These days, even having your phone by your bed is considered too much of an intrusion into your downtime. As for waking up to the headlines, there seems to be no better way to start the day badly. If you want to remove doomscrolling from your bedtime routine, you can go back to basics with our selection of straightforward analogue alarm clocks.
Arc alarm clock by Nanu
Nanu’s new Arc alarm clock goes all out on the minimalism, combining an analogue dial with a hidden digital display, an acoustic chime system, and an aluminium case that’s been designed to allow for easy repair and replacement. The San Francisco-based company has dialled up all the details, with everything from the variably illuminated dial to the cleverly designed chime bar carefully thought out. Designed to banish smartphones from the bedroom, the Arc is available in classic black or pearl white.
Arc alarm clock, $235, NanuElectrics.com
Mudita Harmony 2 E-Ink alarm clock
It might not have the Arc’s analogue simplicity, but the Mudita Harmony 2 is another device aimed at promoting digital declutter. This time the central tech is E-Ink, a low-energy display that allows the Harmony 2 to run for well over a month on a single charge. You can add custom audio wake up files or use the onboard sounds and there’s a timer function for meditation (and the all-important power naps).
Mudita Harmony 2 E-Ink alarm clock, $199.99, Store.Mudita.com
Braun BC05 travel alarm clock
Braun’s line-up of ultra-simple analogue clocks is legendary. Our pick of the evergreen line-up is the BC05 travel analogue alarm, with its protective folding front cover bearing a list of world time zones. The BC05 blends the graphic simplicity of the BC02 with another Dieter Rams classic, the AB 312 VSL from 1985, but with a pocketable form factor that continues to influence and inspire.
Braun BC05 alarm clock, £35, Braun-clocks.com
Punkt AC02 alarm clock
Punkt’s fastidiously simply AC02 owes a debt to another Braun classic, the BC02. Where it transcends the original is the materials, with a case formed from a solid lump of aluminium, a precision Japanese quart movement, and an integral light and snooze button. Punkt’s clock is hand-assembled in Ibaraki, Japan, and comes in two very subtle colour schemes.
Punkt AC02, £139, Punkt.ch
Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo
From sober and straitlaced to the raucous sounds of the arcade. Nintendo’s Alarmo takes the Japanese gaming giant’s IP and deploys them as a wake-up agents, with 35 scenes using characters from Mario and Zelda. Animations play out across a 2.8” LCD screen, there’s a motion sensor to check you’re stirring, and the tempo and tone of the alarm gets steadily more hysterical the longer you snooze.
Nintendo Alarmo, $99.99, Nintendo.com
Cloudnola alarm clock
A classic form factor in a gloss black metal case, Cloudnola’s circular alarm clock includes a crisp, clear clock face, elegantly spindly arms and a silent mechanism. There’s also an LED backlight that provides plenty of illumination in the dark.
Cloudnola alarm clock, £28, Cloudnola.com
Mondaine Swiss Railways alarm clock
No round-up of analogue timekeepers is complete with a contribution from Mondaine’s Swiss Railways range. The 12.5cm diameter table clock is a shrunken version of the train station mainstay, complete with signature red sweeping second hand. In addition to a brushed aluminium case, the clock has a hardened mineral crystal glass, making it a cut above the usual bedside timepiece.
Table and alarm clock, £189, UK.Mondaine.com
Arne Jacobsen Station alarm clock
The Scandi riposte to Swiss train timings comes in the shape of Arne Jacobsen’s Station clock (not in fact designed for the railways, but for the appliance manufacturer Lauritz Knudsen in 1941). This compact version rests on a brass stand and incorporates LED lighting and a simple alarm.
Arne Jacobsen Station alarm clock, £74.40, RoyalDesign.co.uk
Newgate Futurama digital alarm clock
Finally, a stylish new take on the familiar LCD clock. Newgate’s Futurama has a simple segmented screen sub-divided into a number of functions – time, date, temperature and phase of the moon – with a continuous backlight available should you connect it directly to a mains or USB power source.
Futurama, £44.99, NewgateWorld.com
