Customer Reviews

Can You Imagine Time Machine Tabletop Clock

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

I had always wanted one of these, and finally got one a few years ago. I'm still very fond of it, but I rarely plug it in. It's fine if you're actually sitting and watching it, but there was nowhere I could put it in my house that the incessant clunking of balls wouldn't drive me nuts the rest of the time. Don't even *think* about putting one of these in a bedroom, unless it's occupied by somebody with severe hearing loss. Other than that, though, these clocks are fascinating and great fun.

I had the original ball clock back in the mid-70s but it didn't survive a move so when this version came out we bought a couple this time.
Unlike the original, you don't have to put it together, which was a positive. Also unlike the original, the arm doesn't move constantly, which turns out to be both a positive and a negative. On the positive side, the arm moves faster than one revolution a minute, which means it is less likely to drop a ball, which happened often with the old clock. On the negative side, the gearing that keeps the arm stationary for most of the minute failed after 9 months, rendering the first clock useless. The arm moves constantly now, picking up several balls per minute.
The second clock was found to have been put together slightly off true, so the balls get stuck in the vertical tube instead of rolling to the pickup point. So neither clock works now and they're not worth sending back for fixing, although I might try to swap the motors to see if I can get one good clock out of the pair.

My husband was thrilled with this gift. He had one as a child and talked about it often. He says he could just sit and watch it all day. It does not seem very durable, however, and the clear plastic case arrived with scratches on the sides and back. I'm not returning it though, because my husband is too enthralled with it. It's noisy but we just don't put it in our bedroom!

I got this clock and after reading the reviews I would like to suggest a few steps that will lower substantially the mechanical noise of this clock.
As most people say, this clock is very noisy, and I must agree, so, I decided to improve the noise level and the result is a much improved overall noise level. One must keep in mind that this is a device that is made of plastic and has dozen of steel balls circulating on its troughs, so, don't expect it to be as quite as a conventional clock.
First thing to improve the noise level is to set the clock on top of a soft pad to minimize the vibration of its structure with a hard surface, like a glass top or wood.
Second, fill all the empty space underneath the clock with plastic foam (as the one used in computer packaging or even a kitchen foam sponge). To do so, remove the batteries, remove all the balls and flip the clock over, and you'll see many empty spaces underneath. Cut pieces to fit snugly into the empty spaces until everything is filled with foam. Flip the clock back to its working position on top of the pad, place the balls in the proper places to show the correct time and replace the batteries and their cover.
Very important, always use this clock with the plastic cover that came with it. This cover has two notches underneath the top that hold the motor tower on the right position, thus avoiding a misalignment of the moving arm that catches the balls.

Product is fascinating and enjoyable, but does not perform consistently. The balls often fall off the track, requiring the user to reset the time. It appears that it would be possible for the manufacturer to eliminate this problem, but as it currently stands, the product requires frequent resetting of the time.

I just received the clock and it looks great. The plastic feel of the machine makes me concerned for the long hall, but it was very easy to set up out of the box. Unfortunately, it looks like the "small weight" was incorrectly calibrated. On the first level (1-4 min) I had an issue where the last ball should have fell to the second row but it would not. After watching, the weight was unable to hold the row up and all 5 balls dropped into the chute instead of 4 balls going, and the one ball going to "level 2." Luckily I had a small magnet so I was able to add some more weight.

It is a tad on the noisy side, the balls make noise, and the motor that moves the arm is louder then I expected. Especially when the arm is moving for almost 30 seconds to make it's round trip.

I would give this to someone as a gift because it does look neat, but I worry about how long it will last.

12/31 update:

This product is garbage. I had it for 5 days and the arm does not swing in motion in order to make the clock run. I am VERY upset with the quality of this product. I cannot wait to call the company and ask for a refund. DO NOT purchase this product. While it looks cool, the quality is VERY poor. I kept the clock on a flat surface with the plastic lid on. The risk is not worth the reward. Again, DO NOT buy this product.

i was talking about this clock for the longest time to my aunt and then she found this one and got it to me. i was so excited. i bought some new batteries and put them in and it didnt work. it just didnt work. i dont know why. i didnt drop it or mess with it in any way it just doesnt work. at least the one i got. now i feel bad because my aunt wasted money on this for me.

I've always wanted one of these, finally purchased one and majorly disappointed. The balls get stuck, and it does not keep accurate time. I still have it in my office because it is such a cool concept, but very disappointed.

My husband and I are really enjoying this unique timepiece. More than one friend has commented on it. Very easy to set up and get going. Would recommend it to others.

I had one of these type clocks when I was a kid. So I was excited to get another one. I didn't have to assemble it as I did when I was a kid. But after putting brand new batteries in the clock fired right up. I set the time and watched. It seemed to work fine until it needed to drop a ball in the 5s tray. It gets stuck everytime. I have tinkered with it and just can't get the balls to roll down on their own. So now I have a piece of junk.