What is a flip clock screensaver?

It is a clock styled like an old split-flap departure board, where each digit sits on a card that flips over when the number changes. This one reads your device clock and runs full screen in your browser.

Does the flip clock show the correct time?

Yes. It reads the time from your own device every quarter second, so it is exactly as accurate as your computer or phone. No internet connection is needed.

Can I show seconds on the flip clock?

Yes. The Show seconds toggle adds a third pair of cards that flip each second. Turn it off for a calmer hours-and-minutes board.

Is there a light theme for the flip clock?

Yes. Set Theme to Light for white cards with dark digits, or leave it on Dark for charcoal cards. Both run full screen in the browser.

Is the flip clock screensaver free?

Yes. It runs entirely in your browser with no download or account. Press ESC whenever you want to exit full screen.

Why do flip clocks roll in one order?

The cards in each position sit in a fixed sequence, so a digit advances through them in order. Reaching an earlier number means stepping forward through the rest of the cycle.

Did old flip clocks keep good time?

Models driven by a synchronous motor ran in step with the mains frequency, so they kept good time on a stable grid but would drift if the supply frequency ran slow or fast.

Are departure boards still split-flap?

Many were replaced by electronic displays, though some split-flap boards remain in use, such as examples in Frankfurt and Hannover.

Flip Clock Screensaver

The Flip Clock screensaver shows the time on a split-flap departure board, with cards that flip over as each digit changes. It reads your device's own clock, so the displayed time is always accurate. It runs free in your browser with no download, and you press ESC to exit.

How the Flip Clock screensaver works

Each digit is a card built with a CSS gradient and a hairline seam across the middle, just like a real split-flap board. The time is read from new Date() four times a second and split into hour, minute and (optionally) second digits.

When a digit changes, only that card animates. The saver retriggers a short rotateX flip keyframe so the card appears to fold down to the new number, which gives the satisfying mechanical motion without redrawing the whole display.

A colon separates hours from minutes, and a second colon appears before the seconds pair when Show seconds is on. In 12-hour mode the hour rolls 1 to 12 rather than 00 to 23.

Switching the theme between dark and light swaps the card gradient, digit color and background, so you can match a bright room or a dim one. An optional date line sits below the cards.

The mechanics of the split-flap display

A split-flap display holds each character position on a set of flaps with characters or graphics printed on them, and flips through them to bring the wanted one into view. Boards like this were commonly used as timetables in airports and railway stations from the 1960s to the 1990s. They were often called Solari boards after the Italian maker Solari di Udine, and Pragotron in Central Europe after a Czech manufacturer. They are readable from wide angles and use little power when static.

The flip clock is a related but simpler idea, once common as a consumer clock. Solari’s Cifra 5, patented in 1957, and its Cifra 3 of 1965 are well-known examples, and the Turn-O-Matic M80 dates from 1974. Many flip clocks used a small synchronous AC motor, which runs in step with the mains frequency and so doubles as the timing reference, which kept time accurately on a stable grid.

Because each position carries a fixed set of faces, a digit can only advance in order. Tens of minutes cycle from 0 to 5 and hours from 1 to 12, so the number of cards in each position follows from how far that digit counts. Adjusting such a clock backwards can be awkward for that reason.

A worked example

With the defaults - 24-hour format, seconds on, date off and the Dark theme - at half past nine in the morning the board reads 09 : 30 : 12 on charcoal cards, and the right-hand card flips each second as the count advances.

Settings & tips

Turn on Show date to print the full weekday and date in small type beneath the cards.
Switch Theme to Light for a clean white departure board that suits a bright room.
Set Hour format to 12-hour if you would rather see 1 to 12 than a 24-hour board.

Frequently asked questions

What is a flip clock screensaver?: It is a clock styled like an old split-flap departure board, where each digit sits on a card that flips over when the number changes. This one reads your device clock and runs full screen in your browser.
Does the flip clock show the correct time?: Yes. It reads the time from your own device every quarter second, so it is exactly as accurate as your computer or phone. No internet connection is needed.
Can I show seconds on the flip clock?: Yes. The Show seconds toggle adds a third pair of cards that flip each second. Turn it off for a calmer hours-and-minutes board.
Is there a light theme for the flip clock?: Yes. Set Theme to Light for white cards with dark digits, or leave it on Dark for charcoal cards. Both run full screen in the browser.
Is the flip clock screensaver free?: Yes. It runs entirely in your browser with no download or account. Press ESC whenever you want to exit full screen.
Why do flip clocks roll in one order?: The cards in each position sit in a fixed sequence, so a digit advances through them in order. Reaching an earlier number means stepping forward through the rest of the cycle.
Did old flip clocks keep good time?: Models driven by a synchronous motor ran in step with the mains frequency, so they kept good time on a stable grid but would drift if the supply frequency ran slow or fast.
Are departure boards still split-flap?: Many were replaced by electronic displays, though some split-flap boards remain in use, such as examples in Frankfurt and Hannover.

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