Credits: Article and images by Martin Green @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2024/07/01/robot-aerodynamic-a-sophisticated-horological-surprise-from-the-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
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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Credits: Article and images by Martin Green @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2024/07/01/robot-aerodynamic-a-sophisticated-horological-surprise-from-the-czech-republic/