Side by Side Comparison of: La Crosse Technology

This is my second WT-3122A clock. The first one, purchased in 2006 (10 years ago) still works perfectly, having been in a garage in very hot and humid Mississippi, and then for 5 years in southern NC. Still going strong. I continue to be surprised that the electronics survives this environment for a long time.I needed a second in my small workshop. Both clocks, syncing to WWV, show exactly the same time to the second. Visibility is fully adequate, and the wood frame adds a little beauty.The clock takes a single AA battery. I typically use a lithium battery because of the high variation of temperature (both hot and cold) in the unheated areas, though I have used alkaline in the past. (I'm always leery of alkaline battery corrosion in applications that don't change the battery frequently.)If/when my 10 year old WT-3122A clock stops, I will replace it with another.

This is a good looking clock that is keeping prefect time. The set up is somewhat confusing as it tells you to wait for overnight to set correctly. being me, I want it done right now. I manuly set the time and as stated it connected to the satellite overnite and has been keeping prefect time ever since. I was concerned as some reviews stated it my not work on an interior wall which is where I had to mount it but no problem at all. as for the instructions, they are well explained and straight forward, it's (for me) just a concept i wasn't familiar with.

I was a little worried about picking up the radio signal, as this clock is on an interior kitchen wall. It does face E-W, though. Apparently I have enough windows on the North side of the house that the signal gets through. Over the first couple weeks of use this clock seems to be absolutely exactly on the NIST signal. I cannot perceive a difference and have compared it every day. It is obviously adjusting regularly. I am in Eastern Penna for reference. The clock looks very nice, has a nice wood frame and curved glass (plastic?) face. It makes a very soft quartz tick, perceivable only in a very quiet room. I used a Duracell Quantum battery, and the manual says to expect 2 years of life. We'll see. Setting it up was super-easy. It obtaining the time signal in about 5 minutes during mid-afternoon here. This is very fast considering it takes one full minute to even get a complete sync signal from Colorado, so 2 minute sync is about as fast as anybody can get.
The radio in the clock apparently does not get the new, improved NIST signal which cycles the phases so reception is stronger. I can't find any consumer products that utilize this (yet) which is only a couple years old now.

This is a really nice clock that was simple for me to set up. It was able to pick up a signal despite a computer closer than six feet to it and a small window (to give you an idea, my bedroom was originally a bathroom), and for that I'm quite happy with my purchase. It's a nice, clean design--classy, but simple.

My clock is not as noisy when it sets itself as other reviewers make it out to be. Maybe they have super-sensitive hearing--I'll never know.

A couple minor complaints, neither of which bother me enough to warrant taking off a star, even together:
1.) The second hand is slightly misaligned clockwise by about a quarter second or so on my clock. It's hard to tell except around quarter past the minute (it does cover most of the minute hand when it's right on the hour),
2.) I wish the hands were thicker. It's replacing a clock I got tired of having in my room, and I could just sit up in bed and look at the time without putting on my glasses. I have to squint with this one at the same distance.

Overall, I'd recommend this clock to others looking to buy an atomic clock.

UPDATE 3/28/17: Still ticking very well three and a half years later with only one battery change to date. It goes through the DST change several hours too early (given my knowledge of the signal itself, I suspect at midnight GMT instead of 2:00 local, which for me is Mountain Time), but it's only a temporary, twice-a-year annoyance, especially for an otherwise very good clock. Going to leave my rating at five stars.

We have this clock for about 7 years now. It works wonderfully. Although, the second hand quit working a year into owning the clock. When day light savings time rolls around we love the fact this clock changes automatically leaving us one less clock to adjust.

Beautiful clock. As other have said it has trouble getting the time signal unless it's facing the right way. I live in Florida and had it for two days on a wall that faced south and it refused to be set to the right time despite repeated attempts to reset it. It stubbornly set itself about 40 minutes ahead. After those two days I gave up and put it on a wall that faces west and the next morning it was on time. Now it's all good. So if you are lucky enough to get the signal it's great, otherwise it's a nightmare.

