Imagine going on a long mining trip in the caves only to lose track of time and come home to a hoard of zombies. That’s what happens in Minecraft when you can’t tell if it’s day or night in the game. This becomes even riskier on Minecraft survival servers, which tend to spawn more mobs than usual. But, you can avoid all the commotion by simply learning how to make a clock in Minecraft. That’s exactly what we are here to uncover. Let’s dive in!
How to Make a Clock in Minecraft (2023)
Our guide covers the basics of a clock in Minecraft before diving into its crafting process.
What is a Clock in Minecraft
The clock is a utility item in Minecraft that players use to tell the time within the game. But unlike traditional clocks, it doesn't tell you time in terms of minutes or seconds. Instead, it shows the current position of the sun and moon, effectively revealing which part of the day it currently is.
Do I Even Need A Clock
Since you can witness the time of the day by looking at the sun, a clock can seem pretty useless at first. But, the same clock can save your life in various situations:
- Mining: While you are underground, it is impossible to tell the time of the day. This can lead to you existing in the caves at night, only to be attacked by a hostile mob. The clocks can easily help you avoid that.
- Breeding: It takes a complete in-game day for most baby mobs to grow into adults. You can use a clock to mark their birth and ensure you don't miss the transformation. This is especially useful when you try to get turtle scutes in Minecraft.
- Decoration: Even though the in-game clock doesn't tell time, you can also use it as a grandfather clock in Minecraft. Simply create a basic structure using a trapdoor and place the clock on an item frame to complete the design.
Items Required to Make a Clock
You must collect the following items to make a clock in Minecraft:
- 4 Gold Ingots
- 1 Redstone Dust
- 1 Crafting Table
Getting your hands on a crafting table is extremely easy. You can find them inside villages, outposts, and even igloos. But, if the search doesn't go as planned, making the table only requires combining four planks.
How to Get Gold Ingots in Minecraft
Follow these simple steps to get gold ingots in Minecraft:
1. To begin, make an iron pickaxe or stronger to mine gold ore. When you use a stone or wood pickaxe, the gold ore disappears without dropping anything.
2. Then, dig till the world height of Y=-16. As per Minecraft 1.20 ore distribution, the highest concentration of gold ore spawns at that level. You can even use the best Minecraft PvP texture packs to make all ores easier to spot.
3. Once you find the gold ore, you use pickaxe to mine it and collect raw gold.
4. Finally, smelt the raw gold inside a furnace in Minecraft to get gold ingots. You need four ingots to make a clock in Minecraft.
If the search for gold ore doesn't go well, you can use these alternate methods to find gold in Minecraft:
- Gold Blocks: You can find blocks of gold inside ocean monuments, ruined portals, and bastion remnants. Each gold block gives 9 gold ingots when you place it in the crafting grid.
- Badlands: The badlands biomes are known to spawn more gold ores than any other place in the game. Plus, instead of digging, you can find gold towards the top of its mountains, at Y=255.
Where to Find Redstone Dust
From traps of jungle temples to cages of Woodland Mansions, Minecraft uses Redstone in a bunch of interesting places. But, you don't need to go structure hunting to find it. Instead, follow these simple steps to get Redtone from its ore:
1. First, make sure your iron pickaxe is still intact. You can get mending in Minecraft to repair it. 
2. Then, go as deep as you can in your caves and search for Redstone ore blocks. Much like diamonds, the spawn rate of Redstone increases as you get closer to the Bedrock layer.
3. Finally, use your iron pickaxe to mine the Redstone ore and collect Redstone dust. Unlike other ores, you don't need to smelt Redstone to make it useable.
Crafting Recipe of Clock in Minecraft
Now that you have everything you need to make a clock in Minecraft, follow these steps to craft it:
1. First, right-click or use your secondary action on your crafting table to open it.
2. Then, place the Redstone dust in the middle of the table. Going by the game's lore, it acts as the power source of the clock so you won't need to recharge the clock.
3. Finally, place on gold ingot on each side of the Redstone dust, while leaving the corners empty. And there you have it! Your clock is now ready!
How to Use a Clock in Minecraft
The clocks in Minecraft are always active. Whether you keep the clock on an item frame, in your inventory, or in your hands, it keeps displaying the time of the day. Here's how to read it:
- Daytime: While the sun is out, the face of the clock turns blue and you can see a yellow sun on top of it.
- Nighttime: When the sun sets, the face of the clock turns black and a grey moon shows up on it.
- Sunset and Sunrise: As the day progresses, you can see the blue and black sections of the clock moving. Depending upon the position of each section, you can estimate the time of sunrise and sunset.
But, since there is no day/night cycle in the Nether or the End dimension, it doesn't work there. In these dimensions, the face of the clock keeps spinning randomly. The same behavior applies to compasses, while they are outside the Overworld.
Piglins and Clocks
Piglins in Minecraft are known for their love of gold, and it's no wonder they are drawn to golden clocks. When you drop a clock in front of Piglins, they will come running toward it, snack the clock, and put it in their inventory.
But, unfortunately, clocks aren't a part of the Piglin trades in Minecraft. Consequently, even when the Piglin gladly accepts your golden clock, they don't offer anything in return. Still, you can use this unique mechanic in your favor by using clocks as bait to trap Piglins.
Make and Use Clocks in Minecraft Today
Just like that, you are now ready to make and use clocks in Minecraft. But, this is just the first step of making your mining journey safer. You also need to make a Potion of Night Vision to see clearly in dark caves. If you have the time, you can also get Netherite in Minecraft to get tools in Minecraft that mine faster. With that out of the way, it’s time to load the game and start exploring!