A great woman once sang about the desire to turn back time. Who hasn’t, like Cher, longed to hit undo on a stupid action or social blunder? Unfortunately, we can’t get your hopes up about a real, working way to do this, but crafty Peruvian designer Belén Díaz Guerra made a great-looking novelty toy out of the idea with Devil’s Time.
Guerra’s charismatic, award-winning work recalls the turn-of-the-century heyday of cheeky gift companies like Blue Q, whose fun, sacrilegious releases have included lines like a batch of bath and beauty products that promised to “Wash Away Your Sins.” This charmingly devious design feels pulled straight off a well-financed sketch comedy set: an hourglass tucked behind a pull-up glass screen, surrounded by cute, Nancy-esque illustrations of Faustian bargains. Delightful motifs pop throughout Guerra’s bright design, like slices of lemon (as in “when life gives you…”), horned letters, a “Hell, Inc.” logo, and obligatory flames, reminding the owner of the product’s quietly hefty fee. How much would you give to fix a mistake?
