The iconic glass ball that marks the beginning of each new year in New York's Times Square got an upgrade yesterday when workers installed nearly 300 new crystal triangles.

Organisers expect at least one million people to crowd into the square Thursday night to to watch the lowering of the ball, a tradition that stretches back over a century.

Ahead of this year's ceremony, 288 new crystal triangles, made by the Waterford company, were installed on the ball.

"When you look at this panel here, it's like this faceted starburst effect, reaching for the stars," said Waterford Crystal's master artisan, Tom Brennan.

In addition to the crowds expected to pack the square in midtown Manhattan, organisers anticipate that over a billion people around the world will watch the ball drop on television.

Engineers from Landmark Signs installed the new crystals yesterday morning, as part of the city's preparations for New Year's Eve ceremonies.