Jony Ive’s Balmuda Sailing Lantern Oozes Sophistication

LoveFrom, the semi-secretive design firm founded by former Apple Chief Design Officer Jony Ive has teamed with Balmuda to reveal the Sailing Lantern.

It’s a portable lighting object born from Ive’s lifelong affinity for sailing and a shared obsession with the poetic potential of tools.

Crafted for maritime conditions, the lantern is engineered from polished, textured glass encased in precision machined stainless steel, tipping the scale at 1.5 kg.

It evokes the silhouette of vintage Fresnel lamps, yet Ive insists it is not nostalgic.

The light itself is a slow, deliberate choreography of color. As you dial its brightness, the glow shifts from soft red tones toward white blue, mimicking the behavior of flame.

When switched off, it fades gently, not snapped off like a switch but extinguished like a fire.

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Every detail is thoughtful. A flower shaped dial clicks under your fingers, the lanyard is crafted from textured polyester engineered to resist salt, sun, and oil, and a corrosion resistant stainless button secures it.

Ive and Balmuda emphasize that this lantern is built to age. Its surface will bear scratches, but those marks will deepen its character over years of use.

What makes this more than a beautiful object is the collaboration. Ive has spoken openly about the importance of who you work with, not just what you make.

Balmuda’s founder, Gen Terao, describes the process as arduous. To meet Ive’s exacting standards, his engineers had to push beyond their comfort zone. The reward is a tool that is both technically refined and emotionally resonant.

So what does all of this sophistication, craftsmanship, and technology cost? $4800 USD, on the Balmuda website.