If you spend any amount of time in the design world, it doesn’t take long to appreciate the immense ingenuity that goes into designing a clock. Unlike many arts, where the artist starts with a blank canvas and is free to let his creativity define the scope of the project, clock designers are all bound by the same, very specific function: telling the time. And yet, even with such a constraint… with every clock doing exactly the same thing… the amount of different clock designs is absolutely staggering.
As diverse and interesting as clock design is, in my mind, there’s no better example of design ingenuity than the QLOCKTWO by Biegert & Funk. It’s a clock like all others, in that it’s sole purpose is to tell time. But from a design standpoint it’s simply brilliant, as it manages to eliminate two of the main elements found on virtually every other clock in existence: numbers and hands. Instead, the QLOCKTWO uses only words to convey the time, expressing it in spoken form and presenting it in an incredibly beautiful and modern design unlike anything that’s come before it.
QLOCKTWO Design
At the heart of the QLOCKTWO’s design is a grid of 110 letters. To tell the time, the QLOCKTWO selectively lights words in the matrix, thus presenting the time in spoken form. For example, it may indicate that “IT IS HALF PAST NINE”, “IT IS TEN O’CLOCK”, etc. From a frequency standpoint, the QLOCKTWO updates in five minute intervals, and for the four minutes in between, a light on each corner each represents an additional minute.
Paired with its incredibly unique way of telling time, the QLOCKTWO’s surface is equally as extraordinary. Designed to be either hung on the wall or set as a stand alone unit (with both mounting options included), the face of the QLOCKTWO notes a gorgeous, modern and minimalistic design which matches the typography beautifully. Available in a total of seven colors, the face of the QLOCKTWO is a polished synthetic glass that’s incredibly elegant and modern, and depending on your color choice, can either blend beautifully with your decor or serve as a focal point in the room. In addition, there’s also a stainless steel option (my personal choice), which gives the QLOCKTWO a design you can put pretty much anywhere.
Even better than the amount of color choices, however, is the fact that the face of the QLOCKTWO is easily replaceable. Because the face is secured only by magnets, you can easily change the color and look of your QLOCKTWO any time you want in mere seconds, so as your home’s style changes, your QLOCKTWO will always match. Also, should you want to change the language of the QLOCKTWO, you can do that as well. Simply select a different cover in one of the twelve different languages, and you can change it yourself, just like the color.
It’s a design that as I’ve already noted, is absolutely stunning, so it’s no surprise that the QLOCKTWO has received a host of design awards, including the Red Dot, iF Product Design, Good Design, Interior Innovation Award, Type Directors Club and the Gold Award of the ADC Europe. In my own home, it’s without a doubt my favorite clock, and I don’t think I’ve had a single visitor to my home see it without praising it’s design and ingenuity.
QLOCKTWO Construction
Underneath it’s beautiful facade, the QLOCKTWO notes a wood construction with four layers of lacquer, creating a border that pairs perfectly with both the shiny glass and stainless steel faces. It measures 45 cm. x 45 cm (17.72 in. x 17.72 in.), and it’s handmade in Germany by Biegert & Funk Product GmbH & Co. KG.
Rather than describe it’s construction process, however, here’s a video highlighting what goes into creating Biegert & Funk’s QLOCKTWO. It’s a highly specialized process, and when you see the QLOCKTWO for yourself, it’s impossible not to be awed by its construction and precision.
QLOCKTWO Technology
The last element of the QLOCKTWO that bears mentioning is the technology behind-the-scenes. There’s a couple of awesome elements, starting with the ambient light sensor. Light output adjusts automatically depending on the environment, which makes reading the time on the QLOCKTWO simple, irregardless of lighting conditions. Secondly, ensuring it stays as accurate as possible, the QLOCKTWO uses a radio frequency to connect to the European time signal. So if you’re in an area that receives the European time signal, the QLOCKTWO sets itself automatically and adjusts itself to the second. Outside the signal range, the QLOCKTWO automatically switches over to an extremely accurate quartz model. And lastly, should you require time down to the second, there is a second-mode that you can activate, which displays numerical seconds on the face of the QLOCKTWO.
QLOCKTWO Conclusion
If you’re searching for one of the most unique clocks on the planet – one that manages to eliminate hands and numbers while introducing a modern, stunning style to any environement – the QLOCKTWO by Biegert & Funk is it. It’s design is one that works brilliantly in virtually any environment, and with its range of colors, it can be the focal point of the room or blend seamlessly into more classic settings. I love my QLOCKTWO, and I can’t recommend it enough – both for it’s ingenuity and absolutely impeccable craftsmanship.
You can learn more about the QLOCKTWO at the official QLOCKTWO website, or head over to the Biegert & Funk online store where you can pick up your own. Pricing for the QLOCKTWO is $1,100 for the glass versions, or $1,350 for the stainless steel version. You can also check out more of the QLOCKTWO in the photo gallery below.
