+0.10 Show HN: Clocksimulator.com – A minimalist, distraction-free analog clock (www.clocksimulator.com S:+0.26 )
130 points by user_timo 4 days ago | 101 comments on HN | Mild positive Product · v3.7 · 2026-02-28 10:04:27 0
Summary Digital Access & Privacy Acknowledges
ClockSimulator.com is a minimalist analog clock utility with privacy-conscious architecture and global accessibility features. The site acknowledges user privacy rights through explicit policy reference and local-storage design; enables cultural participation via IANA timezone support; and respects user autonomy through extensive customization options. As a free, open-source tool with transparent attribution, it demonstrates community-oriented values aligned with multiple UDHR provisions.
Article Heatmap
Preamble: ND — Preamble Preamble: No Data — Preamble P Article 1: +0.10 — Freedom, Equality, Brotherhood 1 Article 2: +0.10 — Non-Discrimination 2 Article 3: ND — Life, Liberty, Security Article 3: No Data — Life, Liberty, Security 3 Article 4: ND — No Slavery Article 4: No Data — No Slavery 4 Article 5: ND — No Torture Article 5: No Data — No Torture 5 Article 6: ND — Legal Personhood Article 6: No Data — Legal Personhood 6 Article 7: ND — Equality Before Law Article 7: No Data — Equality Before Law 7 Article 8: ND — Right to Remedy Article 8: No Data — Right to Remedy 8 Article 9: ND — No Arbitrary Detention Article 9: No Data — No Arbitrary Detention 9 Article 10: ND — Fair Hearing Article 10: No Data — Fair Hearing 10 Article 11: ND — Presumption of Innocence Article 11: No Data — Presumption of Innocence 11 Article 12: +0.40 — Privacy 12 Article 13: ND — Freedom of Movement Article 13: No Data — Freedom of Movement 13 Article 14: ND — Asylum Article 14: No Data — Asylum 14 Article 15: ND — Nationality Article 15: No Data — Nationality 15 Article 16: ND — Marriage & Family Article 16: No Data — Marriage & Family 16 Article 17: ND — Property Article 17: No Data — Property 17 Article 18: +0.15 — Freedom of Thought 18 Article 19: ND — Freedom of Expression Article 19: No Data — Freedom of Expression 19 Article 20: ND — Assembly & Association Article 20: No Data — Assembly & Association 20 Article 21: ND — Political Participation Article 21: No Data — Political Participation 21 Article 22: ND — Social Security Article 22: No Data — Social Security 22 Article 23: +0.20 — Work & Equal Pay 23 Article 24: +0.10 — Rest & Leisure 24 Article 25: ND — Standard of Living Article 25: No Data — Standard of Living 25 Article 26: +0.15 — Education 26 Article 27: +0.15 — Cultural Participation 27 Article 28: ND — Social & International Order Article 28: No Data — Social & International Order 28 Article 29: +0.25 — Duties to Community 29 Article 30: ND — No Destruction of Rights Article 30: No Data — No Destruction of Rights 30
Negative Neutral Positive No Data
Aggregates
Editorial Mean +0.10 Structural Mean +0.26
Weighted Mean +0.19 Unweighted Mean +0.18
Max +0.40 Article 12 Min +0.10 Article 1
Signal 9 No Data 22
Volatility 0.09 (Low)
Negative 0 Channels E: 0.6 S: 0.4
SETL -0.17 Structural-dominant
FW Ratio 50% 23 facts · 23 inferences
Evidence 19% coverage
1H 8M 22 ND
Theme Radar
Foundation Security Legal Privacy & Movement Personal Expression Economic & Social Cultural Order & Duties Foundation: 0.10 (2 articles) Security: 0.00 (0 articles) Legal: 0.00 (0 articles) Privacy & Movement: 0.40 (1 articles) Personal: 0.15 (1 articles) Expression: 0.00 (0 articles) Economic & Social: 0.15 (2 articles) Cultural: 0.15 (2 articles) Order & Duties: 0.25 (1 articles)
HN Discussion 20 top-level · 24 replies
alcazar 2026-02-25 14:20 UTC link
Kudos. It really is clean. And the domain name is easy to remember.

If I use any analog clock simulator in the future, it will be yours.

Faaak 2026-02-25 14:30 UTC link
natpalmer1776 2026-02-25 14:35 UTC link
This looks really clean, excellent job!
elteto 2026-02-25 14:40 UTC link
Very clean and polished! I love how smooth the seconds hand move.

