Jony Ive, the iconic designer best known for shaping the iPhone and Mac during his decades at Apple, has turned his attention to something unexpected: a lantern.
Ive’s creative collective LoveFrom, working with Japanese electronics brand BALMUDA, has released the Sailing Lantern, a limited-edition piece of just 1,000 units, priced at a cool $4,800 USD (about $6,700 CAD).
Inspired by classic maritime design, the lantern is crafted with marine-grade stainless steel, polished glass, and gold accents. A single dial adjusts both brightness and colour temperature, shifting from cool to warm tones to mimic the glow of a flame.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Ive explained the inspiration: “I couldn’t find any lantern that I could put on the beach, or one that would be OK in salt air and salt water.”
He said the design process wasn’t about nostalgia alone: “It’s not a mere visual interpretation. People have been trying to figure out how to deal with seawater and sea air for hundreds of years, and we were trying to solve the same problems. Those references are present because when I’m thinking about the future, I always end up looking at the past.”
Durability was a central theme. “Most stainless steels will corrode. Only a few are marine grade. But I think that we both really loved how particular and how extreme this functional challenge was,” Ive told the Financial Times.
The designer also praised his collaborators: “What you make describes who you are, and in the Balmuda store in Tokyo I was moved by how singular their range of products was, this wonderful clarity and cohesion.”
Despite its origins in sailing, Ive noted the lantern’s versatility: “I’m surprised how gently and naturally it can sit in a variety of places – in the garden, on the beach, on a boat. Think about diving watches – 99 per cent of the time, they’re not used for diving, and it’s the same here. I love sailing, but I’ve been using the prototypes at home, inside and outside.”
At nearly 3.5 pounds, the lantern is weighty, but Ive argues that’s part of its charm. “We knew it would be substantial because the materials are machined, not die cast and plated. But while its mass is a consequence of the materials we’ve used, what I love about that is that it feels fundamentally and inherently true. It’s a sailing lantern. It’s the real deal.”
BALMUDA founder Gen Terao described the project as “an ancient flame captured in modern form,” praising the collaboration as both romantic and enduring.
The Sailing Lantern is available through select BALMUDA stores in Japan and the U.S., including locations in Tokyo, Osaka, and Brooklyn, New York.
Who needs an iPhone 17 Pro Max when it looks the same as the previous generation? Buy this sailing lantern instead.
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I'll wait for the Pro Max version.