Pantasy Owl Clock (85051) Review – A Pleasant Build That Never Quite Finds Its Place

Pantasy Owl Clock (85051) Review – A Pleasant Build That Never Quite Finds Its Place

Pantasy's Retro Collection has been one of the biggest surprises in the building block world for me. Over the past year I've built several of the range, and more often than not they've exceeded my expectations. Whether it's the nostalgia, the clever design work or the beautiful display pieces they produce, they've consistently been some of my favourite non-LEGO sets.

That naturally meant I was looking forward to the Owl Clock. With its vintage styling, mechanical movement and woodland-inspired design, it certainly looks the part. Containing 897 pieces and estimated to take around 4–6 hours to build, it promises a decorative display with a simple mechanical function.

Unfortunately, while I liked the finished model, this is probably the first Retro Collection set that didn't really grab me.

Specifications

- Set: Pantasy Owl Clock

- Set Number: 85051

- Pieces: 897

- Estimated Build Time: Around 4 hours

- Dimensions: 20.5 × 21 × 13.5 cm

- RRP: $59.99 USD

The Build Experience

The build itself is perfectly enjoyable.

It comes together over a few relaxed hours and never becomes frustrating or overly repetitive. The instructions are clear, the brick quality is excellent, and everything fits together exactly as I've come to expect from Pantasy.

That said, I kept waiting for the build to surprise me.

Previous Retro Collection models introduced unusual techniques, hidden details or sections that made me stop and think, "That's really clever." The Owl Clock never quite reaches that point. It's a fairly straightforward build from beginning to end, and while that's absolutely fine, it never felt particularly memorable.

The internal mechanism is probably the highlight of the construction. Building the gears and watching everything link together is satisfying, but compared to some of Pantasy's previous mechanical sets, it feels relatively simple.

The Finished Model

Where the Owl Clock wins back a few points is in its appearance.

It's a perfectly pleasant display model. The warm brown colour palette, printed Roman numeral clock face, exposed gears and woodland branch base all come together nicely, and the owl itself has a good amount of character. The shaping is clean, and the finished build feels solid and well put together.

The problem, for me, is that it never becomes particularly memorable.

Unlike the Retro Radio or the Kerosene Lamp, which immediately earned a permanent place on my display, I found myself wondering where this one actually belongs. The Retro Radio recreates an instantly recognisable object, looks fantastic on a shelf and, with the addition of a smartphone, even functions to a degree as a working radio. The Kerosene Lamp is genuinely beautiful and works as a decorative display piece in its own right.

The Owl Clock sits somewhere in between. It's not really a functional clock, nor did it become a standout display model that demanded a place in my collection. It looks perfectly pleasant, but I never found myself wanting to stop and admire it in the same way I did Pantasy's previous Retro releases.

The Mechanism

Turning the side crank activates several moving parts at once.

The owl's wings flap, its eyes move and the clock hands rotate together, giving the model a nice bit of life whenever you demonstrate it.

It's a clever mechanism and works reliably.

My only criticism is that it never feels as engaging as some of Pantasy's previous interactive builds. After trying it a few times, I found myself admiring the model more than actually wanting to play with the mechanism.

Value

For the asking price, I still think this represents good value.

The parts quality is excellent, there are plenty of printed elements, the finished model is solid, and it's a pleasant display piece. If you're buying it purely because you love owls or vintage-inspired décor, I think you'll be very happy.

For me, though, Pantasy has set an incredibly high standard with the rest of the Retro Collection, and this one simply didn't reach those same heights.

Final Thoughts

This is by no means a bad set.

It builds well, the mechanism works exactly as intended and the finished model feels sturdy throughout. My disappointment probably comes from the incredibly high bar Pantasy has set with the rest of the Retro Collection.

The bigger issue for me is that I struggled to see where this model fits. The Retro Radio celebrates a classic piece of technology and even serves as a functional speaker with the addition of a smartphone. The Kerosene Lamp is a genuinely beautiful display piece that immediately earns its place on a shelf.

The Owl Clock doesn't quite do either. It isn't really a working clock, and while it's a pleasant display model, it never became a piece I felt I needed to keep out on display. It's enjoyable enough to build, but once finished it simply didn't leave a lasting impression.

Score: 7/10

- Build: 6/10 – A straightforward, relaxing build, but one that never really surprised or excited me.

- Display: 7/10 – Pleasant enough on display, but not one of Pantasy's more memorable Retro models.

- Mechanism: 7/10 – Clever and reliable, but lacks the wow factor of previous mechanical sets.

- Value: 8/10 – Good quality throughout and fairly priced for what you get.

- Would I recommend it? Yes, particularly if you like the owl aesthetic. Just don't expect it to reach the heights of Pantasy's best Retro Collection releases.