ThinkGeek.com has imagined a perfect send up to the Steampunk movement with its Tesla Watch, inspired by turn-of-the-century Serbian American inventor/engineer/physicist Nikola Tesla (not the car company named for him).  This watch’s analog engine appearance is mesmerizing.

The Tesla’s main watch face, nestled in the distressed brass-looking case, is white with tasteful black numerals and indices.  Stylized hands mark the time.  A separate secondhand dial is placed at ten o’clock to the main dial.  The winding key, which rides in a slot of the leather band, adjusts the hour and minute hands.

Not including the two faux vacuum tubes or secondary dial, the Tesla Watch is large at about 41 mm in case diameter.  Overall height of this beast is 68.58 mm!  The width of the large leather band is 30.48 mm.  If you are willing to wear one, be prepared to get noticed.

The “vacuum tubes” are lit with red LED’s and are activated by the sliding on/off switch atop the case.  In keeping with Mr. Tesla’s work in electrical engineering, he invented A/C or alternating current, I think the LED’s for the vacuum tubes should be a blue/purple like the lighting discharge of a Tesla coil– shown above.  Just an observation.

This watch is powered up by three different coin batteries–one each for the main watch, secondhand, and, finally, the vacuum tubes.  It would be cool if the watch ran off key wound springs, which would energize some miniaturized “induction motor” or other Tesla-style invention.  We’ll have to settle for a Japanese quartz movement.

ThinkGeek gives these specifications for the Tesla Watch:

– Steampunk-styled Tesla analog watch
– A ThinkGeek creation & exclusive
– Weathered-brass look on metal findings plus leather strap
– Japanese movement
– 2 light-up vacuum tube-style LEDs on top
– On/off switch controls red LEDs in vacuum tubes
– Ornamental winding keys
– Comes in a tin, suitable for gifting
– Materials: 304 stainless steel case, glass face, and leather strap
– Not water resistant
– Batteries: SR626SW (minutes/hour), SR521SW (seconds), and CR2032 (LEDs) button cell batteries (included)
– Dimensions: Watch face 1″ diameter, total face 1.6″ diameter, 2.7″ tall including vacuum tubes
– Strap 1.2″ wide, fits a wrist 6.75″ to 8″

For $59.99, the Tesla Watch is pretty bad-ass.  I am hum-hawing around with ordering one just to liven up my monotonous days in the office.  “Activate the Tesla Polyphase Generators!” I’d cry.  Just then, the building’s lights would dim…ominously.

by Wilson

Photos:  Watch–ThinkGeek   Coil discharge–electrotherapymuseum.com