I work in an environment where we look at the time across many different timezones around the world. A couple of feature requests if you are ever in the mood:

  1. Make it possible to specify the timezone.
  2. Make it possible to create a grid of clocks, each with different timezones.
  3. Persist the grid/timezone state in the URL so links can be easily shared.
lioeters 2026-02-25 14:49 UTC link
I like it. Simple, well-designed, smooth. It's nice everything fits in a single HTML page with no external dependencies. The inline style and script is human readable, which is becoming rare these days.
qwertfisch 2026-02-25 14:50 UTC link
Can you set it to ticks instead of continuous running of the seconds clockhand That would be great. The vast majority of analog clocks have a ticking clockhand for the seconds, if any at all (can you make the seconds optional?).

The only clocks I know of with such a motor are station clocks, like the Swiss one mentioned already, or the German variant (same manufacturer). But these have a twist: the minute clockhand does not run continuously, but also ticks. The seconds are running a little bit faster until the clockhand is in the upper position, then waits for a signal from the main clock. Only then the minute clockhand jumps one minute and the seconds are starting again.

An example can be seen here: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahnhofsuhr#Technik

sirbranedamuj 2026-02-25 14:50 UTC link
I appreciate the straightforwardness of this. If I could make one request, it would be to support more of a "tick" mode instead of the continuous second hand motion. It doesn't even have to actually make noises, I just like the visuals of the clock hand starting and stopping every second. I don't know if there's a more formal name for this in Clock World
qwertfisch 2026-02-25 14:53 UTC link
The PTB (national metrology institute of Germany) provides a similar clock for decades. It is one of the few displaying the real time, not your computer’s time. The difference (if any) can be shown.

There is also a time announcement if needed.

https://uhr.ptb.de/

signalmasse 2026-02-25 15:10 UTC link
Love the correct time in the favicon. Nice touch.
kipdotcom 2026-02-25 15:12 UTC link
May I suggest that we keep it as clean as it now, and maybe have something like the domain `/advanced` for those who want more features? (If OP has time to implement them)
andai 2026-02-25 15:18 UTC link
I built a digital clock for my neighbor with Alzheimer a few years ago. It was a web app with an analog clock and it would show Morning / Afternoon / Evening / Night on the side.

I felt quite proud of myself, since she often got confused about whether it was 6am or 6pm on her analog clocks at home. (Alzheimer's can bring a loss of the sense of time.)

But while she thought it was a great idea, every time I came back, she had turned off the dedicated tablet we set up for the purpose

I ended up just buying her an Alzheimer's clock — a 24 hour clock with pictures indicating the time of day, for $15 or so. That one stayed where we put it!

dbacar 2026-02-25 15:20 UTC link
Excellent, maybe an addition for protection from display burn-in would be nice. I dont know. Congrats.
matthova 2026-02-25 15:44 UTC link
Love how clean it looks.

Related, I made a clock with a moire pattern (10 years ago now) and still love coming back to it.

The hands all spin with css transitions and I remember there was a Safari bug where if I zoomed in, the rotation would reset itself

https://psychedelic-clock.surge.sh

xeor 2026-02-25 15:58 UTC link
This is something I vibecoded to learn my kid the clock. I think this is a very good use of ai coding, stuff that is for visualization and temporary learning.

https://utforsk.github.io/clockeroo/

Implement7347 2026-02-25 16:01 UTC link
Pretty cool idea, i wish it had that nostalgic ticking sound of seconds.
lowlevel 2026-02-25 16:26 UTC link
I laughed, but then I saw the l. Nice job though...
o_enix_o 2026-02-25 16:28 UTC link
Beautiful! One small thing on the iPhone using Safari; it would be nice to have the clock vertically centered. Now it’s near the bottom half of the screen. Looking great otherwise!
vunderba 2026-02-25 16:50 UTC link
Nice job. Consider adding a option to turn on a "tick sound" as the second hand moves.

Also maybe see if you can get yours linked to clockfaceonline.co.uk

They have a bunch of analog clock visualizations. I particularly like the magical themed one:

https://www.clockfaceonline.co.uk/clocks/magical

https://www.clockfaceonline.co.uk/analogue-clocks.php

agentifysh 2026-02-25 20:57 UTC link
This is actually pretty cool. It's just a clock, nothing more, nothing less. Animations are smooth. I actually prefer these analogue clocks over digital as I seem to be able to plan ahead better with it.
lozf 2026-02-25 22:43 UTC link
Really nicely done. I usually settle for

    xclock -analog -update 1 -norender -hl grey -fg grey -bg black
(You can put a `TZ="Wherever"` variable at the start for different timezones, and those that don't like the seconds ticking can pass e.g. 0.01 instead of 1 to the -update option).

