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How Soon Is Now?

From the traditional with a twist to completely conceptual, these timely wall clocks will tell the hour, impress the guests, and earn you the design-savvy stamp of approval.

Recording studio time doesn't come cheap, so we asked Tony Espinoza of San Francisco Soundworks to review wall clocks that keep the session in time.
clocks expert espinoza tony portrait

Time is the universal commonality between cultures, countries, genders, and generations. It’s this omnipresent shared experience that links dentist appointments with rodeos, sprinters with sommeliers, and even virgins with Viagra; duration has a bearing in everyone’s life. It’s all relative, of course, as Einstein taught us.

Humans have tried to quantify this evasive commodity through the use of clocks for thousands of years, attempting to measure the past, present, and future in myriad ways. Magellan used an hourglass to aid his circumnavigation of the globe, Romans kept time with a sundial, and Egyptians relied upon water clocks to plan for the afterlife. Some devices are more accurate than others, but saving the correct hour, who’s to say which is best?

Enter Tony Espinoza of San Francisco Soundworks, a recording studio that provides high-end client services as well as lo-fi options for newcomers. Espinoza makes a living by producing music, and has worked with artists as diverse as Ice Cube, REM, and Radiohead. It’s no secret why so many would want to lay it down at his spot: Aside from the acoustic expertise, the studio is one of the slickest around. The working space is clad in rich wood paneling, punctuated by the rough industrial texture of concrete and plump organic softness of sound baffling.

Espinoza’s forte is harnessing abstract expressions of time and emotion into tangible, danceable manifestations. Who better to opine on wall clocks than someone who not only keeps an eye on the session time everyday but also crafts the soundtracks that chronicle the memorable minutes of our lives? We clocked a few hours in the studio with Espinoza to see which devices did the best job keeping time.

  • cuckoo clock

    Cuckoo Clock

    Expert Opinion: The modern twist on the cuckoo classic is an interesting concept. Feels like you should be able to download your favorite MP3 ring tones into it. Actually, the point doesn’t seem to be tech, so much as the strictly modern philosophy. I really don’t know what to make of it. Somehow it takes the fun, light, woody feeling of the classic and replaces it with a serious, heavy, almost monastic vibe.

    What We Think: We love the combination of tradition infused with the simple, clean lines of modernism, as well as the air of humor about it. The allusion to the cuckoo archetype is a perfect complement to the matte black accent, and this balance allows it to work in almost any decor.

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  • banker's clock 2

    Banker's Clock

    Expert Opinion: Few designers would argue with this one. Clean lines and a striking arched top like a Gibson 335 guitar. It looks expensive and very well crafted. The typography is unique, with mesmerizing Edward Tufte–esque symbols. From a distance this one says “Time is money.” Up close it says “Time is a design study.”

    What We Think: The Banker’s clock, which was originally created for the National Bank of Denmark, may be our favorite of the group. The pragmatic yet sublime sequences of blocks that represent each hour are impossible to misinterpret, and the deft execution of the graphic design makes discerning the time completely intuitive.

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  • max bill wall clock

    Max Bill Wall Clock

    Expert Opinion: Remember your Swatch watch? It’s difficult to argue with a clean, somewhat retro, minimalist design. I could see a lot of the electronica folks I work with digging this one. This clock falls somewhere between analog and digital because it has the minute counter printed on the outer ring, so you can actually read it precisely as 1:52. Geek is chic, right?

    What We Think: It’s hard to find fault with this design benchmark by Bill. The stark palette draws attention to the details of the typography; it’s simple, functional, and versatile. Like the Banker’s clock, the attention to materials and assembly radiates quality.

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  • petal clock

    Petal Clock

    Expert Opinion: I could see this one in a hip mid-century-modern kitchen. It has great colors, and the subtle texture is nice too. If you look at it long enough, you begin to see the reverse image in white, and it almost looks like you’re looking head-on at the propellers of an old World War II fighter plane. Not the easiest clock to read, but given the right room, I think it could really tie things together nicely.

    What We Think: George Nelson has a posthumous monopoly on the mid-century clock market, and is responsible for more reissued classics than his country-singing counterpart Willie. Others he’s designed—like Talulah the Tucan and Fernando the Fish—are playful and fun, but don’t have the refined staying power of the Petal’s colorful simplicity.

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