MTR Designs’ Ferrofluid Clock Will Bring a Touch of Awesome Into Your Office

Or so MTR Designs says on their KickStarter page, where they’re still accepting contributions. The proposed goal has already been reached, so it looks like this strange and oddly captivating timepiece is en route to mass production, with an estimated delivery date set for February 2020.

The Ferrofluid Clock is the result of 4 years of hard work and endless prototypes. It uses ferrofluid for the main display that shows the arms of the clock, and the challenge was to suspend the ferrofluid in a chemical compound that would not allow it to stain and prevent it from evaporating. The second piece making up the clock is a wooden piece that houses the clock face and the high-torque quartz with the magnetic arms.

“It features a silent continuous sweep movement (no ticking sounds) and is very powerful and yet efficient, running on a single AA battery for one year (estimated life span) while keeping highly accurate time. The movement and battery are covered with a magnetically attached wood panel for easy access,” MTR Design explains.

Ferrofluid was invented in 1963 by NASA’s Steve Papell, when looking for liquid rocket fuel that could be used in a weightless environment, pumping it in with help of a magnetic field. Papell’s version was toxic and highly flammable, but MTR Designs promises their own is neither.

Plus, the clock also doubles as a very neat toy, for which reason it comes with 2 handheld magnets that you can use to move the ferrofluid around the flat display. Once you move the magnets away, it returns to its initial position to keep the time. Also included with the clock are 4 interchangeable clock faces for more versatility, and MTR Designs says that you can even print your own if you wish and just attach it to the wooden part.