An online Westminster chime clock
Westminster Chime brings the sound of an old chiming clock to your computer. Open it, pick a clock, and leave the tab open: it ticks away like an antique pendulum clock and plays the Westminster chime every quarter hour, then strikes the hours, just like a grandfather clock in your grandparents' hallway. It is free, it works in any browser, and there is nothing to install.
Seven clocks to choose from
- French Comtoise: a slow, woody tick and a full recorded Westminster chime.
- Grandfather clock: an English longcase with steel chime rods and a moon dial.
- Vienna regulator: a precise, crystal-clear wall clock.
- Mantel clock: a brisk tick and a delicate chime.
- Cuckoo clock: a Black Forest favourite whose cuckoo calls the hours.
- Ship's bell: a real ship's bell ringing 1 to 8 bells every half hour, as on board.
- Big Ben: the tower itself, recorded: the Westminster chime on its quarter bells, then the Great Bell striking the hours.
What is the Westminster chime?
The Westminster Quarters were written in 1793 for Great St Mary's Church in Cambridge and adopted in 1859 by the Great Clock of the Palace of Westminster, better known as Big Ben. Four bells (G♯, F♯, E and B) play 4 notes at quarter past, 8 at half past, 12 at quarter to and 16 on the hour, then the hour bell counts the hours. Read the full history of the Westminster chime.
Questions
Does it chime every hour?
Yes. On the hour it plays the full 16-note Westminster chime, then strikes the hour: once at 1 o'clock, twelve times at noon and midnight.
Can it chime every 15 minutes?
Yes. By default it chimes every quarter hour: 4 notes at quarter past, 8 at half past, 12 at quarter to and 16 on the hour. You can switch to hours only.
Does it keep chiming in a background tab?
Yes. The chimes are scheduled on the browser's audio clock, so they ring on time even when the tab is in the background.
Can I silence it at night?
Yes. Set quiet hours, for example from 10 pm to 7 am, and choose whether the ticking stops too.
Is it free?
Yes, completely free, with nothing to install. Every sound is a real recording shared under a free licence.