George Nelson conceived the Tripod Clock in the 1950s as part of a broader project to reimagine the domestic object as sculpture. Where most clocks anchor themselves to a wall or sit flat on a surface, this one stands, its three-legged brass base giving it the presence of a small monument on a desk or shelf. The round face is intentionally bare of numerals. Nelson believed the positions of the hands were sufficient, that a clock could communicate time without the redundancy of numbers. It is a quiet statement about trust in form over instruction. Sculptural tripod base in polished brass Acrylic lens over a clean, numeral-free face Quartz movement for reliable accuracy Reissued by Vitra, faithful to Nelson's original proportions Vitra has stewarded Nelson's clock collection for decades, maintaining the integrity of his original drawings while applying contemporary manufacturing standards. The Tripod Clock remains one of the most recognizable pieces in that canon, a small object that carries significant design history.
