With the forums collective fascination with Hodinkee's Travel Clock, I can't help but wonder what people think of the recent release by Massena Labs: https://www.massenalab.com/ Me, not particularly thrilled with this release. It's simply not my style and I struggle to understand the design concept behind it. Is it meant to be an alien-dinosaur? Anyways, at $29,000 it's definitely not meant for my table.
The overall form and finish makes it seem cheap, like something you'd avoid at a Pottery Barn on the clearance table. I realize these aren't timepieces, but I much prefer work like this from a local artist named Evan Chambers here in Portland. In person they look handmade and like antiques, but all are new production. https://paxtongate.com/collections/lighting That thing is also begging for a 5-yr old to carry it off to play with in the garden.
Ha! Yes! I could guarantee my son would grab that off the shelf, haul it outside to play with in the sandpit, and leave it out all night.
While it is at the upper price range of the MB&F x LEPEE collabs, it is a nice center piece for the right person. That's why there's only 15 being made. The other editions of the same clock had 100 of each color I believe and are mostly sold out, so I do believe for the RIGHT person there is a market. Overall on design it is not my cup of tea, but I understand its appeal and do like the gold/green style. Re 5 years old smashing this thing, totally happening hahaha.
Massena Lab is owned and operated by William Massena, whom is/was(?) an investment banker. So that answers the pricing strategy question. “Someone will buy one of something, at any price” $30k for a desk-wow is common in a certain part of town. Come on, that’s a bad-ass looking clock. 30 deep is steep. But if this is stainless steel, at $6k, I’ll toss my Hodinkee clock in my 34k gold trash bin (yep 34k-not a mistype. Its custom made by Midas, himself... AND It’s 10k more than your pedestrian 24k gold) This isn’t for us Pepsi cans collectors.