, forming the first Czechoslovak Republic, also referred to as Czechoslovakia.
After a period under the control of Nazi Germany, the country became an Eastern Bloc communist state, which ended in 1989 with the Velvet Revolution, and three years later, Czechoslovakia was dissolved, leading to the current Czech Republic.
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While these changes have all left their mark, what they didn’t change was the spirit of the country, which has always been dedicated to craftsmanship and future thinking.
While it might seem like a contradiction at first, as craftsmanship is often seen as something grounded in the past, it is a sense of synergy. In the Czech approach, craftsmanship is used without constraint to shape the future. It is more like a foundation from which to build something new.
At Robot, this starts with their name. This comes from the Czech Capek brothers, Karel and Joseph. Karel was writing a play, which was called R.U.R. and released in 1920, that included artificial workers, and initially wanted to call them Labori, but considered that a bit bookish.
His brother then suggested calling them Robots, based on the Czech word ‘robota,’ which means labor. The term ‘Robot’ was born.
Robot Aerodynamic collection
Robot
Robot calls itself a microbrand on its website, a term I usually associate with up-and-coming brands that try to struggle their way into the industry from a Kickstarter beginning. While in a more literal sense, the term may be valid for Robot in terms of volume, the sophistication of the watch, as well as its packaging, puts them more in line with established brands.
Robot was founded by Josef Zajíček, an entrepreneur who plays a leading role in the substantial Czech automotive industry. This also gives a clue about the origin of the Robot Aerodynamic, as its design is inspired by the Tatra T77, the first ever mass-produced car with a streamlined body in the world. This was back in 1934 and the designers were the very talented Hans Ledwinka and Paul Jaray.
The Tatra’s were so advanced for their time in terms of aerodynamics and technical design that they even influenced the great Ferdinand Porsche, who incorporated many of them in the Volkswagen Beetle.
Tatra even wanted to take Volkswagen to court for design infringements, but the occupation of Nazi Germany prevented this. However, in the 1960s, Volkswagen settled the lingering case out of court with the Ringhoffer family, who originally owned Tatra.
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As with Tatra, ithe design driving force behind Robot also a duo. Michal Froněk and Jan Němeček are the founders of the Olgoj Chorchoj design studio, which played a vital role in getting the Czech industry back on track after the Velvet Revolutionof 1989.
With the Aerodynamic, Robot cleverly takes some of the design cues of the streamlined, air-cooled Tatra cars and incorporate them into the timepiece. The air vents are prominently displayed on the dial, and colored on this version in a beautiful hue of blue.
When you look in between them, you even get a glimpse of the movement itself. While Robot is well on its way to becoming a full-blown manufacture, where a lot is already made in-house in the Czech Republic, for the Aerodynamic, they teamed up with La Joux-Perret to create a manual wound movement with an 8-day power reserve.
Back of the Robot Aerodynamic
The movement is almost all bridge, and Robot cleverly played with this by skeletonizing it in a circular fashion and decorating it from the center out.
Robot Aerodynamic Cobalt Blue
This gives the movement a sophisticated look that perfectly matches the front of the watch. The proportions of the movement fit that of the watch nicely, and Robot forgoes decorating the caseback.
Robot Aerodynamic Cobalt Blue on the wrist
As it has a well-rounded profile, the comfort of wearing it is superb. In general, Robot spend a lot of time finishing the case to a very high degree, making everything look very smooth.
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On the dial side, Robot integrated two subdials opposite of each other, both in a silver finish. The top one is the power reserve indicator, while the bottom one serves as the running seconds. There, we also find the date window.
Robot Aerodynamic Cobalt Blue
This setup is very pleasing, and the different elements on the dial, along with the play of light with the blue parts, make it so that you keep checking the watch.
Crown and caseband of the Robot Aerodynamic
While double-domed sapphire crystals are all in fashion, Robot decided to go with a domed one, which gives the Aerodynamic a sleeker look. The overall height is 12.2 mm, which further extends the wearing comfort, along with the superbly crafted leather strap.
It looks a bit tough when you take it out of the box, but it quickly settles on your wrist. Robot even put considerable effort in crafting a unique buckle, which is also made from Grade 5 titanium, just like the case.
The box itself is also a thing of beauty, carved from a single piece of wood, with the top doubling as a brochure. The Aerodynamic even comes with a beautiful metal cigar tube containing a Montecristo.
Robot Aerodynamic Cobalt Blue
And it also comes also a pouch to store the watch in, made from the same quality leather as the strap. Overall, the Robot Aerodynamic is a captivating timepiece that oozes quality and unites old-school craftsmanship with modern design.
Robot is also confident in what it brings to the market, as the Aerodynamic comes with an 8-year warranty.
For more information, please visit https://robot-watch.com/product-aerodynamic.php?aerodynamic-series=cobalt-blue
Quick Facts Robot Aerodynamic Cobalt Blue
Case: 39.5 x 12.2 mm, Grade 5 titanium
Movement: Robot Aerodynamic made in collaboration with La Joux-Perret, 28,800 vph frequency, 192-hour power reserve
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds; date
Price: € 7.280
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