An AI created these Star Wars themed timepieces to celebrate May the 4th

What better way to commemorate the greatest work of science fiction than with some science fiction of our own?! These imaginary (fictitious) timepieces were created using Midjourney’s AI art generator (science). Every year, on the fourth of May, sci-fi aficionados celebrate Star Wars Day. The day, colloquially referred to as “May the Fourth be with you” is a play on Han Solo’s iconic dialogue “May the force be with you”. To celebrate this uniquely pop-cultural moment in time, we have some timepieces that take inspiration from various characters in the movie. Each timepiece, whether a wristwatch,  pocket watch, table-clock, or wall-clock was created using Midjourney’s latest versions 5 and 5.1. The prompts were rather simple, to generate ceramic luxury watches (the one above looks exquisite) based on the Star Wars characters. The one on top is obviously an homage to the Storm trooper. It seems a little too literal, but I love the slight cloudy transparency and self-reflection of the ceramic surfaces. The watch, for some reason, has a ceramic strap too, but no harm, no foul. There’s no way this was designed to be real! Scroll down to check out some more.

Designer: Sarang Sheth (via Midjourney)

Just like the Stormtrooper wristwatch, these Darth Vader-themed watches put the iconic Sith lord’s helmet front and center. There’s just a wonderfully light use of gold against the watch’s black ceramic body, making it stand out. The helmet’s 3D depth is a lot on both watches, resulting in something looking incredibly chunky, but I don’t see myself complaining. The only true complaint I had was that I wanted a skeleton watch and the AI didn’t understand what I meant and kept making skull shapes!

Below is yet another example of a Stormtrooper-themed watch. Even though by sheer accident, this time the AI didn’t incorporate the Stormtrooper helmet into the watch face, but instead made a blurred helmet in the background. The result is a rather pristine-looking watch with the Stormtrooper color palette, a date window, and three subdials.

I tried my absolute best to get a Millennium Falcon-shaped watch, but no matter how much I played with the prompt (using even images to coax the AI), the results weren’t satisfactory. The AI image below, however, is the closest I got to something even remotely acceptable. This Millennium Falcon-themed watch may not have the spaceship’s iconic silhouette, but it definitely gets the Falcon’s surface treatment right. The Millennium Falcon has a rather unusual surface, comprising multiple panels welded and riveted together. This chaotic build is visible in the Millennium Falcon watch below as well, with one of the most dramatic watch faces I’ve seen in a while.

The pocket watch below might just be my favorite from this series. It doesn’t take an expert to realize this brass pocket watch is based on the lovable humanoid C3PO. The watch’s vintage design has two tiny dials for eyes, and comes with the same perplexed wide-eyed expression as the tall robot from the franchise. Hats off to Midjourney for also doing such a remarkable job with the reflectivity of the brass, and just the sheer amount of highlights and shadows created by the pocket watch’s intricately detailed surface. This could have easily fooled me.

While its original inspiration blew up into smithereens in the movie, this rather hefty table clock doesn’t look particularly in any danger of being destroyed. The AI had a tough time grasping the size and scale of the Death Star’s different regions, but managed to get the crux of its overall design, with a crater in the center that serves as the watch face.

What’s a Star Wars tribute series without the real star of the franchise? I’m talking about the Baby Yoda seen in The Mandalorian. This particular prompt was incredibly tough to orchestrate. I honestly wanted a table clock with Yoda ears, but Midjourney kept insisting on making a Baby Yoda figurine and putting a clock in its arms. Some of the images it made didn’t even have a clock in them! The one below was the best of the lot, with a rather adorable Baby Yoda holding a tiny timepiece with near-perfect numbering on it (Midjourney is notoriously bad with representing text). 15/10 would buy this.

Our last timepiece themes itself on the descendant of Vader… Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren. Now this one might have been the toughest of the lot, as the AI kept confusing Kylo Ren for Darth Vader. It took over 20 images to get something that even closely resembled Kylo’s helmet. To make things more dramatic, I added some red elements on the watch, along with lightsaber-inspired hands to match!

The post An AI created these Star Wars themed timepieces to celebrate May the 4th first appeared on Yanko Design.

Star Wars TIE Advanced x1 Watch Winder keeps any automatic watch going all the time

TIE Advanced x1 Watch Winder

The TIE Fighter is perhaps one of the most distinguishable fictional spacecraft in the Star Wars universe. You see one, and you know it’s something related to the Galactic Republic, but you would still recognize it even if you’re not a fan of the epic franchise. With hundreds to thousands of Star Wars-inspired creations worldwide, it may be challenging to track them all, but some items make a remarkable impression, especially if they have special functions. We don’t want any more useless stuff, so if we are presented with a new object like a sculpture, it better be functional. If it is a furniture item, it should have another function, so the effort isn’t wasted, so multi-functional items are very much appreciated by those who want to keep their lives compact, minimalist, and small.

Designer: Kross Studio

Kross Studio TIE Advanced x1 Watch Winder 3

Kross Studio is a relatively new company, but it has been introducing exciting products from several collaborations. The Studio’s identity includes collaboration as an integral part of the business, and so far, its partnerships have been successful. We remember that 1989 Batmobile Desk Clock as the perfect sidekick to a geeky desk setup. Star Wars fans will never forget the Death Star Watch and the Boba Fett Tourbillon Watch and today, we’re showing you the TIE Advanced x1 Watch Winder, described as the next chapter of the brand’s Star Wires-inspired collaboration.

