Oclock designer refuses to take responsibility for his creation

We have the Antwerp design firm Frap to thank for this high-concept "floor clock." Frap's Anthony Duffeleer explains: "Design is an unbelievably pretentious word. A designer is really a process supervisor." Uh, right. Created by a process known as rotation molding, the clock is quite light, considering that it is 1150 mm in diameter (that's almost 4 feet, Americans). And the price? "Available on request from the manufacturer." In other words, if you have to ask, this is probably not the clock for you.

[Via Shiny Shiny]

[Jeremy K. @ Sep 11th 2008 1:06PM]

I read the article. We must be losing something in translation.

[absinthe party @ Sep 11th 2008 1:06PM]

What does the "L" stand for?

And, you know, welcome or whatever.

[Magallanes @ Sep 11th 2008 1:39PM]

Elle lawliet but don't tell / divulge this name to Kira.

:-P

[Mile @ Sep 11th 2008 1:08PM]

If it rolls over to the wrong side, how will I know?

[Hellaphunt @ Sep 11th 2008 1:13PM]

My thoughts exactly...

[JC @ Sep 11th 2008 1:24PM]

The time will always be right... somewhere in the world.

[spass @ Sep 11th 2008 1:39PM]

That would be quite an original excuse to be late to work.

[shamowfski @ Sep 11th 2008 2:00PM]

The time would be wrong.

[Passarinhuu @ Sep 11th 2008 2:24PM]

It comes bundled with its own set of midgets to hold it in place for you.

[jupiterthunder @ Sep 11th 2008 5:35PM]

you'd realize the time was off when you get home from work way to early or way to late according to your clock.

The real dilemna is should you reset the time or rotate the clock to make it correct.

BTW engadget. 1150 mm. Americans aside, if its that many millimeters why not just give the measurement in meters. It's not like we have to consider how it's gonna feel in our pockets.

[Ryan @ Sep 11th 2008 1:11PM]

Why the hell would anyone want this ugly, oversized clock.

[fieldcar @ Sep 11th 2008 2:04PM]

Its designed only to impress the pretentious art snobs that detect quality and character at a whim. Its the style over substance crowd that eats this garbage up.

[spass @ Sep 11th 2008 2:30PM]

You keep your wrist watch, it's portable.

[Hellaphunt @ Sep 11th 2008 1:12PM]

I hope it doesn't roll around, leaving you to check your watch or mobile for the time. Such an inconvenience it would be.

[tpadekar @ Sep 11th 2008 1:44PM]

I bow to thee, Master Yoda!

[Viaono @ Sep 11th 2008 1:23PM]

I tripped on my clock, and I can't sue the designer!

[Ran @ Sep 11th 2008 1:26PM]

FROM those who have waaay to much time on their hands, TO those who'll have waaay too much time on the floor.

[C.A. @ Sep 11th 2008 6:27PM]

You're swell. That is quite possibly the best comment I've read on the internet all month.

[sonicwind @ Sep 11th 2008 1:38PM]

It's not the droids I'm looking for, either.

[Magallanes @ Sep 11th 2008 1:39PM]

Is like a pillar clock... without pillar.

[DT @ Sep 11th 2008 1:42PM]

that's an unbelievably pretentious statement.

[elloh7 @ Sep 11th 2008 1:46PM]

You beat me to it...

[arkweld @ Sep 11th 2008 1:46PM]

there's nothing quite as pretentious as a designer who thinks that the use of the word "design" is pretentious and tries to give it a new definition.

There's also nothing quite as lazy or annoying as a blog post that just links to another slightly longer blog post which then links to the source.

[Eric R @ Sep 11th 2008 1:47PM]

Author is a tool.. confusing the word "responsibility" with "credit".

[Zelatio @ Sep 11th 2008 1:48PM]

What I don't get is the guy checking his watch in the background. That's not very good advertising for a clock if someone is checking their watch instead of your ridiculously overpriced circle.

[john c. @ Sep 11th 2008 1:56PM]

Joseph L. Flatley, you can go to hell.while you are at it, stop making generalizations

[sr1329 @ Sep 11th 2008 1:59PM]

Yeah I thought I saw one at Ikea.

