Ball Clock

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In 1948, George Nelson and his studio reimagined the wall clock as a graphic object. The Ball Clock, produced today by Vitra, is the most recognized result of that thinking. Twelve painted wooden spheres radiate outward on slender metal spokes, dispensing entirely with numerals and suggesting that time can be read as form. Nelson's approach was rooted in a belief that everyday objects deserve the same rigor applied to architecture. The clock's composition draws from atomic imagery and abstract painting, placing it squarely in the visual culture of postwar America while remaining utterly current in proportion and wit. Painted wooden balls on metal spokes Precise quartz movement Available in multicolor and monochrome colorways Suitable for wall mounting Vitra has upheld the original design with fidelity, preserving the clock's balance between playfulness and discipline. It reads as sculpture before it reads as clock, and that inversion is exactly the point. Show more