This is the second marathon clock i have bought. The batteries that came with this clock, appeared to be melted. Most of the lettering came off in my hands. I put them in the recycle container and used a set of my batteries. Other than that, a great clock.I bought this clock for my daughter in August, 2018. She wanted something other than her phone as an alarm clock so she researched clocks on Amazon and decided she wanted this one. I told her I'd buy her a clock, but was a bit shocked that this one, at the time I bought it, cost $39.99! I'd never paid much more than $10 or $12 for a battery operated nightstand clock before, but I'm a sucker for making my daughter happy, so I bit the bullet and bought it. She liked the clock, but was disappointed when it stopped working after four months! I didn't know that it had broken until I found it in her nightstand drawer after she'd moved out of the house. The warranty is for two years, and it was two years and one month after I bought it when I found it was broken. I contacted Marathon, told them my story, and that it had broken so shortly after we bought it, and asked for a replacement. They told me they couldn't replace it because it was past the warranty period, and offered to sell me one at a reduced price. There was no way I would pay more money for another one after my experience, especially since the clock was now selling for 25 percent less than when I bought it, anyway. But when I wrote back and expressed my disappointment at their customer service, they quickly responded saying that they would replace it, and they did. My daughter was very happy, and so was I. I tried out the clock before I gave the replacement to me daughter and one thing I didn't like about it was the way the face stays illuminated for about 3 seconds when you press the button to see the clock face in the dark. My cheap alarm clock only stays illuminated while you're holding down the button. It sounds like a small thing, but that three seconds of light in the middle of the night is enough to make it harder for me to fall back asleep. Perhaps everyone is not that sensitive, but my daughter did tell me that she doesn't use that feature because it disrupts her sleep as well. But because they replaced the clock for free and because it looks nice and my daughter seems to like it, I gave it four stars.This is great bedside clock. I don't want to pick my phone in the middle of the night to check the time, and this is a perfect solution for me. Lovely aesthetic, too.I own several of these clocks and they are perfect for me. I travel with one. I have one in every bedroom and guests all want to take them. Hahaha! I should keeps spares for friends. They are that popular. They are squares... very sturdy... back lit in darkness... alarms if you have to use... runs on batteries literally for years. Just a great useful clocks. I never hesitate to update my reviews should new info seem useful - but I own several of these and couldn't be happier. (PS... Yes, I use my cell phone to tell time, but it's just easier to glance at this clock sometimes - even easier to see than my cell phone)I was looking for a perfect battery operated clock for my new Travel Trailer. I need an easy to read, aesthetically pleasing to the eye, simple to use, with alarm function. This clock filled the bill perfectly. The amber backlight is super cool! I highly recommend this product. It's got it all!!!*****I love this little alarm clock! For the price it is very sweet. It's also annoying, which means it can get me up, unlike other more pleasant alarms that don't have a beeping sound. The alarm isn't super loud, but it's annoying enough to get you up and break through your dreams or heavy sleep. It is a quick beep made up of four quick little staccato chirps.In the picture you can see the red button on top that activates the alarm, which is set on the back with a post that is turned. The other button on the top is a light that lights up the whole dial so that you can see the time when it's dark. The other button is large and to the right so that you won't accidentally turn off the alarm. It also functions as a snooze button. The dial light can be customized to be on demand or to vary with the room lighting.It is a totally silent clock. The second hand is smooth and moves around without jerking with each second. It runs on two AA batteries.The only thing I don't like about it is that the alarm is supposed to (according to the instructions) only beep for two minutes and then it is supposed to go off. My alarm has never done that though, which pleases me much, much more. It doesn't go off until I turn it off. I am doing a test for this review and it has been continuing as I've written this entire review. So I don't know how yours will work, but I'm glad mine is not as the instructions say. I've been listening to it so far for 15 minutes; it may go for longer, but I'm going to give in now.It is a well-made EXTREMELY well-designed clock that offers a good value for the money. I'm very happy with my purchase. For the price, I don't know how you could beat it.Highly recommended.*****Have this great clock on my bedside table, and enjoy taking it on trips. No more fumbling around in the dark to find out what time it is in the middle of the night. Silent, just the right amount of light.Modern and old-school at once — love it.This small clock is exactly what I wanted for our bathroom because it functions as a dimly lit nightlight as well as a clock. The nightlight comes on when the room is dark but the nightlight function can be turned off entirely with a switch on the back. Hold down the snooze button on top to turn on a brighter light to see the time if the nightlight is not on. The clock is small but the time can be easily seen from anywhere in the room. t's battery powered so no plug in necessary. The time and the alarm can be easily set. I use my phone alarm so I can't comment on the clock alarm's effectiveness but this clock is small enough and easy enough to use as a travel alarm if you don't like using your phone. I just ordered another one for our guest bedroom so guests can have an easy to set alarm. Only negatives: a bit pricy and I don't know how long the batteries will last.First impression is that this is a good looking and nicely made unit. Size is perfect for me as a bedside clock and the light isn’t too bright but you can still read it at night. It’s not cheap but if it lasts then it’s worth the money. I’ll have to see on battery life, I don’t mind changing them a couple of times a year if needed as the Amazon brand bulk AA’s are a good price.Edit: I’ve taken a star off due to the low quality batteries supplied. After a few months they have leaked Acid into the clock. I’ve removed them and cleaned the clock as best I can but whether it will survive or not I don’t know. My advice if you buy one: THROW THE SUPPLIED BATTERIES AWAY AND FIT GOOD ONES.I have done a review for the black one also. The display is clearer on the white face of the white clock but be assured the visibility of the black clock with the black face and white digits is also very clear indeed. I’ve bought rechargeable batteries and opted for the Amazon Energiser AA recharger pack deal. Energiser are good. There is a sweep hand so no sound of ticking, not even a hum. The backlight can be switched off if it seems to distract but in my opinion it is not so bright to be a nuisance but certainly bright enough to see the time. The light is switched on at any point of pressing the snooze button. It seems easy to set up and the choice of colours give you options to suit your bedroom furniture or you can go for the dramatic clash of colour effect to taste. You won’t be disappointed. Thanks Amazon.I will update this review to comment on how long the batteries last. The item comes with 2 Alkeline AAs. Being none mains means it is a safer option all round if bedside drinks are the habit of a guest for example. Something to consider perhaps.It's larger than I expected. The spring under the alarm button makes a comical sound. The clock movement mechanism is virtually silent. Best feature is it allows me to not have my phone by my bedside. Massive qualify of life improvement. You should consider it on this basis alone.Only gets 4 stars because the hands are not glow-in-the-dark.It’d get 6 if they were.Good clock that doesn’t tick !!Get a good sleep without listening to tick tick