Original Alessi "Mantel clock 03" - 1st series from 1988 - handmade Alessi Spa - Crusinallo (Omegna) original 1st series designed in 1986 by Michael Graves for Alessi. In the first series only a few hundred of these mantel clocks were produced. The design of this grandfather clock refers to the long tradition of miniature architecture. This table clock was produced from 1986 to 1999 until it became necessary to recall due to problems in the manufacturing process. A reissue was released in 2013. Coveted and rare collectable object! This entirely handmade clock is a small domestic architecture that fascinates thanks to its multiple construction details and its one-of-a-kind design. This little jewel designed by the great Michael Graves for Alessi is the result of a meticulous investigation into the long tradition that conceives artefacts as miniature architecture. The pendulum and clockwork run perfectly. The clock is in good condition visible signs of use due age; please check the photos to avoid confusion. The age of the clock has caused these user marks; nevertheless, it is still a beautiful object. Unique condition for this old object. Details: Model: Mantel Clock 03 Materials: ebonized wood and ABS veneered in maple. Quartz movement with AA battery Design: Michael Graves(1986) 1988 Dimensions - 24×16×9cm Alberto Alessi ''This table clock was manufactured from 1988 to 1999 and then had to be retired due to manufacturing issues. It is an excellent example of the creative peak of Micheal Graves’s post-modern talent, who, with tongue in cheek, refers to the Biedermeier style he highly praised.” Graves commented on the project in 1988: 'In designing the table clock, I was interested in exploring the established tradition of viewing artefacts as miniature architecture. There are countless examples in which furniture and artefacts are placed in interiors as idealized objects that draw their primary clues from proportional architectural systems. I have always been interested in the ambiguity that arises between these suggestions for 'internal buildings' and their external precedents.' (Alessi: the design factory', Edizioni Accademia, 1998, p93) Michael Graves Born in Indianapolis, he teaches architecture in Princeton since 1962. His architectural works include the Portland Building and the Humana Building, the extension of the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Newark Museum. He created the best-selling 9093 kettle for Alessi. Michael Graves died in 2015.