Contemporary Clocks | Buy Retro Clocks

Faux Flip-Clock Alarm Dock
Although strictly speaking, this isn’t a phone, this cool iPhone dock from Areaware converts you existing iPhone into a neat retro-looking flip clock radio that looks it warped right in from the 1970′s. It gives you the look of one of those vintage GE Flip Clocks sitting next to your bed with all the modern technology and convenience of your trusty iPhone. Designed by Jonas Damon, the Alarm Dock by Areaware contains no actual electronics or speakers, it is simply a beautiful sustainably harvested beech wood case that you feed your charger cord into, then just dock your iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4 and 4S and start [...]
Test Page Wall Clock
Please Stand By… From Nextime, Dutch design company which has made a name for itself by designing a whole slew of cool and funky clocks from the modern and mundane to the down right wacky, the contemporary styled Test Page Glass Wall Clock lies somewhere right in between. This glass faced wall clock was designed by Fritz Fink as a humorous take on the retro, nostalgic old test pattern shown on televisions when the networks went off the air. Gosh, it’s hard to believe there was a time when TV wasn’t running 24 hours a day. With a large, multicolored, 17″ glass face and rectangular metal hands [...]
Stylish Number Design Wall Clock
Cool Number Wall Clock! A recent trend in wall clocks has been oddly shaped numbers free-floating around the central movement and I have to admit that I am kind of a sucker for these contemporary clocks. I have seen them made from wood and plastic but the vast majority of them a cut out of thin metal with a plasma cutter. But anyone that has seen these clocks around has to admit that these number clocks can very widely in how well they are executed. Like any trend, the market is soon flooded with poor quality reproductions that don’t show [...]
Cool Retro Flip Clock
Remember the retro flip clocks from the 60s? The precursor to the digital clocks of the 1970s, flip clocks were an analog method of showing the time as a digital representation. As the minutes pass by, a panel with half of a numeral printed on both front and back flips down. The two halves of each digit fit together to form a bold and easy to read number to indicate the minute. The same thing is repeated once an hour to show the hour. It is a very simple mechanical solution from the days before miniaturization created circuits that were small enough to fit [...]
Build A 7 Ft Grandfather Clock With K’NEX
How would you like to build your own full size 7 ft tall, fully functional grandfather clock? Well unless you have years of experience in fine woodworking, this is probably something you are not going to attempt. Well, it may not be as hard as you think is you choose the right building materials. When my son was 7 years old we bought him a small set of a plastic building toy called K’NEX. It is kind of like the modern-day answer to the old Erector Set. Over the years, we collected more and more sets and his building projects expanded to be more and [...]

Watch Me Wall Clock

Mar 052012

It’s cool, it’s colorful, it’s the Watch Me Wall Clock by contemporary Danish designer Rasmus Gottliebsen. The boldly simplistic design of this cool modern wall clock has an iconic asterisk-shaped formed out of vividly colored rectangles of powder coated aluminum metal. It looks great in a child’s room, kitchen, artists studio or anywhere you are looking for a bright splash of color.

The Watch Me Wall Clock was inspired by a designer’s color swatch book fanned open and the resemblance is instantly recognizable to any graphic artist or graphic designer. This contemporary wall clock from Copenhagen-based Normann Copenhagen, makers of unusual, quirky and amusing home products of all kinds. It is perfect for anyone that appreciates bold bright colors and has a funky sense of design.

The white hour hand and black minute hand stand in cool and easy to read contrast to the colorful metal blades and are easy to read but there is no second hand if you are one of those that needs to hang on every second. The 11 1/4 in. diameter is the perfect size for almost any wall in your home and at only $53.00 the Watch Me Wall Clock from RoyalDesign.com and it makes a great gift for a friend or family member.

Want to see the Watch Me Wall Clock in action a get a better idea of what it looks like? Check out this video from Normann Copenhagen.

Catena Wall Clock

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Feb 202012

I admit it, not only am I a fan of cool and funky wall clocks, but I am also a huge fan of clock that use an alternative forms of keeping time. I guess that is why I was doomed from the start to love the Catena Wall Clock designed by Andreas Dober. This cool retro steam-punk style wall clock was designed for the German Anthologie Quartett, a gallery and luxury store started in the early 80′s which features a collection of unique art, design and architectural items.

The Catena Wall Clock is a type pf timepiece called a hanging chain clock which is a very simple looking but extremely innovative type of mechanical clock that uses a very simple motor to turns a small, single, external sprocket. Hanging from the sprocket is a simple bicycle-style timing chain. In fact, the word “Catena” comes from the Latin word for chain. At the bottom a second, free-floating sprocket keeps the chain taut and rotating with precision.

As the hours tick by, the chain turns drawing the copper digits towards the top to designate the time. When each number reaches the top of the chain the Catena Wall Clock chimes out the hour. Reading the minutes can get a bit dodgy buy like most alternative timepieces, you get the hang of it after a while. If you are one of those that must have a second hand, forget about it, you wont hear any tick-tock coming from this smooth running mechanical clock.

The mechanical style of this functional work of art is very retro looking yet it somehow seems contemporary at the same time making it a bit hard to classify. That may be another reason I love this clock, it almost always grabs attention and astonishment when people see it for the first time. Be ready for the inevitable questions ranging from “what is it?” to “how do you read it?”.

