In the world of the ultra-luxe and extraordinarily expensive, this surely makes it to the list of things that baffle us. Apple designer Marc Newson has just designed a special $12000 hourglass for Hodinkee, and it’s filled with seamless, stainless steel nanoballs covered with copper and topped up with an anti-corrosion layer. The Marc Newson Hourglass is custom created in a glass factory, with only hand-blown borosilicate glass. Measuring 150mm tall and 125mm across at the widest point, the hourglass times 10 minutes and is filled with approximately 1.3 million of these nanoballs that measure just 0.6mm in diameter. And according to Hodinkee, it’s the nanoballs that make all the difference, because watching them “bounce around the bottom chamber” and listening to the “unique sound of the nanoballs flying around, hitting the glass and one another as they settle at the bottom, is utterly mesmerizing.” Well, if you’re curious there’s only one way to find out. You need to put down a nonrefundable $6,000 deposit and wait a few months to get your hands on one. Out of the limited run of 100 units, only six have been made so far, and they’re already sold out. Four more will be available in June and then 10 will be produced for each subsequent month until the count of 100 is complete. Well, here’s to the sound of flying nanoballs for $12000!
