The World's Premier Flip Clock
FlipClockFans.com has searched the world to present to you what may be the pinnacle of Flip Clock design. The brick series flip clock by Leff amsterdam.
Many who appreciate mechanical design have come to enjoy vintage flip clocks. The collection and restoration of vintage flip clocks is known as Horopalettology. Horopalettologist know that the age of the flip clock began in earnest at the onset of the space age, the late 1960s. That's when Solari Udine of Italy released the award winning Cifra 3. Throughout the 70s and early 80s the United States market was subsequently flooded with alarm flip clocks and clock radios, primarily from Japanese makers like Panasonic, Sony and others.However, as electronic LED digital clocks took over the market in the 80s, it seemed that the flip clock fascination was over. Yet, as children of the 60s 70s and 80s came into their own, that is, started making money, some began to seek out these relics of their youth. Others were introduced to these clocks through the movies and internet and sought out flip clocks for retro decor. The movie, Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell and released in 1993, reawakened interest like no other film, due to the prominent featuring of the Panasonic RC-6025 radio-alarm flip clock.
In the early 2000s and beyond, many many flip clocks were manufactured by China and sold throughout the world. These flip clocks seem to lean towards the unusual, and at times bizarre, and are really, no more than novelty clocks of low to medium quality (see video at bottom for details). In addition, modern manufacturers like Fartech, Twemco and Solari, to this day manufacture flip clocks of good to very good quality, including a fabulous re-release of the famous Cifra 3 by Solari Udine.
So, who would dare re-invent the flip clock? And why?
Our quest to discover these answers took us to Amsterdam, capital of The Netherlands. Some people simply refer to this area of the world as Holland. However, the province of North Holland where Amsterdam resides, makes up just a portion of the country known as the Kingdom of The Netherlands. The Netherlands is situated in Western Europe, with Belgium to the south and Germany on the east, and the North Sea to the northwest. The people of The Netherlands, often referred to as The Dutch or Netherlanders, predominantly speak the Dutch language, with most citizens demonstrating a familiarity or fluency in English as well. This makes our visit there very comfortable. Amsterdam shines as a world famous tourist Mecca with 3.5 million foreign visitors a year. This world class city is well known for its expansive system of canals and narrow houses with gabled facades, its Red Light District and its marijuana-dispensing coffee shops.
But Amsterdam and the Netherlands are much more than this. The Dutch gave the world the famous artists Rembrandt and Van Gogh, and Amsterdam's
Museum District boasts many works by these masters. Cycling about the city is one of Amsterdam's trademarks - with 400km (about 250 miles) of cycling paths in the city. Historically, Amsterdam and The Netherlands played a major role in the development of modern society with profound and lasting contributions in essentially all areas of human endeavor.Today, many innovative companies and businesses choose to headquarter in Amsterdam. This leads us to our final destination. The contemporary clock, watch and more, design and distribution company, Leff Amsterdam.
Leff Amsterdam was founded in 2011 by Arno Ruijzenaars, with the stated aim of designing and crafting beautiful objects that also serve to tell time. The company's mottos "less of the same, more of the different," and, "Leff is More," encapsulates this company's drive to simplify and beautify time telling devices. Today, Leff Amsterdam, directed and guided by brothers Arno and Dennis Ruijzenaars and designer Erwin Termaat, have many devoted followers world wide. These innovators, with contributions from designers from The Netherlands and beyond, expertly craft minimalist, imaginative, and beautiful watches, clocks and small audio devices sold world wide.
Leff amsterdam - These are the who. The ones who created the flip clocks FlipClockFans have named the "The World's Premier Flip Clock".
You'll have to see the clock to appreciate the why. Designer Erwin Termaat has taken the flip mechanism, made it the central feature of the clock and expanded it. At it's simplest form - and greatly enlarged - the flip clock mechanism itself becomes art. And now, enough words ... let us see how less can be more.
Introducing, the brick series flip clock by Leff Amsterdam.
The Brick Series Flip Clock Details:
Manufacturer - LEFF amsterdam®
Country of Manufacture - China
Year of release - 2011, 2013 (copper plated verion)
Designer Erwin Termaat
[item - description - suggested retail price]
item number LT15101 - stainless steel white numbers on black tiles - $349.00
item number LT15301 - copper plate stainless steel white numbers on black tiles - $399.00
item number LT15001 - stainless steel black numbers on white tiles - $349.00
Dimensions - w: 36cm/ 14.17" - h: 15.7cm / 6.2" - d: 12.8cm / 5"
Weight - 2.85kg / 6.3lbs
power supply - 2 x 1.5V DC - D batteries
movement type - flip movement
Materials
stainless steel case, PMMA lens, ABS back
copper plated steel case, PMMA lens, ABS back
The Green Clock
Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), is also known as acrylic or acrylic glass
Acrylic is very scratch resistant compared to other clear plastics. It is generally considered one of the clearest plastics on the market making it an ideal choice for flip clock faces.
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) is an opaque plastic valued in manufacturing due to its strong resistance to corrosive chemicals and/or physical impacts. It is very easy to machine and has a low melting temperature making it particularly simple to use in injection molding manufacturing processes or 3D printing.
Both Acrylic and ABS plastics are classified as Thermoplastics. Thermoplastics can be heated to their melting point, injection molded into products and re-heated again without significant degradation. Instead of burning, thermoplastics like ABS and PMMS liquefy which allows them to be easily recycled. Therefore, the brick series clock can accurately be called a "green clock."
LEFF amsterdam® is a registered trademark of VANMOKUM bv, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Videos of Interest
The World's Premiere Flip Clock - the brick series by LEFF amsterdam
Strange Flip Clocks - Modern, but a bit quirky
