As we continue our technological march to the beat of Moore’s Law, we forget the elegance and beauty in classic designs. Marc Newson’s, Ikepod Hourglass, reminds us of the ever-quickening passage of time with his take on the simple hourglass, ironically an 800 year old design.
Hand-produced in Switzerland, a single tube of borosilicate glass is carefully sculpted and blown into the familiar, hourglass shape. Each hourglass is then individually refined, detailed and polished. Typically, you would find sand in an hourglass. Newson, however, uses tiny nanoballs, coated with carbon and nickel, that further the visual appeal as they react with each other at the bottom of the hourglass. Different models can also include either copper or yellow gold coated nanoballs.
The hourglasses are categorized by time (10 or 60 minute) and color. Prices for the smaller Ikepod Hourglass start at $13,000 to $17,500 for the gold-coated nanoball production. The larger selection begins at $28,500. Purchase these offline at Westime in Southern California and San Diego, or online at Colette. Watch the Ikepod Hourglass production below.