The obsession with the perfection of Ryan Norbauer, industrial engineer and entrepreneur of aesthetics Star Trek retrofuturistled him to the creation of the Seneca First Editiona mechanical keyboard that has revolutionized the PERIPHERIC WORLD for its quality, exclusivity and ultra-premium price.
Each unit integrates 682 mechanized pieces, all designed and verified individually with three -dimensional CT scanners to ensure extreme tolerances and a quality standard never seen on other keyboards. Another thing that has never been seen on a mechanical keyboard is its price: $ 3,600 for its most “simple” version and 8,090 dollars for the most complete With wood elevator.
It seems from the past, but it is from the future
While industrial keyboards are produced by mass and in automated assembly chains, the Seneca is practically assembled by hand: experts dedicate one or two days to mount each specimen, reviewing each component to achieve maximum acoustic and tactile refinement.
This obsessive approach generates exclusive components developed by Norbauer, such as elastomeric capacitive switches, a chrome brass plate and sophisticated materials such as aluminum with ceramic finish and titanium without coating for the Veracity Titanium model. In addition, the keycaps are manufactured in Germany by GMK in double PBT injection and the keyboard adopts a retrofuturist aesthetic inspired by the series of Science fiction of the 80s and in the classic American vision of technology that appeared Star Trek.
The Seneca is available in four chassis finishes: three in aluminum covered by ceramic oxidation (oxide Gray, Travertine and Heatshield), plus an exclusive titanium model, all with a matte design resistant to footprints and scratches.
Unlike current mechanical keyboards, it does not include modern functions such as RGB, wireless connection, multimedia or numerical PAD keys. To adjust the writing angle, you have to acquire separately a mechanized Kiaat wood with CNC, which raises the keyboard and tilts it 3. This accessory adds additional dollars to the final invoice.
This level of sophistication and rarity distinguishes it radically compared to traditional peripherals produced in series, making it a rare piece of collector.
THE BIRKIN OF THE KEYBOARDS
The Seneca First Edition not only stands out for its engineering, but for its business model inspired by Hermès Birkin bags.
Like the iconic French manufacturer’s bagthe shortage of units is deliberate: Norbauer limits its production, establishes waiting lists of six to nine months and demands a non -refundable deposit of 10% to enter the tail.
The result is a luxury and exclusivity aura that increases its value and market tension. “It is probably the most irrationally over -designed keyboard in the world,” said Ryan Norbauer during An interview With the Adam Savage television, thus reflecting the almost obsessive philosophy for the detail of this product.
The price part of $ 3,600 In aluminum versions, and reaches 8,090 dollars for the Veracity Titanium model with wood support. Simply having the opportunity to acquire it has become a symbol of status between engineers and collectors of Silicon Valley, an evident parallelism with Hermès’s strategy, with a minority supply, growing demand and prices in permanent promotion.
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Image | Ryan Norbauer
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