Wall Clocks

One whose second hand glides in a smooth, continuous motion instead of ticking, making it effectively silent. Where a standard step movement advances the hand in about 86,400 clicks a day, a sweep movement advances in tiny, continuous increments. On this page, the Braun BC06, the Braun BC26, the Bai Mega, and the Bai Aquamaster Futura all run a true silent sweeping movement.

First, decide how much noise you're comfortable with. Size comes next and depends on how much wall space you have available. Style is the last call, since the piece is as visible as it is useful for telling the time.

To maintain visual balance, interior designers often recommend that your clock be two-thirds to three-quarters the width of the furniture it hangs above. The clocks on this page span 6 to 16 inches, a range ideal for apartment walls, kitchens, and the blank space above a desk.

The main styles of wall clock are minimalist, retro or mid-century, high-visibility, and novelty. Minimalist designs like the Braun clocks show off clean numerals and a single accent hand. Pieces like the Bai Retro lean on bold fonts and color, while the Bai Brushed Aluminum Mega is built for high visibility, with numerals legible as far as 150 feet away. Novelty pieces are chosen as much for character as for utility, and some sit within our broader home decor range.

In a bedroom, a silent sweep clock works best. In a kitchen where you want to be able to multitask, the Bai Retro Kitchen Timer clock comes in handy. In a home office, a clean face, like the Braun clocks, keeps the time visible without demanding all your attention. If you're looking for a small desk clock, those sit in our alarm clocks collection.

The rule of thumb is to hang a clock at eye level, and 6 to 12 inches above any piece of furniture beneath it. Place it above the tallest thing in your sight line so it reads from across the room and from a seated position.

Only if it's built to resist moisture, which a standard indoor clock is not. Humidity, splashes, and temperature fluctuations shorten the life of an ordinary clock. Look for a sealed, waterproof design like the Bai Aquamaster Futura, which uses a double rubber gasket to keep water out. We recommend keeping even a weather-resistant clock out of a fully exposed, freezing, or soaking-wet location.

Most, including the quartz movements on this page, run on a single AA battery and keep time to within about 20 seconds a month. The majority of these clocks ship without the battery, so plan on adding one AA to your shopping list. The accuracy is determined by the quartz crystal, which vibrates 32,768 times per second to regulate the hands.

A silent sweep movement and longer warranty add to the cost, and design heritage accounts for the rest. The Braun faces were drawn from designs by Dieter Rams and Dietrich Lubs under the "less but better" philosophy, and that design work is reflected in their prices. A budget retro piece like one of the Bai clocks typically costs less because it stands out for color and character rather than design pedigree.

Yes. We buy these clocks as real, branded stock: Braun's clocks, for instance, come to us through the brand's distributor, Ameico. As a family housewares store in business since 1929, we guarantee that our inventory is genuine so you aren't left sorting the real from the fake.