Following the Hourglass (2012), Marc turned his attention to another ancient time instrument and reinterpreted the principles of a ‘water clock’ through the manoeuvring of the original ‘nanoballs’. The new art piece measures time accurately by controlling the flow of nanoballs through a complex mechanism developed entirely in-house.

Each Klepsydra contains over 2.8 million silver or gold-plated stainless-steel nanoballs which measure the elapsed time. A full cycle takes 30 minutes.

The Klepsydra is a uniquely crafted piece specifically made of mouth-blown, hand-carved crystal glass, borosilicate glass, natural coloured anodized aluminium and stainless-steel. The process starts once the nanoballs are scooped up by rotating the crystal dome with the help of the rear handle, until the tank lies horizontally. The 12 suspended cups on the glass wheel are alternatively filled with 20gr of nanoballs and then emptied every 10 seconds. The cups’ seesaw movement is meticulously orchestrated with infinite precision. 15 revolutions make-up a full 30-minute cycle, with a possible leeway of +/- 3 minutes.

“The Klepsydra is an anachronistic timepiece, rooted between simplicity and complexity. Its apparent simplicity belies the technical complexity and the challenges involved in its creation.”

For more information contact HG-Timepiece