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Designer Marko Vuckovic’s Meditative Take on Time

Serbian designer Marko Vučković cites Scandinavian design and the Bauhaus as motivation and inspiration for his work. And indeed, one can spy the hallmarks of those two influences of modernity across his portfolio. But look ever more closely and there reveals a profound introspective nature sourced from more philosophical inspirations, each promoting the practice of recognizing the profundity of the present. Quotes from the likes of Alan Watts and Thich Nhat Hahn are sprinkled to accompany designs signifying growth or in the case of his timepiece designs, the passing of time.

The Saturn Watch represents an obvious nod to celestial inspiration in form and function, a minimalist timepiece designed to narrow focus into a singular focal point. Though the hour at hand is immediately obvious, demarcating the minutes might prove a tad more challenging:

The watch has 12 digits placed on it. The base is encased with two disks with perforated holes crafted on them. These disks turn around in a clockwise manner in which the holes on the disk plates will inform you about the time of the day.If you consider what most analog chronographs look like, they offer an open view of every second of the day, and what’s intriguing about this object is the way it narrows your focus. Instead of seeing the position of every minute, this watch blocks out the dial of the device, and with two small holes cut into two revolving discs, the timepiece displays two single sets of numbers that show you the exact time.

Even more minimal and designed in service of the sensory is Vučković’s Void meditation device, a wearable focusing upon the present moment. Void owes its premise to traditional meditation bells and gongs of Buddhism (a practice now available in digital form for those seeking meditative audio guidance). Set to sound at intervals, the watch doesn’t serve the purpose of keeping the time, but rather, in the mindful recognition of its passing.

Gregory Han is a Senior Editor at Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.