Some of the most practical presents are those we use daily, or even better, ones that help us begin our day on the right note.
This particular innovation starts with soothing melodies – crafted by Jon Natchez, a member of the acclaimed indie rock band War on Drugs – designed to gently ease you awake. These tunes emanate from an elegant analog clock called OneClock, the brainchild of Boulder, Colorado-based artist Jamie Kripke.
Kripke explained during a Tokyo interview, blending leisure with business, that his goal was to create an alarm that ‘isn’t going to shock you awake. It simply taps you on the shoulder, guiding you out of sleep with a gentle, gradual approach.’
He noted that the clock emerged from a straightforward desire to promote ‘better sleep by removing phones from the bedroom, and cultivating more pleasant mornings through a beautiful waking experience.’
Dr. Alanna Hare, co-president of the British Sleep Society, echoed this sentiment in an email, stating, ‘Consistent evidence shows that screen use, especially before bed, leads to delayed sleep, less overall sleep, diminished sleep quality, and impaired daytime performance throughout life.’
The elegant design of the OneClock incorporates the golden ratio, a timeless principle of visual harmony.
Users have praised OneClock’s effectiveness. One satisfied customer shared on the product’s website that waking up with it was ‘peaceful… so nice not to have the cell phone right by the bed!’
Around five years ago, Kripke and his wife, Kate, made a conscious decision to ban phones from their bedroom. However, they still needed an alarm. ‘I simply couldn’t find anything appealing,’ he recalled. ‘You’d find beautifully designed clocks, but they all had those cheap, jarring digital beeps.’
This led him to create his own: a sleek desktop model featuring an aluminum casing measuring 7.1 inches wide and 4.4 inches high, complemented by a white oak face. Its minimalist design is interrupted only by the time dial, a speaker, and the ‘Waking Knob’—a single, peg-like control for setting the alarm. Kripke mentioned that the clock’s internal mechanism was engineered in Switzerland by a luxury automotive gauge manufacturer and assembled in China, though he chose not to disclose the names of these companies.
The clock operates with a USB-C cord and includes a two-prong USB-C adapter for US use. Currently available in white or black (the red version has sold out), OneClock retails for $349 and can be purchased directly from its official website.
Kripke emphasized that the clock’s aesthetics are deeply rooted in the golden ratio, a timeless principle of visual balance observed in nature—from the patterns of honeybees—and famously employed in artistic masterpieces like the Mona Lisa.
Music played a crucial role in his concept. ‘The sounds that wake you aren’t the same as the music you’d stream on your commute,’ Kripke stated, highlighting the unique nature of alarm melodies.
His journey began with a sonic strategist, an expert in the psychological impact of sound, to establish the musical criteria for the clock. Fortuitously, his brother-in-law connected him with Natchez, whose main instrument is the baritone saxophone, but as Kripke noted, ‘he plays everything.’
‘I didn’t instruct Jon on precisely how it should sound,’ Kripke recalled. ‘Instead, I provided the guidelines and told him to create freely. He truly embraced that freedom.’ Natchez composed numerous pieces, but seven distinctive tracks were ultimately chosen for the clock, featuring titles like ‘Clarinets,’ ‘Piano,’ ‘Nylon,’ and two vocal compositions.
In an email, Natchez reflected on the gravity of the task: ‘It was both daunting and humbling to know my music would enter such a personal, private realm, and that I would be responsible for shaping how someone’s entire day commences.’
So, how does this innovative clock operate? To set the alarm, simply press the Waking Knob, rotate it until the clock hands point to your desired wake-up time, and then press it again. The clock saves your setting, but the dial itself won’t display the alarm time; the hands will return to showing the current time. This design choice encourages a consistent sleep schedule.
‘You do need to remember your set alarm time,’ Kripke admitted. ‘However, for optimal sleep, maintaining a consistent bedtime and wake-up time daily is paramount.’
When the set alarm time arrives, the clock initiates a randomly chosen melody, with its volume gently rising to your pre-selected level. Should the user not intervene, the music will play for approximately 10 minutes before automatically turning off. Notably, there is no snooze function, promoting a cleaner wake-up.
The clock features a rotation of seven distinct songs over a week, a conscious decision by Kripke to combat ‘alarm fatigue’—a phenomenon where the brain becomes desensitized to repetitive sounds. After all seven melodies have been played, the clock shuffles them to start a new cycle.
‘Every design choice was made with healthy sleep in mind,’ Kripke explained. ‘It needed to be completely silent and dark.’ Thus, the clock operates without a ticking sound. To illuminate the dial in darkness, users can activate a subtle light that softly fades after five seconds.
Kripke admitted that familiarizing oneself with the clock’s operation might feel a little unusual initially. ‘For me, it’s like riding a bicycle,’ he mused. ‘It takes a moment to learn, but once you master it, it clicks.’
Launched in 2021 on Kickstarter and Indiegogo, the company successfully raised over $1 million. Although Kripke began with two partners, he now independently manages the business, alongside his continued work creating limited-edition and unique art prints.
He remains dedicated to the venture, fueled by the growing relevance of his creation. ‘The longer this company continues,’ he reflected, ‘the more confident I become that it resonates with the current cultural shift toward disconnecting from our phones and embracing a more analog lifestyle.’