IMNU is a new, refreshing and minimalistic look of the known wall clock. This project evolved during a semester in 2016 and kept my attention ever after. The concept and design were created back then but it took another year before the technical background was worked out. Now the clock is ready to move from a concept phase onto being produced.

The process _ I started my design process with sketching and quick prototyping with cardboard. For developing and prototyping the clock mechanism, I 3D printed and tested a lot of parts to finally come to a solution.

IMNU introduces a remake of a design classic, an original approach to the typical wall clock.

Inspiration _ I was inspired by the thermal bath Vals in Switzerland. The architect Peter Zumthor designed the building based on a quarry and knowingly leaves out amusement elements such as slides or bubble baths. A bathing experience reduces to the essentials. Furthermore, you won’t find a clock on the wall.. They are hidden in metal pipes that stick out of the ground. When you look into them you can read the time.

The design _ The focus in this design lies on the pointers of the clock. Instead of being attached to a pin in the middle of the dial, they run around the circumference. The clock face is a thin disc which seems to float on the wall.

Use _ Although the clock face is reversed, the time is still easy to read and recognisable without much guessing. Since the hanger aligns the clock to 12 o clock, a dial is not necessary.

Technical Challenge _ It is not possible to implement the concept with commercial quartz clockworks. There is no possibility to connect the clock face with the clockwork without the hands coming in between any fixing point. Therefore the clock runs with special reconstructed clockwork which allows the clock hands to spin from the outside.

Different colours, surfaces and coatings of the clock face are possible. One example might be marble. The clock hands are highlighted and differentiated with other colours or materials.

The overall impression is filigree, reduced and light. The wall clock has a subtle elegance.

The name _ IMNU refers to ‚living in the here and now‘. It is a language mix of German (im – in) and Dutch (nu – now). As this project was created in Darmstadt and optimized at Howest in Belgium, the name fits well and summarizes the concept shotly and to the point.

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