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  • Faux Flip-Clock Alarm Dock

    Faux Flip-Clock Alarm Dock

    Although strictly speaking, this isn’t a phone, this cool iPhone dock from Areaware converts you existing iPhone into a  neat retro-looking flip clock radio that looks it warped right in from the 1970′s. It gives you the look of one of those vintage GE Flip Clocks sitting next to your bed with all the modern technology and convenience of your trusty iPhone. Designed by Jonas Damon, the Alarm Dock by Areaware contains no actual electronics or speakers, it is simply a beautiful sustainably harvested beech wood case that you feed your charger cord into, then just dock your iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4 and 4S and start [...]

  • Test Page Wall Clock

    Test Page Wall Clock

    Please Stand By… From Nextime, Dutch design company which has made a name for itself by designing a whole slew of cool and funky clocks from the modern and mundane to the down right wacky, the contemporary styled Test Page Glass Wall Clock lies somewhere right in between. This glass faced wall clock was designed by Fritz Fink as a humorous take on the retro, nostalgic old test pattern shown on televisions when the networks went off the air. Gosh, it’s hard to believe there was a time when TV wasn’t running 24 hours a day. With a large, multicolored, 17″ glass face and rectangular metal hands [...]

  • Stylish Number Design Wall Clock

    Stylish Number Design Wall Clock

    Cool Number Wall Clock! A recent trend in wall clocks has been oddly shaped numbers free-floating around the central movement and I have to admit that I am kind of a sucker for these contemporary clocks. I have seen them made from wood and plastic but the vast majority of them a cut out of thin metal with a plasma cutter. But anyone that has seen these clocks around has to admit that these number clocks can very widely in how well they are executed. Like any trend, the market is soon flooded with poor quality reproductions that don’t show [...]

  • Cool Retro Flip Clock

    Cool Retro Flip Clock

    Remember the retro flip clocks from the 60s? The precursor to the digital clocks of the 1970s, flip clocks were an analog method of showing the time as a digital representation. As the minutes pass by, a panel with half of a numeral printed on both front and back flips down. The two halves of each digit fit together to form a bold and easy to read number to indicate the minute. The same thing is repeated once an hour to show the hour. It is a very simple mechanical solution from the days before miniaturization created circuits that were small enough to fit [...]

  • Build A 7 Ft Grandfather Clock With K'NEX

    Build A 7 Ft Grandfather Clock With K’NEX

    How would you like to build your own full size 7 ft tall, fully functional grandfather clock? Well unless you have years of experience in fine woodworking, this is probably something you are not going to attempt. Well, it may not be as hard as you think is you choose the right building materials. When my son was 7 years old we bought him a small set of a plastic building toy called K’NEX. It is kind of like the modern-day answer to the old Erector Set. Over the years, we collected more and more sets and his building projects expanded to be more and [...]

Spoon and Fork Starburst Wall Clock

 Novelty Clocks, Retro Clocks  No Responses »
Mar 122012
 

Retro design legend George Nelson has created many cool retro starburst wall clocks in almost every size shape and material you can think of but one of the most popular takes on this timeless design is the Spoon and Fork Starburst Wall Clock. While this cutlery clock concept is often imitated it is rarely duplicated by the original classic design of the starburst clock master.

The Spoon and Fork Clock is a perfect kitchen clock but that is kind of a no brainer, it is also great for your dining room or for your favorite foodie, chef, cooking enthusiast or anyone who just loves retro starbusts clocks. It has a metallic face and tall modern looking numbers and it points the time with a small fork and knife as hour and minute hands, there is no second hand.

The Fork and Knife Starburst Wall Clock is made by Control Brands and while it is officially licensed by the George Nelson estate it is nowhere near the quality of many of many other Nelson clocks on the market like the beautiful clocks being reproduced by Vitra. Although it looks like metal it is actually made of some sort of metallic plastic material and it is pretty fragile, so you need to be careful when removing it from its packaging. This retro wall clock is strictly a novelty clock but once you get is up on the wall you need not worry about it bending or breaking. But it looks great and it is accurate and as whimsically retro as any of the George Nelson starburst clocks.

One other criticism I have is that the knife and fork clock hands are similar in color to the face of the clock making it somewhat difficult to read from a distance sometimes. Taken for what it is this is really a neat kitchen clock and should provide a uniquely modern touch to anyplace that involves the culinary arts.

This distinctly retro timepiece can go for as much as $60 – $75 dollars but I wouldn’t recommend paying that much for it. The best price I found The George Nelson Spoon and Fork Starburst Wall Clock was through Amazon for the bargain price of only $27.45.

