Wind-up alarm clocks might seem outdated and old-fashioned, but they do have certain advantages over digital alarm clocks.
For one, they can’t harm your sleep.
Two, they don’t need a power source to operate.
Electronic alarm clocks may be more stylish and technologically advanced than mechanical clocks, but they have one main problem. They can harm your sleep.
Studies show that electronic devices can suppress the production of a hormone called melatonin, which induces the need to sleep. This can lead to sleep disorders, which in turn can affect your overall health.
With mechanical alarm clocks, this is not something you need to worry about. They may be ridiculously loud, and they are designed to be that way to help heavy sleepers wake up, but they are safer to use.
In light of this, if you decide to get a wind-up clock, choose one that meets your needs. They may vary in some ways, but most of them look and operate the same way.
The differences are quite small, but the key considerations are reliability and accuracy.
- Brass finish metal case
- No battery required
- 36-hour key-wind
- Stylish design
- Luminous hour and minute hands
With so many features put into one wind-up alarm clock, it is easy to see why this is our top pick. With all the things that this product does, the only thing that it can’t do is purchase itself for you.
We have reviewed some mechanical alarm clocks in this guide that might interest you. Some are affordable, others are expensive, but the reason they stand out is that they are reliable and accurate.
Wind Up Alarm Clocks Comparison Chart
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5 Best Wind Up Alarm Clocks (as of April, 2024):
1. Bulova B8124 Bellman Wind Up Alarm Clock Review
This vintage alarm clock by Bulova is the perfect way to wake deep sleepers or people with hearing problems. Made of brass metal, the clock comes in a nice gold color to compliment your bedroom decor.
It does not use a battery, so no dealing with charging cables or worrying about the alarm not going off because you forgot to charge the clock.
To set the alarm, you need to wind-up the clock using a knob located at the back. You only need to do it once, as it runs for more than 24 hours on a single wind.
It is has a loud bell ring, which can wake you and your entire household up. But it also has a nice low ticking sound you can meditate with when you are struggling to fall asleep or when just need to relax or de-stress.
The build is solid. Its compact design makes it easy to carry it with you.
No large storage space is needed, as the clock is small enough to fit in your bag or purse.
Main Features
- 36-hour key-wind
- No battery required
- Nice low ticking sound
- Luminous hour and minute hands
- Brass finish metal case
- Tabletop
- Bell alarm
- Protective glass lens
- Round shape
- Stylish design
- Snooze knob
- Loud bell ring
- Low soothing ticking sound
- Runs for 36 hours on a single wind
- Beautiful brass metal finish
- Easy to use wind-up knob
- Durable and portable
- Affordable
- Its snooze knob is small and hard to operate
2. Sternreiter Wind Up Alarm Clock Review
The Sternreiter timepiece exudes elegance and sophistication. It’s the type of winding alarm clock that would wow your visitors.
Made of high-quality brass, the clock’s mechanism features brass plates and gears, and steel pivots and shafts. It has a European made 2-jeweled movement, and glow-in-the-dark hands and markers.
With this clock, you can easily tell the time in low-light environments because of its luminous hour hands and markers. This might just be what you need if you are a deep sleeper who wakes up before the sun rises.
The only complaint is the price tag. This is not a budget clock, so be ready to spend a little bit more, if you want to own this beautiful timepiece.
Main Features
- Soft ticking noise
- Easy-to-read Arabic numerals
- Glow in the dark hour markers and hands
- European mechanical brass movement
- Metal construction with a 2-jewelled movement
- Tabletop
- Loud alarm bells
- Solid brass plates, brass gears, and steel shafts and pivots
- Offset seconds and alarm dials
- Elegant design
- European made 2-jeweled movement
- Extremely accurate
- Loud bell ring
- Soft ticking noise
- Solid brass construction
- Compact and durable
- Glow-in-the-dark hour hands and makers
- It is expensive
- Some users find the ticking sound to be too loud
3. Marathon CL034001BK Wind Up Alarm Clock Review
For its price, the Marathon mechanical wind-up alarm clock gives similar more expensive models a run for their money.
Sporting a simple yet elegant design, the plastic clock is extremely accurate, reliable, and affordable.
It comes in white or black. It has a large face and digits to make it easy for you to tell the time without straining your eyes even if you are slightly far away from where the clock is placed.
It has luminous hands to help you tell the time in low-light or in pitch darkness making it the perfect wake up solution if you are the worm catcher types.
It’s pretty lightweight and compact making it easy to carry it with you when you are traveling. Plus it does not break easily since its made of high-quality plastic.
The best part is that it is affordable. You can purchase more than one if you want to gift your friends or loved ones without burning a hole in your pocket.
Main Features
- 1 year warranty
- Accuracy adjuster switch
- No electricity or batteries are required
- Elegant, classic design
- Luminious hands
- Neat dial with large clear legible digits
- Progressive interval ring
- Low price
- Large and easy to read display
- Premium packaging for gifts
- Simple elegant design
- Large face and hands for easy time-telling
- Luminous hands for easy time-telling in low light environments
- Loud alarm
- 12/24 hour display
- Not easily breakable
- Comes with an accuracy adjuster switch
- Accurate and reliable
- Compact and lightweight
- Budget-friendly
- Ideal for deep sleepers and preppers
- It does not run for 24 hours on a single wind
4. Keypower Alarm Clock Review
If you want an antique-style clock, this is it. Its quintessential look makes it the perfect gift for people who appreciate classic timepieces.
The small and compact Keypower mechanical alarm clock is extremely loud.
