I recently bought a new alarm clock. I was trying to find a traditional style design in standard-issue silver, with a supersized, super-loud bell. Instead I was attracted by one that, though conventional in design, suited my bedroom’s colour scheme. The problem is that, being designer-black (not just the clock-face, but the hands too), it’s very difficult to tell what the exact time is. On several occasions I’ve jumped out of bed an hour early, thinking it was half past six when it was actually only half past five…
On my travels around design trade fairs recently, I’ve spotted other novel clock designs. As with my alarm clock, the latest trend seems to be for a retro theme with contemporary styling:
Don Herd’s version, see top, resembles an old fashioned cuckoo clock, but with a modern twist (as seen at Clerkenwell Design Week). Zoe Tynan-Campbell’s updated old style time zone map (above) and Haidee Drew of Craft Central’s quirky mirror clocks (below) were both seen at Pulse.
Dutch design house, Invotis, have upcycled old LPs to create a whole wall of clocks.
TobyHouse clocks, again seen at Clerkenwell, are probably the most inventive –
though, much like my alarm, they’re not so useful for telling the time…
Black to suit ‘my bedroom’s colours scheme’ – I’m afraid that can’t help being intriguing!
Not at all like the decor at Blake’s Hotel, I can assure you Gaw…
Fascinating as ever, Susan. Yet, looking at them linguistically, are the old LPs really ‘upcycled’. Have they been re-used to offer added value? Hmmm. The problem with all the clocks is they have fun with form – the TobyHouse ones being the most interesting – but fail on function. Give me one of the minimalist clocks that Muji used to sell – bizarrely they seem now to have dropped timekeeping from their interests – or their excellent black rubber cube one for bedside, which look good and tell you instantly what you want to know.
On the other hand, what do I know. What gets classified as interestingly retro has strange affinities with stuff that my mother, a devotee of Heals and G-Plan’s Danish Modern range, wouldn’t, c. 1960, have had in the house.
I haven’t seen the rubber cube clock, but wonder if this is the sort of thing you mean by c.1960 retro?
And now, failing a visit to me, I fear you never will. Yes, I cannot imagine my late mama countenancing that.
The New York Times years ago had an advertisement for a watch said to have received a design award, I think from the Museum of Modern Art. I thought it handsome but stupid, for it had a second hand but no numbers. I guess it would serve to take one’s pulse.