Desk Clocks for an Office Desk: Four Ways a Desk Set Includes One
A desk clock looks unnecessary on a desk with a computer and a phone on it, and for solo work it often is. Its value shows when someone else is in the room. Checking a clock on the desk is invisible; checking a phone or a watch tells your visitor you are thinking about something else. This guide covers when a clock is worth the space, where to put it, and the four ways our desk sets include one.
When a clock on the desk is worth having
- You hold meetings at your desk. Appointments, reviews, consultations: anything with a start and an end that you have to keep without seeming to.
- You want the screen dark sometimes. Reading, signing or thinking with the monitor asleep, and still knowing the time.
- Visitors need the time too. A clock both sides can see keeps a meeting honest without anyone saying "we are out of time" first.
If none of these applies, a clock is decor. That can be reason enough; our guide to office desk decor explains how to judge whether a piece earns its place.
Four ways a desk set includes a clock
The Star, Prestige, Elegance and Chester families each include a clock, and each does it differently. All of these are executive sets with a personalized nameplate and the larger desk pad, 15.0 × 22.8 in (38 × 58 cm).
| Form | Set | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| A separate desk clock | Star 14-Piece Desk Set | A desk where you want to place the clock freely |
| A large desk clock | Prestige 14-Piece Desk Set with Clock | A deep desk, where the clock is read from across it |
| A clock in the pen cup | Elegance sets | Two pieces in one footprint |
| A clock on the nameplate | Chester sets | A visitor-facing desk: name and time at the front edge |
A separate desk clock
The Star 14-Piece Desk Set ($400) lists a desk clock as its own piece, next to a two-tier document tray, a picture frame, a calendar holder and a tissue holder. A separate clock can go wherever the sight line is best and can move when the desk is rearranged.
A large desk clock
The Prestige 14-Piece Desk Set with Clock ($500) names the clock in its title and lists it as a large desk clock. The set is wood veneer with faux leather components and also has an A5 notepad holder and three coasters.
A clock in the pen cup
On the Elegance sets the pen cup has a clock built in. The Elegance 11-Piece Desk Set ($275) has it with a two-tier document tray, a tissue holder and a phone stand; a twelve-piece version adds a desk flag. Since a pen cup sits near your writing hand, the clock ends up in your own line of sight.
A clock on the nameplate
If you searched for a desk name plate with a clock, this is it. On the Chester desk set with nameplate clock (from $200 without desk flags) the clock is attached to the nameplate, which comes with two ballpoint pens. A Desk flags option on the product page lets you choose none, one flag or two flags, and you tell us which flag you would like before checkout.
Where to put a desk clock
- In your natural sight line. Just beyond or beside the monitor, so a glance does not turn your head. A clock behind the screen will not be used.
- Angled between you and the visitor's chair, if both of you should see it. Side-on to both works better than facing either one.
- Away from glare. A clock face under a lamp or opposite a window is hard to read at exactly the times you need it.
- Off the working area. Not on the desk pad, and not where a document tray or a sleeve will knock it.
A clock that is part of another piece decides its own place. The Elegance clock goes where the pen cup goes; the Chester clock sits at the front with the nameplate. Choose that form only if that position suits how you work.
Batteries
Sets with a clock do not include the clock battery, and each product page names the battery in its not-included line. The battery type is not stated on the product pages, so check the clock when it arrives, or ask us before you order if you want to have one ready.
A clock on its own
The clock pieces can be ordered singly through Build Your Desk Set, each on its own model:
- Desk Clock on Star
- Large Desk Clock on Prestige
- Pen Cup with Integrated Clock on Elegance
- Personalized Nameplate with Clock and Two Pens on Chester
Each shows its own price in the tool, and the clock battery is not included with any of them. The nameplate with a clock is personalized like any other: a name of up to 32 characters and an optional title of up to 36, printed on a metal plate.
What we do not state
The product pages do not describe the clock movement, how it sounds or its dimensions, so this guide does not either. If a quiet clock or a particular size matters to you, ask us through the contact page before ordering.
Care
A clock is dusted with a soft cloth, like the rest of the set, and kept away from excess moisture. The materials and care page covers every piece in turn.
Desk clock questions
Do compact sets include a clock?
No. Every set with a clock has ten pieces or more; they are all in executive desk sets.
Which clock is best for a small desk?
As a single piece, one that shares a footprint with another piece: the Pen Cup with Integrated Clock on Elegance or the nameplate with a clock on Chester. The ready-made sets with a clock all use the larger desk pad.
Can I add a clock to a set that has none?
You can order a clock piece singly. It will match its own model; choose the same color as your set to keep the desk consistent.
