Thursday, September 12, 2013

What time is it?

By now you should all know what this means.


More George Nelson clock fun!


I've had some difficulty sourcing decent knockoffs and repros lately. First the Foundry was taken over by Hayneedle (RIP).  Then Verichron/Control Brand released a slew of new Nelson's only to remove almost all online references to them within a matter of weeks.  I imagine that there was some sort of licensing issue, but how heartbreaking is that?  Here I was, all worked up about the new releases and the jerks unceremoniously killed them off before I could get my mitts on them.


Then, when all hope seemed lost, Ebay came to the rescue.  It came through in a big way too.  This Verichron copy of the George Nelson Polygon clock was just the one I'd been looking for.


With a walnut finish and muted colors, it's essentially the grown-up version of the Nelson Sunburst: more understated, classy, and refined.  It would, perhaps, go better in a room where you want to sneak in a little modern design among more traditional pieces.


The basic framework and internals are the same as the other suburst-style replicas.



It's quite the chunky thing as well, which gives it a nice three-dimensional look when hung. 


So here's a side-by-side with the Verichron Polygon clock and the official Vitra version.



Yes, Vitra makes use of higher-quality wood, finishes, and movements.  There's also the whole unlicensed copy issue, which more than a few collectors have expressed concerns with.  However, my recommendation would be to keep the extra $500+ in your pocket.  The Verichron is a nice enough copy that only a dedicated collector would know the difference and if enough of us take that route, perhaps the Vitras of the world will take notice and start pricing their products at sane levels (For reference, the original Nelson Polygon sold at a price of, adjusted for inflation, around $200 - nowhere near the $605 that Vitra asks).

You can find my other Verichron clock reviews here, here, and here.

14 comments:

  1. That's a great looking clock. Your collection keeps growing and growing! :)

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    1. I was getting them pretty regularly when the Foundry was around. It's a real shame what they did to that site. You add any more to your collection lately?

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  2. I've found a good, yet not exactly reliable, source for the Verichron clocks...HomeGoods/Marshall's. I've purchased 3 or 4 different GN Verichron clocks from them. There's one near where I work and I run in from time to time to see if they have any. Can't beat them for $40!

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    1. Do they have the nicer ones at yours? All I can ever find there are the flat sunbursts, but I haven't been in much.

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  3. Check out dotandbo.com. They're like the Foundary used to be!

    You're welcome! :-)

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    1. Oooh, thanks! I'll keep an eye out for any Nelson clocks that pop up.

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  4. Now THAT is a clock! I love it. I've not yet scored my first sunburst/starburst clock. I've got a huge blank spot above my fireplace that's just itching for one, but I just haven't found the right one...and I've been looking for almost a year now! Most of the ones I've seen that I kind of like are GN's. Although this one would be a bit small for the spot, I love the chunky, uber 3-D thing it's got going on! Very nice!

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    1. If you're still in the market for one, Ebay is your friend. I've seen a few for decent prices.

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  5. Va-Va-VOOM! I love it and its big bulky lines! Do you own a GN "eye" clock? Or know where I might try looking for one?

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    1. I wanted one, but always just had the spending money for one at a time and never got around to that model. I'd give Ebay a try. Haven't had much luck anywhere else recently.

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  6. That's a great looking clock. I may need to investigate one of those for an appropriate room at our mid-cenutry house.

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  7. Just saw two Nelson's at HomeGoods on Manchester in Ballwin yesterday! They looked like the Sunflower clocks but less pointy and more rounded in the ends. Each tip had wood in it. 39.99 I have a red spike Nelson from HomeGoods as well as one of the zoo clocks. HomeGoods has them pretty regularly.

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