Mathmos Astro base variations?

[Arne]

I just noticed something on one of my astro bases which I find odd. It's one of the newer bases with polished finish and unlike any other astro base I have it has a extra metal ring inside the upper part for the bottle to sit on. I thought it might be standart with the new bases but my black base doesnt have it. Also there is a sticker at the bottom which sais 161012 - 75. The first 6 letters are probly production date but since it sais on their homepage that the polished base was introduced 2013 I'm wondering if there was a limited first 100 or so too which the 75 would relate to?

Does anybody know what this is about?

[Susan]

My theory is it was a base design change to hold the bottles at the correct distance from the bulb and keep the bottles stable. Over the years I'd found that some bottles would be slightly different in production, so they'd go lower in the holder and closer to the bulb, or that lamp base would be a mm or so larger, that would cause the issue too. Or the bottle would sit lopsided in the base and move off square and move when touched. So the base modification stopped that, however it would be harder to make in production. Now the bottles have been given a ridge instead, so they sit on that and save the extra production time of the extra base ring, just my theory though. Our 50th celebrations lamp has the ring inside for the bottle to stand on. The ridge in the base is good for older bottles. We've had old bottles that sit nearly on the actual bulb of the base, probably because the actual base was just a mm or so larger and the bottle a bit smaller. 

[john]

these bases from 2000-2008 was bought in to make the bottles stand better upright all they do is stop the bottle wobble and later bought in the lip bottles we have now most of the brush astro bases have this then they were replaced it isnt a limited edition just a design they tried before it changed.

[Arne]

Thanks for the infos on my base :)