When it comes to clock design, George Nelson is indeed one of the huge names in the industry. This is because his designs are held as one of the first ones ever to promote American modernism. It is only natural that there would be reproductions made of Nelson's original designs. While these reproductions are attractive duplicates of the original, for many collectors only the original vintage clocks will do.
If you are an avid fan of George Nelson clocks, then you surely must have heard of the Ball Clock. This design is one of the earliest ever developed by the designer for the Howard Miller line. The original design is quite simple, with a circle for its center. Connected to this center are the 12 spikes, representing the 12 hours of the day. At the end of each spike is a ball, thus the reason for its name. This is indeed one of the simplest designs ever made by Nelson and it was originally released in six color variations.
The modern versions of this clock, however, have more colors and more variety to them. There is even one popular modern variation that has the balls in different colors! The vintage ones did have 6 color variations, but for each variation, the balls were of the same color as the spokes. For instance, one of the vintage Ball Clock designs came in a black theme, so the balls were colored black throughout.
This particular reproduction, however, has different color balls. The concept is still based on the original one developed by Nelson. But the 12 balls come in different shades of blue, red, and green. The hands of the clock are of different colors as well. It actually makes an attractive design, but it certainly isn't as originally designed by Nelson.
The Ball Clock is not the only Nelson clock that has been modified for contemporary tastes and the desire for as much variety as possible. If you're looking to buy a vintage Nelson clock, then it is a good idea to become familiar with some of the reproductions on the market, especially those manufactured by Vitra, as they sell licensed reproductions. If you compare their clocks to the ones made in the 50s and 60s, it will make it much easier to spot the difference when you start shopping for your own collection.
You'll find many authentic vintage George Nelson clocks and other vintage wall clocks online at: http://vintageclocks.collectiblesnook.com
Jenni Kerala is a writer, collector and Ebay addict who loves to find interesting and beautiful collectibles - especially vintage and antique items - on the online marketplace.
Source: www.articletrader.com
