Word clock tells the time in plain English

If you love knowing what time it is, but find all those numbers on a clock a bit intimidating, this is the timepiece for you. The Word Clock consists of two adjacent rolls, one with five minute time increments written out and the other with the words one to twelve, that turn against each other within an acrylic tube to produce whole sentences like “a quarter to six”.

It’s actually a nicely counter-intuitive way to tell the time and the design, with its slender tapered profile, is rather elegant. Originally designed in 1982 by Hans Muller and Hans van Dongen, the Word Clock measures 24” by 4” and is available from online retailers for USD$229.00.