Brits of a certain age will recall (and might appreciate) the clock faces available at https://625.uk.com/tv_logos/flash2.htm#clocks too.

user_timo 2026-02-25 14:20 UTC link
Thank you :)
user_timo 2026-02-25 14:31 UTC link
Clock took some inspiration of our kitchen clock.
bayindirh 2026-02-25 14:36 UTC link
Want to carry that on your wrist, or hang to your wall?

You're covered (down to the stalling second in some models): https://mondaine.com/

user_timo 2026-02-25 14:39 UTC link
Thank you for the nice words :)
user_timo 2026-02-25 14:44 UTC link
Thank you! Very good idea, I look forward to implement URL timezone parameters to get it on different zones without it affecting to UI in any way.
AustinDev 2026-02-25 14:45 UTC link
Great feedback for the OP. I would also add, Can you make the text not selectable?
user_timo 2026-02-25 14:53 UTC link
Thank you for the feedback. I see if I add toggle to select tick/sliding.
frutiger 2026-02-25 14:56 UTC link
Most mechanical watches unwind smoothly, ticks are typically due to a powered quartz crystal.
user_timo 2026-02-25 15:05 UTC link
You can now select timezone with URL parameters in IANA timezones: ?tz=America/New_York ?tz=Europe/London ?tz=Asia/Tokyo
user_timo 2026-02-25 15:05 UTC link
Added ticking and liked it so much its default mode :)
swader999 2026-02-25 15:06 UTC link
I'm more of a fan of the smooth motion. Its mesmerizing.
user_timo 2026-02-25 15:14 UTC link
Few toggles I approve on front page because of auto-hide. Good idea of /advanced for future things.
user_timo 2026-02-25 15:14 UTC link
You found it!
user_timo 2026-02-25 15:17 UTC link
I wanted this to be small and clean, open source and nothing to hide.
jzellis 2026-02-25 15:23 UTC link
That was very kind of you - both to want to solve her problem and to admit that your solution you put effort into wasn't the best one for her.
user_timo 2026-02-25 15:24 UTC link
Burn-in is sure possible, I will look possibilities maybe move clock little bit etc. Thank you for you comment!
Daviey 2026-02-25 15:27 UTC link
Something related to cultural appropriation, but it reminded me of Canary Wharf (London) clocks, https://canarywharf.com/artwork/konstantin-grcic-six-public-...
user_timo 2026-02-25 15:30 UTC link
Thank you for sharing this.
user_timo 2026-02-25 15:46 UTC link
Wow that was a trip for my eyes, nice! Thank you for sharing.
user_timo 2026-02-25 15:53 UTC link
That looks nice!
user_timo 2026-02-25 16:01 UTC link
That was nice thing to do, did it help your kid to learn?
user_timo 2026-02-25 16:30 UTC link
Thank you! Good catch, I will look to fix it.
user_timo 2026-02-25 16:52 UTC link
There is so many nice clocks. I didn't even know analog clocks are so popular!
user_timo 2026-02-25 17:25 UTC link
Im happy if I got you smiling :)
Editorial Channel
What the content says
+0.30
Article 12 Privacy
High Advocacy Practice
Editorial
+0.30
SETL
-0.32

Content explicitly references privacy policy and emphasizes user control over local storage, indicating editorial awareness of privacy as a right.

+0.20
Article 23 Work & Equal Pay
Medium Practice
Editorial
+0.20
SETL
0.00

Creator is transparently identified with public attribution, suggesting ethical labor practices.

+0.20
Article 26 Education
Medium Practice
Editorial
+0.20
SETL
+0.14

Content includes 'How to use' section with clear instructional descriptions.

+0.20
Article 29 Duties to Community
Medium Practice
Editorial
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SETL
-0.17

Open source model and free provision indicate community-oriented mission and contribution.

0.00
Article 1 Freedom, Equality, Brotherhood
Medium Practice
Editorial
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SETL
-0.20

No explicit statement regarding dignity or equal rights in content.

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Article 2 Non-Discrimination
Medium Practice
Editorial
0.00
SETL
-0.20

No explicit statement on non-discrimination.

0.00
Article 18 Freedom of Thought
Medium Practice
Editorial
0.00
SETL
-0.30

No explicit statement regarding autonomy, but feature descriptions are neutral in tone.

0.00
Article 24 Rest & Leisure
Medium Practice
Editorial
0.00
SETL
-0.20

No explicit statement about rest or leisure in content.

