Day Clock offers a hand for the memory

Since the advent of the sundial people have relied on clocks of all shapes, sizes and functions to tell the time. A new type of clock designed for people suffering memory difficulties breaks with convention and goes one step further by telling you what day it is.

Now I’m sure we have all endured those moments (particularly whilst on holidays) of being unable to recall the day of the week. Imagine if that was a daily occurrence. According to the manufacture, DayClocks, there is a huge market for this type of product among retirees, senior citizens and Alzheimer's patients.

The idea was actually the brainchild of two retirees who lost track of time whilst dirt sailing. "We knew our wives would be arriving on Friday, but we had no idea when Friday was," said DayClocks owner John Kallestad, "Our wristwatches only told the time and date, not the day. After several beers around the campfire, the idea for DayClocks was born."

The DayClock works by the hand making continuous complete revolutions every 168 hours or once a week so it is able to accurate provide the day of the week. The lines dividing the days indicate midnight and the arrows above the days indicate noon.

DayClocks new wall clock design includes patented, revolving hand that accurately keeps track of the day of the week and come it two options. The Classic DayClock, retailing for US$39.95 only tells the day of the week whereas the Contemporary model tells both the time and day and retails for US$49.95

DayClock is somewhat a novelty item given that most of us have been keeping track of date and time via our cell phones, PDAs, digital watches or other electronic devices for a number of years. But clocks have long been subject to curious extension of their base function. These days one may indulge in a whacky alarm clock featuring the voice of comedian Stephen Fry to wake you from your slumber. And for those who find it hard to get out of bed in the morning a sleep phase alarm clock might be just the thing to allow you to wake up in your own time.