Introducing… The Reference Edition

Well, here we are—winter has turned to spring, and the release of the Celestial Toystore Reference Edition Sonic Screwdriver is getting closer and closer. We’re excited to share what we’ve been working on with you, and we know you’re even more excited to get the replicas in your hands. (We know your hands are safer than the average actor’s!)

Since we announced this little project, people have—quite fairly—been asking what exactly is up with the Reference Edition and how it compares to the Ultimate Edition and other replicas on the market. So let’s clear up some of those questions. :)

To put it flatly: this is a prop, not a replica. It is a third filming prop—a brother to the two that Tennant wafted around in 2009. Whereas the UE and other replicas have all engaged in some idealising, strengthening, and general artistic license to fill in some of the smaller unknowns, the Reference Edition does not.

So, what does this mean, you ask? It means that every detail has been painstakingly recreated to deliver a product that both looks and feels like the prop Tennant and Smith had in hand. It’s had some dimensional and detail refinements over the UE, it’s lighter, a bit more wobbly, and would generally be recognised by either actor as “that’s the prop I held,” not “that’s a nice replica.” We want to give you the experience of holding and owning THE actual filming prop here.

Just to whet your appetites, here are a few of the details we’ve been fixating on:

• A simple acrylic internal chassis, allowing construction in a way that’s identical to the original prop.

• Dimensional refinements compared to the UE, particularly around the emitter head, where a new manufacturing process has allowed us to more accurately replicate incredibly obscure details that no other replica has ever managed perfectly, even the UE.

• Paint Pantone-matched to the original prop grey, featuring a more accurate, uniform finish than the technique used on the UE. (And no—the prop was never, and has NEVER been, any shade of yellow or olive!)

• Dimensions that are carefully calibrated to account for paint thickness and the increasingly uneven sanding and refinishing on the original prop, replicating the actual metal, not years worth of grime and jelly-bubbled infill.

• A specially re-manufactured MAGLITE carry case, mimicking exactly how the original props were stored and protected.

Of these details, it’s actually the MAGLITE case that has us the most excited. The Celestial Toystore has always been known for pushing the boundaries, and creating the most accurate replica ever—packaged in what is effectively a behind-the-scenes-accurate case—is an utterly unique offering that nobody has ever attempted. Even if it adds a lot of work to our plate!

To dispel any further confusion, the RE is a Series Four ‘B-Prop’ replica. This was the prop that CT took reference from—including scans and extensive images—as soon as filming was finished with it on The Eleventh Hour. It was originally made out of parts from the Cream Aztec, given to Eccleston in 2005. The prop has changed hands since and been scanned again (we’re aware), but our reference comes from a much earlier point in the prop’s lifetime.

For the record - just because we're making a 'prop' here, that doesn't mean that we’re going to give you a scratched, dinged, or broken product. We’re specifically interested in recreating the prop in acceptable condition, and that means that there is a degree of license in what details we incorporate from which period of the prop's filming tenure over 2007, 2008 and 2009. This should dispel any direct comparisons people might want to make against other replicas out there, and stop you from being worried that we'll be taking a sledgehammer and wire brush to each emitter head. We have no interest in slagging off any other attempts to replicate this prop—we’re solely focused on making the RE as good as any replica can reasonably be.

That said, if you want to scratch and ding it up yourself… go ahead! Send us pictures—we’d love to see what you do with it.

After extensive prototyping and testing, parts for the first batch of REs are now on the way—so expect photos soon. In the meantime, here are a few glimpses of our last prototype to whet your appetite!