Resets itself when needed and fits on our kitchen soffit area. The numbers are easy to read from a distance. I hope they make this in a blond wood some day, too.

I bought this clock to use on my bedroom wall. I needed a clock that was dependable and accurate while still being attractive. This clock so far has worked very well. Setup was simple. I made sure the time zone was set to my location and installed a fresh alkaline battery. At first the clock freaked me out because the hands started moving continuously. It turns out this is normal and they stopped at the 12:00 position and waited for the atomic signal. Within 10 minutes the clock set itself and has been very accurate ever since. Another bonus is that the clock is nearly silent so it does not distract or annoy when I am trying to go to sleep. The major downside to this clock is that while it is generally good looking, it is somewhat plane. This clock would really be amazing if it had a more elegant font or stylish design. Other than that this seems like a very good atomic wall clock*** Positive Points: ***- Easy to set and fully automatic- Battery can last over a year (at least according to the instructions)- Automatically adjusts to daylight savings time- Very quiet operation (you don't hear the ticking sound of the second hand when trying to sleep at night)*** Negative Points: ***- Wood finish is nice but overall the clock is somewhat plain looking- The instructions state that it can take a few hours to a few days for the clock to set itself (it only took mine about 10 minutes though)

THE GOOD: Very attractive clock with wood frame that comes close to matching our walnut cabinets. The size is perfect for most rooms and the face is very clear and legible. Design should work in older homes such as ours and many other styles. After installing the battery (be sure to use a fresh brand name battery) and making the settings for time zone and daylight savings time, the clock goes into radio reception mode in which all hands go to the 12 o'clock position and then it searches for the WWVB signal from Fort Collins, CO. Once the signal is detected the hands automatically adjust to the correct time. Synchronization with the atomic clock updates daily. At my location in Virginia it took less than 5 minutes to connect.THE BAD: When it started the radio reception mode the second and minute hands went to 12 o'clock but the hour hand parked itself at about 12:03. When running the hour hand was always "off" which is perhaps a minor annoyance but it bugged me! Besides, this clock is billed as accurate.Another minor annoyance was clumsy wording in the instructions that made it sound as if two batteries are required. Only one is.I'd registered the purchase on La Crosse's website and following their instruction that email is faster communication than phone, I contacted them describing the problem. About 3 days later I got a response with some reset procedures. I didn't think it would work, but I followed them exactly. The clock reconnected but once again the hour hand was off. I tried the reset one more time with the same result so I notified the company. A couple days later a return authorization was received by email; it was valid for one month. But, I had to pay shipping to them and I'd be without a kitchen clock (amazing how often we glance at it) for several weeks.I'd repaired battery powered movement in other clocks but was a bit concerned (1) that if something went wrong opening the clock would void the warranty and (2) that this radio controlled clock might be slightly different. It was easy to remove a half dozen small screws from the back which removed the frame and cover giving me access to the hands. I removed the battery and put the clock in reset mode where all hands are supposed to be at 12 o'clock. When the reset ended, I gently nudged the hour hand into correct position (it moved easily) and reinstalled the frame. A few minutes later the clock reconnected with the radio signal and it set to the time, with the hour hand in the correct position.Some may not wish to open the clock and make this minor adjustment that solved the problem. But it was easy. However, it could void the warranty. I don't know if it would work to adjust minute and second hands but it should.BOTTOM LINE: Attractive and accurate clock that I'd give five stars except for the items noted above. Since I've only been using it a couple weeks I cannot speak to battery life.

I was looking for a nice looking clock. I bought two of the La Crosse clocks, the other is similar but silver in color. I didn't care much about the "Atomic" feature, which means that the clock supposedly sets itself automatically to your time zone. I didn't want to pay extra for this feature, but it seems like your can't find a clock these days that isn't "atomic". Anyway, the clock failed to set itself correctly, and I had to manually fix it. Not a big deal, since I had no problem buying a clock that I would have to manually set. I wonder if I would have left it alone for 24 hours, perhaps it would have set itself initially. But I'm not that patient. It did, however, update itself for daylight savings, and I appreciated that since the clocks are hanging in hard to reach places. These clocks are very attractive and appear sturdy with good quality parts. I've only had them for a month, but I am satisfied thus far.

