Credits: Article and images by Tim Mosso @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2024/02/22/azimuth-mr-roboto-bronzo-artist-series-reviewed-by-tim-mosso/
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That said, many haute horlogerie avant-garde outfits follow this model. Urwerk is well-known for using Zenith Elite bases, and several MB&F models have used Girard-Perregaux and even Sellita automatic base calibers. In its earliest days, De Bethune borrowed movements from A. Schild and others.
Fit is a surprising strong suit for Mr. Roboto. The watch measures 42.6mm wide by 49.5mm lug-to-lug. That might sound horrific, but this isn’t the brick it appears to be. On a 16cm circumference wrist, the Bronzo was manageable and surprisingly compact. As a reference point, most solid-end-link Rolex Daytonas measure roughly 51mm across the wrist. But with a height of nearly 20mm, Mr. Roboto doth bestride your narrow cuff like a colossus.
Weight is a definite factor to consider when wearing Mr. Roboto, and a wrist strapped with this watch carries massive momentum through its swing. But mass also implies a kind of class, and collectors who detest the toy-like lightness of titanium, carbon, and ceramic will adore the juggernaut heft of the Bronzo.
And those collectors will find the bronze ‘bot impossible to wear with any degree of anonymity. If I may break the fourth wall for a moment – hi, I’m Tim – the Mr. Roboto Bronzo drew more attention and comment than any watch I’ve worn since the original Devon Tread.
I’ve worn dozens if not hundreds of watches, and Mr. Roboto is the pointed peak of Olympus among extroverted wrist statements. It’s a magnet for the attention of human beings. Introverts need to avoid this watch.
Mr. Roboto’s boxed set is simple but entertaining. The outer carboard box depicts a literal 1950s “Lantern” robot in model-specific bronze tones. Opposite sides of the box feature the corresponding front and rear of the robo-mascot. Amusing text adds context: “This is not a toy. For serious collectors only.”
Only Azimuth knows whether that is a warning in earnest or a subtle commentary on the absurdity of the luxury watch hobby itself.
Within the outer box, a simple warranty card promises 24-month global protection. That’s on the stingy side of the current warranty landscape. Each Artist Series watch is identified therein as a piece unique.
The card, which folds open to double as a user’s guide, is printed on luxurious linen-like cardstock. The ambiguously wooden inner box – it might be plastic – opens to reveal Mr. Roboto against a suede-like inner lining.
The Azimuth Mr. Roboto Bronzo Artist Series is fabulous a mass of contradictions. It’s a 1950s vision of the future festooned with today’s finance fads. It’s made for adults but shaped like a toy. It’s a skeuomorphic robot that happens to be a watch.
None of that matters, because this gadget appeals to raw emotion, not reason.
Watches created by watch enthusiasts for watch enthusiasts are the ultimate inside-baseball style statements. Most times, this recursive world view yields products that are discreet, small, and bound to antiquarian notions of elegance. Massena LAB, Ming, and Fears cater to this crowd.
Mr. Roboto appeals to a different kind of nostalgia. He – or she – is a creature of pure wonder, absurdity, and juvenile appeal. It’s a watch for the 40-year-old version of your eight-year-old self.
For more on Azimuth and Mr. Roboto, please visit https://www.azimuthwatch.com/universe/sci-fi
Quick Facts: Azimuth Mr. Roboto Bronzo Artist Series
Case: 42.6 wide mm x 49.5mm lug-to-lug x 19.5mm thick, bronze construction.
Movement: Automatic caliber AZM 1500.2 based on the ETA 2834-2; 36-hour power reserve with Azimuth complication module.
Functions: Hours, retrograde minutes, seconds, GMT.
Limitation: Each Artist Series piece is unique.
Price: $10,000
Year of release: 2022
Tim Mosso is the media director and watch specialist at Watchbox. You can check out his very comprehensive YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@WatchBoxStudios/videos.
* This article was first published 07 January 2023 at Azimuth Mr. Roboto Bronzo Artist Series
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Credits: Article and images by Tim Mosso @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2024/02/22/azimuth-mr-roboto-bronzo-artist-series-reviewed-by-tim-mosso/