PebbleZ.com

Today I am going to bring you a list of all of the most unusual clocks that I could find on the internet. With the world wide web being a free market for any crazy idea anyone in our species can come up with, a list of the most unusual clocks should prove to be rather interesting.

The “Most Accurate” Clock in The World

http://alltime.info/atclocknew.htm

First up we have a clock which claims to be the most accurate in the world. That is because it has the peculiar function of being a running timer, which counts backl to the beginning of the universe, ie the big bang.

As far as I understand the exact age of the universe is determined via highly accurate measurements of of the red shift, or Doppler shift, of light coming from very distant galaxies. However, this can be a difficult thing to measure, and so the exact age of the universe is a point which has been hotly contested by many scientists. That means that the time this clock has been set to is pretty much arbitrary, with the designer choosing a random moment sometime during the average of sciences best guess as to when the big bang might have occurred.

And all of this is of course, assuming that the big bang happened at all!

The Eclipse Wall Clock

http://www.mollaspace.com/product_info.php?products_id=232&osCsid=98ee9fb2a8be74735c4e16ec036b7ae5

Not that unusual, but I really liked the design of the black and white eclipse wall clocks, so I included them on the list.

Unusual Stone Wall Clocks

The bold beauty of natural stone materials make these clocks unique and unusual. But I may be just a bit biased, seeing as how I designed many of these pieces. Anyways, I couldnt help but add the PebbleArt line of slate, sandstone, marble, and travertine clocks to the list.

Wiggle Hands Clock

http://bluebear.dk/f-cable_clock.php

This clock isn’t anything all that special, but the design is a little creepy, so I thought I would include it.

Basically it is a digital clock, with hands that kind of look like wimpy pieces of pasta. Whoopdie doo!

My Favorite - Book Desk Clocks

http://www.singulier.com/boutique_us/fiche_produit.cfm?ref=08160236&code_lg=lg_us&type=63&num=6

I am a huge fan of books, libraries, and book décor. So of course a clock that looks like a book is going to be high on my list of favorites.

Census Population Wall Clocks

http://www.census.gov/population/www/popclockus.html

This is a clock that doesn’t tell time, but estimates population. Is this even a clock? Doesn’t the definition of the word clock require it to tell time somehow? I guess there is a sort of time readout on the page, but in general its pretty static.

Giant Deconstructing Arch Clock

http://www.andyplant.co.uk/html/newport.htm

This is a clock that deserves to be called unusual, and on such a grand scale. As you can see it consists of a 30’ architectural arch, set to look like the grandest of ancient roman monuments. However each hour, the clock goes through a series of transformations in which its body opens up to reveal a suite of mechanical angels, which then flurry around the piece, trying to put it back together again. Finally, in their success, they are able to close the clock back up again, in preparation for the next hour, when it will all happen again.

Nixie Tube Clock - Build It Yourself

http://www.electricstuff.co.uk/nixclock.html

This is the perfect clock if you want to look like some sort of an evil genius. Its funny how the most unusual clocks are really just plans for building clocks, rather than a whole piece ready to be shipped. Maybe there is a threshold for weirdness, and only someone with the quirky nature required to complete the plans should have access to such designs.

The Chrona Lisa

http://www.salemclock.com/extra/jclocks/chronolisa/chronolisa.htm

The Chrona Lisa. The best thing about this clock is that the name is mildly clever. Unfortunately, it’s just a vaguely pretty computer clock with some nice colors.

Dancing Girl Kitchen Utensil Clock

http://briarpatchheirlooms.com/store/dancing_girl.html

This is definitely a unique clock, and it also has quite a heart. Crafted entirely from recycled kitchen implements, it is green in spirit, and multicolored in visage. What’s more, part of the price of every clock is donated to a children’s charity.

The Digital Sundial, Really!

http://www.digitalsundial.com/

This clock is crazy! A digital sundial could mean a lot of things, a digital clock that runs on solar power, or even just a digital clock that goes out doors, however this is a real sundial. That means it has no electronics, no mechanics, no moving parts of any sport, except the sun itself.

Somehow what they have done is created a lens with a series of numbers built into them. As the sun moves across the sky it shines down on these numbers, and the time is cast onto the display.

Apparently they have two different models depending on whether you live in the northern or southern hemisphere. While this is an amazingly clever clock, I wonder how accurate it is.

