Six of the best clocks with added tock

By Peter Jenkinson

With the end of daylight saving almost upon us, it's time to soften the blow and treat yourself to a shiny new item to help distract you from the lessening hours of sunshine.

The return of Greenwich Mean Time at 2am on October 25 means we get an extra hour in bed, but after more than 100 years of this clock-shifting we demand more.

So take a look at these timepieces, which will adorn any shelf or wall in some style and serve as a stimulating talking-point.

Daylight savings - Solar Clock - £24.99 from www.iwantoneofthose.com There is really no need to crouch underneath a bright light to activate this time-teller, as you might once have done with early solar-powered calculators - exposure to a healthy amount of daylight is enough to keep you updated.

It's supplied with both short and long hands that can be interchanged, and can be wall-mounted or sit on the shelf - a multi-talented marvel.

Lights off - Wesco Star Wars 3D Darth Vader Helmet Clock - £17.31 from www.amazon.co.uk Perhaps not one to put up on the walls if you've got a designer colour scheme or have invested time and money co-ordinating your furnishings, but this clock is a must for a spare room or home office.

By day, the hands on Darth's head perform their tiresome function, but when the lights go out his eyes glow red on the hour and the deep-breathing sound-effects start - feel the force!

Farmyard fun - Children's Animal Sounds Wall Clock - £49.95 from www.thepresentfinder.co.uk On the hour, every hour, this clock will let out the illustrated animal sound from a speaker placed in the back for about 10 seconds, with the noises recorded directly from the farmyard with nothing computer-generated inside.

As the light fades, a sensor inside automatically lowers the volume, and in the dark it falls completely silent.

Watch the birdie - Digital Cuckoo Clock - £79.95 from www.dutchbydesign.com Adding a 21st-century twist to the traditional avian entrance on the hour, these digital numbers are a dead cert to attract attention.

As the big hand reaches its vertical position, a digital bird appears on-screen trapped inside the clock and the melody begins.

Clock on wood - WoodStation - £89.95 from www.firebox.com Set the seemingly useless slab of wood upon your chosen surface, and with a wave of your hand the sensor brings this device to life - numbers and symbols appear from beneath the wooden surface and we challenge you not to gasp the first few times of activation.

In addition to the date and time, the clock will awaken you from your slumber with its alarm function offering symbols of what weather lies ahead, all upon your favoured maple or walnut carved block.

Every second counts - Karlsson LED Digital Wall Clock - £69.99 from www.hiccupgifts.co.uk This futuristic time-teller will have folk entranced as it illuminates a single LED each second until a new minute begins, then it-s back to the beginning - slightly hypnotic, perhaps.

Encased in aluminium and combined with the blue bulbs, this'll certainly add an element of intergalactic to any room.