Hands and Numbers

The things that people first notice when they look at a clock are the hands and numbers. So it’s really worth putting a little bit of thought and planning when deciding which ones to choose (I am available by email or phone if you need help).

Colour - Gold or Black?

In general, gold hands highlight the golden tones in darker timbers and black hands show up well on lighter timbers.

What Style?

Fancy or plain? It's good to think about the style of clock that you are making if it’s a modern design a plain style (straight edge or spade end styles) will most likely look best. If you are making something a little more traditional, a serpentine style (the fancy ones) will most likely suit best. It’s really up to you and each piece of timber/glass/ceramic, etc. varies.

What Size?

It’s a good idea to draw out a pattern on paper or get the tape measure to the clock face to work this out. Ask yourself, “How far do you want the hands to reach on the clock face?".

If you are not sure of which size to get, remember the hands can be trimmed off. So, sometimes a little larger hand will look better on the clock than a hand that is too small. All hand measurements are taken from the middle of the mounting hole (rectangle shape) of the minute hand to the tip of the minute hand. Sometimes there will be variations in hand sizes. I source my hands from a couple of manufacturers and styles and sizes vary slightly between them.

Second Sweeps

Second sweeps are available in Gold Red or Black. Hands are prepacked with the most suitable sweep to suit the hands. As a general rule gold hands are packed with gold sweeps. Black hands are usually packed with black sweeps. Red sweeps are available. Just mention it when ordering.

If you are having trouble deciding which hands or numbers to order please feel free to email or ring me for advice. It is my job after all to make sure you get the right hands and numbers for your clock face.

Remember that some of the gold hands have a peel-off plastic, protective coating.

Here's a list of hands and numbers - feel free to download and retain as reference.

1._hands_under_50mm_p1.pdf (189.49 KB)