For a while now I have been looking at getting a fancy dress watch for those rare occasions when I dress fancy. As I have an affinity to the cogwerks style, I have been searching through the “steampunk watches” on the interweb for some time now, but to no avail. All the specifically dedicated “steampunk” watches that I have come across are just re-purposed old watches with gears and bits soldered on. They’re usually way too chunky and heavy to fit under the sleeve of a shirt, a point absolutely necessary in order to take a wristwatch seriously. For those who have not looked here are a few examples of “steampunk” watches.

I find the idea of a “steampunk” watch a little funny. You see, unlike computers, heavier than air airships, and motorcycles the Victorian era actually had watches. I understand that Steampunk is fantasy and such, but I wish to impose my own reality based framework on things when coming up with the rules for a style. My rule is, Steampunk is what our world would look like today if oil based fuels were not developed beyond 1883. That gives us all a lot of leeway when developing Steampunk style, but does not discount the progress in many other non-related fields. I digress. The watch I settled on was this:

It’s not exactly “Steampunk”, but throws in the cogwerk decoratively like I wanted. It’s unfortunately priced at over a thousand dollars, but auctions on overstock.com may fix that. We’ll see. I’d probably replace the band with something less dandy.

All the pictures link to the location at which I found them. Credit given, stop harping on me.

I’ve been giving it some thought, and I wonder if it would be possible to create a steam engine small and light enough for a model RC steam powered dirigible. Theoretically, one could get a helium balloon specially made in the shape desired like the  promotional shaped RC blimps. I’ve found an RC gas powered blimp online, but thought it would be cooler if the idea was taken that extra step and made steam powered. Obviously, the weight ratio would have to be compensated for, but it would be really sweet looking if done right. The overt design features could be printed on the bag or, using a light foam structure, added as extraneous parts. I just think it should be tried. I haven’t got the space requirements for it right now, but maybe in the future I’ll live somewhere bigger than my NYC apartment.

Also, along those same lines, I think it should be possible to make a neutral weight UFO shaped dirigible and attach the props on the outside rim allowing for greater maneuverability; add some blue and white chaser LEDs and have a blast in Central Park. A whole fleet should be made and flown. If made big enough, the LEDs could be lined on the whole surface and be used to simulate all sorts of unidentified sky light shows.

Maybe it’s a good thing I’m poor…

Many blogs around the net are dedicated to the objects, clothing, and artworks designated as “steampunk” by their creators. In fact, one of the most searched for keywords that lands people here on my blog is “Steampunk Airship”, which is odd as I have only one “Steam Pirate Airship” picture, doodled while working at a temp job in the financial district last year.

Instead of reviewing other people’s work and posting old pictures of their stuff, I thought, “why not add something to the world of steampunk by sketching up some new heavier-than-air steam skyships.” I have been writing some short stories as of late and needed an outlet for visual reference, so the following skyships are exactly that.

1. The “Napoléon”

2. “El Oriflama”

Check the Wallpapers page for desktop wallpaper versions of these fine works…;).

Stu was a boiler worker who was called upon day and night to fix the steam powered electric generator that Tesla had been using to power his ghastly experiments within the aether… or something like that.

This is the last one, fellows and gals. The Steampunk Rabbit idea is horrible.

So, steampunk or bunnies?

I really don’t mind the fact that the Steam Airship picture from my “Desktops” page has made its rounds, but a close second in the search stats is the post I did a while back in which I put up some goofy picture of a rabbit with a pancake on its head. The picture was emailed to me by The Rambling J. I could not think of a good way to use it so I titled the post “Flap Jack Rabbit” and left it that way. The cancer has spread. This searching for bunnies on the site has got to end. However, knowing it will likely continue and even more so be exacerbated by this post, I submit to the pressure. Here, in all its glory, is my answer to the flap jack rabbit: Capt. Jack Rabbit inventor of the steam powered biplane.

I suggest clicking on the picture it may “reveal” itself.