Clocking in: David Adjaye, Studio Wieki Somers and Daniel Arsham ponder time
Singapore’s The Hour Glass is more than just another watch boutique in a city that’s obsessed by all things horological as its timely exhibition (helmed by Sir David Adjaye) shows
Forty years on from opening its first store, The Hour Glass business has expanded across Southeast Asia to Japan and Australia but more than that, the Singapore watch emporium has had an influence on the region’s tastes and buying habits that few stores could match.
The Hour Glass was an early champion of independent watchmakers such as Urwerk and de Bethune and became the first port of call for both collectors and emerging brands – too many to list, but NOMOS Glashütte and MB&F are just two that have made their debut in Singapore at The Hour Glass.
To mark the anniversary (and there’s no business more obsessed by them than the watch industry), Michael Tay, the group MD, worked with Sir David Adjaye and the watch auctioneer Aurel Bacs to put together a horological exhibition, ‘Then, Now and Beyond’.
Daniel Arsham, Marc Newson, Nendo, and Studio Wieki Somers have all created works for the exhibition which will be shown alongside specially commissioned watches from Audemars Piguet, Chopard, De Bethune, Franck Muller, MB&F, NOMOS Glashütte, Sinn, TAG Heuer, Urwerk and Ulysse Nardin.
It’s an eclectic mix, with Daniel Arsham re-interpreting the hourglass and Nendo’s Oki Sato showing a cuboid monolithic clock. Wallpaper* Handmade collaborators, Studio Wieki Somers, have produced the ‘Beetle Clock’, a proxy for the global decline in insect numbers and species.
Marc Newson, whose history in watch design goes back to the Nineties, has produced a thoroughly modern take on the klepsydra, the water-clock idea that dates back to the earliest known civilisations.
Milan-based design studio JoAnn Tan Studio, who specialise in window displays, installations, scenography and set design, were brought in to create a look and feel for the exhibition which will be at The Hour Glass’ Napoleonic-themed Malmaison concept store on Singapore’s Orchard Road in Singapore until the end of February
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
James Gurney has written on watches for over 25 years, founding QP Magazine in 2003, the UK’s first home-grown watch title. In 2009, he initiated SalonQP, one of the first watch fairs to focus on the end-consumer, and is regarded as a leading horological voice contributing to news and magazine titles across the globe.
-
Lexus installation explores time at Milan Design Week 2024
Lexus brought designer Hideki Yoshimoto’s ‘Beyond the Horizon’ to Milan’s Art Point, part of its ongoing series of collaborations with Fuorisalone
By Nargess Shahmanesh Banks Published
-
Cult 1960s boutique Granny Takes A Trip gets a sustainable reboot
Founded on King’s Road in 1966, ‘radically creative’ fashion store Granny Takes A Trip is being reimagined for a new generation. Dal Chodha takes a closer look
By Dal Chodha Published
-
Find yourself at Six Senses Kyoto, the brand's breathtaking Japan debut
Six Senses Kyoto opens its doors boasting tranquil, luxurious interiors by Blink Design Group
By Danielle Demetriou Published
-
Classic watch designs to last a lifetime
When considering which watch design to invest in, disregard trends and consider classic pieces characterised by timeless design
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Tiffany & Co and Daniel Arsham mark the new Lock collection with a limited-edition sculpture and bangle
The Bronze Eroded Tiffany Padlock sculpture from Tiffany & Co and Daniel Arsham conceals a Tiffany Lock bracelet studded with diamonds and tsavorites
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Browns and Mad Paris rethink Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
Watch customisation specialist Mad Paris has developed two new versions of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak for Browns
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Time for an eco-friendly watch?
Some of the more eco-friendly watch materials being embraced by sustainably-minded watchmakers include recycled steel, bioceramic and cork
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Boundary-breaking Chanel watch is tweaked for a new generation
The Boy.Friend Skeleton appeals to both men and women with its distinctive octagonal silhouette
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
On the button: Chanel's perfectly hidden timepiece
The ‘Mademoiselle Privé Bouton’ watch is everything but off the cuff
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Sound bite: Jaeger-LeCoultre’s contemporary art celebrates acoustic watches
Jaeger-LeCoultre and Swiss artist Zimoun have collaborated on an artwork to commemorate the 150 year anniversary of its first minute repeater
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Kengo Kuma’s studio for Grand Seiko sits in the shadow of Mount Iwate
The Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi takes the natural world as its inspiration
By Hannah Silver Last updated