The 10 best clocks, if you’ve run out of space in your watch box
Borna BošnjakIf you’re anything like me, you’ll constantly be searching for a new, bigger watch box, along with new watches, of course. My drawers, desks and cabinets have filed up with watch boxes, canvas rolls and random Swatches I’ve picked up over the years. Luckily, most of us will have at least a small space on the wall or a desk that isn’t occupied by vintage watch ads and other horological paraphernalia – perfect, then, for a cool clock! We’ve already covered the awesome Author Clock earlier in the year, so read on for 10 of the best clocks we’ve come across.
Braun BC06W
Following Bauhaus design principles to a tee, the Braun BC06W is a follow-up to the Dietrich Lubs-designed ABW41 from 1981. It follows the principles of the other father of Bauhaus, Dieter Rams, with a two-handed, ultra-legible yet extensively simple display. As is customary with Braun, it presents “as little design as possible”. Price: £25.
Citizen CC2016
Should you need something a touch more rugged, look no further than Citizen’s Outdoor CC2016. It’s water resistant, and provides additional readouts of humidity and temperature on the legible flieger-style dial. As is customary with Citizen, it won’t break the bank either. Price: US$112 (currently on sale for US$78.40).
Mondaine Official Swiss Railways stop2go
Certainly among the most recognisable clocks around is Mondaine’s Official Swiss Railways clock, here in the stop2go configuration. Equipped with a special movement that will stop the seconds hand as it reaches a full minute, allowing the minute hand to jump with no obstruction, before continuing its ticking. Available in either a WiFi-capable configuration or with Bluetooth connectivity, it’s an easy way to bring an iconic piece of design into any space. Price: A$519 (smart model, WiFi model).
Seiko Six City World Time Clock
Seiko’s Six City World Time clock is the perfect way to make your office feel that much more like the 1980s, except cool, and without the brown carpets and cigarette smoke seeped into the walls. The clock comes complete with 32 city nameplates, so you can adjust the six time zones to whichever ones are most relevant. Price: A$765 from the SEIKO Amazon store.
Junghans Max Bill Kitchen Clock
A true icon of design, Max Bill’s Küchenuhr was created to be more than just a simple kitchen clock, while appearing so deceivingly simple. “The kitchen clock is usually the only wall clock in the household. From this, children are introduced to the concept of time, they learn how to read their first numbers and how hours and days are arranged, and it should be bright and cheerful, like beautiful kitchenware”, is how the designer himself described its baby blue ceramic case. The clock is available with either a quartz or radio-controlled movement (though you’ll need to be in Europe to fully benefit from that). Price: US$550 (quartz), US$600 (R/C).
QLOCKTWO
Certainly the most original clock design I’ve come across, QLOCKTWO uses a series of words to display the time, rather than relying on hands and indices. The clock is available in four sizes, including an absolutely gigantic 1.8m x 1.8m size, but QLOCKTWO also makes a square, wrist-mounted version. Price: €495 (Touch), €1,560 (Classic), €6,790 (Large), POA (180).
Chopard Classic Racing Dashboard Table Clock
If you happen to be running out of wall space as well, how about a desk clock? The dashboard-like design of Chopard’s table clock will appear to the automotive enthusiast, with the silver sheen of the palladium-finished steel case and leather wrapping reminding of a vintage car. Indicating temperature, humidity and time, the clock is powered by a quartz movement. Price: A$4,190.
Panerai PNPAM00585
The oversized Panerai cases seem perfectly fitting for adaptation into a wall clock, and that’s exactly what Panerai has done with the quartz-powered PNPAM00585. With the luminous rounded-off numerals encircled by a railroad minute track, the clock is part of a whole series of special instruments, including a barometer, thermometer and hygrometer. Price: A$6,500.
IWC Portugieser Clock & Weather Station
IWC is yet another brand that offers a series of instruments alongside a clock. Their Portugieser Clock & Weather Station can be wall-mounted as well as presented on the black wooden base. The elegant, thin printing and elongated hands clearly tie into the Portugieser design, while the instruments are protected by brushed and polished stainless-steel housings. Price: £4,460.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Atmos 568 by Marc Newson
It wouldn’t be a list of clocks for horological enthusiasts without Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Atmos. Powered by even the tiniest variations in ambient temperature, winding the movement as a result of expanding and contracting gases, the Atmos is a technological, perpetual marvel. I could’ve easily picked one of the simple, time-only pieces that are just as incredible, but this Marc Newson-designed Baccarat crystal Atmos tracks the month and moonphase as well, thanks to the Calibre 568. Price: A$46,100.