Chess Clocks

I've posted this question in the help and support section however nowone seems to know the answer or It's such a stupid question, nowone bothers.  Either way here's my question.

Why do chess clocks look like a regular clock on a wall?  Was the original idea be setting it to the time of day before playing a game?

It is a fading tradition.  "Back in the day" when I started, there were no digital clocks.  We had cheap analog clocks with rolling numbers that were motor driven, but most clock faces were analog.  Today, with digital media and computers, some kids don't know how to tell time on a clockface, I'm told.  I would guess the OP was born after the digital revolution.  We haven't had television or smart phones forever, either.

I have an older BHB analog clock with "falling flags" but almost all tournaments today require the "delay" feature which in turn mandates digital clocks.

How is it sad that a person does not know how to do something that only has instrumental use when it no longer has instrumental use O_o

Granted, if I am ever in a situation where a foreign king captures me and tells me he is going to kill me unless I can use a bow-and-arrow to shoot an apple off a dainty lad's head, I am going to be pissed that I don't know how to use a bow-and-arrow. But like running out of batteries, that aint never gonna happen! And what the hell is a slide rule XD

happy 60th birthday!

From now on I am going to picture Estragon as Colleen (http://www.unshelved.com/2004-5-3).

Ps Found a comic I vaguely remembered from 2004 in 12 seconds with the DANGEROUS EVIL OF CONVENIENCE.