Top 5 Shops for Cool Clocks and Watches

After enduring a week of World-Series-induced sleep deprivation, it seems Daylight Savings couldn’t come at a better time. All the focus on turning back clocks and re-setting watches got me thinking about my time-tellers. A shoddy, white plastic radio/alarm clock I’ve had since my dorm-room days. A chunky gold watch that doesn’t work. Forget resetting them — I needed to replace them. So I scouted out some of the top jewelry shops and home accessories stores to find the best, greatest, latest time-telling devices — whether you’re an old-fashioned cuckoo-clock gal or a slick and shiny Rolex type.

1. For the Hip Urbanite
Foster’s — purveyor of all that is hip and modern and cool — extends their fresh aesthetic to their wall clocks. They’ve got sleek, metal versions, funky oversized wall clocks with frosted glass faces, simple, sculpted wood ones, and — geometric, sharp-lined designs and, my personal fave, Kikkerland’s LED wood block clock. Any one of these would look right at home in a minimal, urban-chic loft.

2. For the Outdoorsy Guy
There are sporty, outdoor-friendly watches (neon-colored Velcro-strapped styles with cheap plastic faces) and then there luxury sporty, outdoor-friendly watches (sleek and sophisticated waterproof chronographs and diving watches). The sporty models at Haddonfield’s Sam Yampell Jewelers — from names like Panerai, Breitling, Patek Philippe and IWC — mix high-end style with adventure-proof (read: nearly unbreakable) features: rubber or synthetic straps, carbon-coated cases. I’m partial to Paul Picot’s Le Plongeur diving watch (pictured), with its punches of yellow and cool textured strap.

3. For the Sleek Professional
Govberg Jewelers at Boyd’s is the place to go for luxe wristwear. Specialists will help you wade through their 50-plus brands, including all the heavy hitters of the watch world: Tag Heuer, Bulgari, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and Victorinox Swiss Army. I’m adoring their Girard-Perregaux Ladies Vintage 1945 model in flashy yellow gold (Psst: For luxury watches that won’t totally break the bank, check out their online selection of pre-owned pieces.) Remember: A posh watch (just like a fab bag or pair of glam sunglasses) can instantly upgrade your outfit from sub-par to superb.

4. For the Antique Lover
Giant clock faces by Lambertville designer David Teague would look divine in a rambling, pine-floored farmhouse. His eclectic selection is huge—check out his website for a sampling of some of this rare, clocks-as-art pieces.

5. For the Quirky Cool
The whimsical early-20th-century cuckoos at Main Line’s semi-new Age of Content are simply charming and totally endearing. With all the mass-manufactured time-tellers out there, it’s refreshing to have something that feels–and sounds — totally genuine.