Throughout history, mankind has been driven to understand the universe. The greatest scientific minds have strived to harness and interpret the elemental forces that govern our lives: gravity; time; and weather.

Oregon Scientific has, in part, founded its formidable global reputation on its ability to do precisely that. As the most stylish exemplars of technological sophistication and precision, their products – truly covetable gift items such as electronic weather stations, radio controlled clocks, digital cameras, fitness monitoring equipment and the like – have always helped us make sense of the environment around us.

Time to be brilliant
Now, in collaboration with top international designer Philippe Starck, Oregon Scientific is moving the art of understanding that environment to a new level - with the introduction of a new Time and Weather Collection.

Philippe Starck’s own reputation as the world’s leading exponent of expressionist architecture was forged during his early days designing buildings in his native France, including the private apartments in the Elysée Palace. In the years since, Starck has turned his gracefully minimalist eye to all manner of projects all over the world: hotels, clubs and restaurants in London, Tokyo, New York, Hong Kong – including the “new classic” Royalton and Paramount Hotels in New York and the Saint Martins Lane Hotel in London’s West End – bear witness to his dazzling skills.

But Starck is equally famous for his product creations: as diverse as a boat, motorcycle, glasses, watches and clothes. His style is his signature – clean, simple, elegant, functional aesthetic, creative and poetic.

Inspirational – and extraordinary
Now Philippe Starck has lent his inspirational brilliance to this new range of products from Oregon Scientific. Any of the pieces in this extraordinary collection would grace the living room, kitchen or bedroom of the most discerning modernist.

There are four different models – all variants on the clock and weather station theme – each of which comes in three colours (Red, Yellow and Grey ) and three sizes (Small, Medium and Large). But whether you choose one of the Small Basic models, such as the PS-S01 Radio Controlled Travel Clock with barometer, or one of the ultra-sophisticated Multi models, such as the PS-L06 Full Weather Station with radio controlled clock with time projection and digital tuning AM/FM Radio, you can be sure it will exude all the timeless, effortless cool that characterises the Oregon Scientific-Philippe Starck collaboration.

Says Philippe Starck: “I designed this collection to help us understand the great elements that rule the world; understanding the universe is the key to understanding ourselves.”

We believe that he has achieved his aim: the new Starck with Oregon Scientific range is as useful as it is desirable. All of the models feature a bold, digital LCD hour, minute and second time display; a calendar showing month and day of the week in five languages; plus a two-minute crescendo alarm with snooze function. The user can pre-select this alarm from a choice of seven different melodies, specially developed for the range.

The Visual and Multi models are particularly clever: as well as telling the time in traditional graphic fashion, they can be set to “project” an image of the current time onto a wall or ceiling. (Like all great works of art, they make an interesting conversation piece too.)

All units feature instantly recognisable icons to indicate the weather forecast for the next 12 to 24 hours (sunny, cloudy etc.). They also indicate a numerical record of barometric history for the last 23 hours, and have a user-selectable pressure reading display in mb/hPa or in Hg. The Medium and Large models let you check the current indoor or outdoor temperature, humidity percentage, comfort level, trend, and record measurements with the press of a button. Outdoor measurements are collected by a remote unit; the weather station can read the information from up to 3 remote locations.

Hey, good looking
For sheer functionality and ease of use, then, the new Starck with Oregon Scientific range of clocks and weather stations are in a class of their own. But of course, the thing that really sets them apart is their stunning good looks.

All of the products in the range have the same bold, square case, with the buttons beautifully integrated into it in the lean, minimalist style that is Philippe Starck’s trademark. The LCD display, too, has all the simple elegance of a Mondrian painting, with the various weather station elements – indoor and outdoor temperature, pressure, weather forecast etc. – neatly partitioned off into geometric “sectors” beneath the main time graphic. This display has been designed specifically so that all of this information is available “at a glance” – a true marriage of style and function.

Oregon Scientific’s (country) (title) (name) sums up the symbiotic nature of the company’s collaboration with Philippe Starck: “We have always tried to make our products the best both to use and to look at, and as such there was an obvious natural synergy with Mr. Starck’s work.”

Bring a little designer luxury into your home
Philippe Starck’s architectural designs can be seen in some of the world’s most elegant hotels, and many of the products he has conceived have become true twentieth – and now twenty-first – century cultural icons.

With the new Time and Weather Collection from Starck with Oregon Scientific, you can bring a little of that designer luxury into your home.

Style and function: it’s what the collection’s all about.