Other deciding factors may be color, design, style, size, hands or digital, electric or battery operated. The perfect way to start looking for the perfect decorative wall clocks to place in your home is by shopping on line. Here you can compare quality, prices, styles and shipping from the comfort of your home.

When purchasing a modern wall clock you may already have some particular style in mind. Maybe you have a theme for your bedroom or your kitchen and would love to continue in that vein.

The brown background on the face of this clock will help the clock to harmonize with the woodwork already in place in your kitchen while the bright lemon yellow will be like a splash of sunshine lending cheeriness to your kitchen.  Perhaps your kitchen is decorated in tomatoes, or in shades of green. There is such a wonderful array of kitchen clocks to choose from and if you are ready to redecorate, your clock is one of the least expensive items you can replace with one of the largest impacts of the overall look of your kitchen interior.

A kitchen with a tomato theme which has red accents or accessories throughout will truly look pulled together with this clock. Before redecorating you may want to do some online browsing. Appliances now come in many bold colors so finding complimentary colors is a simple feat.

The beautiful cabinetry on this pendulum wall clock makes it a clock that would look stunning in a formal dining room, living room, a more upscale office or a bedroom.  The exquisitely finished medium oak clock boasts a fine polished finish, gold tone Roman numerals, German quartz battery movement, and Westminster chimes. It is equipped with volume control and night silence if desired. This beautiful clock would make a spectacular addition to any home. There are several to choose from so that one can find the perfect wood finish to complement their décor.

Maybe your home is less formal or more contemporary and you are interested in something spectacular, and more modern? Are you looking for something with a metal finish, or something to go along with wooden accessories already in the home?

This clock is like a burst of sun upon the scene. Because of the open spaces in this clock it is made to go well against any type of wall; painted, wood paneling, textured or wall papered. This beautiful clock will accent the room perfectly enhancing its beauty.

This is a fun clock. The design is unique and at the same time the colors are neutral allowing it to fit in well in any contemporary living room, office or dining room.

Modern has gotten a lot sleeker so if you want to go all the way contemporary, there are definitely clocks to take you there. This is an intriguing look and perhaps you didn’t notice the pendulum peeking out from the opening in the bottom, which resembles a mischievous smile. This playful look will add a spirit of adventure to your home and be a great conversation starter.

There are color and styles variations available along the same lines so be sure to check them all out and consider how the colors would fit in your home. The right color and right clock can definitely have an impact on your home décor for a fraction of the cost of many other accessories you might consider.

How do you like your numbers?

Numbers can be written or implied like the one shown below. This intriguing pendulum wall clock has no numbers upon it’s face but that only adds to the mystique. Adding accessories to the room of a single or multiple colors found in the clock help to tie in the furnishings of the room creating a harmonious look. Toss pillows, rugs, throws, or drapes work very nicely.

Note the pendulum peeking from the cut away portion of the clock. It is a fascinating design which would lend interest and color to any home.

A classy clock makes an impact.

Would you wear a plain digital watch with a plastic band to a dressy affair? When you get dressed up, you select your favorite ear rings, your best watch and your finest clothing. Your wall deserves to be adorned with a classy time piece also. A pretty wrist needs a pretty watch and a plain wall becomes attractive with a stunning clock.

This decorative wall clock is similar to your watch in that gold goes with anything. Your wall could be paneled, painted, or papered and it would look fantastic as the back drop for this fantastic clock.

Beautiful wood clocks accent the room.

A clock created out of hand polished wood can be either the same color as the wood trim in the home, or the furniture. Matching woods will create a harmony to the room, while choosing a totally different tone of wood will create a focal point of the clock. Say the wood in the room is a lighter wood like blond oak, but the clock is designed with warmer tones of walnut or a darker oak. The contrast will bring welcome relief from the monotony of the same color throughout the room and call attention to the metal wall clock.

Clocks give you an opportunity to be expressive.

Clocks come in a wide array of styles, shapes, designs, and materials. What cat lover would not love this clock? This feline beauty adds such a wonderful warm whimsical touch and check out the cat tail. What cat does not try to sit on and explore any and every item in the home? So this clock truly puts one in mind of their favorite kitty companion and will spur wonderful tales of those who encounter this fine work of art.

Use your wall clock to add color and dimension.

