Great alternatives to the Hodinkee travel alarm clock

There was much criticism when Hodinkee released its 8-Day Travel Alarm clock. Somehow readers who wouldn’t blink an eye about spending upwards of $5K on a mechanical wristwatch were offended that the online watch magazine dared to sell a mechanical alarm clock for $5,900.

The hand-wound alarm clock sold out with ease. That should be the end of the story. The market spoke volumes about a demand for such a product.

Objectively, the Hodinkee clock is a handsome object, but we love timekeeping mechanisms and we wanted to take a look at some viable alternatives for those that missed out on Hodinkee’s take.

Photo by Shinola

The Shinola Guardian Travel Alarm Clock in Blue ($125)
It’s not manual wind, but this one from Shinola looks great. Cream markers on navy blue is a killer combo in general and its compact 2.6” x 2.5 “ size makes this one a winner for practicality. We can picture ourselves waking with this looking stylish with a double espresso next to it.

Photo by MoMA

MoMA Wideboy Alarm Clock ($49)
Inspired by British alarm clocks of the 19th and 20th century, the wide base of this elegant alarm clock may not be the most practical in terms of maximizing suitcase space. But anything from the Museum of Modern Art store gives you an instant injection of style. 

Photo by WindUp Watch Shop

The Marathon Mechanical Alarm Clock ($20)
If you want to avoid battery powered alarm clocks, our friends over at Worn & Wound sell a hand-wound alarm clock from Marathon, sellers of tough military-spec watches. Get that old-fashioned feel at a price that’s less expensive than lunch.

Photo by Bulova

Bulova Travel Alarm Clock with Black Dial and Silver-Tone and Blue Case ($75)
If you are a die-hard watch guy or gal. you might want your alarm clock to also look like a watch. Even better, this one from Bulova has a rotating bezel so you can time your pizzas on the road too. 

Photo by Sharper Image

Sharper Image Travel Alarm Clock ($39)
If precision is your thing, the Sharper Image Travel Alarm Clock syncs with the U.S. atomic clock so you won’t miss an early departure. This is the decidedly unstylish pick on our list, so don’t expect any design awards here.

Photo by Georg Jensen

Georg Jensen Henning Koppel Alarm Clock ($99)
To make up for the lack of design pedigree of our Sharper Image pick, we had to include designer Georg Jensen’s sublime take on the alarm clock, This minimalist look would go well with any Nomos watch.