Scandinavian design isn't a style. It's a philosophy rooted in minimalism.
Honest materials. Considered proportions. Everyday objects should be beautiful, not excessive. Good design belongs in ordinary life — not just in galleries and showrooms.
This philosophy emerged from necessity. Long Nordic winters and scarce resources played a role. The Protestant work ethic valued craft over ornament. These forces shaped a design tradition the world has tried to replicate ever since.
Newgate, a British brand, has always understood this tradition. Their Scandi-inspired range doesn't imitate Nordic design — it applies its principles. Natural timber. Restrained dials. Silence. Objects that earn their place in a room by being exactly what they need to be, and nothing more.
Here's our edit of the Newgate clocks that carry that tradition — and the places and ideas that shaped them.
What Scandi Design Actually Means
The term "Scandinavian design" is often used loosely — applied to anything pale, minimal, and vaguely Nordic. But the real tradition is more specific, and more interesting.
It begins in the early 20th century. Designers across Scandinavia asked a radical question. What if beautiful design wasn't a luxury? Could a chair, lamp, or clock be art? And still be affordable, functional, and built to last?
The answer became one of the most influential design movements in history. Alvar Aalto in Finland, bending birch into furniture that felt organic and warm. Arne Jacobsen in Denmark, designing chairs that became icons. Hans Wegner spending decades perfecting the chair. Bruno Mathsson in Sweden, treating timber as a living material to be worked with, not against.
The common thread: materials used honestly, forms derived from function, beauty as a byproduct of getting everything else right.
That's the tradition the best Scandi-inspired clocks belong to.
Why Timber Is Central to the Scandi Clock
In Scandinavian design, timber isn't a material choice — it's a cultural one.
The great Scandinavian forests shaped the region's relationship with wood for centuries. Pine, birch, and oak are warm where stone is cold. They age beautifully and connect an object to nature in a way no synthetic material can replicate.
The Finnish concept of metsä — the forest as a place of spiritual renewal — runs deep in Nordic culture. A timber clock on your wall is, in a small way, a piece of that tradition. It brings the warmth and quiet of the forest into a room.
The Newgate Mr Clarke range is built on this understanding. Real wood cases — pale ash or dark walnut — paired with considered dials and silent movements. Clocks that feel handmade because the material demands that kind of attention.
The Mr Clarke Range — The Heart of the Scandi Edit
Mr Clarke is Newgate's most considered range — and the one most directly rooted in Scandinavian design thinking. Named in the British tradition, designed in the Nordic one.
Each variant pairs a natural timber case with a different dial. Dial language ranges from extreme minimalism to graphic hockey dials. It also includes playful typographic energy of reverse hopscotch. The timber is constant; the dial is variable.
Pale Wood
Newgate Mr Clarke Clock — Pale Wood Dot Dial — $164.00
The most minimal expression of the Mr Clarke. Pale ash case, dot dial, silent movement. A clock that disappears into a room in the best possible way — present but never demanding. This is Danish minimalism at its most resolved: the dot as the smallest possible signal that an hour position exists.
Newgate Mr Clarke Clock — Pale Wood Hockey Dial — $164.00
The hockey dial has paddle-shaped hour markers referencing Swedish mid-century design — the era of Gustavsberg ceramics and Scandinavian Modern furniture. Bold enough to be interesting. Restrained enough for any interior.
Newgate Mr Clarke Clock — Pale Wood Clay Grey Dial — $165.00
This clay grey dial and pale wood combination references Norwegian coastal interiors. Muted, earthy palettes evoke driftwood, sea glass, and weathered timber. It is natural, calm, and deeply considered.
Newgate Mr Clarke Clock — Pale Wood Marker Dial 40 — $179.00
The larger 40cm format gives Mr Clarke true wall presence. The clean marker dial commands attention without dominating. It fits a Scandi-inspired living room feature wall or hallway.
Newgate Mr Clarke Clock — Reverse Hopscotch Dial, Pale Wood — $169.00
The most playful Mr Clarke. The reverse hopscotch dial treats the clock face as graphic art — pattern as much as function. For rooms that take design seriously but don't take themselves too seriously. Very Helsinki.