It does not automatically adjust when time changes. The previous one would move for ever that's why I bought this one who does not change and there are not clear instruction on the clock.

I purchased this clock in 2007 and, by modern quality standards, the very fact that it lived until 2016 is an achievement (I am about to throw it away). On the other hand, for as long as this clock hung on my wall, it was a pain to deal with every time there was a daytime savings time shift. The atomic clock self-setting feature didn't work 80% of the time causing this clock to randomly shift back and forth several times and requiring manual correction most of the time. Therefore, for practical purposes, the atomic clock self-setting option, which I have been quite happy with using in other clocks around the house, has caused more trouble that it provided benefit in this particular "technological wonder."

The outer ring is a cheap, thin, lightweight molded plastic. It looks like wood. It quacks like wood. But it’s NOT WOOD. There’s not a drop of wood anywhere in this clock.Otherwise it’s pretty good. It self-adjusted sometime within 6 or 7 hours-- I’m not sure since it adjusts when you’re not looking. The instructions say to place the clock on an exterior wall facing Fort Collins, Colorado. That’s not necessary. I placed mine on an interior wall facing Wilkes-Barre, Pa. and it works fine.

I purchased this clock because it's about the same size as the one I was replacing, the price is right, and it is described as an automatically set clock. So far so good. Upon receiving it and after inserting the battery, the instructions indicate that you should place it in a location facing east and that it should set itself automatically within 4 days or so. I was pleased to see that it actually accomplished this overnight so that I could hang it the very next day.For the first couple of weeks, it kept perfect time. Then one afternoon, I noticed it was about 3 minutes off. But by the next morning, it self-corrected. This has happened a couple of times--it seems to lose 3-5 minutes, and then the next day it's okay.However, as of today, it's a whole hour off--exactly one hour. Not sure what is causing this glitch. Hopefully, by tomorrow it will self-correct again.I really do like the look of this clock, but am afraid that this might be a recurring problem. I will be contacting the manufacturer directly.

great looking clock. bought two. one for bathroom and one for kitchen. the one in the bathroom works very well but the one in the kitchen I ended up returning as I could not get it to pick up radio wave. Replacement does work but I had to take it outside before it would "connect". Seems to be working ok now but I have no idea if it is still "seeing" the radio wave it's supposed to.

I bought two of the clock, one is new, the other one is used a week ago. The new one is fine, so the one star here is for the used one from Amazon WarehouseDeals, which does not working properly. It does not have any "Minor cosmetic imperfection ..." on any part of the clock. I should knew that a clock hanging on a wall would not have tear and wear, the only reason it was abandoned should be its malfunction. It was only $15 with prime a week ago (now it seems raised to $25), so not worth to return it, I do not know how much would be the postage for return and it is not convenient for me to go to the post office, plus the packing was already trashed away. I was thinking maybe I can use it as a normal clock by manually correct the time, then it seems the radio would correct it to the wrong time eventually since we have a strong wave signal here. Then I think I should probably send it to the salvation store, then it occurred to me that it may trouble another person. So the only place I can thinking of for it to go is the trash can.Follow up:A friend fixed it for me. Now it runs accurately. The hand is loose, probably slipped to a random position during shipping. Friend opened it and fixed it. So I increased the rating from 1 star to 3 star.

I have several "radio controlled" clocks and this one is the only one that will not automatically set. The wood frame is very red, not as brown as it appeared in the ad. Not my best gift to a family member.

Worked great until DST hit. Switch is in the ON position for DST, but I'm still an hour behind months later. I don't like DST any more than this clock does, and I'd like to do away with it too. I'll hang onto this clock for now, and hope that getting rid of DST is a platform topic for the next presidential candidate.

