Wall clock - - ABS - 1960-1970 - Italfri Electronic

A representative piece of Italian industrial design from the 1970s, where color, plastic, and domestic technology defined a new modern aesthetic.

Italfri participated in the democratization of technological design for the Italian home during the economic expansion of 1968–1977, when the appliance ceased to be a technical object and became a cultural object.

Obtaining a physical catalog, a technical manual, or the original hand sketches of Italfri S.p.A. is, at this point, a truly museological exercise. Unlike better-studied Italian design brands (Kartell, Brionvega, Solari, Zanuso, Guzzini), Italfri has stayed in a semi-hidden space between the household, the industrial, and applied electronics. Precisely for that reason, its pieces reappear today as rare testimonies of Friulian Modernism.

• Movement: transistorized electronic (pre-quartz)
• Power: 1× standard 1.5V battery
• Controls: Start/Stop + fine adjustment (+/-)
• Condition: original label intact (documentary value)

In formal terms, this model is a direct descendant of the Italian Space Age. Its language synthesizes three key elements:
1. Squircle Geometry
Neither square nor circle: a 'soft' and futuristic form adopted by Joe Colombo and Zanuso to soften the technique.
2. High-Contrast Dial
Very thick white numbering on a matte black background — the result of domestic readability studies informed by the ergonomics of the 1960s–1970s.
3. Red second hand
A graphic accent inherited from aerospace instrumentation; it adds dynamism and visual precision.

Rarity and Valor

This issue stands out for three reasons:

Transition Technology
An electronic watch, but not quartz; a bridge between mechanical and modern electronics.

Stationery Status
The back label in Italian, intact, is an extremely rare documentary item in the vintage market and can increase the asking price by as much as 30–40%.

Friulian Genealogy
It does not come from the Milan circuit but from the technical Friuli, something increasingly sought after by museums and collectors specializing in Italian Modernariato.

Collector's Interest
Today, the reassessment of Italian Modernism brings back pieces like this for three reasons:
Transition technology (pre-quartz electronic)
Historical preservation (original label, vivid color)
Decorative value (retro-futuristic, pop, European mid-century)

It works both in retro-futuristic interiors and in contemporary minimalism, where it serves as a chromatic accent.

State
Excellent vintage, in working condition, with minimal signs of aging on the plastic (normal for 1970s ABS). Back label intact.

Aesthetic Classification
• Movements: Space Age / Pop Design / Italian Modernism
• Period: Late mid-century (1970s)
• Typology: Domestic clockmaking / small appliances / interior decor

Dimensions:
• Width: 26 cm
• Height: 23 cm
• Depth: 5 cm

Mechanism: Electronic (pre-quartz) powered by battery (1x 1.5V)

Design and Materials
• Case: Molded ABS plastic in an intense orange color — one of the iconic tones of the Italian Space Age era.
• Format: Square with rounded corners, typical of the “soft-tech” language that softened technical objects for the home.
• Dial: Matte black, high-contrast background with white geometric numerals and a red central seconds hand.
• Movement: Electronic transistorized (pre-quartz).
• Rear control: Start/Stop lever and fine adjustment screw (+/-), features typical of precision domestic watchmaking.
• Original label: complete label in Italian with instructions — rarely preserved.