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Where are George Nelson clocks made?
1 Answer

Modern George Nelson clocks are made in Poland. The company Vitra Designs manufactures the timepieces based on the original designs of the American designer who lived from 1908 to 1986. On 1stDibs, you can shop a selection of George Nelson clocks.
1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
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Shop for George Nelson Clocks on 1stDibs
George Nelson Walnut Spike Clock by Howard Miller
By George Nelson
Located in Cincinnati, OH
An Nelson walnut and painted white metal body spike clock with color coded minute and hour hands. An early electric model in great working condition , retains the original label and ...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Wall Clocks
Materials
Metal
Mid Century Modern George Nelson Diamond Clock
By George Nelson
Located in Dronten, NL
Beautiful Diamond Clock designed by George Nelson & Associates, and manufactured by Vitra. In excellent working condition, working on an AA battery.
The George Nelson Diamond Clock ...
Category
Late 20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Table Clocks and Desk Clocks
Materials
Aluminum, Brass
Rare Mid Century Modern George Nelson Orange Ball Clock Model 4755
By George Nelson
Located in Plainview, NY
An original George Nelson ( 1908- 1986) Mid Century Modern Ball Clock model 4755. This iconic clock features a distinctive and modern design with a mid-century aesthetic. The centr...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Wall Clocks
Materials
Metal
$2,240 Sale Price
20% Off
Vintage George Nelson & Associates Metal Spoke Wall Clock for Howard Miller
By George Nelson, Howard Miller
Located in Raleigh, NC
Mid-Century Modern wall clock designed by George Nelson & Associates for Howard Miller Clock Company. Produced in 1955, this piece was named the 'Spoke' clock model no. 2227. Operate...
Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Wall Clocks
Materials
Steel
George Nelson Mid Century Ball Clock in Brass and Wood
By George Nelson
Located in Weesp, NL
Interestingly, while nearly all of the designs that came out of George’s studio were attributed to him, many were actually designed by him and his team. Some were even designed solely by someone else working at the studio.
Nelson famously recounted the story of how the Ball Clock came to life in an interview decades after it’s release:
“It was one of the really funny evenings. Noguchi came by, Bucky Fuller came by, and here was Irving, and here was I, and Noguchi - who can’t keep his hands off anything - he saw we were working on clocks and started making doodles. Then Bucky sort of brushed Isamu aside. He said, ‘This is a good way to do a clock’ and made some utterly absurd thing. Everybody was taking a crack at this, pushing each other aside and making scribbles. At some point we left – we were suddenly all tired, and we’d had a little bit too much to drink – and the next morning I came back, and here was this roll of paper, and Irving and I looked at it, and somewhere in this roll, there was a ball clock. I don’t know to this day who cooked it up.”
Nevertheless, whoever it was that came up with George Nelson’s designs, it’s almost certain that they would never have come to fruition if it wasn’t for George’s vision and forward-thinking approach.
Can you tell me more about his clocks?
George’s clocks were one of his most impressive bodies of work. In total, he and his team designed over 130 clocks in just three decades.
While it is widely accepted that Irving Harper was the lead designer for the Howard Miller Clock Company at George Nelson Associates, the collection arose after two insightful observations from George: one, that people no longer used the numbers to tell the time; and two, that since most people now used their wristwatch to tell the time, interior clocks were now free to become more decorative in nature.
The clocks were designed and released in batches of 8 and were initially only given numbers for names. The Sunflower Clock was simply ‘Clock 2261’, the Flock of Butterflies Clock was 'Clock 2226’, and so on.
The Ball was the first clock designed by George and his team and it was followed shortly after by the Star, Sunburst, Spindle, Asterisk, Turbine, Flock of Butterflies, Eye and others. The clocks were purposefully abstract and were designed to complement the modernist furniture emerging at the time.
As well as wall clocks, George’s studio also produced a series of desk clocks during that time, most notably the bubble-shaped Night Desk...
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Wall Clocks
Materials
Brass
Mid Century Modern George Nelson Eye Clock
By George Nelson
Located in Dronten, NL
Beautiful Eye Clock designed by George Nelson & Associates, and manufactured by Vitra.
In excellent working condition, working on an AA battery.
The George Nelson Eye Clock...
Category
Late 20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Wall Clocks
Materials
Aluminum, Brass