American Clocks

Iconic Vintage George Nelson / Howard Miller Multi-color Spike / Starburst Electric Wall Clock,, Amazing colors,, wonderful patina,, retains original Howard Miller label,, Tested and...

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...

A nice vintage mid century modern George Nelson for Howard Miller 4766 Clock in working condition. The clock has an alarm function that is working as well. The clock bears a Treadway...

Mid Century German Made acrylic and brass Weather Station Relative Hygrometer this sphere with Barometer Hygrometer & Thermometer. West Germany, circa 1960

Crafted in the vibrant era of the 1950s, the "Moonbeam" alarm clock by Westclox is a mesmerizing testament to the enduring charm of mid-20th-century design. Its retro allure is accen...

Iconic design by George Nelson

Round basket clock, model #2215, designed by George Nelson and produced by Howard Miller, 1950’s. Rattan, enameled steel, metal. With Howard Miller decal on face, and sticker and emb...

Modern and sophisticated, this Hollywood Regency and Higgins era glass bodied wall clock by General Electric has many decorative hallmarks starting with an undulating shape with gilt...

An original George Nelson Studio steering wheel clock Original surface, hour markers and second hand Howard Miller Decal present,see detail phot...

George Nelson for Howard Miller brass clock. A round brass clock on a tri-legged brass pedestal with a thick plexiglass face. The clock has b...

Iconic and classic Howard Miller ball clock from the 1950's by George Nelson. Wonderful Atomic style with a central clock motif with 50's styl...

Brass/teak frame, clock face with arabic digits. Made by Elgin in the 1950s.

George Nelson Birch & Brass wall clock for Howard Miller.

George Nelson Model-4758 wall clock for Howard Miller.

Schaffhausen vintage International Watch Co. (IWC), circa 1950s. 18-karat yellow gold watch with rose gold dial and applied yellow gold bar markers. ...

“Meridian” clock designed by George Nelson for the Howard Miller Clock Company. Face is made of “Rimini Blue” Italian ceramic designed by Aldo Londi for Bitossi, battery operated.

George Nelson & Associates table clock. Howard Miller Clock Company, USA. Rosewood, steel. Measures: 4.25 W x 3 D x 5.5 H inches. Signed with decal manufacturer's label t...

Nelson office, designed by Irving Harper for Howard Miller. This is the only clock and was never produced. Purchased from Howard Miller Executive.  

Rare model #2251 chess piece table clock designed by George Nelson for Howard Miller Clock Company. Turned walnut base supports w...

Beautiful half-height tabletop grandfather clock in rosewood. Designed by George Nelson for Howard Miller clock company. Wind-up ...

This 1959 clock ran and struck fine, but not guaranteed; body is in good condition. It has five tubes, brass dial; serial movement # 604626. Directions are included for assembling three-train tubular...