Di Ponti Clock

In 2026, following the exploration of 3D printing in lighting with The Shard of Light and our Di Ponti Touch Light, Hoi P’loy ventured into timekeeping. The Di Ponti Clock continues the narrative of blending precision craftsmanship with modern additive manufacturing, translating the same design language into a functional object of daily life.

Our goal was not simply to create a timepiece, but to explore how 3D printing could enhance the tactile and visual experience of a clock—making it a piece that feels considered, intentional, and, above all, timeless.

D E S I G N  L A N G U A G E

The Di Ponti Clock draws inspiration from the same iconic forms that guided our lighting designs. Just as the Di Ponti Touch Light echoes the faceted stovetop coffee maker, the clock interprets these sharp, geometric lines into a structure that is unmistakably Hoi P’loy.

The cylindrical body and faceted surfaces provide a visual dialogue between light, shadow, and texture. The clock’s proportions respect the golden ratio, producing a balance that feels effortless yet deliberate, a nod to the timeless simplicity of classic Italian design.

THE  PAST  &  THE  FUTURE

Timekeeping felt like the right place to explore time itself.

After working with light and learning how to integrate 3D printing into our manufacturing in a meaningful way, we found ourselves drawn to an object that measures time itself. The Di Ponti Clock grew out of the same questions that shaped the Di Ponti Touch Light: how do old processes and new technologies sit alongside one another, and what happens when you let both speak?

Visually, the clock carries forward the same design language. The faceted geometry references classic Italian industrial design, while the sharp angles tie it back to the Hoi P’loy identity. It’s restrained, deliberate, and intended to feel familiar without being nostalgic.

But the real story sits in the details.

Instead of outsourcing the clock face or relying on digital printing, we chose to produce it ourselves using letterpress printing. In our studio sits a Heidelberg press that was built more than 80 years ago. We bought it in 2020 from Pretoria and only began working with it properly in the last year. Learning to use it has been slow, humbling, and deeply rewarding for our design team.

Letterpress is physical. Ink is mixed by eye. Pressure is adjusted by feel. The impression is something you sense with your fingertips as much as you see with your eyes. No two prints are exactly the same, and that quiet variation has become part of the clock’s character.

This analogue process now lives alongside our growing expertise in 3D printing. Where letterpress relies on ink and pressure, additive manufacturing depends on temperature, flow, and layer. Different materials, different rules, but the same requirement for care and attention.

Bringing these disciplines together has changed the way we work. We’re no longer designing objects around a single process, but allowing multiple methods, metalwork, printing, electronics, and 3D printing, to inform one another. That cross-pollination is something we’re actively building into our in-house practice, and it’s exciting to see how it’s shaping the work.

The Di Ponti Clock isn’t about celebrating old machines or new technology for their own sake. It’s about choosing the right process for the right moment, and letting the traces of that process remain visible.

MADE  IN  CAPE TOWN

Just like our lights, this clock is designed and assembled in Cape Town. The Di Ponti Clock is a small reflection of where we are as a studio right now, learning, experimenting, and slowly expanding what “in-house” really means. We are proud of the expertise cultivated locally, our team’s patience, skill, and eye for detail make products that can stand alongside the best from anywhere in the world.