0t--------------nanoball Hourglass

1,249,996 little spheres called "nanoballs."


The Marc Newson Hourglass For HODINKEE - HODINKEE

$12K per copy.

Sand looks identical, probably works to 19th century consistency, may work BETTER than ball bearings since it takes advantage of randomness, and runs around $40.



Joe in NH

Joe in NH is on the same page as I am. 12K for an hourglass ?! I suppose there are people in this world who have $ 12,000 to spend on what amounts to an ornament or piece of functional artwork. While I can appreciate the craftsmanship and the design considerations in this glass timer, I have a hard time believing that anyone would drop 12 grand for it.

Without going into the amount of good that sum of money could do if applied in other ways, I find myself thinking in terms of mechanical watches and chronometers. In bygone years, the parts of mechanical movements for watches and ship's chronometers were made by horologists without benefit of what we've come to expect in the way of machine tools. Using a "bow" to turn the work (such as a staff or pivot/shaft) and a hand held graver, horologists turned parts with a high degree of precision. Using taps and dies they made themselves for very small threads, they made the screws to put the movements together. I am sure some of the members here who are horologists will chime in about how horologists of years ago produced fine movements for watches and chronometers.

I wear a Hamilton 992 or Hamilton 992B pocketwatch every day (I have three of the railroad pocket watches). True, they were a mass produced watch, but seeing the movement and the incredibly small parts always gives me pause to think and marvel at it. Over the course of time (pardon the pun) that I've worn pocket watches, I've had occasion to have them repaired or at least cleaned/lubricated/adjusted. On two occasions over the past years, one of my 992 pocket watches was damaged due to being dropped on hard surfaces accidentally. On both occasions, I sent the watch to Historic Timekeepers, Inc, down in Glen Arm, Maryland. Dewitt Clark, the owner/horologist, has a fully equipped shop and made new staffs, as well as new mainsprings for my pocket watches. He cleaned up sloppy work by some previous watchmakers doing repairs in the past.

I always marvel at the work Mr. Clark does, and the fact he can turn a new staff or make other parts, reverse engineering them as needed. He also works on ship's chronometers and mechanical aircraft clocks. To me, the number of fine, very small parts which must work together to create an accurate timepiece always amazes me. One fellow I know who is an amateur horologist told me how he made a "fusee", or tiny roller chain for a watch movement, hand filing each link. He did it just to develop his own skill. Being able to reverse engineer small parts for an older watch or chronometer movement, and setting it to rights so it is an accurate timepiece always impresses me. A buddy of mine sent a Waltham railroad pocket watch to Mr. Clark for repair. It had not run in about 50 years. Mr. Clark set it to rights, and my buddy reports that Waltham railroad watch is within a few seconds in 24 hours, more accurate than railroad requirements for watches. We also sent a Hamilton 950 to Mr. Clark which, it turned out, had been butchered by some previous watchmaker. Mr Clark made new screws for the balance wheel since the original screw heads had been filed to try to get the watch to keep correct time. He also replaced some of the jewels, and made a new mainspring. This, to me, is incredible work as there are no drawings at hand for the parts, and even measuring them to determine thread size/pitch/form, on something that small is hard for someone like myself, used to working on large machinery.

The price of a good Hamilton ship's chronometer, or a good railroad pocketwatch is pocket change when compared to this glass time keeper. And, a good pocket watch can be taken with you as you go about your day. Of course, I get told that for a few bucks, I could get a digital wristwatch and throw it away when the battery gave out.

Fine art is, I suppose, in the eye of the beholder. Truth to tell, I've seen some paintings and sculpture that is truly fine art and then I've seen some works that I would not give a plugged nickel for. I am sure there are those who would consider this glass timer as fine art. I tend to think in terms of practicality and priorities. I am also reminded of the Czar of Russia and his wife, the Czarina. The Czar was in the habit of giving his wife Faberge' "eggs" and similar works or art or baubles. No function to them whatsoever, at a time when the bulk of the population was starving or scraping along. The result of this disparity and the events which followed are well known.

I am also reminded of how housewives used to have a small sand-glass as an "egg timer" for boiling eggs. For pocket change, they could buy a small sand glass and put it on the kitchen window sill and use it in everyday life.

This "nanoball Hourglass", is, in my opinion, a rich person's bauble. The glass blower's art and skill can be appreciated, but for all practical purposes, this is a high priced piece of lab or scientific glassware. I find myself thinking of what I'd do if I had 12 grand kicking around to be spent on foolishness or whatever you care to call it. I am sure those of us who frequent this 'board are dividing our thoughts between applying that sum to charitable works to help people in need, while also seeing visions of Hardinge HLV's, Monarch 10 EE's, Holbrooks, Deckels, Schaublins, and similar dancing in our heads.

We have a bottle of glass micro-spheres at work that can be used to fill epoxy resins. The interesting thing about them is they look and act exactly like liquid if you shake or swirl the bottle. I don't know if they'd work in an hourglass but it would be neat to have one that appeared to be filled with liquid that ran like sand.

My new sandglass cost me nothing;



The local water & sewer authority sent these out the other day to remind us that Australia is in drought and that water can be conserved by limiting showers to four-minutes duration.

Probably cost a few cents each in a quantity of at least 100,000.

The OP appears to be another proof of the business philosophy "it is morally wrong to allow suckers to keep their money".