Catena Wall Clock

 Contemporary Clocks, Retro Clocks  No Responses »
Feb 202012
 

I admit it, not only am I a fan of cool and funky wall clocks, but I am also a huge fan of clock that use an alternative forms of keeping time. I guess that is why I was doomed from the start to love the Catena Wall Clock designed by Andreas Dober. This cool retro steam-punk style wall clock was designed for the German  Anthologie Quartett, a gallery and luxury store started in the early 80′s which features a collection of unique art, design and architectural items.

Catena Wall ClockThe Catena Wall Clock is a type pf timepiece called a hanging chain clock which is a very simple looking but extremely innovative type of mechanical clock that uses a very simple motor to turns a small, single, external sprocket. Hanging from the sprocket is a simple bicycle-style timing chain. In fact, the word “Catena” comes from the Latin word for chain. At the bottom a second, free-floating sprocket keeps the chain taut and rotating with precision.

As the hours tick by, the chain turns drawing the copper digits towards the top to designate the time. When each number reaches the top of the chain the Catena Wall Clock chimes out the hour. Reading the minutes can get a bit dodgy buy like most alternative timepieces, you get the hang of it after a while. If you are one of those that must have a second hand, forget about it, you wont hear any tick-tock coming from this smooth running mechanical clock.

The mechanical style of this functional work of art is very retro looking yet  it somehow seems contemporary at the same time making it a bit hard to classify. That may be another reason I love this clock, it almost always grabs attention and astonishment when people see it for the first time. Be ready for the inevitable questions ranging from “what is it?” to “how do you read it?”.

The Catena Wall Clock is not cheap though, this sculptural yet practical kinetic sculpture/timepiece costs around $2,564.00 and is available from UnicaHome.com.

That 70′s Retro Alarm Clocks

 Retro Clocks  No Responses »
Feb 152012
 

That 70's Retro Alarm Clock in Cream with Red Face

Wake up in the 1970′s…or at least with this cool retro alarm clock from Infinity Instruments you can feel like you did. That 70′s Retro Alarm Clock in not like the new fangled digital alarm clocks that have an alarm that gently soothes you awake and is easily convinced to allow you nine more minutes of sack time.

That '70s Retro Alarm Clock in Red with Cream FaceThe style is not the only thing retro about this baby, although with its rounded square face, 70′s style numerals on the dial, thick hour and minute hands and plastic lens it definitely looks like it was transported for around 1972. This thing wakes you up the way a clock from that crazy decade did as well, with a loud ringing and clanging bell and no second chance with a snooze alarm.

The big plastic button on the top either turns it on, or (thank heavens) off. It is loud too, not even the heaviest sleepers will stand a chance of sleeping through this retro alarm clock. Although I wouldn’t recommend this 1970′ style alarm clock for those who enjoy that blissfully warm, drowsy nine minutes of paradise before you have to again face the reality of your day.

That 70's Retro Alarm Clock in Cream with Brown FaceAlthough That 70′s Retro Alarm Clock does look cool and groovy with its cheap plastic body, easy to read retro numbers and several colors of gaudy and garish vintage colors to choose from. You can buy the That 70′s Retro Alarm Clock in Cream with Red Face, or the slightly less tastefully colored Red with Cream Face with the opposite color scheme.

If those are a bit to flashy for your style is always the much more subtle but equally vintage looking Cream with a Navy Blue Face or the always popular and tasteful That 70′s Retro Alarm Clock in Cream with Brown Face, a very popular color in that memorable decade.

Each one of these is guaranteed to throw you back to the days of flared leg pant suits and the Captain and Tennille and will make sure you get up in time for that Led Zeppelin concert you don’t want to miss.

That 70's Retro Alarm Clock in Blue

Retro Le Jeux Wall Clock

 Retro Clocks, Uncategorized  No Responses »
Feb 132012
 

Le Jeux Wall Clock

Behold the vintage style of the Le Jeux Wall Clock! This cool retro wall clock from Infinity Instruments is a great throw-back clock that has the perfect mid-century style to complete any retro decor. This gleaming silver wall clock is anything but subtle, at a little over 27 inches in diameter, I consider this to be more like a piece of modern wall art than simply a wall clock.

It seems like in design, everything old is new again. Infinity Instruments is keeping up with that old adage by presenting a whole string of wall clocks that although they have the latest in modern timekeeping technology on the inside, have the look and style that looks as if it comes from a simpler time. The Le Jeux Wall Clock features a highly accurate quartz movement on the inside the sunburst-style outside looks like something straight out of a mid-century home from the 1950′s.

