La Crosse Technology WT-3143A 14-Inch Atomic Wall Clock, Black

by La Crosse Technology

Product Features

• Sets automatically by radio signal to atomic clock for accuracy
• Reports in hours, minutes, seconds; select from 4 U.S. time zones
• Automatically adjusts for daylight savings time
• 14-inch diameter; analog clock; plastic frame
• Runs on 1 AA battery (not included); 1-year warranty

Product Details

Product Manual [152kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 14 x 14 x 1.8 inches ; 2.9 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 4.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B0002WZRJK
• Item model number: WT-3143A
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (75 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,394 in Home & Kitchen (See Top 100 in Home & Kitchen)
  • #7 in Home & Kitchen > Home Décor > Clocks > Specialty Clocks > Weather Monitoring Clocks
  • #25 in Home & Kitchen > Home Décor > Weather Instruments

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

This plastic-framed wall clock measures 14 inches in diameter and looks most at home hanging in an office or business setting. However, this clock’s claim to fame is its precision time-keeping and the fact that it never needs to be set. The clock has a built-in antenna system that receives signals from the WWVB radio transmitter in Fort Collins, Colorado, which is in turn is regulated by the atomic clock. Once you install the battery and choose one of four U.S. time zones, the clock automatically sets to the accurate time in hours, minutes, and seconds, and continues to adjust itself six times daily. This low-maintenance clock even automatically adjusts for daylight savings time, so you never need to remember to spring ahead or fall backward. This radio-controlled clock is covered by a 1-year warranty and runs on one AA battery (not included). --Cristina Vaamonde

Product Description

This clock sets itself to the U.S. atomic clock in Boulder, Colorado, thus maintaining absolute time accuracy. It also adjusts automatically for Daylight Saving Time.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Perfect time in a good-looking package, February 21, 2007

By 

Michal Chomiczewski - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: La Crosse Technology WT-3143A 14-Inch Atomic Wall Clock, Black (Kitchen)

I have 4 more atomic clocks (2 more analogue and 2 digital ones) as well as 3 atomic watches. Self setting function works exactly the same on all of them. So I think it's worth setting the expectations straight for how this clock will most likely work for you. Unless you live close to Colorado (where the time signal originates) the proper way of 'setting' this clock is to put the battery in and wait overnight for the clock to set itself. Best signal reception depends on where you live and also on time of year and weather conditions. In Charlotte, NC where I live - most of my atomic clocks and watches sync themselves around 2 am. I guess it's a bit confusing to people unfamiliar with the 'atomic' technology to see the hands of the clock start moving around and then stopping at some random hour as if though the clock was broken... La Crosse (and other makers) should probably include a 'quick start' card that states in big bold letters to put the battery in, select your time zone, IGNORE any hand movement (or lack there of) and then WAIT overnight. Again - unless you live close enough to CO so that the clock can receive time signal any time of day or night - you will have to wait until the next day.

I've had this clock for around 6 months now and it worked perfectly well (to within 1 second of actual time) with the exception of a couple bizarre quirks. One time the clock got itself off by 15 minutes (though the seconds hand was dead on). I did not adjust it - and the next day it fixed itself through its usual overnight self-setting. Another time it spontaneously changed time zones and started showing California time. This time around I had to remove the battery, reinsert it and re-select the time zone (simply re-selecting time zone did not solve the problem).

As another reviewer remarked - the clock looks nicer 'in person' than it does on the photos. The very thin rim makes the dial look a bit bigger than the stated dimensions would suggest. Face color is off-white or very light cream and looks very nice. As for the build quality - it's nothing special. The clock is 100% plastic (even the 'crystal') except for the dial which is simply paper. The whole thing - including mechanism - is made in China. Even though the clock is probably extremely cheap to manufacture (given its all plastic construction) it does not LOOK 'cheap' once it hangs on the wall. I bought a virtually identical quality atomic clock for seven bux (delivered) on everybody's favorite auction site and it looks OK - but not as nice as this one (a different 'brand' - not La Crosse).

One star taken off for the 'quirks' - but not for the 'good enough' materials engineering (it would be better if it was made less cheaply - but it looks fine the way it is).

Michael

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great clock, June 1, 2005

By 

Fly Guy (Northern California, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: La Crosse Technology WT-3143A 14-Inch Atomic Wall Clock, Black (Kitchen)

The other reviewers accurately captured the clock's great features. I will add that its radio reception is great too. I put the battery in about 6:00 pm in California yesterday, May 31, expecting it to get the correct time overnight. I noticed the second hand move a bit and stop, and thought "d*** it's broken already." Not so! While reading the instructions to see what happened, with the clock resting on the floor, it started advancing to the exact correct time, having received the radio signal in a minute since start. The clock is now in my garage and I don't have to wonder if I have the correct time or not.

47 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Such high hopes, November 27, 2005

By 

CJ Carterson - See all my reviews

This review is from: La Crosse Technology WT-3143A 14-Inch Atomic Wall Clock, Black (Kitchen)

When I received this clock, I popped in the batteries, and it soon started setting the time...at least until the minute hand hit the fifty-minute mark, from where it refused to move. Upon the advice of tech support, I exchanged the clock, and its replacement kept perfect time...as long as you didn't look at the second hand. The hour and minute hands were dead-on, but the second hand moved at a rate seven seconds per hour faster. No amount of resetting (or tech support) would solve the problem, so I threw in the towel and returned it for a refund. Pity. It's exactly the clock I was looking for...except for the not-working part.