The Catena Wall Clock is not cheap though, this sculptural yet practical kinetic sculpture/timepiece costs around $2,564.00 and is available from UnicaHome.com.

Kikkerland Gear Clock

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Feb 082012

Get in gear with this cool industrial looking modern clock from Kikkerland Design. If you were the kind of person that always took apart your toys to see how they worked, the Kikkerland Gear Clock is perfect for you! This tabletop or desk clock has a completely open body that exposes all the gears and mechanisms for everyone to see.

Leave it the wacky folks at Kikkerland to find this cool and weird free-standing clock, they are known for their creative take on even the most utilitarian gadgets. This clock really seems to get people’s attention. At only 4.5″ in diameter and nearly 11″ tall this may not be big enough to be a mantel clock, unless you have a small mantle, but it is the perfect size for a desktop or in a bookshelf.

Be warned though, the steel rim is the only metal part on this clock, the rest of it is made of silver ABS plastic so it looks a little cheap upon close examination but from a distance you would never know. The plastic does keep this cool clock’s weight down so you could even hang it on the wall if you want but it really looks best standing free as it was intended. There is a really cool Kikkerland Gear Wall Clock that would work better if you would rather hang something on the wall.

This looks great in a workshop or garage or in an industrial contemporary style house. It makes a pretty fun gift for a mechanic or cyclist or engineer as well. If this is what you are looking for, you can buy the Kikkerland Gear Clock for $88.00 and the Kikkerland Gear Wall Clock for $100.00 from AllModern.com.

Modern Karree Cuckoo Clock

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Feb 072012

Most modern cuckoo clocks are still made in the conventional Black Forest style set down hundreds of years ago but the traditional “Chalet” style clocks with their hand carved leaves and weights shaped like big metal pine cones just don’t fit in with the clean lines and slick contemporary furnishings of today’s modern home decor. But many people still miss the charm and action of a cuckoo clock and want to include one in their home.

Well, the Karree Cuckoo Clock has all the things we love about an old fashion cuckoo clock yet is has a cool and modern design that will make you rethink what a cuckoo clock is all about. Designed by Rombach & Haas, a traditional maker of fine Black Forest clocks since 1897, these modern versions have the same mechanical mechanism found in a traditional clock but housed in a clean and contemporary body that fits into even the most ultra-modern decor.

You should know that the Karree Cuckoo Clock has a real, authentic Black Forest movement. It is made in Germany and is certified by the Vereins Die Schwarzwalduhr. The VDS or Black Forest Clock Association is the organization that guarantees the authenticity of Black Forest clocks. An important thing to remember is that mechanical movements need to be wound, but this modern cuckoo clock features a special mechanism that allows once-per-week winding so wont need your daily attention to keep it running.

A word of warning about any mechanical cuckoo clock, they can be temperamental and delicate. They are susceptible to things like vibration and humidity. That being said, these clocks are as beautiful inside as they are outside and will offer years of dependable service with a little care. Much like a classic style cuckoo, you can pass this clock down through the generations.

This modern cuckoo clock still maintains some of the stylistic features of a traditional cuckoo clock like a hand carved wooden bird and the door that springs open to let him sing his crazy song. You can decide whether to let him call out the hour or half hour and there is also a shut off switch available if you can’t stand it any more. The pendulum looks contemporary and the weights have a smoothly taped look to them to maintain the modernistic style. It is a fantastic blend between modern and traditional.

Just like a hand carved traditional Black Forest clock this uniquely modern cuckoo clock can go for as much as $620.00 but you can buy the Karree Cuckoo Clock here at Home Living Style for only $434.00. While you are there, check out their other modern cuckoo clocks as well as a wide selection of traditional style cuckoo clocks.

Walter Wayle II Clock by Alessi

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Nov 242011

One of the coolest contemporary clocks I have seen in a while is not terribly retro at all. This cool clock is a modern, abstract work of art designed by world famous designer of many cool things, Philippe Starck. Starck has turned his eye for design towards many household items and the result is always something exciting and he is one of today’s most well-known designers of household products.

Originally designed in 1988 for Italian design company Alessi the Walter Wayle II Clock has been re-released in a second edition. It looks a bit like a boat propeller or the flukes of a whale as the name suggests. It has a sleek, modern design and with no sweeping second hand or numbers, it may not even read as a clock at first glance. It’s so simple and sculptural that it looks more like a piece of art than a wall clock. In fact, the Walter Wayle II Clock is even included in the permanent collection of the The Museum of Modern Art.

This contemporary wall clock is made of gray thermoplastic resin and has a slightly textured finish. It runs on a quartz movement with just a couple of AA batteries and it’s pretty small with an overall diameter of just under 10 inches. There is no second hand, just broad, fin-like hands to point out the hour and minutes. The hands are extremely easy to read from a distance. It makes a bold, yet abstract statement without being to “in your face” contemporary. The coolest place I have ever seen one of these was in a small, private hangar that housed experimental airplanes because it looks a bit like an aircraft propeller but in my opinion it looks more like the prop of a boat.

So if you want a cool ultra-contemporary wall clock that looks a good in your modern decor as it does in the Bat-cave, the Walter Wayle II Clock is a great choice but it may not be for everyone. Design wimps may want to opt for something a bit less bold.