In Praise of Miniature Table Clocks

Ah, miniature table clocks. Those take me back. When I was a teenager my piano teacher gifted me a miniature table clock.

I felt so fancy and grown-up.

Looking back on that gift, I have no idea why she selected it. Now I wonder if it’s because I always had trouble counting or keeping time as a pianist.

It’s not that I couldn’t count.

It’s that Teenage Me lacked the discipline to play the piece as the composer intended. I thought I should be able to take creative liberties with the sheet music. Go where the music led me…or something like that.

Adult Me has the same problem.

Actually, I don’t think my piano teacher intended to make a slight at all. She was one of my greatest mentors and I look back on all those years I sat beside her at the piano with fondness, respect, and admiration.

That miniature table clock has sat on or near my piano for decades now. DECADES!

I used to use it to keep track of the actual time while I was playing the piano before my cell phone was permanently attached to my body. While still practical, that miniature table clock primarily serves a decorative and nostalgic function now.

But in this day of electronic everything, isn’t it refreshing to have something analog in your house? I think so.

That’s why we need to revisit the miniature table clock idea.

I define miniature table clocks as those that are 1 – 2 inches in size.

You can find a lot of dollhouse clocks that are described as miniature.  That’s not helpful!

You can also find a ton of 4-inch table clocks, but there aren’t many folks making working table clocks smaller than 4 inches right now. It seems this size was more popular in the 1980s and 1990s.

And a pox on everyone who describes items from the 1980s and 1990s as VINTAGE. As someone who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, I have to protest that label at this given juncture.

Now that we have that rant out of the way, let me show you how charming miniature table clocks can be. You need one!

I love these miniature table clocks made from wood that I found on Etsy. That different colored stripe through the wood is so pretty!

(image: Nicandthenewfie via Etsy)

It looks like a very similar, if not identical, clock face from the wood clocks was used to make these miniature table clocks made from stone!

Aren’t these stone clocks unique and fun? I’m guessing you need special tools to be able to slice and dice stone this way.

(image: Enterprise Stone Decor via Etsy)

With the exception of the above Etsy sellers and a few others, most of the miniature table clocks you’ll find online are used because they don’t seem to be mass-produced any longer.

I’m going to link to a couple of shops that have used miniature table clocks because the individual clocks I’m showing will probably be sold by the time you read this blog post.

IndrasNetVintage out of Seattle has an Etsy shop with all sorts of products, but this miniature brass table clock was so cute. I love the little handle.

(image: IndrasNetVintage via Etsy)

I couldn’t find my exact miniature clock the day I looked, but BlueEllenVintage on Etsy has a clock similar to mine.

Miniature table clocks must have been a popular novelty gift at one point because you can find them for practically any hobby or occupation.

Need a miniature table clock in the shape of a coffeemaker, golf ball, dice, comet, chair, dog, camera, or truck? Those all exist.

I’ll bet you can guess who they made this miniature apple clock for. It was my favorite out of all the novelty clocks I saw on Etsy.

(image: thetilt via Etsy)

Have I convinced you yet how darling miniature table clocks can be?

I keep my miniature table clock by my piano for sentimental reasons, but it would also look good and serve a practical purpose sitting on our bathroom counter or by the kitchen sink.

Also, my miniature table clock is powered with a watch battery or a key fob battery. I’m assuming that’s the case for most of these you’ve seen today.

If you have a miniature table clock, I’d love to see it! You can email me through the blog’s contact page or reach out to me on Instagram or Facebook.

I hope you’ve had the TIME of your life reading this blog post. Until next TIME, have a happy day!

Thanks for being here today. Here are some other posts in this series that you might enjoy. If you have a suggestion of a product I should cover in this series, let me know! 

In Praise of Ceramic Colanders

In Praise of Embroidered Pillowcases

In Praise of the Mansard Roof

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