It has an adjust-needle at the back to help you set the correct time. The accuracy is plus/minus 6 minutes, which is not shabby at all.
Furthermore, it has large Arabic numerals and luminous hour hands and markers for easy time telling even in dim environments.
The clock runs for 24 hours on a single wind. No batteries or electricity is needed to operate it.
Main Features
- Antique-styled timepiece
- Easy-to-read Arabic numerals
- Glow in the dark hour markers and hands
- Durable metal case with brass finish
- Does not require batteries or electricity
- Loud alarm bells
- Offset seconds and alarm dials
- Each full wind up can be used 24hours
- 86-108 Decibel within 5 m
- Speed adjustment keys
- Accurate and reliable
- Classic design
- Loud bell ring
- Runs for 24 hours on a single wind
- Large Arabic numerals and glow-in-the-dark hour hands and makers for easy time telling
- Compact and lightweight
- Available in a variety of colors
- Budget-friendly
- The time and alarm knobs are difficult to turn for people with large hands or who are arthritic because they are too small
- Some users don’t like that it’s too small
5. Equity by La Crosse 12020 Alarm Clock Review
The Equity by La Crosse key-wound alarm clock has classic and modern elements that make it stand out. It has a nice elegant design that features a white metal casing with a beautiful brass-plated bezel finish.
The face has large white numerals imprinted on a black backdrop to help you tell the time quickly and easily. It does not matter how dark your room is, the clock hands and makers glow in the dark, so you can tell the time without a problem.
What’s more, is that it runs for 30 hours on a single wind.
The alarm is extremely loud that any person sleeping in a room next to yours can hear it. This makes it ideal for heavy sleepers and people with hearing problems.
Plus, it has a soft pleasant ticking sound that can soothe you to sleep.
Main Features
- Vintage look
- Knobs for setting time and alarm
- Protective base pad prevents scratching
- Requires no electricity or batteries for operation
- Keeps time up to 30 hours per winding
- Extra loud wake up ring
- Durable white-painted metal casing
- Luminous clock hands and hour dots for night glow
- Brass-plated bezel
- Solid construction
- Elegant design
- Compact and lightweight
- Durable construction
- Protective base pad to prevent scratching
- Accurate and reliable
- Loud bell ring
- Low ticking sound
- Luminous hands and markers for easy time telling in dim environments
- Runs for 30 hours on a single wind
- The knobs are hard to turn
Buyer’s Guide
Many people are ditching digital alarm clocks for wind-up alarm clocks because they don’t need batteries or electricity to run. Their simplistic design and economical functionality make them appealing and affordable.
So if you have decided to ditch your digital alarm clock for a contemporary one, it’s good to have an idea which one to buy.
The selection of wind-up alarm clocks in the market is enormous and knowing which one to choose can be daunting.
To help you make a sound decision, consider a timepiece with these features.
Reliability
No one wants an alarm clock that they cannot rely on to wake them up, whether it’s digital or mechanical.
If you are buying the clock from a store, test to see if the alarm goes off at the set time and if it generally works well.
If you are buying it online, read the user reviews first to see what they are saying about its reliability. That way, you can have an idea of which brands to focus on.
Loudness
Another important feature to consider is loudness, particularly if you are hard of hearing or a deep sleeper.
Wind-up clocks have loud bell rings. You could be blacked out after a long night of heavy drinking and the loudness will jolt you up from your deep slumber.
On top of that, there is no way of lowering the volume, so there is no way you will not hear it.
Some have a snooze button, if that’s something you would want, you might need to dig deeper into your pocket. Mechanical clocks that come with extra features cost more.
Ease of use
Wind-up alarm clocks come equipped with knobs at the back for setting the time and alarm. Some, however, have small knobs or knobs that are too close to each other that it becomes hard to turn them.
We recommend you first read what reviewers are saying about these features.
Design
A majority of mechanical clocks have a simple, classic design, and they are equipped with twin bells. Some, however, have modern elements, while some lack classic elements like the twin bells found in most wind-up clocks.
When it comes to design, it is up to you to decide what features you want the clock to have. You might also want to consider the material the clock is made from.
Brand
There is nothing wrong with choosing a mechanical clock that comes from a reputable brand. If anything, you are saving yourself time and money by buying a clock from a brand that is known to produce quality clocks.
Plus you can always be guaranteed of getting good customer support from a reputable brand if the clock has some problems.
Warranty
Quality clocks from reputable brands come with warranties. If there is a problem with the clock, you can get it fixed for free.
You are better off buying a timepiece that is expensive, but that comes with a warranty than a cheap one that does not. Chances that the cheap one will work well or even last long might be slim.
Budget
You can get some budget-friendly mechanical clocks that work well. Well-known brands tend to be expensive, but you can find some that are affordable. It all depends on how much you want to or are willing to spend.
You may choose to go with a cheap one, but inexpensive units come with limitations and inconveniences. We recommend that you first consider your needs before deciding how much money you are willing to fork out for a wind-up alarm clock.
Conclusion
The beauty of wind-up alarm clocks is that they don’t need batteries or electricity to run. They are simple, easy to use clocks designed to wake you up.
Furthermore, they are less expensive than digital alarm clocks.
More people are taking charge of their health and this goes beyond eating healthy diets and exercising. Studies reveal that more people are using less electronic devices in their homes because they can affect their sleep patterns and overall health.
So you are not just buying a mechanical alarm clock because you are hearing impaired or a deep sleeper, you are buying a clock that can help you sleep better without any harmful effects.
