Star Wars Ep 1 R2-D2 Die-cast watch by Hope Industries

A second robot running today, but this one is more more recognisable.

The watch is a Star Wars watch which was released in 1999 as one of the promotional products for the release of Stars Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. It is a die-cast metal watch and part of the same series as the Darth Maul watch I blogged in April. It is by the US based company Hope Industries, Inc who seem to not exist anymore.

The watch is a model of the robot R2-D2 who was one of a small few characters who featured in all 6 of the Star Wars movies so far. The watch body is a metal model of R2, and pressing down on his middle leg lets his body flip up and reveal the LCD display. As with Darth Maul, the time is displayed in 4 digits over two rows. There are two buttons below the display with one to cycle between time, date, and seconds, and the other for setting. Both buttons need to be pressed with a long pointy object suggesting that it isn't really designed to show the other display modes. The strap is a moulded blue plastic design with a texture design like a circuit board.

Pororin (ポロリン) Dance Art Mix Watch

It's an unusual Japanese character watch again today.

The watch was released in 1994 by Super Planning Co., Ltd. Super Planning Co is a Japanese company involved with life and fashion accessories and character design, and was founded in 1984.

The watch features an oval headed character called ポロリン or Pororin (or Pan Pororin) from an anime called Pan Pororin which aired from 1973 to 1980, and was also associated with a series of singles as well. I've been through the Japanese wiki page, but this doesn't tell me anything about the story in the Anime.

Below the character name, it calls the watch Dance Art Mix (as a registered trade mark), but not sure what this means.

Under the face is the LCD display. It has a standard 4 digit display with two buttons below. The module is the usual basic model with time, date, and seconds display options.

There is maybe a model number on the bottom of the packaging which says 578001 (Yel), as well as 1200 in a small box.

Caratch Jr. Beetle Fighter by Bandai

Working through my watch collection has definitely informed me of many different Japanese hero series.

Today's watch is from the series Beetle Fighter, or Juukou B-Fighter, and was part of the Japanese production company Toei's Metal Hero Series. In the series, 3 members of the Earth Academia find out that the insects of the world are swarming against an alien menace. The group develops bio armour which is infused with the life force of various insects, and these enable their owners to fight back as the B-Fighters. The action footage from the series was used in the West as the basis for the series Big Bad Beetleborgs.

The watch was made by Bandai, and is part of a range called Charatch (as in character), and features the head of one of the B-Fighters. Like many of this type, the 4 digit LCD display is revealed by lifting the lid, and the watch has time, date, and seconds modes.

It is from 1995 which is when the series was released, and was made in Japan