Modern wall clocks today are available in a huge choice of designs, and it is good to know that they don't all have to have a round face. Having said that, a lot of them do, but are made in a wide range of different materials and designs to match the fast-moving pace of life today. Our lives may be fast-moving, but clocks are not, maintaining the same pace at which time has moved since the beginning of er, well, time.

The Luna Hand Clock from Roco Verre is simply a circular red disc which houses the clock movement and supports a large hour hand and minute hand. That's it. There are no numbers, so you can just put it on the wall and tell the time by the position of the hands, which is the way we all do it anyway. That said, you can buy a set of numbers to go with this clock if you wish which then mount on the wall behind the clock and these are available in French numbers, Roman numerals, or you can just have a set of spots with large ones for the hour and quarter hours and small ones for each five minutes in between.

Modern wall clocks also include illuminated wall clocks which not only tell you the time, but can serve as extra lighting and as mirrors as well. These are available in a choice of designs, including one which is a copy of Big Ben, and can have a very modern feel or can use Roman numerals as you choose.

Of course, you can also have time zone clocks showing the time here, in Paris, in New York, or in Hong Kong. Some of these clocks can be custom made to include the cities of your choice around the world. This is a great idea if you have relatives living in, say Sydney, Australia, because you can just glance at your clock and know that if it is ten o'clock at night here it is nine o'clock in the morning tomorrow there. These particular time zone clocks – there are many others of course - have faces which are square with rounded corners and come in a choice of five colours.

Another great choice in modern wall clocks is the Invotis gear clock. This is a novel design with gear wheels which turn slowly and quietly, and in turn move a large gear wheel which tells you the time. There is also a version of this clock which not only tells you the time but also the day and the month by using two extra gear wheels. The time and the day are automatic, but you have to adjust the month manually every month. The construction is mostly silver acrylic, but there are obviously some metal parts. At 68cm high and 56cm wide this clock makes a striking centrepiece in any modern home.

Would you believe that you can get a wall clock with a pendulum? There is a wall clock available which is square and has a pendulum. The face is black, and it has a polished mirror edge which is bevelled. It sports Roman numerals. A similar clock with a pendulum and also a square face, features a frosted mirror dial with chrome metal hands and polished aluminium pendulum.

If you like the thought of a skeleton wall clock, then there are many of those to choose from as well. These come with a choice of French numbers or Roman numerals and a wide range of different designs, including our old friend Big Ben once more. These clocks also include a couple of square designs, one of which has slightly curved edges so is not exactly square, but nevertheless very striking. This particular clock comes in a stunning gold colour and is 110cm square, which is heading in the direction of four feet! You need a fairly large wall on which to display that.

You can also buy a digital clock that can display the time in either 12-hour or 24-hour format, and also has a countdown and count up feature for measuring time intervals up to one second short of a hundred hours. Not your ordinary old clock, by any means!