Introduction
Time is ever more stressful: clocks should evolve. What if we could read the clock and smile back at it! A lighthearted relationship with time. That is what Time Smiles stands for.
Time Smiles is the first original product that I am creating and selling in my studio called New Things Lab.
Telling the time
Time Smiles is a clock that smiles at you every hour. It displays time through the two dots (‘eyes’): very much like a traditional quartz clock. The larger eye indicates the hours. The smaller eye indicates the minutes. The ‘mouth’ is decorative and moves with the minute indicator creating an ever-changing happy face.
Happiness to the people
The first person to receive a Time Smiles prototype was my 89 year old grandfather Rients, followed by other family members and friends. They really enjoyed it, so I took a next step in validating my idea: producing a limited batch of 50 pieces.
This batch sold out in a month without paid advertising. One of the initial customers described it as ‘regaining a lighthearted relationship with time’ and I think that is beautiful.
Simplicity by design
The clock’s design is all about clever material use. In fact, Time Smiles uses the same movement as a traditional quartz clock. Two lightweight disks (white and transparent) are press-fitted to the movement to provide for the hour and minute indication. The round and minimalist embodiment makes for a humble design that blends in with multiple indoor environments.
