Unlike the renowned luxury manufacturers debuting at the Watches & Wonders exhibition in Geneva, Time to Watches 2024 became a sort of palate cleanser in the watch world: showcasing a variety of brands existing at prices well below five figures.
One of the standout representatives we encountered at the exhibition was the proud Czech company Robot, which produces a significant portion of its components in-house and offers a design clearly inspired by Czech motifs. Among the current lineup, my personal favorite is the Robot Aerodynamic model, a retro-futuristic watch with a titanium case and manual 8-day movement inspired by the Tatra T77: the legendary Czech car considered the world's first production car with a streamlined aerodynamic body.
The Czech Tatra T77, released in 1934, was the brainchild of car designer Hans Ledwinka and Zeppelin aerodynamics engineer Paul Jaray. Based on Ledwinka's chassis design consisting of a backbone frame with swinging half-axles and an air-cooled engine, the Tatra T77 also benefited from Jaray's aerodynamic expertise. The collaboration resulted in a truly revolutionary car that ultimately laid the foundation for such advanced vehicles as Volkswagen and Porsche. In fact, Tatra initially wanted to sue Volkswagen for design infringement due to how much the VW Beetle borrowed from Ledwinka and Jaray's work, but the German occupation of Czechoslovakia during World War II ended Tatra's lawsuits, and Volkswagen eventually settled the matter out of court in the 1960s.
Adapting a car design to a watch seems like a straightforward task, but doing it tastefully is much harder than one might assume. In my opinion, the most successful designs are those that immediately catch the eye of car enthusiasts yet remain unrecognizable to those unaware of the automotive inspiration. The Robot Aerodynamic watches excel in being both understated and obvious. The smooth rounded profile and the arched cutouts on the dial and movement immediately evoke the air vents and streamlined body panels of the Tatra T77. However, even without the automotive concept, the Robot Aerodynamic could easily stand alone as a watch with a unique design and its retro-futuristic appearance.
The Robot Aerodynamic case measures 39.5mm in diameter and 12.2mm in thickness, made from Grade 5 titanium with a sandblasted finish. It features a smooth profile extending to the domed sapphire crystal above the dial and curved edges on the case back. Between the two rounded guards at the 3 o'clock position is a large crown with the Robot logo, and the collection's water resistance is 50 meters, providing protection from daily contact. Despite the relatively modest case diameter, the thin bezel design means the Robot Aerodynamic appears slightly larger than expected, although the rounded profile and downward-facing lugs also allow the case to seem quite flat compared to its overall size.
At the time of writing, the Robot Aerodynamic collection includes seven different color options, including Silver Metallic, Copper Brown, Cobalt Blue, Bronze Aura PVD, Streamline Beige, Black Nickel, and Titanium Green. While most models feature sandblasted natural gray titanium cases, the Black Nickel version has a black PVD coating, and Bronze Aura PVD offers a warm bronze PVD coating on Grade 5 titanium components. Although the Silver Metallic variant perhaps most closely resembles automotive themes, my favorite in the current lineup is the newly announced Titanium Green version with a unique color-changing dial that dances between different shades of green and blue with purple flashes depending on the lighting.
Regardless of the color, all Robot Aerodynamic dials share the same design and layout: a pair of central hour and minute hands, a power reserve indicator at the 12 o'clock position, and an additional seconds sub-dial with a round date indicator located on the opposite side at the 6 o'clock position. The arched cutouts inspired by the Tatra T77 car body panels extend outward from the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions, and the minute track appears as a separately attached ring encircling the dial's periphery. The color-changing effect of the Titanium Green dial is achieved through a chemical process, and attention to detail throughout the dial and hands is very high: a small decorative cap covers the mounting point of the central luminescent hour and minute hands.
At the heart of the Robot Aerodynamic watches is a manual winding movement with an eight-day power reserve, made by the Swiss company La Joux-Perret. Since the top bars and bridges of the movement are skeletonized and mirror the cutouts on the dial in the spirit of the Tatra T77, this is not a completely off-the-shelf design. However, based on the movement's schematic and technical specifications on paper, I am confident that the Aerodynamic movement shares the same architecture as the La Joux-Perret Cal. F100, which operates at a frequency of 21,600 per hour (3 Hz) with an eight-day power reserve (about 192 hours). Finally, completing the Aerodynamic series are two-piece leather straps in various colors and textures that complement the dials. The straps taper from 20mm at the lugs to 18mm where they meet the simple sandblasted titanium buckles.
The Robot Aerodynamic watches are an incredibly charming ensemble, but the model truly comes alive when you have the opportunity to see it in metal - especially the version with the color-changing Titanium Green dial. The largely sandblasted surfaces create a deceptively simple initial appearance. However, upon closer inspection, a harmony of lines and layers emerges, ultimately creating a striking visual intrigue. The watches themselves are admittedly quite difficult to photograph. The retro-futuristic design of the Aerodynamic is laid-back enough not to appear overly formal, yet its streamlined shape and thoughtful proportions make it easy to dress up for more formal occasions. While inevitably some people will prefer something more traditional, there's no doubt that the Robot Aerodynamic offers a truly original look that stands out in a sea of mid-century design and vintage-inspired models.
Given the Grade 5 titanium case and 8-day La Joux-Perret movement, the Robot Aerodynamic model is positioned as one of the most expensive offerings in the Czech brand's catalog. The official retail price of the model is set at 7,280 euros (about $7,800 USD at the time of writing), with a slight premium for the Bronze Aura PVD version. At this price point, there are many other options available, including entry-level models from the world's most renowned luxury manufacturers. However, the Robot Aerodynamic is not for those just entering the world of watchmaking, and the person buying these proud Czech watches with an automotive theme does not seek a universally recognized status symbol, but rather prefers to own something truly unique that won't be seen on another wrist.