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Most people in America know Braun as the maker of some kitchen and bathroom items such as coffee makers and electric shavers. They also make clocks and watches. A new piece from the German brand recently won a Red Dot design award and is produced in collaboration with a clever watch designer from the quirky brand Ventura.

Europe in the mid to late 18th century was not as backwards as some people may believe. In fact, much of the developed world was at a point of incredible intellectual advancement. In Switzerland, for example, a man named Jaquet Droz and his team were building real, honest-to-HAL robots. They didn't call them that back then, but these automaton androids were incredibly advanced even by today's standards.

People keep asking, "Why would anyone of sane mind buy a $17,000 luxury watch with a Space Invader's theme?" If you are familiar with the Swiss watch brand Romain Jerome - you don't need an answer. They are the people that brought you pieces such as the Titanic DNA (with metal from the actual titanic), and the Moon Dust DNA (with yea... real dust the from moon and metal from spare parts of the Apollo XI). So a "luxury licensing" deal with Taito Japan isn't that odd.

California-based watch maker Devon made a name for themselves a few years ago when they released the Tread 1. The modern looking electro-mechanical timepiece dazzled people with its tread-based system to indicate the time. It was large, highly unorthodox for a high-end timepieces, and a little crazy. A full review of the Devon Tread 1 is here.