Month: February 2021

As promised…Clock 2.

I have been to the MoMA in NY, but not sure if I saw this clock there or if my Google searches for interesting clocks, which I do on occasion, turned up this unique clock and referred me to the most cost effective option.

Clock #2 MoMA Dial Clock by Eric Janssen

Acquisition

March 2015 at a now defunct online store. I tried to order a second clock from Amazon, but I ended up with some very expensive networking cables so it seems that Amazon does not have everything. A recent search today also comes up with nothing and that includes eBay that claims to have everything, well you can “search” for anything.

Description

Designed by NY designer Eric Janssen, this analog clock tells time in a unique way. There is a single red line at Twelve O’Clock that indicates the time. There are 60 minutes on the inner dial and twelve hours on the outside dial, both of which move clockwise.

To tell the time you just look at the red line and take the lowest of the hour numbers being displayed and then with the minute markings, can get the minutes very precisely. In the photo above it is just about 3:58. While there is no AM or PM indicator on this clock, unless you are in an underground bunker, or like my World Jamboree trip with the Boy Scouts in 1995 where I took a nap after a flight to London and work up a few hours later panicking that I had missed the bus only to discover it was 7 PM :), it is not an issue.

Current Usage

Just like most of the clocks I have, they are decorative and potential conversation starters. I like many have resorted to my cell phone for alarms since it is generally nearby and adjusts automatically for daylight savings time. A discussion for a later time, but I propose we get rid of daylight savings and time zones for that matter to make meeting scheduling with global partners easier. Let’s use GMT as the starting point.

At the moment the clock is in my living room above my TV. I actually have a charged battery in it so it does show the current time. My Cuckoo Clock is ticking away, but since I turn it off to get some sleep, will never show the correct time until I have a soundproof location to set it up.

Upcoming

For next week I have a few clocks to choose from, but I think I will discuss my bicycle clock.

Perhaps this comes as a surprise, but with a last name “Clock” I have had some timely jokes over the years from people asking me for the time or expectations of punctuality which I do try to be.

Now that I have a functional website again, it’s time to start a new category. Wait for it…. yep, Jason’s clocks.

I have a fair number of clocks to one day display in a soundproof room dedicated to them :). For now I just have the noisy electronic clocks on a 12 hour cycle so I don’t have to set them each day. Thankfully there is no AM or PM designation on these.

The entries that follow are in no particular order though I will try to give some context on when I acquired them and if known, the date and country of manufacture. If there are any clock aficionados out there, please help by fact checking and filling in missing information if possible.

Clock #1 W. German Cuckoo Clock

Acquisition

July 2018 in Columbus Ohio at an auction house / consignment boutique. I was visiting some friends and found this in a rather large antique store on final sale. I believe I paid roughly $30 for the clock as it was subsequently marked down as if it were a floor model in a retail furniture store lowered every few days until someone decided it was worth it. This process seems very equitable with the most profit going to the seller, but eventually selling. Like online auctions where there is an option to buy it now or place a bid, or offering a lower price, waiting for the price to drop to what you are willing to pay may result in you missing out.

Description

Based on some websites it seems that this clock was made after 1970. Based on the “W. Germany” designation on the face I would think it was fabricated before the unification of Germany in 1990.

The clock requires the metal pinecone weights to be raised each day. Each hour the door above the analog clock opens and “cuckoos” once for each hour with a single “cuckoo” on the half hour.

Current Usage

I will have to admit that I use this clock for some background noise and since I live in a small apartment, with no way to have the bird go to sleep at night, I stop the clock when sleeping. While I cannot look at the clock for the time, it does remind me every passing hour (and 30 minutes) on days when I’m at home. Unlike many, I continue to go into work during the pandemic so I don’t go “Cuckoo.”

Upcoming

For next week I’ll move from this novel and touristy clock to a more contemporary one from the Museum of Modern Art in NYC.