Analog Clock
A classic clock face with sweeping hands, in any time zone.
About this clock face
A traditional clock face drawn live: hour, minute and a second hand that sweeps smoothly rather than ticking, with a choice of Arabic numerals, Roman numerals or a bare face. Pick any time zone, and switch to a dark face if it suits the room.
Sweep or tick?
The second hand can move either way, and the difference is not cosmetic โ it tells you what kind of movement a real clock has.
A sweeping hand glides continuously. That is the signature of a mechanical movement, where the hand is driven by a gear train beating several times a second, and of high-end quartz watches that imitate it.
A ticking hand jumps once per second. That is ordinary quartz: the crystal oscillates and a stepper motor advances the hand one notch each second.
Neither is more accurate. Quartz is usually far more accurate than a mechanical movement, despite the tick looking cruder.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the second hand sweep instead of ticking?
Because it is set to imitate a mechanical movement, where the hand advances several times a second and appears to glide. Turn the setting off for the once-per-second tick of a quartz clock.
Can I show Roman numerals?
Yes โ choose between Arabic numerals, Roman numerals, or no numerals at all for a minimal face.
Can I set it to another time zone?
Yes, any zone in the list, with daylight saving applied automatically from your browser's time zone database.
How do I read an analog clock?
The short hand points at the hour, the long hand at the minutes โ each number is five minutes, so the long hand on 3 means quarter past. The thin sweeping hand shows seconds.