QLOCKTWO EARTH 45, Solid Finish is the original word clock: 17.7 inches square, easy to wall mount or stand on a shelf, and sized for the rooms where you live with it at close range. The front cover is laser-cut stainless steel, either brushed or powder-coated in a matte finish with just enough gloss to keep the letters from reading as sunken. QLOCKTWO builds every piece by hand in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany. The design has received the Red Dot Design Award, iF Product Design Award, ADCE Gold Award, and Iconic Awards for Innovative Interior.
HOW IT WORKS
Behind the front cover is a lacquered wood matrix of LEDs. Each minute, the right letters illuminate to spell the time in five-minute steps, while four corner dots count the minutes in between. Brightness adjusts automatically or manually in three levels. The time can be set with the three buttons on the back or with the FLASHSETTER app, which uses your phone’s flash at a sensor along the upper rear edge. A seconds mode displays the seconds alone as large numerals across the face. Twenty-two languages are programmed into the clock body; changing languages requires a different front cover. The EARTH 45 runs on a USB power adapter and arrives ready for US installation, with a direct-wire kit included.
CHOOSING YOURS
Solid Finish front covers come in five powder-coated colors: Black Pepper, White Pepper, Grey Pepper, Hazelnut, and Olive Green, plus brushed stainless steel. Hazelnut is a unique mix with no RAL equivalent. For a custom color, we’ll loan you a RAL color deck to choose from. See each finish up close in our front cover lookbook. The clock body shows about three-quarters of an inch at the edge and comes in white or black. On the EARTH 45, the front cover is held by magnets rather than bolts, so you can change the color or language later in less than a minute. For a desk or shelf, a steel base is available separately, or we can include an acrylic glass base on request; either works with every Solid Finish cover. We are the only retailer with large finish samples available to loan, so you can judge a color in your own light rather than ours.
DEALER’S NOTES
The question we hear most is 45 or 90, and both can work in large spaces. The 45 is the one you walk up to and live with at close range. It reads easily across a medium-sized room, but in a larger interior it works best where people pass by it — beside an elevator, along a corridor, or near a seating area — rather than from the far side of a lobby. Choose it if you picture the piece at eye level in a kitchen, study, or bedroom, or on a shelf.
Our opinion of the finishes matters less than yours. The right one is whichever you’ll be glad to see every day, which is why we lend samples and RAL color decks. Send us photos of the room if you’d like a recommendation. Powder coat isn’t the lesser option; it’s a different surface, and in daily life an easier one. It is less delicate than leaf or patina, cleans with the included microfiber cloth, and is much more consistent from piece to piece. QLOCKTWO has recently begun giving the EARTH 45 powder coats a fine texture, which gives the surface more depth without reading as a visible pattern. Most clients never swap the cover, and that’s fine; the point is that you can.
At 10.5 pounds, the EARTH 45 hangs from the included bracket and can usually be installed by one person. The USB cable runs to a standard outlet or can be hardwired with the included kit. For a concealed installation, we recommend waiting until the clock arrives before placing a recessed outlet, since space behind the 45 is tighter than on the 90; we can send the electrical components in advance if needed. If you’d rather let the cable show, QLOCKTWO makes colored textile QABLE cords, and we’ll include one with your order on request. Brightness adjusts automatically, and we recommend living with the default setting for a few days before changing anything. Front covers in languages other than English sometimes add lead time; several languages for the 45 are stocked in the US, and we’re always glad when someone chooses one.
Every EARTH 45 is well packed, and most ship directly from us after inspection. The LEDs typically last seven to twelve years before they begin to dim. When they eventually need service, the 45 is easy to send in: QLOCKTWO replaces the electronics here in the US, and we coordinate the exchange.
Download manufacturer manuals
Setting the time
Setting the time is simple with the smartphone FLASHSETTER app or the 3 buttons located on the back of the QLOCKTWO EARTH 45. Time is measured on a 12-hour cycle.
