A Timeless Art Deco Timepiece

At the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts, Paris (1925), the world was introduced to the Art Deco movement. Repeating geometric patterns, parallel angles, bold colors and superb craftsmanship in expensive and exotic materials define the style. Art Deco proved popular, and pervasive, in all areas of design—from clothing to furniture and architecture to automobiles. As an automotive enthusiast, it’s the latter, the Art Deco automobiles of the pre-WWII era that first drew me in.

This clock is loosely patterned on a much smaller enameled metal and gold Cartier clock, circa 1935. The design works as both a mantel or wall clock without any modification needed. The material choices—walnut, padauk and curly maple—are directly inspired by my 1939 Packard, which has ivory plastic knobs, a grained walnut dash and red accents to match the color of the body paint. The clock calls for a small amount of wood and uses off-the-shelf components, including a high-quality Seiko