Many television commercials use a monochrome background and slowly insert color to accent the advertised item slowly drawing attention to their sponsor. Enter a room that is full of furniture in one or two colors and watch what a clock with a splash of color does to the color theme of the room. The colored wall clock adds dimension and oomph to an otherwise boring room.

A modern wall clock adds style to an outdated décor.

Modern Wall Clocks are no longer simply functional time pieces. The clock we grew up with on the class room wall of our grade school need not be the one on walls at home. Take a décor that is outdated or tired, add in a wall clock with a sleek new design and watch the furnishings take on a more energized look. Use minimal design and either jet black or stark white.

Hanging a clock up is one of the most effortless ways to refresh a room.

It is so much easier than painting, or refinishing a room. The right clock hung in the right room will awaken the décor instantly and this goes for any room of the house.

For Which Room Do You Want The Clock?

The room in which you want to hang the wall clock is a major deciding factor in your evaluation. If you want a clock for your kitchen, you can take certain liberties in the colors, designs and structures. For example, you can buy a clock shaped and painted to look like an apple. Such a clock would be totally out of place in a bedroom, or a living room, for example. Again, the kind of clock you’d like for your parlor is not the kind you want in your kitchen. Rooms meant for guests must have formal, sophisticated looking clocks whereas your personal spaces can have informal, casual and fun clocks.

What Size Wall Clock Do You Want?

You can buy any size clock and put it up but be sure the clock does not overwhelm your wall. Always check how much wall space you have and how big the room is before deciding on the wall clock size. If you have a sizeable blank wall that’s undisturbed by other bric-a-brac, get a large statement wall clock piece. If there are paintings and other things on your wall, get a clock that will look distinguished but will blend with the other decorations. Measure your available wall space and decide on size before you go shopping.

Do You Prefer Digital Or Analog Display?

Digital clocks look great on your nightstand and perhaps on your kitchen counter. However, hanging a large digital clock in your living room defeats the purpose of a clock. A clock is more than just a device to tell time; a clock tells something your personality. Some digital clocks display temperature, humidity and other statistics along with time, go getting one for your bedroom might be a good idea.

How Much Do You Want To Invest?

You can get a great looking clock for less price if you look at antique and bargain stores. Wall clocks run the entire gamut from inexpensive yet expensive looking models, to truly pricey models that come with a designer label attached. You don’t have to break the bank, but remember that a clock is a lifetime investment. Invest in a good one that will last you for a long time and look good on your wall.

Wall Clock Options

Here are some classy wall clock options for your walls:

Chiming Pendulum Wall Clocks

Pendulum clocks that are set to musical chimes are a terrific investment and a great look for a parlor, living room, drawing room or library. You can buy pendulum clocks made of various finishes in wood for an old world charm. A great cuckoo pendulum clock states its presence and is always a talking point with guests.

Key Wound Wall Clocks

Key wound clocks are popular mostly among clock lovers and collectors. If you’re the busy kind you might want to give this a miss, but if you love old-fashioned clocks, get one of these. You can get an 8 day or a 30 hour clock, which have to be wound in exactly that many days or hours.

Traditional Wall Clocks

Quartz driven traditional wall clocks come in various styles, sizes, colors and hand-sizes. The numbers can be roman, or represented by embedded crystals for glamour. Circular clocks look good when placed over an arch, and square ones look great on any wall.

Contemporary Clocks

A contemporary clock should be your choice if you’re artistically driven. These are regular quartz clocks, with more emphasis on the art rather than the technology. These clocks are great to buy for your home and great as gifts. They are made out of any material, including papier mache, baked clay, enamel, glass, chrome, steel, brass and so on.

1. Kremlin Clock, Moscow

The Spasskaya Tower was built in 1491, by Pietro Antonio Solari, an Italian architect. It is located on the eastern wall of the Moscow Kremlin, overlooking the Red Square. The tower merrily sports a red star that was put up in 1935 on top, to indicate the communist regime. The tower’s height including the star is 71 meters.

2. Big Ben, London

The Clock Tower in the Palace of Westminster, London, houses the Big Ben clock, a very popular landmark in London. The actual name of the clock is Big Bell, though the nickname of Big Ben has stuck. The clock tower is situated at the north end Westminster Palace. Big Ben is considered the largest four-faced chiming clock in the world. It is also the third tallest independent clock tower in the world. Big Ben is 152 years old and is 96.3 meters high. Big Ben is to London skyline what the Lady of Liberty is to New York’s skyline.

