Tokima 2014 - Black

Today is the 3rd birthday of my blog, and I'm celebrating with a Tokima.

The Tokima watches are one of my favourite line of watches, and I've got most of the models which have been released.

Last year, was celebrated as the 30th anniversary of the original models, and to mark that event, two new Tokima watches were released. The text for the watch states:

"It's been 30 years years since then, "TOKIMA" is back from the cosmic space. Human will be beyond time and space by mounting a wristwatch-type time machine in the future. Time machine design, which is beyond the dimensions. It's the "TOKIMA". ". A lot more can be found about the Tokima watches in my Tokima overview page here.

The watches are a limited edition release with 1500 units in each of the two colours, black and silver. They have been designed by the original Tokima inventor Katsushi Murakami, and there is a signed note in the box from Murakami himself (and is does look like it is hand signed). There is a video about the watch on Youtube which you can find here.

This model is an upgraded version of the Tokima original shape, and looks a little like the 1998 Original metal watch. It now has a 4 digit LCD display on the back of the head so you can read the time when everything is closed in watch mode. Opening up the head reveals Tokima's had an eye upgrade, with the eyes now being two Swarovski crystals. The LCD on the front is now different too, with the dot matrix being replaced by a two part display with an LCD analogue style dial (3 hand) and a countdown block display with numbers in the middle for the stopwatch mode. The main LCD has buttons on the left of the display, and the head LCD has inset buttons on the sides of the head.

TOKIMA has also grown but has been on a diet since 1998. His body is about the same size but not as deep, but has longer legs and arms, and his head has grown (to be able to fit the LCD).

The strap and robot mount had had an upgrade too. The main part is similar to the 1998 models, but there is now a metal bumper around the outside.

The watch is still for sale, but as it's a limited edition it'll only be around until they sell them all. It is produced by Katsushi Murakami, copyright to Live Works, and sold by Skj-J, and is a Japanese made watch.

This black version has a model number of SKY-95003, and has an rrp of around ¥27,000.

Family photo: 1983, 1998,  and 2014 versions

Tokima HD-206 optical illusion watch

Regular readers will know that I'm a big collector of the Tokima Digirobo transforming robot watches. Today's watch is also a Tokima, but it's definitely not a robot...

While looking for the robot watches, I've found out that there is a brand called Tokima that also produces watches but is not related to the Bandai robots. Most of the Tokima watches I've seen have been 80s style LCD models, but they also produced more unusual designs like today's.

This watch is based around a 3 hand dial movement, but with some differences. At the centre of the dial is a rotating disc for the seconds. This means that the hours and minutes hands poke out from behind this disc. The minutes hand is a regular silver hand, but the hours hand is a small red triangle and is a little more difficult to see.

The seconds disc is what makes this design more noticeable. The disc is clear with a spoked wheel design on. Behind this disc is another static disc which is mirrored and also has a spoked wheel design, but with the spokes at a different angle. This means that when the seconds disc rotates there is an illusion that the centre of the disc is continually expanding outwards.

I haven't been able to find out luck more about the age of the watch, but the model number is HD-206, and it has a Japanese quartz movement.

500th Watch - Tokima Digirobo Blue

Today, my blog hits it's 500th watch (if I include a couple of pocket watches and a clock designed as a watch). For each of the hundreds, I've blogged a robot watch, and so today I'll keep up that tradition.

This watch is one of the original 1980s Tokima Digirobo models which first came out in 1983. They were released by Bandai after having been developed by the Popy Kikakushitsu company, and all of the details can be found on my Tokima Robot Watch Overview page (link).

The one I'm blogging today is perhaps the rarest version of any of the Tokima Digirobo watches. I have only seen this blue one once in the last 10 years, apart from in a 1985 catalogue. Unfortunately, this one had been stored in the sun and faded to green (but the original blue can be seen on the strap and the bottom of the box) - but it may mean I have the only green one out there ;-).

The watch has a basic 3.5 digit LCD module which has a time, date, and seconds display. The box gives much more detailed information, saying it is a "Field Electric Efficiency (FE) type nematic liquid crystal 3 1/2 digit display", and has a 32768Hz tuning fork type quartz movement.

As with all of these models, the watch head is released from the strap with two clips, and then pulling out the robots feet releases the arms too.

Bandi Tokima PII Robot Watch

It's time for watch number 400, so keeping tradition, I'm blogging a robot again :-)

This is the last of the Tokima robot designs to be blogged (but don't worry I've got a few more variations to blog ;-)).

This model is the PII, and it is a variation on the Steam Head model. The main difference is purely in the head design, with this model having only 1 eye. As with the others, the key to transforming the watch is to pull out the legs and this releases the arms. It has the same dot matrix LCD display that shows the time (in 6 digits), or a random message in Japanese (or occasionally English). It too can be set with your name and birthday and will give you personalised messages.

It was released as the last model type in the Tokima range, and came out in 1999/2000.

Bandai Tokima Steam Head Special Edition

Today marks the first anniversary of my blog!! And to mark the occasion I'm wearing one of my Tokima robot watches (as I tend to do for each celebration). Also, as a blog birthday treat, I'll be posting an overview page covering the whole story of the Tokima robots.
UPDATE: It's now up and can be found here: link

The Tokima robot watches were made by Japanese toymaker Bandai, and were first seen in the early 1980s as plastic kids watches. In 1998, Bandai resurrected the line with a set of larger metal watches which must have been aimed at adults who had the watches as kids 15 years earlier (as it's too big and heavy for most children). Two designs were released and included a new design called the Steam Head.