Our 4th of these. Synced in less than 10 minutes. Battery lasts over a year. Large, readable numbers. Attractive clock. IMO, worth the price. Update: still syncs, but no functioning adjustment for DST this Spring. Replacement has been ordered.

I am disappointed to report that this clock stopped working properly after a year... from that point on it was hit or miss as to whether it would stay on time. Tried changing batteries, tried leaving batteries out for days and days, all in an effort to let it reset and go back to working properly as it did when we first got it. But ultimately those efforts proved useless.Not at all an accurate timekeeper - which is disappointing for a clock that claims to stay on time and reset itself with the Atomic Clock and daylight savings time, etc. Can't in good conscious recommend this product to anyone longterm.

It's a nightmare to set manually, but all the "automatic'' features don't seem to work for me. I'm in Florida so maybe that's why the auto set doesn't work. I've tried taking this outside and walking around -- nothing. When I set DST to on, nothing happens (clock does not automatically add an hour). Setting this manually takes forever, as the hands advance themselves forward at a rate of about 30 seconds to move ahead 1 hour. If you're trying to set it back one hour you have to hold the button down and wait for the hands to cycle 11 hours forward. It's torture. I'm really starting to hate this thing.

Clock worked well for about 30 months - then failed. Tech support was friendly, but was little help beyond the information in the manual. They did not offer to repair. Instead send a coupon for 45% off in their online store. This would have been a nice gesture but their store prices at MSRP and their items tend to be available on line at greater discounts. This is an inexpensive "atomic clock", compared to others available.

Atomic clock too complicated. It has to face or have back to west or won't work automatically. I actually called La Crosse Tech and tried to make it work to no avail....

I read the reviews regarding this clock and took a chance. Good news: After I installed the battery, the clock set the correct time very quickly and was working great. Bad news: The clock continued to keep accurate time, but the second hand stopped working the next day! It was not binding on the other hands...just stopped working. I returned the clock to Amazon for a refund the next day. As usual, truly outstanding customer service by Amazon!

It's sad, it looks like it's functional once you put the battery in, it finds it's time but then it keeps stopping or the second hand gets stuck and then the time is totally off. I was worried about purchasing this, hearing the previous negative reviews but because the analog numbers are large enough for my mom to see. At this rate, could buy a cheap clock for the fraction of the price.

Looks just like it does in the photo. But ... It ticks loudly. Enough to keep me awake at night, and after 4 weeks, the wood trim and plastic face fell off due to some very weak plastic anchors holding it in on. I bought the Seiko "Quiet Sweep" wall clock to replace it, and am much happier. The Seiko is silent, and although it cost the same as the La Crosse, it looks more expensive. Better quality all around. Just not atomic, which I can live with.

After 3 years and I'm trashing all four of them!! See pictures. Even with fresh batteries they do not and never have worked correctly. You can set them outside and by the end of the day they usually will update but the whole idea was for them to be convenient.If you could set them like a normal clock then okay, I would just deal with them not auto updating BUT you can't. You have to hold a button in and the minute hand moves painfully slow but not slow enough that you can stop exactly where you need to stop.If you try to set them manually and have 9 or more hours to go around to the correct time then have fun, maybe you have more time on your hands than me.

If you live really close to the atomic clock in Colorado, then maybe it works well, but I am in San Diego which I thought was close enough, but NO!! It does not get the signal right away, you have to keep trying over and over again. When it finally decides to set itself, it REsets itself every so often to the wrong time, and then several hours later will return to the correct time. It never reset for daylight savings either, so I switched that function off. Then it started doing it's wrong time thing a lot, so I set it to the manual function, which I had to check the directions to do, because it is not very intuitive to operate. That didn't work. I cannot ever rely on this thing or really believe the time it says. I find myself walking over to the DVR or looking at my phone right after I look at it to make sure! UNLESS YOU LIVE IN COLORADO, DON'T BUY THIS PIECE OF JUNK!!!!!!!!!