While the Batmobile has had many redesigns over the years, there’s something about the animalistic swoops and curves of the 1989 model that has persisted. The Tim Burton film was released more than 30 years ago, and yet his rendition of the Batmobile is as iconic today as it was then.
A mixture of 50s corvettes, supersonic jets, and stingrays, the car has a presence and energy all its own.
What better way to pay homage to the Keaton-mobile than a state-of-the-art replica that also just happens to be a functional desk clock?
After all, you might want a Batmobile, but you need a clock.
And as you’ll see, this one’s in a league of its own.
A timepiece like no other
Make no mistake; this is not a plastic Batmobile body glued onto a battery-powered clock. Made by boutique timepiece craftsmen Kross Studio, their spin on the Batmobile uses the ultimate combination of design and high-end materials to bring the desk clock to the next level.
Based in Switzerland, Kross Studio spent months of research and development to create the custom movement that is housed inside the car. A total of 512 components were used, quadruple the amount of a standard mechanical movement.
The turbine in the front provides a window to the vertical regulator, which spins at over 21,000 beats per hour. Hypnotic to say the least.
The clock face itself rotates under a glass panel on the hood, with hours and minutes are shown horizontally on two cylinders.
The clock doesn’t rely on a battery, instead using a mechanical winding movement that has a power reserve of 30 days.
The key to the Batmobile
The nature of a manual-winding movement means you’ll need a key… and not just any key, but a suitably shaped Batmobile key. Once a month, the key fits into a slot in the exhaust port at the back of the car. Turning it might not make jet engine noises, but it does reset the mechanisms for another month.
To set the clock dials, the key fits into a separate port along the engine bay.
It costs how much?
Before we share the price, you should probably keep a few things in mind…
Swiss timepieces tend to be expensive.
Swiss timepieces with 512 parts and a handcrafted aluminum composite body tend to be really expensive. Limit them to just 100 units, and the price enters a different world entirely.
For $29,000, you can take home your very own Batmobile. It will be less than 12” long and totally stationary, but hey… it will have a key.
