Analog Alarm Clock Revival

Analog alarm clocks with physical bells on top have appeared in several home goods stores recently. Revival of a product that smartphones supposedly made obsolete suggests that some people are looking for ways to remove their phone from the bedside table. At a design store I spotted a brass-cased wind-up model with a white enamel face, black numerals. 2 bells on top connected to a hammer mechanism that creates an aggressive, physical ringing no digital alarm can replicate. A wind-up mechanism means no batteries and no electricity, which gives it a self-contained quality that feels reliable in a way that depends-on-WiFi devices don't. Part of the appeal is the absence of a screen: a clock that only tells time doesn't tempt you to check email, scroll social media, or read news at midnight when you should be sleeping. Ticking is audible in a quiet room, which some people find soothing and others find intolerable, and that polarization is a feature rather than a flaw because it filters for users who appreciate mechanical sound. I want one because the ritual of winding a clock before bed would replace the ritual of plugging in my phone. Substitution would remove the screen that sabotages my sleep more reliably than any alarm wakes me up. The clock costs about $45 for a well-made version, and the companies producing them are positioning them as wellness products rather than timekeeping devices. It Is accurate because the value is in what the clock isn't rather than what it does.