Vitra Desk clock Gold Metal. Dimensions: L 10.5 x D 9.4 cm x H 14.9 cm.
George Nelson (1908 – 1986) is considered to be one of the founders of
American modernism. He contributed to the beginning of modern design with a
human dimension. Renowned for his collaborations with brands such as Vitra and
Herman Miller, he has created several products that are now considered to be
icons of mid-20th century modernism. In 1947, the American designer George
Nelson was commissioned to create a collection of clocks. Nelson analyzed the
way people used clocks and concluded that they read time by discerning the
relative position of the hands, so the numbers were unnecessary. Also, as most
people wore wristwatches, he assumed that clocks had become more of a decorative
element for homes. These ideas formed the base of the first collection of
14 clocks, consisting of a completely new style of wall clocks and compact
table clocks, which was launched on the market in 1949. Although the models all
have a common feature – no numbers – their shapes, colors, materials and
design could hardly have been more diverse. Over the next 35 years, Nelson
Associates designers created over 100 different clock models: wall clocks,
portable table clocks and built-in clocks. After Nelson's death in 1986, the
Vitra Design Museum acquired his inheritance, which includes approximately
7,400 manuscripts, plans, drawings, photographs and slides dating from 1924 to
1984. Vitra launched the reproduction of the Nelson Clocks in 1999 and updates
the collection from time to time. Desk Clocks are available in various shapes
and materials. Equipped with a high-precision quartz mechanism, they continue to
offer a new alternative to classic clocks.
