Waterford has supplied the crystal panels for New York City's Times Square Ball since 2000.
The partnership began for the millennium celebration, when Waterford crystal was used on the ball lowered at One Times Square. The ball's illuminated geometric panels create its glittering appearance, while the design has been updated over time as the structure became larger and more technologically advanced.
Waterford is an Irish crystal manufacturer based in the city of Waterford. Its role is sometimes described imprecisely as making the entire ball, but the Times Square Ball is a large engineered structure assembled with lighting, metal framework, and crystal panels. The crystal is the distinctive decorative component supplied by the company.
The ball-drop tradition itself began in 1907, decades before the Waterford partnership. The millennium connection explains why 2000 is the key date for the company's involvement, not the beginning of the Times Square ceremony.