Clever Clocks

Clever Clocks, by Douglas Chalk and Eva Letts, ARE clever, but they are also mesmerizing. Handcrafted, contemporary in style, and fascinating to watch, these clocks introduce us to a whole new way to view time. A Clever Clock is a functional timepiece but is a unique work of art, as well. One that intrigues the viewer and makes checking the time a bit more interesting. Watching a Clever Clock, you will notice by the smooth, gliding movement of its second and minute hands. There is no "tick-tock"; a Clever Clock is silent, allowing you to visually enjoy the clock's striking images. The continuous flow of time is personified in a Clever Clock, quiet, and always moving forward.

Origins of the Clever Clock

The movement of traditional timepieces never made sense to artist and innovator Douglas Chalk. To him, the passage of time is continuous and shouldn't be defined with the jerky motion, stops, and ticking sounds found in most clocks and watches. The fact that the big hand pointed to the minutes and the small hand refers to the hours also seemed illogical.

Douglas, along with partner Eva Letts, began producing Clever Clocks in 1984 in London, England, before moving the studio to Oakland, California, in the mid-nineties. More recently, a second studio opened in Germany to make and sell Clever Clocks in Europe. It seems a lot of people wish to view time in a new way.

The Mechanics of These Clock

The mechanics of a Clever Clock starts with the premise that its motor should eliminate the jerky motion and noise of a standard clock. To that end, Clever Clocks run on unique battery-powered motors. Developed by Clever Clocks, these motors are made to the studio's specifications and are the world's only 24-hour continuous sweep motors.

The clock's colorful 3-D designs are reproductions of original art by Douglas. This art is printed with archival quality pure pigment inks that are color-safe for 80 years. The quartz motor, explicitly made for Clever Clocks, uses a AA cell battery. The second-hand glides around the center of the clock face, smoothly and silently.

Each simple clock case consists of wood, hand-cut, and joined and then lacquered to a satin black matte finish. The clocks look great hanging on a wall and come with a stand, so it's easy to place it on your mantle or table.

Handmade in Oakland, CA., and Germany, each clock has a complete information brochure and is signed and numbered.

Clever Clock Designs

There are numerous 3-D clock designs by Clever Clocks. One of the most notable is the Saturn Clock. Against the deep blue of outer space, Saturn appears in the night sky. Saturn's orange and black ring acts as the hour hand while a pale, orbiting moon represents the minutes, and the pale blue planet spins denoting the passing seconds. This clock could be a wonderful gift for astronomy or astrology buffs!

The World Time Clock shows the time in 138 locations around the world! The Eye Clock uses a blue iris of the eye as the hour hand while white bands revolve on top of the iris for the minutes and seconds. Quite striking!

The Sunflower Clock has 24 brilliant yellow flower petals marking hours and half hours. Sixty-four florets in the sunflower's center record the minutes and seconds. A very cheerful clock for a kitchen or bedroom. Three rotating discs of red ripple through the face of the Red Ribbon Clock, soothing and straightforward.

Three of the most famous clocks designs from this studio are Spectrum, Arrow, and Dots. Each clock contains rotating, multi-colored discs to indicate hours, minutes, and seconds. As a wall clock, on the sideboard or on the desk - these clocks are always fascinating, decorative and absolute eye catchers.

Clever Clocks Today

Ever innovating, Doug Chalk, introduces new designs regularly. Mosaic, Mesh, and Sun and Moon now take their place among the Clever Clocks designs. New Vortex, Shimmer, and Diadem clocks incorporate moving shimmering images. And a line of watches is in the works. We can't wait!