diff --git a/src/components/HeaderControls.vue b/src/components/HeaderControls.vue
index 547d51a..d806fe6 100644
--- a/src/components/HeaderControls.vue
+++ b/src/components/HeaderControls.vue
@@ -8,6 +8,17 @@
           @activate="handleSearchActivate"
           @preview="(r) => emit('search-preview', r)"
         />
+        <div
+          class="current-time"
+          aria-label="Current time (click to go to today)"
+          role="button"
+          tabindex="-1"
+          @click="goToToday"
+          @keydown.enter="goToToday"
+          @keydown.space.prevent="goToToday"
+        >
+          {{ timeString }}
+        </div>
         <div class="today-date" @click="goToToday">{{ todayString }}</div>
         <button
           type="button"
@@ -62,11 +73,40 @@ import SettingsDialog from '@/components/SettingsDialog.vue'
 
 const calendarStore = useCalendarStore()
 
+// Today label: derive from local ticking clock so it flips right at midnight
 const todayString = computed(() => {
-  const d = new Date(calendarStore.now)
+  const d = new Date(localNowMs?.value ?? Date.now())
   return formatTodayString(d)
 })
 
+// Local ticking clock: update every second without thrashing global store
+const localNowMs = ref(Date.now())
+let clockTimer = null
+
+onMounted(() => {
+  // Start a 1s ticker for the header clock (independent from store's minute tick)
+  clockTimer = setInterval(() => {
+    localNowMs.value = Date.now()
+  }, 1000)
+})
+
+onBeforeUnmount(() => {
+  if (clockTimer) clearInterval(clockTimer)
+})
+
+// Current time (24h, NBSP padding for single-digit hours, with day/night emoji)
+const timeString = computed(() => {
+  const d = new Date(localNowMs.value)
+  const h = d.getHours()
+  const m = d.getMinutes()
+  const hh = h < 10 ? '\u00A0' + h : String(h)
+  const mm = m < 10 ? '0' + m : String(m)
+  // Day at 6-18, otherwise night (TODO: sunrise/sunset)
+  const isDay = h >= 6 && h < 18
+  const emoji = isDay ? '🌞' : '🌙'
+  return `${hh}:${mm}${emoji}`
+})
+
 const emit = defineEmits(['go-to-today', 'search-activate', 'search-preview'])
 const { referenceDate = null } = defineProps({ referenceDate: { type: String, default: null } })
 
@@ -98,7 +138,9 @@ function openSettings() {
   // Capture baseline before opening settings
   try {
     calendarStore.$history?._baselineIfNeeded?.(true)
-  } catch {}
+  } catch {
+    /* no-op */
+  }
   settingsDialog.value?.open()
 }
 
@@ -267,4 +309,23 @@ onBeforeUnmount(() => {
   text-align: center;
   margin-inline-end: 2rem;
 }
+
+.current-time {
+  font-family: ui-monospace, SF Mono, Consolas, Monaco, "Cascadia Mono", "Segoe UI Mono", "Roboto Mono", "Ubuntu Mono", "Source Code Pro", "Fira Mono", "Droid Sans Mono", "Courier New", monospace;
+  font-size: 3.6em;
+  white-space: nowrap;
+  text-align: center;
+  cursor: pointer;
+}
+
+.current-time:hover,
+.current-time:focus-visible {
+  color: var(--strong);
+}
+
+@media (max-width: 700px) {
+  .current-time {
+    display: none;
+  }
+}
 </style>