0.00
Article 27 Cultural Participation
Medium Practice
Editorial
0.00
SETL
-0.30

No explicit cultural content in editorial materials.

ND
Preamble Preamble

Content does not directly address human dignity or fundamental principles.

ND
Article 3 Life, Liberty, Security

Not engaged.

ND
Article 4 No Slavery

Not engaged.

ND
Article 5 No Torture

Not engaged.

ND
Article 6 Legal Personhood

Not engaged.

ND
Article 7 Equality Before Law

Not engaged.

ND
Article 8 Right to Remedy

Not engaged.

ND
Article 9 No Arbitrary Detention

Not engaged.

ND
Article 10 Fair Hearing

Not engaged.

ND
Article 11 Presumption of Innocence

Not engaged.

ND
Article 13 Freedom of Movement

Not engaged.

ND
Article 14 Asylum

Not engaged.

ND
Article 15 Nationality

Not engaged.

ND
Article 16 Marriage & Family

Not engaged.

ND
Article 17 Property

Not engaged.

ND
Article 19 Freedom of Expression

Not engaged.

ND
Article 20 Assembly & Association

Not engaged.

ND
Article 21 Political Participation

Not engaged.

ND
Article 22 Social Security

Not engaged.

ND
Article 25 Standard of Living

Not engaged.

ND
Article 28 Social & International Order

Not engaged.

ND
Article 30 No Destruction of Rights

Not applicable.

Structural Channel
What the site does
+0.50
Article 12 Privacy
High Advocacy Practice
Structural
+0.50
Context Modifier
ND
SETL
-0.32

Site demonstrates privacy-conscious architecture: no authentication required, settings stored locally rather than server-side, explicit privacy policy provided, no visible tracking mechanisms or advertising.

+0.30
Article 18 Freedom of Thought
Medium Practice
Structural
+0.30
Context Modifier
ND
SETL
-0.30

Multiple customization features enable user autonomy and respect for individual preferences and contexts.

+0.30
Article 27 Cultural Participation
Medium Practice
Structural
+0.30
Context Modifier
ND
SETL
-0.30

IANA timezone feature explicitly enables users to engage with and access different global cultural time contexts.

+0.30
Article 29 Duties to Community
Medium Practice
Structural
+0.30
Context Modifier
ND
SETL
-0.17

Free access with no paywall; open source code enables community participation; PWA enables offline/independent use.

+0.20
Article 1 Freedom, Equality, Brotherhood
Medium Practice
Structural
+0.20
Context Modifier
ND
SETL
-0.20

Site provides identical functionality to all users without account requirements or access restrictions.

+0.20
Article 2 Non-Discrimination
Medium Practice
Structural
+0.20
Context Modifier
ND
SETL
-0.20

Interface shows no differentiation based on user identity, location, or characteristics.

+0.20
Article 23 Work & Equal Pay
Medium Practice
Structural
+0.20
Context Modifier
ND
SETL
0.00

Free tool with no exploitative business model; open source code indicates fair contribution approach.

+0.20
Article 24 Rest & Leisure
Medium Practice
Structural
+0.20
Context Modifier
ND
SETL
-0.20

Feature set and design explicitly support leisure and rest use rather than productivity maximization.

+0.10
Article 26 Education
Medium Practice
Structural
+0.10
Context Modifier
ND
SETL
+0.14

Site provides accessible documentation but is not primarily educational; clarity supports user learning.

ND
Preamble Preamble

Site functions as utility tool without explicit human rights engagement mechanisms.

ND
Article 3 Life, Liberty, Security

Not applicable to utility tool.

ND
Article 4 No Slavery

Not applicable.

ND
Article 5 No Torture

Not applicable.

ND
Article 6 Legal Personhood

Not applicable.

ND
Article 7 Equality Before Law

Not applicable.

ND
Article 8 Right to Remedy

Not applicable.

ND
Article 9 No Arbitrary Detention

Not applicable.

ND
Article 10 Fair Hearing

Not applicable.

ND
Article 11 Presumption of Innocence

Not applicable.

ND
Article 13 Freedom of Movement

Not applicable.

ND
Article 14 Asylum

Not applicable.

ND
Article 15 Nationality

Not applicable.

ND
Article 16 Marriage & Family

Not applicable.

ND
Article 17 Property

Not applicable.

ND
Article 19 Freedom of Expression

Not applicable.

ND
Article 20 Assembly & Association

Not applicable.

ND
Article 21 Political Participation

Not applicable.

ND
Article 22 Social Security

Not applicable.