[Elroy @ Sep 11th 2008 1:59PM]

This strikes me as being one of those furnishings whose true purpose is to announce to the world: "Look, I'm so rich that I can afford to throw away gobs of money on pointless overpriced crap."

[Benji @ Sep 11th 2008 2:02PM]

I find it both hilarious and ironic that the gentlemen in the picture, knowing full well that he has a VERY expensive designer floor clock to check the time with, still prefers to look at his watch for a second instead.

[Don Corleone @ Sep 11th 2008 2:20PM]

Maybe the guy is checking his pulse?
I mean, the guy just paid way too much for a clock.

[Boarderwoot @ Sep 11th 2008 3:08PM]

After reading the headline and seeing the picture, I thought the article was going to be about the designer not taking responsibility because someone pointed out the fact that it looked like a giant boob and he was embarrased.

[Skemo @ Sep 11th 2008 3:17PM]

I don't know what is more pretentious this stupid floor clock or this inane comment shading.

[Boarderwoot @ Sep 11th 2008 3:33PM]

You're my boy Blue! I'll vote you up and hope others do just so i can read what you wrote....

[Ferny @ Sep 11th 2008 3:20PM]

they copied apple with the round screen

/sarcasm

[Andrew @ Sep 11th 2008 3:30PM]

It looks like a giant boob with the nipple pointing to the ground...

[kal326 @ Sep 11th 2008 3:46PM]

This could come in quite handy, walk in clock says its 9am and your suppose to be at work. Give it a little kick and time instantly jumps ahead to 3:30pm, hour and a half left to go.

[SirPhunkee @ Sep 11th 2008 4:32PM]

How much is the optional watch band to go with this?

I for one cannot WAIT to go riding on the bus with this fashion statement strapped to my wrist!

[random-yeti @ Sep 11th 2008 4:34PM]

Its actually just a normal desk clock up close

[Ran @ Sep 11th 2008 5:37PM]

"Marge, who covered the toilet bowl?!"

[Trevor @ Sep 11th 2008 5:39PM]

Bat Signal, anybody? It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Overpriced-Clock-Man!

[Mr. Ford @ Sep 11th 2008 6:42PM]

Wow, that guy has an impressively large clock. I bet he gets lots of plussy.

[Kevlar @ Sep 11th 2008 6:59PM]

I expect that Engadget links will take me to a series of words that will have something to say. This doesn't even qualify as an article as it appears to be utterly pointless.

[Charlie Calhoun @ Sep 11th 2008 7:00PM]

Americans? This is a dot com isn't it? Isn't it's parent company called "America Online"? Doesn't that justify the original measurment be in Imperial Units, not Metric? And while you're on the metric, let's move those numbers up, to Meters and Centimeters...

[Lou Zucaro @ Sep 11th 2008 11:57PM]

This clock shouldn't cost much at all. The process referred to, rotational molding, is also called rotocasting. And it's the same process used to make every cheap-ass squishy vinyl baby doll head. As well as all those super-expensive, limited edition vinyl toys that have been made over the last five years and entirely overpriced. Not that you can't make an argument for the "art-ness" of such a thing. But the manufacturing cost itself is nearly trivial. Not necessarily for a 3-foot clock, but to give you an example, an 8" tall vinyl figure might...might...cost $3.50 to make, including printing / painting / packaging. If that clock cost more than $10 - $15 to produce, even with the increased price of plastics these days, I'd be amazed.

[AMc @ Sep 12th 2008 9:53AM]

You could light it up with one of these and double the amount of stuff to trip over in the dark
http://www.habitat.co.uk/fcp/product/browse/Large-floor-lamp/994953

[Big John @ Sep 13th 2008 10:07AM]

No Bluetooth A2DP, no subscription music plan, lame.

[ssoltero @ Sep 15th 2008 1:20PM]

"...architect Anthony Duffeleer regards the shape of the Oclock he has designed incidental."

So whats so incidental about a round clock?

Ya, I get it. It's the back that he's referring to, but c'mon, it's a round clock that sits on the floor?

[robjennings @ Dec 29th 2008 12:36AM]

I like it. There's nothing pretentious about appreciating interesting design. That said, I wouldn't pay too much for it because rotational molding and clock mechanisms are not expensive.