The alternating metal pattern radiated out from the dial in creating that optimistically futuristic style of the 50′s and early 60′s. This clock doesn’t want to dutifully hide in a corner ready to tell you the time when you need it. this large retro clock demands attention and deserves to be hung over a modern sofa or be mounted proudly over a fireplace.

The dial of the Le Jeux Wall Clock has cool slim line hands and easy to read hour hash marks with the distinctive retro Infinity Instruments “running man” logo but other than that it remains simple and clear making it easy to read.

So kick your retro home decor up a notch with this contemporary version of a vintage style wall clock that is as sculptural as it is practical. You can buy the Le Jeux Wall Clock at Art & Home for $134.95, that’s about $25 off the full retail price of $159.00.

George Nelson Diamond Desk Clock by Vitra

 Retro Clocks  No Responses »
Feb 032012
 

Vitra George Nelson Walnut Diamond Desk Clock

When it comes to retro clocks, George Nelson is be best known for his whimsical and iconic wall clocks but he also designed several cool and modern desk clocks as well. Designed in 1953, the Diamond Desk Clock is a solid wedge of walnut finished wood standing on a tripod made from three brass rods that pass through the clocks body from top to bottom.

George Nelson Kite Clock

Similar in shape to Nelson’s colorful Kite Clock which is a diamond-shaped wall clock bisected in the middle with two shades of color. The Diamond Desk Clock breaks the third dimension using two sloping planes to create the divide and coming to a pyramid-shaped point in the rear. The brass movement consists of a short fat arrowhead shaped hour hand, a long and slender minute hand and a bright red sweeping second hand. The hours are marked off with short brass pegs in all but the 12 o’clock and six o’clock positions.

With the increasing popularity of George Nelson designs, the Diamond Desk Clock was recently re-issued by the Vitra Design Museum with permission from his estate. Vitra used his original design documents on record at the Nelson archive to re-create it to Nelson’s original design specifications utilizing a high-grade quartz clockwork movement to create a cool and retro executive desk clock that looks great in any office, either in a home office or at your workplace.

You may think that a desk clock is an odd thing for George Nelson to design but many people have known idea that Nelson is somewhat responsible for the modern workplace as we know it today. In the early 1960′s as the Director of Design for Herman Miller he supervised the team that developed the Action Office I. An innovative and award-winning, yet not terribly successful system of office furnishings. After being removed from the project, it was handed over to designer Robert Propst who devised the Action Office II line which went on to become Herman Millers most successful line ever. You may know this line by the term it is better known as today, the dreaded “office cubical“. Nelson has always distanced himself from the project, criticizing it for its “dehumanizing effect as a working environment”.

Like all the re-issued vintage clocks from the Vitra Design Museum the George Nelson Walnut Diamond Desk Clock isn’t cheap, going for around $505.00. But that price really isn’t out of line with any other executive desk clock of a similar quality. If that is a bit to rich for your blood, there is a less expensive version of the Diamond Desk Clock from Vitra made to the same specifications but with a polyurethane body rather that solid walnut. Both retro desk clocks are available from Velocity Art and Design.

The Bullitt Alarm Clock by Newgate

 Retro Clocks  No Responses »
Jan 222012
 

Buy the Bullitt Alarm Clock

The Bullitt Alarm Clock is a retro favorite that looks great with its unmistakably vintage “cats eye” shape and distinctly retro styling. The pointy oval-shaped face is a full 12.5″ wide and features bold arabic numerals in a classic typeface and compass point style detailing. There is an hour, minute and second-hand plus a fourth hand used to set the alarm time. One detail that I really like is that the graphics of the face are printed on paper with a slight yellowing that gives it the look of an actual vintage thrift store find. The plastic case comes in basic black and a bright retro red.

Because of the way it is spelled, I can only assume that this cool and modern style alarm clock is named after the 1968 Steve McQueen movie of the same name which features one of the coolest car chases of all time. I think that the swank modern style of the clock more than lives up to the coolness of its namesake.

The Bullitt Alarm Clock is made by Newgate, a British company that specializes in quirky and iconic clocks of all kind with a vintage, retro design. Their clock designs are very appealing to those that have a contemporary or modern style home but they maintain such classic design aesthetic that they look outstanding in a more traditional style home as well.