Kross Studio TIE Advanced x1 Watch Winder 4

The latest collectible is functional but is available in a limited release only, but the dark universe-inspired TIE Advanced x1 watch winding sculpture can be considered a magnificent piece of art by hardcore Star Wars fans. However, it is mainly a watch winder in its solid aluminum glory with an integrated winding engine to keep an automatic watch always running even when not worn. This operational art object weighs 4kgs and measures 20cm long, 28cm wide, and 17cm high—made from a solid black anodized aluminum.

Kross Studio TIE Advanced x1 Watch Winder 2

Kross Studio is known for its excellent design and manufacturing skills, which are clearly evident in the TIE Advanced x1 Watch Winder. The functional sculpture has been machined, finished, and assembled in-house, resulting in a piece that harnesses the force of movement to keep any automatic watch going while within the capsule. The Kross Studio TIE Advanced x1-inspired watch winder sculpture is activated when an infrared sensor detects a watch. It stays in standby mode if there is no watch available to conserve energy, but the battery can last for more than two years. If you need to change the batteries, you may need to use a key inspired by the Galactic Empire.

Kross Studio TIE Advanced x1 Watch Winder

Everything about the TIE Advanced x1 watch winder proves Kross Studio’s principles when it comes to disruptive design. The studio has big collaborations and ambitions that have been successful since its launch in 2020 in the middle of the pandemic. This watch winder is no different and we believe more projects with other franchises will be introduced by Kross Studio.

The post Star Wars TIE Advanced x1 Watch Winder keeps any automatic watch going all the time first appeared on Yanko Design.

Darth Vader Bath Fizzers: Bathing in the Dark Side

Because who hasn’t ever dreamed of taking a nice relaxing bath with Sith Lord Darth Vader himself, Mad Beauty has created these officially licensed Star Wars Darth Vader Bath Fizzers. Wow, Darth Vader and bath fizzers – those are four words I never thought I’d hear together. There really is a first time for everything.

Available from FireBox, a six-pack of Vader Bath Fizzers (I feel weird every time I type it) will set you back $14. For those of you good at math, that’s $2.33 per fizzer. For those of you bad at math, I will take your SATs for you, but it’s going to cost you some serious Galactic Credits.

Each fizzer is shaped like Vader’s iconic helmet and turns your bath water jet black, releasing “a sweet amber and ginseng fragrance” in the process. Granted, that’s not what I’d make a Darth Vader bath fizzer smell like, but I admit it would be hard to really capture the subtle nuances of Alderaan following its annihilation via Death Star superlaser.

Darth Vader Chrome Ceramic Mug: The Shiny Side of the Dark Side of the Force

What’s better than sipping coffee from a Darth Vader helmet mug? Sipping coffee from a chrome-finish Darth Vader helmet mug. The Sith Lord’s black outfit is so shiny you could comb your hair in its reflection, but this mug is even more reflective thanks to its mirrored ceramic finish.

I like to imagine Vader walking around his Imperial Star Destroyer like Bill Lumbergh in Office Space, sipping coffee from this mug while micromanaging the crew about missing cover sheets on their Imperial TPS reports and asking them to come in and work on the Death Star II on the weekend.

If you like your coffee dark, like your favorite side of The Force, you can grab the Darth Vader chrome mug on Amazon (affiliate link) for $19.99.

Columbia Star Wars Outer Rim Collection: Gone Sithin’

There are probably a dozen Star Wars collaborations available at any given moment, but this one from Columbia is low-key bizarre yet still desirable. First off, the Outer Rim collection features Star Wars characters integrated into a line of shirts from Columbia’s Performance Fishing Gear (PFG) line. Second, the print on the shirts depicts tropical leaves, which hide not just the heroic X-Wing and Millennium Falcon, but also stormtroopers, TIE fighters, and Darth Vader himself. Kinda ominous don’t you think? Also, where are the Mon Calamari?!

As with other PFG apparel, these shirts feature lightweight fabric with rear ventilation, anti-UV treatment, and, er, a rod holder. Whatever, it works and I’m down for it. You can order the shirts from Columbia right now. The adult male shirt costs $65 (USD), the adult female sleeveless top goes for $60, and the unisex children’s shirt is priced at $45.

[via Gear Junkie]

LEGO Darth Vader’s Castle

Star Wars and LEGO are a marriage made in heaven, and if you’re looking for a great set to add to your LEGO Star Wars collection, look no further than this Darth Vader’s Castle kit.

The 1060-piece play set (LEGO set 75251) features a 16″ tall model of the Dark Lord’s imposing triangular fortress, along with a variety of other goodies to act out scenes with. The kit includes minifigs of Vader with and without his outfit and helmet, two red-hooded Emperor’s royal guards, an Imperial transport pilot, and a little droid of some sort. It also comes with a miniature TIE Fighter model you can park outside.

The set is currently an Amazon exclusive, selling for $129.99. If you’re looking for a very special gift for a Star Wars fan on your shopping list, this is definitely one that’s worth considering.

Star Wars-themed Instant Pots look like R2-D2, BB-8 or Darth Vader

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Darth Vader Helmet Tea Kettle: I’m a Little Teapot Tall and Evil

Do you think Darth Vader sat in his round ball thing drinking tea at the end of a long, tough day of blowing up planets and force choking people? If he did this would be the kettle Lord Vader would use. This kettle will make hot water to get your favorite beverage going, be it coffee, hot chocolate, or tea.

The kettle looks like Vader’s iconic dark helmet and has a lightsaber for its handle. It’s made from 80% aluminum, 20% stainless steel, and 100% evil. It holds 1.7 liters of fluid, and is hand-wash only, just like Vader himself.

ThinkGeek will sell you a Darth Vader tea kettle for $39.99, and it is available now. It’s too bad the kettle whistles like a normal kettle rather than making the deep breathing sound Vader makes.