Balmuda’s Jony Ive-Built Bedside Clock Provides a Softer Solution to Your Glowing Smartphone

Even before we had a cell phone to look at each morning, clocks have been something we’ve long taken for granted. Without the sex appeal of a wristwatch and the necessity to venture from your nightstand, we’ve forgotten so much about a standard clock that many of us don’t even use one.

However, between the harmful blue light from our phones when we first wake up and the fading lume from our watches in the early morning hours (if you even sleep with your watch to begin with), a functioning clock at your bedside really isn’t that bad of an idea.

Balmuda might have a solution. The Tokyo-based design firm known for humidifiers and kitchen appliances has introduced an innovative twist on the simple clock, and it can double as a stylish furniture piece in your home as well.

The Brand Behind It

If you’re new to Balmuda, a brief history lesson is in order. Founder Gen Terao dropped out of high school in 1990, traveled, failed at his rock music aspirations, and eventually taught himself product design from scratch before launching Balmuda in 2003 out of Tokyo. His debut product was an aluminum laptop stand, followed by the GreenFan in 2010, a bladeless circulator that essentially invented Japan’s “premium fan” market. Then came The Toaster in 2015, which used steam to restore bread’s original aroma and reportedly sold over a million units with three-month waitlists. The point is: Balmuda doesn’t really make anything ordinary. The Clock fits that tradition perfectly.

Look Ma, No Hands

On the outside, The Clock’s distinct aluminum body will certainly draw you in, but this small timetelling device does so much more. It features what Balmuda calls “Light Hour,” a hand-less dial that uses illumination rather than traditional markers to express the time. The face glows gently and softly, more like something painted than something lit. The second hand movement is slow, almost pendulum-like, which was an intentional reference to the Foucault pendulum, which the design team visited at the National Museum of Nature and Science while developing the animation. All that for a clock.

Sound and Substance

Terao has stated publicly that The Clock began as a personal sleep problem. He was playing rain sounds on his tablet at night but couldn’t stomach a glowing phone on the nightstand. The Clock’s “Relax Time” mode addresses that directly, playing seven different original ambient tracks like rainfall, river sounds, and fireplace audio, produced in-house and with outside musicians. There’s also a timer function with white noise to aid focus, and an alarm that begins gradually building three minutes before it fully sounds. The audio quality, for something pocket-sized, apparently goes well beyond what you’d expect. You can control all of this via the Balmuda app and either Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity.

Just like your phone and wristwatch, The Clock is also designed to travel with you, coming with a cloth carrying bag. It weighs just 9oz, so it shouldn’t take up much space in your carry-on.

The Jony Ive Connection

The aluminum body’s precision machining came together through Balmuda’s ongoing collaboration with Jony Ive’s design firm, LoveFrom. That friendship opened access to parts vendors with advanced aluminum processing capabilities that Terao has said wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. For a 75mm-square clock (~3″), that’s a remarkably dense pedigree.

Spec Sheet

Pricing & Availability

The Clock is currently available in Japan at ¥59,400 (~$373). A U.S. release date has not been confirmed. It ships in silver only for now, with a cloth carrying bag included.

Recap

Balmuda The Clock

Balmuda’s new Clock ditches traditional hands for a glowing, handless dial, packs in ambient soundscapes and a gradual alarm to help you ditch your phone from the nightstand, and comes machined from aluminum with a little help from Jony Ive’s design firm.

Learn More: Balmuda