Seven-segment displays are one of the most ho-hum ways to display the time. They were cool for a little bit in the 70s, but by now, they’re a little bit old hat. That is, unless you get weird with it.

I wanted a clock that, annoyingly, didn’t seem to exist. Since childhood, my bedside clocks have been a series of red, seven-segment LED clock-radio specials from Walmart or Target. They are ...