Option 1: clock buttons
Back of clock. If you are facing the FRONT and feeling around the BACK, the order is opposite the above.
- Press [60] button to advance time in 1-hour increments
- Press [5] button to advance time in 5-minute increments
- Press [1] button to add 1-minute increments*
*Adds on 1, 2, 3 or 4 minutes as corner dots. Each time you touch the [1] button, the internal counter for seconds goes to zero. This makes it possible to set the time precisely to the second.
Option 2: smartphone FLASHSETTER app
- Install FLASHSETTER app: Android (Google Play) | iOS (App Store)
- Open the app and press the green "FLASH" button.
- The light sensor is on the top back of the EARTH 45. The strobing light is what changes the time. Position the side of your phone that is flashing facing the light sensor (on Android this is the screen of your phone, on iPhone, the back of your phone).
- The entire clock matrix will light up once the new time is set.
Using FLASHSETTER app on wall-mounted EARTH 45
Using FLASHSETTER app on desktop displayed EARTH 45
Adjusting display brightness
The display brightness level can be set manually. The factory default is ‘automatic’.
Press [☼] button to set the level of brightness. The setting options will cycle as follows:
- Maximum brightness
- Strong brightness
- Medium brightness
- Low brightness
- Automatically adjusted brightness
(minute dots in the corners light up briefly to signify this setting)
We recommend living with the clock a little to find the right setting for you. QLOCKTWO (like most works of art) should not be displayed in direct sunlight. In the case of a power outage, the brightness setting will reset to automatic.
Changing ‘IT IS’ display options
You may choose to either show the introductory words "IT IS" for full hours and half hours only (the factory default) OR show “IT IS” at all times.
- Press & hold [60] button for approximately 3 seconds to switch the setting.
Large seconds only display mode
The seconds can be set to appear as large numbers on the Front Cover display (only the seconds will appear).
- Press [☼] button for approximately 1 second to enter this mode. To return to the normal time display, press any button.
Changing the language setting
Each language requires a separate Front Cover; however, the same clock matrix body can be used for every language (except Arabic). To set your language:
- Press & simultaneously hold [☼] + [ 60 ] for 3 seconds to access language menu.
- The language currently set is shown in capital letters.
- Press [☼] repeatedly until the appropriate language version appears.
- Press [60] to save the new language and exit language menu.
All EARTH 45 Front Covers are interchangeable
You only need to purchase one clock to enjoy multiple looks and languages with different Front Covers! The EARTH 45 clock body is compatible with all EARTH 45 Front Cover variants and languages.*
*Arabic is the only Front Cover variant that requires its own unique clock model body.
Removing & replacing the Front Cover
The Front Cover is held in place with magnets.
- Have a clean, level surface ready to place the Front Cover on before removing it.
- For all Stainless Steel Front Covers: use cotton gloves when handling (included with delivery).
- Carefully pull off the Front Cover to remove it. Always set it down with the front facing up to avoid scratches.
- For all Acrylic Glass Front Covers: remove the Front Cover from the clock body before removing the protective film. Place the Front Cover on a clean, even surface. Remove the protective film slowly, beginning at a corner.
- Replace the Front Cover accurately onto the front of the clock body.
If you have multiple Front Covers that are not in use, we recommend wrapping them in a scratch-resistant material such as Tyvek, or storing them in the plastic sleeve they arrive in and carefully sandwiching between foam core or cardboard cut at least 1-2” larger than the Front Cover’s edges to prevent accidental damage.
How to display free-standing
Your clock can be displayed on a tabletop or shelf. Simply lower the clock vertically into the acrylic base (DO NOT slide the base across the bottom of the Front Cover, i.e., left to right).
- For Acrylic Glass Front Covers, use the side labeled ‘acrylic’. The soft padding within the acrylic base slot should be touching the Front Cover.