Dark Wood
Newgate Mr Clarke Clock — Dark Wood Dot Dial 40 — $179.00
The dark walnut case is the most dramatic Mr Clarke. It is rich, warm, and deeply considered. Dark timber against a pale wall creates graphic contrast. This references Finnish saunas and Swedish country houses. It is ideal for feature wall centrepieces.
The Island Edit — Bamboo and the Natural World
Newgate's island clocks — Bali, Fiji, Mauritius — take Scandi materials in a tropical direction. Bamboo cases, organic dials, and a lightness that suits coastal and relaxed interiors.
Bamboo is to tropical design what birch is to Scandinavian design. A fast-growing, sustainable material that ages beautifully and connects to nature. These clocks share the Mr Clarke philosophy — expressed through a different material tradition.
Newgate Bali Wall Clock — Hovercraft Dial — $146.00
Natural bamboo case with a clean hovercraft dial. Graphic, organic, and full of warmth. The most versatile island range clock — works in coastal, Scandi, and contemporary interiors.
Newgate Bali Wall Clock — Mongoose Dial — $142.00
The most graphic Bali. The mongoose dial adds a bold marker — distinctive on the natural bamboo case. For rooms needing the warmth of natural materials alongside a stronger graphic presence.
Newgate Fiji Wall Clock — Moped Dial — $146.00
Natural bamboo with effortless warmth and relaxed style. Minimalist dial and organic timber finish make it perfect for coastal interiors, while clean lines also complement Scandinavian-inspired homes.
Newgate Mauritius Wall Clock — Hovercraft Dial — $159.00
The largest island range clock — makes a genuine statement. Natural bamboo and a hovercraft dial. Its size gives it real wall presence.
The Number Three Echo — Scandi Graphic Design
The Number Three Echo takes a different Scandi approach. It features graphic design and color, rather than timber and craft. Clean Arabic numerals, bold silicone cases define it. The palette references bright, optimistic Scandinavian graphic design of the 1960s and 70s.
Newgate Number Three Echo Clock — Silicone Grey — $127.00
The most restrained in the range. Grey silicone, clean numerals, graphic simplicity.
Newgate Number Three Echo Clock — Silicone Yellow — $127.00
A colour hit referencing bold Scandinavian graphic design yellows.
Newgate Number Three Echo Clock — Silicone Orange — $127.00
This is the warmest in the range. It references warm terracotta tones that echo Danish ceramic design.
How to Style Scandi Clocks by Room
Living room feature wall: The Mr Clarke Dark Wood Dot Dial 40 or Pale Wood Marker Dial 40. Pair with pale painted walls, linen textiles, and natural timber furniture.
Bedroom or reading nook: The Mr Clarke Pale Wood Dot Dial. Silent movement, natural timber, minimal dial — a clock that suits spaces built for rest and quiet.
Kitchen or dining: The Number Three Echo in yellow or orange, or the bamboo island clocks.
Hallway or entryway: The Bali Hovercraft or Mauritius. Natural bamboo is welcoming. Painted metal never quite is.
Home office or study: The Mr Clarke Hockey Dial or Clay Grey Dial.
Children's room or playroom: The Number Three Echo in bright silicone — yellow, orange, or red.
The Scandi Principle: Embracing Minimalism
The best Scandi design doesn't demand notice. It earns its place by being exactly right — the material, proportion, and detail level are perfect. Nothing unnecessary is added. Nothing essential is removed.
The Mr Clarke range fully embodies this principle. The timber is real. The dials are considered. The movements are silent. These clocks will look even better in ten years — they were designed to age, not to trend.
That's a very Scandinavian idea. And it's why these clocks belong in your home.
Shop the Scandi Clock Collection at Infinity Clocks →
Further Reading
- The Art of the Dial — How Clock Face Design Shapes a Room
- The Best of The Brits — Newgate Clocks with a British Soul
- The History of Railway Clocks and Why They're Back in Style
- Space Age Clocks — The Design Movement That Never Went Out of Style
