Awesome Clocks

Mojoptix’s nifty 3D-printed object works like a traditional sundial, casting a shadow as the sun moves overhead, but it displays the time using dot-matrix digits, thanks to some very clever engineering. You can buy a pre-printed version from 3D Expressions on Etsy, or download the STL files on Thingiverse if you’ve got a 3D printer.

The Nixt IV-17 VFD Clock is a nixie tube clock with eight tubes and colorful LED footlights. Aside from telling time, it also displays the date and the ambient temperature. You can also set it to display a custom message. Check out Nixt’s other clocks and products here.

There are lots of different ways to tell time, but if you’re looking for something a little different, check out the Timedrop, a slimline desk/wall clock from Mareike & Felix. It features three stacks of LEDs which represent hours, minutes, and seconds. As the day goes on, each column fills with light, resetting when it reaches the top.

Artist Felix Vorreiter’s unusual timepiece uses a single, long piece of string that feed through a series of pulleys. The rope is marked with dots which align to display the current time. The current clock only has 120 minutes of string, as it would take about 4000ft to cover a full day.

Ascetic Design’s unique desk clock uses LED-illuminated acrylic panels to display the current time. It offers 7 display modes, and you can choose from digital, binary, or word style panels in a variety of etched typefaces. The 8-piece set comes with a display stand for the panels.

Designed by Nazar Şigaher and crafted from laser-cut anodized aluminum, Meyer Objects‘ unique wall clock extends its hour and minute hands into an outer frame, creating an ever-changing piece of wall art with each passing minute of the day. Sadly, it’s also priced like a work of art.

Fans of daytime game shows will immediately recognize the background of Dragon Vision’s playful wall clock. Inspired by Wheel of Fortune, the 8″ acrylic and printed vinyl clock features prize denominations instead of hours on its dial. Just be sure to avoid 12:30 and 5:30.

This unique clock from ChronoCo tells time in two ways at once. The pointer travels around the dial like a normal hour hand, floating over precise markers, while its back end indicator window displays time in 10 minute increments. Measures 500mm (appx. 19.7″) in diameter, and features a weathered look.

We’ve seen lots of clocks that use Nixie or other illuminated vacuum tubes. But we really dig this version where the entire time is displayed on a single tube. Pandicon’s IV-18 clock uses a new, old stock VFD tube to emit it’s greenish-blue glow. You can find more IV-18 clocks from other Etsy shops.

Add a touch of whimsy to your Google Home Mini speaker with this tabletop stand. It looks like an old school alarm clock, complete with a pair of (non-working) bells on top. It has built-in cord management, and comes in black or white.

Douk Audio’s unique desk clock uses an old-school vacuum fluorescent display (VFD) to produce a cool greenish glow. It shows the current time using analog-style hands, and has an optional second hand. Made from sturdy CNC molded aluminum, and measures 2.87″ x 2.28″ x 0.87″.

Joshua Renouf’s beautiful coffeemaker alarm clock is now a real product. Place coffee grounds or tea leaves on the Barisieur and when its alarm goes off, it will boil water and pour it, waking you further with the aroma. Save 10% in The Awesomer Shop.

The Esington Glass 2.0 is an hourglass that uses tiny iron spheres to count down to 25 minutes. Unlike other hourglasses, it comes with a magnetic stopper that lets you pause the spheres, so you can take a break or resume work after being interrupted.

Instead of sourcing vintage nixie tubes, Millclock made its own tubes for its ZIN18 clock. The handmade tubes are longer, more durable, and are rated to last for 200,000 hours of operation. The clock can be controlled via its touchpad or companion mobile app.

“Open your eyes… wake up Link.” Paladone’s officially licensed The Legend of Zelda Triforce alarm clock will help make fans of the series start their day right. It plays part of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past’s theme as its alarm sound.

light4dark’s wall clock plays with our expectations by moving the dial off-center from the typical circular background. It’s made from powder-coated aluminum and a sheet of clear acrylic to let your wall show through.

It’s time to kick some ass with this wall clock from WHENWATCH. The clock features an unspecified martial artist obviously based on Bruce Lee, whose body twists and turns to tell the time. His torso is the hour hand, his right leg tells minutes, and his left leg is seconds.

Maura Benitez’s desktop kinetic sculpture was inspired by sand mandala. It has two metal spheres that continuously move over white sand. The inner sphere’s movement can be adjusted to create different patterns, while the outer sphere creates a circle every 12 hours.

The Military Watch Company expanded its line of aircraft instrument clocks to include desk clocks. Their limited edition line includes desk clocks inspired by the altimeter instrument, airspeed indicator and cockpit clock. Each clock runs on one AA battery.

Instructables member oliverb made an Arduino-powered digital clock that has a fun mode. It can tell the time by playing Pong with itself, updating the score to accurately reflect the time. It can also show the time in large digits or with words. Learn how to make one here.

Guido Zimmermann’s Cuckoo Blocks are urban twists on the cuckoo clock. The buildings Guido uses for inspiration are those with mixed reputations, such as those that are considered eyesores and a low-cost housing that has been turned into a hip building.

Mark special occasions with cw&t’s Time Since Launch. It’s an extremely accurate clock that you start only once and can never reset again. It lasts up to 40 years on two replaceable AA batteries. It counts up to 2,738 years, or about 1,000,000 days.

A simple, yet effective use of HAL 9000’s iconic red eye-light, printed as the face of an analog wall clock. While we wish it had an actual domed cover, the simulated reflections in the image provide an effective illusion of depth. Measures 10.25″ diameter x 2″ deep.