Time, Reinvented by Two Friends from Schwabisch Gmund
Imagine looking at a clock that doesn't tick.
Doesn't tock.
Doesn't even have hands.
Instead, it tells time in words-literally.
Welcome to the world of QLOCKTWO, where time becomes poetry and precision meets art. At the heart of this time-bending creation are Marco Biegert and Andreas Funk, two childhood friends from the small German town of Schwäbisch Gmünd, who had one simple (and brilliant) idea: what if you could read the time the same way you speak it?
"It is half past eight."
"It is a quarter to five."
"It is time to slow down and enjoy the beauty of design."
Okay, we may have added that last one—but that’s the spirit of QLOCKTWO.
From Graphic Designers to Time Alchemists
Before they were revolutionizing horology, Marco and Andreas were successful designers running a creative agency. Their lives were built around communication, typography, and visual storytelling. But clocks? That was just a side passion—until it wasn’t.
In 2009, they turned a quirky concept into a cult object. With the first QLOCKTWO prototype in hand—crafted in their own studio using laser-cut steel and painstakingly coded LEDs—they entered the design scene... and stopped it in its tracks.
Art, Language, and 110 LEDs
What makes QLOCKTWO so magnetic is not just its minimalist elegance—it’s the way it transforms time into language. The matrix of 110 seemingly random letters lights up to form simple phrases. Each minute, a new sentence appears. Time becomes fluid, human, poetic.
Today, QLOCKTWO clocks are made by hand in their German workshop. Each one passes through the hands of local artisans, from screen printers to electronics experts to metal finishers. Even the smallest desk clock receives the same obsessive attention to detail.
A Global Icon
QLOCKTWO has won over 30 international design awards (including the prestigious Red Dot Design Award and iF Product Design Award), and is exhibited in contemporary art galleries and museums around the world. Their creations come in over 20 languages and a spectrum of finishes—from brushed stainless steel to ultra-matte black and even hand-rusted raw iron.
But despite the global acclaim, Marco and Andreas still call Schwäbisch Gmünd home. Their workshop sits above a coffee shop, and the creative energy feels more atelier than assembly line.
Why We Love Them
At The Giving Tree Gallery, we’re proud to carry QLOCKTWO because it speaks to everything we value: craftsmanship, creativity, and conversation-starting design. Whether it’s a wall clock that transforms your living room into a modern art gallery or a sleek table clock that makes you pause mid-email to admire the passage of time—it’s more than décor. It’s a philosophy.
And frankly, it’s just really cool.
In Their Words
When asked what time means to them, Marco smiled and said:
“Time is everywhere. We just wanted to make it feel a little more human.”
Mission accomplished.
Explore our collection of QLOCKTWO timepieces here.
Let time speak your language.
Meet the Makers of QLOCKTWO