Bullitt Eye Shaped Wall ClockThe Bullitt Alarm Clock is one of many sleek and modern looking retro alarm clocks that Newgate produces and makes a great companion to the matching Bullitt Wall Clock. This cool wall mounted clock is a bit bigger, a full 17.5″ wide, with that same hip mid-century style and appeal of the alarm clock. The only real downside to these clocks is I find them to be a bit pricey but they are pretty well made and nice sized so that isn’t really that much of a deal breaker. They are not just novelty clocks, they are pretty good quality and good quality time pieces can sometimes go for hundreds.

Both of them represent what we love most about the new crop of retro clocks, a great retro look, classic style and modern reliability. You can buy both the Bullitt Alarm Clock ($59.99) and the Bullitt Wall Clock ($79.99) as well as a good selection of other fun vintage and retro clocks and other cool stuff from Retro Planet.

Splat Wall Clocks

 Retro Clocks  No Responses »
Jan 202012
 

Splat Wall Clock in Red

The fun and colorful Splat Wall Clock by Lumisource is a cool modern wall clock that gets people’s attention. As the name suggests, this whimsical wall clock looks like someone thew a big blob of paint onto the wall at high speed. Each of the twelve spatters represents an hour but fir the most part it is an extremely abstract representation of a clock.

Buy The Silver Splat Clock

Overall, the clock face is pretty large, most places I have seen many places claim that is is 21″ x 21″ but it is actually closer to about 19 inches tall by 17 inched wide. It is still pretty large by my standards. It looks pretty retro and it reminds me a little bit of the 1960′s flowers from the Dating Game or the Partridge Family. It comes in several color choices like red, black, silver and a nice modern green or orange. They are friendly and fun in any room but it works great in a kids room or nursery because of the material it is made of.

It is made from a thick spongy foam that is thicker in the middle where the movement is and tapers out a little towards the ends of the splatters. There are retro-style, pointed minute and hour hands and no second hand. It is very light weight and easy to hang although you do need to assemble the battery case a little. It runs quite a while on a single AA battery.

When they were first introduced by Lumisourcethey were pretty pricey, maybe a bit too pricey. They originally went for between $80.00 and $100.00 but the price has dropped lately now that is available in department stores like Sears and on Amazon . The best price I have seen at the time of this post was from a home furnishings site called Bellacor where they have the Splat Clock for $40.95.

Mini Splat Clock

Mini Splat Clock in Green

Recently Lumisource has released a smaller version of the Splat Clock called the the Mini Splat Clock. The mini version is about half the size and only has 9 drips but it still has that playful paint splatter look. It is only 10 inches tall and 9 inches wide and is made with the same foamy polyurethane body and comes in the same cool colors.

The shiny finish gives it a cool 3D effect of a real drop of paint which makes it look fantastic in an artists studio or as a gift for four favorite painter. It is a bit cheaper and the best price I found was still at Bellacor where I found the Mini Splat Clock for $28.95.

George Nelson Starburst Wall Clock

 Retro Clocks  No Responses »
Nov 112011
 

Buy the Starburst Wall Clock

Few retro wall clocks are as iconic as those designed by George Nelson for Howard Miller in the late 1940s and 1950s eventually designing over 150 amazing wall clock designs. The Starburst Wall Clock is probably one of the most popular of these cool, vintage styled clocks.

Unlike the similar Sunburst wall clocks which had a similar shape but came in black or wood finishes, the Starburst Wall Clock is recognizable for its bright modern colors. It has a cheerful and positive appearance that is recognized and appreciated to this day. It makes a great kitchen clock or it can be a charming focal point in any retro home decor.

The George Nelson Starburst wall clock is 18 1/2 inches in diameter and was originally plugged directly into the wall with a power cord. At the time they retailed for about $30.00 and were quite good sellers.  Nevertheless, very few have survived to this day and it is very hard to find a true vintage Starburst Clock today.

An original version of this icon of modern design is quite rare and sells for several hundred dollars and up which made having that quaint mid-century look a bit difficult until recently when the Vitra Design Museum re-issued many of George Nelson’s original designs.  These aren’t just cheap knock offs either, each re-issued wall clock is meticulously crafted to the same standards as the original Howard Miller wall clocks and are authorized by the George Nelson estate.

It does have a modern quartz movement and keeps perfect time off of a regular AA battery so there is no plugging it into the wall, but other than that it is constructed from the same lacquered wood and zinc alloy body and made with the same proportions and colors as the authentic original.

I have seen many of these Vitra Design Museum’s re-issues for up to $350.00 and even more but that is not surprising because of their high quality and fun design, but if you look around like I did, you can find them for a much lower price.  I found a George Nelson Starburst Wall Clock here for only $136.80 which is a pretty amazing price.

So if you want a cool retro wall clock with an authentic look and style, the Starburst Wall Clock is a great choice.

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