The Perfect Minimalist LED Clock

Not every DIY electronics project is about creating something innovative that has never been seen before. Sometimes it is just about building a completely ordinary device that has a few custom touches you can’t find in any off-the-shelf gadget. That is the category that ESPTimeCast falls into. Wi-Fi-connected clocks like ESPTimeCast that display the time and weather are a dime a dozen these days, but few can match it in terms of style or personalization.

ESPTimeCast is a compact LED matrix clock and weather display built around the popular ESP8266 and ESP32 microcontroller platforms. Using an 8×32 MAX7219-driven LED matrix, the device presents time, temperature, and other information in a clean, minimalist format that feels equally at home on a workbench, desk, or nightstand. Time is synchronized automatically via NTP, while live weather data is pulled from OpenWeatherMap at regular intervals, ensuring the display stays current without user intervention.

To personalize the clock, the project includes a polished web-based interface that runs directly on the device. From any browser on the local network, users can configure Wi-Fi credentials, select their time zone from the IANA database, adjust display brightness, enable 12- or 24-hour time, and fine-tune how long each display mode remains on screen. Features like automatic dimming based on sunrise and sunset, custom dimming schedules, and even a blinking colon toggle give builders a level of control rarely seen in small DIY clocks.

ESPTimeCast supports scrolling custom messages, REST endpoints for Home Assistant integration, and even optional Nightscout glucose data display. Combined with a choice of paid or community-designed 3D-printable cases, it’s a project that balances approachability with depth. ESPTimeCast may not reinvent the clock, but its hackability and slick design have made it a favorite with the DIY crowd, which has been making ESPTimeCast their own over the past few months since the project first got off the ground.

Check out the GitHub repository for full build details.