- For Stainless Steel Front Covers, use the side labeled ‘steel’. The soft padding within the acrylic base slot should be touching the Front Cover. Creator's Editions Metamorphite, Platinum, Gold, and Silver models are for wall-mounting ONLY (the acrylic base may damage these covers). If your stainless steel Front Cover came with 2 acrylic feet and instructions, ignore those, and use the solid acrylic base instead.
How to display wall-mounted
Use mounting template and consult instructions. The EARTH 45 comes with an 84” cord. If you need a longer cord, 137” lengths are available.
If you lost your mounting template copy, be sure to print it to scale. You may need to find someone with an oversize printer such as FedEx Office, Staples, or a UPS Store.
Where not to display
- Do not use the clock in rooms where humidity is high (e.g. bathrooms). This can damage the clock circuitry
- Do not place the clock directly adjacent to electronic devices that could be sensitive to the clock’s magnets (such as a hard drive).
- Do not place the clock where it could incur unintentional knocks or pulling of the cables.
- Avoid direct heat radiation, for example heat from radiators
- Avoid direct sunlight
Cleaning Front Covers
On the EARTH 13.5 and 45, the Front Cover is held in place with magnets and can be taken off for cleaning. If you remove the Front Cover, place it on a level, padded clean surface (for example, on top of a soft towel). The EARTH 90 and 180 Front Covers are attached with bolts and should not be removed for cleaning. The Moon objects should not be disassembled.
CAUTION: Polishing cloths and solvents (e.g. turpentine or benzene), and detergents containing alcohol (e.g. spirit) may damage the surfaces. Use cotton gloves (included with delivery) whenever handling Front Covers.
- Acrylic Glass Front Cover (QOLOR)
Remove slight stains with the microfiber cloth. Remove stubborn stains with a suitable acrylic glass detergent or with a soft microfiber cloth and water containing a very small amount of dish soap.
- Brushed Stainless Steel Front Cover (STAINLESS STEEL)
Remove slight stains with the microfiber cloth (one is included with delivery). Remove stubborn stains with a suitable stainless steel cleaner. We use Weiman's Stainless Steel wipes: wipe it on, use a microfiber cloth to buff and remove excess cleaner.
- Powder Coated and DLC (Deep Black) Front Covers
Remove slight stains with a soft microfiber cloth (one is included with delivery). Remove stubborn stains with soft microfiber slightly dampened with water (using as little water as possible); if needed, add a very small amount of dish soap (such as Dawn) to the water before dampening the cloth. - Velvet Textile Covered Front Covers
Use a soft velvet brush to remove dust and to smooth the surface. Brush with the velvet grain. Soiling can be removed with a soft, damp cloth. - Metamorphite, Glintscape and Unfinished Marble (Desert) Front Covers
Carefully dust surfaces with a soft, dry and dust-free cotton cloth. Select a finely woven cloth that will not 'shed' against the rough surface areas. A very soft hair brush may also work (make sure it will not scratch the surface) without applying pressure. - Precious Metal Leaf Front Covers (Gold, Silver, Platinum)
Carefully dust the surface with a soft hair brush without applying pressure. Do not use liquid cleaner, cloth or any rubbing motion as it may start to remove the leaf.
Warranty & repairs
The manufacturer’s warranty is valid for two years from delivery. Only use your QLOCKTWO EARTH 45 with original accessories. Damage resulting from failure to observe the information in the instructions for use outlined in the manual, or from modifying, opening or altering your QLOCKTWO EARTH 45 is not covered by QLOCKTWO's warranty.
Never attempt to repair or dismantle your QLOCKTWO EARTH 45 yourself. Contact us for QLOCKTWO EARTH 45 repairs and replacement parts.
QLOCKTWO Updates
Recommended:
Get an email reminder during spring and fall time changes on how to set your QLOCKTWO.
W (1.5")
13.5 (5")
45 (17")
90 (35")
180 (70")