Barometers Realm

This Sputnik Weather Station, dating to around 1960, was produced by the company Huger and features three instruments integrated into a single spherical design inspired by the Soviet satellite, complete with decorative “antenna” elements. After the launch of the first Soviet Sputnik in 1957, space-age aesthetics became widely popular, and the design of this station clearly reflects that era.

The housing consists of a plexiglass sphere reinforced with decorative brass antenna rods; the sphere rests on a brass base and can rotate freely along its axis.

Inside the sphere are the following instruments: an aneroid barometer, a bimetallic thermometer with a Celsius scale, and a hygrometer that uses a paper strip as the hygroscopic element.

The barometric scale is printed on an aluminum band positioned around the perimeter of a rotating brass drum that houses the barometer movement. The upper part of the band features a scale in millimeters of mercury, while the lower part displays pressure in hectopascals. Between these two scales are three weather terms in German, written in capital letters: rain, change, and fair. The barometer is operated by a conventional movement tensioned on a C-spring.

A striking example of mid-century design, this instrument blends functionality with space-age style and remains a prized collectible today.