The Paris-inspired, building-shaped City Clock displays time in an unusual way

By Luke Dormehl May 23, 2017

The City Clock - Paris design

While certainly not as familiar as regular analog or digital clock faces, our inner geek has always dug binary clocks — clocks that display numbers in binary fashion,musing only 1s and 0s. Yes, they’re impractical in the sense that they require more than a quick glance to read, but they’re also neat, nerdy fun — and their use of on/off lights can make for some eye-catching timepieces.

That’s certainly the case for The City Clock, a beautiful binary decorative clock that just arrived on Kickstarter. Resembling the kind of classic Parisian building you’d spot on a stroll along the Seine, it cleverly employs the use of light-up windows to indicate time. From the impressive levels of detail, you can almost imagine the tiny French inhabitants switching lights on and off as they enter or exit rooms.

The first floor of the house equals 1, the second floor equals 2, the third equals 4, and the top floor equals 8. Using this system, it’s possible to create every digit from 0 to 9 by adding one number to another. All that’s needed is a spot of mental math!

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city clock binary kickstarter capture d cran 2017 05 11 17 55 48 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

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city clock binary kickstarter capture d cran 2017 05 11 17 56 51 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

city clock binary kickstarter capture d cran 2017 05 11 17 57 46 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

city clock binary kickstarter capture d cran 2017 05 11 18 19 10 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

“What is exciting in this project is that this is the first object of its kind,” co-creator Claire Protin told Digital Trends. “It’s the first time a binary clock has been put inside a little house; in this case with a Parisian style. We are also planning to develop more of them, for other cities and monuments. What is exciting also is that this is a little brain game. Children love it, and it’s a fun way to learn how to calculate.”

Designing the clock took two years of hard work, including 50 hours of laser cutting and a total of eight prototypes. The City Clock is currently available for pre-order, with pricing set at around $100 for a USB cable, the electronics kit, and instructions. A slightly cheaper version includes just the electronics kit, while a pricier version can feature a custom-engraved message of your choosing.

Shipping is set for November 2017. (No, we’re not to going to work out what that would be in binary units!)

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I'm a UK-based tech writer covering Cool Tech at Digital Trends. I've also written for Fast Company, Wired, the Guardian…

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