Lorenz

Lorenz is an Italian clock brand that was founded in Milan in 1934. In the late 1950s, Richard Sapper, a young designer working with Rinascente’s design center in Milan, began taking on independent design projects, one of which was commissioned by Lorenz’s owner. Sapper’s design approach involved utilizing metal objects; his inaugural independent design featured a clock made from a solid steel piece. This clock, known as Static, incorporated an internal weight (originally made of silver) that balanced it vertically as if suspended, allowing it to remain upright on a surface.

The origins of Static trace back to a conversation between a secretary at Rinascente and Tullio Bolletta, an entrepreneur who lamented that none of his clocks had won the prestigious Compasso d’Oro award. The secretary suggested hiring a talented designer like Sapper could change his fortunes. Bolletta engaged Sapper, who then designed the Static table clock using large, surplus torpedo timer mechanisms obtained cheaply after World War II. These mechanisms were large and required a battery, prompting Sapper to design a clock that could accommodate these dimensions. The unique design of the Static allowed it to roll and right itself onto a flat base cut into its volume. Sapper sourced a special dial from a flea market, finding a suitable dial from a fighter-bomber plane’s clock.