3. Rajabai Tower, Mumbai

The Rajabai Clock Tower is located in within the boundaries of Fort campus of Mumbai University. The tower is 85 meters tall, and was modeled on London’s famous Big Ben. Sir George Gilbert Scott, an English architect designed the clock tower, which was named after the mother of the banker who financed it. The tower cost a total amount of Rs. 2 lakhs, roughly 4,000 USD, a princely sum in those days. The tower, sad to report, was used by people as a suicide jump off spot, which is why it is now closed to the public.

4. Torre dell’Orologio, Venice

The Clock tower in San Marco, Venice, is located in the north of the Piazza San Marco. This tower was built during the renaissance, during the 15^th century. The clock’s mechanism has now been altered to conform to modern needs. The clock tower is visible from the lagoon and people from far can easily tell the time. The tower’s lower floors provide an archway to Venice’s main street, the Merceria.

5. Zytglogge Clock Tower, Switzerland

The Zytglogge tower was built during the medieval times, in Bern, Switzerland. It has since been used as a prison, clock tower, guard tower, civic memorials and as an urban life center.  The clock tower has been declared a national and a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. This clock has been standing for over 800 years and has undergone many renovations. It still remains as Bern’s most recognizable landmark. The clock tower holds an astronomical clock dating back to the 15^th century, which attracts tourists in droves.

6. Royal Mecca Clock Tower, Saudi Arabia

The Royal Mecca clock tower, also known as the Abraj Al-Bait Towers is indisputably the largest clock tower in the world. The tower is actually a building complex that holds not one but several world records. They are; tallest clock tower, tallest hotel, largest clock face, largest building floor area and so on. The building’s height is only surpassed by Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the huge hotel complex on the manmade island. The clock tower is situated at a few yards distance from the Masjid al Haram, a sacred site for followers of Islam.

7. Clock Tower, Dehradun, India

The Dehradun Clock Tower is the largest six faced clock in the world. Located on Rajpur road in the middle of the city’s commercial center, this six-faced clock follows a structure that is unique to the Asian continent. The clock tower is from the pre-independence era, before 1947. Though the clock is not functioning at present, this tower is the most aesthetic structure in the city and its major landmark. People visit Dehradun to see the clock tower.

Sun Clocks

The very first sundials were comprised of an obelisk, or tall four-sided tapered monument, located strategically so as to cast a shadow on the ground when the sun moved. The sun would cast its shadow on different parts of the obelisk, which helped people see the two halves of the day and the noon hour. These basic time telling devices also helped mark the longest and the shortest day of the year.

Sundials

The earliest known device to tell time are sundials. In these devices, a gnomon or vertical stick is placed in the middle of a circle that contains 12 lines to indicate hours. Depending on the position of the sun, the gnomon casts a shadow on one of the pre-drawn lines, indicating the exact hour of time. Even after modern wall clocks were developed, sundials were used to tell time and also as a decorative garden element.

Water Clocks

Water clocks have been in use for millennia. The oldest known water clock was found in the tomb of Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep, who was buried in 1500 B.C. the water clock concept involves using containers marked with lines and filled with water. As water leaks out of the container at a steady pace, it is possible to tell the time elapse using the lines that are marked.

Mechanical Clocks

Mechanical devices were used to construct time telling devices in ancient times. Though these clocks were powered by water power initially, water was replaced by falling weights, controlled by an oscillating mechanism. It is believed that this mechanism was derived from the existing alarm devices or bell-ringing clocks. By using these weights to control the release of power, the medieval people created the first escapement device that marked the beginning of mechanical clock systems. Mechanical clocks were used mainly to notify people of public events.

Astronomical Clocks

The first astronomical clocks were comprised of a rotating plate connected to models of the sun, moon, planets, stars and their nodes. A clockwork device was applied to the rotating plate to create a working solar system model. Such solar system models were known as astrolabes. It was possible to tell the time of the day, the moon’s phases and other important information using these clocks.

Pendulum Clocks

Christian Huygens, a Dutch scientist created the first pendulum clock in 1656. The idea behind the pendulum is credited both to Galileo and to Leonardo Da Vinci but it was Huygens who invented the first pendulum clock. Huygens clock used a vertical, weighted pendulum whose oscillations were controlled by an escapement device to mark time.

