ProductsChairsOffice chairsLounge chairsTablesDesksOffice furniture systemsCoffee and side tablesSofasMicro architectureAccessoriesLightingLiving roomDining roomHome officeChildren's roomOutdoorFocusWorkspaceMeetingWorkshopAlexander Girard Antonio CitterioCharles & Ray Eames Barber OsgerbyGeorge NelsonIsamu NoguchiJasper MorrisonJean ProuvéKonstantin GrcicRonan & Erwan BouroullecVerner PantonCare & repairCare productsManufacturer warrantyNewBestsellerQuickly availableOffice chair finderLounge chair finderGift finderNewEames Special CollectionInspirationsEames Shell ChairsJean Prouvé CollectionStandard Chair & Chaise Tout BoisFurniture as part of the familyThe Art of indoor greeneryLiving with EamesCollecting vintage furniture & artLiving & working in an urban oasisA new life for a gropius houseTheir ideal home in touch with natureMagazineStoriesConversationsExhibitionsDesignerProject VitraThe Eames La ChaiseSaul SteinbergTane Garden HouseWhat would Charles and Ray say?The Maison Jean ProuvéDesign is a highly political professionPhilosophy of select and arrangeThe OriginalThe Chair WhispererHistory of Communal WorkspacesMy Room is my ThinkingVitra CampusExhibitionsGuided tours & workshopsFood and drinkShoppingArchitectureEventsNewsPlan your visitVitra Campus appVitraHausVitra Design MuseumVitra SchaudepotOudolf GartenAbout VitraJobs & CareersSustainabilityDesign processHistory - Project VitraThe Original is by VitraProfessionalsClub OfficeCitizen OfficeDynamic SpacesAirports HospitalityHealthcareDownloadsColour & materialpConPlanning examplesCertificatesCare & maintenanceOur clientsOffice chairsDancing OfficeClassics in the OfficeConsulting & Planning StudioTo the dealer loginAbalonACXOur ClientsJoyn 2
Desk Clocks
George Nelson, 1947/1953
In 1947, the American designer George Nelson was commissioned to create a collection of clocks. Nelson analysed how people used clocks and concluded that they read the time by discerning the relative position of the hands, which made the use of numbers unnecessary. Furthermore, since most people wore wristwatches, he assumed that clocks had become more of a decorative element for interiors.
These ideas provided the basis for the first collection of 14 timepieces, consisting of a completely new style of wall clocks and compact table clocks, which were launched on the market in 1949. Although the models all shared one common feature – the absence of numbers – the diversity of their shapes, colours, materials and designs could hardly have been greater.
These ideas provided the basis for the first collection of 14 timepieces, consisting of a completely new style of wall clocks and compact table clocks, which were launched on the market in 1949. Although the models all shared one common feature – the absence of numbers – the diversity of their shapes, colours, materials and designs could hardly have been greater.
In the 35 years that followed, the designers at Nelson Associates conceived more than a hundred different clock models: wall clocks, portable table clocks and built-in clocks. After Nelson’s death in 1986, his archival estate, encompassing roughly 7400 manuscripts, plans, drawings, photographs and slides dating from 1924 to 1984, was acquired by the Vitra Design Museum.
Vitra began reissuing the Nelson Clocks in 1999 and updates the collection from time to time. The Desk Clocks are available in various shapes and materials. Equipped with high-quality quartz movements, they continue to offer a refreshing alternative to conventional clocks.
Vitra began reissuing the Nelson Clocks in 1999 and updates the collection from time to time. The Desk Clocks are available in various shapes and materials. Equipped with high-quality quartz movements, they continue to offer a refreshing alternative to conventional clocks.
Information
Material description
- Materials: brass, acrylic glass, polyurethane, solid walnut.
- Product contents: high-quality quartz clock movement, 1.5 volt battery included.
- Origin of wood: walnut (Juglans nigra) from Western Europe and/or Poland.
This product was designed by
George Nelson
George Nelson is regarded as one of the most important figures in American design. Active as an architect, a product and exhibition designer and a writer, he was a leading voice in the discourse on design and architecture over several decades. Vitra is the sole authorised manufacturer of specified Nelson products for markets in Europe and the Middle East.