ImHof Enamel Table Clock

There are clocks, and then there are objects that accidentally make the rest of your room look underdressed. This is the latter.

Made by ImHof, the Swiss maker known for turning desk clocks into conversation pieces in the mid-20th century, this table clock is an unintentional call-out on anyone still checking their phone for the time. Founded in 1924, ImHof carved a niche not by making the loudest statement, but by marrying fine Swiss mechanics with a deep appreciation for decorative craft—particularly in clocks that were meant to live, not just tell time.

What you’re looking at here is their enamel table clock, done in heavy brass and standing confidently at 120 x 120mm. But the real story lives on the dial, where Saint George (on horseback, naturally) is frozen mid-lunge, jousting a dragon into what looks like a psychedelic watercolor explosion. The scene is rendered entirely in polychrome enamel—a labor-intensive process where multicolored vitreous enamels are painted and fired in stages, often over multiple days. The payoff? This saturated, dimensional, almost dreamlike finish that makes you feel like you’re staring into a medieval fresco with a sense of humor.

And then there’s the color. Saturated blues, scorched reds, emerald greens, and acid yellows swirl together with no sense of restraint. The brushwork is loose and expressive, almost more impressionist than illustrative. It’s signed discreetly by Arthur ImHof in the lower right corner in gold script, and that touch alone would make this worthy of a wall. Instead, it’s functional—and that’s what makes it quietly brilliant.

The hands are classic gold lance-style, subtly echoing the Saint’s weapon of choice. The indices are curved ovals, slightly surreal, and just restrained enough to let the rest of the dial breathe. Inside, you’ll find an ImHof 8-day manual-wind movement, so once a week you get to engage with it—just enough to remind you this is mechanical, not ornamental.

The story of Saint George and the Dragon isn’t subtle—righteous force against chaos. Good versus evil. Here, that symbolism is distilled into a clock that feels equally at home on your office desk, your library shelf, or that empty spot you’ve been ignoring on the sideboard. It’s part art object, part horology, and all attitude.