Quartz Clocks

Quartz crystals have electro-magnetic properties; a rock crystal emanates a pulse every second, which makes it very useful in the building of clocks. Quartz is used in clocks after creating an electric field around the quartz crystal. When this electrically charged crystal is placed within an electronic circuit, the crystal vibrates and emits a constant electric signal. This signal is what is tapped in an electronic clock display.

Atomic Clocks

The very first atomic clocks were based on the absorption line in the ammonia molecule. Modern day atomic clocks use atomic frequencies. All atoms have oscillation frequencies that are characteristic of them. Of the many atomic frequencies, the cesium 133 was the chosen element for atomic clocks. The cesium atomic frequency oscillates exactly to match one second in time.

Candle Clocks

Candle clocks were simple; ancient Chinese people would take a 12 inch candle of uniform thickness and mark lines on it, each an inch apart. The candle would burn for 4 hours, taking 20 minutes to burn the wax between two lines. The Chinese would efficiently predict the time of the day and the lapse of time using these clocks.

1. Why do clocks use quartz? Quartz, the naturally occurring transparent and beautiful stone has electromagnetic properties. A piece of quartz rock sends out electromagnetic pulses every second. These pulses at increments of 1 second at a time enable clock manufacturers to build clocks that tell time accurately. Quartz is used in all kinds of timepieces around the world.

2. The first alarm clock would ring only at 4 A.M:. The very first alarm clock that was ever invented would ring exactly at 4 A.M. Levi Hutchins, a clockworks engineer developed the first alarm clock in 1787; he was aptly punished for doing so, though. Every morning the clock woke his wife mercilessly at 4 A.M and she took revenge on Mr. Hutchins for inventing the darned thing!

3. The pendulum was originally conceived by Da Vinci: Leonardo Da Vinci conceived of the pendulum during the renaissance. Pendulums were used to power saws, pumps and bellows. Galileo conceived of using pendulums for timekeeping, though the invention of the pendulum clock is attributed to Christiaan Huygens in 1656.

4. The first clocks used were water clocks: Water clocks have been known to exist as far back as 4000 BC in China. They were later used in ancient Babylon, Egypt and Greece. These clocks were designed by using the force of water falls to turn gears and levers, which made a clock move.

5. Own a clock? Be taxed: The clock was considered such a luxury in Great Britain, that in 1797, a tax called Parliament Clock Tax was placed on anyone buying a clock or timepiece. A basic watch would attract a tax rate of two shillings and sixpence, while a clock costing a pound was taxed at five shillings. Is it any surprise that clockmakers literally went out of business because people stopped buying clocks?

6. The word ‘clockwork’ came from clocks: The clock is a marvelously intricate creation, with its timekeeping gears, the power gears and the intricate mechanism that makes it tell time accurately. The clock was such a marvel when it was invented, that people referred to the assembly of a clock’s parts as ‘clockwork’. Now the term is used to refer to any task that is performed smoothly.

7. Flying alarm clock: The most annoying alarm clock ever invented is the ‘Flying Alarm Clock’ that starts flying around on its rotors every time it goes off. Do you want to turn it off? You must catch it first and bring the naughty thing back to base. By the time you do that, you’ll wake the entire house and the neighborhood, as this particular clock screams at 95 decibels!

8. Never check the hour hand on a cuckoo clock: If you love your cuckoo clocks, especially the annoying little cuckoos that fly out every hour, you better not touch the hour hand. When you need to change the time, move only the minute clock. Yes, this takes a painfully long time to move the clock forward several hours, but if you touch the hour hand, you will upset the sensitive time mechanism functions and ruin the clock!

9. One word fits all: The Arabic language uses the same word to indicate concepts such as hour, the exact hour, clocks and wristwatches. It must be very confusing to say ‘tune the clock and tell me what hour it is’ in Arabic!

10. Clocks were invented to regulate prayers: The idea behind inventing a clock was not to tell time for daily businesses and schedules, but to signal the time for prayers. Clocks were used mainly in European monasteries and churches, and not in everyday homes. These places used clocks to congregate at the chapel for morning, noon and evening masses.