Stephen Hawking’s Spooky 1.8 Million Dollar Clock

http://www.geekologie.com/2008/09/s_hawking_unveils_scary_18_mil.php

Stephen Hawkings 1.8 million dollar clock is kind of depressing. The culmination of seven years of work, the timepiece is a tribute to John Harrison, considered by some to be the worlds greatest clock maker.

Currently displayed at Cambridge University, the clock was designed by Stephen Hawking as a piece of mechanical art. The purpose of the piece is to show time as a destroyer, and indeed every sixty seconds the nasty looking goblin on the top, reaches down and swallows the beam of liught that indicates the time. Then every hour, a sound chimes that is supposed to simulate a chain falling into a coffin. What a creepy idea.

It just goes to show that a great and brilliant mind can have depths of both light and dark. Luckily, Stephen Hawking uses even his darkest powers only to create art.

Excel Functions Wall Clock - How Depressing!

http://www.mrexcel.com/excelfunctionclock.html

An unusually nerdy clock, this timepiece has a face that consists of a series of excel functions that would work out to the appropriate numbers. A novelty clock that just makes me want to cry.

The Five Foot Food Clock

http://www.twigsdigs.com/clocks/yumyum.htm

A clock made entirely from food, found at the Florida Restaurant show. I bet the motor was made of plastic and metal gears though.

The Sneaky Extra Lunch Hour Clock

http://www.lunchclock.com/

This is actually a clever computer clock. It allows you to choose how many minutes you want to add to your lunch hour. Then you launch the clock, which appears to eb a normal timepiece, running on normal time. However, in the morning, the clock will run slightly faster, getting you to “lunch time” more quickly. At lunch the clock slows down to draw out your free period, and then speeds back up at 1pm.

Of course its aweb based clock, and most OS have a clock running at the bottom right of the screen, so I don’t know who this would fool, but it is clever.

The HIFI John Series of Unusual Clocks

http://hifijohn.tripod.com/CLOCK.HTML

This is HIFI Johns series of unusual desk and mantel clocks. They sort of look like something out of the Nightmare Before Christmas.

The GNR8 Orbiting Spheres Clock

http://www.gnr8.biz/product_info.php?products_id=623

gnr8 designs is one of my favorite decorative companies. The products they come out with are routinely some of the weirdest, and most innovative I have seen anywhere. So of course, they have a clock to add to this unusual list.

As you see here the orbit clock is made of a series of gyro spheres which whip and whirl in and out of one another as time moves forward.

Wooden Torsion Pendulum Clock

http://www.horology.com/h-borden-clk.html

A 5 foot tall clock sculpture made by artist Jim Borden. Unique vision, captured in a grotesquely engaging design.

Suspended Time Bike Chain Clock

http://www.suspendedtime.com/

Although there is only a terrible grainy picture, I included this because it is clever in theory. The clock is made entirely from bicycle chains, with gears moving based on the pull of the chains.

The Life Expectancy Watch

http://totallyabsurd.com/lifeexpectancywatch.htm

The only reason to buy this watch, is the feeling of satisfaction that you will get when you outlive your own life expectancy.

The Relevancy of a Mayan Clock Tool

http://www.pauahtun.org/Calendar/tools.html

I don’t know anything about the Mayan calendar, but apparently if you are a south American archaeological expert, this site would be useful to you.

The Procrastinators Watch - I Saved It for the End of the List

http://www.geocities.com/mohamedqasem/myinventions/procrastinatorswatch.html

The procrastinator’s clock is based on the idea that the hours from 12 – 6 should take up three quarters of a person’s day. I guess the thinking is that those hours correspond at night to the time when you would be sleeping, and during the day to your lunch hour, but the whole idea is a bit flawed, because from 2-5 your work day would be horrendously long. I guess it helps those who really like to sleep though.

Giant Water Clock

http://www.marcdatabase.com/~lemur/dm-gitton-indianapolis.html

Water clocks are some of the oldest mechanical devices in human history. This is a very elaborate water clock that was displayed in the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis in 1996

Maverick Creations Unusual Clocks

http://www.maverickcreations.com/

Maverick creations is a design company that specializes in unique and intriguing timepieces. This page will show just a random sample of some of the many designs they have worked on over the years

Special thanks to http://growabrain.typepad.com/
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