The obsession with vintage items during recent years has escalated even further into a trend for Steampunk items, ranging from clothes to household items.

Steampunk is a juxtaposition of science fiction technology, and the Victorian era of the 19^th Century when steam power was still used.

It still retains the concept of owning a one-off item, like vintage and antiques, but presents this with a twist of modern technology.

There is a current influx of these items, so we have picked out the top 3 must-have gadgets with a Steampunk theme…

Steampunk Mechanical Rotary Smartphone

This particular gadget probably sums up the Steampunk concept more than any other, combining the most up to date technology with processes from the past. The user of this phone can feel the intricacies of both modern and traditional design with dual-operating methods. It has a phone dial at the back as well as a numeric keyboard on the phone – showing a direct comparison between the emerging dominance of touch screen technology and traditional methods.

Colorfly Media Player

Providing an alternative to the iPod and more high-tech MP3 players, the Steampunk Colorfly is a special version of their existing Pocket Hi-Fi C4 Pro. The user can use dials and over-sized buttons instead of fiddly touch screen buttons, returning to a simpler type of technology. Despite resembling an antique, the MP3 player is able to produce a bass of 120db, and also has a built in amplifier that is powered at 13.3MW. It is also compatible with standard headphones and can be attached to stereo equipment to boost the audio. The user will have to pay the price for this slice of tradition though, at a pricey $799.

Logitech M305 Mouse

American designer, Aaron Ristau has created a Steampunk version of the latest wireless Logitech mouse. Despite using a metal exterior and old typewriter keys as the mouse buttons, the mechanics of the mouse are exactly the same on the inside. Ristau describes this as blending “nostalgic aesthetics with modern function”. The mouse comes in chrome, as well as various painted colours, and the buttons can also be customised to the characters of your choice – e.g your initials. It also runs off an AA battery that can last for a few months. The Steampunk influence does add to the price tag though, with the normal M305 priced at $39.99 and the Steampunk version at $180.

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