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There's Time, and then there's Nanoblock Time

2K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  Rotundus 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
A colourful Nanoblock Time wristwatch shown on the blog of Ivan Teh - RunningMan in 2015

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Even when I was a child, I eschewed Lego. I just didn't like the large size of the pieces and the garish colours; it all seemed so clumsy and "babyish". My architectural construction toy of choice was "Betta Bilda" which used a small range of colours - predominantly white but with red and green components as well - and smaller basic block units. I don't know what I would have made of "Nanoblocks", which uses a wide range of colours and basic blocks which are even smaller than Betta Bilda bricks; the smallest Nonoblock measures 4 mm X 4 mm. This might have seemed a bit fiddly for me, and the small blocks would surely have got lost. Nevertheless, Nanoblock has become a very popular toy, not only among children but also among adults, some of whom have become noted Nanoblock builders/sculptors. Nanoblock is a product of Kawada Co. Ltd., a Japanese concern. While on the subject of favourite creative toys, I also loved "Britains Floral Garden", but that is another story.

Exploded view of a Kawada Nanoblock Time Traveler wristwatch, and view of its parts (pics from Europa Star Time.Keeper) followed by a Nanoblock Time Squared White wristwatch which has a case size of just over 40 mm X 40 mm (pic from nanoblocktime US):

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In 2012, Kawada introduced the "Nanoblock Time" (written by the manufacturer as one word, "nanoblocktime") wristwatch as a fun way to build a customized watch using Nanoblocks. This product added a new dimension to Kawada's already established micro-block buiding system. The small size of the Nanoblocks allows a greater number of creative options and a higher degree of precision when constructing the customizable parts of the watch, and there is a good range of colours to choose from when constructing the watch, depending on which set is purchased and how many Nanoblocks one has to play with.

At this stage in the topic, I will just introduce my own Nanoblock watch, purchased recently for the heady sum of fifty pence. It was on the toy shelf in a charity shop and I just thought it was a bit of "nonsense". Little did I know that my particular set costs about US$100 and has become something of a fashion item. My set contains two quartz watch units side by side, with decoration on the bezel in vibrant colours formed from individual Nanoblocks; the dual watch module is attached to a plastic Nanoblock bracelet with a stainless steel clasp. My particular set is called the "Traveler" because one of the two watch units can be set to a second time zone. In addition to the dual watch on its metal and plastic bracelet, the Traveler set comes with 50 extra blocks for added creativity, and a black nylon strap terminating in black Nanoblock ends. Even with the twin watch units set side by side, the measurement across is only 40 mm, so the watch as a whole is manageable in size although it has to be said that its thickness is rather more substantial at 15 mm. In the case of the Traveler, the two watch blocks can be set diagonally in addition to the side by side position.

Nanoblock Time Squared watch set containing a rather nice grey and yellow watch, shown in more detail in the third picture. This set of 2015 pics comes from the website of Christopher Tan, an enthusiatic Nanoblock builder based in Malaysia:

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The Nanoblock Time watches are, to my mind, great fun but perhaps not a genuinely practical proposition. The first problem I noticed occurred in the shop when I took out the watch for examination; the tiny bricks easily detached themselves from the watch, and being so small they could be easily lost. Unless one glues the micro-bricks in place, I can't see them remaining in situ on the watch during periods when the watch is worn. In terms of everyday wear, the 2016 review of the product on Euopa Star Time.Keeper by Mr. E highlighted two potentially negative points, apart from the one I myself raise here. The first concerns the lack of any meaningful water resistance and the second is the question of readability. I believe that at least some of the Nanoblock Time watches are stated to be "water resistant", hopefully meaning that the watch would at least survive rainy weather, and as far as readability is concerned, I feel that although the dials tend to be quite small, they are reasonably legible. The Traveler set is available in six different colour combinations, and although the Nanoblock Time watches are not really a practical proposition, they are rather fun, and when I looked at photographs of the various customizations that Nanoblock enthusiasts have created, I was rather impressed. The creative fashion side of the Nanoblocks Time watches is really what these items are all about, and there is nothing wrong with that. I suppose that the question of value for money really hinges on what the purpose is for buying a Nanoblock Time watch, and how enthusiastic you are about Nanoblocks as a medium for creativity and/or fashion design.

The Traveler Black Nanoblock Time watch, above, and the Nanoblock Time All Rounder. The All Rounder costs US$59 from nanoblocktime US and is rather limited in customization (pics from nanoblocktime US):

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Having written the draft of the above text, I thought I had said most of what needed to be said about Nanoblocks Time watches. Then, G-Shock-horror, I read that there was a cooperation between Casio's G-Shock and Kawada in 2019 involving Nanoblocks! In fact, this is not a worrying case of a G-Shock wristwatch being made from Nanoblocks but merely what is rather grandly titled a "G-Shock x Nanoblock Watch Display Tool". This comprised a black platform with space to display a G-Shock watch, a red 'G' in Nanoblocks, and a space for one Nanoblock sports figure (included in the pack). The four different sporting figures are a hockey player (in homage to the famous 1984 G-Shock TV advertisement from America), surfer, BMX rider, and snowboarder. The G-Shock x Nanoblock Watch Display Tool celebrates G-Shock's popularity in extreme sports, and although not available in Japan, the display tool has been used by G-Shock commercially elsewhere to accompany purchases at official G-Shock outlets (though not itself for retail sale). On 3 February 2020, an update announced that the G-Shock x Nanoblock set would be given away by G-Shock Taiwan with each purchase of a GM-5600 at official G-Shock stores. The type of sports figure in the set was to be selected at random. I have included in this topic the promotional Watch Display Tool video launched by Casio in 2019.

G-Shock x Nanoblock collaboration movie posted on YouTube by Casio G-Shock on 26 November 2019 (youtu.be/AnzGnyxatq8):



The Nanoblock Time Smart watch for kids, produced by Omate in conjunction with Kawada (Nanoblocks) (pic from PC Magazine):

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#4 ·
There is a bit of confusion here, dear @Rotundus; let me explain. The predominant colour in Betta Bilda was white - for the bases and the bricks - but some elements were also in green and red. As you mention, the tiles were in green, but also the window frames and doors were mainly in red. I only know this not from memory but from looking up vintage Betta Bilda sets. In fact, it does seem that some more unusual architectural Betta Bilda elements were in blue or even yellow, but the main three colours in each set were, as I stated, white, red and green. Phew! :biggrin:
 
#5 ·
I am the third of three.

By the time I inherited the BB all that remained were base plates, bricks and tiles. Such architectural delights as doors and window frames presumably were not adequately durable to survive my humble and decidedly primogentre'esque early existence.

But from the humble acorn etc etc :thumbsup:

I had some second hand Mecano too. :teethsmile:

Digression over, continue the good work Honour.

:rltrlt:
 
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