How to choose a handmade wooden wall clock: size, wall space and lacquer colours
A plain guide to picking a handmade wooden wall clock: how to judge the size against your wall, which naqshi colours suit which room, and how to care for it.
To choose a handmade wooden wall clock, start with the wall, not the clock. Measure the empty space, decide whether the clock should be the main piece on that wall or a quiet detail, then pick a size and a lacquer colour that suit the room. A paper circle taped to the wall settles most doubts in a minute.
Which wooden wall clocks do we make?
All three of our wall clocks are made by hand from sheesham (rosewood) in our workshop in Sillanwali, Sargodha. Each runs on one battery and hangs from a single hook.
- Naqshi Wall Clock: 24 inches (about 61 cm) across, with the bezel painted by hand in naqshi patterns around a plain dial behind glass. Made in red and blue, in teal, and in purple.
- Carved Wall Clock: 24 inches (about 61 cm) across, a sunburst of carved sheesham rays around a dial behind glass. It reads as wall art with a clock in it.
- Naqshi Wall Clock, Fancy: the whole face is worked in lac and cut back by hand, with blue, turquoise and green rings, a brass-toned rim and numerals on a dark centre. Made in four sizes, from 14 inches (about 36 cm) up to 24 inches.
How big should the clock be for your wall?
Measure the width of the clear wall space where the clock will hang, and note what is close to it: a door frame, a shelf, a window, a sofa back. A clock needs breathing room around it, or it looks squeezed.
As a rough guide from our own pieces: the 14 inch Fancy clock works in a hallway, beside a door or above a desk. The 24 inch clocks carry a wall on their own, so they suit a living room or drawing room wall with little else on it.
The quickest test is a paper circle. Cut one the same size as the clock you are considering, tape it where you want to hang the clock, and look at it from the doorway and from where you usually sit. If it looks lost, go bigger. If it crowds the furniture, go smaller.
Where should you hang it?
Most people hang a clock around eye level when standing, so the time reads at a glance. Above a sofa or a console, leave a clear gap between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the clock so the two do not touch visually.
Because each clock hangs from one hook, you only need one secure nail or hook in the wall. Check what is behind the wall before you drill, as you would for any picture.
Which naqshi colour suits which room?
Naqshi is the lacquer work this town is known for: coloured lac is layered onto turned wood, and the pattern is cut back through the layers by hand. Our longer guide to naqshi lacquer woodcraft explains how it is made.
- Red and blue reads warm and traditional, and sits well with wooden furniture and patterned rugs.
- Teal reads cooler and more modern, and suits lighter walls and simple furniture.
- Purple is the one people choose when the wall is already neutral and needs one strong piece.
- The Fancy clock mixes blue, turquoise and green with a brass-toned rim, so it works where you want colour and pattern in one place.
- If you prefer plain wood over colour, the Carved clock shows the sheesham itself, with shadows from the carved rays that change through the day.
Every piece is finished by hand, so the grain and colour vary a little from the photographs. That is normal, and it means no two clocks are exactly alike.
What is naqshi lacquer woodcraft?
How do you care for a lacquered wall clock?
- Dust it with a soft, dry cloth.
- Keep water, chemical cleaners and polish sprays off the lac.
- Do not hang it in direct sunlight, such as facing a sunny window, so the colours stay true.
- Keep it away from heaters, stoves and other sources of heat.
Our guide to caring for lacquered wood goes into more detail, and the same rules apply to lacquered plates, boxes and tables.
How to care for lacquered wood
Can you order a clock in your own size or colours?
Yes. Wall clocks are one of the pieces our workshop makes to order. Share the size, the colours and any design idea, a photo or sketch helps, and we send back the making time and a quote, usually within 24 hours. Measurements and colours are confirmed with you before work begins.
How does delivery work?
Ready-to-ship clocks are delivered by Leopards within 3 to 4 days anywhere in Pakistan, and you pay in cash on delivery. If a clock arrives damaged or not as described, message us within 7 days. For anything else, message the workshop on WhatsApp at +92 346 7762621.
Frequently asked questions
- What sizes do your wooden wall clocks come in?
- The Naqshi and Carved wall clocks are 24 inches across. The Fancy naqshi clock comes in four sizes from 14 inches up to 24 inches. Custom sizes can be made to order.
- What wood are the clocks made from?
- Sheesham (rosewood), turned, carved or lacquered by hand in our workshop in Sillanwali, Sargodha.
- What colours does the naqshi wall clock come in?
- The Naqshi Wall Clock is made in red and blue, in teal, and in purple. Other colours can be requested as a custom order.
- What does the clock run on?
- One battery. It hangs from a single hook, so it only needs one nail or hook in the wall.
- How do I clean a lacquered wall clock?
- Dust it with a soft dry cloth. Keep water, polish sprays and chemical cleaners off the lac, and keep it out of direct sun and away from heat.