#HTE

A Perfect Object? Muji’s Minimalist Timer With Digital Readout but Analog Operation

I think for what it is, this might be a perfect object. It’s a kitchen timer, designed for Muji by Seki Design Lab and there’s more design in it than you’d guess.

You physically turn the outer rim to set the time, providing a nice analog touch. Turning it faster speeds up the advancement of the numbers. The maximum time you can set is 100 minutes, and if you turn it counterclockwise, it starts at 100 and goes downwards from there. (In other words, if you need to get to an hour, it’s faster to turn the dial counterclockwise.)

The buttons are not capacitive, just hidden behind the fascia; they physically click when you press them, which I greatly prefer.

It has a magnetic back so you can stick it on the ‘fridge. In this (unembeddable) review video I watched, the strength of the magnets is demonstrably greater than the resistance of the dial, so you’re not twisting it off of its mounting.

The numbers go faint when the battery starts to die, giving you some warning. Though I realize that’s not exactly a design feature and more a function of how batteries work.

If you’re interested in this object, I recommend watching the review video linked above, even though it’s absurdly long. It gave me a much better grasp of it than just looking at the photos.