# Ballpark Hourglass Clocks Maarten Baas' Just About Now Encourages Time to Be More Abstract By Meghan Young | Published 2012-06-13 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/just-about-now References: [fastcodesign](http://www.fastcodesign.com/1670016/an-hourglass-clock-that-s-mostly-wrong-on-purpose) & [maartenbaas](http://www.maartenbaas.com/) Ever since he was studying away in design school, Dutch designer Maarten Baas has played with the concept of time; up until the Just About Now clock, his creations have been artistic concepts and prototypes. Endeavoring to reinvent the familiar [twenty-four hour clock](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cast-concept) in a radical way, he teamed up with Dutch/English manufacturers Laikingland. The Just About Now clock is comprised of a unique hourglass creation that is attached to a [brass gong](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/edition-003-clock). When the sand has filled the cup, which approximately takes an hour, the gong sounds off via a mechanized mallet. Recently unveiled at [Salone del Mobile](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/salone-del-mobile), Baas writes, “The exact time is often irrelevant. A coffee break, a meditation, a nap, a business meeting, they could take a few minutes longer or shorter than an exact amount of time.” ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.0/10 - Popularity: 9% | Activity: 14% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Time Abstraction:** Exploring new ways to perceive and measure time, such as using hourglass-inspired clocks, opens up opportunities for designing unique timepieces and time management tools. - **Artistic Timekeeping:** Blending art and function in clock design, like the Just About Now clock, creates opportunities for artistic expression and customization in timepieces. - **Nonlinear Time Experience:** Challenging the rigid structure of traditional clocks and embracing the relative nature of time allows for innovative approaches to scheduling, productivity, and personal time management. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Clock Manufacturing:** Manufacturing companies can explore the production of hourglass-inspired clocks and other unconventional timekeeping devices. - **Art and Design:** Artists and designers can incorporate time abstraction concepts into their creations, blurring the line between functional objects and artistic expression. - **Productivity and Time Management:** Developing tools and techniques for nonlinear time experience can disrupt the productivity and time management industry, offering alternative approaches to scheduling and work-life balance. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Concentric Timezone Wall Clocks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/analog-wall-clock.md) - [Snowglobe-Inspired Dynamic Clocks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/time-to-snow.md) - [Linearly Formed Wall Clocks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/linear-clock-concept.md) - [Kinetic Pattern Clocks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/moir-clock.md) - [Unique Timekeeping Devices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/unique-timekeeping-device.md) - [Celestially Inspired Desk Clocks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/astral-desk-clock.md) - [Alternative Time Displays](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dozen-clock.md) - [Minimal Sculptural Clocks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/trace-line.md) - [Tranquil Asymmetrical Wall Clocks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wooj-design-masuno-clock.md)