Time is Fleeting On This Sculpture-Like Clock

If collecting unique timepieces is your thing, then 42 Foundry’s inventive creation is definitely one worth owning (and showing off). The Swiss company’s sleek, minimalist ETCH clock displays time in 3D etchings that remain visible just long enough for you to rub the sleep from your eyes and realize that you definitely shouldn’t have hit the snooze button a third time. While the 3D digits resemble permanent engraved marks, in a matter of moments they slowly vanish from the screen, leaving you to wonder if they were some sort of strange numerical mirage.

So, if it’s not mental trickery or magic, what gives with this blink-and-you’ll-miss-it display of time?

According to the ETCH clock website, the company’s patent-pending technology allows the device to transform “an elastic membrane into digital numbers” that appear to mysteriously disappear.

With the assistance of an app, users can set the time to display in two modes: “Sync & Go” to reveal the time every 30 seconds or “Sync & Sensor,” where the time displays every 30 seconds, but only if ambient sound or noise is detected.

The ETCH clock’s aluminum frame, thermo elastic-coated surface and its modest size make it a standout among other modern, minimal wall clocks, but a base that screws on allows it to sit securely on a surface.

In case you’re wondering (and we know you are), this trend-setting time-teller is far from the least expensive clock on the market, but on the other hand, it costs a little less than a Swarovski crystal-adorned Etch-a-Sketch. The Special Edition Early bird series is currently available for $1368 US.

h/t Design Milk