People who enjoy modern engineering and have a good sense of time are characterized as petrol heads, motorsport junkies, and aviation fanatics.
Following the British Grand Prix and Goodwood Festival of Speed, they may likely “clock” the new Tempus collection of illuminated watches by internationally acclaimed British designer Ben Rousseau.
Rousseau claims that his Tempus inventions, which were initially inspired by the automotive and aerospace industries, are now taking on a new direction as a result of some exciting new editions that are soon to be released.
The first is a joint creation with Beaumont Flying Art and consists of an actual Hawk jet engine cowling with a specially made Tempus put inside it for display on a grand wall.
Then there is his most recent line of F1-themed sculptures, produced in collaboration with Racing Gold as both a free-standing object and a hanging installation using actual F1 car parts.
The original Tempus line from Rousseau made its premiere at Clerkenwell Design Week earlier this summer, and those with a keen eye for detail and a novel viewpoint could be drawn to its future look (it lacks hands and numbers).
If so, they wouldn’t be the only team to collaborate with the designer in and around the paddock; Rousseau previously created and built a Gulf Stream Tour Master for Superbikes icon Troy Corser.
Rousseau describes the concept behind the Tempus; Rousseau, who just returned to the UK after working on a number of significant properties in the US, is currently creating a unique timepiece for an undisclosed F1 team.
“We frequently see time from a position of scarcity, haste, or difficulty. By drawing inspiration and paying close attention to detail from high-end watchmaking and sports car instruments, but on a far bigger scale, I hope to transform the way we perceive time.
The result of more than 22 years of experience dealing with lighting technology, precise engineering, and luxurious materials, Tempus adds a theatrical element to the mundane task of announcing the time in classic Rousseau fashion.
A futuristic clock face runs using addressable digital LEDs that illuminate three distinct segments—seconds, minutes, and hours—in sequence to create a 12-hour time path. It was inspired by Rousseau’s love of science fiction film settings and automobile design.
Then, Rousseau assists Tempus in firmly bringing the art of telling the time into the twenty-first century by using computer controlled laser cutting equipment and digital lighting technologies.
Finally, Rousseau says;
The Tempus collection is made using cutting-edge, locally obtained, sustainable materials and the precise machinery that, in my opinion, characterizes my work. Here, form and function are being balanced in a futuristic manner.
Therefore, Tempus combines technology and aesthetics of digitally controlled lighting to complement and improve contemporary settings and, hopefully, inspire us to view time in a new way.
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