The Hours: Measuring Time with Wooden Beads

A beaded necklace makes an ingenious clock.

Some of the best ideas are dead simple: case in point, the Sasa Clock by London-based Icelandic designer Thorunn Arnadottir. A recent graduate of London's Royal College of Arts, Arnadottir uses a beaded necklace rotating on a mirrored carousel to mark the passage of time in five-minute increments. Want to stop time? Take the necklace off and wear it.

First spotted (and coveted) at the Future Perfect. For more on the designer, go to Thorunn Arnadottir.

Above: A gold bead marks midnight (and midday, in the 12-hour version). Red beads mark the hour and blue beads indicate five-minute increments.

Above: The 24-hour version of the Sasa Clock shown in blue; $475 from Destes.

Above: The beech wood Sasa 12-Hour Clock is available at the Future Perfect for $385.