Build a Unique Concept Clock

This is my custom-designed table clock — and it’s not your usual analog or digital clock. It sits somewhere in between, combining the charm of LEDs with a clean, minimal display. It shows the time in 5-minute steps, and that’s part of what makes it unique. It looks great on a desk or shelf, and it always gets people curious about how it works.

How it Works

The clock has two main sections:

Hour Section (Left Half)

1. This section contains twelve LEDs, each representing one hour on the clock.
2. For example, if 9 LEDs are glowing, the hour is 9.

Minute Section (Right Half)

1. This section also contains twelve LEDs, but each one represents a 5-minute interval.
2. So if 6 LEDs are glowing, the minutes are 6 × 5 = 30 minutes.

Example

If the left section shows 9 LEDs and the right section shows 6 LEDs, the time displayed is: 9:30

Because of this setup, the clock gives you the time with a precision of 5 minutes — simple, functional, and visually striking.

1. ESP32-C3 Development Board
2. GP-02 GPS Module
3. Flexible Filament LEDs
4. 74HC595 Shift Register x 3
5. 16-pin DIP IC Base x 3
6. 100-ohm Resistor x 24
7. Male Headers
8. Female Headers
9. Jumper Wires
10. Single-strand Wires
11. Perfboard

Solder the male headers onto the perfboard with a 20 mm gap, as shown in the image.

Paint the perfboard black using spray paint. Make sure to cover the male headers with masking tape or any other suitable material to prevent the paint from insulating the pins.

Tip: It’s better to do this before Step 1 to avoid covering the male header pins. I decided to paint it later, which is why I had to protect the header pins from the paint.

Cut the flexible LED into smaller 20 mm pieces, leaving an extra 2 mm on each side, making each piece a total of 24 mm. Then strip the ends to identify the positive and negative terminals. You can also lightly burn the ends and scratch them to expose the contacts.

Note & Tip: This step can be a bit overwhelming, so if you can find ready-made 20 mm pieces of flexible filament LEDs, it will be much easier.

Solder the flexible LED pieces onto the perfboard where the male headers were soldered in Step 1. I used a pink, yellow, and blue color combination for the LEDs, but you can choose any other combination or even use a single color for all 24 positions on the board.

Note: Before soldering the LEDs, check the polarity of each end. Make sure to keep the negative (ground) side facing inward, as this will make things easier for the next step.

Connect the negative ends of all 24 LEDs together. Then connect jumper wires from the positive end of each LED to the corresponding male header on the other side.

Solder the components onto the perfboard according to the circuit diagram.

Upload the provided code to the ESP32-C3 board.

Connect all the LEDs to their respective female pins on the main circuit board.

Now you should see the clock displaying the time. Initially, the GP-02 module may take some time to fetch the correct time. During this period, it returns a placeholder value — 00:00 UTC — so I added a check: if the year returned by the module is less than 2025, the clock will display a loading animation.

Once the correct time is received, the clock will begin showing the current time accurately.

Get the following design laser-cut on acrylic sheets.

Use 3 mm black acrylic for the body and 3 mm transparent acrylic for the front.

You can get this done at your local laser-cutting shop or through any online laser-cutting service.

Once you have the pieces laser-cut, attach the support strip for the display board on the inner side of the clock’s body, as shown in the image.

Assemble the laser-cut sheets to form the body of the clock and place the circuit inside it. Then use super glue to join the edges.

Tip: Do this only after you’re confident that the clock is showing the correct time and everything is working as expected.

Now your custom table clock is ready. Connect a USB cable to the board and power it up.

Conclusion

This was a fun build that mixes simple electronics with a clean, minimal design. I hope this Instructable helps you create your own version of the clock.

Happy making!