The Mechanism Of A Mechanical Pendulum Clock

A mechanical pendulum wall clock comprises of the following five parts:

1. Dial: The clock’s dial that indicate the time.
2. Pendulum: A vertical weight that swings back and forth, storing and releasing energy, which powers the timekeeping mechanism. The pendulum continues to swing till the power runs out, which is when you have to wind the clock again.
3. Power Gears: These gears capture the energy released by the rising and falling pendulum and drive the clock mechanism at the right speed.
4. Escapement: This is a rocking lever that allows the gears in a clock to move at the rate that is determined by the pendulum’s swing. This device holds back and releases the gear train wheels so that the pendulum moves forward for a particular distance at each swing.
5. Timekeeping Gears: These gears make the hour, second and minute hands to move around the clock’s face to tell the time. These gears are more delicate than the tough grind power gears.

The Working Of The Pendulum Clock

Each part of the pendulum clock works together in a synchronized manner so that you can tell the time on the clock’s face, as follows:

The Role Of The Pendulum

The vertically hanging pendulum swings to and forth due to the force of gravity. It generates energy by swinging up and back; the highest stored energy is when the bob of the pendulum is the farthest from the ground. As the pendulum swings to the midpoint, this potential energy is converted to kinetic energy, which is turned back to potential energy when the pendulum completes its swing. The energy is switched back and forth as the bob of the pendulum oscillates.

The Role Of The Power Gears

The power gears capture the potential energy from the falling pendulum and transforms it into kinetic energy to power the clock. The number of days a pendulum clock works without needing to be wound depends on the weight of the pendulum and the right power gears. If the pendulum is heavy enough, it will store sufficient energy to drive the clock for days.

The Role Of The Escapement

Since a swinging pendulum can swing for ever till it stops, the escapement regulates the speed of the pendulum’s movement. It actually ‘unlocks’ the timekeeping gears when the pendulum begins its swing, and locks it again when the swing is complete. Then it again unlocks it. This locking-unlocking process ensures that the clock’s minute hand moves only one second at a time. The escapement mechanism gives a slight nudge to the pendulum, to counteract friction and drag so that it oscillates perfectly on set path. That’s how the pendulum takes the same amount of time to make one swing along its length each time. The escapement’s action of locking and unlocking the gears causes the tick-tock sound that’s synonymous with all clocks.

The Role Of The Timekeeping Gears

The timekeeping mechanism is a set of delicate gears that moves the clock’s hand by one second at a time. The timekeeping gears do this task each time the escapement device controls the pendulum’s swing, ensuring that the pendulum swings once every second.

Limitations Of Pendulum Clocks

The time it takes for the pendulum to make one swing depends on its length and the strength of the gravitational force.

Metal pendulums can change in weight depending on room temperature, as heat expands metal and cold contracts it.

Gravity is greatest close to the center of the planet, lesser in mountainous areas and more towards the sea.

Pendulum clocks must be kept very steady, as the least movement can disturb its back and forth movements.

1. The Key Winding Clock

This kind of clock needs to be wound at periodical intervals, mostly every week. The clock comes with a large key that fits either into the center of the dial or at the back of the clock, in which case the clock has to be brought down from the wall to wind it. A winding key clock can come with other features, such as a cuckoo that flies out every hour, a pendulum or even chimes. A key wall clock may have chimes, a pendulum or even a cuckoo that comes out every hour to let you know the time. You can get the best out of such a clock by winding it at the same hour every week.

2. The Pendulum Wall Clock

In a pendulum clock, a stylized, heavy giant rod swings to and fro at precise time intervals. This pendulum helps the clock tell time accurately. The pendulum is a resonant device and swings only to a particular rhythm which depends on its length. These clocks are the most accurate timekeepers in the analog clock world. However, the least external impact can put the pendulum into heightened drive, inhibiting its ability to tell time accurately.

3. The Striking Clock

A striking clock tells the hour by ringing a bell or gong loudly. This type of clock strikes the gong or bell according to the hour – once for 1 o’clock, twice for 2 o’clock and so on. At 12 noon and 12 midnight, the clock strikes 12 times. This kind of clock was used to tell time at churches and town halls in villages, before the clock face was developed. In a typical striking clock, there are two gear trains, one to operate the striking mechanism and one to measure the passage of time.

