Unmounted Time Glasses

The measurement of time in a glass has been a subject of interest for 6 centuries and the inspiration for many beautiful gift ideas.

For 60 years Day-Impex Ltd has been manufacturing a wide variety of unmounted Time Glasses, hand-blown by skilled craftsmen. Many shapes, sizes, running times and colours are available in our range to suit the varied needs of manufacturers working with wood, brass, slate, plastic, acrylic and other materials.

We make the glass, you make the gift!

Standard sizes can range between 32 to 165mm diameter and overall length from 127 to 610mm

We can make the body of the Sand Timer pear-shaped, straight sided, with triple bulbs or in the traditional hourglass shape.

Natural sand is the traditional and most popular choice used to fill the Time Glass. Our sand is graded, washed and dried to ensure its free-flowing qualities. Glass shot ballotini filling is available in a rainbow of colours – white, green, yellow, pink, blue, mauve, orange or black.

Running times can be selected from 30 seconds to 4 hours

If you have a requirement or idea which is not listed in the table below, we shall be happy to provide a quotation against your sketch or specification.

We also stock a range of small glass timers that can be made into traditional kitchen eggtimers as well as game timers or anything else your imagination can create!

• Available in Pink, White or Blue.
• Standard sizes are between 14-27mm in diameter
  and 65-90mm in length.
• Run times range from 3½ - 5 mins.

Pictured alongside the traditional game timer is a timer that can ‘stand alone’, meaning it is unmounted but has flat ends on which it stands.

Over the past 60 years plus, Day-Impex Ltd have made Time Glasses for special occasions and for unique applications. Below are just a few examples.

In 1955, HRH Princess Margaret visited Kingston as part of her Caribbean tour. During her visit she was presented with the Time Glass pictured. It was manufactured in Birmingham with the unmounted glass supplied by Day-Impex Ltd and was flown especially to Jamaica as a present for the Princess.

In 1956, Day-Impex Ltd donated two Time Glasses to the Kenya Legislative Council similar to those used in the House of Commons. They were used as ‘meeting’ timers when discussing budgets. The letter pictured is the official ‘thank-you’ received from the Speaker’s Chambers, Parliament Buildings in Nairobi, Kenya.

An example of a unique application is the Pulsotimer pictured with its original packaging. This tiny Time Glass was manufactured by Day-Impex Ltd back in the fifties for a company called Brannan. Nurses would pin this little timer to their uniforms, once started, it would run for 15 seconds during which time the number of pulse beats would be counted establishing a pulse rate.

And finally, as a novelty gift, this miniature Time Glass was made for a jewellery company who attached a fitting to the narrow centre to make earrings. A certain conversation starter!