Furni's ALBA wood and acrylic fashion clock

Fashion clocks aren't necessarily the highest form of technology, but that's not to say we don't value them: alarm clocks are after all one of the first things you see in the morning, so why shouldn't it be an aesthetically attractive one? Furni's ALBA beech wood and acrylic clock definitely falls into the latter category, with its minimalist mix of old and new materials being particularly pleasing on the eye. At only $88, it's also happily on the affordable end of the fashion clock chart. As part of Furni's spring '07 range, the ALBA will be shipping on June 1, and you can pre-order now.

[Via MoCoLoCo]

[Dmadriano @ Mar 20th 2007 11:00PM]

I have to say that it looks exactly like the mac mini I have sitting next to me. Lay the clock down and they could be twins. I don't know what happened to the concept of coming up with original designs but there are worse companies to steal style from.

[Chris @ Mar 21st 2007 6:49AM]

Are you suggesting that Apple invented the rectangle?

[Archietype @ Mar 21st 2007 7:00AM]

"I have to say that it looks exactly like the mac mini I have sitting next to me. Lay the clock down and they could be twins. I don't know what happened to the concept of coming up with original designs but there are worse companies to steal style from."

Your Mac Mini is made out of wood and has an LED on top? Purty! Seriously though, it's a rounded square. Apple didn't invent that concept nor many of the other stylistic concepts they use. A lot of high end/fashion electronics devices and toys used similar stylings and materials years earlier. The one thing Apple did do was bring these ideas to the mass market instead of keeping them out of reach of the average consumer.

Of course, if you want to follow the logic of "vaguely similar shapes = copycatting", then I'm pretty sure Apple stole the design of the Mac Mini from Tupperware boxes.

[Adam @ Mar 20th 2007 11:17PM]

is this really an ATTRACTIVE design??

it's the ugliest 'fashion' device i've EVER seen!

UGH!

[jake buck @ Mar 21st 2007 12:06AM]

not only is it ugly, but way larger than it needs to be

[Skippy @ Mar 21st 2007 12:06AM]

Did anyone else think Fight Club when they read who makes this thing?

And I agree that it looks like someone took a Mac mini, reclad it in wood, and stuck an LCD in it.

[Harbinger @ Mar 21st 2007 1:13AM]

I'm with Skippy, Fight Club all the way, though I think it would be missing the umlaut.

In the book I think Palahniuk straight-up used IKEA.

[seussman71 @ Mar 21st 2007 1:00AM]

Wow, I don't even know where to start...

Let's start with an alarm clock that costs $80+.

"At only $88, it's also happily on the affordable end of the fashion clock chart."
Who makes this chart, and why isn't someone stopping them from making $80 clocks?

Second, there is nothing aesthetically attractive about this clock. The LEDs are the oldest old-school LEDs that one could hope to find, and the speaker holes come straight from 1976. The wood is o.k., but it's dark wood, which again, smacks of the 70s.

Note to designers of anything: the 70s need to stay where they are: dead and buried in 1981.

[sigh]

[ryan @ Mar 21st 2007 1:59AM]

i don't think this clock even looks retro... it's just ugly.
and what's with the deer horn? / half pine tree.... 'thing'.. is that an accesory for this clock.. or more affordable fashion?

[Rick Lyon @ Mar 21st 2007 9:30AM]

$90 for AM/FM radio with crappy old featureless LCD display? HAHAHAHA

[Seventhexile @ Mar 21st 2007 3:16PM]

I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder..
but quite frankly I think this thing is hideous..