The Steam Head watch was a transforming robot watch as the others, but with a more steampunk feeling, and was released in a few different colours and strap variations. In late 98 or early 99, they released a special limited edition of the watch, and that is what I'm wearing today :-).

The special edition was released as a numbered limited edition of 3000, and to make it extra special, this particular watch is number 0001/3000!!! The shape of the watch is the same as the standard model, but came in shiny silver with a swirling pattern on the robots head (and a special white box).

The watch uses a dot matrix LCD display, which normally shows the time but will also show random, mainly Japanese, messages. It has time, date, and stopwatch modes in the module, and is powered by a CR2032 battery.

The watch head is also the robot, and once released from it's holder (by the spring loaded fittings at the top and bottom) it can be transformed. Transformation happens by rotating the part covering the display and moving it onto the top to make the head, and then pulling out the legs to release the arms.

Bandai Alarm Tokima Silver

If I've been keeping track of my posts, today marks the 300th watch I've posted.

To mark this occasion, I'm blogging another Bandai Tokima watch. I had planned to wear the watch as well, but unfortunately the straps of these watches suffer from the brittle strap problem as the plastic ages, so it's too fragile to use (with the original strap).

The Tokima robot watches were originally released in 1983 by Bandai. After a year, Bandai released two new versions; the Aquaboy, and this one, the Alarm Tokima.

The Digirobo Alarm Tokima is slightly different in style than the other two with a head that pops out of the body rather than being the cover for the LCD display. To see the display, you press a small button on the bottom in front of the legs and the front panel flips open.

To turn the watch into a robot, you first take it from the strap by squeezing the buttons on either side. To make the transformation, you pull down the legs and the arms and head pop out. In order to return the robot back to the watch, you push in the feet first, and then the arms and head will latch in.

As the name suggests, this has a more complex module than the other Tokimas as it includes an alarm as well as the time, date, and seconds displays.

More can be found on the Tokima watch range in my overview page: link

Inside view of module

Bandai Tokima Aquaboy Digirobo

As this is my 20th watch, and according to blogger, I've reached 20,000 pageviews (-it shows less on the counter on the page, but that's because I started that later), it's time for another Tokima robot.

This is the 1984 Aquaboy Digirobo by Bandai. It was released the year after the original Tokima Digorobo (which I've posted before). The watch is very similar to the original, but has a larger rounded appearance. The robot in this case is modelled as a scuba diver, with the face covered in a clear plastic mask, and having a snorkel. The back of the robot is also designed to look like oxygen tanks.

To make room for the larger robot, the strap has a different connection - a rounded connector, with an open back so you can see the robots back even if he is attached.

The model was released in 3 colours (the others I'll blog at a later date), and also appeared in a Japanese kids tv show.

It has the same style of basic LCD module as the original, with time, date, and seconds, and is powered by an AG1 battery.

More can be found on the Tokima watch range in my overview page: link

The original instruction manual

100th Watch: Bandai Tokima Original - Matt Silver

This day marks the 100th watch posted in my blog :-D and so I've chosen one of the watches that is special to my collection!
The watch is the Tokima Original robot watch by Bandai. This is one of the set that was issued in 1998, the 15th anniversary of the original Tokima Digorobo watches from 1983.
The 1998 version differs from the 1983 watch as it is made of metal, and it's body is about twice the height. I guess that this was made for adults (and it is large and heavy) who had the plastic watch when they were kids.
Display-wise, the watch uses a dot matrix LCD panel (31x7?). It has time, date, and stopwatch modes, and uses a green LED light for nighttime use.
At random intervals, the watch also displays scrolling messages in Japanese, or occasionally an animation (smiley face, running stick man). I've seen mention that there are 800 messages that the watch will give, but haven't been able to confirm that yet. It also has an option hidden in the instructions which allows you to set your birthday, and the watch will then give you a birthday message!
This watch is special in that it was the first Tokima robot watch I got, and so this started the whole robot watch collection! More can be found on the Tokima watch range in my overview page: link

Bandai Tokima Digorobo - 1983 red version

My blog is now starting it's second month, so I thought it was time for the first of my Bandai Tokima Digorobo watches.

The Tokima line is a collection of transforming robot watches first released in 1983 (-a larger metal version was released in 1998 - more on that in future posts). This watch is a red 1983 version with a red vinyl strap. The watch originated from the Japanese toy manufacturer Popy (founded in 1971 and known for it's robot toys) , which merged with it's parent company Bandai in March 1983. This original watch only mentions Popy on the back of the watch base, and Bandai on the watch itself. The Tokima Digorobo was copyrighted in 1983 by the Popy Kikakushitsu (or Kikaku) Company Ltd (aka Ginza Kikaku, or G.K. as shown on the back of the watch).

The watch is released from the base with two metal buttons on either side, and pulling out the legs releases the arms and completes the transformation to robot mode. To convert it back, you need to remember to put the legs in first, or the arms won't stay in!

The watch module is a basic LCD with time, date, and seconds display. These watches are probably my favorite sub-collection, and at the moment, I think I have every version that has been released - so expect many more of these to feature in coming posts! More can be found on the Tokima watch range in my overview page: link