The Stop2Go Watch from Swiss Company Mondaine takes the classic Swiss Railway Clock and reimagines it as a sophisticated wristwatch, complete with the iconic Mondaine red second hand. The red hand sweeps a full circle in 58 seconds—instead of the typical 60 seconds—and pauses for two seconds at 12 o’clock so the black minute hand can advance. The sweeping red hand then resumes its rotation, repeating this distinctive stop and go process. Originally conceived to ensure prompt departures for the Swiss trains, this effect also gives the illusion of an extra two seconds, where time momentarily stands still.

The Mondaine Swiss Railway Wall Clock has been an icon in Switzerland for more than one hundred years. Known for its punctuality and precision, the Swiss Federal Railways have historically featured a train station manager who uses a special red paddle, announcing to passengers and train conductors when trains are about to depart. This red paddle is captured in the Mondaine Official Swiss Railways Clock, taking the place of a conventional second hand.

Railway Station Architect—Ilya Yavein. Built in 1977 at Jūrmala, Latvia. Photo by: Jānis Vilniņš, lv.wikipedia.org

Delivering a modern look, concrete serves as a long-lasting, hardwearing material.

"The railway | moment"

Molly and Jake watch TV with the balcony door ajar.

Forth Railway Bridge, Scotland-Dating to 1890, the first British bridge to be constructed of steel, and still the second-longest cantilever bridge in the world. Photo by: Brian Forbes

The Cyclops watch.

Martin Buser sharing a quiet moment with his three comrades.

Onstage, Design Prize Switzerland representatives Michel Charlot, Beat Karrer (of FluidSolids), and Rolf Senti (of Bagno Sasso Mobili/Swiss Eco Tap) will explain their surprising concepts and how good design can benefit our environment. Pictured, a FluidSolids stool.

Jaime: Tree Museum in Switzerland Open since 2010 on the grounds of the Enea Garden Design headquarters in Switzerland, the Tree Museum is a unique and rather poetic concept: a collection of 50 specimen trees, many older than 100 years old, in an open-air museum-like setting designed by architect Chad Oppenheim. Blocks of sandstone set off the sculptural tress, and give the whole place a Zen-like atmosphere. Would love to see it in person some day!

Bill Thompson sits on his deck.

The designers of the CST-01 call it the "thinnest watch in the world." It's often tricky to trade in absolutes, but anyone who handled a prototype on the CES show floor this week would be hard-pressed to prove them wrong. Dave Vondle and Jerry O'Leary, who call their Chicago-based company Central Standard Timing, say the watch's paper-thin battery charges in 10 minutes and powers the device for a month before it needs to be plugged in again. The watch display is rendered in E Ink, commonly used in e-readers. Photo courtesy of Central Standard Timing.

Axel, Anna, and a friend watch television in the living room.

The library is a collection of art, architecture, design, and photography materials. The essays analyze the system and methods to make the library a publicly accessible resource for interdisciplinary discussion. The art library collection started when it was donated as gift from book collector Daniel Rohner.

Kustaa Saksi rebranded and designed the visual illustrations for Finnish Railways with Design Bridge.

Remarkable Swiss Waterfront Villa: Just five minutes outside of Lugano, architect and interior designer Mischa Groh meticulously constructed Villa Cigno. With spectacular views of the lake and Mount San Salvitore, this newly built home is a contemporary masterpiece. Presented by Fontana Sotheby's International Realty.

Manning House by Jack Manning (1960)

The stairwell leads to the main dining room and kitchen, where gray plaster and oiled larch wood joinery create a softer environment. The custom dining table, built by GRG Carpenteria, is surrounded by a set of Philippe Stark Toy armchairs.

The renovation of this old stone structure by Wespi de Meuron Romeo architects was, at times, as much archeology as architecture. The small square in front of the building, the only in the village of Scaiano, dates the building, a former brandy distillery fortified with both spiritis and stone walls. After reinforcing the roof and replacing the wood beam floors with concrete, the team started to dig in.

This alternative view of the kitchen and dining area, outfitted with KWC ONO and Sanitär Tröesch, exemplifies how reinforncing the walls and cutting through some of the stone brought significant light into the interior.

Like the stübli, the top-floor bedroom is meant to be moody. Tuckey designed the bed, the brass wall light is by John Glew Architects, and the chair is another piece inherited from the previous owners, a couple who lived there for decades.

The former cellar, now an entrance with a built-in raw steel fireplace, welcomes guests. Plaster outlines the new staircase, where an old stonewall was cut out to provide a passageway to the upper level.

The end goal, a vacation home with a view of the nearby lake, led Jérôme de Meuron to cut through a wall and ceiling to open up the space. "We tried to preserves as much as possible," he says. The addition of the large upper story window adds daylight without altering the street-level character of the stone home.

Despite the raw materials and rocky walls, the upstairs terrace feels positively weightless, offering spectacular views of Lago Maggiore.

Parts of the interior still maintain an earthy, subterranean atmosphere. Catacombs are hidden below the finished rooms above. The stairs lead to an outdoor area designed for communal interaction.

Dramatic floor lighting on this glass wall, custom fit within the curve of a carved-out stone wall, provides simple beauty in material contrast. "In such small spaces, it's often better to integrate the furniture and fixtures into the room," says de Meuron.

The Watch Me Wall Clock is an unmistakably vibrant addition to any room. Designed by Rasmus Gottliebsen for Normann Copenhagen, its powder-coated aluminum pieces feature rich saturated colors in bold rectangles along with black and white hands.

A new coat of glazing (and a bit of a modern paint job on the exterior) brings a clawfoot bathtub back to life.

Custom case work and a polished wall give the bathroom a warm yet minimal look.

Tina Roth Eisenberg runs a successful graphic design company, but is perhaps better known as the author behind the design-centric blog, SwissMiss. The self described Swiss designer gone NYC covers everything from typography to eyebrow dances, curating a specific cross-section of humor, design and inspiration.

The Stop2Go Watch from Swiss Company Mondaine takes the classic Swiss Railway Clock and reimagines it as a sophisticated wristwatch. Modeled after the Swiss Railway Clock designed by Hans Hilfiker in 1944, the watch captures the clock’s classic red second hand, along with its subtle twist. The red hand sweeps a full circle in 58 seconds—instead of the typical 60 seconds—and pauses for two seconds at 12 o’clock so the black minute hand can advance.

Epic Sail To reduce heat load and provide shade, DeSalvo initially tracked down a sail system from Sun Shade Australia. But the $6,000 price tag had the architect and contractor designing their own version out of Mermet solar screen fabric. It was fabricated by Covers Unlimited for $1,800. coversunlimitedinc.com

Are watching the sky, Máze, 2005

BareBands is an innovative watch that is designed for a variety of occasions. Featuring a digital face and typical sport functions like a timer and illuminating light, the watch can be used for athletic activities like running, biking, and—with twenty meters of waterproofing—swimming. The octagon-shaped face gives the watch a geometric, modern look that will communicate with daily wear.

The winners of the 2011 Swiss Design Prize were shown in the U.S. for the first time at Dwell on Design. A pair of knitted vessels by Senior Design Factory caught the eye of these passersby.