ND
Article 25 Standard of Living

Not applicable.

ND
Article 28 Social & International Order

Not applicable.

ND
Article 30 No Destruction of Rights

Not applicable.

Supplementary Signals
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Epistemic Quality
How well-sourced and evidence-based is this content?
0.83 low claims
Sources
0.9
Evidence
0.8
Uncertainty
0.8
Purpose
0.9
Propaganda Flags
No manipulative rhetoric detected
0 techniques detected
Emotional Tone
Emotional character: positive/negative, intensity, authority
measured
Valence
+0.3
Arousal
0.1
Dominance
0.5
Transparency
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0.85
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More signals: context, framing & audience
Solution Orientation
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0.87 solution oriented
Reader Agency
0.8
Stakeholder Voice
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0.55 2 perspectives
Speaks: individuals
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present unspecified
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global
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Complexity
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accessible low jargon general
Longitudinal 1282 HN snapshots · 8 evals
+1 0 −1 HN
Audit Trail 28 entries
2026-02-28 11:39 eval_success Lite evaluated: Neutral (0.00) - -
2026-02-28 11:39 eval Evaluated by llama-4-scout-wai: 0.00 (Neutral) 0.00
reasoning
Neutral tech tutorial site, no human rights discussion
2026-02-28 11:39 rater_validation_warn Lite validation warnings for model llama-4-scout-wai: 0W 1R - -
2026-02-28 11:38 eval_success Lite evaluated: Neutral (0.00) - -
2026-02-28 11:38 eval Evaluated by llama-3.3-70b-wai: 0.00 (Neutral)
reasoning
Neutral tech tutorial
2026-02-28 11:38 rater_validation_warn Lite validation warnings for model llama-3.3-70b-wai: 0W 1R - -
2026-02-28 10:04 eval Evaluated by claude-haiku-4-5-20251001: +0.19 (Mild positive) -0.02
2026-02-27 16:34 eval_success Light evaluated: Neutral (0.00) - -
2026-02-27 16:34 eval Evaluated by llama-4-scout-wai: 0.00 (Neutral)
reasoning
Neutral tech tutorial site, no human rights discussion
2026-02-26 20:26 dlq Dead-lettered after 1 attempts: Show HN: Clocksimulator.com – A minimalist, distraction-free analog clock - -
2026-02-26 20:24 rate_limit OpenRouter rate limited (429) model=llama-3.3-70b - -
2026-02-26 20:23 rate_limit OpenRouter rate limited (429) model=llama-3.3-70b - -
2026-02-26 20:22 rate_limit OpenRouter rate limited (429) model=llama-3.3-70b - -
2026-02-26 17:51 dlq Dead-lettered after 1 attempts: Show HN: Clocksimulator.com – A minimalist, distraction-free analog clock - -
2026-02-26 17:49 rate_limit OpenRouter rate limited (429) model=llama-3.3-70b - -
2026-02-26 17:48 rate_limit OpenRouter rate limited (429) model=llama-3.3-70b - -
2026-02-26 17:47 rate_limit OpenRouter rate limited (429) model=llama-3.3-70b - -
2026-02-26 15:15 eval_success Evaluated: Moderate positive (0.50) - -
2026-02-26 15:15 eval Evaluated by deepseek-v3.2: +0.50 (Moderate positive) 12,701 tokens
2026-02-26 09:29 dlq Dead-lettered after 1 attempts: Show HN: Clocksimulator.com – A minimalist, distraction-free analog clock - -
2026-02-26 09:27 rate_limit OpenRouter rate limited (429) model=llama-3.3-70b - -
2026-02-26 09:26 rate_limit OpenRouter rate limited (429) model=llama-3.3-70b - -
2026-02-26 09:25 rate_limit OpenRouter rate limited (429) model=llama-3.3-70b - -
2026-02-26 09:20 dlq Dead-lettered after 1 attempts: Show HN: Clocksimulator.com – A minimalist, distraction-free analog clock - -
2026-02-26 09:19 dlq Dead-lettered after 1 attempts: Show HN: Clocksimulator.com – A minimalist, distraction-free analog clock - -
2026-02-26 00:28 eval Evaluated by claude-haiku-4-5-20251001: +0.21 (Mild positive) 15,500 tokens +0.05
2026-02-25 23:03 eval Evaluated by claude-haiku-4-5-20251001: +0.17 (Mild positive) 16,881 tokens -0.04
2026-02-25 22:41 eval Evaluated by claude-haiku-4-5-20251001: +0.21 (Mild positive) 13,189 tokens