4. The Atomic Wall Clock

The atomic clock is probably the most accurate, other than digital clocks. These clocks work based on a radio transmission from the cesium atomic clock, which transmit atomic time. The main atomic clock is located at the National Institute of Standards in Fort Collins, Colorado. Atomic clocks work by vibrating the electrons within atoms to emit microwaves.  These microwaves are transmitted by the main clock, and picked up by other atomic clocks to synchronize time.

5. The Digital Wall Clock

Digital clocks come in all shapes and sizes, as they don’t have to conform to a particular size or shape of face. Digital clocks are great for people who find it hard to tell time using analog clocks. However, just because the display is digital does not mean the clock runs digitally. They use mains electricity for the most part and must be reset when the power is cut off, unless they come with battery backups.

6. The Chiming Wall Clock

A set of chimes are attached to this type of clock. When the hour strikes, a mechanical device sets off the chimes. The chimes are based on musical notes, which makes this kind of clock very pleasant for a home. The principle is similar to that of the striking clock which strikes a gong as many times as the hour indicates. The difference is that in a chiming clock, a set of musical chimes sounds instead of bells or gongs.

7. The Novelty Wall Clock

The wall clock has been designed using various themes to suit the unique quirks of people. These clocks are also referred to as theme clocks. There are bathroom themed clocks that are designed to look like toilet bowls and tubs. There are kitchen wall clocks designed in the shape of fruits and vegetables. There are nautical themed wall clocks that consist of a propeller, compass, life ring, captain’s wheels, light houses and so on. Even wall clocks shaped like the faces of famous personalities are also available. One interesting category is the neon wall clocks on which the hands and the digits glow like neon signs.

Rotaliana Multibook Clock

The Multibook looks like a hardcover book from the outside, that’s lit by 74 LEDs around the three sides. There’s a digital clock and a calendar on the spine of the ‘hardbook’ as well. It also comes with a storage container for transformers and cables and a three-way multisocket. The cover of your hardbook-look-alike Multibook clock comes with an illuminated label which you can personalize with your name. Get this clock in any color you choose – white, blue, red, black and white. This clock is especially suitable for someone who loves books.

LED Calendar Clock From G-Force Power

If you’re a sports fan, you will enjoy telling the time with this clock that looks like a scoreboard. This clock can be a perfect nightlight as well, with its super bright LED display. You can tell the date, day, time and the given temperature at any point. Geeks will enjoy the powerful LED display that hardly consumes any power and the accurate displays of information.

Card Reader Combines As Geeky Clock

This card reader has a built in digital clock and an analog thermometer. It has a dust-proof sliding lid as well.  The card reader supports MMC, T-Flash and SD devices, and different kinds of memory sticks. You can use it as a card reader and also proudly set it on your nightstand to tell time and temperature. What fun!

POP Quiz Clock

This wall clock takes you back in time to when you were a schoolkid, standing at a chalk board trying to figure out square roots. In this clock, each hour is indicated by a math problem, and you have to solve the problem in order to tell the time.

Pin Clock

Data Designs have created a clock based on the concept behind 3D Pin Art toys, which creates impressions based on the object that’s used to press the pins. There are 3000 pins in the Pin Clock, which do exactly the same, but without external pressure. They lift position and retract to display the exact hour and minutes format, clicking away merrily each time the impression changes.

Projection Clock From Timebeam

This is another offering from ThinkGeek.com that is a must-have if you’re the geeky type. This clock is a small projector that projects a six-inch diameter clock on the wall. This clock is powered by a 25-watt, 12-volt halogen lamp. You can project the clock image on any wall or object using the 180 degree turn in the projector’s lens, and also adjust size and focus.

Verbarius Clock

This clock does not display numbers, but rather spells out the time in several languages such as German, English, French, Russian and Spanish.  If you want to be verbally updated of the time in other languages, all you do is upload your chosen languages by connecting the clock to your computer’s USB port. The quirky thing about the Verbarius clock is that it spells time differently. For example, 5:45 can be pronounced as forty-five minutes past four, or fifteen minutes to six, or five forty-five.

TIX LED Clock: Tells Time Using Patterns

Everything in the world is based on patterns; our behaviors, our thinking and even our DNA strings. We derive clues from patterns and use them to arrive at information. The TIX clock tells time by creating patterns using four separate fields, which can be viewed as the four digits of a digital clock. You tell time by observing how many squares are lit in each of the 4 fields. It takes time to learn how to tell time using this clock, as so many patterns are possible.