Cool Hunting

The Aurora Clock is an icon. A timeless 1970s design. A technological marvel. An object of passion and craftsmanship.
Some years ago I was thrilled to find my family's old Aurora clock in a box in the basement of my parent's house. When I plugged it in however, I got a cycle of brown colors instead of the usual pinks/blues/greens that entranced me growing up. As the layers of birefractive discs and hands rotate they produce a brilliant array of colors.
If I found the clock today it would have taken only a few seconds to search for information on the web to find someone who could repair it, or look for a new one on eBay or at an antique store. It's one of those times that makes you really appreciate how useful the Internet has become. Since this happened a few years back, it took me about two years to restore my Aurora to its original state. I’ll spare you the stories of the multiple clockmakers, plastics stores and more than one attempt at repairing it myself (not recommended). Through some sleuthing that included sending away for copies of the Aurora’s patent, I finally made my way to Barry Gamble of ChronoArt in Cotati, CA.
The Aurora was based on Jordan Kirsch (of Kirsch-Hamilton)'s patent for a clock that used birefractive lenses. They hired the design firm Corchia and de Harak in the early 1970s to design the iconic clock, which soon found its way into mod homes everywhere and the permanent collection of the MoMA.
The Aurora had several different fabrications by its various makers. Hampton Haddon bought the rights for the Aurora and sold them until 1990. The biggest issue with the Aurora was heat from the lamp, which over time damaged the motor and warped and discolored the layers of bifrefractive discs. Many of the original clocks were put in a box or thrown away because no one was able to repair them.
And that's when Barry stepped in, when he started repairing the Aurora (he acquired all of the known spare parts and molds), bought the rights to manufacture it, and started designing other clocks based on the birefractive technology at the heart of the Aurora.
If you are lucky enough to find an original clock ChronoArt can repair (or upgrade) it. They also continue to make and sell Auroras that look the same as the original, but have leveraged modern technology (LEDs) to produce richer colors with substantially less heat and wear. New Auroras are available for $399 from ChronoArt.
Whether the Aurora brings you back to your childhood or you think it just looks mod, telling time has never looked more beautiful.
More views of the Aurora after the jump
A side view of the Aurora
|
previous entry Crash Bonsai |
next entry Floor to Heaven |
by China Young Rob Price made a name for himself with the Grandfather Clock, a modern, abstracted take on the classic. Although you may have seen his slice of the traditional before (he debuted it last year), we think the way the design literally cuts away the excess material while still echoing the classic in a completely fresh way deserves a closer look. Cool Hunting...
Luxury loafer extraordinaire Tod's teamed up with the equally remarkable and stylish design and furnishings group Cappellini during this year's Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan. Part of an ongoing project (Tod's president Diego Della Valle tasked his friend Giulio Cappellini with curating their windows starting in 1998),the Via della Spiga storefront will display their classy JP Loafer alongside eleven chairs chosen by Cappellini,...
A few cheeky watermelon-themed products we happened upon recently got us thinking about the summer fruit as a source of design inspiration. While George Nelson's iconic modernist clock ($335 from Pure Modern) is a restrained nod to the melon's oblong shape, most of what's out there appeals to the pink, black and green colorway and the contrast of the exterior rind to the flesh....
by Laura NeilsonOn 13 January 2009, Britain's Royal Mail service issued a new series of ten stamps celebrating 100 years of quintessentially British design. We love smartly-designed British creations as much as the next Anglophile, but the Royal Mail's latest release has made philatelists out of all of us. Not surprisingly, the Mini and the classic cherry-red K2 telephone booth are part of the collection,...
Suspended in a bubble block of Baccarat crystal and powered by temperature change, Jaeger LeCoultre's Atmos 561 mechanical clock is the work of Australian super-designer Marc Newson (known for designing the Ikepod watch and a million other sleek objects). Newson is reportedly a huge fan of the Atmos and approached the company to collaborate. The result is this eightieth anniversary Atmos. Using small temperature...
After overhearing hushed dialogues of "I can do that" and "Why not me?" at Montreal-based Furni's last art show titled "Alba Matters", the boys decided to let others have a shot with their latest release titled "Alba Make Art" (or Alba Ma for short). There are only 25 available in this exclusive all white colorway and each clock is packaged with a set of...
