Biergert & Funk QLOCKTWO gets an English version, our sincerest admiration
By Laura June 
posted Aug 20th 2009 12:12PM
posted Aug 20th 2009 12:12PM
This is exactly what we need: a clock that politely dispenses with the math (no matter how simple) in favor of words. Biergert & Funk handmake this one, called the QLOCKTWO, with both German and English language faces -- and there lots of color options. The price is a stunningly uncheap €1099 (about $1600), so get to saving your dollars and cents. There's a video showing off the QLOCKTWO after the break, but you'd better speak German -- or do what we did, and mute it and listen to AC / DC while you watch it.
I Demand a Recession Antidote now!
It's a cool concept. Way to expensive though.
Yeah, way too expensive. Might as well buy a HDTV and a nettop or so and run the word clock, which is even cooler (not the circular version, though that's cool too). http://www.simonheys.com/wordclock/ Only problem is the power consumption.
@kad awesome screensaver dude! gracias
That would be the easiest thing in the world to make...
Its too bad, they could have made a ton of money selling these things at like Target. Instead they'll be lucky to sell more than a handful at that ridiculous price.
lol yea they would make a lot more money. I mean it doesn't cost that much to make.
@kadajawi
Thanks for the link! My new screensaver.
Die Uhr ist schweineteuer!
deutsche Töne lustig. T-Stück hee!
those 'artistic' people are nearly starved to death due to the recession and desparately trying to get some money for food?
They're always starving, recession or not. When was a fine arts degree ever good for anything?
Those clocks won't hit 12:00 before that battery runs out...
There's a screensaver like this for free which I've used for years now at
http://www.simonheys.com/wordclock/
computer display + mac mini makes one of these for alot less than $1600...
Nice!! I think that guy is about to get some serious hits... Cheers for the tip.
Sure, you could go with the Mac Mini, but you're forgetting something:
If you got the Mac Mini, it would be able to do a whole bunch of other stuff, too. With all those possibilities, people would just get confused and frustrated. The beauty of this is that it's JUST A CLOCK. That's what you're paying for: simplicity.
That said, I would consider dropping like $100 for something like this.
tjhaflinger:
You're supposed to pay for simplicity in complicated stuff, not simplicity in simple stuff.
I really like it it would be something nice to hang on a wall and I would consider getting it for myself or as a gift for a friend.... for 70$ not 1700$. I mean I understand that it's art but give me a break.
Someone needs to create this as a screen saver now.
thnx @oliver
Holy crap that's expensive. I was just thinking of how nice it would be to have one of those hanging on my cubicle wall. Neat, and a conversation starter to boot.
And then I reached the price.
We are the dollars and cents, and the pounds and pence, and the mark and the yen and yeah, we're gonna rock your little soul... rock your little soul...
Except it's nothing as benevolent as "rock your little soul".
Looks like something that Nuni and Noonie might own.
im such a sucker, i am sooooo ordering one
Really, so you interested in purchasing a bridge as well? Nice place to hang that new clock. I can get you a good deal on one. Its up in New York, runs from Brooklyn to Manhattan.
There's an iPhone app for $1 so everyone can afford it! Even if you have to buy an iPod touch for $229, still much cheaper.
Except that would be very small to hang on your wall. Why not wait for the iPad and hang that on your wall with the app? That's a good use for it and its bigger than the iPod touch screen!
"It is quarter to eleven"?
There's even an unlit "A" right they could have used. Anyway, it's still awesome.
sigh, Peter, sigh.
Just because *you* would say "It is A quarter to eleven" doesn't mean everyone does. In fact, people most English-speaking countries (including England, y'know, where English was invented and shit) would omit the "a" as they have been doing for many many years.
You're a condescending jerk, Tom. Some people aren't all that familiar with British English, considering that America is on the OTHER SIDE OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, and don't understand all the small nuances of dialects that they've never been in contact with.
Maybe you should be a little nicer instead of talking down to other people.
Australia is on the other side of the planet but I still have the self-awareness and awareness of others to never tell an Aussie that I'm rooting for them.
Oh, and Curtis: in England you would say "condescending arsehole".
Just so as you know.
Well, then forgive us lower life forms for not being as supremely well traveled as to know every dialect of English like you do. I bow before your vast knowledge.
I think that American dialect is quite annoying compared with the original form of English (British).
Hehe, just kidding, I'm not from any of those countries. Then again Americans tend to forget *they* speak a dialect of English, not the other way around.
As an American, I would never say "a quarter to."
English English is also a dialect. It is what happened when the French conquered England and couldn't pronounce the local German dialect. Ah, language, something for everyone to look like an ass/arse/arsche trying to correct in others.
qlocktwo unboxing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1re8jdHVm3Q
does away with math my ass. i have to calculate what a quarter of an hour is!
One less zero in the price and I'd be all over it.
Right there with ya B. I'll be keeping my eye out for a knockoff.
Ditto. I'd love to have a clock like this in my home, but not for $1600. I'd rather get a new PC or HDTV at that price. For now I'll simply settle for the screensaver that a couple of people have linked in the comments.
Here the Translation. I tried to keep it literal. Even the sentence structure. So don't mind.
Thats Clock Two. The fourth dimension squared. So just a clock. Clock Two tells time with words. It has a square letter-matrix in which some letters are lighted. Time is told in five-minute steps. Now it says "It is five past three". Next it would say "It is ten past three", "It is quarter past three" etc. So exactly how people talk to each other. What time is it? Its Five past three. If you need to know time more exactly you see shining dots at the edges. With their help the minutes are displayed. It is six past three. It is seven past three. It is eight past three. (Translators note: It looks like you ad a minute for every dot). Clock two is equipped with a brightness-sensor, with which it regulates the brightness of the letters fully automatic. That means that in the evening when it gets darker the letters also get darker. That makes it very agreeable. You can always rely on clocktwo to 100%. It receives the European time signal and displays time to the second. You can find further information on the website www.clocktwo.com
So I noticed he says "veh veh veh" where we would say "double-u double-u double-u".
That means that "w" is pronounced as "veh". So how do Germans say "v"?
And, given that "v" sounds like "f" when it's part of a word, how do they say "f"?
In german w is always pronounced as a "v" sound. v on the other hand can be pronounced as a "f" or "v" sound. "v" in german is pronounced "fau" (as in now). if the word starts or ends with a "v" it will pronounced as an "f" sound.
example: Volkswagen. In german it's really pronounced Folksvahgen
So disappointed. I think it's a cool concept, but mistakenly read the text as follows: "The price is a stunningly cheap". Such a letdown when I shifted my eyes slightly to the right to see the price :(
You're a condescending asshole, Tom. Some people aren't all that familiar with British English, considering that America is on the OTHER SIDE OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, and don't understand all the small nuances of dialects that they've never been in contact with.
Maybe you should be a little nicer instead of talking down to other people.
I hate this comment system.
i'm just wondering when it'll read "tense o'clock" (the last line)
I was was reading the face trying to figure out what all the letters/words would be used for. It seems some letters are there only for filler.