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Villainous James Bond-inspired laser watch blasts through plastic

He's created an Iron Man wrist-mounted rocket launcher and a Spider-man web launcher. Now, laser enthusiast Patrick Priebe channels James Bond.

Michael Franco
Freelancer Michael Franco writes about the serious and silly sides of science and technology for CNET and other pixel and paper pubs. He's kept his fingers on the keyboard while owning a B&B in Amish country, managing an eco-resort in the Caribbean, sweating in Singapore, and rehydrating (with beer, of course) in Prague. E-mail Michael.
Michael Franco
2 min read

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A laser watch made by Priebe. Patrick Priebe

When it comes to hobbies, some people knit or go birding. Others invent crazy things that can burn through stuff. Guess which camp German inventor Patrick Priebe is in? (Hint: He just made a laser watch that really blasts stuff.)

That's right! He's in the blow-things-up camp!

Priebe, who runs a company called Laser Gadgets, has created a range of laser blasters and cannons, as well as a real-life Iron-Man-inspired wrist-mounted missile launcher AND a laser-guided Spider-Man "webshooter." For his latest project, he added a dash of finesse to his usually large-sized arsenal: a digital watch that blasts out a laser beam that can actually do some serious damage. The title of the video demonstrating the invention indicates that Priebe was inspired by the original user of all cool gadgets: James Bond.

Priebe told me the project took him about 40-50 hours to complete and cost him about $200 in materials. Priebe also said he invents every single component of his devices, from machining the buttons and screws to creating the lasers -- including the 1500mW one that's in this watch.

As you see Priebe use the watch-we-all-wish-we-had in the video below, you'll notice a blue glow on his hand. I asked him if he was worried about torching his own skin with the laser. "The blue shine on my hand is really just that," he said. "If the beam hits your hand, it will get warm very quickly, and I would probably stop pushing the button. It's in fact capable of burning your skin though. Not exactly a toy."

Because it's not a toy, Priebe says he likely won't mass-market it (whew!) but if he did it would cost "way over" $300. Like all of his other inventions though, it might be available for custom orders through his website. So if you're thinking of becoming a dastardly villain, be careful of who you kidnap -- they might just have one of Priebe's superhero-style devices hidden up their sleeves.